Drake's Kansas Boy

Santorum beats Romney in Iowa

2012-01-19T07:04:00.000-08:00

Remember how in the Iowa caucus, Romney managed to just squeak by with just 8 votes over Santorum. Did that seem really, really close to anyone else? Was anyone else just a little suspicious, having lived though such events as the Bush/Gore/Florida fiasco, that there might be some margin of error in the counting?

Well, there has been a retally and turns out Romney lost, and not by 8 votes. Santorum actually surpassed Romney by four-times that amount with 34 votes. However, Iowa GOP is calling the race a tie, because votes from eight of Iowa's 1,774 precincts could not be officially certified.

What I find interesting about this whole turn of events is that with the first count no one even mentioned the word "tie." There was discussion over Romney winning by such a small margin, but it was very clear in everyone's mind that Romney had ultimately won Iowa. Now that it in fact turns out Romney was not the winning, the vote is considered a "tie."

I'm not one for conspiracy theories, and there has DEFINITELY been no evidence discovered of any conspiring having taken place, nor am I suggesting there is. But it seems very clear to me that the powers that be within the GOP are interested in tilting the favor in Romney's direction. I think they realize now that with the Tea Party they've created a golem-like beast that they cannot control and so have no interest in a Santorum or, God-save-them, a Paul. Gingrich has a lot of enemies within the GOP for his antics and Perry, who will likely be leaving the race later today, can barely string a coherent thought together. Romney is their only option. An option they taken begrudgingly, but an option they take.

Definitely Not Coordinating with Stephen Colbert Super Pac

2012-01-18T06:52:00.000-08:00

I think it can be pretty well agreed that this current presidential primary has tilted away from the traditional prestige of our government process and in occasion come to resemble the absurdity of a VH1 "celebrity" reality show. Over the past six months we've trotted out a parade of circus acts for voter approval. They are lifted up and adored only to quickly be tossed aside when we finally realize upon closer examination what nut-jobs they really are.

Well, in a most perfect, satirical demonstration of this silliness, comedian Stephen Colbert announced last Thursday, after learning a poll of South Carolina voters ranked him higher than then-candidate John Huntsman and consulting "with [his] money," that he would be forming an “exploratory committee for president of the United States of South Carolina.”

Now in order for him to do this, Colbert would legally have to give up control of Super Pac, American's for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow, which he has used since last summer as a way of giving audience members an inside look into the process and ultimately mocking the lack of regulation concerned. Because candidates and their staff are not allowed to "coordinate" with Super Pacs, Colbert managed to circumvent this rule by handing over control to his close friend and business partner, Jon Stewart.

Turns out it is actually quite common for candidates to have close personal and business ties with the heads of their Super Pacs. Romney's Super Pac, Restore our future, was starting by his Charles Spies, his lawyer during the 2008 presidential bid. Gingrich's Super Pac, Winning our Future, is headed by former Gingrich staffer, Becky Burkett. Perry's Super Pac, Making Us Great Again, was started by Governor Perry's chief of staff, Mike Toomey. Mr. Toomey also co-owns a resort island with Perry's current chief campaign strategist, Dave Carney.

So since Stewart has been endowed with the limitless funds of this Super Pac, he is then able to use that money to advocate on behalf of Colbert's candidacy and fire attacks at rival candidates. On Monday, Stewart kicked it off, purchase five prime time slots on South Carolina's top news stations for an ad attacking Romney's former career with the private equity firm, Bain Capital.

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Colbert Super PAC Ad - Attack in B Minor for Strings

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor & Satire Blog

Video Archive

Now the Colbert campaign did hit bit of a snag. Because South Carolina has a locked ballot - meaning the names are set and no write-ins are allowed, and Colbert had missed the state's filing deadline, there was no way to get Colbert's name on the ballot. BUT, because it is a locked ballot, that means that names of candidates no longer in the running will still be printed. In response, Colbert told audience members that in his view a vote for former-candidate Herman Cain, whom Colbert had endorsed on the show earlier in the season, was a vote for Stephen Colbert.

So on Tuesday, Stewart's Super Pac ran a new ad in South Carolina explaining the strategy.

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Colbert Super PAC Ad - Not Abel

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor & Satire Blog

Video Archive

Now critics have pointed out that since Colbert's show announcing the new strategy was not broadcasted until late Tuesday night after the ads premiered but was taped before the ads premiered, that Colbert could not have publicly expressed this idea a concerned citizen, as Gingrich demonstrated was allowed. Instead Colbert and Stewart must have privately "coordinated" over the strategy.

However, here too is a loophole. If Stewart had been the one to originate the idea and communicated to Colbert of his plans, this legally would not be "coordination." As long as Colbert does not explicitly express an approval or disapproval of Stewart's plans, it is not legally "coordination."

Internet Blacked Out

2012-01-18T06:31:00.000-08:00

Check it out:

The logo for Google ... BLACKED OUT!

The entire, English content of Wikipedia ... BLACKED OUT!

So why are these and other internet sites totting this blackout out of content? It is all part of an organized protest against two bills of anti-piracy legislation that moving through the Congress. Critics claim that the bills, the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect Intellectual Property Act, are an affront to free speech on the internet and are concerned that many websites will be unfairly blacklisted by regulators for reports of alleged, but unproven, copyright infringements.

Ruck.US

2011-10-08T17:23:00.000-07:00

I willing to bet that, like myself, most people do not 100% agree with the views on the just one end of the political spectrum and have probably grown tired with the political parties that are out there today.

There is a new political social media site out there that I think is really cool. It is designed to unite people around the country of similar political ideologies. What you do is login and answer a series of questions to establish your political views and then the systems works to link you up.

Check it out:

Ruck.US

Cheech and Chong's Magic Brownie Adventure

2011-09-27T05:05:00.001-07:00

The duo is back! And what are they up to for their new adventure? Staying regular and spreading the word! Yeah, even pot-smoking, rebellious comedians get old and have to become more conscious of the proper working of their bodily functions.

So this isn't actually a television campaign. That would be way too costly of a time spot to ultimately lead up to fiber-filled brownies. It is a campaign specifically designed to go viral on the internet; partially through things like right here. This is kind of an amazing new evolution of advertising campaigns. If you'll remember Heineken's The Entrance campaign (which did originally appear on television) where the character makes a grand entrance to a party whilst expertly greeting each unique guest in their own unique way, the spot caught fire on the internet and spurned on a number of other videos as compliments feeding the sensation; each highlighting the unique characters and their background story.

2011-09-24T17:39:00.000-07:00

The Rum Diary is a loosely autobiographical novel by the iconic Gonzo writer, Hunter S. Thompson. Thompson is also the author of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas which in 1998 Johnny Depp also starred in in the movie adaption. The running theme: lots and lots of booze and lots and lots and LOTS of drugs going hand-in-hand with a series of 1970's, Hemingway-esque adventures.

Thompson is an absolute wild man! To give you an idea of this gentleman, it is appropriate to say that Ralph Steadman was a close friend of his and that Steadman was often enlisted to illustrate Thompson's words as the two aesthetics fell so perfectly in sync.

Coning

2011-09-19T05:21:00.000-07:00

This is thing man! And you know what why the hell not. The only person losing out on the whole deal is the cone-er in that his hand is now kind of sticky. Working at a Mc-D's is boring as hell. At least this will give folks to talk about for a half hour.

Book: The Man in the Rockefeller Suit

2011-09-15T05:19:00.000-07:00

I finished a book! Quite feat these days (unfortunately).

This is wild one. About six years ago this all front page news, but me in my ignorance just found out about it until now. Clark Rockefeller creates a media frenzy and worldwide search when he kidnapped his young daughter. Quickly it is revealed that this fellow was no Rockefeller. What unravels is the story of how a German immigrant makes it from his native hamlet to the being recognized as a member of one of the richest most elite families in the United States.

Now I'll say I tend to romanticize the idea of the smooth talking drifter able to charm the locals and recreate reality. It's one thing to learn about it through the envisioning of Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can, but it is entirely another to see the raw realty of what such an individual must do to survive. It's quite unsettling to see how the kitchen prepares it cuisine. Yet, you are unable to look away. This story draws you in never stopping to fascinate and astonish.

Hitman 5: Absolution

2011-09-15T05:15:00.000-07:00

I love the Hitman series. Other guys are into the high-body-count, mass-murder games, and, I mean, I'm a big fan of the GTA series and other shoot-em-up games, but at the same time I never really understood the appeal of going on some wild shooting spree killing a bunch of bystanders that had nothing to do with your objective. (By-the-by Scarface the game is good for this. Tony actually refuses to shoot someone who isn't a rival gang member and it still remains to be super high octane).

Anyway, after a round about way of getting to it, that's what I love of the Hitman games. You do it clean. Even killing one person outside of your contract will cost you money. You have to smart about your approach; strategic. In fact it is even more of a show of your talent if you don't use a gun at all, if you have get close, right up on your target, even better if you make it look like and accident.

In the last Hitman, the agency had been decimated and agent 47 (the lead character you see ripping through an army of guards here) was betrayed by his handler Dianna (the red head in the shower). However Dianna pulled a double betrayal helping 47 to fake his death so he could get close to the men who were after him. Now the man's gone rogue. It's going off!

Movie: Drive

2011-08-29T18:25:00.000-07:00

Look at that cast!!! You got some real iconic figures in the male supporting roles: Albert Brooks taking a turn from his usual comedic path towards what looks to be a pretty well performed dramatic role, Bryan Cranson (Breaking Bad), and Ron Perlman (Sons of Anarchy). But then you see the phenomenal actresses in the female supporting roles: Christina Hendricks (Mad Men) and Carey Mulligan (An Education). While these women have had limited commercial debuts, their work has been inspiring.

Then to top it all off, you have Ryan f*king Gosling. The dude is undeniably the best young actor alive. He has a remarkable capability for assuming the most complex and enduring of characters. Nothing about his protrayals contain the melodrama and pretentious that seem to trouble so many of his peers with equally complex roles. He is unable to understand his characters, and in doing so does not over-inflate or under-deliver on them but presents them in their natural state.

Plus this movie just looks really bad ass!

Swiss Fight to Ban Powerpoint

2011-08-29T18:23:00.002-07:00

One of the issues with third parties is they are often formed entirely around a narrow and singular cause. Not only does this make it difficult to establish appeal to the wider base, but once the party's cause is accomplished there often remains little to keep it united.

One such party in Switzerland however seems to be gaining a great deal of recognition for its unique cause. The Anti-PowerPoint Party is of course united under the cause of putting an end to PowerPoint presentations and the terrible boredom they inflict on citizens.

According to the founder, Matthias Poehm, 350 billion euros could be saved on the global scale if PowerPoint were to be eliminated. And think of it: no more will entire departments of staff be dragged into watching bullet points zip across the screen and frames come spinning towards them in a nausiating

Movie: Money Ball

2011-08-29T18:23:00.001-07:00

I was thinking the other day about why baseball seems to have declined from its former glory in the hearts of Americans. It is said to be the national pastime, but I think its fairly clear that football and basketball have fairly well eclipsed it. Baseball is openly mocked for being way too long and boring (that's seems to be more of a faulty change in our society towards the microwave, immediate satisfaction mind set than a fault in the game).

One thought occured to me that perhaps to some degree it may be that our generation just hasn't had an iconic baseball for us to connect with. We were all too young to connect with films like Field of Dreams (1989), Major League (1989), or For the Love of the Game (1999) and WAY too young for The Natural (1984). There were a lot of kitchie baseball movies for us with monkeys and dogs and angels, but even as a kid you can't take that seriously. Most of all of our best sports movies were either basketball or football movies.

This here though takes a turn. It looks to be very inspiring (good underdog story against all odds), and, while Jonah Hill usually dabbles in the most immature of comedy, I get the vibe he has the ability to do this role real justice.

Ad Campaign Reviews

2011-06-28T19:26:00.000-07:00

Okay, I watch a crap-ton of T.V. I can never find anything good, but I just can't turn it off. So much of it consist of the commercial that are on. As a result I have begun putting a lot of thought into the ad campaigns that are on.

First off, this Florida Organge Juice campaign has been catching my attention, mostly because they have been promoting the hell out of it on Comedy Central. It runs in like every of their prime time commercial blocks, and every time you try to watch an episode on the website it is preceded by a Florida Orange Juice commercial with an accompanying banner ad on the side.

What does this say? Company's advertise through mediums based on the demographics they attract. The ads show traditional family figures, but seem to be targeted at man-children and pot heads. Is it how it seems to be taking suburban lifestyle in humorous stride? I mean orange juice is really good for a hang over: hydration along with much needed vitamin C.

Next, this Dairy Queen campaign really bothers me on several levels. Not only is it a completely unoriginal repeat of the style made popular by Old Spice, but the spokesman has a mustache. Spokesman are NOT supposed to have mustaches!

Yes I realize that the Old Spice spokesman has a mustache, but he's black. I also realize that that last statement sounds kind of racist, but to be honest: marketing is kind of racist. It's not bigotry, but much of its focus is on understanding and playing of the symbols and icons subconciously understood by members of society. Visual aesthetic communicates thoughts and ideas to us, and, whether you want to be all high and mighty and deny it, that includes the color of a spokesperson's skin.

