Ilk's Blog

2007-03-11T12:51:00.000-07:00

15 Minutes Of Fame, 2007 Edition

I am featured in the WGN "Soxlife" ad campaign. I answered a casting call on White Sox Interactive, and lo and behold they picked me to appear in one of the ads. We filmed on Presidents' Day in the basement of a private home in Oak Park.

2007-01-30T18:29:00.000-08:00

All Bets Down

I'm back. Really need to start posting more, I know.

Anywhoooo, just got back from Tahoe. Pictures are here.

More important, I stopped off at the Harvey's sportsbook and put down my 6-legged monster Super Bowl parlay, which goes like this:

Bears +7
Under 49
Total FGs < 4
Fumbles Lost >2
Sacks > 4
INTs > 2

We'll see what happens.

2006-10-04T11:15:00.000-07:00

Fantasy Football Rewind, week 4

Finally, a win. And I managed to do it with Ahman Green in the lineup in fantasy world, but injured on the bench in the real world. McNabb comes up huge again, and new acquisition Kevan Barlow fits into the Saved By The Bell offensive scheme just fine. Oh, yeah...and Santana Moss has himself one of the biggest games by a WR in history, and caps it off with a walk-off (is there such a thing in football, or should it be called a run-off?) touchdown.

2006-09-30T12:59:00.000-07:00

Pigskin

Not a lot of games really jumping out at me here in Week 4. But here's a Pick 3:

Miami (-3.5) over Houston. A few pundits have tabbed Miami as a possible Super Bowl team this year. I think that's a lot of crazy talk. Daunte Culpepper is no longer an elite QB. But Ronnie Brown is Ronnie Red-hot right now and the Dolphin D will probably smother Houston.

Cleveland (-3) over Oakland. While slogging away on the exercise bike the other night trying not to gawk at the hot ass on the treadmill in front of me, the ESPN news guys were going on and on about how Oakland might be the last team to win a game this season. The Browns are still the Browns, but the Raiders are still the Raiders.

New England (+6) over Cincinnati. The Bengals are coming off a big win against the Steelers last weekend in what SI now calls the "toughest rivalry in the NFL." Unfortunately, we all know if you're on the cover of SI something bad is bound to happen the following week. I'll go ahead and say that the Pats win this one outright.

As for my fantasy team, Kevan Barlow is filling Shaun Alexander's shoes this week. We dumped off Marc Bulger for him straight up.

2006-09-29T15:53:00.000-07:00

The Enemy Of My Enemy Is My Friend (For a 3-game series at least)

Hysterical thread from MotownSports.com full of Tiger fans cheering on the Palehose to knock off Minnesota.

Back with football picks tomorrow.

2006-09-26T09:25:00.000-07:00

Fantasy Football Rewind: Week 3

Yeah. So. Shaun Alexander's hurt. Great.

Yeah. Um. I had Ahman Green on my bench this week and he exploded for 30 points.

Yeah. Right. My opponent had Willie Parker and Anquan Boldin who almost singlehandedly outscored me.

Week 4 renews the oldest rivalry in our league: Ilk vs the Killer Bee.

Oh, and to add insult to injury, my Sox playoff tickets came in the mail yesterday. They'll make great wallpaper.

2006-09-19T09:43:00.000-07:00

Fantasy Football Rewind, Week 2

Just back from Napa. Five wonderful days of good wine, family, and way too little football coverage.

Saved By The Bell gets thumped again, losing 120-91.

The Good

Donovan McNabb: Definitely my ace. Another solid week as he shreds the Giants defense (who I also started, doh) and puts up 33% of my point total.

Shaun Alexander: 16 points, 2 touchdowns. That's more freakin like it.

Keyshawn Johnson: On my bench, but might get the start next week after tearing it up for triple-digit yardage. JUST GIVE HIM THE DAMNED BALL.

The Bad

Chris Cooley: Turning into a points vaccuum. My league (much to my chagrin) treats all 3 WR/TEs as flex players. I miss Ben Coates.

That's really about it. Since I didn't get to see much football, really not much else to say.

2006-09-12T09:59:00.000-07:00

Fantasy Football Rewind: Week One

Saved By The Bell gets off to a rough start this week, losing 110-90.

The Good
McNabb: Donnie Mac (ugh) gets the season going right, shredding the Houston defense for 300+ yards and 3 TDs. His point total was almost 1/3rd of my team's total output for the week.

Mike Bell: Gets a few touches, a touchdown, and a few catches. The downside is he's got a broken figure which may require surgery and a couple weeks out of action. The upside to the downside is that my backup Ahman Green had a monster day against the NFL's toughest defense.

Jeff Wilkins: 6 field goals. 2 from 40+. The Rams' inability to get the ball into the end zone well for him, but not so well for my backup QB Marc Bulger.

The Bad

Shaun Alexander: 50 yards rushing? No touchdowns? Indoors? Against DETROIT? That's one yard for every draft dollar I spent on him!

Chris Cooley: Highly vaunted TE gets two catches for -3 yards.

The Ugly

Looks like my entire WR corps had a less than stellar week. Best performer was Santana Moss, and most of that yardage was on one play.

2006-09-08T09:36:00.000-07:00

Grand Opening...

NFL is now officially underway, and I couldn't be happier about it. Forecast Sunday calls for rain in the afternoon, which is perfect since I'm golfing in the morning and then when I get home I won't feel so guilty about spending 6 hours in the prone position on the couch with my laptop and the Bears on the big screen.

Fantasy Lineup goes a little something like this:

McNabb
Alexander
Mike Bell (by far the biggest question mark)
Horn
Santana Moss
Cooley
Wilkins
Giants

Picks go a little something like this:

Tenn -2.5 NY Jets
KC -1.5 Cinci (don't ever ask me to spell the whole name, because damnit I can't)
KC-Cinci Total > 46.5

2006-09-02T14:15:00.000-07:00

It's Just A Fantasy (whoa ohh ohh) It's Not The Real Thing

Fantasy draft was this past Thursday at Killer Bee's house. Lots of bad tequila was consumed. Not once during the draft did anyone look at me and say "YOU IDIOT YOU OVERPAID FOR SO-AND SO" or "PICKED OFF, BITCH!"

I kinda missed the abuse the JFJBall elders used to heap on me back in the day.

Anywhoo, here's the 2006 edition of Saved By The Bell, formerly the New York Fairies formerly Snatchbox 220 (don't ask) formerly Mike and the Dyke (PLEASE don't ask) formerly The Geek And The Greek (my partner back in 1996 was our Greek office manager).

Quarterbacks
Mark Bulger: He plays in a dome 8 times a year. But he's been throwing to the same guys who have been starting for the Rams for the past 8 years. Nonetheless, he'll be my starter.
Donovan McNabb: Chicago guy who went to Syracuse. Oh yeah, and probably the best all-around athlete in the NFL. A bit of a risk due to lack of targets and coming off an injury...but he could either slide into the starting spot or serve as trade bait (I hate making trades in fantasy) if needed.
Billy Volek: Mehh. Needed another QB. He might get a bye week start. I said might.

Running Backs
Shaun Alexander: He was number one on my draft chart and I was willing to pay anything to get him. He cost me 50 draft dollars and at the time with my Cuervo-induced cockiness I figured they may as well just fork over the prize money then and there. Then I find out he's on the cover of Madden '07, which is like the SI Cover Jinx times infinity.
Mike Bell: Somehow this guy who wasn't even drafted has rushed his way to the top of the Broncos depth chart. Here's hoping he's the next Olandis Gary. Or Mike Anderson.
Ahman Green: I know there's supposed to be some unwritten rule among Bears fans that you never ever ever draft a Packer, especially one that missed a chunk of last season with an injury. But he's gonna be the go-to guy for the Pack, and with Favre no longer slinging down the field should see a fair amount of action.
Lee Suggs: Filler pick. His name reminds me of Suge Knight, a badass who's not afraid to bust caps in people's asses when they cross him. Intimidation factor: 10.

Wide Recievers/Tight Ends
Joe Horn: First game back at the Superdome and I can already see him digging a cell phone out from under the goalpost and calling Ray Nagin.
Ashley Lelie: Liked him in Denver. Like him even more in Atlanta.
Santana Moss: Best reciever with the last name Moss not named Randy. I'm a little worried that Randle El might steal catches from him though.
Keyshawn Johnson: A mainstay of Ilk-owned fantasy teams since 1996. Just give him the damned ball.
Chris Cooley: I haven't had a good tight end on my team since Ben Coates in the late 1990s. Can he be the guy to reverse the trend?
Ben Troupe: He'll make a great fill-in as needed.
Itu Mili: Probably the "most likely to end up on the waiver wire after week 1" guy on my team

Kickers
Jeff Wilkins: Kicks in dome. Has cool last name.

Defenses
Buffalo: Gotta show the hometown team some love, and by the time McGahee came up for auction I was already out of money.
NY Giants: I think they were the highest ranked unit still left when my turn came up.

2006-08-28T08:23:00.000-07:00

Dispatches From The Front: Storm Stories Edition

Southside Mike has some great pictures from the twisters and boomers that rolled through Michigan City last week. All we got in the city were a few raindrops.

2006-08-22T17:24:00.000-07:00

Like, Civic Duty And Stuff

Oh, hi.

So I had jury duty today. The mere story of how I actually ended up actually going to jury duty in the first place is kinda comical.

I was first summoned in May. The summons showed up, and I did with it what just about every other American does with it and tossed it in the garbage. About 3 weeks later, the Better Half calls me while I'm waiting at the cab stand at LaGuardia, sounding rather panicked.

Conversation goes like this:

Her: "Hey. You got something from the Cook County court today."
Me: "Oh. That's nice."
Her: "Ummm, it looks important." (Her tone of voice read YOU SON OF A BITCH ARE YOU HIDING ILLEGITIMATE TWINS FROM ME OR SOMETHING)
Me: "OK. Open it."
Her: "Dear Mr. Wilkins, You were recently issued a summons for jury duty and failed to report blah blah blah you will be issued another summons words words failure to report again will result in possibly being charged with contempt of court yadda yadda so you better show up next time to avoid potential embarassment."
Me: "Oh. Hmm. I don't remember any summons." (This is pretty easy for me to get away with. You see, we get so much junk mail every day that I typically sort through it right at the mailbox and end up throwing most of it in the garbage and heaven forbid maybe I accidentally tossed the summons out with 3 Pottery Barn catalogs and a postcard from Keller Williams Realty telling me that the unit downstairs just sold for a ton of money)
Her: "Well, when you get another one, you better go."

So that was that. Two weeks later, another summons shows up telling me I have to haul my ass down the Eisenhower in rush-hour traffic to Maywood Court on August 22nd.

And then the 22nd rolled around. So I hopped in the car and sure enough the Ike was jammed from Western all the way to 1st Avenue. I was supposed to be there at 8:30, but ended up walking in at about 8:50.

I had a backpack full of stuff to keep me occupied. For those of you that don't know me, I have the attention span of a 3 year old who's 4 hours into a 12 hour car trip. I don't sit still very well at all. I had this week's Economist and SI, the Sunday Trib crossword, this month's Wired and Golf Magazine, an inch-thich sheaf of fantasy football research and my iPod, which was chock full of exciting and informative podcasts because lord knows 26 GB of music alone isn't enough to amuse me.

So here's a rough timeline.

8:50: I stroll in and drop off my little juror survey. I took care to make sure that I answered YES both me and my spouse have been the victims of crime, and YES I am party to a lawsuit (class action against MegaDerivativesMart, my former employer).
9:00: The jury room supervisor tells us that there's a good chance we're getting called. Dockets are looking pretty full. We watch a video narrated by Lester Holt all about how trial by jury works. I sit there the whole time thinking about how good I'd be if I'd actually stuck it out and gone to law school.
9:15: Video's over. Super tells us that we're on break until 9:45. Seeing as that I just sat down, I'm like screw it I'll just sit here. Fire up podcast of Meet the Press. Bummas mon, Dick Gregory and his silver helmet hair are sitting in for my guy Russert this week. Interesting interview with John McCain. Finish reading SI college preview, shake head in disgust at written fellating of Notre Dame. Oprah's on the TVs in the jury room. Thank you, Steve Jobs.
9:35: Start crossword. Pen's skipping like mad and making me nuts. Get about 40% through it and am really disappointed that I can't go further. I used to be a crossword stud.
9:50: Drop crossword, crack open Golf Magazine. Do I need a hybrid club? Let's see...I can't hit fairway woods at all, I hit my long irons like a champ. Hybrids are for people who can't hit long irons. No, I don't need one. Meet The Press has segued into an HBO podcast of an interview with the guy who plays Turtle on "Entourage," which is the only show I watch these days.
10:00: Oprah gives way to "The View", which apparently is broadcast at triple the volume of every other show on TV. Even with my headphones in, I can still her the hens cackling away. I seek solace in the "quiet room" and grab a Diet Pepsi and some pretzels. The quiet room is so quiet there's no way in hell I'm opening that bag of pretzels for fear the other 8 people in there might smash my head into a cinder block wall. Interesting article about if the US can win the Ryder Cup. The Ryder Cup is kinda like the America's Cup in that we dominated it forever, and now we just kinda suck.
10:12: There's some goofball in a Cubs jersey-shirt clacking away on a laptop next to me. I make a mental note that if I end up on a jury with this guy, I'm wearing Sox stuff every day the trial goes on. And so help me if he ends up the jury foreman, I'm holding out on him just on general principle.
10:30: Hunger's starting to take over. Ever mindful of those seeking peace in the quiet room, I trudge back out to the main room. I see my cute giggly neighbor who always has a gaggle of her cute giggly friends at her place and give her an eyes-rolling smile. Crack open pretzels, crunch away happily. Now listening to a podcast from NPR about a bird market in Kabul. The Afghani word for falcon translates to "hunter," just in case you care.
10:40: Done with Golf rag. Time to work on fantasy football strategy. Two words: Ben Troupe. Two more: Anquan Boldin.
11:00: In 20 or so minutes, I've formed a pretty nice little depth chart for my upcoming draft. 6 QBs, 10 RBs, 16 WRs, 6 TEs. Defenses and kickers are a dime a dozen, but I always make sure I draft Jeff Wilkins.
11:20: It dawns on me, no one's been called yet. Now listening to NPR report about the rebirth of New Orleans. Apparently the levees are all held together with rubber bands and peanut shells, but you can still catch plenty of good jazz!
11:30: Jury super comes in again. "Ladies and gentlmen, you are dismissed. All of you. The two (full docket, my ass) courtrooms who requested jurors today don't need anyone."
11:33: I collect my check for $17.20 and am off to the driving range. My boss always says that going to the range is bad, all it does is reinforces bad habits and makes you frustrated. About 2/3rds of the way through my small bucket, I realize he's right.

