Even the goons call him a thug

It is Wednesday afternoon and I am already exhausted. I spent much of Monday working in Saint Cloud and then it was back to Wisconsin on Tuesday night. I have found myself spending a lot of time in Wisconsin recently. At least next week, I get to go to one of Wisconsin’s bright spots. I will be in La Crosse next week. I love Madison and going to Milwaukee for business can occasionally be fun too. But, La Crosse is next on my list. Unlike most of the state, Wisconsin is a very hilly city with beautiful river views and majestic, towering bluffs. The actual city reminds me of a slightly smaller Iowa City. I’ll be there for two days, and one night, and I am actually kind of excited. Unlike the week after where I will spend five days in North Dakota!!

1. I am embarrassed to be a Minnesota Wild fan. The only move they made before the NHL trade deadline was to acquire a man who gives the word, goon, a bad name. He is a thug’s thug. Chris Simon, just coming off a NHL record, 30 game suspension for taking his skate and driving it into the Achilles heel of an opponents leg, is the newest member of the Minnesota Wild. Simon has been suspended eight times before. Some of his highlights are getting suspended last year for 25 games for taking his stick and swinging it like a baseball bat at an opponent, calling one of the few black, NHL players the N word, cross checking an opponent in the neck, and many more saint-like behavior.

2. This brings me to my next point. I overheard a conversation with a friend of mine saying University of Wisconsin will never win the NCAA basketball championship because it is has too many white guys on the team. This reverse racism is completely irrelevant. There is absolutely no statistical proof that blacks are better athletes. The reality is that blacks just choose different sports. I can count on one hand how many blacks are NHL hockey players. Does that mean that blacks can’t skate? There are very few blacks who are dominant tennis players, golfers, skiers, figure skaters, la crosse players, baseball players, volleyball players, et cetera. It just happens that the two most watched sports in America are basketball and football and those are two sports in which blacks choose to participate in. I’m sure if you take the top athletes and put them in other sports, they would do well. If Michael Jordan decided to play a “white” sport like volleyball, I am going to guess he would be pretty good. If Wayne Gretsky were to play a “black” sport like basketball, I bet his superior vision, footwork, and speed would make him a really good point guard. It is absolutely ridiculous that because the hue of your skin is a shade or two darker then others that you are inherently better at certain sports.

3. I have recently become more and more frustrated with pro-illegal immigration protestors. Let’s say America is your house. First, I will break in your house and you discover I am living in your basement and you ask me to leave. But I say, I like it here better, and (besides illegally breaking into your house) I like it here and I will wash your dishes and mow your lawn. But you still tell me to leave and all of sudden I get a bunch of friends together and start protesting outside your house. The protesters say not only should I be able to live in your house, you should feed me, provide me with adequate education, give me a driver’s license, let me vote, and if I get sick, I should be able to get appropriate health care. Because after all, I am honest and hardworking (except for the fact that I illegally broke into your house.) I tell you it is only fair since your house is nicer and bigger then my house. I live in your house, contributing only a fraction of the cost of my keep, and there is nothing you can do about it without being accused of cold, uncaring, selfish, prejudiced, and bigoted behavior. Also, I don’t understand your language so would you mind learning my language and putting signs up in my language to make it easier on me? As a Christian, I am all for helping out the neediest among us, but I think what America really needs to do is figure out how to help Mexico’s economic issues so their poor stop breaking into our house.

Now I spit it so hot you got tan

I hope everybody had a fantastic weekend. I had a nice weekend as well. This weekend was about multiple trips to TGI Friday’s and multiple movies being watched. I’ll start with the movies in order of how I liked them.

Across the Universe – I really enjoyed this movie. It was a light, fun movie and I just left in a better mood after watching it. I think I appreciated the movie more then the gentlemen I watched it with because AtU is laced with subtle Beatles facts, and lyrics that only die-hards would know. However, I think everybody enjoyed it. Bottom line, it’s just a fun movie. Final grade… A-.

Gone Baby Gone – This movie was probably the complete opposite of fun. Written and directed by Ben Affleck, this movie starred Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, and Casey Affleck as police officers/detectives out trying to catch a kidnapped five year old. This movie is a dark, and brooding thriller. I would probably give this a B-. It’s good but so depressing.

The Assassination of Jesse James – Normally I think Brad Pitt is a very good actor but he struggled in the role of the western outlaw Jesse James. The first thing I didn’t like about this movie is that there is no good guy; only bad guys and really bad guys. The anti-hero, Jesse James, murdered people in cold blood, beat up a little kid when he was looking for his uncle, and basically was just an ass. Besides that, the movie was quite slow, unnecessarily violent, and poorly written. I give this movie a C-.

