E-mails, we get e-mails...

This one is from "DS". I thought it was pretty clever...

You ever notice that if you remove the vowels from Reince Preibus, you're left with...RNC PR BS

E-mails, we get e-mails

This just arrived in my e-mail box from "BP"...

Sorry to hear of the passing of Marty "Bo" Fortson. "California Sun" is one of my favorite songs from the 60s. But, I also love the cover by the Ramones. One of the best! It's very rare that a cover lives up to the original. "Twist and Shout" by the Isley Brothers and The Beatles is another one for this very short list.

E-mails, we get e-mails

This just in...my e-mail box. It was written by "KR", and he makes a good point...

"I like your comparison of Rupert to Snidely Whiplash, but I've been thinking about it and that may not be the most perfect analogy. I'd go with this guy."

Point taken. That probably is a better choice.

Drinking and Driving

This comes via e-mail. Thanks to "MS" for sending it...



Seeing as my days of drinking are LONG gone and my days of DRIVING have been taken away from me recently, I'd like to share an experience with you about them both.

As you well know, some of us have been known to have had brushes with the authorities, on our way home from a "social session" over the years. A couple of years ago, I was out for a few drinks with some friends at the one of our local pubs and had some rather nice Scotch Whiskey.

Knowing full well I may have been slightly over the limit, I did something I've never done before: I took a bus home. Sure enough I passed a police road block but as it was a bus, they waved it past. I arrived home safely without incident, which was a real surprise, as I have never driven a bus before and am not sure where I got it.

E-mails, we get e-mails...

"BP" writes:

"Take a good look at Johnny Trolley Line Butler's picture on your blog today. He could be your great grandfather."

Hmmm.

Sveum reaction

From my e-mail box and Facebook page...

AA writes: "Isn't Sveum the new drug from Pfizer? I thought I saw an ad for it. Featured two guys sitting in side by side bathtubs looking out at Wrigley Field. But maybe that was something else."

RS writes: "No truth to the rumor that the Cubs are replacing their W flag with a V."

BP writes: "When Dale Sveum was third base coach for the Red Sox a lot of fans were unhappy with him for sending too many runners who were ultimately thrown out at the plate. One joke circulating during the time when the Iraq War was in full operation mode was “Put Dale Sveum in charge of the Iraq War. He sends everyone home.”

E-mails, we get e-mails...

From "BP", another friend in Boston...

"My idea for a great Halloween costume. Any Red Sox pitcher. Red Sox Jersey and cap, bucket of KFC under one arm, and six pack of Bud under the other."

It appears that the ol' drunk Red Sox pitchers story is getting big play in Beantown.

Hurricane Irene Update

This comes via e-mail from my friend "BP" in Providence...

"Day two of power outage. State says they are restoring the 300,000 customers with power out based on public safety. I haven't showered since Saturday. If that isn't a public safety issue, I don't know what is."

Misunderstood lyrics

"SS" writes about misunderstanding "Bennie & The Jets" also...

"I used to sing, "She's got electric boots, her mom has too..." We were just talking about that the other day! Bernie Taupin, Bernie Schmawpin."

E-mails, we get e-mails...

Got this clarification from Bob Kruchten regarding his appearance w/father and son on ESPN this weekend...

"Hello Rick - ESPN aired the piece featuring Dad, Paul and I and a 3 generation Yankees family titled 'Generational Allegience' already once on SportsCenter this morning and told that it will air a couple of times throughout the weekend on both ESPN and ESPN 2. Did not see it yet on-air. The main airing will be in Baseball Tonight prior to Sunday Night Baseball at 6 CT with the game starting at 7 CT on ESPN. Thanks for making this happen - the whole experience has been fantastic and all the credit is yours! I owe you big-time! Happy Father's Day! PS. Happy Birthday to Bridget!"

E-mails, we get e-mails...

"KR" writes...

"When I saw you did a post about Katie Couric I was hoping to see her cheerleading photo again. Please tell me you were kidding yesterday when you said you weren't going to show it anymore."

Sorry "KR", but I was feeling a bit guilty/sexist, so I did make a deal with myself to stop showing it. I was demeaning her news credibility, so I'm not going to show it anymore. I did find a few other cheerleading pictures you might enjoy, however. The credibility of the following people wouldn't be damaged, so I post them without guilt.

This is Eva Longoria from her cheerleading days.

That's Madonna from her cheerleading days.

This cheerleader was elected President in 2000 and 2004.

E-mails, we get e-mails...

"WC" writes about my earlier post regarding the first Cubs game at Wrigley...

"Isn't it interesting that the Cubs played their first game in Wrigley Field on Hitler's birthday? I looked it up--he turned 27 that day. I believe he was fighting in World War 1."

Not sure what you're implying there, "WC" (a White Sox fan, by the way), but yes, you're right. It was Hitler's birthday. It's a little odd that you knew that, but I'm sure it's nothing to worry about (rolling eyes).