2006-06-14T12:21:00.000-07:00

If You Don't Understand Why I Post The Link Below, I Thank You Immensely

Alright trading floor dorks, go ahead and dredge up those painful old memories.

2006-05-26T10:11:00.000-07:00

Dispatches From The Front: Piano Man Edition

I've never been a big Billy Joel fan. He's second only to John Cougar Mellencamp on my list of "Candyasses who wish they were Bruce Springsteen." So when this item was passed on from Danny Bigwheel, we had no choice but to pass it on. Note: Danny Bigwheel's a smart kid, just has some trouble with runon sentences and capitalization.

So last night we were dining at gibson's for an insurance function when we
notice the piano man himself drinking alone in the corner, Now a guy i
work with is the kind of big gregarious guy that everyone loves, well he
saunters over there and starts serenading Billy Joel with Piano Man. Who
then proceeds to flip out and throw a drink at my guy (who's almost 60
himself). Then he gets the maitre'd involved and tries to get our whole
table thrown out, Security is swarming and were all just laughing,
finally we promised not to disturb him again and they let us finish our
dinner. On a side note man is that place over rated I'd take smith and
wollenskys or even the chop house over it any day.

Wishful Thinking

2006-05-21T19:13:00.000-07:00

DSC04023
Originally uploaded by ilk.

I got stuck with a rotting-toothed methhead semi-hunchback in a Nomar jersey sitting 2 seats over from me today at The Cell. He thinks Thome's juiced, and I'm pretty sure his parents were probably cousins.

Oh well, two outta three ain't bad.

2006-05-11T16:23:00.000-07:00

Umbrella Blues

T.S. Eliot once wrote that "April is the cruelest month." Personally, I'm not so sure how much stock I'd put in that, seeing as that April marks the start of baseball season and the NCAA hoops championship game. Not all bad. Plus, with the exception of 2 crappy days as far I can recall...this past April wasn't bad at all.

Now we're into may. It's May 11th. The temp outside right now is 48 degrees, and the wind is blowing at 27 mph, gusting to 40. My British bloody Trader Joe would say "yeah, it's really fooking pissing down there"...translation being that it's raining really hard. And it's supposed to keep raining right through the weekend, meaning that my Sunday morning golf game might be in serious doubt.

Anyhow, rain means umbrellas. Unfortunately, umbrellas seem to be a pretty major source of consternation for me.

We've got (well, had) 3 umbrellas in the Ilk household. I have my big green golf one, the Better Half has her little black one with the cute duckie head for a handle, and then there's the $7.99 Walgreens special that sits in the basket by the door.

I like the big green golf umbrella. Unfortunately, the big green golf umbrella is in the trunk of the little green car in my golf bag. When you're dashing out the door running late, there's not any time to head to the basement garage, unlock the car and grab the umbrella and then run the keys back upstairs (we only have one set of keys, the other set is probably at the bottom of one of the Better Half's 73 purses). Plus, big golf umbrellas tend to get dirty looks from passersby on crowded wet sidewalks. Then there's the whole "where to put it in the office to dry it" issue.

So I got stuck with the Walgreen's special today. Flimsy plastic handle, flimsy metal rod. The damned thing didn't even go up all the way and I had to yank it up myself, slicing my finger in the process. But somehow, I made it to work.

Going home was a whole different story. The rain was falling a lot harder and the wind was whippin from the west. I have to walk west to get home. By the time I hit the bridge over the river, the umbrella had already inverted twice. The hot young thing in the pink slicker right in front of me ended up losing hers IN THE RIVER when a gust caught it.

I made it all the way to the old post office and then whammo! Just like that, the skinny little "metal" rod snapped right in two. So I gave it a proper burial...see picture above. Look closely and you'll see I wasn't alone.

2006-05-05T10:48:00.000-07:00

All Bets Down!

Yes, I'm alive and doing fine and will get back to regular updates one of these days...

Meanwhile, I actually agreed with Peter Gammons about something, and took Point Determined to win the Derby at 12-1.

2006-04-01T12:57:00.000-08:00

For What It's Worth...

AL East: Yanks, Jays, Sawx, O's, Rays
AL Central: Sox, Tribe, Tigers,Twins, Royals
AL West: Angels, A's, Rangers, Mariners
AL Wild Card: Oakland

NL East: Braves, Mets, Phils, Nasty Nats, Fish
NL Central: Cards, Brewers, Astros, Cubs, Reds, Pirates
NL West: Dodgers, Padres, GIants, Dbacks
NL Wild Card: Mets

ALDS: Sox over Oakland, Angels over Yanks
ALCS: Angels over Sox ()

NLDS: Dodgers over Braves, Cards over Mets
NLCS: Cards over Dodgers

WS: Cards over Angels

2006-03-27T19:44:00.000-08:00

Half Right, Half Wrong, Half Empty, Half Full or Bracketology Revisited

I picked 2 out of 4 Final Four teams correct. If it were baseball, I'd be batting .500 and on my way to Player of the Week Honors. If it were school, I'd have scored 50% and be well on my way to a "D." (True story: in 6th grade math, I once scored 18% on a test)

Anyhow, it was good enough for me to lock up both office pools I entered before the tournament even hits its final weekend. Yee haw.

2006-03-25T13:59:00.000-08:00

Finally!

Uploaded my damned Spring Training pictures to Flickr. 6 at a time since the damned batch upload executable kept crapping out.

Here they are.

2006-03-24T05:16:00.000-08:00

Close (Well, Not Really) But No Cigar

Went to visit a client at the Chrysler Building yesterday. High profile place, high profile tenants. You'd think that the security folks there would at least be able to get my name right.

I've also decided that on about my 70th visit there since I was a kid, I finally like New York.

2006-03-13T19:13:00.000-08:00

Bracketology

Dirty South Bracket
1st round winners: Duke, GW, Syracuse, LSU, West Virginnie, Iowa, Cal, Texas
Regional semifinalists: Duke, LSU, WV, Texas
Regional finalists: Duke, Texas
Final Four Representative: Duke

No surprises here. People have been saying for the past 2 years "have you seen Duke play down the stretch? They've been damned lucky!" Yeah, that's the case...but they're still Duke. 'Cuse's run in the Big East tourney was amazing but they don't have the horses to get past LSU. West Virginia's coached by my guy John Beilein and features the best last name in all of sports in Kevin Pittsnogle, but their regular season was hardly something to behold.

Oaktown Bracket
1st round winners: Memphis, Arkansas, Pittsburgh, Kansas, San Diego State, Gonzaga, Marquette, UCLA.
Regional semifinalists: Memphis, Kansas, Gonzaga, UCLA
Regional finalists: Memphis, UCLA
Final Four Representative: UCLA

Kansas not going to the Final Four seems odd. So does Indiana not making it past the first round. Gonzaga's everyone's darling and has been for the past few years (and why not, with a cool name like Gonzaga and a hippie-looking star player), but they never seal the deal. For the sake of dear old Russell, I want Memphis to go all the way...but they're just too prone to mental lapses even though they might be the most physical/fast team in the Dance.

Cesspool On The Potomac Bracket
1st round winners: UConn, Kentucky, Washington, Illinois, Michigan State, North Carolina, Seton Hall, Tennessee
Regional Semifinalists: UConn, Washington, UNC, Tennessee
Regional Finalists: UConn, UNC
Final Four Representative: UConn

Unanswered questions galore in this bracket. Why is it last year I went out and watched Illinois play 16 times, whereas I only went out and watched them once this year? Why are Michigan State alums total punkasses? Do Wichita State Shockers fans make a funky sexually-oriented hand gesture when they cheer their team on?

Hubert H. Humphrey/Paul Wellstone/Kirby Puckett Memorial Bracket
1st round winners: Villanova, Arizona, Nevada, Boston College, Oklahoma, Florida, Georgetown, (t)OSU
Regional semifinalists: Villanova, Boston College, Florida, (t)OSU
Regional finalists: Villanova, Florida
Final Four Representative: Florida

The Minny bracket is unique in that it features 3 schools I applied to and didn't get into. Some guy at the poker table in Reno told me in February of 2005 to watch out for the Nevada Wolfpack because they were gonna be something special. Too bad they drew the Illini last year and BC this year. Still amazes the shit out of me that I'm only putting one Big 10 team in the Sweet 16.

'Naptown Final Four
Duke over UCLA
UConn over Florida

UConn over Duke for the whole shebang.

Heading to Florida for the annual Spring Training trip this week. Might actually give me something to blog about!

2006-03-04T11:53:00.000-08:00

Since I Never Blog Anymore...

...may as well point you toward someone who does.

Check out "Palehose Six," a daily cartoon showing the life of the White Sox on the high seas. Has to be seen to be believed.

2006-02-27T11:59:00.000-08:00

I At Least Waited Until 10th Grade Before I Failed It...

You Passed 8th Grade Math

Congratulations, you got 9/10 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Math?

2006-02-22T17:09:00.000-08:00

Dispatches From The Front: Love That Dirty Water Edition

The Frugal Hipster is in Boston all week. While his girlfriend attends an art history conference, TFH is loose on the streets of Beantown.

As I'm sitting at my desk today designing a trading layout to appease clients on the Winnipeg Commodity Exchange (Side note: Yes, there is a futures exchange in Winnipeg. They trade futures and options on canola--sometimes known by the less politically correct term rapeseed--as well as White Winter Wheat and Barley. Fascinating, I know.) he's peppering the ol'v551 with messages such as these:

"Man I love art history babes"

"Just tried on $18k watch. 80s Patek Philippe....Salesman did his best not to roll eyes at my old Sox jacket."

"At Ralph Lauren store. Full of Skull and Bones type clothes."

Amusing.

2006-02-15T18:24:00.000-08:00

Randoms

-After some initial misgivings, I've come to the conclusion that in spite of the fact that I'm crazy busy from 8 to 5:30 every day that I really like my new job. To wit: today I sat in a meeting where the other participants were the CEO of our entire company, the CEO of the North Americas Division, the North Americas CTO and our office's Managing Director. The topic: me spearheading a campaign with our biggest client. At MegaDerivatives Mart, I occasionally got to sit down with meatheaded brokers and try to explain concepts well outside their feeble grasps. So yeah--whole new ballgame and I like it.

-Made Valentine's dinner last night. Steak Diane. Any fool with fast hands can take a girl out to dinner, but it takes a real guy to cook a girl dinner.

-"Harbinger" is one of my favorite words, right up there with "penultimate." To me, the ultimate harbinger of spring, and hence baseball being just around the corner is that the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show thing always wraps up right around the time the first batch of pitchers and catchers report. So even though Rufus the bull terrier is one ugly dog, his visage plastered all over the place is definitely a good sign.

-Related note: my friend Bobby B has a bull terrier named Bob.

-Short track speedskating is like Roller Derby. Fun to watch.

2006-02-11T13:33:00.000-08:00

Oh, Canada!

I'm watching what right now might be the most lopsided Olympic team sports even since the US squared off with Angola in the first round of men's basketball in 1992.

The Canadian women's hockey team is beating Italy 15-0. At least the Italians are better looking.

2006-02-05T08:49:00.000-08:00

Super Sunday

Paul Tagliabue says that Super Bowl Sunday is a national holiday and that baseball is about as exciting as standing in a checkout line. My experiences last summer/fall force me to heartily differ with Tagliabue, but nonetheless today is one of my favorite days of the year. The Italian beef is already in the slow cooker and the beer's chilling on the deck. We get to break in the new TV. It's really too cold to do anything else, so I'm just gonna vegetate all day.

So who do I like?

Part of me says pull for the Steelers. Pittsburgh is a decaying Rust Belt citytrying to remake itself not unlike Buffalo, and Jerome Bettis is just about the only good thing Notre Dame produced. Bill Cowher is one intense mofo, and you never hear about Steelers players running afoul of the law. The man keeps 'em in line. Oh yeah, and the Super Bowl XL version of the Steel Curtain just flat out stops the run.