Besides movies, I have some other stuff on my mind:

1. I have a new food obsession. I can’t get enough of the new Chicken Florentine sub at Subway. I dined at Subway four times last week and I already have plans to go there for dinner tonight. I’m excited.

2. I only watched bits and pieces of the Academy Awards and I am anxiously awaiting the two Oscar frontrunners, No Country for Old Men, and There Will be Blood to come out on video. I was happy to see all of the Minnesota connections doing well. The Cohen brothers wrote and directed No Country and they’re from St. Louis Park, and Diablo Cody wrote Juno and she’s another Minnesota woman.

3. When I was in ninth and tenth grade, Ralph Nader was a hero of mine. I read several of his books and admire him greatly for his works on consumer rights and environmentalism among other notable accomplishments. However, let’s not kid ourselves. Had Nader not ran for president in 2000, Al Gore would have been president. Gore lost in the state of Florida by less then 1/10 of one percent. Nader took about three to four percent of the vote. Let’s say, 20% of the people who voted for Nader would have voted for Gore. Is that fair? I understand some would have gone to Bush, some would have not voted, and some would have gone for another Green Party candidate. However, just 20% of Nader’s vote would have ensured Al Gore would be the President of America. Clearly Ralph Nader needs his ego stroked. There are sharp differences between Obama, Hillary, and McCain and in all actuality; Ralph Nader has almost identical views as Hillary Clinton besides slight differences on Iraq. Nader needs to shut his egotistical mouth and get back to writing brilliant books. I’m incredibly disappointed in Nader.

I stepped I left and I don't regret leaving and I'd never forget all the things I saw that evening.

Albert Einstein, widely regarded as the most brilliant man of the 20th century, said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Sometimes I need to listen to this German physicist and take his advice to heart.

1. One issue I have debated with my Democrat/Liberal friends is about affirmative action. I am vehemently opposed to it because I think AA fosters more racism not less. Yesterday evening, I read a story in Newsweek about Michelle Obama. She is Barack Obama’s wife. Barack did it the hard way. He had stellar grades, did his undergrad at Columbia, worked as a community organizer for a while before enrolling in Harvard Law School. At Harvard Law, Barack graduated near the top of his class and became the first Black president of the Harvard Law Review. He was no product of Affirmative Action. His wife on the other hand grew up in a very poor neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. She had good but not great grades in high school, yet somehow she got accepted into Princeton. She talks in the Newsweek article as how nobody really took her seriously at Princeton and she was often excluded, not because of her gender or skin color, but because people just assumed that the only reason she was accepted to Princeton was because of her skin color. This is the sort of racism that is fostered as a result of affirmative action. This racism doesn’t just apply to college applications. There are numerous examples of similar issues within police stations, fire stations, et cetera. If I were a Supreme Court Justice, I would get rid of Affirmative Action immediately.

2. Anybody who thinks Hillary Clinton is out of it should look at the latest poll numbers. She has a seven point lead in Ohio and a two point lead according to CNN which just came out today. However, we are two weeks away from the Ohio and Texas primaries and a lot can change in two weeks.

3. In a little sports news, I think the Chicago Bulls did a fantastic trade. They traded two players way past their prime (Ben Wallace and Joe Smith) who both have bloated contracts for two terrific younger players in shooting guard Larry Hughes and Power Forward Drew Gooden. Kevin Garnett is the best basketball player I have ever seen live. Unfortunately I never had an opportunity to see his Airness live. Drew Gooden is the only player that ever dominated Garnett. And I have seen Garnett play live somewhere between 100 and 200 times. I’m not sure exactly where Hughes will fit in the line-up but a player that talented will find a spot. Plus, they also acquired a young, talented wing player in Shannon Brown. Who probably should have led Michigan State to a national championship a couple of years ago. This was a great trade for the Bulls.

