... In case you saw 'How I Met Your Mother' tonight ...
Yes, there really is a Web site. Classic. (After the "Robin Sparkles" episode, I figured there had to be one ... )
Great episode ... The March Madness theme. The women Barney had to track down. The 'One Shining Moment' montage. And then the Doogie Howser spoof -- complete with theme music and Neil Patrick Harris, as Barney, writing a journal entry against a blue compluter screen ...
Classic.
3.31.2008
The names game
... I’ve heard some rumors of an office pool on the gender of our baby, the due date and what we might be naming him/her. So with Kates at 38 weeks now and the countdown started, this is a good time to revisit the names game, and offer some insight …
After agreeing pretty easily that we didn’t want to learn the gender of the baby, somehow Kates and I also decided pretty easily -- and pretty early on -- on the names we wanted to give our girl/boy … In fact, we had barely made the whole pregnancy thing public before we had the names picked. And, it’s also kind of interesting that we haven’t wavered on our decisions either …
While eating dinner at a café one night last August, Kates pulled out a slip of paper and we started brainstorming …
I liked the name Claire. But Kates didn’t -- something about a line in “The Breakfast Club” and a reference to it being a fat girl’s name.
Kates liked Lily and Nellie. But I declined those, particularly Nellie. Too old.
Also nixed from the list of proposed girl names were Jenna, Caroline, Ashley, Alison, Carly, Margaret, Elizabeth and Ellen. And as much as we liked Sara or Madeline or Emily, we ruled against those names because they seemed to be too popular right now. It also would take two hands for us to count all of the friends and relatives we have named Sara or Emily …
Actually, the name we’ve picked for a daughter was the first one we wrote on the list …
It’s one Kates and I had discussed in passing long ago. It’s a name that stems from her family, it’s a biblical name (from the New Testament, actually), and it’s a name we never would have imagined using five years ago. You also could say it’s a name known in pop culture … Regardless, we fell in love with it instantly for its charm and uniqueness, and -- when combined with the middle name that we’ve chosen for her -- its nickname possibilities …
But lately, we're growing more sure that we're having a son ...
For the boy’s name, Kates and I had a tougher time agreeing -- but even then, the debate lasted barely a few weeks. And with a little endorsement from a police colleague of mine, Kates took a liking to it …
We liked Matthew, Ryan and Elliott -- but decided against putting any of those names on our list because they’re already tried and true names on my side of the family. I have three cousins named Ryan …
Further illustrating how much tougher it was to come up with a boy’s name, that side of our list was barely half as long as the girl’s side …
Out were Jacob (because it’s way to popular and common) and Eli (because no matter how much we loved this name, we couldn’t possibly use it knowing it was the name of Kates’s family’s beloved dog).
Kates nixed Cole or Corbin. And we ultimately decided against Benjamin, Henry, Joseph, John and William. Though we had a good time laughing about the idea of naming a son William Henry and then calling him “Billy Hank.”
And no, we're not naming our son Orville. Or any crazy names like the ones noted here.
The boy’s name we have chosen was, once again, the first one we wrote on our list. Though only the middle name is derived from my family, both the first and middle names are taken from the Bible -- the Old Testament, actually. The name does appear to be rising in popularity lately, but not so popular that we’re shying away from it …
So after all that, what names are you placing your bets on now?
After agreeing pretty easily that we didn’t want to learn the gender of the baby, somehow Kates and I also decided pretty easily -- and pretty early on -- on the names we wanted to give our girl/boy … In fact, we had barely made the whole pregnancy thing public before we had the names picked. And, it’s also kind of interesting that we haven’t wavered on our decisions either …
While eating dinner at a café one night last August, Kates pulled out a slip of paper and we started brainstorming …
I liked the name Claire. But Kates didn’t -- something about a line in “The Breakfast Club” and a reference to it being a fat girl’s name.
Kates liked Lily and Nellie. But I declined those, particularly Nellie. Too old.
Also nixed from the list of proposed girl names were Jenna, Caroline, Ashley, Alison, Carly, Margaret, Elizabeth and Ellen. And as much as we liked Sara or Madeline or Emily, we ruled against those names because they seemed to be too popular right now. It also would take two hands for us to count all of the friends and relatives we have named Sara or Emily …
Actually, the name we’ve picked for a daughter was the first one we wrote on the list …
It’s one Kates and I had discussed in passing long ago. It’s a name that stems from her family, it’s a biblical name (from the New Testament, actually), and it’s a name we never would have imagined using five years ago. You also could say it’s a name known in pop culture … Regardless, we fell in love with it instantly for its charm and uniqueness, and -- when combined with the middle name that we’ve chosen for her -- its nickname possibilities …
But lately, we're growing more sure that we're having a son ...
For the boy’s name, Kates and I had a tougher time agreeing -- but even then, the debate lasted barely a few weeks. And with a little endorsement from a police colleague of mine, Kates took a liking to it …
We liked Matthew, Ryan and Elliott -- but decided against putting any of those names on our list because they’re already tried and true names on my side of the family. I have three cousins named Ryan …
Further illustrating how much tougher it was to come up with a boy’s name, that side of our list was barely half as long as the girl’s side …
Out were Jacob (because it’s way to popular and common) and Eli (because no matter how much we loved this name, we couldn’t possibly use it knowing it was the name of Kates’s family’s beloved dog).
Kates nixed Cole or Corbin. And we ultimately decided against Benjamin, Henry, Joseph, John and William. Though we had a good time laughing about the idea of naming a son William Henry and then calling him “Billy Hank.”
And no, we're not naming our son Orville. Or any crazy names like the ones noted here.
The boy’s name we have chosen was, once again, the first one we wrote on our list. Though only the middle name is derived from my family, both the first and middle names are taken from the Bible -- the Old Testament, actually. The name does appear to be rising in popularity lately, but not so popular that we’re shying away from it …
So after all that, what names are you placing your bets on now?
Soaking up opening day!
... We've been buried in a dreary, pouring rain for much of the day ... But there was nothing better this morning than waking up to the sound of a steady rain beating our porch and the rolling thunder. I'll take it! ... Good-bye snow ...
And today was Major League Baseball's opening day ...
Still catching my breath from last night's KU game, we changed channels and tuned in to our first "Baseball Tonight" of the season ... and then the magnificent opener at the Nationals new Stadium -- George Bush throwing out the first pitch, Ryan Zimmerman walk-off homerun and all... What a game!
... Today over my lunch I caught a couple innings of the Tigers-Royals opener ...
And then got home in time tonight to see the ninth inning of the Cubs-Brewers opener ... The game was tied 0-0 and Kerry Wood had just nailed Rickie Weeks square in the back. A couple minutes later, Ryan Braun was knocking him in and Corey Hart had a two-run double to put the Brewers up 3-0 ...
Then! Eric Gagne couldn't finish it for the Brewers. He puts a couple runners on and the Japanese sensation Kosuke Fukudome launches a three-run homer into the center field bleachers! We were tied up again! Are you kidding me!?!
The Brewers eventually did win it in the 10th on a Tony Gwynn, Jr., sac fly ... but whoah.
This is too much ...
Baseball fever. I've caught it.
And today was Major League Baseball's opening day ...
Still catching my breath from last night's KU game, we changed channels and tuned in to our first "Baseball Tonight" of the season ... and then the magnificent opener at the Nationals new Stadium -- George Bush throwing out the first pitch, Ryan Zimmerman walk-off homerun and all... What a game!
... Today over my lunch I caught a couple innings of the Tigers-Royals opener ...
And then got home in time tonight to see the ninth inning of the Cubs-Brewers opener ... The game was tied 0-0 and Kerry Wood had just nailed Rickie Weeks square in the back. A couple minutes later, Ryan Braun was knocking him in and Corey Hart had a two-run double to put the Brewers up 3-0 ...
Then! Eric Gagne couldn't finish it for the Brewers. He puts a couple runners on and the Japanese sensation Kosuke Fukudome launches a three-run homer into the center field bleachers! We were tied up again! Are you kidding me!?!
The Brewers eventually did win it in the 10th on a Tony Gwynn, Jr., sac fly ... but whoah.
This is too much ...
Baseball fever. I've caught it.
3.30.2008
Ballin'
… By George she did it.
Never before have all four No. 1 seeds made the Final Four. It’s a statistic I’ve always figured heavily into filling out my brackets, and I took that into consideration again this year …
But my mother did it. She picked all four No.1 seeds. And it’s happened.
(For the record, I picked North Carolina, Memphis, UCLA and No. 3-seed Wisconsin in my bracket, and UCLA and Kansas and No. 2-seeds Tennessee and Texas in Baby’s bracket …)
And my heart is still pumping from that Kansas game…
I’ve said it before -- I live and die with the Jayhawks. They’ve broken my heart every year for 18 springs now, since my family moved to Kansas and my love affair began …
But they blew it last year. There was Bucknell in '05. And Bradley in '06. And 2003 and 1997 when they should have won it all ... And given how well Davidson has been playing, I was ready for another roller coaster this afternoon ...
