Chicago Eve

On the eve of my trip to Chicago, I am busy organizing, sorting, and at about noon I turn on the TV and I see that ESPN has already started their Kentucky Derby coverage. The race isn't for another five hours. Even NBC is doing two hours of pre-race coverage. Although I am an extremely casual horse racing fan, on a nice summer night, there are few places more enjoyable than Canterbury. (The local horse racing track.) The last few years, I have gone about three times a summer. Despite the fact that horse racing has been around for centuries, I do think it is dying. That might not be a bad thing. In the past five years, 3000 horses died of racing related injuries. Unlike humans, if they injure their legs, they have to be put down. Tragically, Eight Belles last year broke her ankle while running the Derby and had to be put down while still on the track. This week during practice, one of the Derby contestants "broke down" and had to be put down. The problem I have with the Triple Crown is that horses have to be three years old, no younger, no older, to compete. In people years, that would be like if we demanded 11 year olds to compete at the highest level in the Olympics. The horses are at their athletic peak at three but are still developing physically. This is why they are more susceptible to injury. Although these horses are very well taken care of, the act of horse racing is pretty barbaric. I don't know. I openly admit my hypocrisy by saying I enjoy going to the tracks and then call the sport quasi-barbaric. If you put a gun to my head, I would think I could find better ways to spend a summer Friday night.

1. When I was a freshman in college, my college neighbor, an avid workout freak, gave me a supplement called Hydroxycut. I had seen the TV commercials, saw the magazine advertisements, and decided to take one pill. Well, about 12 hours later I was nervous, jittery, and my heart was beating what felt like a thousand beats per minute. I decided to go to the campus doctor's office where after some heart tests, I was told this was a normal symptom of Hydroxycut. I was told it is really only meant for the obese and I was advised never to take it again. Six years later I still haven't but I know more than one person who reads this blog does. Yesterday the FDA ordered all Hydroxycut to be immediately removed from shelves because of short and long term liver effects.

2. For those of you who like the show The Big Bang Theory. Here is a great interview with Jim Parsons aka Sheldon: http://www.avclub.com/articles/jim-parsons,27415/

3. Currently listening to The Rentals "I just threw out the love of my dreams".