A mustache goatee thing on a black guy is a common image. It connotates a masculinity and stone cold coolness. In fact on some it just blank and irregular. Think about Samuel L. Jackson with a mustache... now without a mustache. Think about Dave Chappelle with a mustache... now without a mustache. Will Smith with a mustache... now without a mustache. Now again it's now universal. Just because someone is black does not mean they should have a mustache. Bill Cosby would look extremely weird with a mustache, but again it is ultimately about the persona you are trying to communicate.

With a white guy (and to getting back to my original point), it has a completely opposite effect. It comes off as though they are hiding something, or they are unkept or not clean; creepy in some cases. In fact this bring's me to this add:

Tell that it doesn't concern you that that man with the mustache is with a bunch of kids. Just something seems wrong with the situation. But seriously when you do sales they tell you to show up clean shaven, because that's one way people will assess if they can trust you. Television personality, like the type who are career talkshow folks (Seacrest, Philbin), don't have mustaches. News anchors don't have mustaches (the time of Ron Burgandy is long gone.

Now, after that very long, off color rant, I will try to keep this one short and PC. The significance of this commercial is that it is the first new ad campaign PepsiCo was come out with for just regular Pepsi in three years. Much of its marketing budget has been focused on new lines of its healthier drinks and Gatorades. This new campaign comes at a time when Pepsi slips third in national marketshare of carbonated beverages.

Arrest of Infamous Boston Mob Boss

2011-06-23T17:39:00.000-07:00

Just after the takeout of Osama bin Laden, the FBI arrests another of their Top 10 Most Wanted. James "Whitey" Bugler was arrested yesterday at his home in Santa Monica, California, after at 16 year span of eluding authorities.

The 81-year-old Bugler once oversaw a major crime syndicate in Boston, and was the inspiration for Jack Nicholson's character in The Departed. Like in the movie, Bugler consolidated his power as an FBI informant using his connections to hand competitors and rivals over to the authorities, and was alleged to have been aided by former FBI contacts in his initial escape in January 1995.

Bugler was arrested along with his female companion Catherine Greig. The 16 year search reached on a worldwide scale including reported sightings in parts of Europe. Burgler was reported as a "sun-chancer" for his alledged preference for warm locales.

The FBI finally succeeded in locating the elusive Burgler after beginning a 30-second television spot campaign Monday that featured Greig in 14 major, southern markets on show popular with women of Greig's age. Reportedly the campaign all-in-all only cost around a mere $50,000.

Burglar had earned his position on the FBI's Top 10 Most Wanted due to his alledged connection with 19 murders. A reward was offered up of $2 million for his capture. On Thursday Burglar is scheduled to appear before court to face federal charges of the 19 murders along with conspiracy to commit murder, narcotics distribution, extortion and money laundering.

New Cigarette Disclaimers

2011-06-21T18:03:00.001-07:00

These are some of the new disclaimers the FDA is requiring cigarette companies to place on their packaging, and frankly I think it is bull shit.

I am not a smoker, but I am not a smoker because of my own decision. I have plenty of friends who are smokers; at parties I enjoying stepping outside occasionally to speak with the smokers, but I am not a smoker because of my own decision. So, as an individual free from bias, I would like to express that this anti-smoking has gone too far.

I personally cannot stand those pretentious a-holes who begin forcibly and loudly coughing should the slightest wiff of smoke wafted their delicate nostrils as a way of passive-aggressively voice their protest that someone might dare light a cigarette in their presence. That jerk is killing me. I have a right to be angry. REALLY!? You're 20-30 lbs. overweight with your cholesteral through the roof about to shovel a full pound, grease soaked cheeseburger into the bottomless pit you call a mouth and you're worried about a little smoke being hazardous for your health. Get over yourself.

The anti-smoking initiative has demonized smokers. They are regular working people not social deviants. They have made the most outlandish claims with the justification that discouragement of future smokers will redeem their grossly exaggerated statements. The most absurd and distasteful of their campaigns was following the 9/11 attack and claim the money spent on cigarettes was being funneled to the middle east to fund terrorism.

The issue is with the anti-smoking initiative carrying on this way they are doing exactly what they had initially begun criticizing the cigarette companies: manipulating information to brainwash the youth. Over the decades the anti-smoking initiative has succeeded in greatly restricting the abilities of cigarette companies from advertising in nearly every medium. The anti-smoking initiative had tried the hands of the cigarette companies behind their back and has now begun throwing cheap shots. These disclaims are absurd.

Ultimately of course it will prove to be unsuccessful. Some may stop smoking or be deterred, but ultimately smokings smoke with full knowledge that it is bad for their health. No matter what MTV campaigns the anti-smoking initiative runs, smoking will still be super cool. It just is. It has this nonchalant, I-don't-give-a-shit attitude. In fact, it is because smokers know that what they are doing will eventually kill them and they do it anyway, that it is cool. If anything all these adds will do is desensititize youth to the effects of smoking.

Norm Macdonald Sport Show Cancelled

2011-06-21T18:02:00.000-07:00

This was a great show. I know this is a stupid thing to blog about, but it was and now it's been cut down in its prime. It already had established bits: What the H?; Wait, What?; Trash Talk.

This was Comedy Central's second attempt at a sports show. Last fall, Comedy Central unsuccessfully launched The Onion's Sports Dome. Apparently with Sports Show viewership had fallen below 1 million with the last few episodes. You have to start to wonder if the sports show format can work with Comdey Central's viewership. While their is some blending of demographics between ESPN and Comedy Central's viewership - they are both predominately men ages 16 to 35ish - there is a big difference between their most target viewer. ESPN you have this jockey, type-A guy probably working in corporate finance. Comedy Central you have this pot-smoking, type-B dude probably without a job at all.

Mostly I just feel bad for Norm Macdonald. This is his second failed attempt to launch a series on Comedy Central. He once had this late night variety half-hour/talk show, then Steveo from Jackass came on completely hammered and the whole thing was just this downhill train-wreck from there.

Dalls Maverick's Take It ALL!

2011-06-13T19:07:00.000-07:00

WOW! The Dallas Mavericks are literally the dark horse that come out to beat the infamous dream team trio of the Miami Heat for the NBA finals.

Miami took the lead with the first games for wins. Then before anyone knew it the series was all tied up. Even then though it just seemed like a chance of luck; an off couple of nights for Lebron; home court advantage for Dallas; whatever. But then when it came to game 5 the results were clear: 105/95 Dallas.

This is HUGE mostly because of all of the hyped and controversy surrounding especially Lebron James but also to a good degree his teammates Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Despite an excellent performance by the Heat, unfortunately anything short of an absolute success equates to an absolute failure.

Needless to say the people of Ohio, who Lebron had left for Miami, ruthlessly jumped on this event. The govenor of Ohio has apparently officially declared the day of game 5 to be Dallas Mavericks' Day.

Sarah Palin's Paul Revere Flub

2011-06-08T04:56:00.000-07:00

Can we please stop giving this woman attention. Seriously, she is the Paris Hilton of politics. There is no reason to be giving this level of recognition to Palin or any level of recognition for that matter.

She clearly has no idea what she is talking about. We already that she is incapable of distinguishing between South Korea (our ally) and North Korea (home to a psychopathic miniature dictator who has threatened us with nuclear warfare). Now she has a complete ignorance for our most common of American folklore.

It's getting embarassing. The thought that people actually gather to hear her voice her opinion on the most complex of domestic and global issues is disturbing. That she is allowed to voice her opinion at on such matters is outstanding; the only upside being that it speaks to the profound integrity of our institution of the first admendment.

Pink Panthers Arrests

2011-06-06T17:43:00.000-07:00

You know how you watch a movie about an epic heist and marvel are the glamor and adventure of the lives of the career criminals the story centers around, while at the same time that annoying little voice of practicality in the back of your mind reminds you that it's only Hollywood.

Well not this time! This time the story of international jewel theives dodging around Europe pulling off jobs worth millions of dollars is real (allegedly).

A suspected member of the group, Bojan Vuckovic, a 24 year-old Serbian, was grabbed by Interpol authorities while trying to cross the Montenegro/Serbia border.

All in a whole the Pink Panther gang is believed to be behind a series of high value jewel thefts with an estimated total worth of $327 million (250 million euros). Other suspects have been arrested in Cyprus, Monaco, and France.

Tech Companies' Emerging IPO

2011-06-04T11:32:00.001-07:00

The web-based, music-provider Pandora, a site that offers users the ability to create radio stations personally tailored to their tastes, recently announced that they would be taking the company public. In addition the internet area-coupon provider, Groupon, has announced it too will soon be making its IPO. These offers following the tremendous success with Linkedin, the professional social networking site, in issuing their IPO.

These recent events along with the potential yet unrealized partnership of Goldman Sachs and Facebook, if I have to explain what that is you should not be using the internet, to circumvent SEC restrictions and raise funds have many speculating about the raise of another tech boom. This is of course is accompanied by speculation that we may see similar circumstance as to the popping of the 90's tech bubble.

However one cannot deny that many things have changed with the internet since the 90's; advances have been dramatic. We have since a remarkable increase in spend. Many young users now a days will have no memory of the dial-up internet making its connection. With reduced inconvenience comes reduced frustration and increased acceptance. Along with this internet use has become increasingly mobile. Nearly every cell phone - which almost nearly everyone has - today has access to the internet. Internet use has become a stable of everyday life.

So, while nothing rises forever, it might be fair say that this emerges of tech boom is one that will be a little longer lived.

(IMPORTANT - I am in no way offering investment advice. If you are basing you investment decisions on my writing her, that would be completely negligent on your part)

Drake Actuarial Science Song

2011-05-27T16:21:00.000-07:00

This is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!

Actuarial science is the EXTREMELY quantitative assessment of risk. Actuaries often work for insurance companies in order to take all of the qualitative factors of a person's life and then quantitate it into calculating the necessary premium on a policy to cover the companies risk and, unfortunately, actuarial students have a reputation for being very quiet and intraverted, so this is quite a phenomenal surprise. I mean this is really, really good!

Good job everyone! Clearly not only are you brilliant mathematicians, but this is remarkably creative. Great stuff!

Movie:The Tree of Life

2011-05-25T16:32:00.000-07:00

I've saw this trailer a while back but didn't know what much to say about it, as much of the story's detail were kept rather secret, but recently it premiered in the Cannes Film Festival and was awarded the festival's highest honor, the Palme d'Or. The film actually evoked starchly varying response at the festival premiere receiving both boos and applause. However for the most part critical response has been overwhelmingly positive.

An official synopsis of the film's plot was released late last year at the American Film Market that puts it far better than anything I could:

We trace the evolution of an eleven-year-old boy in the Midwest, Jack, one of three brothers. At first all seems marvelous to the child. He sees as his mother does with the eyes of his soul. She represents the way of love and mercy, where the father tries to teach his son the world’s way of putting oneself first. Each parent contends for his allegiance, and Jack must reconcile their claims. The picture darkens as he has his first glimpses of sickness, suffering and death. The world, once a thing of glory, becomes a labyrinth.

Framing this story is that of adult Jack, a lost soul in a modern world, seeking to discover amid the changing scenes of time that which does not change: the eternal scheme of which we are a part. When he sees all that has gone into our world’s preparation, each thing appears a miracle—precious, incomparable. Jack, with his new understanding, is able to forgive his father and take his first steps on the path of life.

The story ends in hope, acknowledging the beauty and joy in all things, in the everyday and above all in the family—our first school—the only place that most of us learn the truth about the world and ourselves, or discover life’s single most important lesson, of unselfish love

End of the World!!!

2011-05-21T11:26:00.000-07:00

It's the last day of the world! Or at least so says the self-proclaimed prophet pastor Harold Camping of Family Radio Worldwide out of Oakland, CA. Based on mathematical calculations derived from his interpretations of the bible, the rapture is to occur today May 21, 2011. Although being 89 years old, Camping may have simply confused the end of the with the end of his world.

However Pastor Camping is certainly an opinion with some credibility. Afterall he has experience in the predicting the end of the world business. Initially Camping had set the end of the world for September 6, 1994. Now that may not have worked out entirely as planned, but according to Camping he conceeded he may have made a slight mathematical error. And who amongst us hasn't forgotten to carry the 2. Clearly second times a charm.

On an NPR broadcast one woman went so far as to drop out of medical school upon learning of Campings prediction, move with her husband to Florida to live with their small child, and budget all of their money so they would completely run out of money today. There's putting all of your chips on a table.

So should you start wondering where everyone has run off to or why no one is answering your calls. Have no worries. They've just been raptured off to pillowy heaven, while you've been left with the rest of us to a 100 years of torment and nashing of teeth. Well at least you'll have plenty of company.

Top Republican's Drop Out

2011-05-17T10:36:00.000-07:00

The other day we saw the drop out of two of the top Republican prospects for 2012 candidacy. Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas announced at the very end of his Fox News show after jamming with Ted Nugent on bass for "Cat Scratch Fever" and an interview with America's Best Dance Crew host, Mario Lopez (very national-leadership-type-stuff) that he would not in fact be running for president.

Then Donald Trump, apparently after having his feelings hurt too badly at the White House Correspondence Dinner this year, announced at the NBC Upfronts fall 2011 launch at a New York hotel, "I will not be running for president as much as I'd like to." The Donald, always one to maintain his ego, was sure to add, "I maintain the strong conviction that if I were to run, I would be able to win the primary and ultimately, the general election," expressing the equivalent of that childhood classic: 'I could do that, I just don't want too.'