The other half says pull for Seattle. It's one of my favorite cities even when it rains for 40 days and 40 nights. It's not all lattes and fleeces either--the Emerald City is chock full of very knowledgable and passionate sports fans...my Mom not being one of them. They're a team of no-names who play hard, and Matt Hasselbeck's "we want the ball and we're gonna score" guar-un-tee a few years back will always be on my 10 ballsiest moments in sports list.

The Seahawks old gray and green uniforms flat-out rocked. The Steelers have worn the same togs for years--and their logo is only on one side of their helmet. What's up with that?

Pittsburgh's been to the Super Bowl before, and won a whole bunch of them. Seattle hasn't had a professional sports title since the Supersonics won in 1978.

There's little doubt in my mind Pittsburgh wins the game (and the total score exceeds the over), and in the interest of disclosure I'll say that I bet on them. But emotion trumps the wallet any day...so, um, go Seahawks!

2006-02-04T18:26:00.000-08:00

Tag--I'm It!

Bret over at Random Walk tagged me. So here goes:

Four Jobs I've Had
1. Hardware Department at Menards
2. Landscaper/Lawn Mower
3. Software Salesman for now-bankrupt brokerage
4. Teacher of English as a second language

Four Movies I Can (and Do) Watch Over and Over:
1. Caddyshack
2. Wall Street
3. Major League
4. South Park: Bigger Longer and Uncut
(Please note 9 out of 10 sane redblooded American males would probably have the same list as me)

Four Places I Have Lived:
1. Lincoln Park, Chicago
2. West Lakeview, Chicago
3. Tri-Taylor, Chicago
4. Ontario, NY

Four TV Shows I Love:
1. The West Wing (Gonna miss it something fierce)
2. Desperate Housewives (Susan's my favorite. Teri Hatcher has the longest legs I have ever seen)
3. Declassified (currently airing on the HIstory Channel)
4. Baseball Tonight (I'll be glad to do my Harold Reynolds impression for anyone who wants to hear it. Supposedly, it's spot-on)

Four Places I’ve Vacationed:
1. Myrtle Beach, SC
2. Amsterdam, Netherlands
3. Gunn Lake, Michigan
4. Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

Four of My Favorite Dishes:
1. Pork chop from Skrine Chops by my office
2. My homemade giambotta
3. My homemade chili (Which tastes even better when I use my Guatemalan insanity peppers that I grew on the deck last summer)
4. The Better Half's chicken andouille sausage jambalaya

Four Sites I Visit Daily:
1. Whitesoxinteractive.com
2. Deadspin
3. Drudge (who doesn't)
4. Poker Prof's Poker Blog

Four Places I’d Rather Be Now:
1. US Cellular Field
2. Sonoma
3. Tahoe
4. Fort Myers (I'd even sacrifice my sanity and stay with the Better Half's parents if it meant I could see the sun and play golf)

2006-01-30T19:27:00.000-08:00

Funny For A Few

If you:

1) Watched "Family Guy" last night
2) Know what a YTMND is
3) Have a sound card and speakers

...then you might find this link ever so slightly funny.

If not, then feel free to shrug your shoulders and ask "WTF."

Thanks to Marko for having way way way too much time on his hands.

2006-01-27T07:45:00.000-08:00

Illinois Oeneophiles Unite!

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add us to your address book or safe list

URGENT: TAKE ACTION TO STOP THE ILLINOIS LEGISLATURE FROM PREVENTING
WINE SHIPMENTS

Dear Wine Lover:

The Illinois Legislature is currently considering two bills that could
impact your ability to purchase wine online or through mail order.
Bill HB4444/SB2750 will let you continue to purchase online or through
mail order and have your order delivered to you. Bill HB4350/SB2180
would ban any shipment or delivery of wine to consumers and require
you to buy wine only at a store location.

We thought you'd like to know about this development so you can take
action to protect your rights and we included on information below on
how to contact your representatives in Springfield.

WHAT IMPACT WILL THE NO-SHIPMENT LEGISLATION HAVE ON YOU?

1. LESS ACCESS TO GREAT WINES: Today, Wine.com services you from
our store located near the California wine country, and we have access
to many unique vintages that aren't always available throughout the
country.
2. INCONVENIENCE: You'll have to go to a store to purchase wine
rather than shop from your own home
3. HIGHER PRICES: Less competition may mean that you'll have to pay
higher prices for wine

WHO ARE THE MAIN BACKERS OF THE NO-SHIPMENT LEGISLATION, AND WHY DO
THEY WANT IT?
Wine and spirits wholesalers want this legislation to limit competition.

WHAT ARE SUPPORTERS OF THE NO-SHIPPING BILL TELLING THE PUBLIC?
Supporters of this legislation are telling the public that this law is
necessary to prevent minors from purchasing alcohol. Wine.com and
other legitimate wine retailers require every wine shipment to be
signed for by an adult of legal drinking age. Wine.com works with
large shipping companies like FedEx and UPS, whose employees
diligently enforce the adult signature requirement.

WHAT CAN YOU DO? THREE EASY STEPS TO PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS

1. Call, fax or write your State Representative and ask him or her
to vote FOR HB4444 and vote AGAINST HB4350
2. Call, fax or write your State Senator and ask him or her to vote
FOR SB2750 and vote AGAINST SB2180
3. Call, fax or write Governor Blagojevich and ask him to support
your right to order wine and alcohol online by signing HB4444/SB2750
if it passes and vetoing HB4350/SB2180 if it passes.

HOW TO CONTACT YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE AND STATE SENATOR
Find your Representative's and Senator's contact information using your address
Find your Representative's and Senator's contact information using their name

HOW TO CONTACT GOVERNOR BLAGOJEVICH

SPRINGFIELD OFFICE
Governor Rod Blagojevich
207 State Capital
Springfield IL 62706
Phone: 217-782-6830
Fax: 217-524-4049

CHICAGO OFFICE
Governor Rod Blagojevich
James R. Thompson Center
100 W. Randolph St., Suite 16-100
Chicago, IL 62706
Phone: 312-814-2121
Fax: 312-814-6775

We encourage you to take action immediately to protect your rights. We
appreciate your business and hope to be able to continue bringing you
great wines in the future.

Cheers,

wine.com

2006-01-24T14:35:00.000-08:00

One Of The Great Mysteries Of Life...

...conclusively answered.

And using math and science and studies and shit. Impressive.

Swamped with work lately, off to Montreal for work tomorrow. Will try and update one of these days.

2006-01-19T06:11:00.000-08:00

Bulls On Parade

I was at the Bulls game last night thanks to a sweet last minute hookup courtesy of our favorite neighbors. I was expecting yet another lackluster game from the Chicago Five, not unlike the 4th quarter-OT collapse they pulled off when I was there on New Year's Eve where Steve Nash outscored them down the stretch like 30-10.

But no, last night they didn't disappoint. Ben Gordon poured in 30 off the bench. Gordon has terrible nights when he starts the game, but is living up to the hype as last year's NBA Sixth Man award winner. Maybe Skiles should just have him come in after like 12 seconds or something--that way he's not in the starting lineup but still has the chance to contribute.

Big Ben nailed the gamewinning 3 with 4 seconds left in overtime.

The Bulls shot 60% from the free throw line, which is about what I shoot when I go up to the basketball court after my workouts to cool down.

Antonio Davis ended up jumping into the stands to confront a guy who was badgering his wife--and I didn't even notice. It's always odd how when you watch a sporting event live, there's a lot that you miss.

2006-01-14T08:54:00.000-08:00

Dime Dime Nickel Hook 'Em

1) BET ID=144848907
Parlay (5 Teams)	01/14/06 12:00 ET
25.00/423.31	Result: Pending
Panthers(Carolina) Bears(Chicago)	01/15/06 (16:35 ET) Bears(Chicago) -3 (+110)

Patriots(NewEngland) Broncos(Denver)	01/14/06 (20:05 ET) Patriots(NewEngland) +3

Redskins(Washington) Seahawks(Seattle)	01/14/06 (16:35 ET) Seahawks(Seattle) -440

Steelers(Pittsburgh) Colts(Indianapolis)	01/15/06 (13:05 ET) Colts(Indianapolis) -10

Steelers(Pittsburgh) Colts(Indianapolis)	01/15/06 (13:05 ET) Over 47.5

2006-01-09T15:52:00.000-08:00

Yes Virginia, There Really Is a Drive-Through Liquor Store

About 9 years ago, my buddy Fat Jim and I were tooling around Arizona looking for trouble. We were both newly minted 21 year olds, and the concept of buying booze without going through the heart-pounding of using a fake ID was just a distant memory. Fat Jim claimed that somwhere in the vast wasteland that is Prescott, Arizona there was a drive through liquor store.

How cool and novel a concept was that? Drive up, order, pull around to the next window and get your brewskis. Efficiency!

Alas, Fat Jim and I drove around for an hour or so and couldn't find the place. I was disappointed, but no big loss.

So then this past weekend we're up in Whitewater, Wisconsin with some friends skiing. Well, if you can call sliding across slushy yellow rutted ice skiing, then that's what we were doing. As we were leaving, our friend Dan casually mentioned that we should hit the Booze N'Go on the way back to the house to pick up some beer for our football-watching marathon.

Sure enough, the Booze N'Go is a fully operational drive-through liquor store located right on one of the main drags in Elkhorn. I was a little disappointed that you didn't get to order through a clown's nose from a vast menu of Wisconsin's finest cheap swill offerings and instead just pulled up to a window where a kinda surly older guy took your order and then ran in the back to grab what you needed...but hey, I can now cross "get beer from drive through" of my list of stuf to do before I die.

2006-01-04T17:18:00.000-08:00

Dan Wetzel, Put Down The Pipe

Yahoo Sports' resident football Yahoo Dan Wetzel says that the Rex Grossman-led Bears can win the Super Bowl.

This is news to me. Yes, the Bears have a great defense. Yes, Thomas Jones has had a monster season. Yes, Bernard Berrian and Justin Gage have both had breakout years.

But in the playoffs, it's one shot, one kill. You can't have an off week against the run like the Bears did in Pittsburgh and then come back the next week with an adjusted strategy. You can't have your go-to guy dropping passes left and right. You can't have a QB who has played in a grand total of 2 games this year not have at least a little rust on him.

Don't get me wrong, I would love to see the Bears shuffle to victory 20 years after the Best Team Ever did the same thing. But it's not happening.

2006-01-03T19:08:00.000-08:00

Flickr Fun

Those of you who actually click on the picture links that I occasionaly post know that I'm a huge fan of Flickr. Where else can you plunk down 25 bucks a year and upload as many blurry and underexposed pictures as you want?

Anywhooo, Flickr has an API. I'd previously only heard that term in connection with my job as a trading software geek, but I guess that Application Programming Interfaces ain't just for connections to exchanges. Some enterprising folks in Austria (did you know Germans feel about Austrians the same way Illinoisians feel about cheeseheads?) have developed an API interface into Flickr called Retrievr. Just plop a rough sketch of something, anything into the little box on the left and then click the search button...and be mildly awed by the results.

2005-12-30T11:13:00.000-08:00

The Obligatory Year End Musings Post (Read At Own Risk)

So here we are. Penultimate day of 2005. I always try to say something on the day before the last day of the year just so I can say "penultimate."

It's been a hell of a year.

The White Sox defied the odds, the media and their competition and won the freakin World Series. I've drank plenty of champagne in my life, much of it pretty high quality, but it never tasted as sweet as the cheap stuff I guzzled at the bar that cold and rainy October night.

The Illini put the state and the nation on notice with their run to the NCAA Finals, playing in what might be the greatest college basketball game I ever saw.

The Bears didn't score much, but their opponents scored even less.

February found us skiing in Lake Tahoe. September found us tippling through wine country. Both memorable trips.

Made a ton of new friends at the ballpark. Reunited with a bunch of old friends around the poker table. They still take my money.

4 sets of friends got pregnant. Two of them had their kids (congrats Rob and Renee/Mike and Angie), the other two are still baking in the oven.

One set of friends got married. Congrats Mr. and Mrs. Zooks.

I lost one grandparent. Ciao Nanny.

I lost one friend to the suburbs. It happens.

The Catholic Church lost its leader. I've been to church about 5 times in the last 10 years, but was still upset when JP II passed away.

The crazy neighbors next door moved out. The quiet neighbor moved in. Sorry we were stomping our feet on the floor during game 3 of the World Series, Katie. It happens.

My sister decided she wanted to be a Mormon.

I turned 30. Milestone schmilestone.

I started a new job. Hated it initially and then it really grew on me. Just after I really started liking it, company went belly-up. Found another job at a place I always wanted to work and like it a lot so far. Here's hoping it lasts.

I bobbed my head and sang along to "Touch The Sky," "Mr. Brightside," "DOA" and "Holiday." Oh yeah, and "Don't Stop Believin."

I laughed pretty hard at "Sideways." And "Syriana" really made me think.

Venezuelan I'd like to see more of: Ozzie Guillen. Makes baseball fun for the fans and his players.
Venezuelan I'd like to see less of: Hugo Chavez. He's just Castro without the cigar and fatigues.

Happy New Year, everyone.

2005-12-29T05:29:00.000-08:00

So Long Farewell Auf Wiedersehn Goodbye

When Marshall Field's announced that they were changing their name to Macy's, my indignation and outrage lasted about 30 seconds. As soon as I found out that they'd continue to carry Frango mints and Thomas Pink dress shirts after the changeover, I figured no big whoop.

Then the news about the Berghoff hit the wires yesterday. I had to blink a couple times to make sure I wasn't hallucinating.

