Hi world. It's turkey time and because I am leaving early tomorrow, this is my Thanksgiving post. I'll be flying out to Utah to spend time with the InLaws, and then spending a couple of days on vacation in Las Vegas with LittleBro. It should be a great time, I'm even planning to play a little off-season golf out there. Anyway, I'll be back Sunday night with a post-Thanksgiving report from the desert.
Without further ado, here are 27 things I am thankful for this year because this is my 27th Thanksgiving on our planet (I don't count the 53 Thanksgivings on my home planet):
27) Imports: It's a great time in life to meet new people. Since last Thanksgiving we've seen Gate, Sarah, GRide (temporarily), Mary, Emily and Kara, among others, move to the Windy City. We've also had the promise of more to come soon (Speedy, BigBro, LittleSis, CuriousGeorge, GRide, and others) and many have moved much closer to Chicago than they've been in a long time (LittleSis, CuriousGeorge, LuckyLiz). Good to have you all here. You're all impact players in life here at the Offering.
26) Exports: Despite only taking 1.5 days of vacation since last turkey day, I've seen long-lost friends and family in NYC, Vermont, CT, Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa, LA, Orange County, and more places that I can't think of right now. I've also had enormous amounts of visitors in Chicago (Kling, BigBob, JDI, ButtMan, RedCelloGirl, DeRooster, etc). Good to have you all in whenever you can be here.
25) Employment: I complain, but working each and every day on something you find to be interesting, and on occasion challenging, is a blessing. Not many people have it. And if you heard most of the conversations I have during the work day, your impression of corporate lawyers would probably change. It's a good place to work, and despite the jokes, being a lawyer is a pretty good job to have.
24) Derrek Lee: You get it done every day; more importantly, you let your bat and your glove, not your mouth, do the talking.
23) Indian Summer: A great one this year. Not as long as in some places, but that late September to early October weather makes you glad to be alive.
22) Las Vegas: If I could date a city, I'd only have eyes for you.
21) Itunes: First year as my exclusive music management tool. It allows you to make the soundtrack to your life.
20) TheGirl: She's tolerant, tough, and she's going to be legally bound to me this at time next year. Crazy to think about that, but she has shown that she's up to the (very large) task.
19) Jagermeister and Red Bull. If this makes me shamefully fratastic, so be it. Bombs away. And when I can't take any more of that delicious elixer, I become thankful for tequila and Southern Comfort.
18) Chad Greenway and Abdul Hodge: Almost 1,000 career tackles between the two of you. You were great leaders and the face of a dominant Iowa team for three years. Good luck to both of you.
17) The Lifetime Hope and Learning Tax Credit: You allowed me to live without credit card debt this past year. We'll never meet again, but thank you.
16) HDTV: One of those things that you can't imagine living without once you get it, like a cellphone, your first car, and the internet.
15) Happy Hour: I didn't really understand the importance of this until I started working 60+ hour weeks.
14) Safety: We had a tough year with tsunamis, hurricanes, and violence directed at Americans at home and abroad. I'm (very selfishly) thankful that my loved ones stayed out of harm's way and I'm even more thankful for the people that are doing their best to stop or alleviate these events (especially CWorrell and WRHIII in Afghanistan. Keep up the good work fellas.).
13) Golf: If I could date a sport, I'd two-time you (by dating football and baseball on the side). But you'd be my number 1 sport. There is no sport that preoccupies my mind more than golf, and I am thankful that I can spend the time and effort I do getting better at this great game.
12) Talent in abundance: This year more than any other, I've seen my peer group realize their talents. From GRide and Gate making their first foray into large-scale M&A law, to TheKeefer becoming the resident poet stud at Johns Hopkins, to seeing RedCelloGirl on national tours with her red cello, to Dolph rising to the top of the heap at UC business school, to Screwsan starting a literary review, to Hansel schooling fools at LSE, to DEK missing Iowa games because he's busy with trauma surgery, etc, etc, etc...I realize that I am in the midst of quite a broad array of talented people and I'm better off for it.
11) Monsters of the Midway: the Chicago Bears' defense is getting me through the disappointment and sorrow that surrounded the 2005 campaigns of the Cubs and Hawkeyes. You guys are just plain tremendous. I am thankful that you are fast, strong, relentless, and play 60 minutes with hate in your heart every single Sunday.