It was tight all through the first half. It remained tight into the second half ...
Around the 9-minute mark with Davidson leading by one, I was wrapped up in my blanket and mumbling, Great, here we go again ...
And then at the one minute-mark, with Davidson still well involved, I was on the couch, in the fetal position, and my blanket covering all but my eyes ...
Wrenching were those last 10 seconds with Davidson's Stephen Curry taking the ball, totally looking for that winning three-point shot ... But the Kansas defense shut him down, and when the ball bounced from the backboard and the final mili-second ticked away, my head -- and the blanket -- shot up from the couch. And my eyes welled up ...
So we're all good ... For now.
But we're up against North Carolina next weekend.
Gee, you think the Roy Williams-Bill Self transition is going to be a storyline this week?
Never before have all four No. 1 seeds made the Final Four. It’s a statistic I’ve always figured heavily into filling out my brackets, and I took that into consideration again this year …
But my mother did it. She picked all four No.1 seeds. And it’s happened.
(For the record, I picked North Carolina, Memphis, UCLA and No. 3-seed Wisconsin in my bracket, and UCLA and Kansas and No. 2-seeds Tennessee and Texas in Baby’s bracket …)
And my heart is still pumping from that Kansas game…
I’ve said it before -- I live and die with the Jayhawks. They’ve broken my heart every year for 18 springs now, since my family moved to Kansas and my love affair began …
But they blew it last year. There was Bucknell in '05. And Bradley in '06. And 2003 and 1997 when they should have won it all ... And given how well Davidson has been playing, I was ready for another roller coaster this afternoon ...
It was tight all through the first half. It remained tight into the second half ...
Around the 9-minute mark with Davidson leading by one, I was wrapped up in my blanket and mumbling, Great, here we go again ...
And then at the one minute-mark, with Davidson still well involved, I was on the couch, in the fetal position, and my blanket covering all but my eyes ...
Wrenching were those last 10 seconds with Davidson's Stephen Curry taking the ball, totally looking for that winning three-point shot ... But the Kansas defense shut him down, and when the ball bounced from the backboard and the final mili-second ticked away, my head -- and the blanket -- shot up from the couch. And my eyes welled up ...
So we're all good ... For now.
But we're up against North Carolina next weekend.
Gee, you think the Roy Williams-Bill Self transition is going to be a storyline this week?
Sunday reading
Some of the good reads (and links) that caught my eyes during the last week ...
Let's start it with this video of one sports anchor's look at the Duke-Belmont upset ... Clever!
Baseball ...
a Season forecast: Tom Verducci's playoff picks and surprise teams for '08 campaign
a A-Rod won't address allegations
a Cubs, WGN celebrate diamond anniversary
a As Jinx Turns 100, the Friendly Confines Are Getting Feisty
a Wrigley, Cubs in limbo as Tribune chief Zell seeks home-run deals
a From Reggie to Chub: One Last Roll Call ... It's been a dream of mine to get to Yankee Stadium ... Unfortuately, it's not looking like it's going to happen this year.
a Deep Inside the Big Ballyard in the Bronx
a You Can’t Just Blow Up History
a The Spirits of Yankee Legends Permeate a Locker Room
a Ballparks Come, Ballparks Go, the Memories Are Forever
a Shea in ’64: The Planes Above, the Mets Below
March Madness ...
a With No Issues, Williams Is Content
a Ford Field, Reliant Stadium raise regionals
a Time to appreciate Big Ten's last 2 ... This story came out, of course, before both teams lost.
a Wisconsin Becomes a National Power by Staying Close to Home
Politics ...
a Okay, Barack. Now Show 'Em Your White Side
Media & the Internet ...
a 'The Simpsons' announces the death of print ... my good friend Matt pointed me to this one.
a LeBron James' Vogue cover called racially insensitive
Life & other stuff ...
a Pottermania lives on in college classrooms ... Good stuff from my good friend Raechel. Some days I long to be in college again just so I can take some of the classes they're coming up with these days ...
a It's a gas: $2.49-per-gallon gaffe lures bargain hunters
a Families speak about switched identity ordeal ... Gripping story. I couldn't imagine what this would be like ...
a In new book, crash survivor ponders why she lived ... different read, same gripping story as above.
a Get Ready to Step Up, Dad ... hey, I'll step up.
a Western Antarctic Ice Chunk Collapses
a The Washington Post: Peeps Show 2
Let's start it with this video of one sports anchor's look at the Duke-Belmont upset ... Clever!
Baseball ...
a Season forecast: Tom Verducci's playoff picks and surprise teams for '08 campaign
a A-Rod won't address allegations
a Cubs, WGN celebrate diamond anniversary
a As Jinx Turns 100, the Friendly Confines Are Getting Feisty
a Wrigley, Cubs in limbo as Tribune chief Zell seeks home-run deals
a From Reggie to Chub: One Last Roll Call ... It's been a dream of mine to get to Yankee Stadium ... Unfortuately, it's not looking like it's going to happen this year.
a Deep Inside the Big Ballyard in the Bronx
a You Can’t Just Blow Up History
a The Spirits of Yankee Legends Permeate a Locker Room
a Ballparks Come, Ballparks Go, the Memories Are Forever
a Shea in ’64: The Planes Above, the Mets Below
March Madness ...
a With No Issues, Williams Is Content
a Ford Field, Reliant Stadium raise regionals
a Time to appreciate Big Ten's last 2 ... This story came out, of course, before both teams lost.
a Wisconsin Becomes a National Power by Staying Close to Home
Politics ...
a Okay, Barack. Now Show 'Em Your White Side
Media & the Internet ...
a 'The Simpsons' announces the death of print ... my good friend Matt pointed me to this one.
a LeBron James' Vogue cover called racially insensitive
Life & other stuff ...
a Pottermania lives on in college classrooms ... Good stuff from my good friend Raechel. Some days I long to be in college again just so I can take some of the classes they're coming up with these days ...
a It's a gas: $2.49-per-gallon gaffe lures bargain hunters
a Families speak about switched identity ordeal ... Gripping story. I couldn't imagine what this would be like ...
a In new book, crash survivor ponders why she lived ... different read, same gripping story as above.
a Get Ready to Step Up, Dad ... hey, I'll step up.
a Western Antarctic Ice Chunk Collapses
a The Washington Post: Peeps Show 2
Weekend update
So Kates and I are backing off our earlier predictions that Baby was coming early. Easter came and went without a hint of any progress …
But truly, anything could happen now. Kates is at 38 weeks … And we’re ready.
… The bags are packed for the hospital, and we’ve discussed all the possible scenarios for when she might go into labor (given our varied jobs and the travel times…). The baby’s room is ready. The clothes and blankets and sheets are laundered. All the baby equipment is set up and installed. We’ve got baskets and containers full of toys and stuffed animals. We’ve made plans with the prospective baby-sitter … The list goes on and on …
Sigh. We’re ready … and Kates is going to be great.
… Got my Jayhawks gear on. I’m set.
Today I’ll be rooting for Texas to beat Memphis, and Kansas to beat Davidson. I figure if I can somehow get a Texas-Kansas matchup in the championship game, Baby Horns is in the money …
My bracket and Baby’s bracket are in the upper third of the office pool standings. Though I’m considering myself done after Wisconsin’s loss Friday night … In my bracket, I had them meeting UCLA in the championship game.
Ah, well. Like I told Kates as we watched the games last night -- At this point in the tournament, I care less about my brackets and just enjoy the excitement of the games …
And that goes for that North Carolina-Louisville game last night. Any bracketeers would be stupid not to have North Carolina going to the Final Four, but Louisville sure made it a contest last night … Granted, it was pretty exciting to watch the Heels turning the first half into a football game with their guys running down the floor like wide receivers, catching long passes and taking them in for easy layups …
Then the second half started … And lo and behold Louisville erased North Carolina’s 12-point lead, and tied it 59-59 with 10 minutes left … For a few minutes, as the two teams battled to take charge, it got really interesting …
Then Tyler Hansbrough took over. For the rest of the game it seemed like he was grabbing every rebound and taking -- and making -- every shot … The commentators made a point of it and I have to agree: There has not been a more exciting, more passionate guy to play college ball in a long time than Hansbrough ... Kevin Durant, Greg Oden, Michael Beasley -- The NBA can have those guys; they're one-hit wonders who I'm doubting will ever make a serious impact in the NBA. I think they’re overrated and I’ve never got the impression they’re in it for more than attracting the dollar signs … But Hansbrough, it’s easy to see he loves the game and just wants to help his team.