Lots of memories for me at that place over the past 10 years. I ate there with the former Vice Chairman of the CBOT and his now late sister (who were kinda my mentors in the futures industry) after my last day working for them. I met my Mom's boyfriend Shelley there for the first time in 1997. I got into a beer-over-the-head war with the Killer Bee at Oktoberfest that year too. My trader buddy Johnny D and I hit it up over sauerbraten and creamed spinach every now and then. It's the traditional meeting spot for me and my fellow Internet Sox geek friends before our yearly game outings, and Kris and I would stop in there a lot after Saturday night games, usually the first ones in and the last ones out.

At some point before February 28th, I'm gonna have to head over there for one more Schlachtplatte and a couple mugs of dark. The lines are sure to be out the door...but it'll be worth the wait for one last time.

2005-12-27T18:55:00.000-08:00

It's Over

Christmas came and went, completely uneventful which is just how I like it. After spending 13 of the past 17 days on the road, it's great to just be home.

Got a decent present haul, capped off by a sweet Rawlings messenger bag and one of those Cuisinart coffeemakers that has Juan Valdez built right in to grow the beans for you. (Thanks, Dad)

Finished the autobiography of Johnny Cash while in NY. Rambling and random, it's a great work by a great man.

2005-12-22T14:11:00.000-08:00

Pressing National Issue

Quite frankly, I don't give a rat's ass about Roe Vs Wade, Medicare or intelligent design.

If I had one crack at writing a piece of legislation (or enacting agency policy), I would call for an immediate ban of all wheeled luggage from aircraft cabins.

Respectfully Submitted,

Ilk (R-IL)

2005-12-19T17:30:00.000-08:00

Highly Recommended

Unless you're in North Carolina, good barbecue in the Eastern Time Zone is pretty hard to find. As a kid, I always took barbecue to mean that reddish colored stuff that comes in a Kraft bottle that Mom would dump over chicken or pork chops while they were on the grill.

Then I moved to the Midwest and started hanging out with 'cue snobs on a regular basis. I learned the difference between a wet rub and dry rub, and that the term "spare ribs" has nothing to do with God creating Eve. Sunday after Sunday I'd hang out, watch football, and gorge myself on various smoked creations.

As I mentioned last week, Blue Smoke at 29th and Park in NYC was highly recommended, but it was also a zoo when I tried to get a table for one there last Wednesday at 9 PM. So tonight I hustled over there as soon as I left the office at around 5:45 and popped a squat right at the bar. Fifteen minutes later, I was sinking my teeth into what might be the best pulled pork I've ever had, served over a soggy slice of Wonder Bread with a big side of pit beans. Damned tasty, and thus earning an I-rating of "highly recommended."

I'm here until Thursday. Wonder if they serve breakfast.

2005-12-15T19:08:00.000-08:00

Scenes From A French Restaurant

It's not often that I dine alone, and the truth is that for the most part it makes me miserable. I don't want to hide behind a book like my road warrior old man was prone to due during his 15 years of nonstop traveling, and I refused to be one of those "look at me I'm so cool" types fidgeting incessantly with a Blackberry or cell phone.

My goal after traipsing all over the Large Apple Wednesday night was to dine at Blue Smoke, which is owned by The anky Righthander's mother-in-law's neighbors growing up. Unfortunately, the collective BBQ jones of all of New Yorks is focused on Blue Smoke right now. I ambled in there at 9:00 and was told it would be an hour for a table for one.

(On a side note, I think that Chicago is the only city in America where people eat dinner at a "normal hour" anymore. In the past 3 months I've been in Tampa (where everyone eats at 5 so they can catch the early episode of "Golden Girls" on UPN before nodding off at 7:30) and then San Fran, Seattle and New York, where it's a cardinal sin to eat before 9. So think about it, if you live in San Francisco and eat at 9, it's already midnight on the East Coast. Gastrointestinal jet lag, anyone?)

Anyway, I decided that a charming little French place called La Petit Auberge ought to hit the spot. After all, I now work for a French company, and French Girls are hot in spite of their hairiness and haughtiness. So, in I went.

Turns out the place has quite a reputation. According to the somewhat yellowed newsclippings on the wall, Jackie O used to eat there a lot. Ditto Henry Kissinger. I'm guessing they probably never ate together.

Right away, I stuck out like a sore thumb.

Me: 30, jeans and untucked pink dress shirt.

Everyone else: 65, ratty cashmere sweaters, wool slacks and sneakers. The Uniform Of Old Money in New York

Undaunted, I plopped down and ordered a glass of vino, taking note f my fellow diners. In front of me: old couple. He was a tall fellow, she was British. He made faces and funny gestures, she cracked up and countered with "Ohh Richard, dahhhling, you have just got to stop." When Richard needed more wine, Richard reached over British Lady and shook his glass at the bar. It was promptly recharged.

Next to me: first date couple. She was 40 trying to look 25. He was 50 trying to look like Richard Branson (who may in fact be older than 50, I'm really not sure) She was NOT a New Yorker--blonde, chesty and squeezed into a black dress and sporting black boots, she had some kind of Midwestern girl trying to be chic vibe going on. He was a New Yorker, but tried to affect an erudite Bostonish accent in an attempt to woo the black dress and black boots off of her.

She ordered a Cosmopolitian. Waiter looked at her in that funny "you stupid American" way that only the French can pull off and brought it to her. She immediately started grumbling about how she could taste the vodka, but her gracious date so nicely decided to share it with her.

They ordered. He went with the prix-fixe option, same as me. The difference is I went with the onion soup and filet of sole. He went with the escargot and duck l'orange. She was a little scared of all the big foreign words on the menu and went with the onion soup as an entree. They barely talked for the rest of my meal.

My guess is the boots stayed on.

Is there a point to this story? Not really.

2005-12-08T13:25:00.000-08:00

Razzle Dazzle Frazzle Frazzle

Tomorrow morning, I hop a flight to Seattle at 6:20 AM. I'm there through the weekend, back Monday night at 11. Tuesday, I'm on a plane to NY at 7 am, back from there Friday night. That Sunday, I'm back in the Big Apple again until Thursday, at which point I come home and sleep for 2 days straight until Christmas.

So I'm gonna be pretty scarce. I'm excited to see Mom in Seattle, train for the new job in NYC (as well as reacquaint myself with a city I haven't been to in 4 years) and squeeze in some Christmas parties in between.

Enjoy the season folks. I'll post as time permits.

2005-12-06T14:48:00.000-08:00

Hot Stove Thoughts

I haven't posted about baseball in a while, mainly because whenever I do my hands start shaking and I start foaming at the mouth with my usual mid-winter case of Baseball Withdrawal. But a lot's happened in the weeks leading up to the Winter Meetings and so far at the meetings themselves, so here goes:

Cubs sign Bobby Howry. In 2000, Bobby Howry and Kelly Wunsch were the keystones of the White Sox bullpen on their way to the division title. In 2005, Bobby Howry and Bob Wickman were the keystones of the Cleveland Indians bullpen on their way to their close-but-no-cigar run at the AL Central. In between, Howry managed to pitch his way into being traded by the White Sox and then released by the Red Sox before working his way back through AAA to a roster spot with the Tribe. When Howry's hot, he's hot with his 97 MPH fastball. But when Howry's off, well, let's put it this way...Sox fans took to calling him "gascan" in 2001.

White Sox trade Aaron Rowand and Gio Gonzalez to the Phillies for Jim Thome. We all know about Kenny Williams' philosophy of "Grinderball." It won the White Sox a World Championship for crying out loud. In the eyes of many Sox fans, Rowand was grinderball personified with his heart and hustle in the outfield, complete with becoming very acquianted with the centerfield wall at US Cellular. Rowand was a fan favorite and a hell of a guy, but experienced a seriously nasty drop in power in 2005. Thome's been referred to by many as "oft-injured" and "aging" because of a back muscle issue that limited his playing time in 2005. If Thome gets back to his 2004-previous form, watch out world. We're looking at a guy with a career OPS of .025 less than Frank Thomas and 9 30 HR+ seasons.

Blue Jays sign B.J. Ryan to 5-year deal. During the course of my weekly poker games, I'll invariably go all in with a stupid hand and get all kinds of "WTF are you thinking" looks from my fellow players and then wind up kicking myself. I'm going to go ahead and boldly predict that J. P. Riccardi's gonna be in much the same situation next time he and his fellow GMs plop down for a game of Texas Hold 'Em when Ryan's blowing games left and right, relegating the Jays to another third place finish. On the other hand, if I ever spawn a boy, I'm gonna forcefeed him nothing but corn and red meat and make him throw left-handed so he can get mad money like this.

Mets raid Marlins pantry and sign Billy Wagner. Carlos Delgado and Paul Lo Duca join the Metropolitians in exchange for some 19 year olds and a couple bags of baseballs. Wagner comes to the big city from the Phillies. With the NL East by far the division in MLB where parity is most prevalent, you've gotta think the guys in orange and blue might have a shot at ending Atlanta's run this year.

Blue Jays sign A. J. Burnett. A dominating righty, the other AJ in professional baseball was on the short list of just about everyone since season's end. Burnett's been touted as a can't miss kid since 1999. In spite of never having an ERA below 3.30 and a career losing record, he gets a 5 year deal with the Blue Jays at 11 million per. Riccardi is REALLY laying it all on the line.

2005-12-06T11:36:00.000-08:00

Sign From Above?

On the penultimate day of my very short stay at MegaLoDerivatives Mart, I experienced something I haven't seen in all my time here.

There was actually a current sports section in the bathroom.

Thanks guys!

2005-12-04T19:12:00.000-08:00

So Long, Brett (I think)

As an erstwhile follower of the Chicago Bears, it's my duty to hate all things Green Bay. The stupid orange hunting camo their fans wear, the obnoxious upper Wisconsin accents and those dumb foam blocks they all stick on their overgrown melons all drive me just about bonkers.

But for some reason, I've always had a certain amount of grudging respect for Brett Favre. The Cal Ripken of the NFL, there's no one who's been so good for so long and worn the same uniform the whole time (well, aside from the 4 passes he threw as a member of the Falcons when I was a sophomore in high school).

Yeah, I know he had somewhat of a pillpopping problem for a while. But I don't think he's swallowing the Vike by the handful anymore. He's gutted it out playing with a steel rod in his finger, cracked ribs and plenty of concussions. So when he came back onto the field after a vicious hit on the previous series at the hands of Mike Brown, I fully figured he'd set his jaw, drive the Pack up the field and score the winning TD to break the Bears' hearts, just like he always does when the wind's whipping and it's just too damned cold.

But not today. Favre rolled, looked left and gunned the ball up the field...right into the waiting arms of Bears Big Play Poster Boy Nathan Vasher. We all know what happened next. Vasher zipped down the sideline, pranced into the end zone and we got to sing "Bear Down Chicago Bears" and chant "Green Bay Sucks" at Soldier Field for the first time in God knows how long.

I think he's lost a step, or two. Granted, the Packers have been just decimated by injuries all season and they've long since been eliminated from any shot at the playoffs. But still, it looks like the Favre magic is finally gone.

I don't want #4 to end up like Willie Mays as a Met, or Roger Maris as a Cardinal or Scottie Pippen as a Trailblazer struggling to grab one more shot at glory. Hang it up, Brett. You've done it all.

2005-12-02T06:50:00.000-08:00

Picks

All favorites, all early games. We'll know if I hit the jackpot by the time the final gun goes off at Soldier Field.

Parlay (4 Teams)
12/02/05 09:50 ET
25.00/322.84
Result: Pending
Bills(Buffalo)Dolphins(Miami)
12/04/05 (13:05 ET)Dolphins(Miami) -5 (-105)

Buccaneers(TampaBay)Saints(NewOrleans)(N)
12/04/05 (13:05 ET)Buccaneers(TampaBay) -3.5 (-115)

Jaguars(Jacksonville)Browns(Cleveland)
12/04/05 (13:05 ET)Jaguars(Jacksonville) -3 (-105)

Vikings(Minnesota)Lions(Detroit)
12/04/05 (13:05 ET)Vikings(Minnesota) -2.5 (-105)

2005-11-29T07:48:00.000-08:00

Back From Florida

A few reflections:

-I got to see an unusually high-scoring hockey game. The New Jersey Devils pounded the DEFENDING STANLEY CUP CHAMPION FROM TWO YEARS AGO (as they endlessly remind you) Tampa Bay Lightning 8-2. If you ever catch a game at the St. Pete Times Forum, I highly recommend getting your drink on at Dave Andreychuk's Grille pre and post game.

-I got to see an unusually low-scoring football game, as the Bears once again bore down and held off the Buccaneers. This team is truly for real and the national media's finally taking notice. (Reminds me just a little of another Chicago team)

-There are few pleasures in life quite like scarfing down a pecan waffle at Waffle House while "Redneck Woman" plays on the jukebox and a cook named Dot whines to the waitresses about her cheatin boyfriend. I wish I had my video camera with me.

2005-11-23T08:11:00.000-08:00

Like Ferris Bueller Says...

I dunno, some quote about life moving too fast and passing you by.

As everyone knows, the mega derivatives brokerage that I work for filed for bankruptcy last month. Fates became uncertain, business was bought out. Everyone panicked.

Earlier this month, I got a call from a headhunter acting on behalf of a software company that I've had my eyes on for about 7 years but never was able to get an "in" with. Well, he got me in, and I interviewed for a position that seemed way over my head.

