1. I find it interesting how the Michael Jackson fiasco is breaking down along ideological lines. Judging from what I’ve read in the papers and heard over the airwaves, liberals tend to remember Jackson fondly while conservatives can’t get over the fact that the guy fell off the deep end during the latter part of his tortured life. While Bill O’Reilly wonders why black Americans care so much about a guy with a white face and white children, Al Sharpton can’t find enough superlatives to describe the life and times of the gloved one. Clearly the guy was a nutjob, but he was also a phenomenon whose death has stopped much of the world in its tracks. Rumor has it that his funeral might be the most watched event ever. Of course, Laura Ingraham scoffs at that notion, putting it up against the moon landing, the fall of the Berlin Wall, etc. What’s lost on her is that a fifteen year-old boy living in the slums of Rio may very well have no idea who Neil Armstrong and Ronald Regan are, but you can bet your bottom dollar he knows who Michael Jackson is (or was, as it were).
2. Evanston, a pleasant little suburb just north of Chicago that is home to Northwestern University, has really shitty roads. It’s shocking how bad those roads are, particularly since it’s such a break from expectation…kind of like walking into a five-star hotel room and finding a 27″ CRT television nestled inside an ugly old armoire (e.g. the Four Seasons Sydney).
3. Listening to ESPN Radio on the drive into the office this morning, I was reminded of an annoying habit of sports pundits. Anytime someone brings up the “greatest ever?” debate, someone invariably plays the old school card. That is, they often feel obligated to show their chops by mentioning some old school players who should retain the title of best ever, despite the very obvious greatness on display before them. When discussing Tiger Woods, the guys on the show were hesitant to grant him the special status he deserves, choosing instead to defer to the likes of Nicklaus and Snead. And they did the same when discussing Roger Federer, claiming that competition was stiffer back in the days of Borg, Lendl, Agassi, Sampras, etc. Meanwhile, both Woods and Federer have destroyed virtually every record in existence. And those records not yet destroyed will most likely be laid to waste in the near future.
A similar line of thinking comes up when people question whether the great football teams of today could compete with the likes of the ’72 Dolphins or ’85 Bears. The “purists” always answer in favor of the old school squads, which I find hilarious. Sure, those teams were indeed great for their time, but the game has progressed in such rapid fashion that it would be hard to fathom athletes from decades past being able to keep up with the monster-athletes being churned out today. Not to mention how much more advanced the training regimens and game plans are today compared to yesteryear, and how the equipment used by today’s athletes are light years more sophisticated. I recall reading somewhere a comparison between last year’s horrendous Detroit Lions squad and those ’72 Dolphins, and the difference in average weight between the teams’ offensive and defensive lines was something like 40-50 pounds per person – in favor of the Lions. My guess is that is too much weight to overcome – not to mention the comparatively better athleticism to be expected from the modern day athlete – meaning the Lions (who put together a winless season last year) could probably take it to a team considered one of the greatest of all time. Noodle that one for a second.
4. Einsteins has great coffee. Their vanilla hazelnut is simply sublime, as is the occasional cinnamon hazelnut or chocolate macadamia. That said, they have one of the worst coffee station configurations around, which results in a highly inefficient coffee dressing process and many annoyed customers. Don’t they think about these things?
5. Sarah Palin told CNN yesterday that she’s a fighter, not a quitter. This is like Iran claiming to be a democracy, not an authoritarian theocracy. Or like T.O. claiming to be a team player, not a selfish prima donna. Or like…
6. There is a report out claiming that the Taliban are buying and selling kids for suicide attacks. God’s work? Yep, I’m sure that’s just what the big man had in mind for them.