Off my soapbox … Can’t say the Wisconsin game on Friday night was as exciting. I was stuck late at the office, so I didn’t get to watch much of it. But I was keeping tabs on it via the Internet and I could see early on it wasn’t looking good. From what I heard, the Badgers didn’t show up to play and Stephen Curry did …
So we got more snow on Thursday …
Usually, it would have put me in a terrible mood, right? Nope, on Thursday I actually was hoping for more snow -- probably for like the first time since I learned to shovel …
As of Thursday, we had received 101.5 inches of snow this winter. We’ve broken the mark of 90 inches set in 1978-79, and the only mark left to break was the 109 inches supposedly set in 1885-86 …
So as many of us arrived at work on Thursday the mantra was: “Bring it on, let’s break the record!” Just so we could say we lived through the worst winter …
The flakes fell all day … But it didn’t accumulate. We barely got an inch.
So Chikezie was dismissed from 'Idol' Wednesday night. Ok. Fine.
Should've been Ramiele. Maybe next week.
Here's some 'Idol' reads, I've collected ...
a Chris Sligh on Top 12 Week
a Idolatry ... some good video and interviews here.
a 'Idol's' Season 7 is sheer heaven
a American Idol Central
But truly, anything could happen now. Kates is at 38 weeks … And we’re ready.
… The bags are packed for the hospital, and we’ve discussed all the possible scenarios for when she might go into labor (given our varied jobs and the travel times…). The baby’s room is ready. The clothes and blankets and sheets are laundered. All the baby equipment is set up and installed. We’ve got baskets and containers full of toys and stuffed animals. We’ve made plans with the prospective baby-sitter … The list goes on and on …
Sigh. We’re ready … and Kates is going to be great.
* * *
… Got my Jayhawks gear on. I’m set.
Today I’ll be rooting for Texas to beat Memphis, and Kansas to beat Davidson. I figure if I can somehow get a Texas-Kansas matchup in the championship game, Baby Horns is in the money …
My bracket and Baby’s bracket are in the upper third of the office pool standings. Though I’m considering myself done after Wisconsin’s loss Friday night … In my bracket, I had them meeting UCLA in the championship game.
Ah, well. Like I told Kates as we watched the games last night -- At this point in the tournament, I care less about my brackets and just enjoy the excitement of the games …
And that goes for that North Carolina-Louisville game last night. Any bracketeers would be stupid not to have North Carolina going to the Final Four, but Louisville sure made it a contest last night … Granted, it was pretty exciting to watch the Heels turning the first half into a football game with their guys running down the floor like wide receivers, catching long passes and taking them in for easy layups …
Then the second half started … And lo and behold Louisville erased North Carolina’s 12-point lead, and tied it 59-59 with 10 minutes left … For a few minutes, as the two teams battled to take charge, it got really interesting …
Then Tyler Hansbrough took over. For the rest of the game it seemed like he was grabbing every rebound and taking -- and making -- every shot … The commentators made a point of it and I have to agree: There has not been a more exciting, more passionate guy to play college ball in a long time than Hansbrough ... Kevin Durant, Greg Oden, Michael Beasley -- The NBA can have those guys; they're one-hit wonders who I'm doubting will ever make a serious impact in the NBA. I think they’re overrated and I’ve never got the impression they’re in it for more than attracting the dollar signs … But Hansbrough, it’s easy to see he loves the game and just wants to help his team.
Off my soapbox … Can’t say the Wisconsin game on Friday night was as exciting. I was stuck late at the office, so I didn’t get to watch much of it. But I was keeping tabs on it via the Internet and I could see early on it wasn’t looking good. From what I heard, the Badgers didn’t show up to play and Stephen Curry did …
* * *
So we got more snow on Thursday …
Usually, it would have put me in a terrible mood, right? Nope, on Thursday I actually was hoping for more snow -- probably for like the first time since I learned to shovel …
As of Thursday, we had received 101.5 inches of snow this winter. We’ve broken the mark of 90 inches set in 1978-79, and the only mark left to break was the 109 inches supposedly set in 1885-86 …
So as many of us arrived at work on Thursday the mantra was: “Bring it on, let’s break the record!” Just so we could say we lived through the worst winter …
The flakes fell all day … But it didn’t accumulate. We barely got an inch.
* * *
So Chikezie was dismissed from 'Idol' Wednesday night. Ok. Fine.
Should've been Ramiele. Maybe next week.
Here's some 'Idol' reads, I've collected ...
a Chris Sligh on Top 12 Week
a Idolatry ... some good video and interviews here.
a 'Idol's' Season 7 is sheer heaven
a American Idol Central
3.27.2008
More submitted links
My cohort Brian sent me this video produced by a couple guys at a local college.
Freaking amazing. I just sat totally mesmerized watching this video for the full five minutes ...
... My good friend Matt just send this awesome link of a rock-paper-scissors game starring Barack Obama and George Bush ... totally addicting!
Then there's this public service announcement: Please adopt Pinky. (Sort of reminiscent of the angriest cat ever...Actually, during the course of watching this video I got on a little kick of cat videos -- there's also a good one of a cat totally fascinated with flushing the toilet and another potty-trained cat. Good stuff.)
And saving the best for last -- One of my favorite commercials on TV right now. This is "Baby Ethan" from one of the AIG commercials.
Freaking amazing. I just sat totally mesmerized watching this video for the full five minutes ...
... My good friend Matt just send this awesome link of a rock-paper-scissors game starring Barack Obama and George Bush ... totally addicting!
Then there's this public service announcement: Please adopt Pinky. (Sort of reminiscent of the angriest cat ever...Actually, during the course of watching this video I got on a little kick of cat videos -- there's also a good one of a cat totally fascinated with flushing the toilet and another potty-trained cat. Good stuff.)
And saving the best for last -- One of my favorite commercials on TV right now. This is "Baby Ethan" from one of the AIG commercials.
3.25.2008
Idol chatter
…So here we go. Another night of “American Idol.”This was a weird night. Our minds are on so many other things. And I really wasn’t excited for tonight’s show …
But it goes on. And tonight the Idols are singing songs from the years of their births. Nice … So I looked over a list of the top songs from the year I was born. But before doing that, there already was one song playing in my head -- If I were on stage tonight, I think I’d have to sing Supertramp’s “Breakfast in America.” Love that song! (And while we're talking about the awesomeness that is Supertramp -- How 'bout "Dreamer." Now that one's been a favorite of mine since the day I learned to play a cassette tape ...) … After looking at the list, Billy Joel’s “My Life” and Cheap Trick’s “I Want You To Want Me” also would be possibilities …
Ramiele Malubay started off with Heart’s “Alone.” And sang it totally off-key. Didn’t like it. I’ll say it again: She needs to go.
Didn’t like Jason Castro’s version of Sting‘s “Fragile” either. His vocals were uninspired and, hey audience, it’s not a clappy type of song!
Syesha Mercado sang “If I Were Your Woman.” … Yeah, so apparently the judges liked her performance, but at this point I was totally tuned out. Kates and I were musing about the burst of 1987 babies. And then I threw out the possibility that it’d be fun to see a 1988 baby sing Tiffany’s “Could’ve Been.” Didn’t happen …
I also tuned out for Chikezie, who was back to his boring ballad-singing self. I was barely paying attention; I didn’t know what song he was singing …
My ears perked up, of course, when Brooke White took the stage … Yes, her rendition of The Police’s “Every Breath You Take” was fantastic. In past weeks we’ve said she was channeling Carly Simon. This week Kates rightly mused that she had a Sheryl Crow vibe going … And as the judges noted, she showed her maturity and professionalism and rightly started the song again after a bad start ...
Talk about channeling! … How about Michael Johns doing his best Freddie Mercury! The dude knew how much America loved his “Bohemian Rhapsody,” so he pulls out a “We Will Rock You” / “We Are the Champions” Queen medley. Awesome.
Carly Smithson did “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” It was pretty good, but not great …
David Archuleta sang "You're The Voice" …And America, I agreed with Simon’s theme-park comment. He sang it well, but I thought the whole performance was sort of hokey …
Kristy Lee Cook, in the You’re singing what!? category, sang “God Bless the U.S.A” … Um. Ok. After her disasters of the last few weeks, it was a good performance from her. No doubt, she earned some points with it … Simon hit it again: It was a clever song choice and it’s probably going to keep her in the competition.
David Cook played it risky with a slowed down version of Michael Jackson‘s “Billie Jean” … I was skeptical initially, but the further he got into the song, I kind of liked it. Bold. He’s the sleeper.
My performances of the night: David Cook, Michael Johns and Brooke White.
I think Ramiele, Jason Castro and Chikezie earned spots in the bottom three.
3.23.2008
Submitted links
Cleaning out my desktop of some good links I've received lately ...
... Not On the Test ... A good anti-No Child Left Behind music video sent by our friend Leah ...
... My friend Laura showed me this link and said it's her future car ...
... This link is an argument in favor of voting for Barack Obama
... I got this one from my good friend Matt. "Epic. Around the one-minute mark, this gets great," he said. He's right.
... I stumbled across this video the other day on MySpace. Cute.
... Not On the Test ... A good anti-No Child Left Behind music video sent by our friend Leah ...
... My friend Laura showed me this link and said it's her future car ...
