Who's your cousin?

I don't know why, but lately I haven't been able to summon any creative musings to blog about. You could say that my creative process has been all "blogged" up. And everyone knows that the 53rd rule of blogging is: "when confronted by "blogger's block" look for inspiration on another blog." Done.

In this case I take my cue from the The Swamp. This is the Chicago Tribune's "Washington Bureau" weblog which mostly has posts relating to the much talked about Presidential race between Hillary Clinton, Barrack Obama and John McCain. In this post, Frank James talks about a recent AP article in which Chris Child, a genealogist for the New England Historic Genealogical Society has spent three years tracking down the distant relatives of our Presidential Candidates. Yes, I am writing a post about a post about an article. The Internet RULES!!

So apparently Obama is 10th cousins with George Bush. McCain is 6th cousin with Laura Bush. Hillary is distant cousin of Camilla Parker-Bowles. I have one pressing thought about this: Who cares? I do find entertainment value that Obama and Brad Pitt are distant relatives, but that's about as far as it goes.

My first thought was, "Man. I wonder who I'm related to?" My second thought was, "Would it matter?" The answer to that is no. Say I pay someone to do this and I find out that I'm 7th cousins with Donald Trump, do you think I'll be invited to do whatever it is his daughter does on the Apprentice? Probably not.

I understand the novelty interest in Genealogy, but I'm not sure of it's practicality. I have been told that I am 50% Irish. And though it hasn't stopped me from celebrating St. Patrick's Day, I don't feel Irish. I feel American and showing me that the majority of my family tree ends up back in the Emerald Isle doesn't really help. I've been to Ireland twice and neither time I showed my passport were they like, "Aww, welcome home there lad." In fact they said, "How long are you going to stay . . .why are you here . . . what's in your bags?" The only thing that would peak my interest would be a strong genealogical connection to anything Guinness. Even Alec.

So maybe some of you can inform me why I should care about where I came from besides a possible distant relationship with the likes of someone famous? Say Brent Musburger?

The Greatest Show on TV?

It has been well documented that HBO's debut of The Sopranos in 1999 was the beginning of a fresh new business model for cable television. Stations like HBO had depended on the logic that people would pay to see content in which they very rarely had a hand in producing.

Sure, people subscribed to HBO to see good movies, bad movies, boxing, etc., but there was not much room for growth. Then someone had a really good idea. Invest a lot of money in the production of their own shows. Good actors, good writers, good directors, good producers. And being on HBO, the shows can play well outside the friendly boundaries of network TV.

Truth be told, The Sopranos wasn't HBO's first show of this ilk, it was just the most popular. Oz debuted in 1997. Talk about pushing the limits. Yikes. You wanna scare kids straight? Make them watch Oz. Since then a number of shows in this model: Sex and the City, The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Da Ali G Show, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Deadwood, Entourage, Big Love, Rome, Flight of the Concords, and more. Not all were award-worthy, but the quality of programming was much better than you'd find on any other station. And I haven't even mentioned the best one.

The Wire debuted in 2002 and this past Sunday aired the last episode of its 5th and final season. The main focus of the show is the ongoing war on drugs in the city of Baltimore. Characters of every rank on both sides of the law are well-developed; from the hoppers on the corner to the drug kingpins, from the cops working the beat to the Mayor.

The show is produced and mostly written by David Simon, a long-time Baltimore police reporter (who also wrote and produced "The Corner", a docu-drama that appeared on HBO in 2000). Simon knows personalities and hard truths of the city very well, and it shows in his work. He has even casted non-actor natives of the city for smaller roles in the show.

One of the more unique qualities of the show is its focus in each season on a different storyline of the city. The first season focused on drug trade. The second on the ports. The third on the mayoral politics. The fourth on education, and the fifth on the newspaper. This design has allowed new characters to be ushered in and out of the story each season, while still maintaining the large and incredibly talented ensemble that make up the core of the cast.

Another trait that stands out about the show is that its quality never diminished with each new season, as is the case with many dramas. In fact, the 4th season of the The Wire was the greatest season of television I have ever watched. I remember reflecting during the middle of the season that there had not been one klunker or filler episode. Every one had me glued to the TV and having to snap out of the context of the show when it ended. That is an incredibly high standard that many of my other favorite shows, including The Sopranos and Lost, haven't accomplished.

As you may have noticed, I can't give the show enough praise. The writing, acting, directing and producing are all top shelf. So I recommend the next time you want to rent a movie, you pick up the first disc of the first season of The Wire. Now, I've totally set you up for disappointment. You won't watch the first few episodes and have the same opinion I do now. But if you like the first disc, keep watching. It only gets better.

