Yesterday I was half watching Monday Night Football while trying to get some things done around my house. After the game Stuart Scott, Trent Dilfer and Steve Young interviewed Arian Foster, the running back for the Houston Texans. The Texans won the game and the three commentators were presumably asking Foster about his team's success (again, I was only half watching), when I heard Young ask Foster about some of his interests off the field.
A few weeks ago I had read an article in ESPN Magazine about Foster which was fascinating. While it was about some of the controversy around his comments related to fantasy fans, the article described him as both zen and a bit of a renaissance man, interested in learning just about everything. So when Young asked Foster about his love of learning, I wasn't expecting anything new. Then Arian Foster surprised me.
Foster confirmed his love of learning and then I learned that he will regularly ask elders (his word) for three life lessons that they can share with him. I thought that was surprisingly insightful for a man who is only 25 years old, in a profession that is not usually very reflective. Unfortunately they did not ask him what he has learned from his elders, but that is something I would love to learn.
Young did ask him what life lesson he would share, and Foster said that it is important to "smile through everything" even when things get tough. That's a life lesson we all need to remember at times.
I hope that someday way down the road Foster has the opportunity to share that lesson and a couple of others with some young, curious man like himself. Until then, I hope he continues to be a great role model for young, inquisitive kids.
Namaste, Arian Foster.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Monday, October 8, 2012
Bat Groening Haunts On
Yesterday I went over to my parents' house for Sunday dinner. After dinner we headed to the family room to watch the second half of the Bears game where Chicago routed Jacksonville 41-3 (taking a little of the sting out of my other team's weekend loss). Throughout the Bears game, which was airing on Fox, they had ads for the annual Simpson's Halloween special.
My parents are super cool. Not in that I'm-trying-way-to-hard-to-be-friends-with-my-kids way, but in a naturally cool cool way. Because they both have great senses of humor, they like the Simpsons (though I'm sure my Dad would say, "in small doses."). The Halloween special is usually a treat since Matt "Bat" Groening and his team usually reference literature (the Raven and the Tell-Tale Heart were both genius inspirations), classic monsters (Dracula and Frankenstein), and some of the scariest movies of all time (The Shining, Nightmare on Elm Street). We were all looking forward to comedy gold as the opening credits rolled.
It was at this point that I learned that this year is the 23rd year of Treehouse of Horrors episodes. I already knew that the Simpsons is the longest continuous scripted television show in history, but I did not realize that there had been 22 previous Halloween episodes.
Maybe my expectations were too high, maybe it would have been funnier if I had seen Paranormal Activity, but this wasn't the greatest Treehouse episode ever. I did laugh, the James Bond references as Bart went back in time ala "Back to the Future" did make me giggle. I also loved that the black hole wouldn't eat Bart's homework. Overall, however, it left me a little disappointed. It also made me want to watch the The Raven from the very first Treehouse of Terror episode. It's so great, I'll share it here. But before I do, I should mention one more thing I learned yesterday. Homer having a threesome with two demons is a little uncomfortable to watch with your parents.
Cinnamon!
Simpson's The Raven
My parents are super cool. Not in that I'm-trying-way-to-hard-to-be-friends-with-my-kids way, but in a naturally cool cool way. Because they both have great senses of humor, they like the Simpsons (though I'm sure my Dad would say, "in small doses."). The Halloween special is usually a treat since Matt "Bat" Groening and his team usually reference literature (the Raven and the Tell-Tale Heart were both genius inspirations), classic monsters (Dracula and Frankenstein), and some of the scariest movies of all time (The Shining, Nightmare on Elm Street). We were all looking forward to comedy gold as the opening credits rolled.
It was at this point that I learned that this year is the 23rd year of Treehouse of Horrors episodes. I already knew that the Simpsons is the longest continuous scripted television show in history, but I did not realize that there had been 22 previous Halloween episodes.