... This link is an argument in favor of voting for Barack Obama
... I got this one from my good friend Matt. "Epic. Around the one-minute mark, this gets great," he said. He's right.
... I stumbled across this video the other day on MySpace. Cute.
Sunday reading
The good reads that caught my eyes over the last couple weeks ...
Baseball ...
a Cubs' selection Sunday fast approaching
a Piniella settles on batting order
a Wrigley Field sale to state looking like latest Cubs loser
a Lasorda and the Dodgers say goodbye to Vero Beach
a Emotional day at Dodgertown for Lasorda
a Do-it-all Bill Hall returns to infield for Brewers' new defensive look
a Brewers slugger Prince Fielder now eating a Field of Greens
a Q & A with Brewers' owner Mark Attanasio
a Brewers owner: Yost dynamic leader who gives stability to club
a Japan Trip on for Red Sox, Athletics ... an extraordinary move indeed.
a Keeping up with Jones: Aside from closer, Tigers' bullpen is a big concern ... Not good.
a Why it's so Grand to be Tigers' Granderson
a Nobody's calling for Barry Bonds, and the phone won't start ringing soon
a Suspicion lingers in wake of Report
a Nats' Food Will Tag More Home Bases
Other sports ...
a Knight's ESPN gig could provide a bleeping good time ... From what I've seen, it has been.
a Rodgers ready to play for Packers
TV ...
a TV series alter time
Music ...
a Apple Said to Weigh Unlimited Music Deal
a Nine Inch Nails scares up sales with 'Ghosts'
a Judge Portrays McCartney's Ex As 'Out of Control'
a Judge says Heather Mills 'her own worst enemy'
Politics ...
a '3 a.m. call' Clinton-ad actress gets rude awakening
a What we don't know about Obama hurts him
Media & the Internet ...
a Wikipedia starts to look a bit less wiki
a In a newspaper war, we must mind our p's and q's ... an update from the Trib's big contest win.
Travel ...
a Mount St. Helens' booming history
a Restoring the Mall From 'Disgrace' to Showcase
Life & other stuff ...
a Hey, It's Your Funeral
a Dump the penny
a Starbucks tips ruling is made to order for baristas
a Neighbor 'ghosts' haunt drama on deadly summer ... I remember that summer -- and the heat -- well. It was the first time I'd ever been to Chicago, and every night on the news there were reports of more deaths ...
Baseball ...
a Cubs' selection Sunday fast approaching
a Piniella settles on batting order
a Wrigley Field sale to state looking like latest Cubs loser
a Lasorda and the Dodgers say goodbye to Vero Beach
a Emotional day at Dodgertown for Lasorda
a Do-it-all Bill Hall returns to infield for Brewers' new defensive look
a Brewers slugger Prince Fielder now eating a Field of Greens
a Q & A with Brewers' owner Mark Attanasio
a Brewers owner: Yost dynamic leader who gives stability to club
a Japan Trip on for Red Sox, Athletics ... an extraordinary move indeed.
a Keeping up with Jones: Aside from closer, Tigers' bullpen is a big concern ... Not good.
a Why it's so Grand to be Tigers' Granderson
a Nobody's calling for Barry Bonds, and the phone won't start ringing soon
a Suspicion lingers in wake of Report
a Nats' Food Will Tag More Home Bases
Other sports ...
a Knight's ESPN gig could provide a bleeping good time ... From what I've seen, it has been.
a Rodgers ready to play for Packers
TV ...
a TV series alter time
Music ...
a Apple Said to Weigh Unlimited Music Deal
a Nine Inch Nails scares up sales with 'Ghosts'
a Judge Portrays McCartney's Ex As 'Out of Control'
a Judge says Heather Mills 'her own worst enemy'
Politics ...
a '3 a.m. call' Clinton-ad actress gets rude awakening
a What we don't know about Obama hurts him
Media & the Internet ...
a Wikipedia starts to look a bit less wiki
a In a newspaper war, we must mind our p's and q's ... an update from the Trib's big contest win.
Travel ...
a Mount St. Helens' booming history
a Restoring the Mall From 'Disgrace' to Showcase
Life & other stuff ...
a Hey, It's Your Funeral
a Dump the penny
a Starbucks tips ruling is made to order for baristas
a Neighbor 'ghosts' haunt drama on deadly summer ... I remember that summer -- and the heat -- well. It was the first time I'd ever been to Chicago, and every night on the news there were reports of more deaths ...
March Madness squared
This weekend brought a whole new meaning to the term March Madness …
Toward the end of last week we were hearing wild predictions of a major snowstorm sweeping through the region …
Riiiiiiiiiiight, I said.
Then Friday came … As I was setting out the garbage and leaving for work, the wind was whipping, the temperature had dropped and little white flurries were falling from the sky … And by the time I had arrived at the office, the storm was in full force. The white stuff really was accumulating …
And it snowed all … day … long.
From the tornadoes to multiple blizzards, this winter has been so crazy, I’ve run out of ways to describe it.
By Friday night, I was calling this storm the worst of the year … The roads were as treacherous as ever. I barely made it out of downtown Friday night because the intersections were barricaded with snow (at one point I had to drive in the opposite direction of my route and then make a U-turn and head down a different route because my usual way was blocked …). Then I nearly got my car stuck turning on to our street too …
Saturday morning I dragged myself outside to shovel. The snow was so wet and heavy it felt like it was taking me hours to move any of it. Thankfully one of our neighbors snowplowed our sidewalks, and I didn’t even bother shoveling one side of our driveway because I was betting all the snow on that side would melt by the end of the weekend …
The newspaper reported this morning that we got 15 inches of snow on Friday, putting us at 101 inches for the entire winter and breaking the 90 inches we got during the 1978-79 winter.
Good stories to tell our baby, I guess.
So I’ve been watching the basketball games all weekend …
Kates and I watched the Friday night games while playing and putting away our collection of baby toys … And -- aside from Stanford’s nail-biter over Marquette -- I had a pretty easy Saturday. As I suspected, Wisconsin and Kansas won pretty handily …
Until this afternoon, I was unimpressed by the number of games that held that quintessential March Madness magic …
Then came the Tennessee-Butler matchup… and the Davidson-Georgetown matchup …
Finally, there I was standing in front of our TV, arms folded, watching the action intently as CBS switched from game-to-game … In my own bracket, I had Butler knocking off Tennessee and Davidson beating Georgetown. A couple of my cohorts thought I was all wrong, but I believed …
It turned out Tennessee nipped Butler in overtime (which was OK by me because Baby’s bracket has Tennessee in the Final Four) … But, man, when the final seconds ticked away and Davison took out Georgetown, I was skipping and clapping and whooping all over the house -- Not only did I call the Davidson upset, it’ll be an easier matchup for Wisconsin next weekend in the Sweet Sixteen.
Then … Kansas and Wisconsin in the Midwest regional final? Now that’s magic.
Toward the end of last week we were hearing wild predictions of a major snowstorm sweeping through the region …
Riiiiiiiiiiight, I said.
Then Friday came … As I was setting out the garbage and leaving for work, the wind was whipping, the temperature had dropped and little white flurries were falling from the sky … And by the time I had arrived at the office, the storm was in full force. The white stuff really was accumulating …
And it snowed all … day … long.
From the tornadoes to multiple blizzards, this winter has been so crazy, I’ve run out of ways to describe it.
By Friday night, I was calling this storm the worst of the year … The roads were as treacherous as ever. I barely made it out of downtown Friday night because the intersections were barricaded with snow (at one point I had to drive in the opposite direction of my route and then make a U-turn and head down a different route because my usual way was blocked …). Then I nearly got my car stuck turning on to our street too …
Saturday morning I dragged myself outside to shovel. The snow was so wet and heavy it felt like it was taking me hours to move any of it. Thankfully one of our neighbors snowplowed our sidewalks, and I didn’t even bother shoveling one side of our driveway because I was betting all the snow on that side would melt by the end of the weekend …
The newspaper reported this morning that we got 15 inches of snow on Friday, putting us at 101 inches for the entire winter and breaking the 90 inches we got during the 1978-79 winter.
Good stories to tell our baby, I guess.
* * *
So I’ve been watching the basketball games all weekend …
Kates and I watched the Friday night games while playing and putting away our collection of baby toys … And -- aside from Stanford’s nail-biter over Marquette -- I had a pretty easy Saturday. As I suspected, Wisconsin and Kansas won pretty handily …
Until this afternoon, I was unimpressed by the number of games that held that quintessential March Madness magic …
Then came the Tennessee-Butler matchup… and the Davidson-Georgetown matchup …
Finally, there I was standing in front of our TV, arms folded, watching the action intently as CBS switched from game-to-game … In my own bracket, I had Butler knocking off Tennessee and Davidson beating Georgetown. A couple of my cohorts thought I was all wrong, but I believed …
It turned out Tennessee nipped Butler in overtime (which was OK by me because Baby’s bracket has Tennessee in the Final Four) … But, man, when the final seconds ticked away and Davison took out Georgetown, I was skipping and clapping and whooping all over the house -- Not only did I call the Davidson upset, it’ll be an easier matchup for Wisconsin next weekend in the Sweet Sixteen.
