Casual nudity on a Sunday morning

Well. This was another basically perfect weekend. I started off Friday after work with a phone call from Allie that she had two tickets to classic rock group, Moody Blues, with two of our friends. Although I am almost always up for a free concert, in this case I was really excited because The Moody Blues were playing at Ravinia. Located just North of Chicago in Highland Park, Ravinia is one of America's most famous music venues. I had been wanting to see the venue ever since I moved here. Ravinia is an outdoor amphitheater with one main shell and then a large field with cute little trees and flowers. It's not the kind of place to see a Green Day or Dr. Dre, but a great place to bring a picnic, a bottle of wine, a blanket, and hang out with friends. Allie had been there before to see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra play John Williams' hits. Nimit said that several times in the summer, Ravinia will bring a large movie screen and play famous movies like Wizard of Oz or Indiana Jones but the orchestra will play all the music live. Allie and I ended the evening by a nice summer drive with the windows down followed by talking and enjoying the Chicago skyline from my roof.

After sleeping in on Saturday, Allie and I wandered over to the nearby Farmer's market, picked up some lunch, and then joined Nimit to watch the World Cup game. It was a tough loss but I still had fun watching them. Side note - my new favorite team is Ghana. Their coach is the coolest looking coach I have ever seen. He looks kind of like Albert Einstein dressed as a homeless man. On Saturday night I went out for pizza with some of my co-workers.

I worked Sunday morning but got off just in time for the Chicago Pride Parade. This was one of the craziest things I have experienced in my life. Imagine really hot weather, lots of alcohol, and tens of thousands of young people in a small four to six block radius. Complete, and utter, chaos. I saw lots of amazing costumes, lots of dancing, lots of drinking, and lots of music. Oh yeah, there was also more than a little nudity.

In a way I am unsure if the Parade is still as important as it was thirty years ago. It seems all the "normal" gays stay home and the "character" gays come out to play. While thirty years ago the point of the march was about gaining acceptance in the community, in 2010, the parade is primarily a drunk orgy. I was happy I got to experience it once but I don't know if I will go back next year. My favorite part of the parade was actually seeing the radical Christian protesters, heavily guarded by about two dozen police officers, in verbal sparring matches with many of the militant gay rights protesters. I absolutely support the rights of all Americans (gay, straight, or ?) but I strongly question if the way to gain more legal rights and acceptance in the mainstream is to wear a thong and write "slut" on your chest. Either way I understand that I can only look at the parade through the lens of a heterosexual male who has not had to deal with years of judgment about my lifestyle. I guess if once a year they want to throw all inhibitions out in the wind and party with their friends, who am I to judge.

On Sunday afternoon, after a long nap, Allie and I concluded the weekend by going sunglasses shopping (success), bowling (I struggled), and capped the evening by watching Vicky Christina Barcelona. A+ weekend.

Keepin' up with the Kennedy's

Has there ever been a cooler family than the Kennedy's? Although tragic with the premature deaths of John, John Jr, and my favorite, Bobby Kennedy, I have always enjoyed reading about them. Stemming from a grandma and mother who enjoy reading biographies about America's first family, I grew up with an appreciation of the Kennedy's. Although I feel that JFK was arguably the most over-rated Democrat of all-time, the brilliance of Bobby, and the compassion of Ted Kennedy more than made up for John's misconceptions. I think one reason the family has been interesting to me is about just how cool they all seemed to me. This was confirmed when the FBI finally released their files on Ted Kennedy. According to the declassified files, the Kennedy's definitely had secret deals made with the mob and that there was an orgy at the Carlyle Hotel in Manhatten with the three Kennedy brothers, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, Kennedy's brother in law Peter Lawford, his wife, and Marilyn Monroe. Can you imagine if something like that came out in 2010 about Obama?!?! I would highly recommend googling "FBI Ted Kennedy files". You will read all kinds of crazy stuff. The mafia/Kennedy relationship is particularly interesting.

1. Speaking of the mob, how messed up is Mexico?! In the latest Newsweek, there is a great article about how dangerous that country really is. Since 2006, over 20,000 people have died just in the drug wars alone. I guess the violence is ramping up as election season there is close and the various drug lords all have their candidates they want to be elected. Drugs are big business in Mexico - to the tune of $29 billion a year. I give President Calderon credit, he has done a lot in the unwinnable drug war. Committing troops and financial resources to battling the notorious Mexican mafia. I wish I were smart enough to know how to solve the issue.

