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July 10th, 2009
12:12 am - Sugar Rush
I'm not sure I have a favorite food, but it's been suggested to me by multiple people that it appears, based on levels of consumption, that my favorite food is ice cream. I'm usually interested in trying whatever crazy new ice cream treat local places have unveiled and are advertising widely; as such, I was curious about the Sonic Chiller. Sonic describes it as follows:
"We took our refreshing Cherry Limeade, blended it with creamy vanilla soft serve and finished it off with whipped topping, a fresh lime wedge and a cherry."
I like soft serve ice cream. I like a cherry limeade. You're theoretically not limited to cherry when it comes to the Chiller, although I can't say I've seen anyone ever order an apple or cranberry limeade in general let alone in dessert form. Regardless, my review is as follows: if you're up for a beverage that tastes like a melted Dreamsicle, this is the dessert for you. I like Dreamsicles, but even the medium Chiller feels like the equivalent of eating about three Dreamsicles in a row. In other words, prep yourself for an overload of sweetness. It's a bit much.
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July 7th, 2009
06:50 pm - Thumbs Up
I like the "Like" function they've added to Facebook over the past few months; it's an easy way to send a signal without having to come up with something interesting to say. That said, I'm confused by how people use it. For example, as of the time I'm writing this, 72 people like a message from the Cubs about how Ryan Dempster is headed to the disabled list with a broken toe. I guess some of these people just automatically like any communication they get from the Cubs. Maybe some of them liked the humor in the reporting of the story (there's some joking on the part of Dempster and Derrek Lee involved). Still: it strikes me as odd.
That said: I'm willing to admit I almost clicked "like" when the Cubs sent out the message about Neal Cotts having arm surgery. That guy is useless.
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June 1st, 2009
10:42 pm - Grade Inflation
While on my flight today from Dallas to College Station, I read a copy of American Way, the American Airlines magazine. Oddly enough, it was the May 1 edition, but that's beside the point. Inside was this short story about the end of MadTV. I haven't read much about MadTV's departure in the mainstream media, which is interesting given how long the show was on. That said, I was a little surprised at how fawning this single story I've read was about MadTV's run; in particular, this quote leapt out at me:
"MadTV has been the steady counterpart to SNL’s long-ball hitters, the Tony Gwynn to SNL’s Mark McGwire."
Seriously? I get the Mark McGwire end of the comparison; sometimes SNL hits homers, sometimes it strikes out again and again. The other end of the comparison is kind of insulting to Gwynn and an overstatement of whatever mark MadTV has left on the television landscape. Steady doesn't necessarily mean excellent. Tony Gwynn was excellent. For some reason, I'm thinking MadTV is more like Devon White: occasionally successful (several Gold Gloves, a few All Star appearances), but mostly forgotten in the long run compared to the elite. That comparison might be undervaluing White and overvaluing MadTV too though.
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May 4th, 2009
09:27 pm - Old Days
If you're a sports fan and you've never visited Straight Cash Homey, you owe it to yourself to take a look. It's a website that posts reader-submitted photos of people wearing obscure jerseys or t-shirts. I was reminded of it late last week while walking across campus, where I saw someone wearing an old Cubs shirt that had "Sosa 21" on the back.
Seeing that shirt made me laugh, as have moments in the past few weeks where I've seen 1) people wearing t-shirts commemorating Texas A&M's trip to the 2005 NIT, and 2) people wearing t-shirts that say "BTHO Hurricane Ike" (for those unaware of A&M vernacular, "BTHO" stands for "beat the hell outta" and is used in various yells). Since we went to the NIT, we've been to the NCAAs four straight years. We also did a pretty good job getting ready for and helping people after the hurricane. Maybe these shirts shouldn't be out and about on a sunny afternoon.
My rule of thumb is that I'll wear a t-shirt for a while, then transition it into the pile of acceptable to work out in, and then it will head into the trash bin. Sometimes this path gets short circuited; for example, once the Cubs' experiment with Nomar was over, the "Garciaparra 5" t-shirt went away just as quickly as the shortstop did. I wonder if other people have t-shirt statutes of limitation like I do.
That said, I still occasionally wear a polo shirt I bought back in early 1998. Somehow it has withstood time and washing machines.