Then … Kansas and Wisconsin in the Midwest regional final? Now that’s magic.
Happy Easter!
A little Easter trivia passed on to me by my mother ...
I got this one from an office cohort: The Ultimate Peep Show ...
Finally, This comes from my aunt ...
Easter is early this year.
Easter is always the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox (which is March 20). This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that Hebrew people used to identify Passover, which is why it moves around on our Roman calendar. (Although Easter was celebrated as early as the Second Century, in 325 the Council of Nicea decided on the above formula for setting the date of Easter.)
Based on the above information, Easter can actually be one day earlier (March 22), though that is rare.
This year is the earliest Easter any of us will ever see the rest of our lives. And only the most elderly of our population have ever seen it this early (95 years old and older). And none of us have ever, or
will ever, see it a day earlier.
The next time Easter will be this early (March 23) will be the year 2228 (220 years from
now). The last time it was this early was 1913.
The next time it will be a day earlier, March 22, will be in the year 2285 (277 years from now). The
last time it was on March 22 was 1818.
So, no one alive today has or will ever see it any earlier than this year.
* * *
I got this one from an office cohort: The Ultimate Peep Show ...
* * *
Finally, This comes from my aunt ...
3.20.2008
Let the Madness begin!
… Kates has said more than once this school year that her class seems less attached to her than previous years, and she attributes it to the idea that her students know she’s going to be leaving soon. So they purposely are keeping a distance.
That’s kind of the way I’m feeling about March Madness this year. Sure, I’m excited for it. Sure, I’ve filled out a couple brackets … But this year, with all the baby preparations and running around, I’m feeling a little detached from all of it, and definitely less knowledgeable about the teams than I’ve felt going into past tournaments.
Whatever.
The games started today, and I’m in.
I’d barely looked at the matchups this week, and at 9 this morning I was still filling out my brackets and double-checking them with the experts’ picks …
I have a tendency to be pretty liberal with my risks and upsets, and I think I did it again this year … Today I lost big on the Winthrop game. I had them moving onto the second round against Notre Dame, but they got creamed by Washington State instead.
I also lost out on Kent State, Arizona (... my gut was telling me West Virgina, but nope, I listened to the guys on ESPN. Stupid ESPN!) and Temple.
And I breathed a huge sigh or relief -- as did most of the bracketeers, I imagine -- when Duke squeaked by Belmont tonight ...
So who’s in my Final Four?
Again, as of this morning I’d barely looked at the brackets. But based on what I had seen and knew of this season I already had it in my mind that -- not yet knowing the layouts of each region -- North Carolina, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Kansas and Memphis had some real potential to go far …
Once I took a serious look at the brackets and considered the matchups, I saw North Carolina as a shoo-in to make the Final Four in the East. And I took another risk (dang it!) by having Butler upset Tennessee in the second round.
I also took UCLA pretty easily in the West, and Memphis getting to the Final Four in the South, only after a tough game against Stanford in the regional final.
And perhaps my biggest gamble: Wisconsin making the Final Four in the Midwest. Bias perhaps, but I have a feeling about Wisconsin this year, and as I started filling out my bracket for that region I looked at the Badgers and said, Why not!? They have the ability to control the tempo of almost any game, they work the ball around and their defense is unflappable … I’m also betting on Davidson upsetting Georgetown to make Wisconsin’s third-round game a little easier …
But wait, I’ve got one more bracket I’m working this year …
And this one’s for luck.
… I’ve started referring to Kansas as the Cubs of the NCAA Tournament because every year -- no matter how talented or deep their team is -- they have a knack for choking.
Though I would give just about anything to see my beloved Jayhawks win it all. And this year -- like almost every other year -- some experts are going all ga-ga over Kansas and saying this could be their year -- again …
So I entered an extra bracket in the office pool this year -- for Baby Horns. And Baby has Kansas winning it all, in a Final Four that includes Tennessee, Texas and UCLA … The more I study it, the more I think Baby actually has the better bracket …
For luck. Wish it to me.
Good reads ...
a Luke Winn's 2008 Tourney Blog
That’s kind of the way I’m feeling about March Madness this year. Sure, I’m excited for it. Sure, I’ve filled out a couple brackets … But this year, with all the baby preparations and running around, I’m feeling a little detached from all of it, and definitely less knowledgeable about the teams than I’ve felt going into past tournaments.
Whatever.
The games started today, and I’m in.
I’d barely looked at the matchups this week, and at 9 this morning I was still filling out my brackets and double-checking them with the experts’ picks …
I have a tendency to be pretty liberal with my risks and upsets, and I think I did it again this year … Today I lost big on the Winthrop game. I had them moving onto the second round against Notre Dame, but they got creamed by Washington State instead.
I also lost out on Kent State, Arizona (... my gut was telling me West Virgina, but nope, I listened to the guys on ESPN. Stupid ESPN!) and Temple.
And I breathed a huge sigh or relief -- as did most of the bracketeers, I imagine -- when Duke squeaked by Belmont tonight ...
So who’s in my Final Four?
Again, as of this morning I’d barely looked at the brackets. But based on what I had seen and knew of this season I already had it in my mind that -- not yet knowing the layouts of each region -- North Carolina, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Kansas and Memphis had some real potential to go far …
Once I took a serious look at the brackets and considered the matchups, I saw North Carolina as a shoo-in to make the Final Four in the East. And I took another risk (dang it!) by having Butler upset Tennessee in the second round.
I also took UCLA pretty easily in the West, and Memphis getting to the Final Four in the South, only after a tough game against Stanford in the regional final.
And perhaps my biggest gamble: Wisconsin making the Final Four in the Midwest. Bias perhaps, but I have a feeling about Wisconsin this year, and as I started filling out my bracket for that region I looked at the Badgers and said, Why not!? They have the ability to control the tempo of almost any game, they work the ball around and their defense is unflappable … I’m also betting on Davidson upsetting Georgetown to make Wisconsin’s third-round game a little easier …
But wait, I’ve got one more bracket I’m working this year …
And this one’s for luck.
… I’ve started referring to Kansas as the Cubs of the NCAA Tournament because every year -- no matter how talented or deep their team is -- they have a knack for choking.
Though I would give just about anything to see my beloved Jayhawks win it all. And this year -- like almost every other year -- some experts are going all ga-ga over Kansas and saying this could be their year -- again …
So I entered an extra bracket in the office pool this year -- for Baby Horns. And Baby has Kansas winning it all, in a Final Four that includes Tennessee, Texas and UCLA … The more I study it, the more I think Baby actually has the better bracket …
For luck. Wish it to me.
Good reads ...
a Luke Winn's 2008 Tourney Blog
3.19.2008
A hair-raiser
... So Amanda went home tonight from Idol.I'm totally OK with that. (See here). Plus, did anyone else get the feeling that she was totally relieved?
And with that I was glad to see Kristy Lee live another week -- I really think the girl's got some potential. She just needs to get smarter in her song choices ...
But what about Carly!? Carly! ... How. How. How! was she in the bottom three!?!
* * *
So I got a hair cut yesterday. My hairs cut. My ears lowered ...
With three weeks to Baby Due Date, I was getting a little shaggy. So of course I'm thinking, You know, I really should get a hair cut, shorten it up a little. You know, look nice for the inundation of photo shoots ...
Problem is I might have got it cut a little too short.
The moment I returned to work this morning I was getting surprised looks from my cohorts ...
"Wow, getting ready for that baby?!"
"Geez, you told us you had an ultrasound yesterday. We didn't know you were really just going to get your hair done!"
"What? Trying to be a good role model now?"
"Well, you don't want to look like a hippy for your baby."
I wanted to go back through the door and hurry home to find a wig -- or figure out a way to grow some hair fast.
Bring your daughter to war day!
A HA-larious video from The Onion ...
"... Only four girls were killed ..."
Army Holds Annual 'Bring Your Daughter To War' Day
"... Only four girls were killed ..."
Army Holds Annual 'Bring Your Daughter To War' Day
3.18.2008
Idol chatter
I wasn’t thrilled that “American Idol” was doing The Beatles again tonight. I’m a strong believer in the notion that it’s nearly impossible to duplicate a good thing, and tonight was proof of that … There were only two clear successes. Meanwhile, the race for who goes home this week is wide open …
Amanda Overmyer started it off tonight with “Back in the U.S.S.R.” … I liked it, and she looked tonight like she was having as fun as ever. It definitely showed in her performance -- she looked good. … But about midway through the performance I also started thinking exactly what Simon said when it was over, she’s starting to get boring. And we’re hearing the same style from her week after week
Kristy Lee sang “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” -- great song! (Which she had never heard before!? Kristy Lee, c’mon!) … I kind of liked the arrangement, but she was pitchy and clearly unsure of the melody …
David Archuleta did “The Long And Winding Road.” One of my least favorite Beatles songs, definitely my least favorite of their hits … David sang it well, but that was it. He totally played it safe. He picked an easy ballad. And all the teenie girls go wild. He’s like Amanda -- it’s getting to a point where -- no matter how pure his voice is -- we know what to expect every week …
Michael Johns sang “A Day In the Life.” Nice, I was thrilled to hear he was trying it (and that there finally was a contestant who had heard of The Beatles! … Seriously, were you kids raised in Antarctica!?) … But it didn’t translate well on the stage. The judges are right, he’s gotta stop sorting himself out and just bring it -- which he hasn’t done since he blew us away with his “Bohemian Rhapsody” during Hollywood week.