Guess it wasn't. They presented me with an offer yesterday. Full-time software sales, baby. Giddyup.

My last day here is December 7th. December 8th-12th I'm in Seattle. I get back from Seattle and hop a flight to NYC the next day for two weeks of training (back on weekends, thankfully) that'll take me right up to Christmas.

Off to Florida for Turkey Day tonight. Y'all have a good one, catch you next week.

2005-11-21T16:31:00.000-08:00

It Had To Happen Sometime

Went to get my eyes checked out today.

My usual opthamologist is out of town, so I saw one of her associates for my biennial checkup. When I walked into the office, a cute perky young Indian girl was sitting at the front desk along with the receptionist. I figured that she was up front just helping out.

Nope. Turned out she was the doctor. Holy crap, she couldn't have been more than 25.

It's probably the second or third time in my life I've really actually felt old.

2005-11-17T08:58:00.000-08:00

Dispatches From The Front: Tin Foil Hat Edition

Email from a Cub fan friend of the COO of my group. Grapes still sour, buddy?

After letting it soak in for a few weeks, in my opinion, it was very obvious that the 2005 playoffs were fixed in favor of the White Sox. It was a fraud!
The final straw was when Commissioner Bud Selig ordered that the Astros play with their dome open. No one involved in baseball has ever heard of such a decision. Telling the home team that they cannot do with their stadium as they have done all season including the first round of the playoffs. I want to know who theatened Selig's family to make that decision.
The umpires were a disgrace. Doug Eddings call on the ball in the dirt changed the whole series. Just in case, umpire Ron Kulpa failed to not call catcher's interference on A.J. when his mitt hit Steve Finley's bat. And of course who could forget when umpire Jeff Nelson ruled that Jermaine Dye was hit by a pitch, loading up the bases for Paul Konerko's grand slam.
Coincidence? I think not. I want to know who got to the umps. Major League umpires are too good for that nonsense.
I have witnessed several sporting events in my life that I know were fixed. It happens more often that you think. One that comes to mind was the rematch between UNLV and Duke for the NCAA championship in the 90's. I can still see Stacy Augmon and Greg Anthony just throwing balls away to wide open guys.
Who was responsible for this White Sox victory? I would like to know. Was it the mafia? Mayor Daley and his Southside henchmen? Or was it Vegas bookies? When the playoffs started the White Sox had only a 10% chance of winning it all. Let me repeat that. The odds of winning it all even after the eight teams in the playoffs had qualified was only 10%. For every $1,000 bet, you win $10,000 if the Sox won. Who was on the other side of those odds? I believe that the offshore casinos and websites that are popping up all over took it in the ass! Why? I believe that Vegas is feeling the effects of all of the offshore bookies, etc. What better way to stick it to them by betting on the Sox(or any qualified underdog in sports) and making sure that they get the designated result of their wagers and putting these guys out of business.
I want to stress that I am not blaming Sox fans.
You had nothing to do with this. In fact I am jealous of you. I wish we had Mayor Daley and his boys and/or organized crime on our side like you did to make sure the Sox brought home a winner. I can only imagine the death threats to Vlad Guerrero and the rest of the Angels while they were here in Chicago. Instead what do we have on the North Side? Pussies! When the Marlins were here they probably treated them to dinner and drinks.
I also remember reading about how if the Cubs made it to the World Series in 2003 how much money Vegas would be out. All of the hundreds of thousands of Cub fans nationwide that put their money every year on the Cubs to win it all. The figure was in the hundreds of millions. Coincidence that the Cubs lost the last two games at home to go to the series? Things that make you go hmmmmmmmm.
I worked at the Merc long enough to know how this country operates. Where big money goes and how it is made. You can laugh at my theories above if you want but I could tell you stories that you wouldn't believe regarding stuff like this.
Why weren't the White Sox featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated when they won the Series? Why didn't ESPN even have them as the lead story? They know what's up. They know the best team didn't win.
That and the fact that the White Sox fan base of 30,000 people doesn't amount to much.
Thanks for reading. I'll now go back to smoking my weed. BT

2005-11-15T14:55:00.000-08:00

Full Steam Ahead Into Winter!

Ahh yes. The middle of November...signaling the start of the holiday season. It begins with my favorite day (Thanksgiving--the perfect excuse to go to Florida, eat heavily, drink heavily and watch way too much football) and ends with my second favorite day (New Year's--a day to recover from drinking heavily while watching way too much football). But everything in between can take a suck as far as I'm concerned.

Christmas? Bah humbug, says I. Running around trying to find the prefect present because it's backordered until March online? Not my cup of tea. Plus, my parents split up just before Christmas of 1996--can you say most awkward holiday ever?

I do like Christmas trees, especially since I get to hang a White Sox 2005 World Series Champions ornament on mine this year.

I like snow. It's supposed to snow in Chicago tonight (no way in hell it hits the ground, much less sticks, but it still looks pretty) and that's kinda what inspired this pointless musing.

I like the start of college hoops season, and the playoff races in the NFL heating up.

I don't know if bankrupt companies have Christmas parties or not. But we'll see. About half the company parties I've been to have seen me be perfectly well-behaved, and the other half of them have resulted in me having a 2 day hangover.

So off we go, headlong into the end of 2005. Let's see what it brings!

2005-11-13T06:36:00.000-08:00

That Time Of The Week...

Parlay (4 Teams)	11/13/05 09:34 ET
25.00/190.74	Result: Pending
Cardinals(Arizona) Lions(Detroit)	11/13/05 (13:05 ET) Lions(Detroit) -3.5

Packers(GreenBay) Falcons(Atlanta)	11/13/05 (16:20 ET) Packers(GreenBay) +9

Patriots(NewEngland) Dolphins(Miami)	11/13/05 (13:05 ET) Patriots(NewEngland) -3 (-105)

Vikings(Minnesota) Giants(NewYork)	11/13/05 (13:05 ET) Giants(NewYork) -470

2005-11-10T15:02:00.000-08:00

Scenes From An Urban Existence

Left work at 4 today and I was just about the last person outta there. There just ain't much to do or see right now as we sit waiting to hear our fate.

Ran home, let the cleaning lady in. Decided that it would be really weird to be home while the cleaning lady was there so I trotted over to the Starbucks across the street. Plopped my ass on one of the big overstuffed chairs and I'm poring over the FT in between peeks at my email.

There's a couple sitting at one of the tables near me. Both probably a couple years older than me, sporting the uniforms of the young and restless in Chicago--he's got the requiste pinstriped Brooks Brothers shirt, she's got the tight sweater and the big rock.

I've figured out they're married, but not to each other. She's laughing way too loud at his jokes and keeps looking around stealing glances to make sure no one recognizes them. He seems wayyyyyy too interested in what she has to say to be married to her, keeps raising his eyebrows and whatnot.

Ahhhh..the things you see on a cold Thursday afternoon.

2005-11-08T06:52:00.000-08:00

Illinois Politics

Two big stories out of the Land of Stinkin' in the past 24 to 48.

Chain-smoking, gin-sipping, baton-twirling State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka just chucked her loud flowery hat into the chase for the governor's mansion. JBT is an absolute riot, never afraid to speak her mind and a definite bright contrast to the dark and dull stuffed shirts who make up most of the Illinois GOP. But she's also got a nasty past. Allegations of her using state workers for political purposes abound, and she's in just a littletootight with former Governor George (not Jack! not Jim) Ryan, who's spending most of his November in federal court. Would Judy be the best candidate for governor? Hell no. But would she be the most interesting? Hell yes. I'm sticking with my guy Rauschenberger.

Oh, and Lee Daniels is retiring. Lee's been a near and dear friend to the Ilk clan for a looooong time, and here's hoping whatever happens happens for the best.

2005-11-06T19:31:00.000-08:00

Fall Fashion Trend!

3 point games are the new one-run games.

2005-11-03T13:50:00.000-08:00

You Write Great Emails, Brownie

Ahhh, the joys of working for the government. Everything's monitored, everything's archived and it's all in the public domain.

Behold the emails of deposed FEMA director Michael D. Brown written during the worst of Hurricane Katrina. In between trying to coordinate ice deliveries and rescue pets, "Brownie" finds time to ask how his clothes look, and takes some tips on looking industrious from his smitten assistant.

2005-11-01T17:14:00.000-08:00

Randomized

People keep asking me if it's worn off yet. The honest answer is that it hasn't. I can still hear Joe Buck (sanctimonious little twit that he is) saying "88 years in as the second team in the second city are no more. The Chicago White Sox are world champions." Thursday's Trib is already in a frame on the wall of my office here at home. The locker room hat, ugly as it is, is sitting on my bookshelf with the tags still on it. I still just break out into a spontaneous shit-eating grin every now and then.

Bush nominated a new Supreme Court justice, and this is gonna be a bloodbath. I'm not buying into the whole Harriet Miers was a decoy tinfoil-hat conspiracy. At the same time, I think the last thing Bush needs right now is a polarizing high court nominee. The country's divided, and more and more people are flocking to the anti-Bush side than ever. Justifiably so, I suppose--what with the crummy Katrina response and the lack of followthrough on Social Security reform and the clusterfuck in Iraq.

Next to "Don't Stop Believin," the classic rock song that's been getting the most airplay on my iPod is "Do Ya" by ELO. Damned Monster.com commericals.

The Bears are playing some credible football right now. I'm seeing some shades of 2001 with their impressive defense coming up with the big play time and time again. For the first time all season Sunday (with the exception of the 2 games I've attended), I actually wasted space on my couch and watched two entire football games.

Prince Charles and Princess (Consort) Camilla are touring the US right now. I keep making all kinds of "Squiggy" jokes, only to have The Better Half (somewhat of a royals expert, don't ask) remind me that Squiggy was Di, and Camilla and Chuck used "Fred and George" as their adulterous code names.

Come next week, the fate of my company will have been decided. Not by management, or shareholders, but rather by a bankruptcy court. Delightful!

The first week after Daylight Savings Time ends is always the toughest for me. I start getting heavy lids at about 6 PM. Not good.

2005-10-31T10:59:00.000-08:00

I Dunno About You All...

But when I hear the name "Samuel Alito" I think minor league shortstop, not Supreme Court Justice.

2005-10-30T05:42:00.000-08:00

Lo And Behold!

It's week 8 of the NFL season, and it's the first week that I'll be able to devote all my attention to watching football without White Sox nervousness juices churning in my gut.

Could it also be the first week my picks come through?

Parlay (3 Teams)	10/30/05 08:42 ET
25.00/150.00	Result: Pending
Bears(Chicago) Lions(Detroit)	10/30/05 (13:00 ET) Under 32.5

Dolphins(Miami) Saints(NewOrleans)(N)	10/30/05 (16:05 ET) Saints(NewOrleans)(N) -2.5

Jaguars(Jacksonville) Rams(StLouis)	10/30/05 (13:00 ET) Rams(StLouis) +4.5

2005-10-28T16:24:00.000-07:00

Rally Pictures

Here's my out of focus, crooked and poorly angled pictures from today's Sox parade and rally.

Regular scheduled blogging will resume next week now that baseball season is over.

Never Stopped Believin'

2005-10-27T16:37:00.000-07:00

DSC00031
Originally uploaded by ilk.

Dugan's, October 26, 2005.

2005-10-27T07:04:00.000-07:00

Pinch Me.

2005-10-26T06:19:00.000-07:00

Game 3 Postscript

Blogging last night was pretty sporadic toward the end due to the dramatic nature of the contest, the rather large conusmption of Stella Artois and the fact that my laptop battery was down to almost zero.

But what a game, what a team, what a world. Loved watching Garner smashing his chair. Loved watching Geoff Blum grin like a Little Leaguer on the bench. Loved watching Marte not choke. It's gotta be destiny...no ghosts, no curses, just destiny.

Let's button this thing up tonight.

2005-10-25T17:36:00.000-07:00

World Series Game 3

I've been waiting since the Boston series to actually be home to watch a game and blog along, so here goes.

7:30 PM. Good crowd at the Ilk house. Astros replace their "Back To Back Wild Card" banner with a National League Champs banner. Back To Back Wild Cards isn't much to crow about in my book, it's like "hi, we're perpetual bridesmaids to the Cardinals!"

7:40 PM. Oswalt's first offering to Pods. High and outside. Oswalt's second offering, down the pipe heat. The Better Half says he goes 0 fer 4 tonight. Strike 3 called on a vicious hook with 18" of drop.

7:41 PM. Iguchi to the right side, base hit. Dog's already starting to whine even though he just peed 10 minutes ago. Dye with the buzzkill GIDP. 6-3.

7:53 PM. Killer Bees get to Garland even though Willy "I bat second for a National League team" Taveras can't drop a bunt. Groundout Garland does his job to get out of the inning, but the 'stros are up 1-0.

7:59 PM. DJ Selig in the hizzouse! Nice headphones. Oh yeah, leadoff double by Paulie.

8:07 PM. Opportunity squandered. Then another one squandered. Roy Oswalt lives up to every Southern stereotype possible. Kenny Chesney and NASCAR. Yee haw.

8:21 PM. 1-2-3 go the White Sox. On my 3rd beer and the grumbling's growing a little among the ranks. Maybe the Giordano's will settle the masses.

8:26 PM. IT'S NOT DODGEBALL, JUAN!

8:36 PM. I threw my hat across the room. Need more be said? If Garland's going to nibble and hang, he's going to get chewed up and hung. Oh yeah, and Oswalt's getting every call.

