Picasa

If your not using Picasa to manage your digital pictures, you should be. Picasa helps you instantly find, edit and share all the pictures on your PC. It's what Sue and I use and best of all, it's free. You can download it from Google here: Picasa.

Nightmare on Genesse Avenue

The Nightmare on Elm Street house is for sale and, its not even on Elm Street, its on Genesee Avenue. Its good to know that $1,095,000 gets you a "fixer opportunity" in Los Angeles.

Punked by Leonardo

So it turns out the Mona Lisa isn't a female version of Leonardo Da'Vinci, it doesn't contain any hidden messages, and the Knights Templar weren't involved at all. Scientists completed an infrared three-dimensional scan of the painting and determined that Mona Lisa is actually Lisa Gherardini. The painting was created to commemorate the birth of her second son in 1503. No word on whether or not her eyes followed you as you walked around the room. All you self flagellating albinos are going to have to move along, there's nothing to see here.

Taking Back Sunday (from the Tribune)

No, this isn't a gushing fan girl post about the Emo band of the same name. It's about the Chicago Tribune. You see, they can't seem to find our house. The postal service, UPS, FedEx, and the pizza guy all seem to have mastered the advanced geographic complexities involved in finding a house in a fifteen year old sub-division. The Tribune delivery service, unfortunately, navigates using the original paper maps drawn up by Lewis and Clarke. It's hard to get your bearings with a sextant when its light out, I understand. It is with great trepidation and sorrow that we decided after three Sunday's of missing papers that perhaps paying for them was not the best investment of our funds. We could have, for example, thrown that money out the window, or converted it into quarters which we could have then laid on the nearby railroad tracks to be squished by trains. I'm sure a quarter squished by a train is worth at least a nickel. So, after three failed Sundays, the hammer fell and Sue canceled the service thus ending our brief affair with one of the city's two major metropolitan newspapers. Or so we thought. At 7:00 AM on Tuesday I was awoken by the ringing of the telephone.  Who could this strange caller from deepest darkest Indiana (219 area code) be?  It was our Tribune delivery representative demanding to know our exact geographic location. I politely surrendered the requested data and ended the conversation so as to attempt to get those last 5 minutes of sleep before the alarm. Unfortunately, I never bothered to explain that we had canceled service. I await Sunday with eager anticipation. Will we get a paper? Will they attempt to charge us for it? Will we get our refund? These and other answers await you in the next installment of Steve's Blog. Until then you'll just have to live with the suspense. And before you ask, no we're not going to try the Sun-Times, it folds weird and I won't have that in my house.

Stop Paying for Stuff!

Whoever said that there's no such thing as a free lunch has never visited Craig's List.  This person is giving away two boxes of free food! Mmm, just like Mom used to give away. Now that we've eaten, lets see what else we can pickup for free in the area:

The Worlds's Stupidest/Ugliest Doll. That's right, forget those long lines at Christmas. You can get that special someone this treasure for free! And you can tell them with confidence, that it's the World's Stupidest and Ugliest. Of course after they kick you out of the house, you can always live in this free mobile home.  Of course since you'll be single again you're going to want to look your best to attract a new mate. I would suggest a free haircut at Mario Tricoci in Vernon Hills. So what if she's a student, I'm sure it will turn out just fine. If the whole meeting people thing doesn't work out, you can always head back to your trailer and pass the time with these two free cats.  When you get tired you can take a nap in your new (and free) Lazy Boy Chair.  The foot rest doesn't always stay up but the current owner insists it's very comfy. After waking up refreshed, why not  head over to Bolingbrook and spend a little time playing in a free giant pile of dirt. The owner surmises that it's, for the most part, very good. Although, giant may be a bit of an exaggeration. Finally after a long day or enjoying your newfound freedom, you can wash up in a free old sink and drift off to sleep while gazing at the World's Stupidest/Ugliest Doll. See, good things in life are free.

Youth For Sale

I spent a large portion of my childhood involved in the Boy Scouts. That involvement afforded me the opportunity to do and try things that I otherwise could never have experienced. It seems that recently, the local scouting organization (The Chicago Area Council), has been selling off most, if not all of the camps they operate in the area. On a personal level its sad to see the opportunities I had not being preserved for today's youth. Places I have vivid memories of like Camp Hoover (sold for $18 Million in 2004), Camp Kiwanis (sold),  and on and on. They have actually sold all their camps. That's right, all of them, except for one.