Brooke White… Have I mentioned how much we love her!? The yellow dress. The charm. Singing “Here Comes the Sun.” … So the judges didn’t like it. Fine. She’s still great.
David Cook did “Day Tripper” … and rocked it! Performance of the night! Liked the vocoder, too… I never thought I’d be saying this a couple weeks ago, but he’s really starting to grow on me. He’s definitely a sleeper in the competition …
Carly Smithson sang “Blackbird” … One of our favorite songs, and she nailed it. She’s the girl to beat.
Jason Castro sang “Michelle.” Didn’t like it.
Syesha Mercado sang “Yesterday.” … Tough song. Big risk. I thought it was all right.
Chikezie sang “I’ve Just Seen A Face.” … I cheered out loud when I heard the song choice. Another one of my favorites … But I didn’t at all dig the slowed-down beginning. Then he sped it up and added the harmonica. Then, like Simon said, he went all “Achy Breaky.” It was definitely schizophrenic. I think he tried, but there was no way he was going to top last week …
Ramiele sang “I Should’ve Known Better” … Good song. Poor performance.
David Cook and Carly Smithson were my favorites tonight -- hands down … I’m picking Ramiele, Kristy Lee and Jason Castro in Wednesday’s bottom three.
Amanda Overmyer started it off tonight with “Back in the U.S.S.R.” … I liked it, and she looked tonight like she was having as fun as ever. It definitely showed in her performance -- she looked good. … But about midway through the performance I also started thinking exactly what Simon said when it was over, she’s starting to get boring. And we’re hearing the same style from her week after week
Kristy Lee sang “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” -- great song! (Which she had never heard before!? Kristy Lee, c’mon!) … I kind of liked the arrangement, but she was pitchy and clearly unsure of the melody …
David Archuleta did “The Long And Winding Road.” One of my least favorite Beatles songs, definitely my least favorite of their hits … David sang it well, but that was it. He totally played it safe. He picked an easy ballad. And all the teenie girls go wild. He’s like Amanda -- it’s getting to a point where -- no matter how pure his voice is -- we know what to expect every week …
Michael Johns sang “A Day In the Life.” Nice, I was thrilled to hear he was trying it (and that there finally was a contestant who had heard of The Beatles! … Seriously, were you kids raised in Antarctica!?) … But it didn’t translate well on the stage. The judges are right, he’s gotta stop sorting himself out and just bring it -- which he hasn’t done since he blew us away with his “Bohemian Rhapsody” during Hollywood week.
Brooke White… Have I mentioned how much we love her!? The yellow dress. The charm. Singing “Here Comes the Sun.” … So the judges didn’t like it. Fine. She’s still great.
David Cook did “Day Tripper” … and rocked it! Performance of the night! Liked the vocoder, too… I never thought I’d be saying this a couple weeks ago, but he’s really starting to grow on me. He’s definitely a sleeper in the competition …
Carly Smithson sang “Blackbird” … One of our favorite songs, and she nailed it. She’s the girl to beat.
Jason Castro sang “Michelle.” Didn’t like it.
Syesha Mercado sang “Yesterday.” … Tough song. Big risk. I thought it was all right.
Chikezie sang “I’ve Just Seen A Face.” … I cheered out loud when I heard the song choice. Another one of my favorites … But I didn’t at all dig the slowed-down beginning. Then he sped it up and added the harmonica. Then, like Simon said, he went all “Achy Breaky.” It was definitely schizophrenic. I think he tried, but there was no way he was going to top last week …
Ramiele sang “I Should’ve Known Better” … Good song. Poor performance.
David Cook and Carly Smithson were my favorites tonight -- hands down … I’m picking Ramiele, Kristy Lee and Jason Castro in Wednesday’s bottom three.
The journey continues
We’re in Week 36 now.
Our living room is full of baby gear. We’re inching closer to getting the room done, too …
And Kates is definitely feeling it. She’s getting up two, three times a night now. Little body parts are always pressing on her insides. And her feet are the size of “watermelons” -- her words, not mine. Though I have started calling her big foot …
We’ve also jokingly started referring to the baby as her “junk in the trunk.”
I spent all of last night poring over directions and constructing baby stuff … I put together our new high-chair. The bouncer. The bather. Set up the car seat …
And when Kates went to bed at 10:15, I said Why stop now, I’m on a roll. So I set up the Pack n’ Play baby suite. And sweet it is …
We had another ultrasound today to get some measurements of the baby and gauge whether he/she might come early …
Wasn’t as exciting as the first time, but still interesting and fascinating. The technician running the machine was new to the job and wasn’t entirely sure what she was doing …
The baby was curled up and not showing its face to anyone. And we wouldn’t have been able to see the gender even if we wanted …
But the heart beat was steady. The baby’s head is down. And it came in today at a weight of 5 pounds and 7 ounces.
It also appears to be a strong baby. Look at it flexing its muscles …
Our living room is full of baby gear. We’re inching closer to getting the room done, too …
And Kates is definitely feeling it. She’s getting up two, three times a night now. Little body parts are always pressing on her insides. And her feet are the size of “watermelons” -- her words, not mine. Though I have started calling her big foot …
We’ve also jokingly started referring to the baby as her “junk in the trunk.”
* * *
I spent all of last night poring over directions and constructing baby stuff … I put together our new high-chair. The bouncer. The bather. Set up the car seat …
And when Kates went to bed at 10:15, I said Why stop now, I’m on a roll. So I set up the Pack n’ Play baby suite. And sweet it is …
* * *
We had another ultrasound today to get some measurements of the baby and gauge whether he/she might come early …
Wasn’t as exciting as the first time, but still interesting and fascinating. The technician running the machine was new to the job and wasn’t entirely sure what she was doing …
The baby was curled up and not showing its face to anyone. And we wouldn’t have been able to see the gender even if we wanted …
But the heart beat was steady. The baby’s head is down. And it came in today at a weight of 5 pounds and 7 ounces.
It also appears to be a strong baby. Look at it flexing its muscles …
3.16.2008
Sunday reading
Here's some good reads that have caught my eyes the last couple weeks ...Baseball ...
a A squeeze at Wrigley
a Multiple firms may be part of rights deal
a Steroids In America: The Godfather
Politics ...
a Pro-Clinton? ‘SNL’ Says You’re Joking
a Decriminalize prostitution
a A squeeze at Wrigley
a Multiple firms may be part of rights deal
a Steroids In America: The Godfather
Politics ...
a Pro-Clinton? ‘SNL’ Says You’re Joking
a Decriminalize prostitution
a Britney Spears meets Barney, plus much more on 'How I Met Your Mother'
Media & the Internet ...
a Facebook is doomed
a Virtual friends too much like work
a Wikipedia's tin-cup approach wears thin
Media & the Internet ...
a Facebook is doomed
a Virtual friends too much like work
a Wikipedia's tin-cup approach wears thin
a Signing Off at XM: Radio Innovator To Try His Hand At Tribune Co.
a Black TV Crew Attacked While Filming ... and in case you haven't seen it, here's the video.
Life & other stuff ...
a Former president gave campus new identity ... This one was personal. A man who's legacy I really admired and the chance I had to interview him and his wife on Valentine's Day in 2001 was a big highlight for me ...
a Kansas woman sat on toilet for two years
a Parent-teacher talks can get heated
a We Really Need a Staycation
a Black TV Crew Attacked While Filming ... and in case you haven't seen it, here's the video.
Life & other stuff ...
a Former president gave campus new identity ... This one was personal. A man who's legacy I really admired and the chance I had to interview him and his wife on Valentine's Day in 2001 was a big highlight for me ...
a Kansas woman sat on toilet for two years
a Parent-teacher talks can get heated
a We Really Need a Staycation
3.14.2008
Ramblin' on!
So a cool thing happened to me this morning ...
As I was leaving my house, the last song playing on my iPod was a version of Train doing a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Ramble On." The version is like 10 years old, and I've rarely heard it anywhere else ...
Then I get into my car, and on the radio is Pat Monahan (lead singer of Train) doing "Ramble On." At a live broadcast, right then and there on the radio.
Talk about a sweet way to start a Friday ... And it got better ...