4. I can’t believe I am saying this but I actually think President Bush has really turned it around in his last year in the White House. He has actually acknowledged and started to address global warming and he is doing a lot for the continent of Africa in fighting Malaria and AIDS. He is sending people, supplies, and money. He is also working with countries that are willing to except help like Ghana, and Kenya to improve conditions with farming, and economic issues. In addition, I admire Bush for asking the leaders of the failed Iraq war to resign and replaced them with leaders who actually know what they are doing. Led by General Petraus, conditions in Iraq are slowly starting to turn around and progress is clearly being made. He is far from perfect but at least he is improving. I think his last year in office will really help his legacy.

pop rocks and a can of Jolt

I feel as if the last five months of my life I have been a customer walking around Barnes and Noble. I don't feel as if a chapter of my life has closed. I feel that a whole book of my life has ended. I have spent the past couple of months trying to decide on what to read next. Oh sure, some people have recommended I read this, and others have recommended I read that. What if you are just plain tired of reading? What if it seems like all books look like the complete works of Dostevsky? It's all too much work. Yet, every five seconds everybody asks you what you're reading and they all have a new author who you would love. What if, to be honest, you miss reading the book you enjoyed before? You know the characters, and you already find it interesting. Is that wrong? I think it is time for me to leave this Barnes and Noble and start doing my life as a book search somewhere else.

1. I think another sign of my aging has been my take on current music. I find no need to listen to new music and my musical tastes keep getting older and older. I was in northern Minnesota and I was listening to a Dean Martin CD. As I turned on the radio and flipped through the station, I stopped and listened to The Three Bells by Jim Ed Brown and The Browns. It was released in 1959.

2. I spent a lot of time today reflecting today on the announcement of Fidel Castro's retiring and what it would mean for America and Cuba. After visiting Cuba May of 2005, I don't know if I want it to change. But surely it will. What would happen if Cuba allowed capitalism? I have been thinking about this a lot but it is easier to explain my views in person or on the phone. Hint Hint.

3. I have a close friend who aligns himself with the Charismatic movement of the Pentecostal church. I decided on Ash Wednesday, instead of going to my church, I headed downtown to North Central church. It was an experience I will not soon forget. Presbyterians are known for their decorum, order, and tradition. They have majestic sanctuaries, beautiful organs, and I share the same viewpoints as Presbyterians as a whole. The Pentecostal movement really opened my eyes to a new wave of Christianity. Yes, the minister spoke in a more commanding voice; almost ordering his congregation to the path of good. Yes, the organ was replaced by a house band. But that is not what was so different. It was the reaction from the members. It was not uncommon for people to burst out in tears. Near the end of the service when a hymn was being sung there was dancing, crying, people laying down, people kneeling, et cetera. There was a woman screaming "bring me freedom". There were black men hugging white men. There were old women hugging young women. I have never seen a congregation with so much devotion and diversity. At the start of the service, to be honest, I felt a bit uncomfortable. Near the end, I really understood what draws people to the Pentecostal movement. I left fired up, rejuvenated, and with a clear mission to do the Lord's work. However, I pride myself in loyalty and I will keep my membership to Westminster for as long as I am alive. I am a proud WPC member.

4. According to the Washington Post, 44% of Americans did not read a single book in 2007. No Harry Potter no nothing. I find this to be more then mildly pathetic. Thank goodness for video games. I am proud to say I am sober of video games since September. I do not miss them one bit.

I hope to break even this week. I need the money

Well, I am counting down the days left in Winter. After a high of eight degrees today, I did some math and I think we have approximately forty more days of winter. I am so ready for spring. I hope all of you had a fantastic weekend. In the year 2008, this has been my best weekend. I had a friend from Illinois make a surprise trip to Minnesota, saw some friends up here, and of course, a weekend is not complete unless I spend Saturday night with the Bobbins. On Friday, I played some pool with friends and then all of us headed downtown to try a relatively new restaurant, Masa. I really enjoyed it. It is kind of by Brit's Pub and Vincent's. After that, we did some bowling, listened to some "punk" music at the bowling alley and then headed home to drink some wine and have a good time. Saturday, we went to a sports bar and watched Iowa State beat Nebraska in basketball before heading to Mystic Lake Casino where all of us lost money. After losing money, some of us pretty badly, it was a cheap dinner at Wendy's and off to Robbins' crib. With me living with the family and all, it was really great to catch up with some friends. I hope to do weekends like this more often.

1. A special message for Josh Koo. Now that you are 21, please visit in Minneapolis. Ames' bar scene will do you no good.

2. About once a week I check to see what bands are coming to Minneapolis. I am on a bit of a concert drought here. I see that Elvis Costello and The Police are coming this spring. I am a big Costello fan and I was very dissapointed about five years ago when Costello put on one of the lamest shows I have ever seen.

3. I am really excited to see what happens at the Wisconsin primary today. I was watching MSNBC this morning and their surveys had a statistical tie.