8:39 PM. What's a fastball, Scooter? A ball that goes slow? Oh, and what's plate patience, Paulie?

8:55 PM. The reverse Crede jinx works like a charm. The Better Half says "he fucking sucks." Marko says "he blows." Home run. 4-1 Astros.

9:14 PM. Wow. Wowza. Dye's jersey puckered...but hey--who cares! 5-4 Go-Go White Sox. Crede gets hit, and Scrap Iron's going nots. I smell bad blood brewing and it's about time. Everett up on the rail screaming.

9:29 PM. Efficiency, for at least one inning, thy name is Jon Garland. Ozzie says Garner got a "leel esited"in the last frame and has to protect his players.

9:40 PM. Juan Uribe > Derek Jeter. At least armwise.

10:16 PM. Two things you don't see very often--Steve Perry at a baseball game and Willie Harris on base. Gahhh. Iguchi's postseason struggles continue...well, for the most part.

10:33 PM. Ozzie has a signal for Dustin Hermanson that's the opposite of Bobby Jenks. Hermanson on, and my chewing-at-the-skin-around-the-nails habit I got rid of years ago is back in full force. Marko keeps dropping F bombs.

10:37 PM. Fuck a duck. I see cobwebs on Hermanson's right arm.

10:58 PM. Talk up here has turned to Lisa Dergan. Google image searches were executed. El Duque on the bump.

11:14 PM. Tension reliever (HEY, STRIKE THREE!)...we're inventing stories about the bratty little kid jumping up and down behind the screen. Theory is that he's a distressed product of divorce acting out his hatred toward Mommy.

11:32 PM. My, we're slappy. Now making up stories about Jason Lane and how he looks like one of those sad hobo clowns you see in paintings on little kids' walls. Meanwhile, Vizcaino looks moderately effective.

12:05 AM. Still here. Talk has turned to if Ozzie denies Bobby Jenks food when he blows saves. "Strike him out and you get a pizza!"

12:56 AM. Brian Boland will be getting fitted for a Geoff Blum jersey this offseason. Thank you, Kenny Williams. Stupid aging Trixie bitchnew neighbor (who I actually liked until just now) comes over to bitch about noise.

2005-10-24T18:05:00.000-07:00

World Series Game 2 Pics...

...are here.

Apologies in advance: I haven't had the chance to rotate/edit them, there was water on the lens at some point and I was getting jostled a lot, so they're not the best by any stretch.

But they mean a ton to me, and that's what matters.

2005-10-24T06:23:00.000-07:00

Baseball Fact Of The Day...

I've been to 4 World Series games in my life.

2 of them have been decided by a walk-off home run. How's that for knowing how to pick 'em?

2005-10-20T18:31:00.000-07:00

Music!

I'm normally of the opinion that blog memes are somewhat lame, but this one I found over at The Frinklin And Fred Show got me to thinking. (Maybe next year Frinklin will spell Aaron Rowand's name correctly) Here goes:

Favorite Beatles song
"Revolution"

Favorite solo song by a former Beatle
"My Sweet Lord" (Harrison)

Favorite Rolling Stones song
"Tumbling Dice" or "Hang Fire"

Favorite Bob Dylan song
"Like A Rolling Stone"

Favorite Pixies song
"Bone Machine" I guess. Don't know them too well though.

Favorite Prince song
"I Would Die 4 U"

Favorite Michael Jackson song
"ABC"

Favorite Metallica song
"No Leaf Clover" or "The Unforgiven"

Favorite Public Enemy Song
"Hazy Shade Of Criminal"

Favorite Depeche Mode Song
"Policy Of Truth"

Favorite Cure song
"Fascination Street"

Favorite song that most of your friends haven’t heard
"Back On Me" by Urge Overkill

Favorite Beastie Boys song
"Sabotage"

Favorite Police song
"So Lonely"

Favorite Sex Pistols song
"God Save The Queen"

Favorite song from a movie
It's definitely NOT "Wind Beneath My Wings."

Favorite Blondie song
“The Tide is High”

Favorite Genesis song
"No Reply At All"

Favorite Led Zeppelin song
"The Ocean" or "Houses Of The Holy"

Favorite INXS song
"Disappear"

Favorite Weird Al song
"Eat It"

Favorite Pink Floyd song
"Money"

Favorite Cover song
My God, I cannot believe I'm saying this. "Southern Cross" by Jimmy Buffett.

Favorite U2 song
"The Unforgettable Fire"

Favorite Disco song
I have no idea what the title is or even what all the lyrics are, but I'll gladly sing it to someone who can identify it.

Favorite Who song
“Baba O’Reilly”

Favorite Elton John song
"Tiny Dancer" One of 4 songs I can play on the piano.

Favorite Clash song
"Train In Vain"

Favorite David Bowie song
"Changes"

Favorite Nirvana song
"In Bloom" I guess. Pearl Jam and Soundgarden >>>> Nirvana.

Favorite Snoop Dogg song
"What's My Name?"

Favorite Ice Cube song
“Today was a Good Day”

Favorite Johnny Cash song
“I Walk the Line”

Favorite REM song
"Exhuming McCarthy"

Favorite Elvis song
"Suspicious Minds” or "Burning Love"

Favorite Cheezy-Ass Country song
Chattahoochie (Alan Jackson)

2005-10-20T09:22:00.000-07:00

Kale To The Chef!

There's an old Greek guy who wanders the halls here at my (now bankrupt) place of business. No one really knows what it is he does or why exactly he's here, but the guy owns a wholesale produce market on the South Side.

One day last week, he caught wind of a conversation a co-worker and I were having about vegetables. He looked us square in the eye and said "Kale. Best vegetable there is. I bring you kale next week."

Sure enough, Tuesday morning there was a massive bag of kale in our office. It looked like Carrot Top's head in a bag if it were dyed green. The co-worker was skeptical. I looked at the kale, looked at the headline of the Financial Times talking about being bankrupt and realized I better start taking handouts.

So me and my 7 pounds of kale went home. The Better Half was livid that the fridge now looked like the outfield walls at Wrigley Field, but I was determined to try the stuff out. I had no idea what to do with it, so Google made like Joe Crede and came through in the clutch.

Behold, Emeril Lagasse's recipe for kale and chorizo soup.

Pretty easy to make, and it's fun to make scatological jokes with the chorizo while chopping it up. Don't slice the kale with a knife, just peel the leaves off the stalks.

Served with an excellent St Francis viognier and a whole bunch of French bread, it was perfect cold weather food.

2005-10-19T14:14:00.000-07:00

***Media Alert***

I guess this could barely qualify as 15 minutes of fame (we'll call it 7 1/2 I guess), but I'll be doing an interview with an internet radio station out of Vegas tonight about the Sox at 10:30 PM Chicago time.

Listen live here.

iPod RSS for Podcast is here.

Non-iPod Podcast will be here.

2005-10-19T07:02:00.000-07:00

My Anaconda Don't Want None...

Everyone's got a hidden talent in life. Some folks can wiggle their ears, some folks can juggle.

I actually have two. One is that I can do mediocre impressions of everyone from George W. Bush to Ozzie Guillen to Keith Jackson. The other, which comes in very handy at weddings, is that I can rap every word to Sir Mix-A-Lot's "Baby Got Back."

It looks now I have to learn to sing it, too.

2005-10-18T08:50:00.000-07:00

Caught Napping!

So last night I decided it was about time I got my ass in bed sometime before midnight, and not under the influence of intoxicants.

Hopped into bed at 9:30, read Harry Potter for about 15 minutes and then was out like a light with the ballgame on. Missed the Pujols homer. Also apparently missed one hell of a Monday Night Football game. Grrrrrrr.

2005-10-17T06:53:00.000-07:00

One Big White Sox Winner!

The time was 10:44 CDT.

I was in Brian Boland's living room with about 15 other people.

Everything else is just a blur.

2005-10-13T10:16:00.000-07:00

Sox And Stoxx

First of all, the good stuff. As has been the case with every postseason game this far played at US Cellular Field, I was in attendance last night for one of the most bizarre finishes to a baseball game I've ever seen. AJ Pierzynski made a great decision (and a decision that couldn't come back and haunt him like trying to stretch a triple into an unofficial inside-the-park-homer with no outs I hope you're reading this Aaron Rowand) and oh boy did it pay off.

The ballpark was electric last night, but it was the most draining game I've been to so far emotionally. I kept telling myself if we kept them off the board we'd find a way to pull it out--even if we did strand 7 men on base. Vlad Guerrero saw 6 pitches last night--the ultimate bad-ball hitter couldn't do shit against one of the best junk pitchers in the game. Once again, Juan Uribe comes through with awesome defense way in the hole at short. The high point of the game next to Crede's hit was watching Buehrle field Garrett Anderson's popup to end the 9th, calling off the entire infield and then practically skipping into the dugout.

Hugged a lot of strangers last night. Um, it felt kinda good.

Now for the bad stuff. The (now former) CEO of my employer got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Well, it's more like he reached into someone else's cookie jar, took a bite out of one of the cookies and then gave the cookies to someone else hoping that sometime next week he'd get some more yummy cookies (maybe with macadamia nuts) in return.

My firm's always had a reputation of being the WalMart of the derivatives industry. Big, powerful and they get the job done by undercutting everyone else--but without much consideration for the rest of the world. Given my evil tire-burning seal-clubbing capitalist mentality, I generally don't have a problem with that. But it's different when it hits you in the wallet. The stock's now trading about 75% lower than it was at the close last Friday, and one of the major business units had to shut down completely. We're all over CNBC and Bloomberg. Clients are asking questions...and we as a whole aren't giving lots of answers.

TheStreet.com alluded to our "opaque language" in a few articles over the past couple of days. I can't understand where said opaque language is being said, because we have yet to make any noted public comment on the matter.

We're in the money business, for Christ's sake. When you're in the money business and people think you're hiding something, they're gonna yank their money away in a hurry unless you reassure them. So far, we have yet to do that--and given the vulturious (new word?) nature of the media today, they're just gonna harp on the bad bad bad.

Someone last night told me that we "pulled an Enron." We pretty much did, only in a post-Enron world it's even worse.

2005-10-12T14:15:00.000-07:00

Man, there's so much I could blog about right now.

The Sox are in the ALCS and if all the games end up like last night's, it's going to be one hell of a series.

My employer is embroiled in a monster securities fraud scandal.

There's a new Supreme Court nominee. I've read a couple more books, listened to a few new albums.

But right now, I'm just watching it all zoom by and feeling my head spin. It's fun, in a masochistic kinda way.

2005-10-09T12:06:00.000-07:00

Sunday Shout-Outs...

To my pals who knocked out 26.2 on a gorgeous Sunday in Chicago:

Ramblin' Rhoads and his bionic knee:

RUSSELL RHOADS \| Bib #26084 \| ELMHURST, IL - USA \| Age 38 \| M
START	5K	10K	15K	20K	HALF	25K	30K	35K	40K	FINISH
8:16:45 AM CST	00:35:00	01:10:14		02:19:12	02:26:47	02:54:05	03:31:19	04:10:45		05:09:16

Frank The Tank and his 4 toes:

FRANKLIN STEARNS | Bib #17200 | LIBERTYVILLE, IL - USA | Age 38 | M

START

10K

15K

20K

HALF

25K

30K

35K

40K

FINISH

8:05:33 AM CST

00:27:05

00:52:39

01:44:26

01:50:11

02:10:41

02:39:18

03:10:11

03:45:54

04:02:32

TIME

Chip Time: 04:02:32

Clock: 04:08:55

Pace: 9:15

Placement

Overall: 11324

Gender: 8300

Division: 1656

and Dan The Man, who can outdrink me and outrun me:

DANIEL MENACHO | Bib #8561 | CHICAGO, IL - USA | Age 25 | M

START

10K

15K

20K

HALF

25K

30K

35K

40K

FINISH

7:59:56 AM CST

00:22:25

00:44:41

01:29:51

01:34:47

01:52:47

02:16:53

02:42:26

03:10:57

03:22:38

TIME

Chip Time: 03:22:38

Clock: 03:23:24

Pace: 7:43

Placement

Overall: 2539

Gender: 2241

Division: 395

2005-10-06T06:22:00.000-07:00

It's Just A Blur...

Some Polish guy hits a 3-run homer. Then some Japanese guys hits a 3-run homer.

Pitcher who came from out of nowhere has the game of his life. Staff ace struggles before coming through in the end.

Some fatass tub of goo blows a game. Some fatass tub of goo saves a game.

Thundersticks smacking, towels waving.

Blowout. One run game. Day game. Night game.

Lots of beer. No beer.

Polish sausage. Steak pitas.

It's October, baby.

2005-10-03T09:25:00.000-07:00

Knock The Sox Off!

I'm absolutely positively salivating about the fact that the Pale Hose get to play the Bloody Sox in the ALDS.

They're tired from their stretch drive, their pitching isn't for shit. Granted, many of my nightmares involve David Ortiz or Manny Ramirez hitting a ball onto the Dan Ryan...but they're just nightmares. Right? Right?

I loathe the Red Sox more than any other franchise in sports, and nothing would please me more than taking them down.

2005-09-30T13:45:00.000-07:00

Friday Fact...

The MD in MD 20/20 does not stand for Mad Dog, as I've thought ever since my freshman year of college when I guzzled the orange and the grape like it was going out of style before spending serious Friday night praying before the porcelain god. It in fact stands for Mogen David. L'chaim!