This is actually extremely unusual. The nomination of the Republican candidate has always been somewhat of a coronation; there was always a clear heir-to-be. John McCain had earned it after so many attemps. George W. Bush was son to a President. Bob Dole had it on the same merits as McCain. George H. W. Bush was VP to Reagan. Ronald Reagan had run up second behind Ford. Ford was Nixon's VP. Nixon was Eisenhower's VP, and Eisenhower won us WWII.

But this year it is very much up in the air especially with the fact that so few of those capable of stirring up a popularity have actually declared. The only individual topping the polls who has declared canidacy is Mitt Romney and he has the stigma of having enacted a government health-care program in Massachusetts that served as the inspiration for Obama-care, the GOP's main attacking point.

Newt Gringrich has declared he will be running but short people never do well in election (i.e. Lincoln vs. Douglas primary). The man is so lacking in physical charisma that it is remarkable that he has been able to obtain so many wives and mistresses over the years, which is going to be a difficult issue for him to handle with the GOP's growing social-conservative base.

President Maxwell Goes to Africa

2011-05-16T13:17:00.000-07:00

As you may or may not have heard, the 65 of Drake's football team will be heading to Tanzania, Africa, here on May 21 to participate in the Kilimanjaro Bowl, the first ever sanctioned game of American football to be played in Africa.

As part of the trip, our fine president, President David Maxwell, will be joining the men on their trip. He will be providing a first hand capturing of the events via his blog: DU Peak Performance.

Be sure to check it out!

Art by WalMart

2011-05-07T07:13:00.000-07:00

Here's something you didn't think you would see. Alice Walton, daughter of Walmart Founder Sam Walton, and head of the family's philanthropic arm, Walton Family Foundation, has donate $800 million to the construction and founding of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

The 217,000 square foot, glass and wood structure seen above was designed by Moshe Safdie. The museum will host a permanent collection of American work ranging from colonial to contemporary era. As of August 2008, the collection was said to $488 million in acquired assets. Based in Bentonville, Arkansas, the collection will include works by Edward Hopper, Winslow Homer, along with Charles Wilson Peale's famous portrait of George Washington. The Crystal Bridges will also be home to a very famous naturalist work, Kindered Spirits, by Asher Durand, which Ms. Walton reported purchased from the Amon Carter Museum of American Art for some $35 million.

They Got Him!

2011-05-02T19:30:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning to my radio alarm. A little groggy, half asleep/half awake. I thought I heard them say that Osama bin Ladan had been killed. Now I have some pretty bizarre and believable dreams, so I was initially unsure. Then they kept saying it and it was TRUE!!! This is so amazing! It has been almost 10 years since that bastard's devastating attack on 9/11. His horror and inhumanity is over!

According to reports, Navy Seals stormed a compound he was hiding out in with his family, a currier and his brother and family. The Seals fired upon and killed bin Ladan after he initiated the shooting. Just on a side, isn't it kind of bitch to find out this guy has been hiding out the whole time in the suburbs. We've been spending all this time searching for him in caves and hillsides, and he's been posting up on a couch with air conditioning watching Real Housewives of Organge County.

The body was reported as being buried at sea earlier this afternoon. The idea was to avoid creating some pilgrimage site for terrorists and lunatics to congregate to.

BOOM! AMURCIA!

Movie: Exporting Raymond

2011-04-28T17:57:00.000-07:00

The show Everybody Loves Raymond was a big hit during its run from 1996 to 2005 and it still have really great reception in its life as reruns. The show was so popular and with such universal appeal that geniuses above decided to adapt the concept for a Russian audience with Everybody Loves Kostya. The only issue is Russian have a very different view on humor; essentially they seem to have no sense of it.

What ensues in the documentary Exporting Raymond is the comedic telling of the show's creator, Phil Rosenthal, trying to bridge this cultural divide.

Movie: The Hangover 2

2011-04-26T16:02:00.000-07:00

They're back! This time Stu, the dentist, is getting hitched. No, it's not to the stripper from Vegas, but at least it's not the really mean one who cheated on him with the cruise ship bar tender. No he's marrying that really pretty Asian women you see there. The whole group heads out to Bangkok for the wedding, so not only do they get screwed up, but they get super screwed up in a foreign, third world country.

It's the same plot framework pretty much. The lose Stu's future brother-in-law and have to unwind the bizarre sequence of events from the night before that lead them to what they've woken up to. The little Asian dude is back as you can see, but so is Mike Tyson too. Also this one has Paul Giamatti appearing in some undisclosed role.

Beautiful Bulldog Winner!

2011-04-26T15:59:00.000-07:00

We have a winner! This beauty is Lucy Brown of Nancy Brown from Johnston, Iowa, and the winner of 32 annual Drake Relays Beautiful Bulldog Contest. I also think she may be the first female Beautiful Bulldog too, but don't quote me on that. In honor of her crowning, Queen Lucy will parade through the week's events as the official mascot of the 102 Drake Relays.

However, have no worries, because our beloved mascot, Porterhouse, will still remain our full time official Drake mascot for the University.

The Great Egg Drops

2011-04-25T10:15:00.002-07:00

While Santa Claus is stuck toting around in his old fashion sleigh powered by reindeer and children's dreams, the Easter Bunny is fully embracing the 21st century. These days this rabbit is hopping around in big ol' helicopter.

Yes, apparently this is new thing for evangelical mega-churches. The rent a helicopter, fly up in the air, and scatter like 20,000 Easter eggs across a soccer field or some open green space. As a result, the events end up getting a HUGE turnout of kids. Some events have reported being overwhelmed with upwards of 20,000 screaming children all hyped-up on an Easter sugar high and psyched up for even more eggs.

Let's ignore the fact that the several thousands of dollars spent on these events could have been put to feeding and clothing some desparate souls or assisting in curing AIDS or any of the other things you would expect a moral, religious institution to do. It's all for the kids, right?

Season of Chicken Fights

2011-04-25T10:15:00.001-07:00

'Tis the season of chicken fights. 'Tis the season that two parties plow towards some mutually destructive doom all the while entirely relying on the other party to be first to give up first succumbing to the first's demands. Why 'tis this the season? No real reason. It's not even an annual occurence really. And yet we, the general public, find ourselves the betting chips of major, battling institutions.

Two instances come most to mind for this season. The first between the NFL and NFL Players Association stand to risk our millions of fans' primary source of entertainment through cold, midwestern falls and winters and ruin Steve-from-Accounting's chance to implete his new, fail-safe strategy for Fantasy Football. The second and significantly more important in theory - allbeit not in practice according to some - is the debate between the Congressional parties to raise the debt ceiling.

The debate is between a radical, unyeilding ideology and a practical application of principles. The Republican party, lead most loudly by the newly popularized Tea Party subsect, has chosen to adhere to one of the most literal and hardlined of its ideologies of slashing spending without raising taxes and does so, to some degree, at the detriment of its core contingencies.

The Grand Old Party has historically been the party of the grand and the old. Now I'm sure the growing uber-rich are much appreciative of Republicans preventing tax rates from returning to levels of the Clinton administration (levels under which our country had a budget surplus), but playing around with the idea of not raising the debt ceiling is serious.
By July of this year country's deficit will exceed the current debt limit. If Congress passes legislation that places the ceiling at a higher amount, we will be fine. If this simple technicality is not carried out, American will official default on its debt, ruining our solvent credit rating, toppling us from our perch of number 1. It would DESTROY our economy, and Wall Street will be pissed. 'The tax breaks were fine, but cut the shit. You're screwing with our livlihood,' some would presumably be thinking.

The main contention of Tea Partiest is that to raise the debt ceiling would be to accept outlandish government spending and everything they fight against. Instead Rep Paul Ryan (WI,R) has proposed a plan that would strip Medicare from the system. What Ryan has forgotten is screwing with Medicare is exactly what Republicans accused Democrats of doing with ObamaCare in order to frighten senior citizens into voting for people like him. In fact as many economist have pointed out that, while the taxpayer would less under Ryan's plan, the average American would actually pay more for health care as private insurance is often priced higher.

Obviously there is a problem with the Medicare system. It was been a dramatically growing portion of our budget over the past couple decades, but we can't throw the baby out with the bathwater. The is a difference is committing to one's principles in adaptation to the world's challenges and adhering to a hardline ideology in an all-or-nothing game.

Royal Wedding Pizza

2011-04-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

Want to celebrate the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton but have absolutely no way of getting to England let alone by passing the security there? Do you also have that all too American craving for something tasty yet delivered quickly. No worries, because with Pappa John's new Royal Wedding Pizza you can satisfy all those needs.

Another Hit to the Economy

2011-04-18T21:38:00.000-07:00

The market took a real hit today due in large part to the decision of Standard Poor's to lower its rating on the US's long-term debt credit rating. As a result everyone flipped out into a huge tissy panic and the dow just plummeted.

And the whole reason S&P gave for the change has to do with all the stupid political bickering and BS all those people keep on the hill keep carrying on with and how it just seems to be happening at the expense of the economy. Nikola Swaan, an analysit with S&P credit, was quoted, "The outlook reflects our view of the increased risk that the political negotiations over when and how to address both the medium- and long-term fiscal challenges will persist until at least after national elections in 2012."

On the bright side it should be said that the US maintained it's 'AAA/A-1+' for sovereign debt. It is just the long-term debt rating that was lowered from 'stable' to 'negative.' The UK, also a AAA, had the same thing happen in 2009 and was able to get it restored. However this only happened after their government had agreed upon and begun to implement an austerity plan to reduce the country's deficit.

Trump 2012

2011-04-13T20:59:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of speculation about who would face Obama in 2012 for the Republican party. There have been several individuals tip-toeing around the subject but none really to commit. The issue seems that many of them just fail to measure up. They all seem to be on the extreme, extreme of the political spectrum and many of them have plenty of skeletons in closets. This coupled with the fact that several are television figures gives this cartoonish impression to all the potential to-be's.

There is one individual in the running -- or prerunning running -- who captures all of the ridiculous aspects of the others and more: Donald Trump. Ironically, he is also leading in the polls as the public's preference for Republican nominee. REALLY!?!? Has the Grand Old Party really come to this?

And I mean it's not just the hair; that's a cheap shot. It's that the Donald is the epitome of absurd magalomania; he calls himself "the Donald". Why does he feel a need to so tastelessly merchandise his name? Compensating for something, are we? And does he deserve this outlandish ego? Of course not. He's not a self-made business man; everything he has he got from Daddy. He's not even a good business man; he has filed for bankruptcy on several occasions.

I just think, as a rule, you should not have the leader of the free world be a person who has been roasted by Comedy Central, as if the reality show were not indicater enough.

The Governator: He's Back

2011-04-05T06:41:00.000-07:00

Really dude? You were washed in the legitimacy of public office, and now you can't just step out of the spot light with some class. You have literally reduced yourself to a cartoon character. I mean you weren't the most amazing politician in our history, but eight years is a pretty good run. You ended with California in a fairly awful financial condition, but that was the case before hand and the downturn didn't help. You had your scandals of philandering, but sadly that's kind of par for politicians just ask your wife, Maria Shriver.

And who the hell are those kids you have locked in the basement there. This is just all too bizarre. It's like some goofy Batman/Ironman knockoff.

2nd Annual Drake Finance Week

2011-03-27T22:03:00.000-07:00

This is an event I put on annually for Investment Club. I really like the line up we have this year.

"The GOLDen Age"
Spencer Johnson - FC Stone
March 28, 7:30pm - 9:00pm, Olmstead 310
In the trama of the recent recession, investors around the world ran towards gold for security. The price of gold has sky rocketed with seemingly no end. Finacial pundits acclaim its investment potential, and politicians have begun serious conversations about the gold standard. But, why gold? It has clearly become a serious asset class, but what is it that draws us so to this shiny metal?

"Money: More than Paper in your Pocket"
TBA/Pending
March 29, 7:30pm - 9:00pm, Olmstead 310
After the crash, television pundits kept saying the global supply of money had significantly decreased. But what does that mean? Did someone light a pile of dollar bills on fire? Well, no, but it does raise question about what money actually is. When we think about how often do we actual handle cash and how often are our transactions handled by the electronic exchange of theoretical numbers.

"The Road Ahead: Future of the Financial Industry"
Michael Bean - Merrill Lynch
March 30, 7:30pm - 9:00pm, Olmstead 310
Our world economy has experienced dramatic changes in the recent past years, and it has radically changed the global financial industry. With so much that has been altered in the regulation of financial institutions and the way they carry out their practice, what can we expect off in the horizon? Here we explore the what lies on the road ahead on this new journey we travel through.

"Where Did the Jobs Go?"
Robert "Skeet" Wootten - Wells Fargo Advisors
March 31, 7:30pm - 9:00pm, Meredith 235
While Wall Street seems to be making a substantial recovery and banks are seeing record profits, unemployment remains at a horrific high. Is it simply a matter of playing the waiting game, or is the reality that many of the jobs that have been lost will not be returning? Is unemployment a lagging factor of the recession, or is our society just not qualified for the jobs that are available?

"Finance Speed Networking"
Open to Finance Majors. Email james.hall@drake.edu for Signup
April 1, 10:00am - 11:30am, Aliber Hall
With the financial industry begin so large and extensive, this event allows students the opportunity to establish guiding relationships with experienced individuals in all facets of the industry, as they seek to navigate the direction of their career path.