Maybe my expectations were too high, maybe it would have been funnier if I had seen Paranormal Activity, but this wasn't the greatest Treehouse episode ever. I did laugh, the James Bond references as Bart went back in time ala "Back to the Future" did make me giggle. I also loved that the black hole wouldn't eat Bart's homework. Overall, however, it left me a little disappointed. It also made me want to watch the The Raven from the very first Treehouse of Terror episode. It's so great, I'll share it here. But before I do, I should mention one more thing I learned yesterday. Homer having a threesome with two demons is a little uncomfortable to watch with your parents.
Cinnamon!
Simpson's The Raven
1962...Still (10/7/12)
Yesterday I had high hopes. As noted in my last post, I am a very proud Northwestern Wildcat. I am also a huge fan of our football team. This means that I own a ton of purple clothing and I'm used to cheering for a perpetual underdog. Even having gone to the Rose Bowl with the Cats, I'm still always convinced that who ever we're playing might beat us, the 3rd quarter will be the death of me, and every win is like a gift on Christmas.
Yesterday, I got a small taste of what it's like to cheer for an SEC team. That's because I was convinced that Northwestern was going to beat Penn State. Sure, Penn State had won their last three games, and sure the game was at Penn State, and sure it was their Homecoming. Still, I thought we would bag our 6th victory for the season.
It was about this time that I learned that Northwestern had not gone 6-0 in 50 years. 1962 was the last time that the Wildcats had put together a perfect season over the first six games. 50 years - a nice round number for someone mildly obsessed with symmetry like me.
Well, it will be at least 51 years until Northwestern is able to once again reach 6-0 in football because my Wildcats were not able to hang on to the lead, and suffered their first loss of the season in Beaver Stadium.
Winning is a funny thing. When it doesn't happen too often or on a regular basis, the wins are amazing and exciting, and precious. But the losses don't seem so bad, since you're really, deep down, expecting a loss. Once your team starts winning, the wins are still just as amazing, but the losses hurt so much more. I imagine this is how those SEC teams feel when their teams lose, though their wardrobes aren't nearly as stylish as ours.
Now that we've gotten that hurt out of the way, the Cats can get back to winning so that they can go to the Rose Bowl for the first time in 16 years, and win their first bowl game in 63 years.
Go Cats!
Yesterday, I got a small taste of what it's like to cheer for an SEC team. That's because I was convinced that Northwestern was going to beat Penn State. Sure, Penn State had won their last three games, and sure the game was at Penn State, and sure it was their Homecoming. Still, I thought we would bag our 6th victory for the season.
It was about this time that I learned that Northwestern had not gone 6-0 in 50 years. 1962 was the last time that the Wildcats had put together a perfect season over the first six games. 50 years - a nice round number for someone mildly obsessed with symmetry like me.
Well, it will be at least 51 years until Northwestern is able to once again reach 6-0 in football because my Wildcats were not able to hang on to the lead, and suffered their first loss of the season in Beaver Stadium.
Winning is a funny thing. When it doesn't happen too often or on a regular basis, the wins are amazing and exciting, and precious. But the losses don't seem so bad, since you're really, deep down, expecting a loss. Once your team starts winning, the wins are still just as amazing, but the losses hurt so much more. I imagine this is how those SEC teams feel when their teams lose, though their wardrobes aren't nearly as stylish as ours.
Now that we've gotten that hurt out of the way, the Cats can get back to winning so that they can go to the Rose Bowl for the first time in 16 years, and win their first bowl game in 63 years.
Go Cats!
19 and Climbing - Go Cats! (10/6/12)
I'm not usually a terribly competitive person. With a few notable exceptions, I am all about doing your best and getting credit for trying. One of those exceptions, however, is when the competition involves my alma mater, Northwestern University. I am a Wildcat through and through, and am pretty confident that I went to the finest university in the whole wide world.
Well, yesterday I learned that, as of 2012, I went to the 19th finest university in the whole wide world. Northwestern University was ranked #19 of the top 100 universities internationally according to the Times Higher Education. Northwestern climbed seven spots from its #26 ranking in 2011.