4. Also while watching the news, I saw that former President Bush will endorse John McCain. I have a question for all of you. Are there any organizations or people's endorsments that could make you sway who you are planning on voting for? I don't know for myself.

Another tragedy

Once again, our nation has been struck by a tragedy that hit one of our universities. Northern Illinois University, a busy campus with an enrollment of 25,000 students is about an hour drive due west from Chicago. Why does this happen? These type of tragedies did not occur even twenty years ago. There have been three shootings in schools this week! And it is not like there is only one type of college where this happens. NIU is a party school, kind of in the middle of nowhere in the Midwest. Virginia Tech, is a wealthy, engineering school, in Blacksburg, VA. This type of tragedy could happen anywhere, U of MN, Iowa State, Bard… Anywhere. But why does this happen? Murder has been around since the beginning of time, but this is not a simple case of premeditated murder. It’s not like some former lover was jealous and killed his ex girlfriend. No, in this instance, a former NIU student walked onto the stage of a lecture hall with 165 students in class, pulled out one shot gun and two handguns and started firing at random people. My guess is that this kid was a loner. He felt there was nobody out there who cared about him; nobody out there who would listen to his problems. He craved the attention that our media lavishes on celebrities. Not just the famous, but the infamous. Cho, the Virginia Tech murderer had his mug plastered all over the cover of Newsweek, Time, U.S. News, NY Times, et cetera. He went beyond famous and his name will forever live in infamy. That is what the NIU killer wanted… infamy. I ask all media organizations to do their due diligence and report the story the best they can but absolutely do not release any information about the killer. Dylan and Klebold. Those are two more names that will live in infamy as they were the Columbine killers. Our media does not make them celebrities but does give them the attention they want. There are many factors that come into play? Where were the parents? Where were his friends? Was he taking any medications? Should he have been? Was he doing any hard drugs? Could LSD or meth factored in? I hope to find out all of this but at the same time I do not wish to know a name or anything about this kid. My thoughts and prayers are with the whole NIU and Dekalb, IL community.

1. Kanye West just announced his tour dates. If tickets aren’t that outrageous, I am considering going. I haven’t been to a concert in months. I’m ready.

2. I have been thinking a lot about who John McCain should ask to be his running mate. Will he conservative and satisfy his base and nominate one of the South Carolina senators. This would bring in more volunteers and money for his campaign. Will he continue his moderate campaign and ask someone like Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty to be his man. Pawlenty has been very loyal to McCain. He’s fiscally conservative and socially moderate. He might be a good fit. Will he satisfy the corporate republicans and name Steve Forbes as his VP candidate. Forbes is brilliant economically and would make a lot of the small business owners, and fat cat GOP donors very happy. But what about Condi Rice as a dark horse candidate. What better way to defeat Obama or Hillary then to have a VP candidate who is black and female. Not only that she is highly educated (former president at Stanford), has the experience as secretary of state to be an ambassador, shares McCain’s views as a tough, hawkish, foreign policy person. Plus, maybe more importantly, has no plans to run for president and would go with McCain simply for a love of the country. I may disagree with Ms. Rice, but it is hard to not respect her.

I don't suffer from insanity... I enjoy it!

Greetings to all on the eve of Valentine's Day. I hope you and your loved ones have a fantastic evening. I am currently celebrating the "holiday" in my own special way by making a mix CD of some of my favorite love songs of all time. I'm thinking "I will" by The Beatles, "Real Love" by John Lennon, "Your song" by Elton John, "Just the way you are" by Billy Joel and others. Unlike other single people, I am not anti Valentine's Day at all but rather I enjoy the day. It reminds me that in a world full of war, and poverty, there is still a lot of good in this world. (And let's be honest; a lot of consumerism also.) It makes me happy to hear that at 54, my Dad still makes a special effort on Valentine's Day for my Mom.

1. I have spent thre past three days traveling northern Minnesota and western Wisconsin (Eau Claire and River Falls.) I am so glad I am from Minnesota. I love travelling for my job but after three days, I am glad to be home.

2. As further proof of the economic recession, I just read that General Motors plans to lay off, or "buy out" 78,000 employees nationwide. There are whole towns, like Jamestown, Wisconsin where pretty much the whole entire town revolves around the GM plant. Soon, not one of those employees will have a job and Jamestown will be empty. It's a strange world we live in. It all comes back to GM screwed themselves with their pension plan. When the plan was started in the 1940's, people worked until they were 65 and died when they were 69. Now, with people living considerably longer, the pension plans are crippling companies like Northwest Airlines, GM, et cetera. Which brings me to my next point...