They Sure Du Bai

With one of the fastest growing GDP's in the world - "Singapore on Steroids" as a friend of mine labeled it - the United Arab Emirates knows how to spend their money. The capital, Abu Dhabi, is nothing to yawn at, but Dubai is no doubt the country's jewel.

Check out this amazing photo layout of the development in Dubai. Granted, some of them are artistic renderings of what's to come, but given what already exists I don't think the drawings of what's to come are exaggerations.

Some of the more interesting points:

• Dubai is said to have 15-25% of the world's cranes.
• Dubai is currently constructing what will be the world's tallest building (by 40%). And also another building that will be 30% taller than that. Imagine how pissed you'd be if you lived on the top floor and realized you forgot your phone in your car. I guess you'd just have to use your phone machine to make you a new one.
  
• Dubai has more construction workers than citizens.
• Dubai dumped Halle Berry and doesn't return her phone calls.
• Chickens in Dubai lay golden eggs, and they are served at Denny's.

• Denny's in Dubai are called al-Denny's.
• Dubai is building the largest mall in the world. It will be dubbed "The Mall of American Money".
• Dubai can see Jacob.
  
• You may also be curious about the weather in Dubai. Guess what, it's sunny.

Lastly, a couple months ago Coovo told me that his sister was going to Dubai. I told him that was crazy - if girls get kidnapped in Jamaica what did he think would happen in Dubai? Then Coovo reminded me that she wasn't going to Kabul, and she was going with a group from work. I told Coovo to have her bring back one of those golden eggs. Mmm-mmm.

Broken Promises, Exercise and Iran

I promised a post about Google Reader this weekend. I didn't do it. I won't bother making excuses, since I don't think I really upset anyone. But I will do it soon. Promise.

So since I randomly titled this post "Broken Promises, Exercise and Iran", I should probably find some suitable content for the latter two.

I recently purchased a pretty simple exercise tool called the Spri Xertube. I know what you're thinking - it's a remake of a popular '80's gimmick that your dad and that you tried a couple times but gave up because it pinched you. Seriously, that was annoying. Fortunately in the last 20 years, a non-pinching material has been invented - rubber.


No, it's not as effective as weights, has no Chuck Norris endorsement, and it won't land you a date with Andi (Andi!!!!! YOU GOONIE!!!-GOONie!!-Goonie!-goonie...). But it costs $13, can be purchased in varying degrees of resistance, and can effectively work just about every muscle in your body. No joke - the website has video demonstrations of multiple different exercises that can be done with the Xertube. And since it's essentially the size of a jump rope, it's a lot easier to travel with than a dumbbell set.

Moving on to Iran...

Around 6 months ago, a U.S. intelligence report concluded that Iran had ended development of its nuclear weapons program in 2003. This calmed the nerves of many citizens fraught with the possibility that the U.S. would engage Iran in acts of war.

However, the BBC reports that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has information that suggests the weapons program may not have been curtailed. I won't take the time/space go into my thoughts on Iran's nuclear ambitions, but the article did spur the following quick reactions:

• Does the fact that this information is NOT coming from the U.S. (apparently, although the article didn't mention the specifics of the "multiple sources") make it more credible?
• What does this say about the reliability of U.S. intelligence?
• How happy is the McCain campaign? I won't go so far as to say that John McCain wants a nuclear Iran, but there are plenty of people who look at this as an "Every silver lining has a cloud" type of "problem".
  

Weekly Podcasts for the Podcast Binge Listener

Last November I began a three part series about my addiction to podcasts. That post covered my favorite daily podcasts. This is the second installment in the series and will cover my favorite weekly podcasts. The final chapter will cover podcasts of varying frequency.

In the first installment, I might have left out some of the selling points of podcasts, so here's a brief outline:

• Podcasts are free.
• Podcasts allow you to listen to what you want when you want. No need for the TV Guide or PreviewChannel.
• Podcasts allow you to fast-forward or rewind. Listen to what you like, skip what you don't.
  
• No matter what your interests, there are almost certainly podcasts that cover them.

Remember when you got your first cell phone, or your first DVR, and you had this epiphany where you realized you had no idea how you'd gone that long without it? I've had the same experience with podcasts. Whether is driving to/from work, running errands, doing chores around the house, talking to my boss, walking the dog, walking to the cafeteria for lunch... I now fill these mostly forgettable parts of my day by educating/entertaining myself.