19th in the world isn't that bad, considering that there are thousands of universities across the globe. But as any NU alum knows, we really should be #1. We have the right mix of smarts and cool. We have produces some amazing graduates that have gone on to represent NU proudly, including , but not limited to, Stephen Colbert, Matt Grevers, Luck Donald, Clinton Kelly, Gary Marshall, Seth Meyers, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Rahm Emanuel, John Paul Stevens, Brent Musburger, and of course Pat Fitzgerald. This is just a smattering of our genius alumni. Fitz and Colbert alone should get us into the top 10.
I wondered what was holding us back. It seems that a significant part of the ranking is based on the reputation scores given by members of other universities. In reputation we rank just 35th. Maybe I'm biased, but that ranking stinks a little of jealousy. I'm kidding. I do look forward to seeing Northwestern climb even higher next year. Before long we'll be sitting on top of the world, where we should be, shining our purple light over the land.
Go Cats!
Well, yesterday I learned that, as of 2012, I went to the 19th finest university in the whole wide world. Northwestern University was ranked #19 of the top 100 universities internationally according to the Times Higher Education. Northwestern climbed seven spots from its #26 ranking in 2011.
19th in the world isn't that bad, considering that there are thousands of universities across the globe. But as any NU alum knows, we really should be #1. We have the right mix of smarts and cool. We have produces some amazing graduates that have gone on to represent NU proudly, including , but not limited to, Stephen Colbert, Matt Grevers, Luck Donald, Clinton Kelly, Gary Marshall, Seth Meyers, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Rahm Emanuel, John Paul Stevens, Brent Musburger, and of course Pat Fitzgerald. This is just a smattering of our genius alumni. Fitz and Colbert alone should get us into the top 10.
I wondered what was holding us back. It seems that a significant part of the ranking is based on the reputation scores given by members of other universities. In reputation we rank just 35th. Maybe I'm biased, but that ranking stinks a little of jealousy. I'm kidding. I do look forward to seeing Northwestern climb even higher next year. Before long we'll be sitting on top of the world, where we should be, shining our purple light over the land.
Go Cats!
Friday, October 5, 2012
A Day for Tacos
Yesterday I was happy to learn that it was National Taco Day. An entire day devoted to the celebration of one of the finest portable foods ever invented. To celebrate I headed to Masa Azul, a killer restaurant here in Chicago. To celebrate they were serving $2.50 tacos: "Cochinita (Yucatan-braised pork, pickled red onion, habanero salsa), Champignon (ancho-roasted mushrooms, tomatillo salsa, queso fresco), Chicharron (housemade pork skins, tomatillo salsa, radish, queso fresco)" - as described on their Facebook page. Based on these tasty treats I am not surprised there is a national celebration for them.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Super Cheese? Super is Right!
Maybe it's because I'm part Italian, or maybe because it's some of the greatest stuff ever invented, but the truth of the matter is that I love cheese. Muenster, cheddar, feta, Stilton, Colby, cottage, cream, and asiago - it doesn't much matter, I love them all (well, except for Swiss, but that's a story for another day). The problem is, cheese isn't really that good for you. Sure, it has calcium which shouldn't be discounted, but the fat content makes the amount of cheese that is acceptable to eat not nearly enough to satisfy a cheese lover like me. So I do my best to avoid it, considering it a treat for every now and again. You can imagine my surprise then when my Dad told me yesterday that ricotta cheese is a superfood.
"Super delicious, " I thought to myself, imagining the smooth creamy deliciousness of fresh ricotta. Mixed with fresh vegetables, sandwiched between pasta, or just spread on toast, ricotta is as tasty as it is versatile. Could it be possible that something so delectable could also be good for me?
"What do you mean by superfood?" I skeptically asked my Dad.
Well, according to Women's Day (my Dad's source), "ricotta boasts three times the calcium of cottage cheese and is made from whey protein, a nutrient that may help you lose weight by preserving muscle." Wow! It has calcium and can help me lose weight. This is fantastic! But why?