10) Parents: TheMom has been her usual doting, selfless self this year and TheDad and I have had some great times including Cubs games, Kohler, operas, and are up for many more as we ramp up to the Big Day next September. You're both money.
9) Summer in Chicago: This summer was one of the best on record; there were many, many Cubs games, rooftop parties, happy hours, BBQs, and all the things that make this town great in the summer.
8) The Big Ten: The football season for us natives of Big Ten towns is a three month celebration even when your team isn't performing well. As someone born (literally) in the shadow of Kinnick Stadium, this year was no different. Top five football weekends this year, measured by fun, in reference to the Iowa schedule, were: 1) Homecoming, 2) at Madison, 3) at Iowa State, 4) Ohio State, 5) Michigan. Each was a tremendous time in its own right, as were the rest of the games. I'm counting the days until the kickoff of the 2006 campaign.
7) AYCD: Considering how much money I have spent on bar tabs and how many All-You-Can-Drink events we've attended in the last year, I have to be thankful for these. It's all about getting on the trolley, paying your $20, and trying to get your per-beer cost down under a buck.
6) Lakeview: Living in Lakeview is the best. I'm moving in May 2006, and I hope I stay close by. If you're looking for a place to live in Chicago, try my neighborhood.
5) Sensible Leadership: I have never in my life seen a year that was as politically divisive as this last year. I am thankful that we have a few reasonable, principled leaders left. Examples include John McCain, Harry Reid (on occasion), Jim Leach, and everyone's favorite, Barack Obama.
4) Holidays: Like Thanksgiving, love Christmas, LOVE New Year's Eve. Like Christmas decorations. Like giving gifts. Like seeing family. Like doing Christmas night reunions at Vito's. Love the bowl games. Crappy weather, great time of year.
3) Parties: They're my lifeblood. Big, small, loud, quiet, we've had a million this year...going-away, welcome-home, birthday, engagement, Christmas, Halloween, 4th of July, football, baseball, summer, bachelor...you name it. I'm thankful for all of them and for all that we will have in the coming year.
2) The Inner Circles: In life, everyone has some groups of people with which they have enough history that a normal description (i.e. "friends", "family", "co-workers", etc) does not do the group justice. I term these groups Inner Circles and I am thankful for each and every Inner Circle of which I am a part (albeit sometimes involuntarily), including but not limited to theSiblings, the Forum and the Norgesians. You guys and gals know who you are, and you rock.
1) You. The people in my everyday life, shockingly, are largely the same ones that frequent this website and pass it on to other people. So I am thankful that you have displayed the kick-assitude to contribute to my life this year in one way or another, if you have indeed done so. So drink up, you've earned it.
What are you thankful for? Go ahead.
Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving. I hope your families are well and you get the holidays started off right. After Sin City chews me up and spits me out this weekend, I'll be back with more.
Tim
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Monday, November 21, 2005
A Tricky Saturday and a Panther Hunt
Well, what a weekend. Great stuff on the field, similarly so off the field. Friday night involved a sojourn out to the west burbs for buddy Rip's bachelor party at a, shall we say, establishment of questionable moral standing. But it was good times despite the monstrous cab fare and the party had some great moments. LongMan, K-Rock, and Kelly were along for the ride.
TheDad made a rare appearence in Chicago, after taking in a Pucini opera Friday night he met us at Hawkeye Central before the regular season finale for some beer and brunch.
The Hawks made the faithful proud Saturday, jumping out to an early 35-0 lead on the Gophers and cruising the entire way, paced by "Tricky" Ed Hinkel's trickiest performance ever on his Senior Day: 7 catches, 151 yards, 4 touchdowns, and a great overall comeback performance after breaking his arm against Purdue and watching Iowa's season come apart from the sidelines against Michigan and Northwestern. It was great to see a four-year contributor and on-and-off the field leader have a great day for his swan song at Kinnick Stadium. Fellow senior Adbul Hodge had 14 tackles by halftime, Chad Greenway got an interception, and the offense got big contributions in the running game: 104 yards on 8 carries from up-and-coming Damien Sims and a 103-yard performance from our workhorse and Doak Walker Award semi-finalist Albert "The Matriculator" Young. Each of our running backs matriculated the ball down the field for a touchdown Saturday, but it was all about the seniors and keeping Floyd of Rosedale right where he belongs.
Saturday afternoon and evening was good times, party hosts Gate and Sarah had Thanksgiving dinner for Chicago-area friends before we head our separate ways for the real holiday. It was great times, great food, and devolved into a celebration that lasted long into the night as usual.