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May 2nd, 2009
03:21 pm - Location, Location, Location
There's a shopping center in the middle of College Station that has a Target, an Old Navy, a Chase Bank, and a Jimmy John's. These are all businesses that I frequent on a semi-regular basis. For a long time, these were the only locations of these businesses in the area. This is, however, quite possibly one of the most difficult shopping centers to access that I've ever seen. One of the cross streets is three lanes on each side and, after years of being under construction, is finally wide open. The other cross street is one lane on each side and is constantly backed up. Also, someone decided that this cross street should be at a diagonal. Also, someone decided not to make the intersection big enough to allow simultaneous left turns. So the bottom line was that I'd have to be strategic about when I visited the area or else I'd get stuck with an extra ten minutes or so of annoying traffic. Forget about making the trip around 5 PM. We joke about how a school that produces so many engineers can exist in a city that is so poorly designed.
Things have started to change though. We have a new Target. They're building a new Chase Bank a few minutes from my apartment. There's a rumor about a second Jimmy John's. In other words, things are getting better in time for me to leave (and not just in terms of the number of times I have to visit the poorly accessible shopping center). I've liked watching this area change though in my time here. People often talk negatively about College Station (and about Texas generally), but I've found it pretty pleasant (and I've seen the quality of life here improve). It's become home, and it's going to be odd to move onward in about three months.
That's the end of the wistful talk. Onward to the important stuff: I'm taking Friesan Fire in the Kentucky Derby today. He had been my second choice before I Want Revenge was scratched, so I'll bump him up. As far as a trifecta goes, we'll add Desert Party and Dunkirk.
Edited to add: WORST PICK EVER. It's been a long time since I've seen a pick of mine just completely fade within about five seconds.
Edited again to add: looks like Friesan Fire had a good excuse when it comes to the fade around the final turn.
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April 13th, 2009
07:29 pm - A Little Off The Top
I'm on the mailing list for Fox and Hound, a bar here and, as their website illustrates, in many, many other locations. Sometimes, being on this list pays off. Last summer, I won a free appetizer party, which made for a great gathering for the Champions League final. Today though, it has me scratching my head a bit.
They just sent me an invitation to their "Tax Day Stimulus Party." They're having a DJ and specials on shots, and they're also having a costume contest that invites individuals to "come dressed as your favorite President or Tax office worker." I guess it's easy to envision a presidential costume (which probably means lots of stovepipe hats), but how exactly does one dress like a tax office worker? Is it just some sort of nerd costume?
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March 22nd, 2009
01:27 am - Catch and Release
McDonald's has decided that it's time for the world to become reacquainted with the Filet-O-Fish. I'm guessing that the timing has something to do with Lent and meatless Fridays and such. They've been running this commercial, which makes no sense but, like many dumb advertisements, utilizes an annoyingly catchy tune as its foundation. I've caught myself singing it at random points throughout my day.
I don't frequent McDonald's all that often (usually only when in airports these days, with an occasional stop for an ice cream cone or a giant Diet Coke), and I am pretty sure I hadn't had a Filet-O-Fish in over a decade...until yesterday. Usually, I go with the Big Mac. It's dependable. However, the advertisement worked enough to get me to try the sandwich again. It was just as mediocre as I remember it.
In addition, I got into a bit of a back and forth with the cashier when he quoted me a price of $6.50 for the meal (which was listed at $5.00). I was pretty sure that the city of Bryan did not have a 30+% food tax. Turns out, he had charged me for the "Double Filet-O-Fish," which I'm sure is twice as mediocre as the original.
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March 21st, 2009
07:12 pm - Balancing Acts
There was an AP article written today with a headline reads "Obama pursues agenda despite bonus brouhaha." This might be the first article I've read (outside of one detailing a baseball fight) that uses the word "brouhaha," but it's the latest in a string of articles that seems to think it's newsworthy that the President is trying to solve many problems at the same time. I've been entertained these stories asking if President Obama is too ambitious in trying to get several things accomplished simultaneously or is trying to do too much too soon.