The Summerfest announcements have started coming in and this afternon we learned the wonderful Stevie Wonder will be opening the fest at The Marcus. I'm seriously thinking about it ...
Then! We got word that Counting Crows -- one of my all-time favorite bands -- is coming to town next month! A couple days within Kates' due date! Are you kidding me!? ... Kates going into labor may be the only thing to stop me from getting to that show -- so here's hoping Baby arrives a little early like everyone seems to be predicting. Or a little late is fine too ...
Hey, the sun is shining brightly. It's nearly 50 degrees, and the snow is melting fast ...
I couldn't be happier.
As I was leaving my house, the last song playing on my iPod was a version of Train doing a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Ramble On." The version is like 10 years old, and I've rarely heard it anywhere else ...
Then I get into my car, and on the radio is Pat Monahan (lead singer of Train) doing "Ramble On." At a live broadcast, right then and there on the radio.
Talk about a sweet way to start a Friday ... And it got better ...
The Summerfest announcements have started coming in and this afternon we learned the wonderful Stevie Wonder will be opening the fest at The Marcus. I'm seriously thinking about it ...
Then! We got word that Counting Crows -- one of my all-time favorite bands -- is coming to town next month! A couple days within Kates' due date! Are you kidding me!? ... Kates going into labor may be the only thing to stop me from getting to that show -- so here's hoping Baby arrives a little early like everyone seems to be predicting. Or a little late is fine too ...
Hey, the sun is shining brightly. It's nearly 50 degrees, and the snow is melting fast ...
I couldn't be happier.
3.12.2008
Counting down
Kates and I are officially in countdown mode now ...
But even now, as we're putting the finishing touches on Baby's room and making the final preparations for his/her arrival, we're getting the feeling more and more that Baby's going to make an early entrance ...
Kates has gotten noticeably bigger in the last couple days (even friends that we saw on Sunday and again tonight mentioned the observation without us bringing it up first ...) And today, Doctor Fabulous also seemed to be thinking Baby was coming early and scheduled an extra ultrasound to get a look and take some measurements ...
Things are starting to get really interesting ... and exciting.
And so is American Idol ... Never mind that Kristy Lee Cook's performance last night was wretched, Kates and I were thrilled! (I pumped my fist and clapped) to see David Hernandez go tonight. We never had a good feeling about him, and I'm still wondering how he got into the Top 12 ...
But even now, as we're putting the finishing touches on Baby's room and making the final preparations for his/her arrival, we're getting the feeling more and more that Baby's going to make an early entrance ...
Kates has gotten noticeably bigger in the last couple days (even friends that we saw on Sunday and again tonight mentioned the observation without us bringing it up first ...) And today, Doctor Fabulous also seemed to be thinking Baby was coming early and scheduled an extra ultrasound to get a look and take some measurements ...
Things are starting to get really interesting ... and exciting.
And so is American Idol ... Never mind that Kristy Lee Cook's performance last night was wretched, Kates and I were thrilled! (I pumped my fist and clapped) to see David Hernandez go tonight. We never had a good feeling about him, and I'm still wondering how he got into the Top 12 ...
3.11.2008
America's Top 12
And suddenly there were 12.
Without Danny Noriega. I wasn't over it when "Idol" started tonight ...
But, hey -- for the first time in Idol history -- tonight was a tribute to John Lennon and Paul McCartney. We were totally having fun, and by the end, I'd almost forgotten last week's travesty ...
It also helped a lot that the guy I thought should have gone before Danny gave the performance of the night and, arguably, one of the most memorable of the competition so far ...
Holy crap, Chikezie! He blew the roof off the studio!!… The dude, who I’ve never completely understood, did “She’s A Woman” and started it off with a down home “O Brother Where Art Thou?” thing (Kates was beaming when she called it before the judges). Then the band kicked it in high gear, and there was Chikezie totally rocking out. Kates and I loved it so much we were left as breathless as he was after the performance. Who knew he had it in him!? And if he can keep it up, he’s totally in …
And that means, by george, David Archuleta is human! I picked out his Stevie Wonder version of “We Can Work It Out” the moment he stepped from the stairs. He fumbled the words. He seemed totally out of place. And if there’s anything we’ve learned from our years watching “Idol” -- never start on the stairs.
Carly Smithson barely stood a chance of me liking her performance because she sang “Come Together,” one of my least favorite Beatles songs. But she still sang it well enough to remain the girl to beat.
And Brooke White is right behind her. Love her! Loved seeing her at the piano. Her version of “Let It Be” was passionate and heartfelt and priceless.
David Cook’s rock-out version of “Eleanor Rigby” was pretty sweet. And Amanda Overmyer finally looked like she was having some fun tonight -- I really liked her version of “You Can’t Do That” too.
Michael Johns' version of “Across the Universe” was OK. So was Syesha Mercado’s version of “Got To Get You Into My Life” -- though I really loved the brass on it.
I couldn’t have agreed with the judges more on Ramiele Malubay's boring version of “In My Life.” And the same happened on Jason Castro’s “If I Fell.” Which sucks because those are two of my most favorite Beatles tunes.
Didn’t like David Hernandez at all.
But he wasn’t near as bad as Kristy Lee Cook’s “Eight Days A Week.” I was totally OK with the idea of a country version, but her arrangement of it was plain awful. The look on my face when she finished it must’ve looked like I had a toothache …
I predict Kristy Lee goes tomorrow night.
Without Danny Noriega. I wasn't over it when "Idol" started tonight ...
But, hey -- for the first time in Idol history -- tonight was a tribute to John Lennon and Paul McCartney. We were totally having fun, and by the end, I'd almost forgotten last week's travesty ...
It also helped a lot that the guy I thought should have gone before Danny gave the performance of the night and, arguably, one of the most memorable of the competition so far ...
Holy crap, Chikezie! He blew the roof off the studio!!… The dude, who I’ve never completely understood, did “She’s A Woman” and started it off with a down home “O Brother Where Art Thou?” thing (Kates was beaming when she called it before the judges). Then the band kicked it in high gear, and there was Chikezie totally rocking out. Kates and I loved it so much we were left as breathless as he was after the performance. Who knew he had it in him!? And if he can keep it up, he’s totally in …
And that means, by george, David Archuleta is human! I picked out his Stevie Wonder version of “We Can Work It Out” the moment he stepped from the stairs. He fumbled the words. He seemed totally out of place. And if there’s anything we’ve learned from our years watching “Idol” -- never start on the stairs.
Carly Smithson barely stood a chance of me liking her performance because she sang “Come Together,” one of my least favorite Beatles songs. But she still sang it well enough to remain the girl to beat.
And Brooke White is right behind her. Love her! Loved seeing her at the piano. Her version of “Let It Be” was passionate and heartfelt and priceless.
David Cook’s rock-out version of “Eleanor Rigby” was pretty sweet. And Amanda Overmyer finally looked like she was having some fun tonight -- I really liked her version of “You Can’t Do That” too.
Michael Johns' version of “Across the Universe” was OK. So was Syesha Mercado’s version of “Got To Get You Into My Life” -- though I really loved the brass on it.
I couldn’t have agreed with the judges more on Ramiele Malubay's boring version of “In My Life.” And the same happened on Jason Castro’s “If I Fell.” Which sucks because those are two of my most favorite Beatles tunes.
Didn’t like David Hernandez at all.
But he wasn’t near as bad as Kristy Lee Cook’s “Eight Days A Week.” I was totally OK with the idea of a country version, but her arrangement of it was plain awful. The look on my face when she finished it must’ve looked like I had a toothache …
I predict Kristy Lee goes tomorrow night.
3.09.2008
Sunday reading
Kates and I are feeling truly blessed today ...
Mom & Pops were here for the weekend to help us prepare more for Baby ...
All of today we were finding ourselves surrounded by people who have loved and supported us and played significant parts in our lives, people who have known both of us from the very beginning, some of our closest friends and family members ...
And tonight we had to say good-bye to a dear friend. As Kates' father said in his message, he was "the quintessential Milwaukeean." He was always there with a kind greeting or words of wisdom. He was a devoted baseball fan, too -- As the pallbearers carried away his casket tonight, we sang "Take Me Out To the Ball Game." Kates and I were blessed to have known him.
Here's some of the good reads that caught my attention this week ...
Baseball ...
a Authority assessing face-lift of Wrigley
a Naming rights for sale, but Wrigley can't be bought
a This field by any other name ... Would be risky for would-be corporate sponsors, experts say
a Why Wrigley Field's landmark status should be preserved
a Kenney: More Cubs games on Comcast SportsNet ... and Spanish radio?
a Piniella open to extending stay with Cubs
a Nobody's perfect: Even the best teams have holes to fill this spring
a The big question for Big Papi
a Sox may have (computer) chip on their shoulder
Politics ...
a A little something for the ladies
a A Clinton-Obama ticket?
a John McCain: Consistent on Iraq... ...consistent in folly
a Gary David Goldberg: Just what would Alex Keaton do?