And the crown jewel of sporting events this weekend took place Sunday afternoon, as the until-now unheralded Chicago Bears dismantled the NFC favorite Carolina Panthers in a 13-3 drubbing that easily could have been worse. It featured 8 sacks by the Bears defensive line in addition to about a dozen other QB pressures and knockdowns. It was the best four quarters of football the Bears have played this year (with the possible exception of Detroit game No. 1), and it feels good to silence the critics who have complained about the Bears' record being solely a product of an easy schedule and weak division. We've beaten the best team. Now let's have some well-earned respect for this team. We win ugly, but often.
Game balls go to Nate Vasher, two more picks on two absolutely putrid throws by Jake Delhomme, setting up 10 points in the first quarter and giving us the lead for good, and Alex Brown, registering 2 of the 8 sacks, knocking down a pass, getting three tackles, and forcing 2 fumbles. He did everything but sell popcorn in Soldier Field yesterday, and he wasn't the only one. The "You'll Get 'Em Next Week" award goes to Mushin Muhammed, who got 6 catches and a TD against his old team, but with 4 drops he lost almost as many as he caught, and he tipped a slightly-underthrown Orton pass into the arms of Ricky Manning, Jr. for Orton's only pick. I know you were nervous playing against your old team Moose, but we paid you $28 million to make the play each and every time, and we need you to do that. You're too good for those mistakes.
The bottom line is this: If you don't know, now you know. The Chicago Bears have The. Best. Defense. In. Football.
Up next is another big NFC South test: the enigmatic Tampa Bay Bucs, who have shown the ability to beat great teams and get throttled by bad teams this year. We'll see who shows up next Sunday.
Short week for all of us...it's the holidays. TheGirl and I are leaving Wednesday afternoon for St. George for turkey and golf with the InLaws, TheMom, and LittleBro, and then LittleBro and I are setting sail for Mecca to spend the weekend at this little-known establishment. We're going to eat steak, drink cocktails, and recklessly gamble until Sunday morning when we return to the Windy City.
I'll be back with something before I embark Wednesday, but make sure you and your family have a great and happy holiday. Turkey is good. So are green beans.
T
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
There's a mighty wind a-blowin'...
...across the land and 'cross the sea...oh, there's a mighty wind a-blowin', it's blowin' you and me.
What a great movie. If you don't know what movie I am referring to, get a sense of humor.
The Windy City has been just that this week- windy, freezing cold, and our first snowflakes of the year are falling right now. I really like the holidays, but I'm not crazy about the long, cold, dark winter that is upon us.
Quick weekend wrap: Madison, WI is a like a fine, fine woman that you just know is seeing about 100 other people besides you: You don't want to see her too often, you don't want to know what is going on with her when you're not there, and you feel a little dirty afterward. But DAMN, when you have that rare weekend when you do see her, it's the greatest. And that was how Madison did us again this year. Props to Hard for running the show, plus props to Dolph, BLoyd, Blando, Speedy, LongMan, K-Rock, Emily, cousin Tyler, and the lovely DeeTrain for their enthusiastic participation. It was madness. We checked in to the hotel at 5:30 Friday afternoon, received our first call from the front desk about the noise promptly at 6:30, and it was all downhill from there. The Hawks played a stellar game against an emotional Wisconsin squad on Barry Alvarez's swan song at Camp Randall, and we celebrated the win before, during, and after the game. Tremendous effort all around.
I can't wait for Friday, September 21, 2007, which is the scheduled departure date for the next Madison trip.
A few other notes on this Hump Day:
1) Congratulations to You, Me & Iowa, recipients of the L.A. Music Award for Alternative Rock Band of the Year. You guys rock and we here at the Offering hope that you ride this wave to fame and fortune.
2) D-Rock didn't get the MVP of the National League, losing out to both Albert Pujols and Andruw Jones. That is disappointing because a) it's the only thing Cubs fans were rooting for after it was clear we weren't going anywhere last year, which was around mid-August, and b) judging by pure value to the team (i.e. asking "where would this team be without this player, and where are they now?"), Derreck Lee was clearly more valuable than Pujols and Jones. The Cardinals had the best record in the league and the Braves won the division yet again with the best rookie class in years. The Cubs were absolutely CARRIED by D-Rock through most of the season. How many games did we win 5-3 when he had 4 or 5 of the RBIs? How many games did he get half of our hits? It's sad that your team has to make the playoffs to be in the running for this award. It's like saying if your team doesn't win 94 games, you can't be valuable enough. Not true.
