And summer unofficially ends...

To conclude the last weekend in August, I welcomed my baby (21 year old) sister to the Windy City. I definitely think she was intimidated by the size of Chicago but still had a good time. We saw the Field Museum, Navy Pier, Michigan Avenue, saw a comedy show, and enjoyed the nice weather. I was sad to see her go but then I remembered I am heading back to the Sota this weekend for Labor Day.


1. Obama's approval rating continues to make a steady drop in the polls. According to a CBS News poll, only 48% of Americans approve of the way Obama has handled Afghanistan. That is down about ten points since the beginning of summer. Unfortunately this is now just one of several issues that Obama is struggling with.

2. If you are a fan of basketball... a great article on Ricky Rubio: http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/The_Baseline/entry/view/32487/Debunking_Tall_Tales_Surrounding_Rubio

3. Iowa State is not good at athletics. I have always maintained the number one reason is because ISU has a tiny athletic budget. If you're a recruit, and you take a look at the locker-rooms at Univ of Oregon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1NyaTVUhFQ&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fsportsillustrated%2Ecnn%2Ecom%2F2009%2Fextramustard%2Fhotclicks%2F09%2F01%2Fus%2Dopen%2Dbabes%2Dmost%2Dhandsome%2Dqb%2Findex%2Ehtml&feature=player_embedded and then you walk around ISU's, your decision will be a no-brainer. I have taken a look personally at two schools with huge athletic budgets (Nebraska and Minnesota) and some from smaller schools. Obviously there are a lot of decisions that factor into a recruit choosing a school (playing time, location, et cetera) but nicer facilities wouldn't hurt.

4. I always am saddened by a death - even flamboyant celebrities. That doesn't mean I am always surprised though. Last week, infamous disc jockey, DJ AM, was pronounced dead on arrival while being found with a crack pipe in his possession. Besides the crack, he also took NINE Oxycontin pills. Geez man! If you weren't trying to kill suicide, then what were you thinking? R.I.P. I hope others can learn from your example.