TV & entertainment ...
a Eleanor knockoffs spark a knock-down, drag-out fight
a Did 'SNL' Go Beyond the Pale With Fauxbama? ... I totally don't get why so many outlets are making an issue of this ...
a Hillary Clinton: 'Live from N.Y., it is Saturday night' ... This was a classic.
a 3 a.m. call: President Obama calling Sen. Clinton ... This was classic, too. I know a few people who haven't enjoyed SNL's Clinton-Obama spoofs the last few weeks, but I've loved 'em ...
Music ...
a ‘One Tree Hill’ helps launch Kate Voegele
a Tragedy Knocked Blind Melon Off the Rock Radar 12 Years Ago. But With a New Lead Singer, the Time May Be Ripe for a Comeback.
a Q&A: 'Once' in a Lifetime
Media & the Internet ...
a At Wall Street Journal, Change of Accents
a With parents on Facebook, 'friend' now a relative term
And finally, a cool trivia game about Wheel of Fortune.
Mom & Pops were here for the weekend to help us prepare more for Baby ...
All of today we were finding ourselves surrounded by people who have loved and supported us and played significant parts in our lives, people who have known both of us from the very beginning, some of our closest friends and family members ...
And tonight we had to say good-bye to a dear friend. As Kates' father said in his message, he was "the quintessential Milwaukeean." He was always there with a kind greeting or words of wisdom. He was a devoted baseball fan, too -- As the pallbearers carried away his casket tonight, we sang "Take Me Out To the Ball Game." Kates and I were blessed to have known him.
Here's some of the good reads that caught my attention this week ...
Baseball ...
a Authority assessing face-lift of Wrigley
a Naming rights for sale, but Wrigley can't be bought
a This field by any other name ... Would be risky for would-be corporate sponsors, experts say
a Why Wrigley Field's landmark status should be preserved
a Kenney: More Cubs games on Comcast SportsNet ... and Spanish radio?
a Piniella open to extending stay with Cubs
a Nobody's perfect: Even the best teams have holes to fill this spring
a The big question for Big Papi
a Sox may have (computer) chip on their shoulder
Politics ...
a A little something for the ladies
a A Clinton-Obama ticket?
a John McCain: Consistent on Iraq... ...consistent in folly
a Gary David Goldberg: Just what would Alex Keaton do?
TV & entertainment ...
a Eleanor knockoffs spark a knock-down, drag-out fight
a Did 'SNL' Go Beyond the Pale With Fauxbama? ... I totally don't get why so many outlets are making an issue of this ...
a Hillary Clinton: 'Live from N.Y., it is Saturday night' ... This was a classic.
a 3 a.m. call: President Obama calling Sen. Clinton ... This was classic, too. I know a few people who haven't enjoyed SNL's Clinton-Obama spoofs the last few weeks, but I've loved 'em ...
Music ...
a ‘One Tree Hill’ helps launch Kate Voegele
a Tragedy Knocked Blind Melon Off the Rock Radar 12 Years Ago. But With a New Lead Singer, the Time May Be Ripe for a Comeback.
a Q&A: 'Once' in a Lifetime
Media & the Internet ...
a At Wall Street Journal, Change of Accents
a With parents on Facebook, 'friend' now a relative term
And finally, a cool trivia game about Wheel of Fortune.
3.07.2008
Our night out
Kates and I just returned from a night out ...
A "Mom's Night Out." With comedians, Stephanie Blum, Mary Kennedy and Laurie McDermott.
Great fun. Ha-larious fun. It's a show especially made for moms, but it's a great show for couples too ...
Laurie's Web site has some great videos to give you a taste.
Here's a preview I wrote for the show ...
A "Mom's Night Out." With comedians, Stephanie Blum, Mary Kennedy and Laurie McDermott.
Great fun. Ha-larious fun. It's a show especially made for moms, but it's a great show for couples too ...
Laurie's Web site has some great videos to give you a taste.
Here's a preview I wrote for the show ...
This one’s for all the harried moms out there who are tired of screaming kids, monstrous in-laws and oblivious husbands.
Three up-and-coming standup comics — who hail from Brooklyn, Boston and Chicago — have joined forces to reach an untapped comedy market: moms. And they’re hoping you dump off the kids
(with a babysitter or some equivalent) in exchange for a much-needed break from the chaos. And some laughs, of course.Stephanie Blum, Laurie Mc-Dermott and Mary Kennedy are bringing their “Mom’s Night Out” comedy tour to Kenosha and will appear on Friday, March 7, at Chops on the Lake. The comedians also are
scheduled to perform on March 5 at Zanies in Vernon Hills, Ill., and on March 6 at the Potawatomi Bingo Casino in Milwaukee. All shows are at 8 p.m.“The greatest thing about our comedy is we tell it like it is,” McDermott said. “We tell everything the way that it happened to us, which makes it raw and hysterical. I can’t express how many moms would be sad if they miss our show.”
But dads who have attended the show are giving it rave reviews, too.
“Dads love it because they get to see what the mom’s night out is like,” McDermott added. “You can’t sit down with your husband and say, ‘This is why I’m frustrated. This is why my life is so hard.’ It’s something every mom should bring dads to so they get it.”
“Mom’s Night Out” has been performing shows across the country to audience members who are desperate for entertainment that speaks directly to them. The show has been so popular, it’s currently being groomed for television. Together they are breaking new ground in live comedy, but individually each comic brings a style all her own.
McDermott, a Chicago native known to thousands of fans for her laugh-out-loud “CEO of the House” columns, is a mix between sweet Mary Tyler Moore and manipulative Eva Longoria. McDermott can deliver lines that are sweet and clean one moment and unobtrusively naughty the next.
One of her flaws, she admits, is that she talks about death a lot. “Like if my husband cheats on me, I will kill him,” she quips. “I never noticed that I do that. It’s reality. It’s funny if you twist it the right way.”
But McDermott, who claims to be a mother of four kids — a 7-year-old, a 3-year-old, a 4-month-old and her 37-yearold husband — also argues life is too short not to fill the time with humor. If you can find
humor in the most stressful times, she says, you become a better person.
“You have to remember in the year 2068, I’m not going to be here anymore. I’ll be 100 years old and I guarantee you I will be dead. Life is short and I’ll have a good time while I’m here because it’s going to be over.”
Stephanie Blum, a Brooklyn native, takes on an apathetic “mom next door” role with a style of humor that’s sarcastic and irreverent.
A former school psychologist, she won New York’s Funniest Teacher contest and became addicted to writing and performing comedy. Eventually she was commissioned as a contributor to two national publications, Child Magazine and Parents Magazine, while her new show, “When I Cough I Wet Myself,” is being hailed as “a moving self-portrait of a woman caught up in hilarious and excruciating life circumstances beyond her control.”
“I base a lot of it on family, coming from truth with a little embellishment — but a lot of times not,” says Blum, who’s been married for 11 years and has an 8-year-old boy and a 2-year-old girl.
Recently, Blum and her husband were trying to decide whether they wanted to have another child — with the fl ip of a coin, of course, because that’s the way life-changing decisions are made in her household.
“People think that’s insane, they say ‘I ask God,’ ” Blum said. “And I say, ‘Well who do you think decided on the coin?’ ”
Blum’s comedy also pokes fun at her parents, who have been married 50 years (“I asked my mom what was the secret and she said ‘Never go to bed angry.’ And then she’s like ‘I haven’t slept in 50 years.’ ”) and her struggles to lose weight (“One of the things I tried is bulimia, but I can’t be bulimic because I procrastinate, so I just think I’m going to throw up tomorrow.”).
“It’s amazing to do something that creates laughter and makes people feel good,” Blum said. “A lot of times like with Oprah, you see these shows where they’re like ‘It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me! Not a moment goes by that I don’t feel blessed!’ but there are times you want to kill your kids and run out of the house and scream.”
Kennedy, a Boston native, can be seen on television’s “ER” as recurring character Officer Trudy Lange. She also has been featured on Comedy Central, VH1, Spike TV and the USA Network, and in dozens of prominent comedy clubs across the country.
But her biggest claim to fame might be her family tree. She’s a second cousin to those more famous Kennedys.
“I’m the Kmart Kennedy because I come from the poor side of it,” she said, before delving into stories of her teenage years on the road with her musician mother, who also was Irish Catholic, and her band, The Moodswings.
“I definitely draw from my mother,” Kennedy said. “She tells you the way it is. The comedy about my mother writes itself. My mother’s idea of a family outing was a pub crawl across Ireland.”
And her dad joined the NRA: “He’s the only Republican in the Kennedy family,” she says.
For everyone involved, the moms say, the show is about laughing at some of the things that we sometimes take too seriously.
“Everybody needs to laugh,” McDermott said. “I guarantee what we talk about in the show people will be talking about for years to come. We’re a reference point. And a lot of moms, they don’t go out, but it’s like, ‘Hello! Sometimes you need a few girls to gather with.’ ”
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