....Friday Fades...
Parlay (3 Teams)
09/29/05 17:38 ET
25.00/150.00
Result: Pending
Bills(Buffalo)Saints(NewOrleans)(N)
10/02/05 (13:00 ET)Bills(Buffalo) 0

Broncos(Denver)Jaguars(Jacksonville)
10/02/05 (13:00 ET)Under 36.5

Seahawks(Seattle)Redskins(Washington)
10/02/05 (13:00 ET)Seahawks(Seattle) +1.5

...and Friday props to the Chicago White Sox for buttoning up the division. Trib said it best: we're choking on champagne!

2005-09-29T07:55:00.000-07:00

Fresh Ink!

Once again, I get my 15 minutes of White Sox-related fame.

This story ran in today's RedEye.

2005-09-28T14:18:00.000-07:00

Open Letter Wednesday: Special Edition

To Whomever Broke Into Our Loft Today,

Real fucking cool of you.

Really nice of you to jimmy my door open and leave some nice pry marks on it.

Really nice of you to steal my laptop. Hope you enjoy it.

Really nice of you to steal BOTH our digital cameras. I hope you enjoy the pictures from my best friend's kid's first birthday that I hadn't offloaded yet. The Better Half is glad you took her brand new thousand dollar camera too, and it was extra nice of you to take the lenses that went with it. Lord knows they were cumbersome.

Really nice of you to steal both my watches. And my Tiffany cufflinks that she got me for our first Christmas together.

Really nice of you to steal her jewelry too, especially the stuff she got from her grandmother who died last month.

Oh, and it was extra nice that you stuffed all your newly-found loot into The Better Half's Tumi carry-on. Not like she hadn't traveled all over the world with it.

So thanks a lot. I hope you sleep well tonight.

Warmest Regards,

Ilk

2005-09-26T08:14:00.000-07:00

Caution, You're About To Enter The Baseball Spin Zone

As a big time baseball geek who has bought tickets over to the Internet to a whole slew of teams, I get virtually inundated with emails from each team's ticket office whenever a homestand gets underway.

It's the last week of the season now, and we pretty much know who's gonna dance in October and who's gonna be making tee times for next week. So how are the out-of-contention teams trying to suck people in?

The Twins wanted to remind me there's plenty of great seats still available for this weekend's homestand against Kansas City and Detroit. Yeah they're great seats in the HumpDome alright, if you like sitting in a section 30 seats wide facing AWAY from the playing field. In addition, 9/26 is Hispanic Heritage night, which ought to draw the 6 or 7 Hispanics who live in the Twin Cities out to Kirby Puckett Place for sure.

The Pirates are sure to mention that they're the National League's youngest team. Be sure and get out to PNC Park this weekend to see the Buccos stars of the future--before they get traded to the Cubs, that is.

The Daaaaadgers are offering a concert by Grupo Climax on Wednesday, which sounds raunchily appealing. Thursday everyone gets Jeff Kent bobbleheads, which they can stick next to their Barry Bonds or Milton Bradley bobbleheads and have a bobblehead fight.

Best promotion of all? The Brewers gave away tickets for their last home game on Sunday. Not unusual...except for the fact that they gave away every ticket.

2005-09-23T05:03:00.000-07:00

Give It Away Give It Away Give It Away Now!

Parlay (4 Teams)
09/22/05 12:25 ET
25.00/301.14
Result: Pending
Buccaneers(TampaBay)Packers(GreenBay)
09/25/05 (13:05 ET)Packers(GreenBay) +3.5 (-105)

Chiefs(KansasCity)Broncos(Denver)
09/26/05 (21:05 ET)Over 48

Panthers(Carolina)Dolphins(Miami)
09/25/05 (13:05 ET)Panthers(Carolina) -3 (-120)

Saints(NewOrleans)Vikings(Minnesota)
09/25/05 (13:05 ET)Vikings(Minnesota) -3.5

I'm not much of a Green Day fan at all...but all I can say about the damned Sox this season is "wake me up when September ends."

Back with more over the weekend.

2005-09-21T11:36:00.000-07:00

Not Good For The Old Ticker Or Liver

Your humble correspondent has the luck of being in a skybox tonight for the Sox-Tribe tilt at US Cellular.

Luckily, the box will have a fully stocked bar.

So I figure it goes like this. Sox take the lead, I drink beer all night.

Sox start struggling, I switch to vodka 7s.

Sox start losing, just hook up the drip on the Jack Daniel's bottle.

2005-09-20T06:19:00.000-07:00

White Sox Baseball: We Are Trying To Break Your Heart

Wow.

Just fucking wow.

I haven't been this pissed off at a choke job since Scott Norwood shanked that ball wide-right back in 1991. Or Keith Smart drilled that jumper in 1987. Or No Goal in the 1999 Stanley Cup. Or the Illini playing dead for North Carolina last March.

In one last desperate action to try and reverse the bad karma, I switched my cellphone wallpaper from the exploding scoreboard at US Cellular to the field at Soldier Field. That's really about all I've got left.

2005-09-19T10:40:00.000-07:00

Overstating The Obvious?

Anyone who's spent at least a little bit of time with someone from the world of trading can attest that this article is definitely true.

2005-09-16T07:35:00.000-07:00

Fade 'Em! Go Right Ahead!

BET ID=121486894

Parlay (3 Teams)
09/16/05 08:59 ET
25.00/150.71
Result: Pending
Rams(StLouis)Cardinals(Arizona)
09/18/05 (16:05 ET)Rams(StLouis) +1 (-105)

Saints(NewOrleans)Giants(NewYork)
09/19/05 (19:30 ET)Giants(NewYork) -3 (-125)

Vikings(Minnesota)Bengals(Cincinnati)
09/18/05 (13:00 ET)Vikings(Minnesota) +3 (Even)

2005-09-14T19:46:00.000-07:00

Hey Now! You're An All-Star!

A few days ago, The Frugal Hipster came to me complaining about his woes at the dish in his fall softball league. (I was actually recruited to be in said league, but games are up at Loyola on Monday nights...and with the playoffs 2 weeks away and Monday Night Football starting up, I need as much ass-on-couch-time as possible.) I figured a sure-fire remedy for this would be to take young Aaron to Stella's, my favorite batting cages in the universe.

Stella's is out in Lyons, a near-west suburb of Chicago. Although the place is crawling with chunky suburban kids and is only accessible via Ogden Avenue, it's still worth the 25- minute drive from downtown. We bashed through 6 tokens worth of balls each, and then started feeling that rumbly in our tummies meaning it was time for dinner. Aaron, being the always-prepared type had a GoogleMap along with him with various eateries flagged.

The first joint was Waterworks. Scary as hell. There was no one in the joint under 45, and they all looked funny at the 2 city slickers who looked it. Plus, it was quickly evident that the place was all bar, no grill.

Can't remember the name of the second place for the life of me, but it was billed as a steak and banquet house. 8:05 on a Wednesday and it was quite closed.

So The Frugal Hipster says "hey, let's try this All-Star Cafe place." Sounded like an innocuous and generic suburban sports bar, so I figured what the hey. It was a bit of a drive from the main drag in Lyons and located next to a trailer service place and there were a lot of trucks in the parking lot, but no big shake.

Walked in, promptly was accosted by a big tattooed guy with a lip piercing who probably spent his spare time moshing at Limp Bizkit concerts asking for ID. Somewhat flattered, I handed my license to him. Aaron asked if the kitchen was still open, and the bouncer answered rather enthusiastically that it was.

Faded faux wood panels and plenty of mirrors in this place. "Candy Shop" blasting through the speakers.

Plopped our asses down at the bar. Ordered beers. (One only for me, I was driving) and asked to see a menu. The menu was a laminated piece of copy paper with about 5 items on it...but man was it cheap. "Jackpot!" I thought. Cheap grub. Ordered a steak sandwich, Aaron went with the pork chop.

It was about then that I noticed the chick in the peach thong and bra set who walked by with a bunch of money in her hand. "Hmmm...shot girl on a Wednesday night" I thought. Then again, it's the suburbs, so all bets are off. I sipped my Bud slowly and watched the Braves-Phillies game on ESPN. I wasn't about to ask them to put on the Sox game for fear I might get bottle whipped or something.

My eyes wandered around a bit. It was then that I noticed the two semi-hot-in-that-slutty-way chicks at the corner of the bar hanging all over a couple guys. I asked TFH if he thought they were strippers. He's like "they prefer the term dancers" and kinda grinned at me.

He'd figured it out. It took me another 5 minutes.

All-Stars is a half-assed strip club. They feature "fashion shows" which are bascially lingerie lap dances. By the time "Freek A Leek" had finished blasting over the sound system, we'd been asked for a dance. We both demurred.

Aaron wolfed down his pork chop sandwich. I gave up on my steak sammie, since I did NOT want to know where the cook's hands had been. Left the semi-hot but fully clothed bartender a nice tip and hightailed it out of there.

Oh yeah. I got home, plopped down in my office chair with my shanks all akimbo and fired up "Candy Shop" on iTunes. The Better Half (who got a semi-intelligible phone call from me where I was trying not to laugh my ass off on the way back) just rolled her eyes and slammed the door.

2005-09-13T18:24:00.000-07:00

Book Club!

Just Finished: Living To Tell The Tale, Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Ever seen "Big Fish?" This book by one of my all-time favorites is a semi-autobiographical/semi-tall tale-spinning look at the formative years of the Colombian William Faulkner. Highly recommended.

Currently Reading: Hard Revolution, George Pelecanos. I'm about 80 pages into this DC crime story slipped to me by The Frugal Hipster and liking it so far, even though I need to draw a chart to keep track of the characters. Pelacanos is a contributing writer for "The Wire" and this book lets it show.

Up Next: Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince. The book that I just HAD to run out and buy at midnight the Friday it went on sale is still sitting on my shelf unopened.

2005-09-13T05:54:00.000-07:00

Vote Early! Vote Often!

..and vote for my childhood favorite, Pink Bubble Gum!

2005-09-11T17:51:00.000-07:00

Faith In Humanity: Restored

Back in July, I lost my ID in Florida. The last I saw of it was when I flipped it through the open rear window of our rental car, trying to land it on the center console. For some reason, it never made it to the center console, and disappeared into the rental car vortex. The Better Half, The Old Man and myself spent the better part of a sultry Florida Sunday evening ripping the car to pieces looking for it...to no avail.

No big whoop really. I still have an old expired license (itself once lost and found) in my wallet that I was able to use to get on the plane. I went to the Express DMV facility downtown the day I got back and had a new license by 4:30 that afternoon.

This past week, a small padded envelope showed up in the mailbox with a Miami return address. It was addressed to me, but with no unit number. I quickly scanned my mental enemies list and came up empty on Miami, so I opened it.

Sure enough, inside was my ID, with a Post-It note attached saying "found in rental car, 8/25/2005." Somehow the damned thing decided to come out of hiding in Miami and a vigilant soul found it and returned it.

So Alex in Miami...thank you very much. Not so much for sending it back to me, as just for being an honest and decent person.

2005-09-09T07:19:00.000-07:00

Football Stuff

No longer Locks Of The Week, but here's the 4-team parlay I played:

Bengals -3.5
Denver -4.5
NY Football Giants -3
Indy -3

It's 88 degrees and there's FOOTBALL already?

All That's Missing Is The Toothpick

2005-09-07T16:49:00.000-07:00

IMG_0269
Originally uploaded by ilk.

Your humble correspondent hangs out in Dusty's old digs at SBC Park.

Scads more San Fran pictures below:

Around Town.

Wine Country.

A's Game.

Muir Woods.

Muir Beach.

2005-09-06T18:35:00.000-07:00

I Left My _______ In San Francisco

Four days out on the left coast are always rejuventaing, even if they do involve a touch of jet lag and a couple days' worth of wine headaches. Definitely a class-A trip all around though.

Stayed:

The Clift Hotel. Sister hotel to a couple of my favorites (the Delano in Miami and the Mondrian in NYC), the rooms were small but the hotel proper was just delightful. Great service, eclectic decor (including a neon purple elevator and a Goliath-sized chair in the lobby) and good location in Union Square. Don't stray too far in either direction or you're liable to end up surrounded by seedy Asian massage parlors and manic street preachers though. Plenty of beautiful people staying at the hotel or hanging out in the Redwood Room (alledgedly the hotspot in San Fran right now). I felt pretty out of place when we got back from hiking Sunday afternoon ambling through the lobby in hiking pants and a grubby tshirt, and just wanted to run and hide in the nearest purple elevator as quickly as possible.

Ate:

Harrington's. Financial District pub grub in a city where pub grub's damned hard to find, with locals eschewing burgers and brews in favor of arugala and smoothies. Great grilled blackened halibut and the usual assortment of Ilk-friendly West Coast microbrews on tap.

The Coffee Garden. Rustic little place tucked away in downtown Sonoma. Good coffee, monstrous-sized and tasty omelettes. Appeared to be a favorite spot for locals and their dogs. Establishment gets its name from the Victorian garden/dining area out back which we didn't check out...for some reason the thought of dining al fresco in 55 degree temps just was not a very appealing one.

Cafe Citti. Sonoma Italian diner located right off Hwy 12. Great wine selection (no shock there) and killer polenta. K ate a rigatoni with creamy porcini mushroom sauce that just oozed garlic. Simply amazing.