2. I just finished reading the sequel to Freakonomics by Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt, called Superfreakonomics. If you enjoyed the first one, you will enjoy this one. I give the book a B+. It was a fun, light, nice summer read. It is certainly over-simplistic regarding ideas like global warming but also has fascinating insights into the progress of women's rights in India, prostitution in Chicago, and the dangers of drinking and walking.

3. My man crush on Justin Morneau is growing by the day.

4. Congratulations to the United States soccer team. I watched the whole game. Although it was incredibly frustrating, I am happy with the win.

The GO(B)P apology

I had a really nice weekend. One of those summer weekends that I dreamed about in January. I did not work Friday but woke up early to watch the American World Cup game. I hate to admit it but I did find myself enjoying the game more than I thought I would. In the afternoon I went for a nice walk, picked up Allie had a little (okay a lot) of Buffalo Wild Wings and then saw a movie. I worked on Saturday but after work a bunch of us met up with Sarah Lee and her family in Evanston to celebrate her finishing graduate school. We played Frisbee on the beach, played some beach volleyball, bbq'd, and waded in Lake Michigan. It was a wonderful night. I worked all day Sunday. I got home and watched a little Harry Potter on HBO before Allie called and said she wanted to play catch. Never one to turn down outside athletics, we hung out outside for the rest of the night before grilling and making home made long island iced teas. What a wonderful weekend.

1. I have seen a lot of movies. I do not know if I have ever seen a more messed up move than Splice - which I saw Friday evening. I actually thought the writing was good for 95% of the movie. I did not care for how the director/writers ended the movie and I thought there were a couple scenes that were beyond graphic. In one scene, I felt a little physically sick; and could not look at the screen. I give the movie a B-. It's not a bad movie but please be warned that there are scenes of violence on animals, and extremely graphic, disgusting rape scenes.

2. I am a little bit flummoxed at the media/America's shock that Texas Republican congressman Joe Barton said basically that the federal government owes BP an apology. Sure, it was a stupid political move; but it was not a gaffe. Barton was candidly saying what he and many conservative congressmen truly believe - that the federal government needs to do more to help the big oil companies, not punish them. In fact many conservative commentators like Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh actually are openly agreeing with Barton. However, if I were the GOP leadership, I would at least try to save face and ask Barton to resign his post as chairman of the House Energy Committee. It's a bad message to send to the American public about energy.

Alpha (fe)male: part two

Let me begin my post by saying that I am not opposed to marriage. But in the context of writing about the success of feminism in the 21st century, a civil union between a man and a woman quite simply does not have the same impact that it did in the past. Let's put aside the religion aspect of marriage, and just focus on the civil union from a woman's perspective. While a century ago, a marriage ensured a woman some level of financial security, legal and tax privileges, and probably helped their baby's daddies with their committment issues. However, what is in it for a woman to get married in 2010? As I have layed out, women are making more money than ever, living longer, and better educated than ever before. The role of "woman's work" is made easier year after year with things like the dishwasher, and washing machine. In addition, according to Newsweek, in two out of every three families, women either make the same or more than their husbands. However, almost every woman my age is still obsessed with marriage. More than ever, I am convinced that it is the idea of a wedding that is so attractive, not marriage. With the wedding industry being almost a 100 billion dollar a year industry, and every cable station wasting my time with shows like "Bridezilla" and "Say yes to the dress", the ideas of a wedding is more attractive than ever. A marriage is certainly not about commitment these days. 60% of married men and women will have sex with a different person than their spouse during their lifetime. Not kiss or "hook-up"... have sex with a different person. Perhaps it is the stigma of having a child out of wedlock that makes so many of us marriage obsessed. Well, last year 41% of births were out of wedlock. The stigma plays a factor, but it is not a huge factor. In terms of tax purposes, it is actually now beneficial to NOT be married. Needless to say, I am only presenting a cynical, borderline hypocritical point of view. I myself look forward to one day being married and there are countless studies to show that married people live longer, have less stress, and are happier. I just think when men marry they do for love, I think when women marry they do for love... and a big, fat, resplendent wedding that will make their friends envious.