3. Call me fiscally conservative, but it is time that the U.S. government to get rid of Social Security (or at least modify it.) First off, let's not sugar coat it, Social Security is welfare, plain and simple. As a Christian, I do feel that the government has a role in this society to protect the least among us. Obviously, that should include the elderly. But the idea that people like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates will also get Social Security is ridiculous. Plus, we are bankrupting ourselves with how we are distributing it. Let's take my Grandpa for an example. I believe he is 88. He has probably withdrawn 8000% more in social security then he ever put in. It's not his fault. Just like pension plans, social security was put into place when we thought everybody would die in their late sixties. I feel there are two reasons why we are in this recession. Number one, the war, and number two, social security. Which is why I laugh in the face when people say we can't afford univeral health coverage, or to increase funding toward education. We literally spend trillions on social security. Let's get rid of the whole idea. Thanks but no thanks FDR!!!

4. Last month, I discovered an awesome new bar in Minneapolis. It's called Temple. It's right in downtown. It had fun drinks, cool atmosphere, and the prices weren't that outrageous. As many of you know, I am also a fan of nudity. You might be wondering what my love of nudity has to do with my love of sushi... Well, the Star Tribune said Temple well be having a new nude sushi night. Apparently there is this thing that is popular in LA, and New York, and much of Asia where you eat sushi off of a nude woman or man with strategically placed leaves as the only thing covering up their "unmentionables." The Star Tribune said it was really fun. I think it may be also.

The demon barber of fleet street

I hope everyone had a good weekend. I had a very busy, productive weekend. On Friday, I saw the Timberwolves lose once again. Nothing further should be written about this team who are only not in last place in the NBA because of the complete ineptitude of the Miami Heat. Michael Beasley would look very nice wearing the blue and silver t-wolves uniform. Saturday, Andrew and I went to go see the movie American Gangster. I thought it was really good. It was a bit on the long and violent side, but the acting was superb, and I definitely recommend it. Sunday was probably the low-light of the weekend. I had two extra tickets to the touring Broadway production of Sweeney Todd. First off, Sweeney Todd is not a place, it is an opera. No, not a musical, SD is an opera. The set was unimpressive, the music did nothing for me, and three hours of actors singing about murder, incest, and cannibalism is a bit much. The only highlight was the show was at the State Theater. For those of you who haven’t seen the legendary State Theater on Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis, it is a beautiful venue. A couple thoughts on life:

1. One reason that Hillary Clinton has done so well in the primaries so far has been her support of non-white people. On the Super Tuesday primaries and causes, Hillary beat Obama 2 -1 in those Democrats who list themselves as Hispanic. Even more surprising is those who list themselves as Asian American (including India, Indonesia, et cetera), in that category, Hillary beat Obama by a 3 – 1 ratio. That just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.

2. I was reminded at how much I detest the season of winter in Minnesota this Saturday night. As Andrew and I were leaving the movie theater, I experienced some of the coldest weather I could ever remember. As soon as I got home, I looked to see what the wind chill was. It was -45 degrees!! And for those of you who don’t know, what Andrew’s car lacks in heat, it makes up in character???

3. Today I am driving up to do some business in Duluth, MN today. For those of you who don’t know where that was. It is the third biggest city in Minnesota and it’s in way Northern Minnesota on Lake Superior. Not only will it be really cold, it is always very windy. Today there is a high of -4 degrees. (Not including wind chill.)

4. There are only two seasons in Minnesota. Winter and road construction.

5. Did anyone catch the Grammy’s last night. I was pleasantly surprised. I really didn’t think Herbie Hancock would win album of the year over Kanye or Winehouse. Has anyone had an opportunity to listen to it?

6. I am very pleased that the writer’s strike has officially ended. Every Thursday night I didn’t know what to do with myself without the Office.

Yes we can

As I write this, there are 344 days, 22 hours, and 12 minutes left until President George W. Bush leaves the White House. But who's counting? To get myself fired up, here is the text to Obama's famous "yes we can" speech:


We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can withstand the power of millions of voices calling for change.

We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics who will only grow louder and more dissonant in the weeks to come. We've been asked to pause for a reality check. We've been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.

But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope. For when we have faced down impossible odds; when we've been told that we're not ready, or that we shouldn't try, or that we can't, generations of Americans have responded with a simple creed that sums up the spirit of a people.

Yes we can.

Our new majority can end the tax breaks for corporations that ship our jobs overseas and put a middle-class tax cut into the pockets of the working Americans who deserve it.