3) Phish is releasing what many people think to be their greatest show ever, New Year's Eve 1995. There are a bunch of packages available, including the CD with a t-shirt from the show, champagne flutes, and other stuff. It is a truly fantastic show, one of the first shows I ever got on tape and one that I listened to over and over as a young Phish fan. Highlights for me are the opener of Punch You In The Eye->Sloth, the Drowned->Lizards->Axilla (Pt. II) in the second set, and the Col. Forbin->Mockingbird Gamehenge thing. What a show. What a year for Phish that was: A Live One came out and was their first platiunum album, they played a rocking Chalkdust on Letterman when they were in town for the NYE shows, a fantastic fall tour leading up to it, including 10/20/95 at the Five Seasons Center in Cedar Rapids, IA, where I got baptized as a die-hard...makes me nostalgic for the good old days when I could see them two or three times a year without even traveling.
4) Big weekend on the horizon. Last Hawkeye game of the year against a tough Minnesota team, a big holiday dinner Saturday afternoon courtesy of Gate, who has to make up for missing Madison, a bachelor party to attend on Friday night, and a HUGE Bears game on Sunday against a red-hot Carolina Panthers squad. And I promised TheGirl I would see the Pompeii exhibit at the Field Museum sometime. Yikes.
I'm out. Stay warm, it is awful out there.
T
What a great movie. If you don't know what movie I am referring to, get a sense of humor.
The Windy City has been just that this week- windy, freezing cold, and our first snowflakes of the year are falling right now. I really like the holidays, but I'm not crazy about the long, cold, dark winter that is upon us.
Quick weekend wrap: Madison, WI is a like a fine, fine woman that you just know is seeing about 100 other people besides you: You don't want to see her too often, you don't want to know what is going on with her when you're not there, and you feel a little dirty afterward. But DAMN, when you have that rare weekend when you do see her, it's the greatest. And that was how Madison did us again this year. Props to Hard for running the show, plus props to Dolph, BLoyd, Blando, Speedy, LongMan, K-Rock, Emily, cousin Tyler, and the lovely DeeTrain for their enthusiastic participation. It was madness. We checked in to the hotel at 5:30 Friday afternoon, received our first call from the front desk about the noise promptly at 6:30, and it was all downhill from there. The Hawks played a stellar game against an emotional Wisconsin squad on Barry Alvarez's swan song at Camp Randall, and we celebrated the win before, during, and after the game. Tremendous effort all around.
I can't wait for Friday, September 21, 2007, which is the scheduled departure date for the next Madison trip.
A few other notes on this Hump Day:
1) Congratulations to You, Me & Iowa, recipients of the L.A. Music Award for Alternative Rock Band of the Year. You guys rock and we here at the Offering hope that you ride this wave to fame and fortune.
2) D-Rock didn't get the MVP of the National League, losing out to both Albert Pujols and Andruw Jones. That is disappointing because a) it's the only thing Cubs fans were rooting for after it was clear we weren't going anywhere last year, which was around mid-August, and b) judging by pure value to the team (i.e. asking "where would this team be without this player, and where are they now?"), Derreck Lee was clearly more valuable than Pujols and Jones. The Cardinals had the best record in the league and the Braves won the division yet again with the best rookie class in years. The Cubs were absolutely CARRIED by D-Rock through most of the season. How many games did we win 5-3 when he had 4 or 5 of the RBIs? How many games did he get half of our hits? It's sad that your team has to make the playoffs to be in the running for this award. It's like saying if your team doesn't win 94 games, you can't be valuable enough. Not true.
3) Phish is releasing what many people think to be their greatest show ever, New Year's Eve 1995. There are a bunch of packages available, including the CD with a t-shirt from the show, champagne flutes, and other stuff. It is a truly fantastic show, one of the first shows I ever got on tape and one that I listened to over and over as a young Phish fan. Highlights for me are the opener of Punch You In The Eye->Sloth, the Drowned->Lizards->Axilla (Pt. II) in the second set, and the Col. Forbin->Mockingbird Gamehenge thing. What a show. What a year for Phish that was: A Live One came out and was their first platiunum album, they played a rocking Chalkdust on Letterman when they were in town for the NYE shows, a fantastic fall tour leading up to it, including 10/20/95 at the Five Seasons Center in Cedar Rapids, IA, where I got baptized as a die-hard...makes me nostalgic for the good old days when I could see them two or three times a year without even traveling.