So I did a little more research (emphasis on little) and found out from www.livestrong.com that the whey protein in ricotta cheese sets it apart from other cheeses that are made from milk curd. This means that a half of a cup of fat free ricotta has about 14 grams of protein, which is considered a high quality protein good for building muscles. That's not all - ricotta also contains cysteine which is an amino acid used to produce glutathione. I can't spell it or pronounce it, for that matter, but I learned that studies have shown it to have cancer-fighting properties.
Ricotta cheese - muscle builder, calcium supplier, and cancer fighter. It doesn't get more super than that!
"Super delicious, " I thought to myself, imagining the smooth creamy deliciousness of fresh ricotta. Mixed with fresh vegetables, sandwiched between pasta, or just spread on toast, ricotta is as tasty as it is versatile. Could it be possible that something so delectable could also be good for me?
"What do you mean by superfood?" I skeptically asked my Dad.
Well, according to Women's Day (my Dad's source), "ricotta boasts three times the calcium of cottage cheese and is made from whey protein, a nutrient that may help you lose weight by preserving muscle." Wow! It has calcium and can help me lose weight. This is fantastic! But why?
So I did a little more research (emphasis on little) and found out from www.livestrong.com that the whey protein in ricotta cheese sets it apart from other cheeses that are made from milk curd. This means that a half of a cup of fat free ricotta has about 14 grams of protein, which is considered a high quality protein good for building muscles. That's not all - ricotta also contains cysteine which is an amino acid used to produce glutathione. I can't spell it or pronounce it, for that matter, but I learned that studies have shown it to have cancer-fighting properties.
Ricotta cheese - muscle builder, calcium supplier, and cancer fighter. It doesn't get more super than that!
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
What?!? I Can't Hear You Over All of This Grunting!
Yesterday I happened upon an article about grunting. Yep, you heard me right, I said grunting. Well, you actually didn't hear me, since you're reading this, but if you had spent any significant time watching Maria Sharapova play tennis, you might not be able to hear me anyway. That is because she has a grunt that is so loud that it could, in fact, damage your hearing.
According to an article in Time magazine, grunting in tennis is becoming so distractingly problematic, that the Women's Tennis Association is considering putting "limits on how loud players can grunt during matches." This is an idea that surprisingly (at least on the surface) is supported by Sharapova.
Grunting is nothing new in tennis. Monica Seles was a world class grunter back in the 90s, with a odd guttural and high pitched grunt that, while watching from my couch, would make me jump every time she hit the ball. So the idea that the WTA was considering trying to reign in the screamers didn't particularly surprise me. What I did learn, however, was two-fold.
First I learned that current grunters would be grandfathered in, should new rules be put into place. Sharapova, probably the loudest grunter playing the game today, would be allowed to continue here high-pitched yelps while newer players might have to muzzle theirs. This exemption makes it pretty easy for Sharapova to agree with the limits. After all, she gets all the benefit of quiet concentration while still being able to annoy the crap out of her opponent. That seems pretty win win.
What was more interesting to learn was that Sharapova's grunts have been measured at 101 decibels. Not being an expert on sound, I turned to Galen Carol Audio's handy Decibel Comparison Chart (available at http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/loudness.html) to better understand just how loud Sharapova is during a match.
According to Galen Carol Audio, normal conversation is around 60-65 decibels or dB. Sharapova's 101dB grunt is between a motorcycle (100dB) and a power mower (107dB). That's pretty loud! Even more importantly, sustained exposure to sounds above 95dB can cause hearing loss, so her 101dB grunt repeated over and over for several hours can be doing damage to those around her.
But decibel level is just one component. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, duration of the sound and proximity to the sound are also key factors to hearing loss. They say, "a good rule of thumb is to avoid noises that are 'too loud' and 'too close' or that last 'too long.'"
Hmm...to loud, to close and too long? I wonder if Sharapova is actually hurting her own hearing with her style of play. Her grunts are clearly too loud, she can't get much closer to her ears than her mouth, and she emits these sounds repeatedly and regularly for hours at a time during both play and practice I would imagine. I'm no ENT, but hat seems like a recipe for hearing loss to me.