Newsflash: presidents, regardless of conditions, always try to do as much as possible as quickly as possible. Sometimes they are effective at doing this, sometimes they are not. These articles seem to feign surprise at the fact that there are actions being taken that are not related to budgets or bailouts or bonuses. As much as the economy is a problem right now, he wasn't elected to be President of the Economy. In addition, we know (based on research) that presidents need to try to get as much done as early as possible during this "honeymoon" period (they may have a window of two years at the most before they need to start thinking about re-election, and that window is compromised by the fact that people in their party are running for re-election in 2010) lest they lose an opportunity to use the political capital elections can give them.
Bottom line: journalists should pay a little more attention to political scientists. It will never happen, but I can dream.
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February 28th, 2009
09:56 pm - And Away They Go
Readers of this blog know that I have an appreciation for horse racing. I follow the Triple Crown and a lot of the races leading up to the Derby, Preakness, and Belmont. I can sit around on a Saturday afternoon and watch whatever random races ESPN feels like showing. When I'm back in Chicago in the summer, I try to make it out to Arlington. It's one of those odd sporting fandoms that I can't explain.
It's natural then that I'm really enjoying Jockeys, a reality show on Animal Planet that follows 6-7 jockeys as they race at Santa Anita and as they live their lives (training and such). If you're looking for some insight into the industry, it's worth checking out.
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February 19th, 2009
11:39 am - Thumbs Up
Now and then, I like to point people in the direction of what I'm reading and watching (and, as such, what I think you should be reading and watching). Usually, this means me telling you to watch this show (or, more recently, listen to this podcast). Today, it's me telling you to read Roger Ebert's Journal.
Given that we're almost ten years removed from the death of Gene Siskel, a good place for new readers to start might be the tribute he recently posted. If I were to point you to one other oddly compelling piece, I'd recommend his ode to Steak n' Shake. I've been to Steak n' Shake before and have thought the food was good (although I always seem to have mediocre service), but after reading this piece, I kind of have a hankering to make a burger run there the next time I'm back in Streamwood.
I've always been a fan of Ebert's reviews (although sometimes I wonder where he's coming from), but his journal gives him the opportunity to expound on all sorts of random topics. He's not constricted by the normal parameters of newspaper columns here, so he gets to write about what he wants for as long as he wants.
It's nice to know that, despite all the health troubles Ebert has experienced over the past few years, he hasn't been silenced. In fact, he just might be better than ever.
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January 30th, 2009
03:33 pm - Party Time, Excellent
We're two days from the Super Bowl (or "the big game" as retailers who aren't legally allowed to call it the Super Bowl sometimes call it) and I don't have plans yet. Being a fan of nostalgia, I started thinking back to past Super Bowl gatherings I've been to. Being a fan of obsessing about remembering where I was when specific things happened, I tried to remember where I was for every Super Bowl I've watched over the past decade or so. Here's what I've pieced together:
2008: Giants/Patriots at Rossbach's house in Bryan, TX
2007: Bears/Colts at Jesse's house in College Station, TX
2006: Seahawks/Steelers at Jesse's house in College Station, TX
2005: Eagles/Patriots at Rossbach's apartment in Bryan, TX
2004: Panthers/Patriots at Brad's condo in College Station, TX
2003: Buccaneers/Raiders at a movie theatre in St. Charles, IL
2002: Rams/Patriots at a planetarium in Champaign, IL
2001: Giants/Ravens at North Mid-Quads in Evanston, IL
2000: Rams/Titans at North Mid-Quads in Evanston, IL
1999: Falcons/Broncos at North Mid-Quads in Evanston, IL
1998: Packers/Broncos at undetermined location (I know I watched this game, but I have no memory of watching it at Foster Walker)
1997: Packers/Patriots at undetermined location (again, I watched this, but I don't know where...for some reason I think it might have been Noah's house)
1996: Cowboys/Steelers at Eric's house in Streamwood, IL
1995: 49ers/Chargers at Noah's house in Schaumburg, IL
1994: Cowboys/Bills at Jopa's house in Schaumburg, IL
Before 1994, I'm at a loss. Probably all at my parents' house, but I can't be 100 percent sure.
So maybe I'll just watch it at my apartment. I can set the TiVo and go back and watch the commercials and fast forward through halftime and such that way.
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January 23rd, 2009
01:35 am - Purple Kool-Aid
Yes, I know Northwestern upset Michigan State in East Lansing on Wednesday. Yes, I know Northwestern upset Minnesota last week. Still: this is no excuse for Wilbon and Kornheiser, when asked during Pardon The Interruption's Oddsmakers session on Thursday to give the odds of Northwestern making the NCAA Tournament, to respond with numbers over fifty percent (Kornheiser was at 54% and Wilbon at 60% if I recall correctly).
