Hey, everyone, sorry I'm a little slack on the updates. I'm working six-day work weeks for a couple more weeks. But I wanted to share what I'm killing time with while I'm between breaking news scripts. It's free to sign up for the online version of You Don't Know Jack, quite possibly one of the greatest quiz games on the planet. It has everything...a wiseass announcer/host, clever mindbending questions with ties to pop culture, and the popular JACK ATTACK bonus round. Don't have the time for a full game (only about 10-15 minutes)? Try the episodic DisOrDat, a seven-question "pick 'a' or 'b'" lightning round that lasts about 30 seconds and is updated everyday (unlike SOME websites...I'm looking in YOUR direction, Thinking Hard With Andy & Blaine...wait a second...). Register your name (again, I repeat, it's FREE) and track your scores compared to other Jack fans. Believe me, one round of this and you will understand why I enjoy it so much. Almost better than quiz night at your local pub. Hell, pop open a beer, invite a couple of friends over and it IS quiz night at your local pub.
Meantime, I hope to post a new blog soon. Keep checking back and I'll put a link to Jack Online on the right-hand margin.
-B-
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Like a Jew at Christmas...
...I feel left out because I'm single on Valentine's Day. And I'm growing comfortable in the idea that I may have CHOSEN the single lifestyle.
I've been watching some of TLC's new show, "My First Home." Great show! As the title implies, it's about dogs who take care of fish... Anyway, the show does a documentary-style follow-around of families and single people who are buying their first homes. One episode followed a 22-year-old dental assistant in Vegas as she bought her first home. Valley Girl bought a $170k home, then decided to go shopping. GOD, I miss the days where I was oblivious to a budget. And by "the days," I mean "last week."
Anyway, the show does a great job of showing what a long, drawn-out, pretty much DAUNTING process it is to buy a new house. Who knew? (except for my good friend Kerri Richardson...who ROCKS OUT her 2-bedroom, 2-bath) It's something that seems simple...find a house, get a loan, put down an offer, move in, host evening of debauchery...but it's obviously not. It's a process that takes a lot of time, energy...and patience. Now, the payoff in the long run is you have a home that you might settle down for decades in, or you might only spend a year or two there and move on to something better somewhere else. So, here's my analogy...
Buying a home is like finding someone with whom to spend your free time. You're always looking for something that looks nice on the inside and the outside that requires little upkeep. Maybe the occasional trim on the front lawn and deciding whether to match the carpet and drapes. Something you don't want to put a lot of money into, but at the end of the day, something you WANT to come home to and relax with. (yes, I'm ending my sentences with prepositions...sue me)
But it's not an easy or quick thing to accomplish. You look at a LOT of "homes," spend some time with them, get comfortable...decide if you can really see yourself with it. And there's always going to be disappointment. Maybe your loan falls through, maybe someone else snatches up the home before you can...maybe you just don't see anything you like for a while.
The people on "My First Home" get a camera to do a little video diary through the homebuying process. They're excited, they're frustrated, they're ready to throw in the towel, they're excited again, etc. Same thing with dating. And let me tell you...buying a home (and I really do mean "buying a home" here) seems daunting, almost like a chore, and I'm not really looking forward to it. Strangely enough, I kind of feel that way about dating. Looking at all the homes (read: "women") out there is fun and it's nice to picture myself with them, but I realize I need to get my finances (read: "life") in order before I think about buying a home, and at 30, still moving around the nation for my career, I think I'll buy a home (read: "buy a home") before I buy a home (read: "date").
But who knows what's around the corner? Could be a "Dead End" or it could be a road that's "Slippery When Wet"...wait, that didn't come out right...
Bottom line, whether you're single this Thursday or whether you're part of a couple (or trio...whatever you're into), loathe or enjoy Valentine's day, but remember it's only one day in a long series of chapters of the book of life you're writing.
Hey, it's Valentine's Day...I can be a little sappy. Suck it.
-B-
I've been watching some of TLC's new show, "My First Home." Great show! As the title implies, it's about dogs who take care of fish... Anyway, the show does a documentary-style follow-around of families and single people who are buying their first homes. One episode followed a 22-year-old dental assistant in Vegas as she bought her first home. Valley Girl bought a $170k home, then decided to go shopping. GOD, I miss the days where I was oblivious to a budget. And by "the days," I mean "last week."
Anyway, the show does a great job of showing what a long, drawn-out, pretty much DAUNTING process it is to buy a new house. Who knew? (except for my good friend Kerri Richardson...who ROCKS OUT her 2-bedroom, 2-bath) It's something that seems simple...find a house, get a loan, put down an offer, move in, host evening of debauchery...but it's obviously not. It's a process that takes a lot of time, energy...and patience. Now, the payoff in the long run is you have a home that you might settle down for decades in, or you might only spend a year or two there and move on to something better somewhere else. So, here's my analogy...
Buying a home is like finding someone with whom to spend your free time. You're always looking for something that looks nice on the inside and the outside that requires little upkeep. Maybe the occasional trim on the front lawn and deciding whether to match the carpet and drapes. Something you don't want to put a lot of money into, but at the end of the day, something you WANT to come home to and relax with. (yes, I'm ending my sentences with prepositions...sue me)
But it's not an easy or quick thing to accomplish. You look at a LOT of "homes," spend some time with them, get comfortable...decide if you can really see yourself with it. And there's always going to be disappointment. Maybe your loan falls through, maybe someone else snatches up the home before you can...maybe you just don't see anything you like for a while.
