One Dozen Guaranteed Conversation Stoppers
Or you could just observe Ben Huh and take notes.

$50 Nintendo Gamecube rebate
For those who've been waiting for just the right time to get one.

I really need to get going on grad school apps. But I'm wondering if Northwestern really is worth twice as much as DePaul or U-of-I.

Opt Out of Credit Card Solicitations
Who knows if it works, but I'm trying it.

Spent the evening at Wheaton College, listening to Bono, Ashley Judd and friends give their spiel on the AIDS epidemic in Africa. Actually, I was in an overflow room watching a projection TV screen of the talk, but you get the idea. Quite a lot of information to process, from the death statistics (6500 daily die of AIDS in Africa) to the testimonies to the cost of the medication ($1 a day for retroviral treatment) to the various organizations on the front line helping the cause. The case was made for the AIDS epidemic being the Cause of this generation, akin to the civil rights movement of the 60s. Here's a link to one of the organizations: DATA: Debt, AIDS, Trade in Africa

There were these great African kids who did a little drumming, singing and dancing (they were good, too), and I couldn't help but think of the irony of these kids dancing at a school where students sign an agreement to not dance. I half-expected the dean to run out and tackle those kids. Also great to hear the pin drop in the auditorium when Bono told the audience that he loved how Midwesterners "don't take shit" from anyone. God bless the Irish.

And my pounding headache now tells me it is time for bed.

Oregon governor apologizes to thousands sterilized
I don't necessarily disagree with the sentiment of having criminals sterilized, but didn't really think something like this could be legal.

Congrats to Nate & Annie, who recently had their first child (Cara). Here's what to get them. Todd Watermann, are you paying attention?

Krispy Kreme puts out APB on Lost Blimp
The reward being a dozen doughnuts each week for life. Guess they really want that blimp back.

As if football and basketball during the cold heartless winter isn't enough, there's baseball trades. My Sox made a trade today (A's trade Billy Koch to ChiSox for Keith Foulke in 6 man deal), and the deal sucks. Why?

1. The Sox bullpen was not why the team stank. Even if it was, just getting one guy does not fix it. The problem was with the starters, and nothing yet (it's still early of course) has been done about that.

2. For the past three years, Foulke was just as, if not more effective, than Koch. ERA, save percentage, WHIP, you name it. Koch is only better at strikeouts per 9 IP.

The deal basically ends up being a financial one, since Koch is locked up for 2 more years and arbitration eligible after each one, whereas Foulke is a free agent after this season, allowing Oakland to free up money. Koch is a decent pickup, and will get some people excited, but I'd rather see the Sox address the more pressing need for starting pitching. And Baseball Prospectus seems to agree with me (second item).

In other Chicago baseball news, the Cubs are getting 2 stiffs for 1. Who knew Todd Hundley was worth anything?

Study: Marijuana May Not Lead to Hard Drugs
Great! In non-unrelated "news," an artist painted words on cows and waits for them to make poetry. Beats those pesky little magnets.

Part of the reason why I rent movies as often as I do is because I have a card that entitles me to a free Blockbuster rental every week. I think I'm getting Insomnia tomorrow. If I'm warm enough. Speaking of movies: "21 Jump Street": The Movie

Hope everyone had a good, satisfying Thanksgiving. I ate my fair share of Thanksgiving food just like everybody else did, which inevitably got me thinking about stuff like this. Do you really like turkey? We sat around at a family friends' and ate a lot of Korean food, which I think suits us better, altho there was turkey present, and I did have some. It's all in the gravy.

Are they worthless? Are they facts? You decide.

Good to see my brother, who was home from U of I. It's almost offensive to me what a complete joke his academic schedule is. He's taking one final (?!) this semester. The only reason I even care at all is that he has a less rigorous schedule at a cheaper school and will probably get a better paying job once he's done. Dang. That $100K I spent for Northwestern tuition is gonna hang over my head forever if I let it. (Part of my brother's Human Physiology curriculum is a coloring book. A coloring book!!) I wish I knew undergrad didn't matter as much if you were going to grad school. Bleah.

I can't believe it's December. You know what that means: nonstop crappy Christmas music wherever you go. Any Christmas music I listen to, outside of church, is solely regulated to Over the Rhine's take on them. Incidently, they will be in Chicago (at Schuba's) on the 7th. Who wants to go? Don't make me go by myself, you jerks.

Saw Changing Lanes over the holiday. A lot better than I thought it would be. Ben Affleck and Sam Jackson both play characters you can actually sympathize with, which is something they don't do often (for different reasons). In theatres, Solaris has piqued my curiosity, because Steven Soderbergh tends to make interesting films.

Check out the Hidden Song Archive, a working index of hidden music tracks. Back when people still put those in. I think my favorite was this Nirvana song (I forget the name) off of the No Alternative collection.