Big Brother is Watching You...

As I'm sure you're all aware, Facebook has inserted yet another platform to our already-monitored lives recently--the chat window. I'm not sure if I like this window-thingy, it's too early in the game to tell. But, it got me to thinking....

I manage (or, attempt to manage) four email addresses, dozens and dozens of cell phone contacts, who-knows-how-many account names and passwords to random sites like Walgreens, Google, Amazon, WalMart photo center, Flickr, Yahoo!, Expedia, the list goes on and on...MSN, AOL and AIM...

I've so many identities I'm virtually schizophrenic. Literally. And now, when I log onto my Facebook, any one of my hundreds of friends (most of whom I haven't talked to in years, who has?) can chat me up. It hasn't happened yet, but it's so damn creepy I'm on checking my notifications to see if I'm tagged anywhere, and off before you can say confirm-friend-request three times fast.

As I mentioned before, I live in a college town, and besides loving spring, college kids love Facebook. So much, that most times while in the grocery line, I can scope a friend-of-a-friend that I saw at a party 4 Saturday's ago who lives with that girl I had English with last semester on the corner of Oak street...and so on and so forth. They may not be my real-life friend, they may not even know who I am, or that I exist. But via the miracles of Facebook, there's no hiding: I can rattle off their favorite beverage of choice, movie, and current class schedule if I wanted to. Creepy in a stalkish way eh? And I consider myself a casual, few-times-a-week user. Who knows what the Facebook addicts are thinking, or to what lengths they'll go to with their new chat outlet for communication.

Spring is Here...for Good!

It's official: after months of teasing, spring is finally here in Wisconsin. If you're a resident, you know what I'm talking about--the spring teaser, that first warm, breezy day in March when you retire your goose-down Columbia jacket....only to shovel your way to the car within a weeks time. For Wisconsinites, March is always a giant slap in the face and nefarious chuckle from Mother Nature as she says, "This bitch of a winter ain't goin nowhere! Muhahahahaha..."

But, my friends, spring has finally arrived in all her full glory. The ground is greenish-brown instead of poopy-brown, the ice scraper is in your trunk, and fat squirrels have returned to their usual dumpster-diving posts. What I love about spring arriving in a normally frozen climate is just how obviously glaring it is. Everyone and their fucking hamster is roused from their hibernation corrals, and is suddenly an avid runner\tanner\bicyclist\rollerblader\binge drinker\soccer player. Whatever random activity it is that gets you outside, it's suddenly your favorite hobby--and you better be damn dedicated, because it's only a sweet seven or so weeks before it gets too muggy to function.

Now, I live in a college town. And college towns love spring. It's that last hurrah before final exams, and "It's sunny." is the perfect excuse to put off whatever it is that needs to be accomplished until tomorrow. It's ok to be mediocre when the sun emerges from its perpetual hiding spot. Oh privileged reader, have you had the luck of witnessing the classic dorm beach party? It's quite the Midwestern cultural experience--a good 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and dorm-dwellers are willing to take their tops off, ask their dorm-dwelling friends to rub them down with oil, and hold court with a beach towel and assigned reading text....on the poopy/greenish brown rugby field within the dorm's vicinity. How I love these rituals. So positively hilarious. But hey, it's spring, and however we all want to foolishly celebrate--be it by dusting off the motorcycle or indulging in a twisty cone while driving with the window down--anything is A-ok with Mother Nature.

A Monumental Achievement!

Greetings, friends! Today I bring you splendid news! I received word via our extensive marketing team (Chops searching Google) that your one, your only, your beloved has broken into the top 1,000 at www.blogtoplist.com! In fact, we made the list oh-so-easily and slid into #932, right between "Alone in the Darkness," a blog about an author in the "underworld" (whatever the hell that means), and "Baha Indonesia Yang Bakir dan Benar," which is about something important, I'm sure. To all you faithful readers out there, (Hello mom!) keep it up! And be sure to take a minute and visit our paid $pon$or$.

