Chicago: More Bars in More Places

Ha, those things. Their ads are on Fox Soccer Channel all the time.

"rotates -- just like a punch!"

Classic Lions/Bears game today. The only thing that could make it more classic is more field goals.

i'm watching the browns/ravens game on cbs. as i said over on ilnfl, that bears/lions game would probably make me hate football.

Go panthers.

Besides Duke basketball, my last NC sporting allegiance.

unfortunately for me i'll be rooting for a mid-level team in acc hoops (bc). but they're the class of the league in football!

I've been doing push-ups too because I moved farther away from the gym. I just do two sets of 25 and go eat a hot dog.

i am so fucking bad at pushups. i max at like 20, on a good day. pullups ok, pushups no.

Jesse, that sounds exactly like my life at present. If I had had that dream myself, all the elements would have made since. I mean, in the past few days I'm wearing a fall jacket that I found on clearance earlier this year, and I'm very happy with it. And I'm moving and about to start (as John just did) going through my stuff and wondering what's necessary -- I would probably be pretty happy keeping my clothes, books, and CDs. And, who knows, it's a transitional time now but pretty much in a good way all around, setting my home on fire in a controlled burn.

Hey, out of the blue I'll be directing some radio plays onstage in a few weeks, Friday the 19th I think.

made since? made sense

as yet no pizza or bj's but there are little dogs playing about my living room.

I like the headphone hack Jesse posted. I am probably not going back to buying Shure-brand headphone bud tips... the impromptu modified foam earplugs block out more noise, are more comfortable, and feel a bit more sanitary... if they get grungy, throw 'em away. Foam earplugs are like $3 for a box of 20 pair or something.

No Guru, No Method, No Teacher, No Pizza, No BJs

heh

My trainer gave me a great home routine--do pushups and situps every single day - only need to do 1 set, but every day increase by 1 pushup. I started at 17 and I stopped for a while when I got a bad summer cold, but I'm at 36 push-ups right now.

I have not been so diligent with the sit-ups.

These are my favorite headphones I've ever owned--

http://www.skullcandy.com/shop/bmz_cache/8/8d77184c237ebb77839af3ab2f6bbfe2.image.320x320.jpg

http://www.skullcandy.com/shop/smokinbuds-p-10.html

They are comfy, have really good range (I'm always disappointed in Shure headphones' bass) and best of all???? Only $12.99 at Staples.

Push-us are fun! Um... kinda. Anyway, I understand how they could be fun and invigorating. Sit-ups, I can't get myself to do. They're more of a pain. Can't say why.

I think I hate my abs. I don't want to "work" them, I just want to magically be skinny like I was 10 years ago.

I am seriously considering buying this if it stays cheap http://cgi.ebay.com/8-Glade-Plugins-FRESH-Refills-Glistening-SNOW-NEW-HTF_W0QQitemZ160162472628QQihZ006QQcategoryZ20553QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

How much cheaper is that than from the supermarket?

They're hard to find at Target and Jewel. Last Xmas and the one before (when I discovered Glistening Snow) I could only find the candles and the spray.

Glistening snow smells like pine, but softer, with a hint of spice. It's all holiday scents rolled into one non-cloying package.

JEFF

If you're not going to be biking for a while, can I have your helmet?

Didn't you guys have an extra helmet lying around?

Jesse, I have a fine helmet that I'm sure I'm done with for the year. It's blue and shiny and helmet-y.

ok

tell me books to read that are like Eastern Promises (the movie)

as soon as you tell me about these them i will devour all of these books

I emailed you

Not you--you.

i was gonna say, me?

I would NEVER email you!!

i know. that's why i thought it was weird. ;)

have any of you seen this movie yet? i won't say too much, i posted to spoiler thread instead. but WHOA.

I would totally email you, Amanda!

Hey wanna hear about how I'm falling apart? I over-wore my contacts. My right eye is in bad, bad shape. And I have hives on my stomach and shoulder. Unrelated to my eye, I would imagine.

oh no - HIVES! i used to get hives when i got really nervous, when i was a kid. it was always a great feeling to be really nervous AND have a huge itchy red blob on my cheek. ahhhhhhhhhhh. one time i spent an entire vacation in the bathtub because i had full-body hives.

hives.

Please no Eastern Promises spoilers.

i wouldn't dream of it.

The Russian Debutante's Handbook is good and has stuff about Russian mobsters but is probably more comedic in tone than what you are looking for.

elements i'm looking for (and i don't think this is spoiling anything)

1 international intrigue of a criminal nature
2 combination of humanity/brutality
3 plot
4 characters

usually books that have 1 and 3 are lacking 2 and 4, in my experience.

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n0/n1219.jpg

keep going...i'm writing these down

Have you ever read any James Ellroy? He's kind of a love-him-or-hate-him author, and even though I think he's a great writer, a little bit goes a long way (ie all of his books are basically exactly the same). The unfinished "American Underworld" trilogy is probably the best, starts with American Tabloid and continues in The Cold Six Thousand.

Nope. But I'll check it out.

Is he hardboiled? It's difficult to find someone who writes fully satisfying crime novels that also have sufficiently rounded characters. (Richard Price does a good job, I think.) The closest I can think of is narrative nonfiction like The Executioner's Song or Down by the River (Charles Bowden).

Yeah, he's very hardboiled. His characters probably won't be sufficiently rounded enough for you, they do tend to blur together. He's mainly about style, honestly.

I suppose Graham Greene is pretty good at combining international intrigue with actual human characters. I've read maybe 3? 4? of his novels...maybe I should read more.

Brighton Rock is really good though it has no international intrigue.

Oooh, that's probably my favorite. I've even thought of reading it again recently.

I will listen to Kate Bush on Youtube for the next hour or so.

I want to report that we went to Kuma's on Sat. evening and had a meaty, delicious time. I got the Dark Throne burger (chipotle peppers, goat cheese, pico de gallo) and D got the Kumaburger (bacon, cheddar, egg). The fries were a little soggy, but I got the salad instead so I didn't really have to deal with the fries. I am already planning my next trip.

So I don't know how much I actually care about a new Radiohead album, but them managing to keep the fact that they're releasing a new album secret until 10 days before the release date is pretty impressive in this day and age. Plus they are apparently selling the download for whatever price you want to pay.

Welcome to the Nick and Amanda Discussion Hour.

Hey, I tried to change the subject.

For some reason I thought Radiohead wasn't a band anymore, like they were a person and they died.

Graham Greene? I've never seen Gunsmoke.