Well, this morning I decided to talk about how the world couldn't be all that bad since O.J.'s book and interview about how he would have killed his wife got yanked. Thankfully News Corp, which owns Fox Broadcasting and Harper Collins, realized just how tacky this whole thing was. Or how tacky all of the sponsors who probably would have yanked ad money thought it was. Either way, done deal except for bootleg copies on YouTube and eBay.
No, instead on my way to work this morning I tuned in to the Bob and Tom show, and caught them discussing a story about a man who was arrested for having sexual relations with a deer carcass. They were serious, here's the story. All thoughts of how the world maybe wasn't so bad after all flew out of my head. Not just a deer, but a carcass.....that had been laying in the ditch.........His lawyer was trying to argue that since the definition of an animal included the word "living" that the carcass was not an animal and therefore no crime had been committed. That may be the case, but that's just sick.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Ridin' The Rails
This weekend I went on an adventure. Mike had to be in Milwaukee on business on Thursday, and I was going to go with him so I could see my family. The problem was I couldn't get off work on Thursday, only on Friday. So Mike went up on Thursday and I went on Friday to meet him. Instead of driving, I took the train.
It's been many years since I was on Amtrak, and I wasn't really sure what to expect. When I got to the station in Champaign, I was surprised by how many people were already there, and by how many people showed up afterwards. Then I took a good look at the crowd and figured it out. Many of the riders were college students, presumably going home for the weekend. With the fare being relatively inexpensive, this would be a good option, especially if the students don't have a car on campus.
The train to Chicago started out in Carbondale, so there were already quite a few people on the train. I was lucky to get a window seat (I love looking out the window!), and my seat mate ended up being one of the many college students. She had a laptop with her and watched Memento during the ride. That's such a good movie, and it was really hard not to shoulder surf (although I couldn't hear anything). I had plenty to keep me busy anyway, I brought my iPod, a book, and a book of crossword puzzles. Amtrak's policy towards food is bring whatever you want, so I also brought some snacks and a soda. I would hate to get stranded on a train without chips!
The train started rolling, slowly, slowly, and then stopped. We were barely up to the north end of town. We then sat and waited, and waited some more. Finally after ten minutes they announced that we were pulled over to a siding to wait for a freight train. It ended up being a half hour wait until we could go, then we had to back up practically to the station to get on the main track. Once again, here we go!
We had to pull over again later on to let the southbound Amtrak pass. All told, we were delayed for an hour. Good thing I had a two hour layover in Chicago! They kept thanking us for our patience. As if we were going to get off the train? Definitely a good thing I brought snacks....
So we rolled into Union Station and my first priority was to find where I caught the train to Milwaukee. I won't elaborate on my second priority but it involved standing in a long line. After that, I stopped at one of the restaurants and grabbed a bite to eat. There was also a bar in the station, and just in case you didn't want to stop at the bar you could stop at the little beer wagon and buy a can of Miller Lite or something. Gotta love the train!
The trip to Milwaukee was much shorter (and also full), and we got into the station just about on time. I got off the train and walked out into a monsoon. The wind was blowing, it was sleeting, and there was thunder and lightning. Mike's parents were there to pick me up, and they pulled up just as I walked out of the station. Talk about great timing!
All in all, it took 6 1/2 hours (including layover) to get to Milwaukee from Champaign by train. Considering it takes about 4 hours by car, yes, it was a longer way, but it was also fairly convenient. I didn't have to worry about driving, and the fare wasn't much more than a tank of gas. It's nice to know that we have this option if we want it.
It's been many years since I was on Amtrak, and I wasn't really sure what to expect. When I got to the station in Champaign, I was surprised by how many people were already there, and by how many people showed up afterwards. Then I took a good look at the crowd and figured it out. Many of the riders were college students, presumably going home for the weekend. With the fare being relatively inexpensive, this would be a good option, especially if the students don't have a car on campus.