I guess time will tell if Sharapova is doing more harm than just distracting her opponents. If I were her, however, I would probably invest in a really good pair of earplugs. I'm just saying.
According to an article in Time magazine, grunting in tennis is becoming so distractingly problematic, that the Women's Tennis Association is considering putting "limits on how loud players can grunt during matches." This is an idea that surprisingly (at least on the surface) is supported by Sharapova.
Grunting is nothing new in tennis. Monica Seles was a world class grunter back in the 90s, with a odd guttural and high pitched grunt that, while watching from my couch, would make me jump every time she hit the ball. So the idea that the WTA was considering trying to reign in the screamers didn't particularly surprise me. What I did learn, however, was two-fold.
First I learned that current grunters would be grandfathered in, should new rules be put into place. Sharapova, probably the loudest grunter playing the game today, would be allowed to continue here high-pitched yelps while newer players might have to muzzle theirs. This exemption makes it pretty easy for Sharapova to agree with the limits. After all, she gets all the benefit of quiet concentration while still being able to annoy the crap out of her opponent. That seems pretty win win.
What was more interesting to learn was that Sharapova's grunts have been measured at 101 decibels. Not being an expert on sound, I turned to Galen Carol Audio's handy Decibel Comparison Chart (available at http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/loudness.html) to better understand just how loud Sharapova is during a match.
According to Galen Carol Audio, normal conversation is around 60-65 decibels or dB. Sharapova's 101dB grunt is between a motorcycle (100dB) and a power mower (107dB). That's pretty loud! Even more importantly, sustained exposure to sounds above 95dB can cause hearing loss, so her 101dB grunt repeated over and over for several hours can be doing damage to those around her.
But decibel level is just one component. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, duration of the sound and proximity to the sound are also key factors to hearing loss. They say, "a good rule of thumb is to avoid noises that are 'too loud' and 'too close' or that last 'too long.'"
Hmm...to loud, to close and too long? I wonder if Sharapova is actually hurting her own hearing with her style of play. Her grunts are clearly too loud, she can't get much closer to her ears than her mouth, and she emits these sounds repeatedly and regularly for hours at a time during both play and practice I would imagine. I'm no ENT, but hat seems like a recipe for hearing loss to me.
I guess time will tell if Sharapova is doing more harm than just distracting her opponents. If I were her, however, I would probably invest in a really good pair of earplugs. I'm just saying.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
I'm Calling a Do Over
For the past several days I've been "learning" the same thing over and over. This multiple learning cycle should disqualify the topic from making this blog, but I am making an exception. That is because what I have been continuously learning is that once behind, it is hard for me to catch up on anything. I put learning in quotes because this is not a new theme for my life. There are many examples throughout my storied existence that one could turn to.
Take my high school swimming career. I was never what you would call a come-from-behind swimmer. Once passed I did not posses the skills to regain that lead. On occasion I would try to kick it into high gear early to establish a substantial lead. Like the time I swam my first 300 Freestyle as a freshman. I took off like a shot, swimming the same way I would have attacked a 100 Free race. I was significantly ahead, so much so that for the briefest of seconds my Mom thought I might be an Olympian one day. The trouble was I still had eight laps to go. As I dropped back, the other swimmers gained ground, overtook me, and actually finished the race a good minute to a minute and a half in front of me. I half-seriously considered drowning, thinking that might be easier than having to finish, but I swam on in what most people would have thought was slow motion had the race been televised. When I finished and crawled out of the pool, all the parents in the stands stood up and cheered. I'll tell you, that type of support does not do much to break a laggard out of her back of the pack habits.
TV shows are another nemesis. I will spend whole seasons DVRing serial shows so that I can watch them in order. I will plug my ears, singing "la la la" whenever anyone tries to mention what happened on last week's episode, but when I get home and sit down to watch a little TV, the long list of unwatched shows becomes so daunting to me that I turn on ESPN and watch several consecutive episodes of SportsCenter, sometimes seeing the plays of the week two or three times.