4) Big weekend on the horizon. Last Hawkeye game of the year against a tough Minnesota team, a big holiday dinner Saturday afternoon courtesy of Gate, who has to make up for missing Madison, a bachelor party to attend on Friday night, and a HUGE Bears game on Sunday against a red-hot Carolina Panthers squad. And I promised TheGirl I would see the Pompeii exhibit at the Field Museum sometime. Yikes.
I'm out. Stay warm, it is awful out there.
T
Friday, November 11, 2005
All Systems Go
We have arranged a coordinated departure from the various cities for 1:00 PM CT. Props to Hard and his lovely wife Deanna for hosting all of us on Friday night before we wreak havoc upon State Street. No game tix yet, they are a tough commodity to come by because it's coach Alvarez's last game at Camp Randall Stadium. Wouldn't it be nice to give him a little going away present, like, say, a viscious ass-kicking at the hands of our nasty defense?
We're going to start the evening at Hard's house, and then hit the bars tonight. Tomorrow the Hawkeye Huddle starts at 11:30 AM, where we will attempt to procure tickets to the game in the Iowa section, but if that fails we will proceed to State Street. Following the Hawkeye victory, we're going to be crashing some sort of birthday party that was arranged by LongMan, who cannot be trusted, but we'll give it a shot anyway. Then it's back to the bars for one more go-around before the Madison trip in 2007.
If you want some good reading and like indie rock chicks, check Paul Shirley's blog on ESPN.com. If you're a Sports Guy fan, you may remember him from last year when he was making regular contributions to SG's website while warming the bench for the Phoenix Suns. But wow, he sure is right on about the bass player for Stellastarr*. World class hotness. Rock chicks rule. Check out the photo section of the website if you don't believe me.
Have a stellar weekend everyone. I'll be back with more on Sunday night or Monday, depending on where I am, and possibly whether county lockup in Madison has a good wireless connection. We're off.
t
We're going to start the evening at Hard's house, and then hit the bars tonight. Tomorrow the Hawkeye Huddle starts at 11:30 AM, where we will attempt to procure tickets to the game in the Iowa section, but if that fails we will proceed to State Street. Following the Hawkeye victory, we're going to be crashing some sort of birthday party that was arranged by LongMan, who cannot be trusted, but we'll give it a shot anyway. Then it's back to the bars for one more go-around before the Madison trip in 2007.
If you want some good reading and like indie rock chicks, check Paul Shirley's blog on ESPN.com. If you're a Sports Guy fan, you may remember him from last year when he was making regular contributions to SG's website while warming the bench for the Phoenix Suns. But wow, he sure is right on about the bass player for Stellastarr*. World class hotness. Rock chicks rule. Check out the photo section of the website if you don't believe me.
Have a stellar weekend everyone. I'll be back with more on Sunday night or Monday, depending on where I am, and possibly whether county lockup in Madison has a good wireless connection. We're off.
t
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Beware of Drunk Moose
I used to live in the mountains of Vermont, but we rarely had trouble with drunk moose invading our homes. I can't say the same thing for these elderly folks. This probably would be really funny right up until you have a 2,000 pound rodent with 3-foot long antlers coming through your wall looking for the liquor cabinet. I think when the moose wants booze, you give the moose the booze. It's a little bit like what Dolph does when he's off his leash.
Happy hump day.
Happy hump day.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Quick thoughts for today
Borrowing the format from K-Rock's quirky and informative blog, here are few things for today:
1) Go pound sand, T.O. I'm sick of media saturation of your stupid antics, and I'm sick of people having to weigh talent against a locker room cancer when the talent has a $50 million dollar contract to play a game. Your apologies ring hollow to me and to the Eagles. Good riddance.
2) With GM meetings starting yesterday, the hot stove season has officially begun. It's the only sports-related thing I pay attention to in the winter (besides the Super Bowl, the Pro Bowl, NCAA basketball, the Chicago Bulls, silly season golf, and the Winter Olympics). It looks to be a seller's market yet again, but the Cubs need to buy. They solidified the bench by re-signing Neifi for two more years, but I don't think he'll be on the field every day next year no matter where Nomar lands. I don't know how to turn the Cubs into a contender, but here is my free agent Christmas list for the Cubs:
1) Johnny Damon
2) Rafael Furcal
3) Juan Pierre
4) AJ Burnett/Kevin Millwood
5) A power-hitting corner outfielder
You have to think that if we get 1) or 3), Murton will start in left next year because we won't get another stud OF. If we get 2), Cedeno goes to second and we trade Walker for an outfielder or bullpen help. It remains to be seen how we will do this off-season, but Hendry has about $30 million to spend and I think we'll see some productive imports this year.
