I found a little gem on the internet today, if you like the Family Guy as much as I do. Click here for a catalog of the Family Guy songs, as well as links on the left hand side of the screen for all manner of other multimedia Family Guy-related stuff. My favorite has to be Rock Lobster. If you haven't seen the episode where Cleveland's wife Loretta has an affair with Quagmire, listen to the song the Peter plays for Cleveland to make him feel better about it. Priceless.

Hope everyone had a good weekend. As mentioned before, I was at Kohler, Wisconsin from Friday to Sunday. The slogan is "There's no Place Like It In America", and I have to agree. It is the middle of cornfields in Wisconsin, the town has 1,926 people, but they managed to build an absolutely fantastic resort (the American Club), two golf clubs (Blackwolf Run and Whistling Straits) with four of the finest golf courses anywhere in the nation (at Whistling Straits, the Straits and the Irish Courses, and at Blackwolf Run, the River and the Meadows). I have to say that the Straits course is one of the most beautiful places I have ever taken a long walk in my life. Set atop the cliffs overlooking Lake Michigan, Herb Kohler and Pete Dye brought in over 100,000 trucks full of dirt and non-native grass seed to make the course full of rolling hills, impossible sand bunkers, sand dunes and wasteland that looks a lot like the hilly links courses on the Irish Sea. There are no cart paths (you bring caddies with you and walk the hills), and they even brought in a herd of Scottish Blackface Sheep to roam around the hills.

Here is a look at the 7th hole of the Straits, a pretty representative shot of the course-



It is quite a view when you get to the hilltop green on the first hole at about 8:00 in the morning, with the mist rising off the lake and the sun coming up over the dunes. The picture doesn't quite do it justice; trust me, it is phenomenal.

Anyway, I was fortunate to play all four courses in the 48 hours I was there, making it five rounds (counting a practice round in Chicago Thursday) in about 72 hours. It's a lot of golf, but when you're in Kohler, that's all there is to do. All in all, a fantastic weekend. If you are serious about golf (and you have to be to play here, at $200 per round in greens fees, plus $55 for a caddie and massively expensive restaurants and pro shops), nothing else compares to this place. I've played championship links golf in Scotland, and the quality of the courses here is every bit as good. There are great pubs in the American Club too, and the service at every facility in the entire complex is impeccable. You cannot ask for a better weekend destination. As my playing partner said- "There is simply nothing wrong with this place. You cannot find even the smallest fault anywhere."


Enough of my post-vacation ranting. Let's talk about something else. How about this ridiculous and awful weather in the Gulf Coast? Half of New Orleans is under 5 to 6 feet of water right now, and (hopefully) the entire city is evacuated to higher ground. This is one time I am glad to be a midwesterner. No earthquakes, hurricanes, or other natural disasters. I can't remember the last time I had to sit in the basement because of a tornado, but it's been many, many years.

And just on the heels of my long weekend, we have a wonderful late summer tradition coming up- Labor Day, and this year it's coupled with an even better event- the kickoff to Hawkeye Football against Ball State. There isn't much not to like about Hawkeye football, except that the hype and press coverage of the Hawks and Iowa City as a football town is starting to catch up to the team's talent and abilities and the ability of Iowa City to become a 100,000-person party for 6 Saturdays in the fall. Personally, I liked it more when we were just another town that was submerged in Bud Light and ten-win seasons without anyone taking much notice. But the secret is out, and I think the Hawks have a target on their backs this year. We're going to have to play our absolute best football at least three times (at Purdue, at Ohio State, at home against Michigan), and very solid football at least three more times (at Iowa State, at Wisconsin, and at home against Minnesota). We're a very good football team, but we have a lot of improving to do if we want to stay in the nation's elite. Nevertheless, I expect no less than the Outback Bowl this year (and have aspirations to the Capital One Bowl or a BCS game), and another 10-win season.

Finally, we can touch briefly on how things are going with the democratic process in everyone's favorite nation-building project. It seems that the Sunni population are strongly against the draft Iraqi constitution as it is written right now. And the way I understand it, when the constitution goes to referendum for approval, a 2/3 no-vote in any 3 provinces shoots it down. The Sunnis, while a minority group, hold solid majority populations in at least 4 provinces. That spells trouble, doesn't it?

I have yet to see a draft of the language in the constitution. Can anyone drop some knowledge on the content of the pivotal sections on government structure and rights?

Have a good Monday.

Pierre Pierce pleaded guilty today, bringing an end to the years-long saga that Hawk fans have had to endure. Pierre was a talented player and exactly the type of slashing guard we need on the team right now, but he was also a scumbag, a liar, an abuser of women and an all-around asswipe. So good riddance. Sentencing on most of the charges isn't until later in the fall, but at least he isn't going to have a circus show trial. You can get the kick circle on Pierre going after you read about it here.

The cat is out of the bag. I am getting married to TheGirl, and the ring looks a little bit like this-



Of course, the one I gave her was much classier and came with the customary "Can I buy you a a fish sandwich?" We got engaged last Sunday, with an informal ring presentation at my palatial 1-BR mansion, a bottle of champagne, and then a round of golf. TheGirl took it well, and she's definitely earned the celebration.

Also, to celebrate, I bought myself a new club. I plan to use it this weekend when I head to Whistling Straits to kick TheDad's ass in a 72-hole match-play showdown.