When laundry starts to back up it's a bit of a fashion death knell for me. It starts with a little bit of procrastination when I say to myself, "it's not too bad. I'll do it tomorrow." The next day is snowballs as I think, "I don't have enough time to get it done before 10 pm (when the laundry hours at my building end), I had better wait." And so on and so on until the pile is so big I tell myself, "there's so much. What if I fall trying to carry it?" This is the point where I usually decided that it might be easier to just go shopping than do laundry, which in reality is not a good idea at all as that will just make the pile bigger. So I wear those things in the back of my closet that should have been given to Goodwill years ago, and handwash select things in the sink. After a few days of this I will then start the process of slowly tackling the pile, though it is quite daunting and never fun.
So once again I find myself behind on this very blog. Though I have tried to diligently keep notes and write posts - often on the backs of envelopes or in emails to myself, I have lagged to the point where I cannot dig myself out in a humorous or worth-reading way.
Therefore, I am calling a do over. Just like in my childhood where I would not get the desired outcome (my brothers would beat me at HORSE, I would screw up on a song I was playing during a flute lesson, I would miss a beat on "Miss Mary Mack") I would call a do over to try it again. Well consider this my blog do over declaration! Starting today I am back on track and game to see if once again I can write about one new thing I learned the day before. Wish me luck. Trust me, I'm going to need it!
Take my high school swimming career. I was never what you would call a come-from-behind swimmer. Once passed I did not posses the skills to regain that lead. On occasion I would try to kick it into high gear early to establish a substantial lead. Like the time I swam my first 300 Freestyle as a freshman. I took off like a shot, swimming the same way I would have attacked a 100 Free race. I was significantly ahead, so much so that for the briefest of seconds my Mom thought I might be an Olympian one day. The trouble was I still had eight laps to go. As I dropped back, the other swimmers gained ground, overtook me, and actually finished the race a good minute to a minute and a half in front of me. I half-seriously considered drowning, thinking that might be easier than having to finish, but I swam on in what most people would have thought was slow motion had the race been televised. When I finished and crawled out of the pool, all the parents in the stands stood up and cheered. I'll tell you, that type of support does not do much to break a laggard out of her back of the pack habits.
TV shows are another nemesis. I will spend whole seasons DVRing serial shows so that I can watch them in order. I will plug my ears, singing "la la la" whenever anyone tries to mention what happened on last week's episode, but when I get home and sit down to watch a little TV, the long list of unwatched shows becomes so daunting to me that I turn on ESPN and watch several consecutive episodes of SportsCenter, sometimes seeing the plays of the week two or three times.
When laundry starts to back up it's a bit of a fashion death knell for me. It starts with a little bit of procrastination when I say to myself, "it's not too bad. I'll do it tomorrow." The next day is snowballs as I think, "I don't have enough time to get it done before 10 pm (when the laundry hours at my building end), I had better wait." And so on and so on until the pile is so big I tell myself, "there's so much. What if I fall trying to carry it?" This is the point where I usually decided that it might be easier to just go shopping than do laundry, which in reality is not a good idea at all as that will just make the pile bigger. So I wear those things in the back of my closet that should have been given to Goodwill years ago, and handwash select things in the sink. After a few days of this I will then start the process of slowly tackling the pile, though it is quite daunting and never fun.
So once again I find myself behind on this very blog. Though I have tried to diligently keep notes and write posts - often on the backs of envelopes or in emails to myself, I have lagged to the point where I cannot dig myself out in a humorous or worth-reading way.
Therefore, I am calling a do over. Just like in my childhood where I would not get the desired outcome (my brothers would beat me at HORSE, I would screw up on a song I was playing during a flute lesson, I would miss a beat on "Miss Mary Mack") I would call a do over to try it again. Well consider this my blog do over declaration! Starting today I am back on track and game to see if once again I can write about one new thing I learned the day before. Wish me luck. Trust me, I'm going to need it!
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