3) Your uppence shall come, Wal-Mart. Actually, it probably won't, but I don't like you.
4) Lawyers for Saddam Hussein are becoming an endangered species these days. Whoever is knocking these guys off: if you are doing this as a statement for representing such an awful dictator, stop. The more lawyers you kill, the longer his trial lasts, and the less time he spends in a gulag. And it's not like the tribunal is eventually going to run out of lawyers. Take it from me: there are more than enough of us.
5) Watch the Colbert Report. On rare occasion the jokes fall flat, but this is a hilarious show. His monologues and obnoxious interviewing style is great. "Musk up America, because I'm going to truth you. All. Night. Long."
6) Peaceable Families of Madison, WI: Hide the women and children and board up your houses. Although our traditional Madison Road Trip group is missing crucial members BigBro, WhiteBrent, and Hansel, we've added LongMan, Dolph, Blando, Loyd (Medium), Loyd (Small), Hard, and we'll be led by chairman and 6-year Madison Road Trip veteran K-Rock. It's going to be a formidable group. If you are in Madison and would like to host a large group of good-natured drunks, have all manner of inappropriate conversations and interactions, and have medium to serious structural damage inflicted on your place of residence, by all means, post a comment here or email the Offering. Our schedule is getting pretty full but we're always happy to stop by and spread our message of happiness and double shots of tequila.
More soon.
t
1) Go pound sand, T.O. I'm sick of media saturation of your stupid antics, and I'm sick of people having to weigh talent against a locker room cancer when the talent has a $50 million dollar contract to play a game. Your apologies ring hollow to me and to the Eagles. Good riddance.
2) With GM meetings starting yesterday, the hot stove season has officially begun. It's the only sports-related thing I pay attention to in the winter (besides the Super Bowl, the Pro Bowl, NCAA basketball, the Chicago Bulls, silly season golf, and the Winter Olympics). It looks to be a seller's market yet again, but the Cubs need to buy. They solidified the bench by re-signing Neifi for two more years, but I don't think he'll be on the field every day next year no matter where Nomar lands. I don't know how to turn the Cubs into a contender, but here is my free agent Christmas list for the Cubs:
1) Johnny Damon
2) Rafael Furcal
3) Juan Pierre
4) AJ Burnett/Kevin Millwood
5) A power-hitting corner outfielder
You have to think that if we get 1) or 3), Murton will start in left next year because we won't get another stud OF. If we get 2), Cedeno goes to second and we trade Walker for an outfielder or bullpen help. It remains to be seen how we will do this off-season, but Hendry has about $30 million to spend and I think we'll see some productive imports this year.
3) Your uppence shall come, Wal-Mart. Actually, it probably won't, but I don't like you.
4) Lawyers for Saddam Hussein are becoming an endangered species these days. Whoever is knocking these guys off: if you are doing this as a statement for representing such an awful dictator, stop. The more lawyers you kill, the longer his trial lasts, and the less time he spends in a gulag. And it's not like the tribunal is eventually going to run out of lawyers. Take it from me: there are more than enough of us.
5) Watch the Colbert Report. On rare occasion the jokes fall flat, but this is a hilarious show. His monologues and obnoxious interviewing style is great. "Musk up America, because I'm going to truth you. All. Night. Long."
6) Peaceable Families of Madison, WI: Hide the women and children and board up your houses. Although our traditional Madison Road Trip group is missing crucial members BigBro, WhiteBrent, and Hansel, we've added LongMan, Dolph, Blando, Loyd (Medium), Loyd (Small), Hard, and we'll be led by chairman and 6-year Madison Road Trip veteran K-Rock. It's going to be a formidable group. If you are in Madison and would like to host a large group of good-natured drunks, have all manner of inappropriate conversations and interactions, and have medium to serious structural damage inflicted on your place of residence, by all means, post a comment here or email the Offering. Our schedule is getting pretty full but we're always happy to stop by and spread our message of happiness and double shots of tequila.