Alpha (fe)male: part one

Hanna Rosin, the brilliant columnist for Slate Magazine, has a really interesting piece on the end of male dominance in the United States. Without using misleading statistics, Rosin uses a variety of interesting points to affirm her view that women have surpassed men in several areas. Here were some interesting things I pulled out of the article:

A) Sons are preferred over daughters? Nope, according to research by biologist Ronald Ericson at fertility clinics, girls are requested more so than boys. Under the new drug, MicroSort, currently being reviewed by the FDA, 75% of their requests are for girls.

B) According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are now more female supervisors than male supervisors. 51.4% of managers in the United States are female.

C) According to the Department of Education, two out of every three bachelor's degrees being awarded in 2010 will be given to women. Six out of ten master's degrees will be earned by women.

D) Of the eight million people laid off last year, those who were let go were overwhelmingly male in overwhelmingly male dominated fields - finance, construction, et cetera.

There are many other gems, but I think you get it. This article was quite interesting me; as I re-read the article, I began to agree more and more with Ms. Rosin. She is not taking the Maureen Dowd tongue in cheek take of two years ago suggesting that there is no place for men, she is simply saying that the playing field is equal and in many cases, advantage women. This makes me wonder if archaic affirmative action and Title IX laws are really necessary. One point Rosin has is that women have decided it is okay to go into "macho" fields (engineering, banking, et cetera) with minimal negative feedback but men refuse to go into traditional female roles - nursing, teaching, secretarial, et cetera. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are now more females working in banking, insurance, and accounting than men. Nearly half of all American attorneys are female and a little over a third of doctors are women. However, half of all 2010 medical, MBA and law degrees will be awarded to women.

Vuvuzela

Following an amazing weekend, it is always a little bittersweet to leave the Twin Cities and head back to Chicago. I arrived Friday afternoon, got a cup of coffee with Olivia, had a really nice dinner at Lord Fletcher's with my parents, before meeting a couple of friends at Brit's Pub late Friday night for a beverage. I was up bright and early for a great breakfast at the Original Pancake House and brilliant conversation with my good friend, Adam. Saturday afternoon, Mike, Andrew, and the Lindo sisters and I had a lot of fun, despite none of us coming close to breaking even, at Canterbury Downs - the local horse racing track. On Sunday, I drove Allie and I back to Chicago but not before making one key pit stop in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. I had never taken a tour of a brewery before and the Leinenkugel's Brewery is on the way from Minneapolis to Chicago. I was really impressed with how incredibly nice everyone was at the brewery. We each got three free samples, and a 45 minute free tour of the facilities. It was just long enough that my interest was kept up, but not too long that I ever felt bored. I have always been impressed with Leinenkugel's. Not just because I think their Sunset Wheat, Berry Weiss, and Honey Weiss, are good tasting beer. I have always admired their marketing ads. Instead of sexist ads, Leine's ads normally just feature regular people sitting around a camp fire, making smores, and having a lager. Instead of sophomoric guys acting like idiots, their ads feature a couple having a beer at a baseball game. It is a nice, welcome change.

1. A couple days ago I rented the movie Brothers - the drama featuring Jake Dylenhall, Tobey McGuire, and Natalie Portman. I give it a B-/C+. It's worth a $1.00 Red Box rental, but that's about it. The writing left a lot to the imagination (in a bad way), and Tobey McGuire's excellent performance was negated by a completely uninspiring acting job the usually reliable Natalie Portman. There was a lack of depth and character development that left me with a frustrating after-taste.

2. Speaking of beer, while at Canterbury, I tried a beer called Shock Top by Summit. If you like Blue Moon or Honey Weiss, you will really like this beer. I liked it.

3. I have figured out why I can't watch soccer games. No, I don't like watching games end in 0-0 or 1-1 ties. Yes, I think the incredible amount of faking injuries is pathetic. Yes, I do not fully understand all the rules or strategy to fully appreciate The Beautiful Game. Yes, of all the sports, there is nothing worse than the snobs that watch Soccer. You know soccer snobs. The pretentious pricks that feel they are more worldly and sophisticated than us regular rubes because they wear an Arsenal jersey, and play Fantasy Premier League. If you like soccer, that's fine, but don't pretend that you are above the rest of Americans for preferring other sports. However, the real reason I can't get into soccer... those damn Vuvuzelas. For those not yet affected by World Cup fever, the vuvuzelas are those incredibly annoying horns that fans blow for the whole game that make the arena sound like a swarm of angry hornets is constantly circling above your head. It makes the games completely unwatchable. If the team does well, I will go bandwagon and probably watch more games, but I assure you it will be on silent or with some music on in the background. Ban the vuvuzelas... now!