In case you're wondering, this is what he looked like at the time. He's the one sitting on the right. He hadn't yet ruined the mini-Chaplin mustache for eternity; he still had that more bushy look going. Also, for the record, I'm fairly certain he wasn't a Cubs fan.

E-mails, we get e-mails...

"BP" writes to remind me of another reason we all watched "All My Children" in college...

"I watched “All My Children” in the 80’s, too. Since every girl at U of I watched it, it was a great conversation starter. “I can’t believe what Tab did to Dixie ” and you’re off and running. I hadn’t seen the show in years until last summer when I took off Fridays from work. I happened to flip it on and found out that someone had killed Adam’s twin brother, Stuart. Today, my girlfriend watches another soap and Dr Cliff from AMC is on it. She laughs because I am usually in another room while she watches her show but I always yell “Dr. Cliff!” or “Where’s Nina?” where I hear his baritone voice from the TV set."

The value of education

Thanks to "DTS" for sending me this. I definitely plan on sharing it with my kids later today...

"It’s no surprise that an increasingly sophisticated and competitive U.S. economy seeks those with higher levels of educational attainment. Since January (2011), employment has grown by 521,000 jobs for Americans with a bachelor’s degree or higher…and declined by 318,000 for those with only a high school diploma (USA TODAY)…

…what a powerful statistic

Unemployment for those ages 25 and over with less than a high school diploma was 13.7% in March. For those with a high school diploma and no college, the jobless rate was 9.5%. For those with some college or an Associate’s degree, the rate was 7.4% in March. For those with a Bachelor’s degree or higher the rate was 4.4%…

Use this data wisely when your kids or grandkids say that education is just not that important. Earnings differentials are also enormous."

Let me just also say that anyone claiming that education needs to be cut in this country has got their priorities completely out of whack.

E-mails, we get e-mails

My buddy Brent, a long-time vegetarian, is shocked (shocked!) that I'm becoming a vegetarian for Lent. (I once asked him to write a piece for this blog about what it's like to be a vegetarian, which I thought was pretty darn funny.)

He sent me the following e-mail yesterday, with the 5 reasons why Rick can't possibly become a vegetarian...

1. Wait, there’s no eggs in eggplant?
2. He doesn’t even own a pair of Birkenstocks
3. Germans are not huggers, much less tree huggers
4. Anytime someone say Peta, he giggles
5. Tofu looks like my luffa sponge, and tastes like it too.

E-mails, we get e-mails...

"RP" writes regarding my post about Jeopardy's Man vs. Machine...

"I saw about half of yesterday's show on DVR before I had to leave...I'll watch the rest of that and today's episode tonight. Lots of "how we did it" filler. My biggest complaint to this point regards ringing in on an answer. The show alleges that Watson has to pop the buzzer like the human contestants. They also continuously show a graph of Watson's level of confidence on an answer as it is still being read aloud (Watson gets it as a text file). Above a certain confidence threshold, Watson will ring in. I don't think I saw any answer that Watson wanted to ring in on where the humans were actually able to beat him on the buzzer. I guess that changes later on the lower levels of the board where the answers are harder, but when I had to leave, it was a slaughter. Watson had several thousand dollars, and Jennings and Rutter each had about $200. They could never get in for an answer."

This link has some good information about the computer's strengths and weaknesses.

E-mails, we get e-mails...

Shoveling advice from "RP," responding to my earlier post...

"You're skewing too early. The boys won't have much to do this afternoon, and the biggest job will be tomorrow morning. Then the snow will taper off quickly. The boys should be able to help tomorrow, since school will be called off.

According to Tom Skilling, the storm arrives 3-4pm. The worst won't be until overnight, when it will snow 2-3 inches per hour. O'Hare will have 19 inches on the ground by 6am, according to the average model, and 22 inches total by 6pm tomorrow night."

E-mails, we get e-mails

"RS" writes...

"Rick, has anyone ever mentioned that actor Jason Segel looks like you? That is my opinion."

Hmmm. No, can't say that anyone has. I just looked up his birthday, and he was born in 1980. Was he born in Germany? Maybe I'm his dad.

OK, this made me laugh

"BP" sent me the following e-mail in response to my item about the Medill School of Journalism changing their name...

"Shortly after renaming the school, the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications intramural softball team complained about the Library Sciences team running up the score on them."

E-mails, we get e-mails...

"RP," a Northwestern grad, takes issue with my portrayal of this weekend's Illini-Northwestern game...

"I can't wait, either. I'll have my "house divided" flag out in front of my house, as my wife went to Illinois. But the marquee SHOULD play favorites. Here's a little school on the North Shore, about one-fifth the size of the U of I, aggressively laying claim to being Chicago's Big Ten team. Illinois should have such good marketing. I know Illinois fans will be there (we had to give them SOME tickets) but it is a Northwestern home game. And by the way, the name is Dyche. Not Dyke."

Whoops. Sorry about the spelling. As for the 'little school on the North Shore,' puleeze. Northwestern could buy and sell Illinois. :)