More soon.
t
Monday, November 07, 2005
When it rains...it pours.
Still recovering from that awful, soul-sucking gut punch that the Hawks took on Saturday. For three years, this team has been identified by hard work and an ability to find ways to win close games. Now they have no leadership, no focus, and are finding ways to lose. In case you aren't a fan or weren't conscious this weekend, Northwestern stunned the Hawks 28-27 despite the fact that Iowa had the ball and a 13-point lead with three and a half minutes to play. Five things that, despite our first half dominance, led to our eventual downfall:
1) Absolutely no rushing attack in the second half. Young was bottled up even though he ran over, around, and through that defense in the first half. If they put 8 or 9 in the box, you have to make them pay for man coverage.
2) Not capitalizing on turnovers. Two interceptions in the second half, a fumble recovery, no points.
3) 3 second half points. Not good enough.
4) No sense of toughness, no inspired play from our senior leaders. Tate, Ferentz, Solomon, Hodge, Greenway, Johnson, Chandler...I'm looking in your direction. Take a cue from Hansel: you can drop three interceptions against Northwestern and still make a big difference by playing smart, tough football, exhibiting leadership when it counts, and bringing the overall level of execution up a notch when you need it.
5) No focus from our receivers. It was a wet, foggy day and certainly the conditions didn't help, but Solomon and Grigsby dropped balls, fell down on routes, couldn't gain separation, and overall didn't have the kind of game they needed to have.
It wasn't a pretty sight. We have absolutely got to regain our concentration before the end of this season. At 5-4 right now, without a win against a D1-A team with a winning record, the Capital One, Outback, Sun, and Alamo Bowls are probably out of the question. If we win out, we're looking at Music City or an outside chance at San Antonio. If we split, we could be headed for Detroit. If we lose out, it will be crushing. But who, even among us diehards, thinks we deserve to play in a good bowl this year?
Enough on the Hawks. It's depressing. Did you like the live 'West Wing' debate last night? I did. Everyone knows that since Aaron Sorkin left the show and the ill-advised cast turnover happened, the show has had to rely on gimmicks to keep viewers interested (and I'm saying that as a loyal fan of the show since the first episode. I've always liked it, up until everyone left). But this was a good gimmick. It would be stunning if any real political debate actually happened for a non-fiction election. It would certainly divide the electorate, but at least we would know what, as opposed to whom, we were voting for. And I think that would be a good thing.
Finally, before I get back to work: This is a priceless story. Hilarious. Now, I am all for getting in trouble if you deck someone in a nightclub bathroom, but I think the public sentiment, at least among men and NFL fans, is going to be strongly swayed by the, shall we say, illicit activities that these women were engaging in right up until when one of them did a little urban renewal on the victim's grill. I think it's safe to say these ladies are finished as Carolina Panther cheerleaders, but I'm certain that their careers as b-list sexed-up pseudo-celebrities are about to begin, and that's probably a lot more fun, and involves about the same amount of clothing. So everybody wins. Except the girl who got her mug busted. As for you two cheerleaders, you have 15:00 of fame. You are now on the clock.
More tomorrow.
t
1) Absolutely no rushing attack in the second half. Young was bottled up even though he ran over, around, and through that defense in the first half. If they put 8 or 9 in the box, you have to make them pay for man coverage.
2) Not capitalizing on turnovers. Two interceptions in the second half, a fumble recovery, no points.
3) 3 second half points. Not good enough.
4) No sense of toughness, no inspired play from our senior leaders. Tate, Ferentz, Solomon, Hodge, Greenway, Johnson, Chandler...I'm looking in your direction. Take a cue from Hansel: you can drop three interceptions against Northwestern and still make a big difference by playing smart, tough football, exhibiting leadership when it counts, and bringing the overall level of execution up a notch when you need it.
5) No focus from our receivers. It was a wet, foggy day and certainly the conditions didn't help, but Solomon and Grigsby dropped balls, fell down on routes, couldn't gain separation, and overall didn't have the kind of game they needed to have.
It wasn't a pretty sight. We have absolutely got to regain our concentration before the end of this season. At 5-4 right now, without a win against a D1-A team with a winning record, the Capital One, Outback, Sun, and Alamo Bowls are probably out of the question. If we win out, we're looking at Music City or an outside chance at San Antonio. If we split, we could be headed for Detroit. If we lose out, it will be crushing. But who, even among us diehards, thinks we deserve to play in a good bowl this year?