The train to Chicago started out in Carbondale, so there were already quite a few people on the train. I was lucky to get a window seat (I love looking out the window!), and my seat mate ended up being one of the many college students. She had a laptop with her and watched Memento during the ride. That's such a good movie, and it was really hard not to shoulder surf (although I couldn't hear anything). I had plenty to keep me busy anyway, I brought my iPod, a book, and a book of crossword puzzles. Amtrak's policy towards food is bring whatever you want, so I also brought some snacks and a soda. I would hate to get stranded on a train without chips!
The train started rolling, slowly, slowly, and then stopped. We were barely up to the north end of town. We then sat and waited, and waited some more. Finally after ten minutes they announced that we were pulled over to a siding to wait for a freight train. It ended up being a half hour wait until we could go, then we had to back up practically to the station to get on the main track. Once again, here we go!
We had to pull over again later on to let the southbound Amtrak pass. All told, we were delayed for an hour. Good thing I had a two hour layover in Chicago! They kept thanking us for our patience. As if we were going to get off the train? Definitely a good thing I brought snacks....
So we rolled into Union Station and my first priority was to find where I caught the train to Milwaukee. I won't elaborate on my second priority but it involved standing in a long line. After that, I stopped at one of the restaurants and grabbed a bite to eat. There was also a bar in the station, and just in case you didn't want to stop at the bar you could stop at the little beer wagon and buy a can of Miller Lite or something. Gotta love the train!
The trip to Milwaukee was much shorter (and also full), and we got into the station just about on time. I got off the train and walked out into a monsoon. The wind was blowing, it was sleeting, and there was thunder and lightning. Mike's parents were there to pick me up, and they pulled up just as I walked out of the station. Talk about great timing!
All in all, it took 6 1/2 hours (including layover) to get to Milwaukee from Champaign by train. Considering it takes about 4 hours by car, yes, it was a longer way, but it was also fairly convenient. I didn't have to worry about driving, and the fare wasn't much more than a tank of gas. It's nice to know that we have this option if we want it.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Winds of Change
Ahh.....the morning after an election. There's something new and fresh in the air, can you feel it? The sun is shining (or would be in Champaign if it wasn't foggy), birds are singing, people are smiling and happy. What can this possibly be? Does this signal a shift in the political climate? Are the politicians actually going to follow through on their promises and lower taxes, clean out corruption in the government, fix our schools, and give us health care?
What, are you kidding? No, I'm talking about our airwaves. They are now free and clear of muckracking, name calling, and unflattering pictures taken with someone's mouth open. Yes folks, the campaign ads are over. Some of us remember a time when campaign ads were a good thing. They were the equivalent of the whistle stop campaign-they allowed you to get a look at the candidate and hear what he or she thinks is the reason they are qualified to hold office. Now, it's turned into an ugly mess of he said she said, and you get no real sense of who the candidate is as a person and potential leader. Both sides are equally good at this, so you can't blame just one party.
I know I'm not the only one to complain about these ads. Surely there must be research somewhere that shows that the public does not respond well to this kind of advertising. Or maybe I'm wrong, and people don't let this influence their vote (or lack of).
All I know for sure is, my television is now free of name-calling politicians. I can go back to watching a barrage of male-enhancement commercials. Smilin' Bob, how I missed you.
What, are you kidding? No, I'm talking about our airwaves. They are now free and clear of muckracking, name calling, and unflattering pictures taken with someone's mouth open. Yes folks, the campaign ads are over. Some of us remember a time when campaign ads were a good thing. They were the equivalent of the whistle stop campaign-they allowed you to get a look at the candidate and hear what he or she thinks is the reason they are qualified to hold office. Now, it's turned into an ugly mess of he said she said, and you get no real sense of who the candidate is as a person and potential leader. Both sides are equally good at this, so you can't blame just one party.
I know I'm not the only one to complain about these ads. Surely there must be research somewhere that shows that the public does not respond well to this kind of advertising. Or maybe I'm wrong, and people don't let this influence their vote (or lack of).
All I know for sure is, my television is now free of name-calling politicians. I can go back to watching a barrage of male-enhancement commercials. Smilin' Bob, how I missed you.
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