"Money in Your Twenties"
Adam Carroll - National Financial Educators
April 1, 2:00pm - 3:30pm, Bulldog Theater
Financial independence is a goal to begin pursuing early. Those with the headstart find greater reward at the finish line. Adam Carroll, nationally recognized public speaker and author of Winning the Money Game, caps off Finance Week by offering innovative and practical strategies for students to begin right away in their pursuit of financial independence.

NPR Scandal

2011-03-26T10:10:00.000-07:00

I have posted here the full version of Mr. James O'Keefe's video aimed to smear the credibility of NPR, because the more popular 11:38 video, which has received 1200% more views, has been distorted and edited to the point of libel by Mr. O'Keefe.

This should come as to no surprise as Mr. O'Keefe has a record of manipulating video tape to slander institutions viewed as left-leaning. The tapes of his supposed video sting against Acorn were deemed by prosecutors in California as "badly distorted." In May of 2010, O'Keefe was convicted of a misdemeanor after attempting to do the same to Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA).

Just some of the red flags that pop up are in the very beginning have to do with O'Keefe's opening introduction in describing the fake Muslim organization. He states that the website describe's the organization's mission as spread the acceptance of Shia. In the shorter version this is edited with a clip of the NPR executive laughing, "Is that what they said." This was taking out of context from a completely unrelated point in the conversation. This is red flag that Mr. O'Keefe is positioning clips to intentionally create an impression on the audience instead of allowing for unbiased, factual journalism. The big issue is O'Keefe edited the video to make it seem that the NPR executive would do anything to advocate the Muslim voice, but in the extended version you do not hear Ron Schiller immediately tell the men that donors cannot expect to influence news coverage because of a firewall protecting the news room.

NPR is biased. I'll say it, but we are talking mole hills and mountains here. Every news is biased; it's just a result of the human condition. But if you compare the bias of institutions like Fox or MSNBC with NPR then we're not even talking in the same stratasphere. It'd be like equating one of those freakishly giant carnival pumpkins with a grape tomato. The truth is NPR news coverage is the closest thing out there to purely factual news. On the news shows there is no opinion offered up on biasing descriptions, it is purely facts delivered at deadpan.

If You Hate on Kansas, You Hate on America

2011-03-26T08:57:00.000-07:00

BOOM! KU did it! They whooped up on Richmond, and now they are the only top-tier team to move onto the Elite 8!

For all you nay-sayers out there hating on an amazing powerhouse like Kansas, you seriously need to check this artical out below, because you may very well, although misguidely, be killing the American spirit. Yes, as Mr. Stevens clearly points out, to cheer against KU is to cheer in support slavery and racism, and against the very institution of basketball itself. You're basically making Lady Liberty cry by not supporting the Jayhawks.

(Seriously it's a pretty funny, tongue-in-cheek article)

March Madness: If You Root Against Kansas, You Root Against America - Hampton Stevens - Culture - The Atlantic

Move: Win Win

2011-03-24T14:40:00.000-07:00

Now by their own admission, this is no Vision Quest, but it looks pretty damn good. I was a 119, but I was no where near as good this kid. Watching these moves is amazing. In that level of performance, it's not about strength really, I mean it's still a factor, but with these the defining aspect is controlled momentum. When he slips under an opponent and tosses them over his shoulder, he's waited until the opponent pushes weight into him. He's using the opponent's own force against him. It's really hard to develop that heightened level of sense.

Anyway about the movie, Giamatti's life, as you can see, is swirling around the toilet bowl in mid-life turmoil, when he begins extorting money from an elder, ignorant client. The boy is the client's grandson who arrives to escape a terrible life with his druggy mother. The boy starts kick ass on the wrestling team Giamatti coaches giving him a new lease on life, which ultimately creates conflict for Giamatti in stealing from the grandfather and caring for the grandson. Kind of an old framework and I'm sure you could have picked all of that up from the trailer. One thing I would point out that is shown but not explained there is the hitting thing. Apparently the kid's amazing wrestling ability comes from having grownup in an abusive and violent homelife, and the smack on the head gets him in mode so to speak.

The Theater: How to Succeed in Business... // The Book of Mormon

2011-03-17T18:04:00.000-07:00

I have two upcomers for this. One unremarkably stupid and an insult to a classic work of art. The other remarkably innovative and equally brilliant.

Daniel Radcliff is NOT a good actor! He's not! Stop it. Everyone likes Harry Potter, but that does not change the fact that he is a HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE actor who in no way deserves the acclaim he has received. The only thing he has going for him is that he has the same nerdy, doofusie look of the lead character of a book series that captured the imaginations basic every child in the world.

To allow him to desecrate a role like J. Peirreport Finch is not only terriblely stupid but is to act with complete negligence and disregard for the integrity of a classic work like How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Rob Ashford, you are a freakin' moron! Go to hell. I pray this show and its cast go the same route as the Spiderman show. Break a leg Radcliff; seriously.

The Book of Mormon is a religious satire musical written by tony-award winner, Robert Lopez (Avenue Q) and Trey Parker and Matt Stone, co-creators of South Park. The play centers around two young Mormon men venturing out into the world on a mission trip in Uganda.

Now I can understand the immediate reaction to hearing that the men behind a show as crass and inappropriate as South Park are adding their spark to Broadway might be that the culture is heading in a handbasket to hell where Satan and Sadaam Hussien are gay lovers sharing a condo by the lake of fire. In fact, Vogue Magazine described the show as, "the filthiest, most offensive," but, "and—surprise—sweetest thing you’ll see on Broadway this year, and quite possibly the funniest musical ever."

This is a new classic in the making. The New York Post noted audiences in rehearsals were "sore from laughing so hard" and describe the show as "tuneful and very funny" adding "the show has heart."

What's more, even though this is humor in the heart of South Park, Parker and Stone have tastefully addressed the commentary on Mormonism. This is in no way an unrelenting bash on the Church of Later Day Saints. The NY Post remarked in their reveiw that, "It makes fun of organized religion, but the two Mormons are real people, not caricatures." Even the response amongst Mormons has been quite tempered. In the Church's official response, they state, "The production may attempt to entertain audiences for an evening, but the Book of Mormon as a volume of scripture will change people's lives forever by bringing them closer to Christ."

Movie: Sunset Limited

2011-03-14T10:29:00.000-07:00

Now I'm late in recognizing this, but I'm home on Spring Break and finally able to watch it on my parent's HBO. Sunset Limited is Cormac McCarthy's second play (author of the novels No Country for Old Men and All the Pretty Horses) and was first produced in Chicago during the spring of 2006. More recently it was adapted as an HBO production starring Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel L. Jackson.

The story centers around two unnamed characters in a rundown, single-room apartment only identified as Black and White based on their respective races. White is a college professor about to end himself and Black, a janitor, stops him from carrying it through and takes him back to Black's apartment. The overwhelming bulk centers around the two debating the existence of God and the general morality of the world.

McCormac's writing is enthralling and the complexity with which the conversation unravels is brilliant. What I will take against the work is the characters are terribly outdated, racist archetypes. Their protrayal here could not be legitimately called racist; that would not be fair, but the origins of these archetypes are founded in some really racist protrayals. Black is the cliche African-American savior; simple-minded at the surface yet possesses the deep insightful ability to see through the bull-shit we tack on in order to see the truth. This has been continued and repeated and up to the recent (Bagger Vance, Morgan Freeman in basically all of his roles), but this can be seen as far back as the Mammy from Holiday Inn.

On the flip the White has surrounded himself in his intellect in order to rationalize his pain and build up fortress walls of knowledge to protect against his internal struggles. While he is on the surface an educated man, internally he is lost and looking; unable to see above the forest trees for the light.

The issue is that in these archetypes the audience actually attributes more to the white character. In this dynamic, only the white character is fully developed enough; is complex enough to question, to search, to yearn, to struggle. Human development and growth is founded on internal struggle and when the author reduces a character to an Uncle Tom with all of the answers he denies that character the opportunity to overcome struggle and grow, he denies the character the opportunity to be human.

This is the traditional protrayal of these archetypes, but, while McCormac utilizes the basic archetypes, he takes a rather unorthodox turn with them. Because this is a work of McCormac, the ultimate revelation is not one of hope and renewed faith but of nihilist despair. In the end, Black does not persuade White to God or guide him through the turmoil to the light. No, in the end it is White who succeeds in rattling Black's faith. The force of White's elaquently arranged closing arguements seem to have an even physical blow to Black from which he is unable to find the words to recover. It is interesting to see Black's archetype quiver from his characteristic assurance. In the closing Black offers up a Job-like plead to God asking, "Why couldn't you of given me the words? You gave 'em to him." He's desperation is even more impactful by the lack of return. Just a man shouting to the ceiling with nothing to hear.

Muhammad Yunus Expelled

2011-03-09T10:02:00.000-08:00

Muhammad Yunus is the man who made the whole idea of MicroFinance a reality. For that he was renowned for extending millions of people well below the poverty line the ability to establish creditworthiness and move towards financial independence. In 2006 he received the Nobel Peace Prize for his work.

Now the Bangladesh government is forcing him out from his position as the head of the Grameen Bank, the bank he founded. The other day Bangladesh's High Court official removed Mr. Yunus on the grounds of some flimsy legal violations and a BS age limitation on the position. Mr. Yunus and his legal team are appealling the decision.

Iowa KofC College Convention

2011-03-06T09:29:00.000-08:00

This weekend we all had the Iowa Knights of Columbus College Convention and it was a blast! Three gentlemen and I headed up to represent Drake and made sure it was a good time.

The whole thing was held at UNI and was put on so beautifully. Keep in mind this is a bunch of college students coordinating this whole thing on top of jobs and schoolwork. There was a registration table and pamphlets and materials and goodie bags and at the end of the whole thing all of the presenters slides were given out on zip drives.

The whole thing was planned back to back with events and arranged in a way that broke up the pass at all the right moments and kept a perfect balance of spiritual growth and partying. I know not a combination most would think should go together, but we're Catholics not radical, Tea party, fundamentalist loons. You can be a good person and have more fun than playing Apples-to-Apples on a Saturday night.

James Franco is Bombing

2011-02-27T20:15:00.000-08:00

Seriously, I'm sitting here watching the Oscars, and he is just doing an awful job. Anne Hathaway is kicking his ass and completely overshadowing the guy. He just posts up like this block, facing forward reading off the projector with little emotion, while Hathaway is having the time of her life. She's dancing around, smiling spontaneously, making jokes on adlib.

Franco just doesn't seem like he's having fun. I know he's probably very nervous about the nomination, but - I mean honestly - he's not going to get it. Colin Firth has swepped all the awards leading up to this. The only dark horse who really has a chance of contending is Javier Bardem. He's the only one new to the race.

The Brix: Cupid Who?

2011-02-25T19:56:00.000-08:00

I have to call this before they get too famous, and I'll only ever then get to see them on tv. Okay first off, the singer in this belting it out like he's Bruno Mars (except way better) is Charlie Davis (CHUCK D), a senior Biochemical, Cellular and Molecular Biology major (yeah, he's smart) right here at Drake University. FURTHERMORE, I grew up with all three of them right out of S-Town Salina, KS.

KICK ASS!

If there are any music producers that check out this blog, these are the guys you need to be signing before they ride Youtube all the way to the top Justin Beiber style and you can't even get ahold of them.

Okay I realize the chance of some big shot music producer hanging on my every word, regularly frequenting this blog, waiting to see when I post next or even them just stumbling across it on some late night Google pass through is pretty slim. BUT! Should that happen, you sir (or ma'am) should seriously get these guys a $Ga-Zillion contact and fast!

Rick Santorum's "Google Problem"

2011-02-21T23:10:00.000-08:00

HAHAHA! Google this "santorum". I'll explain it later, but seriously just go google that (Except you Mom and Dad. DO NOT follow that instruction, just skip to the explaination below). Here I'll even make it easy and offer the link to the google first page Google Santorum

Okay did you google that .... HAHAHAHA! Disgusting right!?! Now this is no ordinary, unfortunate, double entendre of name like Marcus Butts, Jordan Dykes, or Jeff Faggot (those last two are actually real). What happened was conservative Senator Rick Santorum was quoted as equating gay sex to a man having sex with a dog. In retort, Dan Savage, an acclaimed California sex-columnist amongst many things and regular contributor the PRI radio series This American Life, which, on a completely unrelated plug, is the most amazing work of journalism and entertainment out there, lead a grass roots campaign amongst his listeners to create the leading internet definition of Senator Santorum to be the disgusting, crass, vile thing you saw there (Mom I know it's getting really tempting to find out what that is, but DON'T)

What is worse is Senator Santorum made the matter more public by complaining about the whole issue as his "Google Problem." Now, everyone start's wondering, 'Well what Google problem? I better Google his name to find out.' And the whole thing just perpetuates itself further.

LIU: Closing Session

2011-02-20T12:02:00.000-08:00

We finished our last season of Leadership Iowa University this weekend. We ventured out to Waterloo, IA, this go around and got to stay in the very nice Isle Casino Hotel. Of course with March 8th having not yet come and gone, I was only able to enjoy the Hotel part of that title, but it worked out. Those who did play just walked away really pissed about losing money at Black Jack.