A win for the Windy City

With the Twins winning the World Series when I was two and six respectively - and me not really counting those - I have never been present when a team I cheered for won a championship. Although hockey is not really a sport I follow, and the Blackhawks are not even in my top two favorite hockey teams, I have to admit being in Chicago while the 'hawks won the Cup has been a pretty cool experience. There are not too many times when I wish I still lived in Wrigleyville. This is one of those rare exceptions. About two hours after the conclusion, the local TV just showed a live camera feed from downtown Wrigleyville and it is absolutely crazy out of control. I worked until 9:00 so I only got to see the last ten minutes or regulation and then over-time. After they won, I did go check out what the Lincoln Park scene was like - and it was still fun. Lots of honking, drunk people literally dancing in the streets, and just a palpable exuberance was in the air. However, like I said, I can't imagine what Michigan Avenue, or Wrigleyville, or the area around the United Center was like... complete chaos, I can guess.

2010's Madonna

I know I am not the first one to make the comparison but it is clear that Lady Gaga is the 2010 version of Madonna. From her crazy outfits, to her bizarre quotes, to her catchy, but often-times, racy songs, Lady Gaga is a slightly edgier Madonna. Of course 2010 is a different time than 1986. Those who follow pop culture have been eagerly awaiting today because it was the release of Gaga's uber-controversial video for her new single, Alejandro. Well. It is really racy. I have written often, including yesterday, about how irritated I get when celebrities try to shock me. Today might have been the exception to the rule. Youtube has banned the video but I found it on www.musicvideolife.com. It is almost nine minutes, but has simulated intercourse, nun dominatrix, and some really offensive jabs at Catholicism. The song itself is on the weak end. I am certainly not lining up to buy concert tickets, but I can also admit that songs like, "Eh, eh", "Pokerface", and "Papparazzi" have catchy moments. This song is less a dance club hit than some sort of bizarre social commentary. I don't think the radio will play it due to not only its pace, but there aren't a lot of nine minute songs played on the Top 40 radio stations.

1. The Afghanistan War has now officially passed the Vietnam War as the longest war in American history. With a major offensive for northern Afghanistan scheduled to begin in the next few weeks, there is no clear end in sight.

2. I did like reading that when Obama was asked by ABC News if he would fire the BP CEO Tony Hayward if he had the chance and he responded with, "Yes. There would be ass to kick." Nice.

Back in my day...

Do you all remember when the MTV Movie Awards used to be relevant and funny? Between flipping around the NBA and NHL finals I decided to see how comedy newcomer Aziz Ansari would do as host. I was a little surprised at the choice of host. Considering Ansari's only break has come from a supporting role in a little watched NBC comedy (Parks and Recreation). However, I thought I would give him a chance.

He stunk.

When I say relevant, I might be incorrect. The show was still watched by 16 million people - the kind of young, impressionable people that make the audience very relevant to advertisers. It's possible that the sad reality for me is that I am just getting too old to appreciate it. I did not know who some of the presenters or performers were. I didn't get some of the jokes. I did not know the songs that were performed. I have never seen Twilight - which one half the awards. I guess I just felt old watching it.

One other thing... (in my best sarcastic voice) How incredible shocking was it all when Scarlett Johanssen kissed Sandra Bullock?!?! Really, guys? I mean I understand that some people's ultimate fantasy is the lesbian thing. That's fine. I'm not here to judge. But isn't the shock value completely gone? When Neve Campbell and Denise Richards had sex in Wild Things it was shocking. I was even decently shocked with the Spears/Madonna/Christina kiss in 2003. But now it has been done so many times that I am completely bored. I have blogged many times that any times a movie or tv show tries to "shock" me, I immediately discredit it as a lazy writing.