We can stop sending our children to schools with corridors of shame and start putting them on a pathway to success. We can stop talkingabout how great teachers are and start rewarding them for their greatness. We can do this with our new majority.

We can harness the ingenuity of farmers and scientists; citizens and entrepreneurs to free this nation from the tyranny of oil and save ourplanet from a point of no return.

Yes we can.

Yes we can.

It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.

Yes we can.

It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom through the darkest of nights.

Yes we can.

It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.

Yes we can.

It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballot; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.

Yes we can to justice and equality. Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity. Yes we can heal this nation. Yes we can repair this world.

Yes we can.

-Sen. B. Obama

the best business is show business

Following Super Tuesday, of course I have many thoughts. First off, I will state that the idea of delegates and super delegates is the most nonsensical idea in American politics. I have spent much of the morning trying to figure it out but I'm stuck. Every state and every party has their own way of doing the delegate thing and I am stuck. For instance, why is it that Obama won Missouri but Hillary will get net one delegate?!?!? It should be like the electoral college. Whoever wins that state, then that candidate gets the states' delegates. It should be that simple.

1. The caucus system needs to go away and be replaced by primaries nationwide. The caucus system yesterday was incredibly laborious. What should have taken minutes took two hours. And I didn't even stay for the "resolutions discussion".

2. The strangest thing about this election is how well Hillary Clinton has been doing with Hispanics. In the Super Tuesday vote yesterday, according to exit polls, Hillary got 60% of the vote while Obama got about 35%. That is an enormous difference. Which brings me to my next point...

3. I still think Hillary will get the Democratic nomination. She won New York easily. She won California easily. There are a LOT of Hispanics in Texas. If she wins the three biggest states, it doesn't matter how many North Dakotas and Idahos that Obama wins. With that said, the nomination definitely isn't over. There are still some monster states left, i.e. Texas, Ohio, Virginia, Maryland, Louisiana, and more.

4. Today is a big day for college football fans. It is national signing day. Iowa State's class is beyond embarassing. I will post more about it in my next class because it is quite frustrating that Iowa State is in the company of University of Buffalo, Northern Illinois, and Kent State.

5. Speaking of sports, why would the suns trade Shawn Marion for an aging Shaquille O'neal and his bloated contract? The Suns are a run and gun, quick, high paced offense. How does Shaq fit into that? Plus, how good will Miami be in a couple of years with D'wayne Wade, Shawn Marion, and a top three pick in this year's draft?

6. Three years ago today was probably the happiest day of my life. Every day I think about that.

It's not easy being green.

How could I not begin this blog without talking about the game. It was a classic, tough, clash of the titans. The game was won in the trenches. It was a man's Superbowl. No flashy reversals. No deep balls. Just tough, grind nosed football. I loved it. My parents had a superbowl party which means of course I ate an enormous amount of food since my Mom made enough food to feed the whole entire city of Eden Prairie. The question I have for all of you... Was this the greatest Superbowl of all time?

1. I saw the movie Michael Clayton on Friday starring George Clooney. Although many people loved it I thought the movie was actually fairly boring and forgettable. I was planning on doing a full review but I don't think the film deserves it.

2. Cross another restaurant off the list for me. My Dad, and two of his friends ate at Manny's this Saturday. Manny's is widely known as a top ten steak place in America. The food was fantastic but no food is worth a bill for $350 for four people (not including tip.) The cheapest entree on the menu was $44.00. Too rich for my blood. Fortunately, to burn off all of the many calories I consumed at Manny's I spent the rest of Saturday evening drinking Sam Adam's at his parent's house. With that and the Superbowl, I think I will need to be wheeled into work today.

3. Andrew sent me this link and I got excited. Jeffrey Tambor who plays George Michael said plans are in the works to make the movie. I will save my jumping up and down until I see a full preview. Here is the link: http://w4.ww.pagesix.com/story/big+arrested+development?loc=interstitialskip

4. If you are a Minnesotan, please go caucus for the candidate of your choice tomorrow night. If you aren't sure how that works, please let me know and we can go together.

5. For all of you who think prayer is the answer, I need your help today. I have been having some issues with my chest and I am going back to the doctor soon for the third time to talk about it. When you pray tonight, please take a moment for me.

Have you been half asleep?
And have you heard voices?
I've heard them calling my name....
Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors?
The voice might be one and the same,
I've heard it too many times to ignore it
It's something that I'm s'posed to be...
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers, and me.

-Kermit the Frog.