Having gone through this whole thing, I have to say it an amazing program to experience in college. The program is pretty small as far as the number of kids they take in, but because of that they really take vested interest in getting you everything you need to succeed in your career. The networking and professional opportunities are amazing, but even more so, the whole experience really opens you up beyond your campus bubble. Often with college you are kind of isolated just to the world of your campus and the people there. With this meet kids from all over the state of all different studies and backgrounds.

If you are college student in Iowa or someone about to enter into their studies in Iowa, then this is definitely a program to get involved with.

Apply Today

Gym Replace Church?

2011-02-20T11:08:00.000-08:00

There has been a significant decline in the number of people attending sunday service over the years along with a significant up tick in the number of people signing up for gym memberships. What's more, the direction in which gym's are going with their format is changing. Gym's are no longer a large room with weights and machines with individual's aimlessly passing by one another. With the new emphasis on the classroom setting, it is becoming a community. Should these patterns continue we may very well see the gym developing into a societal institution that rivals the church.

The idea that such a thing could occur might seem quite unimaginable. The church has existed as a major institution since the conceptual development of a society. Gyms are only a recent phenomenon of the last couple hundred years or so. But so much of the defining aspects of the church are now being seen in the gym. In both the idea of self-restain and discipline, these are tempered with the idea of some tremendous reward down the road and internal well-being; suffer now, perfection later. The church aims to purify its followers of sin; the gym purifies of toxins. At the head of the room there is an instructer/priest, who through his intense training and study has reached a level beyond the parishioners and devoted himself to leading them towards a similar level, although they will likely never achieve it.

With all of these new programs, Yoga, Zumba, Kosama, Crossfit, you hear practioners speak of it as not just being a workout, but "a lifestyle." They may go so far as to even calling it "a religion," and they do attend it religiously. Many of these exercises, though, claim to actually be founded in some, usually Eastern-based religious. In fact, with many Eastern religions, more specifically the various Budhist disciplines, a form of exercise was used to compliment religious study; training both the body and mind.

What does this mean. While the gym is able to substitute much of the superficial aspects of the church, it lacks the deeper offerings. The promise of Jesus abs, is not the same as Jesus's eternal love. However, at the same time, many are no longer finding truth in those deeper promises. The church can offer something more than any other earthly institution can, but does it always? There is no denying that the church has failed its members many times throughout history. The idea of some higher reward that can never be had or seen or known while on this plane can be terribly frustating. There is comfort in seeing the tangible rewards of exercise, but once that perfect body has been achieved, what do you have? Are you necessarily any happier once you have achieved that physical peak? Perhaps there is something to have a goal that is forever just beyond your reach; room to always grow and move beyond.

Movie: Take Me Home Tonight

2011-02-16T21:45:00.000-08:00

Topher Grace is really great; like a young Matthew Perry only more self-deprecating; not in a pathetic way, but in a way that makes him more likeable and less of an asshole. One of the comments on the Youtube page was pretty good: "dude who was made a star by being in a tv show about the 70s is starring in a movie about the 80s."

Then you have Dan Fogler complimenting him. Fogler is a fat, load funny type, but still keeps from relying too heavily on these to the point of being overly obnoxiously and crass i.e. Jack Black.

These highschool redemption, party of the century, all night long suburban odyssey movies usually work out pretty well. Most recent example would be something like Super Bad.

Man vs. Emmenecker

2011-02-05T19:16:00.000-08:00

I was challenged to eat that. All 70,000 Calories of it. I feel absolutely disgusting right now. SOOO much grease, and meats, and cheese. Aghh ... my head hurts. I did not finish, but I beat the guy who challenged me.

The Knights of Columbus from UNI came down for the basketball game (which we also won I might add). The Grand Knight, Paul Lee, from the UNI council contacted me before hand and challenged me to this grease mound. The guy's got 50 lbs. on me but I whooped him! Dude totally puked. Some people just can't handel it. Honestly though I wish I could puke. I need to get this crap out of me.

Movie: Cedar Rapids

2011-02-05T19:01:00.000-08:00

This is just silly. There's nothing high brow or intellectual I'm going to make out it. It is just ... silly. It reminds me Little Miss Sunshine or something of that genre. It is just good silly fun.

Now there are many ways for silly to go sour. It can become too safe and soft and overall candy-assed, or it can be overly crass dropping the brow as low as it can reach. When you have that right balance you liberate the audience. They don't restricted by puritan morals or forced into anything that leaves them feeling dirty and unnerved.

Just Started CrossFit

2011-01-29T20:21:00.000-08:00

I did it. I went and drank the KoolAide.

For those of you who don't follow this regularly (basically everyone but my mom), CrossFit is a workout program - hell, it's more of a workout religion if anything - wherein you work to build applicable strength. By that I mean you perform exercises that strengthen your muscles in a manner that would be translatable into everyday movement. Think about it this way: you get in a fight; what are you going to do, benchpress the guy?

Today we did a workout called "Fran," and it KICKED my ASS; dear gawd. You're timed and you have to do a set of 21 squat-thrusts then run over and do 21 pullups, then sets of 15, then sets of 9. I got 5:48, which I'm told is a good time. But not to get down on myself, only to keep things in perspective, they had me do 60lbs for the squat-thrust. The whole thing's about measured improvement, so coming soon I'll be able to say that time or lower with a more respectable weight.

Leadership Iowa University - Mentor

2011-01-23T20:32:00.001-08:00

I was able to meet with my LIU mentor, Joe Pietruszynski, the other day. He is the Vice President of Development for Hubbell Realty. With such a prominent corporate position, I was surprised to see such a young face. He must have been only in his 30's, and yet it was remarkable to hear all that he had accomplished. His education background is in engineering, and it was his large suggestion that if I hope to enter into development that I do the same. I was sort of afraid that would be his advice. Drake doesn't have an Engineering department, which has been somewhat of a contentious point for me. Everyone of my close, male friends from high school entered into engineering in some form, and an absence of any gear-head presence around me has been slightly unusual.

People say that you should pursue your dream no matter what and with that might argue I should start shopping around for a new school that would cover my major. But those people also usually have the comfort of not seeing money as a factor and would be okay with the idea of spending tens of thousands of dollars on half an education only to go off and spend tens of thousands more on a new one. Something people also say that I prefer is that it really doesn't matter what you majored in in college. I may not be a construction expert at this point in my life, but an Accounting major has given me ability to analysis equity and assess the cost of major project like the construction of a development. So that's got to be a start.

Everyone's Coming Back!

2011-01-16T14:33:00.001-08:00

Finally everyone is coming back. I have been here since the 2nd to start a new job at Mass Mutual and it has been dead. I mean creepy dead; abandoned amusement park dead. In fact that is almost exactly what it is like. All of the buildings and infrastructure and teachers and staff are here, but the whole scene is completely absent of students. It's like going to Disney Land if all of the rides and animatronics are running and the performers are there, but there are no guests. It's creepy.

But now everyone is returning, and there are people walking across campus and cars in the parking lots. The level of activity and life needed to substantiate the size of this whole deal is finally returning.

Obama Addresses Tucson, AR, Memorial

2011-01-13T21:09:00.000-08:00

I have been alive for 4 presidents. From 1990-92, George H. W. Bush was finishing up in the White House, but I was hardly conscious of such things. Then came the Clinton years, but honestly who follows politics on a comprehensive level while attending grade school. All in all things went very well during the booming Clinton 90's, and, apart from the Lewinsky scandal, there weren't any real hiccups, so what's there to stand out.

Then came Bush Jr., and he was just awful. Seriously, just everything he touched turned to shit, and this is not a petty distinction based on party affiliation. Republican, Democratic, Green Party, Anarchist doesn't matter, you cannot deny that this seriously, seriously screwed this country over with a significant detriment. There is not one thing left of his legacy that will go down in history as a good idea.

So, I cannot begin to explain what a relief it is to see a President so charismatically, articulately, and bipartisanly address the nation in a time of great tragedy. Obama is not exploiting the horror of the occasion to pass some legislation that violates our civil rights or morph it into propaganda for an unconscionable war. All he is asking is for us to be better people; to quit all the fighting and bullshit and come together for something better.

Movie: Blue Valentine

2011-01-08T19:21:00.000-08:00

I first heard about this as it was about to enter the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and receiving so much acclaim. Both the leads, Ryan Gosling and Michele Williams, have already been nominated for Glode Globes in their respective roles.

I also just really like a good ukulele.

Usher Ripped Off Homer

2011-01-08T19:16:00.000-08:00

This is hilarious. Okay, rap does a lot of sampling from other music, but this is almost flagrant copy write violation. This is kind of big deal actually. That has got to be a huge hit to one's reputation to be stealing your beats from Homer Simpson.

Movie: Biutiful

2011-01-03T14:46:00.000-08:00

You want to talk about a transformative actor, talk about Javier Bardem. I can just remember hearing from girls who had seen No Country For Old Men how creepy he was just in the way he look; just his overall appearance sent shivers down the spine. Then, less than a year later, they see him in Vicky Cristina Barcelona and it's all about how hansome and swarthy he is.

Then look at him here. He's a completely separate human being from in each of those performances. This one though is supposed to be a last minute game stealing for the big Oscar grab. Bradem plays a small time criminal and father of two in Barcelona who's delicately maintain lifestyle just starts to unravel and ultimately fall to when he discovers he is inflicted with a terminal illness. Very is just hanging by a string. There is already the perpetual stress of just managing to scrap by when he is the only one able to care for the others in his life, and then this major distruption he is completely unable to handle. It all just slips away from him into chaos.

Movie: The Mechanic

2011-01-03T14:45:00.000-08:00

I just like hitman movies. I don't know if this one is going to be any good. I mean it's definitely not any in running for any serious awards, but the cast is pretty good as far action flicks go.

Jason Statham, come on. The guy's as bad assed as there is out there. Honestly when the film adaptation of the video game series Hitman came out, I was completely blaffled that they didn't choose him to play Agent 47. He looks like 47, sounds like 47, and is the perfect typecast for the role. Timothy Olyphant is a great actor, sure, but he just really fit in that role.

Then you have Ben Foster teaming up alongside Statham, who is, to be honest, one of the most underrated actors of today. IMBd lists him 8th on their list of 150 Best Living Actors, but for the most part he has yet to receive the roles his performances deserve.

Movie: Casino Jack

2010-12-21T20:38:00.002-08:00

Do you remember Jack Abramoff? I mean it's been several years since everything transcended, but it was a HUGE deal. The whole scandal really opened the public's eyes to just how much control big money lobbyist had in DC; legislation has a price tag.

Kevin Spacey always does a phenomenal job. He's already been nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor.

"Season of Over-Indulgence" Campaigns

2010-12-21T20:38:00.001-08:00

Have you noticed all of these ad campaigns leading up through the Christmas season that keep promoting this phrase "season of over-indulgence"?

First there's this campaign for Pepto:

Then Acura really hit it hard. This is like a montage to all the different ads they had using the phrase:

I just bring it up, because, although they say it like this is a commonly understood description of the season, I don't think I've ever heard the phrase before this. I mean I've heard the priest stand up at the pulpit and preach on the trouble of an overly commercialized, secular season and how we need to focus more on the religious origins. But I really don't think I heard this described as a season of over indulgence before.

I think it's kind of cool though. The campaigns aren't just promoting their own products, but they are creating a much needed mentality in consumers that this is the season to spend, spend, spend. This is certainly a mentality retailers need from consumers in light of all that has happened.

GM Thankyou Commercial

2010-12-17T08:30:00.000-08:00

Thank you! Seriously, that's kind of all any of us really wanted. Just some acknowledgement that all of these "too-big-to-fail" companies failed and the burden fell upon us the U.S. tax payer to save their ass.

Don't play it around like you did with the last spring's commercial and pretend you it's not a big deal and you have it handled. Just say it. You royally screwed the pooched and you are heavily indebted to the American people for saving you.

Why can't we get this same acknowledgement from the banks? Instead of being all indignant and voicing some bull shit arguement about how you were owed the bailout because of how important you are to the economy and that without we would have all suffered. This is true to a good extent, but ultimately the fact still stands you failed epicly costing the rest of us dearly.

All Done!

2010-12-15T18:28:00.000-08:00

Done!!! All finished! No more tests, papers, projects, presentations, nothing.

I'm actually not sure what I'm going to do now. Of course we are going to have to celebrate, but I have like 3 hours until we can do that. Then when I wake up in the morning I have a whole day of down time. I don't know. I have nothing I have to do, but I suppose I can do whatever I want. No worries just get to enjoy it now.

Mark Madoff Death

2010-12-12T09:15:00.000-08:00

Bernard Madoff (left) with his wife Ruth and son Mark, who was found dead in his New York apartment. Photograph: GI/BM/Getty Images

Eldest son of the infamous Bernie Madoff, Mark Madoff, was found dead in his Manhattan apartment hanging from a dog leash two years to the day of his father's arrest.

The departed Madoff had not been charged with any crimes associated with his father's financial embezzlements, but investigations had been on going to discover any of his involvment with the scandal.

Snow

2010-12-11T19:07:00.000-08:00

So all unholy, arctic-tundra hell decided to descend upon Des Moines today, and I am not leaving this warm room of my for ANYTHING ... except for like finals or something kind of important.

Seriously though, everyone I see walking around out there is having to walk backwards into the wind. I knew we weren't going to make it through December in Des Moines with out snow, but it is just piling it on out there.