Clement Street Bar And Grill. A long time ago in a city far far away, this joint was called Tevia's restaurant and owned by my Mom's boyfriend/soulmate/life partner Shelley and his brother Murray. The Brothers Simon sold the place to new investors in 1981, and the new guys changed the menu a bit but preserved the 1930's era ceilings and decor. Don't let the "Bar And Grill" name fool you, as the name of the game here leans much more toward classic American cuisine than burgers and chicken sandwiches. The braised short ribs in red wine sauce were great. K claims that her fliet mignon and porcini mushrooms (smell a trend here yet, folks?) was the best she'd ever had someplace that didn't have "steakhouse" in the name. I did introduce myself to Harold the owner, and although he spoke very highly of my un-stepfather I wasn't even able to sweetheart a free dessert out of him.

The Pinecrest. A block from the hotel, this diner is the Lou Mitchell's of San Fran, except instead of crusty old Greek women in support hose, it's staffed by nubile young Japanese waitresses in lowcut billowy blouses. One cretin tried to snap our waitress' picture and was met with a withering stare. Oh yeah, the pancakes are superb but the 2 egg special seems more like 1.5 eggs in terms of quantity.

The Pelican Inn. Kris: Hey look, what a charming little bed and breakfast! Let's eat there! Ilk: Sure! Sounds great.
Kris: (40 minutes and one trip to the carvery buffet later) Wow, that sucked.
Ilk: I'd really like my 50 bucks and the past hour of my life back.
At least it's charmingly decorated. But the food was lukewarm in both temperature and quality, their in-house Pale Ale tasted suspiciously like Anchor Steam, and the service was wretched.

Santorini. Pity poor Santorini. It was about our fifth choice for a place to eat on Sunday night, since Scala's, Max's, Colima and Asia de Cuba were all completely jampacked at 9:45. Santorini plates up solid Mediterranean cuisine, with the only really out-of-the-ordinary item on the menu being pomengranate chicken, which I naturally ordered. K had the moussaka, which was a touch spicier than what you'd find on Halsted in Chicago but still good.

Cioppini's. Named for the dish that's their speciality, this open air bistro on Fisherman's Wharf was a great place for a last meal in the city (in a nice twist of irony, you can look out at Alcatraz while dining). Cioppini is a spicy seafood soup that's gazpacholike in consistency and just packed with mussels, clams, fish, calamari and shrimp. One of the few times I've eaten soup and didn't find myself asking what the next course was.

Jack In The Box. What better place to stumble into at 1 am drunk than this West Coast institution?

Did:

Oakland A's game. It's a lowdown awful dirty crying shame that the A's always bitchslap the White Sox, because otherwise they're a hard team not to like. Passionate and knowledgable fans who make the most of their spartan stadium in a vast wasteland lovingly called the mausoleum, while their team forever labors in the shadow of a hyped but largely unsuccessful juggernaut across town.

SBC Park Tour. The aforementioned overhyped baseball team plays 81 games a year here, and it's no wonder that they sell almost every single one. This little gem (much like Camden Yards, it has a less-than-15-acre footprint) by the bay is just gorgeous. Doesn't seem to be a bad seat in the house, the food service looks top notch and the field is immaculate even though the park plays host to rock concerts and even a monster truck rally in addition to the Giants. I was a little bummed I didn't get to check out Bonds' leather recliner and bigscreen in the home clubhouse though.

Muir Woods/Muir Beach. Less than 45 minutes from San Fran proper lies this vast wilderness. Look up at the redwoods. Look down at the fresh babbling brooks. Muir Beach is a bit surreal in that it's the only beach I can remember being on where everyone was wearing sweatshirts, jeans, and didn't want to go barefoot because of the chilly air. Muir beach overlook is worth the hike (or drive) up for some of the most spectacular views you'll ever see in your life, plus the chance to see WW II gun emplacements.

Wineries:

Far too big to go under the "did" list, but here goes. We stayed on the Sonoma side of the region to avoid the Labor Day weekend crowds and were still blown away by the selection and scenery. Any wine comments are right from my notebook, as there's just too much to weed through and try to make sentences out of..plus I'm in a metal tube 37,000 feet above the Great Plains right now and I just want to get this done because, damnit, I'm missing "Mr. And Mrs. Smith," which involves a scantily clad Angelina Jolie)

Valley Of The Moon. Calfornia's second oldest winery is one of the first you hit heading up winery row from the south. Super new tasting room and barn, great label art. Excellent, ultralight pinot blanc with an almost clear complexion. Supposedly pairs great with Thai food. Made sure to buy bottle to validate this theory. Average Barbera with a rich bouquet but not much flavor, slightly dry finish. Crisp Syrah laden with berry. Sangiovese had an almost clear taste, but sweet finish.

B.R. Cohn. Owned by Bruce Cohn, manager of the Doobie Brothers, the tasting area is a mini-shrine to the Doobies and their fleeting popularity in the 1970s. Good '03 Chardonnay with a dry finish. '04 Rose is sweet like all Roses are, but I brought back a bottle for Aaron to thank him for not killing the dog or burning down the house. Just what the hell is the difference between Rose and White Zinfandel, anyway? Are they the same? Is it like calling Oakland "East Bay" and putting a dress on a metaphorical pig? '03 Pinot Noir very smooth and light all through. '02 Reserve Cabernet had a touch of heat in addition to usual big red boldness. The "Moose's Meritage" was super balanced with nothing that stuck out, but K felt compelled to buy a $45 bottle because of the doggie on the label.

Arrowwood. Easily the best of the bunch. Gorgeous tasting room on a hill overlooking their vineyards. Our tasing was guided by Christine, the tasting room manager who wasn't just a pretty face pouring wine and taught us more about grapes in 40 minutes (a feat in itself) than I'd learned in my 8 years of pseudo-oneophilia. '03 multi-batch Chardonnay had nice balance up to the typical dry finish, gorgeous golden color. '02 Russian River Chardonnay was almost too spicy with hints of grapefruit. '01 Alta Vista Chard was nice middle ground between the previous two. '04 Gewurtztrammer was the first dessert wine I've had in a long time that didn't make me gag or want to shoot it out my nose, in fact I'd almost serve it with food if I had to. '03 Cote De Lune Blanc had a wimpy nose, crisp but sweet. '03 Cote De Lune Rouge was underwhelming with no real smell or taste. '03 Sarah Lee Syrah almost tasted sour. '03 Sonoma Syrah was mind-blowing with boldness and a great fruity bouquet. Richard Arrowwood dubbed it "Le Beau Melange" and who can argue with that? '00 Merlot had lighter complexion than most of its siblings with a notable lack of that smoky Merlot sensation. '00 Cabernet Resrve was so dry yet so amazing that I joined the damned wine club just so I could get 25% off a few bottles.

Kenwood. Boring experience from this boring but reliable mass producer. '03 Russian River Pinot Noir had nice color, clear finish, mild nose. '02 Sonoma County Zinfandel finished ultra-dry. Jack London Cabernet (long a personal favorite) is just as dry at the winery as it is off the shelf. Also bought a bottle of their $10 bubbly to keep on hand should the White Sox accomplish anything momentous this October. If the Sox fail, I'll make mimosas with it.

The Wine Room. This shack right off Hwy 12 serves as a hippie commune of sorts for local small batch types to offer their wines for tasting while keeping costs down. Friendly Dog Vineyard offered up Barney's "Muttage" (what is it with winemakers and canines?) which had a suitably cutesy label, but not enough taste to buy. Moondance and Orchard Station Chardonnays were both light and fruity. Deco Port combines chocolate and port and I probably would have bought a case of the stuff if I had room for it. Also got to try grappa for the first time--which tastes like white wine that's been sitting on the counter for a week that decides to coldcock you in the face. Wow. Peaty finish like a good single malt.

St. Francis. Personally recommended to us by Neighbor Girl, St. Francis is where the beautiful people go to taste wines poured by beautiful people in beautiful surroundings. '03 Chardonnay was grapefruity-tart with a dry tail. '01 Sonoma Claret has a nice berry finish. '02 Cabernet might have been the darkest of all the dark reds I sipped which has an almost-too-dry seeming nose, but finishes super full. '02 "Old Vine" Zinfandel finished so tart I actually puckered my lips. '02 Leras Ranch Pinot Noir was dry through and through with a hint of spice at the tail and a nice berry smell. '00 Behler Reserve Merlot was underwhelming. '00 McCoy Cabernet Franc was smooth, only tasted dry if left in mouth for a while. '00 Nuns Canton Cabernet super smoky all through with an almost-black color.

For the record, we came home with 23 bottles of wine.

All in all, San Fran's not a bad place at all. Sage advice for fellow travelers--pack pants, and if you want to eat out, make reservations.

2005-09-01T15:12:00.000-07:00

Wow.

To be brutally honest, when Katrina reared her ugly head late last week, I didn't make much of it. As is my custom with any hurricane in the Gulf, I called my old man to make sure they were hunkered down. Sure enough, he and the stepmom were barricaded in their fortified compound with Dewar's, Marlboro Lights, and DVDs...and sure enough, they got through it unscathed.

Then she/it hit New Orleans, and it was a whole different story. You've all read about it, or seen the pictures on TV. There's definitely no need for me to post any links to coverage.

I mean this is bad, really fucking bad. Initial reports said that The Big Easy missed the burnt of the storm itself. But no one was prepared for the aftermath. No one was prepared for the whole city to be underwater, for chunks of bridges to float away, for entire neighborhoods to wash away.

A lot of the population of New Orleans is poor. They had nothing to begin with, and now they have even less. They've turned to acts of sheer and utter desperation and frustration--shooting at rescuers, looting, rioting. A friend who works for a hospital in the burbs knows a doc down there who's holed up in a hotel and can't even get out to treat people, and he says most health care providers are in the same situation. We're looking at a downright nasty unsanitary gross public health crisis, the kind of shit you'd see in Calcutta or Sumatra, not in the USA.

I was in New Orleans once, for Mardi Gras. I stood on Bourbon Street and gawked at titties while drinking like a fish. I paid no heed to the beautiful old homes, the cemeteries, the music, the culture. Now that's wiped out. In my older wiser years I always keep swearing I'll go back. But now I'm not sure what I'll be able to see.

Do what you can to help, folks. My self-absorbed ass is going to be out west this weekend, but this is still going to eat at me. I started really reflecting on it three days too late, but I don't see forgetting about what I've seen and read for a long time.

2005-09-01T12:42:00.000-07:00

Califoooooooornia.....

Off to San Fran/wine country for the long weekend. Full report when I get back.

2005-08-31T18:33:00.000-07:00

Blog Day

Apparently, today is BlogDay. I'm supposed to recommend 5 blogs to the thundering hordes, um...I mean 2 or 3 people a day who visit this site. So here goes:

Pearly Gates. A pretty irreverent look at the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim along with interesting political insight. Love the retro skin the guys recently put on there.

Capitol Fax. Sort of a Wonkette for the Illinois politico set. Gotta like the fact that author Rich Miller is a fellow White Sox fan.

The Bench Jockey. Lifelong Cardinals fan and baseball scholar Mark Stratton weighs in with historical nuggets and insights into the great American game.

South Side Sox. (formerly the Cheat's ChiSox Blog) Stats and sass about the Pale Hose from a fella who goes by The Cheat...who typically rolls out of bed at about 3 in the afternoon.

Blog Maverick. Mark Cuban shares his views on just about everything.

2005-08-31T15:17:00.000-07:00

Cosmic Karmic Alignment, Or Coincidence?

As of last Saturday, August 28th, the non-compete agreement I was bound to as part of my terms of leaving my old company expired.

Today I found out that my role at SuperMegaDerivativesBrokerage, Inc is going to transition into a sales and account management role, something I'd expressed interest in for a while.

I've still got a Rolodex full of clients I enjoyed working with at the old shop. It's time to start making some phone calls.

Game on!

2005-08-30T15:05:00.000-07:00

Draft Day!

Armed with oodles and oodles of depth charts and player rankings, a legal pad and 2 tallboys of Bud, the owner of the New York Fairies is ready to participate in his tenth season of fantasy football.

Draft results will be up later...

UPDATE: Draft went off at 5:36, ended at 7:42. 10 teams, 16 rounds. I drew the 8th pick, which wasn't bad at all thanks to the snake format. Our league uses the standard fantasy scoring format, but for some inexplicable reason starts 2 QBs each week.

First round went like this:

P. Manning
Tomlinson
Alexander
Holmes
R. Moss
James
McNabb
McGahee
McAllister
Culpepper

The New York Fairies drafted, in order:

Willis McGahee, RB Buffalo
Trent Green, QB, Kansas City
Mike Vick, QB, Atlanta
Chris Brown, RB, Tennessee
Michael Clayton, WR, Tampa Bay
Ashley Lelie, WR, Denver
Warrick Dunn, RB, Atlanta
Dallas Clark, TE, Indianapolis
Eddie Kennison, WR, Kansas City
Keyshawn Johnson, WR, Dallas
Denver DEF
Eric Johnson, TE, San Francisco
Patrick Ramsey, QB, Washington
Sebastian Janikowski, K, Oakland
Tampa Bay DEF

Notes: There was a serious run on defenses late, and I took Denver as somewhat of a flyer. Keyshawn has been on a Ilk-run fantasy team for 8 of the 9 years I've been playing.
Dunn will probably be a week-on-week flex player.
I didn't get to draft Jeff Wilkins, much to my chagrin.