While I read and enjoy quite a few blogs that are mainly an aggregation of links, I tend to think that I can offer more value by covering one subject in depth. I’m not positive, but I would bet that somewhere there is talk of these two different blog models (or what I call the article vs aggregation debate). Anyway, I don’t feel like writing an article tonight but I had a few links I wanted to share. (more…)

I’ve heard more than a few people say that now is a bad time to sell a house. Not only is the market not doing good, but it’s winter and no one wants to move in the winter. The thing is, we’re doing it anyway. (more…)

A few random thoughts and learnings from the past several days: (more…)

I believe that a well designed web site is easier to use than one that is poorly designed. Or at least that’s what I’ve always thought until I started playing intramural volleyball last year. (more…)

So here is the follow up to my first post about the products contained in the SkyMall magazine. In part 1 I focused on advertisements featuring ridiculous products. In part 2 I’m including those that made me laugh because of the advertisement itself. (more…)

Rebekah and I pick up the bus less than a block from our house in the Midway. As we were waiting this morning, I looked over to see a young woman (maybe a high schooler?) using a lint roller on her black pants. It made me smile because I’ve been there, we used to have a cat that shed like crazy, and now we deal with dog hair on a daily basis. Anyway, I looked back a few seconds later and saw four used lint roller papers sitting on the ground around this girl’s feet. I was immediately pissed off. I nudged Rebekah and told her that this girl had just thrown her lint roller papers on the ground. She looked at the girl and said “Excuse me, you dropped your trash on the floor.” The girl didn’t say anything, so I walked over, gave her my evil eye, picked up each piece and threw them away in the trash can that was sitting 10 feet away. (more…)

One of my favorite things about flying is looking through SkyMall magazine. So on the way back from Cancun a couple weeks ago I waited until we reached cruising altitude, reclined my seat, and proceeded to flip through and examine every page. When I came across something that made me laugh I marked down the page number in my trusty notebook. I finally had a chance to go back through the magazine, rip out the flagged products, and scan them in for your viewing pleasure. So in this first installment (of a 2-part series) I am including the ads where the product itself seemed, well, stupid. The next part will focus more on the advertisement and it’s cheesyness. (more…)

A couple of months ago I found out that I work with The Food Snob, The Bachelor, and The Cheapskate, restaurant reviewers for my community magazine: The Midway Monitor. I told them how much I enjoyed their section, and in return they invited me to join them for a review. I was happy when they let me write a guest review, and even more happy when they invited me to join again. I’ve now tagged along for three reviews and earned the name “The Chowhound,” although in my review of The Happy Gnome I am called “Basset Boy.” (more…)