This team is still 2-4 in conference and only 10-6 overall. I don't care who they beat. Well, maybe I do a little, but I'm a realist. They're better than they've been, but that doesn't mean the world has gone topsy turvy here.
So, yeah, if we drop the Indiana game next week, I'll have former Northwestern coach Dennis Green on the brain, as in "they are who we thought they were."
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January 12th, 2009
02:12 pm - The Seventy Five Percent Solution
I'm not surprised that Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice were selected for the Baseball Hall of Fame this afternoon. I definitely had a feel for the greatness of Henderson, but as someone who didn't really get into baseball until 1986, I never saw the prime of Jim Rice. Looking at his statistics, I completely understand the debate over whether or not he is worthy.
What does surprise me still is that the writers give individuals fifteen chances to get in. I understand not making Hall of Fame voting a "one and done" scenario (given that some years have several clearly worthy candidates and that writers seem hesitant to put many people into the Hall in a single year), but it seems to me that if you can't get in after, say, five opportunities, you probably don't deserve to get in. I don't like the feel of inductees that get in out of some sort of voting-system fatigue (i.e. arguments about them have worn down voters or candidates have taken advantage of older voters being replaced by younger voters as Joe Sheehan suggests).
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January 10th, 2009
12:09 am - Rerunning In Place
While I was in Illinois for the break, my cable company in Texas saw fit to give me a new channel: ESPN Classic (which had previously been available only on the top tier of service). It was a nice surprise to come home to, but now I truly see where Bill Simmons is coming from when he occasionally mentions that this channel is being questionably programmed.
From what I remember, ESPN Classic used to be dominated by classic sports programming. Now, it seems like two-thirds of what they show is programming that I can't imagine there's an audience for. Sure, there's some kitsch value in a vintage episode of American Gladiators, but what's with the early 1990s AWA Wrestling? Or random boxing matches from the 1990s between competitors that weren't even known when the match took place let alone in 2009? The decision that kills me the most is the blocks of time devoted to old bowling.
Does anyone see the logic in using a channel with such potential in such a fashion? Maybe it's a money thing, but a lot of what they show seems to be stuff that they broadcasted themselves anyway.
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January 5th, 2009
12:05 am - We're Not Worthy
I had high hopes for seeing movies over my break in Illinois, but to date I've only taken in three. I know that some I'm interested in (Doubt, Gran Torino) already have or are likely to make it to College Station, while others (The Wrestler, Slumdog Millionaire) will probably depend on award nominations. Here's what I think about what I've experienced:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: I just don't get it. Technically, it's amazing and beautiful and such, but it's essentially another Forrest Gump. This is not surprising, given that both screenplays were written by the same guy. I've seen Forrest Gump (and I liked it, not at a Best Picture level or anything) and this just feels like a weaker facsimile. Plus: it really tries many tricks to seem "important" and fails at this. Still, it's not bad. It's just ok.
Rachel Getting Married: Anne Hathaway deserves a big bag of awards for her performance. It's well worth seeing.
Frost/Nixon: Frank Langella and Michael Sheen are excellent. I agree with others who say the storytelling is a bit predictable. What surprised me was that the lead-up to the actual interviews was, in many ways, the far more fascinating part of the film.
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December 23rd, 2008
03:37 pm - Message Erased
About 4 or 5 times over the past week or two, I've received text messages from a number not in my cell phone's contact list. I'm presuming someone I don't know has incorrectly entered my phone number into their contact list under someone else's name. The texts always contain a variation on the question "what's up?" (sometimes using the textier/slangier version "sup?"). Should I be responding via text to tell the person that they have the wrong number? So far, my feeling has been no (I have an unlimited text plan so it's not like it's costing me anything to just delete it and move on, plus it's not like the info being sent my way is in urgent need of redirection to the appropriate party).
That said, I kind of wonder if the person sending the texts is getting mad at a friend of theirs for not replying. I hope there will be some conversation taking place along the lines of the following:
Person Wrongly Texting Tyler: How come you never respond to my texts?