The people on "My First Home" get a camera to do a little video diary through the homebuying process. They're excited, they're frustrated, they're ready to throw in the towel, they're excited again, etc. Same thing with dating. And let me tell you...buying a home (and I really do mean "buying a home" here) seems daunting, almost like a chore, and I'm not really looking forward to it. Strangely enough, I kind of feel that way about dating. Looking at all the homes (read: "women") out there is fun and it's nice to picture myself with them, but I realize I need to get my finances (read: "life") in order before I think about buying a home, and at 30, still moving around the nation for my career, I think I'll buy a home (read: "buy a home") before I buy a home (read: "date").
But who knows what's around the corner? Could be a "Dead End" or it could be a road that's "Slippery When Wet"...wait, that didn't come out right...
Bottom line, whether you're single this Thursday or whether you're part of a couple (or trio...whatever you're into), loathe or enjoy Valentine's day, but remember it's only one day in a long series of chapters of the book of life you're writing.
Hey, it's Valentine's Day...I can be a little sappy. Suck it.
-B-
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Hot, Sweaty democracy
Over the past week I've done a lot of sweating for Barack Obama.
Get your mind out of the gutter.
There was no volunteering involved, no phone calls or putting up street signs. Just plain perspiration to see the next (hopefully) POTUS.
The Obama/Clinton race is THE story of the 2008 election. It doesn't matter if you are Democrat or Republican you can't deny the power and closeness of this race.
Last Saturday my friends and I went to see Barack Obama give his stump speech at the Target Center in downtown Minneapolis.
We got there at 1, doors opened at 1:30, we sweated it out in the skyways until we got in the Arena at 3, Mr. Obama took the stage at 4.
In front of 20,000 partisan fans Obama whipped everyone up. It's amazing to see that many stoic, Nordic Minnesotans get excited for anything. Young, old, black, white whatever everyone was cheering and popping up and down from their seats.
Surprisingly his largest applause lines were education and restoring habeas corpus.
People are obviously much smarter than I am. This is the closest thing I'll ever come to a national convention nominating speech.
My reasons for going were purely historic. How often do you get to see a presidential candidate, even from a perch high atop section 219? After the event though he had won me over. He said all the right things.
Think about this, who else in the world could drag thousands of people out on a cold Minnesota winter afternoon to sit around to listen to a speech? No lights (except for the flash bulbs), not a firework, no touchdowns or slam dunks just talk. The pope? Dali Lama? Madonna?
After being sold on Hope, Tuesday was caucus day. I showed up at my local High School to support Obama.
There was a line to park, a line to find out where your precinct caucused then you entered the true caucus chaos. Hundreds of folks, old people, teens, moms with kids were crammed into a high school hall way. Democracy at its sweatiest. When I finally made it to my precinct, I realized I was at the wrong room. No matter, I was just there to vote for president.
This still astounds me. In this day of dimpled chads, compromised voting machines, and provisional ballots I wrote my candidate of choice on a scrap of paper and stuffed it in a shoe box. No joke. Just like the 6th grade election.
While I'm the first to admit I'm a little biased towards Obama, it great record numbers on both sides are showing up to the polls.
Makes you think EVERYONE wants a little change.
Get your mind out of the gutter.
There was no volunteering involved, no phone calls or putting up street signs. Just plain perspiration to see the next (hopefully) POTUS.
The Obama/Clinton race is THE story of the 2008 election. It doesn't matter if you are Democrat or Republican you can't deny the power and closeness of this race.
Last Saturday my friends and I went to see Barack Obama give his stump speech at the Target Center in downtown Minneapolis.
We got there at 1, doors opened at 1:30, we sweated it out in the skyways until we got in the Arena at 3, Mr. Obama took the stage at 4.
In front of 20,000 partisan fans Obama whipped everyone up. It's amazing to see that many stoic, Nordic Minnesotans get excited for anything. Young, old, black, white whatever everyone was cheering and popping up and down from their seats.
Surprisingly his largest applause lines were education and restoring habeas corpus.
People are obviously much smarter than I am. This is the closest thing I'll ever come to a national convention nominating speech.
My reasons for going were purely historic. How often do you get to see a presidential candidate, even from a perch high atop section 219? After the event though he had won me over. He said all the right things.
Think about this, who else in the world could drag thousands of people out on a cold Minnesota winter afternoon to sit around to listen to a speech? No lights (except for the flash bulbs), not a firework, no touchdowns or slam dunks just talk. The pope? Dali Lama? Madonna?
After being sold on Hope, Tuesday was caucus day. I showed up at my local High School to support Obama.
There was a line to park, a line to find out where your precinct caucused then you entered the true caucus chaos. Hundreds of folks, old people, teens, moms with kids were crammed into a high school hall way. Democracy at its sweatiest. When I finally made it to my precinct, I realized I was at the wrong room. No matter, I was just there to vote for president.
This still astounds me. In this day of dimpled chads, compromised voting machines, and provisional ballots I wrote my candidate of choice on a scrap of paper and stuffed it in a shoe box. No joke. Just like the 6th grade election.
While I'm the first to admit I'm a little biased towards Obama, it great record numbers on both sides are showing up to the polls.
Makes you think EVERYONE wants a little change.
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