I'm going to tell you, when I was little and lived in Kansas, I loved snow; thought it was the most amazing thing in the world. You could build stuff out of it, chuck it at people, slide down a hill really fast on it, and sometimes it would even help you to get out of school. But up here, this is like a horse of a totally different color. This stuff is rough, frigid, icy evil. Of course all of the Minnesota kids think I'm being a pansy, but it is really, really cold.

Celebrity commercials

2010-12-09T20:48:00.000-08:00

Have you noticed there has been a lot of television commercials lately with big name, A list actors appearing in them. Like there's this one for Google TV with Kevin Bacon:

Then Planter's Peanut has this new ad campaign with Mr. Peanut being voiced by Robert Downing Jr

It's just a little bizarre. Normally when you see an actor appearing as a character in a television commercial is a sign that their career has tanked and you have this, 'Oh yeah, hey. I wondered what happened to them,' moment - doing the narration voice over for something like a car commercial is different - but you don't get that with these.

They're quirky. The humor in them gives you the feeling that, what with being big shot celebrities and always doing big-budget, Hollywood movies, they took these up on a fling; a fun, little 'what-the-heck.' Bet they still got paid like crazy even for this little bit of performance.

NY Times: 14 Actors Acting

2010-12-08T15:21:00.000-08:00

14 Actors Acting

You got to check this out. This is these fantastic collection of some of the best actors out there performing without saying a word. There is even a clip of Michael Douglas, which honestly at this poitn may be one of his last performances on tape. Everything is so delicate.

Body language makes up like 70% of our communication, but we become so used to it through out our lives that we often stop to concious recognize. We receive all these messages and transmit them outwards often not acknowledging the reason why people make us feel certain ways and vice versa.

Watch these videos. The slightest tuck or jut of the chin or raise of the brow communicates volumes. The Vincent Cassel one is pretty good. It's like a Gene Kelly homage.

Wikileaks Arrest

2010-12-08T10:55:00.000-08:00

They caught him! Julian Assange handed himself in the other day to British authorities where he will be extradited to Swizterland for several related charges of sexual assualt. There is a good possibility he may then be extradited to the U.S. for disclosing of classified documents.

Now I've said this to several people already with the same excitement I have above written, and the response I seem to get is that they are bummed by it. They view this as the capture of a nobel Robin Hood figure. Really?

The guy's a little shit. All the stuff he revealed were legitimate government secrets and in doing so all he did was complicate diplomatic practices. It's not like he released the Pentagon Papers. For everything I've read and heard, he basically just released a bunch of gossipy crap that countries were saying behind each others back. I'm not saying this on the basis of some ultra-conservative source like a Fox News or Glenn Beck. I'm saying this based on reports from New Yorker magazine and NPR. He essentially released the People Magazine of world politics.

The problem with this is we need to do things behind other countries backs and say things to one and say something else to another. That's how politics works. Don't be naive! All of do the same thing in our regular lives. You say crap on people in your community all the time behind closed doors that you make a smiling face to when out and about. WikiLeaks is not a whole lot different than the little kid who doesn't know when to shut up and just babbles out all of the gossip he picks up from his parents.

Worst of all many of these reports were released without any concern for the security of foreign operations. Those reports disclosed the names of foreign informants who are now in serious danger for their lives. Assange is not a vigilanty for the truth protecting us from the secracy of the government. He is a reckless gossip publisher.

Movie: True Grit

2010-12-04T18:30:00.000-08:00

This may appear familar to John Wayne fans. The story is actually based on a 1968 Charles Portis novel of the same name, but was first made into a film in 1969 staring the Duke. The film won an aging Wayne his first and only Academy Award for his protrayal of Marshal Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn.

What I love with new production is the brilliant assembly of actors. Apart from Hailee Steinfield, here playing the film's heroine, Mattie Ross, each of these leading actors has had experience with Western, cowboy-esque characters with great success. Jeff Bridges, here filling the place of Wayne, received an Academy Award for his leading performance in Crazy Heart along with many many other recognitions. Josh Brolin and the Coen Brothers collaborated a few years in the making of No Country for Old Men that won 4 of eight Academy Award nominations. Hopefully the Coen brothers can keep Brolin on this track and away from a Jonah Hex performance. Then Matt Damon, who appeared in Geronimo: An American Legend and All the Pretty Horses.

I normally really object to remakes of classic, but this just has such tremendous potential cast. It's the perfect cast with a pair of directors capable of handling the art with a brilliance that will bring it to new levels.

Vibram Ban

2010-11-29T16:48:00.000-08:00

The Knapp Center weight room has banned the Vibram Five Finger. This matter is so freakin' ridiculous that I couldn't even find another article relating to the subject or any kind of picture to go along with it. You know why? Because the Vibram glove is FREAKIN' AWESOME!!!

The arguement is that, 'yes, we understand that if you drop a 45 lbs. weight on your foot your going to break it no matter what you wearing, but our concern is in the event you drop a 10 lbs. weight on your foot you won't have any kind of protection.'

First off how much of a jackass do you think I am or anyone else in that weight room is for that matter is to drop a 10lbs. on their foot or at least move out of the way in the event that it happens?

Second the Vibram glove provides just as much protection up top as any other commonly worn shoe. Most people come into the weight room wearing tennis shoes. Now put some thought into this. A tennis shoe was not designed with the intention of protecting your toes from falling weighty objects. The whole toe area is covered by fishnet. Fishnet! and a weak one at that. This is not a material design to absorb shock. This is a material design to be light and air out the stinky feet of active tennis players and runners.

So, will I stop wearing the shoe. Hell no. I don't have anything else to wear, and I'll be damned if money is being spent on a new pair of shoes before these have had their use. I'm just going in the back and avoiding the attendant.

Final Are Approaching

2010-11-29T15:13:00.000-08:00

You know when there are those days leading up to a school break, you tell yourself 'Oh that big project' or 'Oh that big paper that's do here in a few weeks, I do all of it over the holiday break.' Yeah that never happens. It's impossible! Teachers never seem to understand that a break is meant to be... a break! You completely check out. How can you compell yourself to sit at your desk (or the desk you had when you where a little kid, because your big kid desk moved with you to school) and actually work when there is just something celebrating and welcoming back going on all around you?

Today each of my professors made sure to sneak in a reminder that finals are only TWO WEEKS AWAY. Two weeks! Really?!? Two weeks to catch up on all those chapters and finishes those projects and keep up with regular homework. Oh my goodness. I'm going to have a heart attack here.

Thanksgiving - Much Needed - Break

2010-11-29T14:57:00.000-08:00

Ah it was a good break. It's just good have that brief little bit of time to take you out of the grind, where you just get to sit back and enjoy loved ones. There's just tons and tons of good food. No one has seen each other for so long and so there are bunch of stories to tell and new ones to hear. Thanksgiving just has the overwhelming ease and relaxing feel to it.

Now I say that with the understanding that I sit from the position of a person who would no reason to feel otherwise. The whole production is done from the home I grew up in and I, I must confess, do very little to nothing to prepare for the grand event. The whole thing is so expertly cooridinate and masterfully orchestrated by my mother that from my seat as the lazy audience member that the whole elaborate festivities seem to go off without a hitch as if by some divine natural occurance.

No I rest of the men in my family seek out that day to go hunting, which is to say we traipse through miles and miles of alfalfa fields marching with guns in hand having only the rare occasion to fire them. Although! Although, this year we actually got to stur up some pretty good covies. We only came home with 2 quail and 1 pheasant, but part of that is do to the dogs losing a few. In the end, it's just kind of fun to be outdoors there getting to catch up with cousins and uncles and trade stories.

Sarah Palin - National Embarassment

2010-11-27T20:53:00.000-08:00

There are those who will say that I am being cruel; who will that say I am being elitist harassing such a small town mother and America's (some of America's) newest sweetheart. But when this little lady and political pundits start having serious discussion about her being the next GOP presidential canidate, then we need to sit down and take a serious look at this the credibility of lady Palin.

The reason I'm bringing this up now is her recent comments on the Glenn Beck show gave me a brain aneurysm. You remember the scene in Billy Madison when Adam Sandler gives his answer for the contest about the poky little puppy and Principal responds: "Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it." Yeah same thing here.

Okay, so,Palin was on the show and Beck asked how she might handle the situation in North Korea. Palin responds, "This is stemming from, I think, a greater problem when we're all sitting around asking, 'Oh no, what are we going to do,' and we're not having a lot of faith that the White House is going to come out with a strong enough policy to sanction what it is that North Korea is going to do." Lady Palin goes on to add, "Obviously, we gotta stand with our North Korean allies."

That's not a slip of the tongue, all right. Don't defend that. Call it for what it is: the lady knows shit about foreign policy. Mrs. Palin I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

This is who folks think will be the next GOP presidential candidate? Really? REALLY? Let's serious look at this lady, and, again, I'm not doing this to be mean, but it's kind of coming to the point, unfortunately, that we are going to have to do this. This isn't American Idol folks. It actually does matter who becomes President. Like for real. It is actually kind of a big deal.

Because Tea Party die-hards would through a tissy fit and violating her private life or whatever even though she has made herself a public figure and that doesn't exist anymore, we're going to keep it classy and not even metnion how terribly, terribly dysfunctional her family home life is. So, let's just stick with how moronically she has displayed herself in her political life.

The GOP picks up this lady from Alaska in order to manipulate the female factor and steal hard-core Hilary backers away from the Democrat's tent. That's it. She's a female, kind of hot, and has political experience; nothing more. The Grand Old white guy's Party doesn't have to much to pick from to fit that criterial, so they had to take what they could get regardless of her level of intelligence or lack thereof.

Her and grand old white guy McCain lose, so instead of returning to fulfill her public service and duties as govenor to the state of Alaska she ditches everyone up there for big money working FOX, making book deals, and doing speaking tours. Don't give me that crap that it was the system and it was just too screwed up and inherently backed up for her to handle. It's Alaska, and no office but just based on how rarely Alaskan current events appear on the national circuit I can't believe it takes too much Machiavellian masterminding navigating the politics of the Last Frontier. This is not a woman who cares about this country or serving its citizens. This is a small town girl caught up in the momentum of her artificially inflated celebrity only interested in how big she can get and how much money she can make along the way.

Bernie Madoff Auction

2010-11-15T21:26:00.000-08:00

Photo by Jessica Rinaldi/Reuters

This guy screwed over the wrong people. They are liquidating everything and anything of the guy's in order to get their money back.

Over the weekend, the government held the 2nd Bernie Madoff auction and you have to check out some of the stuff on the list. They were offering up nail clippers, a collection of Rod Stewart CDs, a collection of board games, a bunch of Kosher cook books, even the wive's belly-button jewlery. They're selling off the man's underwear for Christ sakes.

Yes, the man was a (put your expletive), but this is just bizarre. With the first auction they sold off his set of Rolex and signature monogrammed Mets jacket. They were big ticket items that would obviously draw a crowd. This though. These are just little trinkets with the only really value being that they were once possessed by the immortally infamous Bernie Madoff. I mean it reminds of the bizarre relic collecting of early Christendom where kings and nobles clung to the ear of St. Peter or a tooth of Mary Magdalene.

It's a pair of boxer shorts and some weirdo is going to pay several hundred dollars for it.

Google Prompts Invasion

2010-11-15T20:55:00.000-08:00

This is why I love NPR. You get bizarre little news stories like this that would totally go under the radar for any other news group.

So I was listening to All Things Considered the other day and they had this for a story. Here's what happen. Now we have all had a moment where Google maps totally screwed us with directions, and you're not sure why you got off at that exit, or why you've been told head south for the past 20 minutes when you need to be north, or WHAT THE HELL! it say's it's right there!

To Google Map's credit, it is understandable. These are computer geek, search enginee folks who have respectively mapped (and continually update as best can be) the entire earth. It's quite a remarkable feat when you consider the arduous, painstaking work geography used to be. And, in truth, despite the occasional screwup, I never leave for a trip without my Google directions.

However, a recent Google hiccup lead to an international iccedent, when the website accidently mislaid the Nicaraguan/Costa Rica border offering Nicaragua more than it initially thought it had. Operating on the belief that anything on the internet MUST be true, the Nicaraguan government proceeded to invaded the disputed area. This issue is currently being brought before the UN Security Council to handle the disput. This is why they call military intelligence an oxymoron.

Crossfit

2010-11-08T20:24:00.000-08:00

There is this workout and diet program I just found out called CrossFit, and I've been looking into it more and the whole thing looks really cool. The whole thing is about building natural, applicable strength, as opposed to traditional body building where you just isolate a muscle group for the day. Like normally you have a day where you just wail on you biceps, but with CrossFit the lifts and exercises require the movement be carried out through your body thus synergistically strengthening your muscles. This allows for a more natural development and a strength that can more applied to real word use, because, honestly, how often in life do you run into a situation that you have to start curling something.

For this reason CrossFit is widely used by special unit police, the marines and other military outfits, and mixed martial artist. It's design is best suited for combat conditioning and developing that elite physical condition. It operates on gymnastics, olympic lifting, sprinting, and advanced calisthenics.

I've posted a video of the Fight Gone Bad workout. It was designed for a MMA fighter to stimulate the experience in the ring. At the end of it he went off and pukes and said that was like a "fight gone bad."

It's a whole lifestyle change. CrossFit advises the Paleolithic Model for Nutrition which operate under the assumption that human evolution has not caught up with modern food processing and consists primarily of green vegetables and lean meats. There are gyms that are CrossFit certified and have all that stuff you see to do the exercises, but it is also possible to tailor the workouts of the day down to fit your means.