Enough on the Hawks. It's depressing. Did you like the live 'West Wing' debate last night? I did. Everyone knows that since Aaron Sorkin left the show and the ill-advised cast turnover happened, the show has had to rely on gimmicks to keep viewers interested (and I'm saying that as a loyal fan of the show since the first episode. I've always liked it, up until everyone left). But this was a good gimmick. It would be stunning if any real political debate actually happened for a non-fiction election. It would certainly divide the electorate, but at least we would know what, as opposed to whom, we were voting for. And I think that would be a good thing.
Finally, before I get back to work: This is a priceless story. Hilarious. Now, I am all for getting in trouble if you deck someone in a nightclub bathroom, but I think the public sentiment, at least among men and NFL fans, is going to be strongly swayed by the, shall we say, illicit activities that these women were engaging in right up until when one of them did a little urban renewal on the victim's grill. I think it's safe to say these ladies are finished as Carolina Panther cheerleaders, but I'm certain that their careers as b-list sexed-up pseudo-celebrities are about to begin, and that's probably a lot more fun, and involves about the same amount of clothing. So everybody wins. Except the girl who got her mug busted. As for you two cheerleaders, you have 15:00 of fame. You are now on the clock.
More tomorrow.
t
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Warm Front
It's been a while; things have been very busy at work and at home. We are in the middle of an unseasonably warm week in Chicago after a cold and rainy Halloween. It's supposed to be gorgeous today and tomorrow and warm this weekend with a little rain. That's disappointing, because we Hawkeye fans in the windy city will be heading up to Evanston for a matchup against the powerful offense and somewhat abysmal defense of the Northwestern Wildcats. It's going to be a great game. After that, I'll be hosting a victory BBQ at my place for Hawk fans and in celebration of the rare appearence at a Hawkeye weekend by Offering regular Gride. It's a two-week road trip with the Hawks, because next weekend we're heading up to Madison to watch the Hawks take on the Badgers in Barry Alvarez's last home game. Should be two tightly contested ball games in a row.
The Prez is experiencing an all-time low in approval ratings, less than half of the disapproval rating. Ouch. What do you think was the primary cause of this slump- Iraq, the economy, the Miers withdrawal, the DeLay indictment, or the Libby indictment/CIA leak investigation? I'm thinking it's the Libby saga. DeLay has sort of flown under the radar as far as White House politics, and although Iraq is a sort of constant drain on approval ratings, we've been living with it for years now.
Here is a great article from the Phat Phree. Hilarious. I know people like this.
And a little jab at the Astros after not putting up much of a fight against the White Sox from the Onion. By the way, after the parade last Friday, the entire city of Chicago promptly forgot about the Sox. I haven't heard one word, seen one shirt, seen one mention on TV, seen one public appearance by a player, or heard any mention of it whatsoever. The White Sox fans just aren't very dedicated (22 sellouts this whole season?) or there aren't enough of them. I guarantee you when the Cubs win it all (next year), we'll be celebrating and reveling in it until opening day 2007.
Hopefully I'll be back with more tomorrow.
t
The Prez is experiencing an all-time low in approval ratings, less than half of the disapproval rating. Ouch. What do you think was the primary cause of this slump- Iraq, the economy, the Miers withdrawal, the DeLay indictment, or the Libby indictment/CIA leak investigation? I'm thinking it's the Libby saga. DeLay has sort of flown under the radar as far as White House politics, and although Iraq is a sort of constant drain on approval ratings, we've been living with it for years now.
Here is a great article from the Phat Phree. Hilarious. I know people like this.
And a little jab at the Astros after not putting up much of a fight against the White Sox from the Onion. By the way, after the parade last Friday, the entire city of Chicago promptly forgot about the Sox. I haven't heard one word, seen one shirt, seen one mention on TV, seen one public appearance by a player, or heard any mention of it whatsoever. The White Sox fans just aren't very dedicated (22 sellouts this whole season?) or there aren't enough of them. I guarantee you when the Cubs win it all (next year), we'll be celebrating and reveling in it until opening day 2007.
Hopefully I'll be back with more tomorrow.
t
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Aftermath
I hope everyone had a great halloween, I certainly did...after the carnage on Saturday, I went back out tonight with the ninjas and had a great time as usual. More tomorrow.
Do what strikes you as the right thing.
t
Do what strikes you as the right thing.
t
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