Anyway, the MTV awards show had some good moments. Snoop Dogg always brings it. Tom Cruise reprising his role as Les Grossman from Tropic Thunder was really good. Other than that, even some of my favorites like Will Ferrell let me down. Again, maybe I am just getting too old for MTV.

1. Really Elton John! You hypocritical sell-out! This weekend Rush Limbaugh got married and guess who performed at the reception? Elton John... for only $1 million. That would be the equivalent of Rush paying me $300-400. There is no way I would do it. I could not live with myself. I am extremely disappointed in you, Elton. I expected more than you to be a sell-out to the worst of mankind.

2. Nimit introduced me to this new show on History Channel (I think) called Pawn stars. The show is about a family that owns a Las Vegas pawn show. They have a bunch of crazy people come in with crazy stuff. I know the concept sounds lame but after two episodes I could see myself getting hooked.

Not to beat a dead horse...

Not to beat a dead horse or anything, but I have more thoughts on the oil spill. First I want to give Obama credit where credit is due. I criticized his public response to the oil spill last week. However, in the past week, he has had several impressive press conferences that have helped satisfy. I know that Obama was doing all he could behind the scenes. My only gripe was I wanted him to show more heart. I wanted him to be on the ground with environmentalists, in the air with local law enforcement officials in a helicopter surveying the scene, and basically camp out in Alabama, Louisiana, and Florida. I think he has finally gotten the message and I appreciate it. I have however enjoyed the incredibly foolish comments by BP CEO Tony Hayward. First, he lied to the media and said only 1000-5000 barrels of oil a day were being linked. Actually, about 15,000 barrels a day are being leaked. While trying to downplay the spill, Hayward said, "The Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean. The amount of oil and dispersant we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total water volume." A few days later, still trying to downplay the situation Hayward said, "the environmental impact of this disaster is likely to be very, very modest." How about the story a few days ago in the paper about all the workers getting sick. Naturally, Hayward said, "food poisoning is clearly a big issue". I could go on... but I think you get it. Of course, one thing that is interesting is that conservatives are struggling to critize Obama. They can offer vague criticisms like, "We want a quicker response, " but for the most part, they have to bite their tongue. They know darn well that one of the reasons behind the magnitude of this spill is because of the incredible loosening of regulations under the Bush administration. You have fiscal conservatives who for years have been furious at the federal government for taking any action that might limit oil companies. Where are all the conservatives who wanted to get rid of the EPA and give oil companies any tool they needed to make more money? They are all silent.

feel the rhythm

It is a typical morning before work and I am making breakfast while watching MSNBC. However, my egg white omelet has to wait. The report was about an increase in the percentage of teenage girls who are pregnant. One of the main reasons for the upswing in teenage pregnancies is that birth control is going vintage. Yes, that's right, the rhythm method is back in popularity. The last time the government did a major survey on the birth control methods by teenagers was 2002. At that time, about one in ten girls used the rhythm method as their form of birth control. In 2010, almost one in five sexually active girls uses the rhythm method. For those who are unaware, the rhythm method is where no pills or condoms are used. Instead, intercourse is timed so it only occurs when the girl is not "fertile". At least that is the theory. Here is the problem: That method is only 75% effective. Condoms and The Pill are 98 and 99% effective when used correctly. In case anyone is wondering, ten percent of all births last year were by a teenager.


1. Being a Twins fan, I almost never pay attention to the National League. However, it is about time I start paying attention to Colorado Rockies pitcher, Ubaldo Jimanez. Despite playing for a pretty average team, Jimanez this year is 10-1 with a 0.78 ERA. That is the 4th best Earned Run Average after 11 starts in the history of Major League Baseball. Needless to say, I will start paying attention.

2. Many times in my life I have seen a very attractive woman date a man who is, well, um, not quite in her league. However, you rarely see it the other way around where a beautiful man dates an unattractive woman. In the celebrity world, you have Fidler favorite Victoria's Secret model that married former beast, and former Minnesota Timberwolf Marko Jaric. You have Victoria's Secret model Marissa Miller marry some d-bag named Griffen. But the strangest difference is women's inexplicable draw to pretentious writer, Salman Rushdie. From Olivia Wilde, to Padme Lakshmi, to Scarlett Johanssen, Rushdie's list of former girlfriends is one of the greatest of all times.