As far as the wedding goes, we are thinking early fall next year, likely September or October, somewhere out west. TheGirl's parents (the InLaws), live north of Vegas in Utah, and there are a variety of fun venues out there that we will investigate. There will be golf, vegas, gambling, and other fun activities likely involved.

a Labor Day note- who is going to attend the Iowa Hawkeye's inaugural game for the 2005 campaign? I hope to go to Iowa City from Chicago sometime Friday, September 2nd. Also, I need tickets to the game. Anyone want to help out a fan in need?

TheGirl wants to talk about the smoking ban in Chicago. Why does it work in NY and LA but people seem to think it won't work here? I am all for it, but my buddy Nate fires up the occasional paliament light when he is out sampling the delicious ales and meades of Chicago, so that's one person that may be fighting this thing.

What do you think? My argument that it would rock-
1) smoke+food= gross.
2) your clothes don't reek the next day, thereby saving oh-so-important laundry quarters.
3) girls' hair the morning after a night on the town smells absolutely nauseating (TheGirl's contribution).
4) cigarette smoke irritates the eyes, and non-smoking bar employees can get bad diseases, like cancer and stuff.

Let's hear it for smoking bans. Weigh in if you please.

Something funny I was just thinking about with regard to my clown neighbor-

I don't know who she is. I'm certain I've met or seen all of my neighbors. I'm sure I've met her when she was wearing plain clothes, and of course I have seen her many times when she has the clown suit on. But she is so unrecognizable in her clown suit that I couldn't begin to figure out which neighbor she is.

Also, she doesn't talk to anyone when she is wearing her clown suit, even if you walk by her in the courtyard. It's all business when the big floppy shoes are on.

I am an angry man. The focus of my rage right now is the stupid delivery people. I have been sitting home all day waiting for a package that was supposed to be delivered by noon. So instead of wasting the day, I have decided to be productive by surfing for new tunes and getting some tips from the pros (watching TV) for my golf trip next week to the holy land.

Why does the postal service always have to be so unreliable? It's ridiculous. My sister Cate paid $85 to get a package from Iowa City to Chicago in 24 hours, and they are already over three hours late. How hard is it? If you have a beef with the postal service, tell the world about it here. Together, we won't make any difference at all, but it still is fun to complain.

While we're on the subject, other things that bug me-

1. Oppressive humidity
2. Hangovers (thank you, all-you-can-drink last night)
3. Spotty internet connections
4. Car trouble
5. Bad bullpen pitching
6. Slow El trains
7. People who talk loudly on cellphones at restaurants
8. Clowns scaring me at night (my neighbor is a clown and she often walks around our building in full clown regalia including makeup and big red nose and wig, sometimes late at night, and if you don't expect, it can really freak you out)

What bugs you at this particular moment?

Hello, internet. It's a lovely Friday and I am looking forward to a half-weekend (working Sunday). Not too much going on this weekend, except a golf date with TheGirl at a girl-friendly golf course and the Hawkeye kick-off party in the post below. So below are a few picks of the day for your ass (in the tradition of an email forum of which I am a part) and I will be back this weekend with some stories of revelry and overconsumption of delicious ales and meades. If you are in the Windy City this weekend and have nothing to do, check out the Chicago Air and Water Show. It is incredibly loud and awesome.

Song of the Day- Get in, Get out by Hot Hot Heat.
Rewatchable movie of the Day- Anchorman.
Sandwich of the Day- Fluffer Nutter.
Poker hand of the Day- Suited King, in early position. Bet that thing early.

Until the weekend.

note about comments-
some people have inquired as to whether they have to have a blog to comment. the answer is a resounding NO. all you need is a username, you do not have to create a blog or even fill out the profile. just go here and pick a username and stuff. you don't have to complete the steps to have your own blog. then when you want to comment here, you can simply log in and publish your comments on my blog. that's that.

note about content-
i hope that we cover a wide variety of topics on this page, but one thing i don't want to get into is the specifics of our professional lives. if you don't understand why i would take this precaution, just read this story. i am a lawyer by trade, and would be happy to discuss the practice of law, how M&A works, and the legal aspects of important news issues, but i will not be broaching specifics about my workplace, clients, or colleagues. for the record, i like all three very much and would have nothing bad to say about them in any case, but given the public nature of the forum and the high percentage of work-related stuff that is confidential, let's stick to more forum-friendly stuff.

okay, that's it for now. sometime tomorrow or saturday i hope to be back with some fun movies or music content, but i have work now. in sports news, randy moss has been a bad boy and tiger brought his A-Game to the NEC. the cubs are in denver and have the day off, but will start tomorrow at 3:05 local time in a three-gamer against the rockies. rock on, tim

Props to my buddy GRide for coming up with the blog name. He is a gentleman and a scholar. Also, in the coming weeks, check out another buddy's blog. He is a computer nerd and has skills that far surpass mine.

I am experimenting with my ability to put all manner of pictures on my blog, so for now enjoy this picture of Petra Nemcova, one of my favorite Czechs, and I will add more content soon.

WMD's being sold for $5 a pop and you get a free t-shirt. Sounds reasonable.

My name is Tim and this is the first post in my blog. I hope that this post eventually turns into a place for family, friends, and internet strangers (who are welcome) to engage in all manner of sports and political debate as well as get updates on me and those around me. I hope to add links to stuff that rocks, pictures and other fun internet goodies, and whatever else I learn to do. In the meantime, email me with any suggestions for content or design. Until later, Tim