Non-Tyler Person Who The Text Is Supposed To Go To: I never received any texts from you.
Person Wrongly Texting Tyler: Isn't your number [insert Tyler's number here]?
Non-Tyler Person Who The Text Is Supposed To Go To: No, it's [Non-Tyler Person Who The Text Is Supposed To Go To's actual number].
(Person Wrongly Texting Tyler updates contact list)
Person Wrongly Texting Tyler: Anyway, what's up?
Non-Tyler Person Who The Text Is Supposed To Go To: Not much. What's up with you?
(Exeunt)
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December 19th, 2008
01:07 am - The Name Game
The list of the top baby names of 2008 is out (I guess we're pretending that no crazy trends in baby names will take place over the next 12 days), and if you had "ends in -den" in some sort of baby name projection contest, you cleaned up. Aiden, Jayden, and Caden are all in the top ten boy names, with Brayden at 13 (better luck next year). If naming holds true to form, expect Daden and Faden to become names soon.
Why am I writing about this? Only because Tyler has fallen to number 23. This pleases me to no end. My name used to be rare, but it shot up the charts over the last decade, even making the top ten in some years. I'm glad to see it slide back a bit. I used to usually be the only Tyler in the room.
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December 18th, 2008
09:10 pm - Hurry Down The Chimney Tonight
We're seeing a lot of stories lately about how the economic downturn is affecting Americans over the holidays, but a line in a story I read in today's Daily Herald (the suburban Chicago newspaper) did not really pull at my heartstrings:
"Unlike in past years, when Zarate and his wife might buy up to 30 presents for the kids, this year each daughter will receive one gift each from Santa - plus clothing, shoes and other 'useful' gifts from Mom and Dad, he said."
I'm not sure if this is hyperbole on the part of the subject of the story, but if it's not, considering they have three kids, that means in years past each of their kids received ten presents per Christmas from their parents. I'm not one to rail against consumerist culture (hell, I love buying things), but that seems like a lot of presents. Growing up I seem to remember receiving a gift from Santa, a gift or two from the parents, and then various gifts from siblings and other family members.
Maybe we were minimalists, or maybe some families just go crazier with the buying than I thought. Either way, Christmas spending seems to be a nice microcosm of why we're in the problems we're in. Well, that and wildly unregulated business, but I can't find a good metaphor for that in the local paper.
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December 15th, 2008
04:31 pm - Life, Liberty. Pursuit of Happiness
I know it's only mid-December (and I'm really looking forward to vacation and such), but I've never been anticipating a January quite like I'm anticipating January 2009. Of course, this is all television-centric. January marks the return of the following: Battlestar Galactica, Lost, 24, Damages, Flight of the Conchords, and Nip/Tuck. In addition, since I've stayed spoiler-free, January also marks my introduction into season three of Friday Night Lights. It's all going to be awesome. I hope.
Just some updates for those of you somewhat in the loop:
1) I'll be back in Chicago for a few weeks starting this Thursday.
2) I have an actual job (not to say that I don't have a job now, but my current position is linked to me still being a student) starting in August.
3) I'm considering deleting all of the Season Three of Heroes that I have saved up on my TiVo because I have yet to read a positive review all fall. I stopped watching Privileged because it got a little too preachy/whiny for my tastes.
So, yeah, to quote Larry David, things are pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty good.
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November 26th, 2008
05:54 pm - Stuck In The Middle
I only have about three months experience working retail (thanks Frank's Nursery and Crafts!), but that three months took place during the holiday season. It was, in a word, tiring. I have to believe though that working in a kiosk in the middle of the mall is about fifty times as tiring as a regular retail job. It seems like 95% of these kiosks sell things that almost no one would actually want, and if they did want it, they wouldn't buy it from a kiosk in the middle of the mall. I can't imagine that a stand selling hair extensions or hermit crabs all day does brisk business. I have no idea how a business can function only selling t-shirts with family pictures on them (let alone the other business that had plenty of "Lean Like A Cholo" shirts for sale).
That said, at the mall today, I stumbled upon perhaps the most questionably named one of these businesses ever. There's a kiosk at Post Oak Mall that sells soaps. It is named Soapranos. I guess I can accept it when businesses use puns or wordplay to come up with a name, but in this case it doesn't work. Soap has nothing to do with music or mobsters.
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