Besos,
Chubs

A Moment for Darfur

I'm a firm believer that no questions are stupid ones, and I'm also unfraid to display my ignorance--whether I know I'm showing it or not. With that in mind, keep reading.

This weekend I watched a most excellent special on the Darfur crisis, courtesy of the National Geographic channel. The special followed a young marine and his attempts to release his photos--clear evidence of genocide--to the world. I never quite understood why people were giving China such a hard time about the upcoming Olympics, or why peace forces just hadn't invaded the region already. Hundreds and thousands have died, millions have been displaced. So, the logical question is this: Why haven't we (or anyone) done anything?

It's quite simple, really. The Janjaweed, Arabs also known as "the devil on horseback," have swept the region, cleansing it of anyone--and anything--deemed inferior (aka Africans). They aren't shy about discussing who is supporting them--the Sudanese government. But, the government denies offering any support to them. Sudan is oil-rich. China needs oil and buys a lot of Sudan's. China's oil money goes to the government...which, eventually, goes to...seeing the connection here? Now, a country can refuse help and support from the international community (ie UN). Sudan has done just that, claiming that their "conflict" is not the definition of "genocide."
Without "clear" evidence of genocide or ethnic cleansing, no one can step in. It's tragic, really. Perhaps even a Holocaust in the making. Will we look back at these years as ones of shame? As citizens of the richest country in the world, it's so easy to push it out of our minds and turn our heads, assuming someone will take care of things, some day. But if our dollars and people aren't there, it's just not worth our precious time.

The Weed Man

The other night a representative of "Weed Man" came to my door offering a free quote for lawncare during the upcoming summer season. This was the second time that "Weed Man" stopped by my house posing this question. I was a little disgruntled having to explain that "NO, I do not want a free estimate for you to spray chemicals on my lawn that cause me to mow twice as much this summer".

I kinda wanted to ask him...."You are not really a lawncare service are you? Don't you sell weed like your name suggests?" You would almost think that it would be a great cover for a drug distribution ring. Make it so blatantly obvious that you sell drugs that the local law enforcement would never suspect anything. Paint your distribution trucks green and yellow with the title "Weed Man" right on the side! I think its a perfect cover up....posing as a lawncare service. I though this was a case the first time that they came to my door step when there was still 12" of snow on the ground!

The guy from "Weed Man" rings my doorbell and when I answer he asks me "Are you ready to start thinking about lawn care for the upcoming season?"....I wanted to reply "NO, I'm thinking about how how stupid you look in your yellow jacket asking me about lawn care when its 20 degrees with snow on the ground." I politely said "NO thanks".


The problem is that I may actually get a lawncare service this year. "Weed Man" with there door to door soliciting have turned me off from purchasing their services. The creeping charlie is getting so bad in some spots that it starts to look like a green shag carpet. I just won't be calling the "Weed Man".

The National Football League, It Trumphs All Other Sports, Even In April

At 1:00pm eastern standard time today, the NFL will release the 2008 NFL schedule. Sportscenter, on ESPN, is dedicating a 2-hour show on this subject. The show will be full of analysis on every teams good and bad aspects of their particular schedule. Talking heads will debate on the chances of different teams and critical division and rivalry matchup games. I can't wait for schedule to be released personally, as I will probably attend one or two NFL games this year.

All the hoopla and exposure is a very good indicator how big the NFL has become against the other major sports in North America. (Baseball, Basketball, Hockey, Nascar, and Golf) Compared to the other sports in the U.S., the National Football League is the 300 pound-gorilla in the room.

Here we are on April 15, the NBA playoffs are about to start, the Masters golf tournament just got over, the baseball season is just two weeks old, and we area talking about the NFL schedule. Not actual games or players, just the SCHEDULE! The season officially starts in roughly 5 months and fans are celebrating today because they will soon know which Sunday night they can get hammered while watching their favorite NFL team play the prime-time game.

This is a direct by-product of the league running and marketing a better product than the other North American sports. The MLB, NASCAR, NBA, and NHL should all take a history lesson on what the NFL has done the past 25 years to get to this points.

Thanks for reading,.....I gotta go...just 25 minutes to the schedule release......!!!