It's kind of funny, a guy in one of my classes actually brought up in conversation that he owns his own CrossFit gym a month or so ago. I walked away not thinking much of it except how cool it was that a guy my age owned his own gym, but then like a week or two ago I go to Chicago, see my uncle, and he tells me all about CrossFit and how he's been getting into it.

CrossFit Website

Trader Joes in Des Moines

2010-11-07T07:06:00.000-08:00

We got a Trader Joes in Des Moines! It opened up Friday. I was out of town for much of the weekend and didn't get back until late Saturday afternoon, but when I got there it was still just overwhelmingly packed. I could barely move a cart through the aisles. You had to know what you wanted, where it was, and couldn't second guess your choice. There is a good and bad to that. Yes the popularity is overwhelming, but it does demonstrate that the Des Moines market can sustain a Trader Joe's and makes sure it and all of it's gourmet goods at competitively low prices remain available to us.

Trader Joe's is a grocery store with gourmet and organic food at prices that in some cases would give Walmart a run for its money. The whole thing is just dazzling to see it all there before you. I went to get a gallon of organic milk and they had expiration dates there not until November 23rd! That may be an odd thing to remark about to some of you all, but I mean usually you're lucky if you can get an expiration a 6 days a head of when you buy it. I got two.

Above is the Youtube famous Trader Joe's song, highlighting all the things we love of these unique shop.

Lombardi - The Musical

2010-10-31T12:43:00.000-07:00

Most people who hear the idea of making the legacy of Vince Lombardi, football coaching god, into a Broadway play would think of it as being about as likely a blend as oil and water. But a lot of football fanatics, sport historians, and even former members of the 1966 Green Bay Packers, winners of the first Super Bowl, coached by Lombardi are calling it excellent. Guys who have to be pulled to their own kids' recitals are planning trips to New York all around seeing this show.

Lombardi the Musical

Obama on the Daily Show

2010-10-28T12:42:00.000-07:00

This was really cool. If you didn't get a chance to watch it, they will be replaying during it the day but there also is a link below.

Both just demonstrate a good understanding of how an intelligent conversation is supposed to go, and it wasn't because Stewart took it easy on the President. He called him out on a lot of the disappoint people having been experiencing with this presidency, but the President handled it all very affably.

You see so many people come on TV these days just ranting like a crazy persons; getting all flustered and nonsensical when faced with the possiblity of intelligent conversation and they are unable to come up with a proper response without getting all red in the face and shouting. Even politicians - well especially politicians what with the freakshows that are popping up for candidacy these days - usually have trouble with this. Is it really that to listen to another person, and, then, having given proper consideration and forethought, offer a response that is both relative and tactful.

Daily Show - Obama

World Series

2010-10-24T16:36:00.000-07:00

This is a real dark horse combination this year heading to the World Series. The Texas Rangers will be going up against the San Francisco Giants starting this Wednesday at AT&T Park.

What is really unique about this is Giants have never won since moving to San Francisco, and the Rangers have just never won a series, period. This is the Rangers first Pennant in fact. So its a series of firsts either way to be sure.

The story of the Rangers is pretty great. They beat the titanic NY Yankees powerhouse (who have had far more than their share of World Series titles to say enough), but not only do they beat them, the Rangers freakin' trounced the Yankees. Four games to two, Texas finished up the final game 6-1. What is more the final out that rapped up the 9th and clinched the League Championship for Texas was against Alex Rodriguez. This was a sweet revenge for Texas fans who were devastated when Rodriguez left the Rangers in 2004 to trade up for the big money Yankees.

New Vibram Shoes!

2010-10-24T16:06:00.000-07:00

I got them! And they are AWESOME! I got the KSO brand as you can see above. These are meant to be the most versatile of the vibram brands. These things can be use for running, trekking, rock climbing, exercise, calisthenics. Pretty much the only thing they are not recommended for are water sports, but I don't think it would be that big of a deal. There is a specific vibram brand that is designed purposefully for water sports that is thermally insulated, but I think that is the only advantage.

It feels amazing to run in these things. It is exactly like running barefoot but with none of the sharps pains of the random acorn shell or tiny rock. It gives you're calves a heck of workout that I wasn't getting with traditional running shoes.

I just like wearing these things around the house, too. I'd love it if these things became more widely accepted. I get some funny looks and questions asked when I just wear them out and about. I think the black is pretty stylish and conservative though. I'd like to see the day wear I could wear these with a suit to work some day.

Gym Etiquette

2010-10-19T21:30:00.000-07:00

The gym is unique in that it's this intense bee hive of activity with a ton of people moving all around, back and forth, and almost no one is talking. Everyone has their little iPod ear buds in they are like "in the Zone, chief" or whatever and just totally concentrating on what they are doing. As a result, there becomes a tremendous amount of nonverbal communication that takes place. Etiquette and gym behavior is extremely important, because the way you handle yourself there speaks volumes to everyone else using the facilities.

1. Always remember: You belong in the gym. No matter gender, age, physical condition always be confident in your presence there. This is often an issue with people looking to get back into shape. They quit, because they become come to a new environment and feel awkward in having to figure out all of the new equipment and intimidated by everyone else moving with such purpose and no sound. Have no worries with this. There is nothing wrong with investigating a machine. Take a full analysis before using it, so when you do you have established a mental ownership of the equipment.

That being said. The gym is a community, not a one rooster chicken coop. And, while you should move with confidence and purpose, you must still be conscious of your fellow gym members and respectful of there needs.

2. Space. This can be difficult, because, after while a with all of the lift and swinging and pushing of objects, the whole scene just becomes one big cluster-cuss of activity. Try your best to consolidate you exercise into one, minimal local. Keep all of your accessories in this space: exercise sheet, bottle, dumbbells, etc. This is your territory. Others ought to conscious of your designation of space, just as you must be very conscious of others'. Even if a person is at rest, try to anticipate the range of motion the exercise will require. Do not set up in between a person and the mirror in a way that blocks his line of sight. Often people use direct eye contact with their reflection as a means of concentration. Interferring with this can be terribling obnoxious.

3. Pick up. As mentioned, accessories are used to mark territory. When you leave dumbbells by a bench or plates on a barbell you are signalling that you are still using these things. If you are finished using these things, immediately put them away as they are meant to be put away. Otherwise you piss several of your fellow gym members off who have been held up waiting for weights or benchs to free up only to find they have long sense been out of use. Miscommunication is extremely aggravating. Also make sure dumbbells are placed back in their proper order and plates are placed on their proper peg with equal quantities on either side. This ensure easy, organized use for the next user.

4. Clean. If you get up from a bench and see a sweat patch, clean it up. Honestly, that's just gross. Take 3 minutes, spray the bottle, and wipe it up.

5. Talking. Should you chose to talk, be conscious of whether someone has buds in their ear. If they do, do not become offended or even surprised when they do not react to your comments. They probably just can't hear you. Tap them on the shoulder or motion in front of their line of sight. DO NOT interrupt someone as they are amping up into the zone for the lift. This can take a good 90 seconds or more and the whole process with have to be restarted if you interrupt. And of course DO NOT interrupt someone while they are lifting. There is a big heavy object above their head, and you want to casually chat about the Chiefs game?! Come on.

D+ Campaign

2010-10-11T21:42:00.002-07:00

There has been a tremendous amount of controversy regarding the D+ campaign. The general consensus nation wide is that was worst possible idea the University could have come up; alumni were extraordinarly pissed; national media routinely mocked us; Creighton slapped "If we can't beat a D+ school, who can we beat." Yeah ... it stung.

But I want to speak to the defense of this misfit slogan, despite it already being dropped like a 2 ton sack of crap by the University. The original idea wasn't all that bad. The administration and all the up-'n-ups knew the risk of running a joke, and the campaign actually was planned fairly well out. If you were a upperclassmen in high school, you would receive this folder with the now infamous logo and the slogan, "A D+ school and proud of it." The student's thinking, 'What the hell? That's freakin' weird." So they look inside and there is all this really well prepared material explaining the D+ means that when you come to Drake you get more than just a education; you get an enriching experience adding substance and quality to your life and your personal development. I'm heavily paraphrasing, but yeah.

The problem happened when on the website it totes this D+ slogan, and a person from the associated press or an alumni read it with none of the explanation of the folder's material. They are stuck at the 'What the hell? That's freakin' weird' stage.

The problem I have though, is that Drake knew this would be a risky campaign; they knew they would be poking fun at themselves a bit. But as soon as people start laughing, they back down leaving people to perceive the whole move even more so as a regrettible mistake. The campaign says "D+ and proud of it," but Drake hardly went into this full heartedly. If you're going to doing something outlandish, then of course people are going to laugh at you at first. The buffoons who graduate to brilliance, are those who dismay the nay-sayers and plow forward with the confidence of and self-assurance of an entity that knows it is ultimately right and has the vision to see the end goal.

I still like it better than the fruity little song and dance routine Yale whipped out.

Price for No More Weezer

2010-10-11T21:42:00.001-07:00

This is so totally bizarre. Apparently ther is the huge internet campaign gaining ground raising money to pay the alternative rock band Weezer to break up and never produce music again. Dedicate Weezer fans have begun to feel that their relationship with the band has developed into an "abusive" and one-sided one. Ever since the release of the band's Pinkerton album, fans in the campagin have felt that they have been again and again built up with anticipation and hype only to be hit hard with disappointment when the new album is released.

The campaign is working to raise $10 million to put an end to what they feel is the perpetuation of crap from the band they love.
The No Weezer Campaign

Bees + Apartment

2010-10-04T22:40:00.000-07:00

There are bees in my apartment! Specifically in the sunroom, but I am completely unable to figure out how they keep getting in here. They JUST, KEEP, COMING. There is always one just ramming over and over again into the windows, so it's really not that big of a deal. I mean I haven't been stug by anyone of them. The one above (this was at night when the sun was gone) starting fly room while I was doing homework and land on my desk and freak me out.

Usually though they keep flying into the window until they die, so there becomes this pile up of dead bee bodies around the edges of the room. The whole thing is just bizarre. Again I haven't been stung and they mostly stay to the windows, but what the hell's the deal. Just have bees buzzing around your head while you're tryin to study is freakin' weird.

Iowa Real Estate Convention

2010-09-28T17:33:00.000-07:00

I spent the other day at the Iowa Real Estate Convention hosted by the area CCIM chapter. It went fantastically! I really want to get into commercial real estate outside of college, and since we do have any kind of real estate education program at Drake like they do at UNI or even any course you can take, I've really just been trying to take the initiative to reach out to professionals and earn my our kind of education outside of the classroom. Which think I've kind of got an advantage in that sense over the UNI students. UNI has an excellent real estate program up there, but a classroom understanding of the industry is never as valuable as a real world, first-hand understanding of it. Plus, at the convention I was the only Drake student there, so I had reach out to people and build as many connections as possible, while a lot of the UNI folks there kind of stuck together at times. I have a fire lit under me, and you can't beat that.

Really, though, the whole day was just tremendously beneficial. If any students or prospect students read this post, my main advice for you, if you want the career of your dreams, you have to actively go reach out to the business community. They love to young faces there especially students. Many of the professionals in the area are more than happy to help you succeed, but they are not going to know about you until you take the initiative to introduce yourself.

Movie: The Fighter

2010-09-28T17:13:00.000-07:00

This is just a great combination. Marky-Mark does fantastic in these under-dog roles fighting to the top; think Invincible or even Rock Star. And, then Christian Bale! He's dedication to performances is remarkable. Look how frickin' transformative he has been here. He has completely altered not just his voice and persona, but his entire physical appearance for the sake of authenticity.

Apart from Rocky V, boxing movies are just always great. There is a nostalgic beauty to the sport. I love a good MMA fight, but often in the grappling you lose visual power of the strikes and blows that really comes across with two prize fighters sparring apart from one another.

Dream Town

2010-09-19T15:13:00.002-07:00

It is already becoming depressingly gray and dreary here in Des Moines - Which I want to go off on a tangent about that. Why are the best universities in places with just gawd-awful weather? Why isn't Hawaii State like an ivy league school? If I were some all-star, hyper-brilliant professor, I'm not spending my winters in Cambridge or anything like that. - Anyway, the gray is descending upon us.

To survive this, you got to have a dream spot, someplace warm and beautiful where you can go to in your head. I want to tell you about this place, Dunedin, New Zealand. Mark Twain visited in 1895 and had this to write about the city, "The people are Scotch. They stopped here on their way from home to heaven - thinking they had arrived." What you see there is the sandy white shores of St. Clair Beach, well known for some of the worlds best surf. The city and its paradise-like beaches are wrapped around by these sweeping, astoundingly green hills. In an article from The New Yorker I read recently they described it as "a cross between Ireland and Fiji." That's heaven right there man.

Someday I'm just going to get up and go. Save up and leave it all behind; open a little hotel or boat shop and spend all day by the sea.

Cell Phone Issues

2010-09-19T15:13:00.001-07:00

Okay, here's what happens. When I go to the gym I put all my stuff: workout gloves, exercise sheet, protein shake, keys, wallet, and blackberry in my draw string bag to run over there. The new bottle I have for my shake is really great, but you have to be sure the lid fully clicks closed, which I am not used to only because the previous bottle was a screw top.