As I mentioned in the top of this post, this post focuses on my favorite weekly podcasts, so here they are (in no particular order):

The Economist: You've probably heard of the magazine, and if you've ever read it you know the value of its content. I can't find a direct link to the podcast page, but if you search for "the economist" in iTunes it should be easily identifiable in the podcast results. Calling the frequency of this podcast "weekly" is a bit of a misnomer, as subscribing to this one feed actually gives you three separate weekly Economist podcasts. The three podcasts are: "From the Paper", a review of a few of the top articles in the magazine that week, "The World Next Week", a discussion of the events to come, and "Democracy in America", a discussion of the 2008 election. They are all well worth the listen, each episode 10-15 minutes in length.

Lostcasts: For the fan of LOST who can 't get enough of the show but doesn't have the time or will to navigate the plethora of "they're in a separate universe on the tip of Donald Sutherland's fingernail" theories, the tagline of this podcast is "We search the forums so you don't have to." It's essentially three dudes who get together a few days after each new episode and discuss the discussions about LOST. Each episode is about 60 minutes. To someone who doesn't watch LOST, that probably sounds like counting sheep. But if you're a big fan of the show, not only will you enjoy the podcast but you'll probably enjoy the show even more, as you'll catch some of the less obvious references and patterns that the podcast clues you in on.

Slate's Political Gabfest: You may know slate.com as a popular online magazine run out of D.C. focusing on news, politics and culture. Each week, three bright minds get together to discuss and argue about the week's biggest political news. They move at a quick pace, and they offer both objective and opinionated views. 30 minutes in length, and I look forward to it every Friday.

The NYTimes World View: Also delivered every Friday, this 10 minute podcast covers a story from one of the many international correspondents for the Times. Quick and informative. While news is often covered 10 times over by multiple publications, but this podcast usually produces fresh content, or at least a fresh take.

T.W.i.T (This Week in Tech): A weekly discussion of what's moving in the world of technology. 60 minutes with renowned tech pundits Leo Laporte, John C. Dvorak and others. A show for geeks, by geeks.

There are plenty other podcasts to which I listen. If you're interested in a specific category, I'd be happy to help you find something to your liking.

Rosin bags and facemasks

When you woke up today (if you're awake yet) did you have a little more energy than usual? Did you have a hop in your step seemingly unexplained? When you threw away the coffee filter, did you look over your shoulder to check the runner at first? I did.

This can all be explained by the phenomenon we call "Pitchers and Catchers". It is derived from the custom of having Major League Baseball pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training around a week earlier than the rest of the team. And for 8 teams, including the Cubs, today is that day. The Cardinals report tomorrow. Here's a list of major league team report dates. The last teams to report: The Marlins and the Twins on the 17th. You think they're trying to save money.

It's kind of ironic that it will no doubt be over shadowed by the Congressional hearings in DC about steroids or rather performance enhancing drugs. And did anyone hear or read about John Rocker? Oi vey. This guy will do anything he can to get himself in the news and then complain about that everyone gives him grief. A quote: "I've taken a lot of crap from a lot of people. Probably more than anybody in the history of this sport. I know Hank [Aaron] and Jackie [Robinson] took a good deal of crap, but I guarantee it wasn't for six years. I just keep thinking: How much more am I supposed to take?"

When searching for a news story for Mr. Rocker, I found his website. Yes, his website. It's kind of funny but mostly it does everything to confirm he's an egotistically driven racist. Example: Under the link "rocker gear" the only things you can buy are a bumper sticker and T-shirt that say "Speak English." And it contains a formal statement about his steroid use, because I guess he couldn't control his big yapper. For me it evokes the expression, don't go away mad, just go away.

And speaking of away, that's exactly where the Cubs will start their Spring schedule. Feb. 28 at San Fran. Get out your eye black and get ready for a long season.

Suburban Senselessness

The close approximation of the The Loop and The Lou (the cities, not the blog) has inevitably formed a relationship between the two cities. Whether it be through the Cubs and Cardinals or Imo's and Gino's East or the teams formerly known as the Blues and the Blackhawks.

But I wake up today to to find another a new relationship: Inexplicable loss. Two of the three metro areas that I have called home, have been hit by senseless murder within the past week. A robbery in Tinley Park, IL last Saturday and a suprise attack on a civic meeting in Kirkwood, MO last night, both claimed 5 innocent lives. Two of our (Roller and I) closest friends from high school reside with their families, in Kirkwood. Three women I worked with for the past three football seasons live in Tinley Park. Thankfully, I recognized no last names among those who were killed, but I'm sure that brings little solace to the people who did.

We call it entertainment when this happens on TV and Briscoe and Green are dutifully tracking the case. But we call it horror if you happen to go shopping on a Saturday or participate in the civic process on Thursday. We call it terrorism when someone from another country does this. But we doing enough to protect ourselves from our own terrorists?

TATL sends out its thoughts and prayers to both towns and all the friends and families affected by these acts.