So my dumb mistake, I head to the gym one day and reach into the bag only to find everything soaking wet and bottle popped open and pouring out the shake. EVERYTHING is soaked in a chocolaty mess including my blackberry. I completely lose it! My entire life is on that little fellow. I cannot afford to lost the information on. I borrow a friends phone to call my dad, and fortunately he has a solution. Mom had discovered a trick for saving the life of a blackberry, when she had experienced a similar disaster.

As soon as you can get you hands on it, get yourself a plastic zip bag full of dry rice. Open up the blackberry, take out the battery, and put the phone hardware and the battery in the bag of rice. Within a few hours, the blackberry will have returned to its initial vibrance.

The only problem I have no is there is little grains of rice in my phone. I have gotten a lot of it out, but the damn thing still rattles. And I think there's something wrong with the microphone. It's not a big problem and certainly a significantly improved alternative from just having the thing fried. I have to really project and use my stage voice, which isn't really a problem, but I guess I'm just a little worried about becoming that super obnoxious guy who's talking too loud into the his phone annoying the hell out of everyone else in the crowd. Whatever

The Sun is Back in Philidelphia

2010-09-17T11:11:00.000-07:00

It's Always Sunny in Philidelphia premiered the other night for its new season, and it was of course ... AWESOME! For those who haven't seen the show, you freakin' need to. You are totally missing out on some rarely available top quality television. Thursday nights, 9 o'clock, FX. My best description I can offer is that it is like Seinfield, if all the characters in Seinfield were alcoholics living in complete squaller.

Anyway the first episode had just a bunch of crazy shit happen. The super hot tranny that Mac was on and off with for a little bit got married to the big black guy from the Miller High Life commercial. And yes, I realize I just said a tranny was super hot, but only the character is a tranny. I defy you to say that Brittany Daniel is not one of the hottest women out there.

But back to the show. Dennis called up a chick from highschool or something and just makes the rash decision to marry her. Problem is Dennis is a cold, heartless bastard and this girl wears kitten sweaters and has this terribly disgusting dead tooth at the back of her mouth, so after the first day he's already really regretting it.

Then, just to complete the whole thing Charlie and Frank decide to have a civil union so Charlie can get on Frank's health care plan and Frank can trust Charlie to stop Dennis and Dee from pulling the plug on him when he has is next heart attack.

Oh and Dee, to follow through with the pathetic saddnes that is her life, has started having an affair with a former high school all-star athlete now extremely overweight and married with two kids.

Glad to have the gang back.

Movie: Red

2010-09-17T11:06:00.000-07:00

Here's what I like about the idea of this movie. Yes it is a movie about hitmen, which I certainly enjoy, but, what's more, it's a movie about an older generation of hitmen (or hitpeople to be fair to Helen Mirren) who are still astonishly brilliant at what they do, while including a cast of actors of an older generation who are still astonishly brilliant at what they do.

I mean look at this line up. You have Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman, and Jon Malkovich. All of these actors have had a long, lustrous career of excellent performance, and they continue to deliver. Like Ernest Bourgnine says (also brilliant) in the clip, "They don't make 'em like that anymore."

Return to "The American"

2010-09-14T22:08:00.000-07:00

I had mentioned this movie earlier in the year and want to return to the discussion of it here, because I've been reading the reviews of it and was shocked by how critical they have been. This film is freakin' awesome! The cinematography is absolutely beautiful, George Clooney is definitely going to get nominated for his performance in this thing.

The movie is filled with these vast landscape shots of the Italian country side. It reminds me of Wayne Theibaud landscape minus the heavy texture and bizarre colors in that the people treking across them are so miniscule in relation to the rest of the scene and do so along an unbelievably thin line at the very bottom of it all.

All of the reviews are basically complaining that the trailers made The American look like a big action flick like the Bourne series, and the lack of high intensity, martial arts fight scene is what disappoints. First I really don't feel the trailers made it look like a huge action movie, it seemed, like I said, to be another of George Clooney's series of mildly depressed, mid-life crisis males as he did in Michael Clayton and Up in the Air.

The other thing, I feel this approach was just a much more accurate depiction. I realize I don't have too much knowledge of the life of a profession killer, but I really doubt there are too many out there that are anything like Jason Bourne, Agent 47, or Leon of The Professional or any of the other outlandish hitmen Hollywood has given us. In so many movies the assassin is able to just swing his weapon from the hip and in one swift motion and put one between the target's eyes. In The American George Clooney seeks up behind his targets taking several panicked steps forward before pulling the trigger. You can see the fear radiating from his eyes and the adrenaline pumping through him.

At the end of the film, Clooney is badly wounded in a final, four shot, half second exchange of gunfire. It is very likely this is the first time he has every been shot, and it is clear he does not know how to handle such a situation. He does not have the McGyver like innovation Jason Bourne demonstates for recovery from his wounds or the doctor's knowledge of Anton Chigurh from No Country for Old Men. Clooney's character, while certainly above that of just a regular guy, is still very much human.

So ignore all of these bullshit reviews. This movie is EXCELLENT!

Big Money Puppet Masters

2010-09-14T19:53:00.000-07:00

"Next!" Udo J. Keppley

I want to preface this discussion: I have no problem with the traditional Republican platform. There are several sound, intelligent arguments under it, but the GOP we have today is miles away from the traditional platform. The party has gone off the deep end and succumb to the lunacy of this Tea Party crap. In fact, I would bet you dollars to doughnuts that Ronald Reagan, arguably the greatest president of the 20th century and an icon of Republican values, couldn't even get the GOP's nomination in this climate, but instead would face unrelenting criticism from Limbaugh and Palin.

My frustration with the Tea Party is that it fails to act on the behalf of the types of citizens who have fallen victim to its manipulation but insteads serves to overtly benefit the interests of profit charged conglomerates. The Tea Party has terrorized ill-informed voters into following tow by playing off their fears and lesser qualities of characters. It uses the worst in people to do the ground work of the economic elite. Grass roots movement my ass! This is all the con of a ungodly powerful few; specifically Charles and David Koch.

To better make this point I would like to refer you to an article published a few weeks ago in The New Yorker, Covert Operations by Jane Mayer. The article details the political involvment of Koch Industries, "the largest company that you've never heard of." This according to executive vice president and co-owner, David Koch, who along with his brother, Charles Koch, seem pretty content with that title as they have used their secrecy and ungodly amassed wealth to convertly impact the course of politics and public opinion in the interest of furthering their profit margins. The whole Tea Party movement is really the result of their multi-billion dollar investment over the decades to develop a idealogical ground force.

Through the creation and development of seemingly neutral and generic sounding thinks tank and charity groups, the brothers have been able to funnel ridiculous sums through the system in the promotion of an idealogical agenda that serves only the interest of their pockets. Koch is a massive oil conglomerate, the second-largest privately held company behind Cargill. The company has oil refineries in Alaska, Minnesota, and Texas along with upwards of four thousand miles of pipeline. In addition, Koch is the parent company of Brawny paper towels, Dixie Cups, Georgia-Pacific lumber, Stainmaster carpet, and Lycra, among others. The brothers are deeply and openly opposed to personal and corporate taxes and public services that follow and government regulation of industry; specifically environmental standards.

Despite near universal acceptance by the scientific community that global warming is a real and approaching threat and that fossil fuels play a significant role in its increase, the Koch brothers have gone to outlandish efforts to prevent any environmental legislation to address the problem. From 2005-'08 the brothers themselves outspent ExxonMobil on a tremendous scale in lobbying against regulation. Additionaly, while formaldehyde has been shown and recognized by the medical world to cause cancer, David Koch has spent hundreds of millions lobbying the EPA not to recognize the chemical as a "known carcinogen," all beause formaldehyde is one of the company's widely produced products.

This whole Tea Party bullshit does not have the interest of the working, blue collar Joe at heart. It is all a front companies like Koch behind to better satisfy their greed. I mean take a person like Sarah Palin. That damn bimbo does give a shit about hockey moms or the working class. If she did, she would of stuck to her duties in Alaska and fought on their behalf, instead of abandoning them for big money book deals and speaking tours and a fat salary with Fox.

Libertarins always talk about their fears of giving the government power. But with a government of the people that power is the power of the people that is being denied. Citizens pulling together to bring about democratic representation is the only weapon we as common individuals have against the economic elite hiding away in the shadows of their ivory towers. Many would say there is nothing wrong with what Koch is doing. All business lobby in their economic interest. The reason this instance is so unique is the immense wealth and thus influence that Koch's have thrown into the game and convert, underhanded, backdoor nature in which they did it.

I realize the government has a great many flaws, but when something doesn't run right do you throw it away? No, we fix are problems here in America, not abandon them in defeat. If you're afraid that government will go wild with power and turn into a totalitarian state (as it nearly did with the last administration), demand and lobby for transparency regulation; pay attention to the actions of your representatives and hold them accountable.

Movie: 127 Hours

2010-08-29T07:06:00.000-07:00

In high school I was involved in Forensics, which is a form of competitive public speaking. I would do the acting events like Humorous Interpretation (HI), Dramatic Interpretation (DI), and Duo Interpretation. DI are 10 minute monologues interpreted from published works. The cliche is that a DI is based on the story on some variety of being a gay, female, minority, junkie raped and now awaiting the electric chair. In fact, my junior year I played a cripple coming out of the closet to his brother over dinner.

But my senior year I did a book, "Between a Rock and a Hard Place," a story about nature lover, Aron Ralston, who, while hiking and mountian climbing through Utah, became trapped in a canyon with his right arm trapped under a fallen bolder. 127 Hours refers to how long he was trapped down there before [SPOILER ALERT!!!] he has to cut the arm off with dull utility blade. It greats pretty intense. They don't allude to it very much in the trailer, but, after day 2 when he starts to run out of water, he starts tripping pretty badly.

James Franco is an amazing actor. I kind of really want to see the movie, but at the same time I know Franco is going to kick my ass with his portrayal.

Start of Class

2010-08-24T16:51:00.001-07:00

Well I have survived the first couple days of it. Not that bad I think. I'll manage through. It's kind of a boring schedule though. I'm Marketing and Accounting and unfortunately this semester seems to be leaning more to the accounting side of things along with an international econ. class and an information systems class.

I do have one fun class though early on Mondays and Wednesdays; MKTG 112 with Chip Miller. He is hilarious!!! The man lives in like a different era 30 years back and occasionally lets these slightly off-color comments slip out. I love it.

He can't remember names very well, but to be fair how many new sets of names do teachers come across with every semester? Seriously, that's tough. What I get a kick out of though is just how blunt he is about it. The first he just laid out there, "I'm not going to have remembered all of your names. I recognize a number of your face [which is understandable like I said before], but the number of names I remember is just a hand full; like ah... [gesturing to a girl in the back of the room] um... ah.... Well forget about that one."

New Apartment

2010-08-17T16:44:00.000-07:00

This new apartment is SO cool! I love all of these high ceilings and tall windows (although it does remind me how short I am). This place is huge! 700 sq ft. The first shot you see is from the sun room - yeah, I have a freakin' sun room. Those next two are the sun room itself. My grandfather collect a bunch of cool furniture in the '70s. So now got all of really great original design furniture for the new place.

Cooking is kind of a new experience. I got scrambled eggs and ground beef down pretty well - you know the essentials. I don't see any souffles coming out for the oven anytime soon, but I'm not going hungry. Besides I can always call upon my good buddy Chef Boyardee to feed me when need be.

Leadership Iowa University

2010-08-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

When I was a junior in high school, the Salina chamber of commerce had a program that introduced a group of us to local business leaders and held discussions on leadership theory. Well a few months back a good friend of mine told me about a similar program, Leadership Iowa University, hosted by the local chapter of the Association of Business and Industry (ABI). Now, while I love my home town and deeply value the experience I got from the program in high school, this one was light years of head of it.

The whole thing was just outstandingly beneficial. The speakers were absolutely amazing. We heard from Jim Swift, CEO of Holmes Murhpy, Ambassador Kenneth Quinn, President of the World Food Prize Foundation, Kirk Leeds, CEO of the Iowa Soybean Association, J. Barry Griswell, former CEO of Principal Financial and author of the Adversity Paradox. I flipped when I saw that last gentlemen. Adversity Paradox is an excellent book. Get your hands on it and give it a read.

There was something there for everyone. We had a politics day, an agriculture day, a downtown business day. I got to meet an individual who worked as an economic developer for Fairfield and another who worked as a project manager for an architecture firm. For me personally, even if you took away all the other awesome stuff, that sealed the deal.

This is an excellent program that every Iowa college student would greatly benefit from. Check it out.

Leadership Iowa University Website

Movie: Due Date

2010-08-05T17:22:00.001-07:00

Galifianakis is HILARIOUS!!! Just that first scene right there is perfect.

I love this new trend that going on pairing noncomedic people with super funny people. Diddy ended up being freakin' awesome in Get Him to the Greek. "I'm mind f#%&ing you right now." In The Other Guys Mark Wahlberg playing off of Will Ferrell is going to be great. Ferrell can make the moment just so awkward with that character and then Wahlberg just goes off on him.

Robert Downing Jr. next to Galifianakis is going to be excellent. Downing is brilliant and, while he usually does dramatic work, he has always shown this affinity for humor even be it a dry wit and sarcasim. He did pretty well in Tropic Thunder and he played his character in Iron Man pretty funny.