Owasippe is the oldest continuously run Scout Camp in the country. It's been in operation for 95 years and this summer, saw 4,000 scouts spend a part of their summer there. It encompasses 4,780 acres in Twin Lake, Michigan. One magical week every summer, we packed up our gear and headed off to Owasippe. It was as close to adventure as a kid from Chicago growing up in the 80's could get. Unfortunately, the council is seeking to rezone the 4,780 acre camp to residential property allowing them to sell it for a reported $19.4 million. Luckily, Blue Lake Township is having none of that. To date, the local government has rejected every rezoning request. It would be a shame to simply bulldoze that land and build summer lake homes on it.  There is hope, the Owasippe Outdoor Education Center, a not-for-profit organization is attempting to preserve Owasippe as a world-class outdoor education experience.  There is some concern 2006 may be the last year Owasippe sees scouts pitching tents and simply being kids in the outdoors. I sincerely hope not.

Video Recording

Following up on the sound recordings from my last post, the earliest known video recording is also from 1888. It called the "Roundhay Garden Scene" and is from a short film by Louis Le Prince. It's quite short but imagine seeing this in 1888.

Recorded Sound

Here's something cool to kill time on a Friday afternoon at the office, this site from the National Park Service has the earliest known recorded music in existence. This and the other recordings on this page were originally recorded on an Edison yellow paraffin cylinder, some dating back to 1888! They also have what is thought to be the first recording of Thomas Edison's voice. We sure have some a long way. What would you rather carry around in your backpack, a phonograph cylinder or an MP3 player? Try getting that cylinder through airport security.

Travel Tips from the TSA

I don't mean to pick on the TSA (OK, maybe a little) but I've spent so much time in airports that the absurdity of it all has led to a new form of psychosis. As the one to discover this disorder, I'll assert naming privileges. TSASS or Transportation Security Administration Stupidity Syndrome affects anyone who spends too much time making their way through airport security.  You see, people with TSA become inextricably stupid while trying to make it through security. Luckily, TSA seems to be aware of this issue and has posted some helpful tips on their web site. Tips we need to keep in mind while in the throws of TSA induced stupidity. Here's a prime example:

NEVER leave babies in an infant carrier while it goes through the X-ray machine.

Read more about traveling with children here. You know this particular tip was only added because someone (suffering from TSASS) actually tried it. Until a cure is found, watch the X-ray belt for babies and try to be understanding while in line. TSASS can strike any one of us without warning.

AeroGarden

The AeroGarden has been up and running for four days, and already, the Purple Basil, Italian Basil, and Dill have sprouted. The picture to the left is day 1. Once a seed sprouts, you remove the little plastic dome. Stay tuned for updates. This is much more exciting than watching grass grow.

Air Travel is Stoopid

The FAA has decided to allow people to bring portable oxygen containers onto airplanes. Your bottle of Diet Coke however, will not be allowed due to the risk of it being used to manufacture explosives while in flight. So lets make sure this is perfectly clear, a device that mentions the word explosion four times in the manual, is fine, no problem, bring it right aboard. That container of chocolate pudding? Sorry sir, we're going to have to confiscate that. What other dangerous things can I bring on board you ask? You could peruse the list yourself but I'd be happy to point out a few other oddities. Those extra sharp scissors with the pointy tips? As long as the blades are less than four inches, feel free to carry them on. That disposable razor is also not a problem. Pair it with a pair of pliers (less than seven inches in length!) and I'm pretty sure you can get yourself a razor blade. Screwdrivers? Again, anything less than seven inches is just fine. Knitting needles are just fine. Haven't they ever seen Halloween? Anything that can be used to nearly stop the killing machine that is Michael Meyers should never be allowed on a plane! Here's a good one: moisturizer is not allowed but, personal lubricant (up to 4oz) is. If I'm sitting next to a guy on the plane and he takes his 4oz of "personal lubricant" into the bathroom, I'm holding it until we land. I'd rather sit next to the knitting needles.

Why is all this important? Well' it turns out that some people think that the bomb manufacturing plot was, well, manufactured. As it turns out making explosives in the manor described is nearly impossible and requires several hours. I'm pretty sure the bathroom line would become quite noticeable after a couple hours of occupation. If you are chemically inclined, you can read about the difficulties in this article. So for now, be sure to check you nail polish and deodorant and prepare to take a big swig of that breast milk before they'll let you bring it on board. Oh, and watch your toes, here comes another oxygen tank.

Keep on Rockin' in the Backyard

I had quite a hall for my birthday this year. It seems giving no gift guidance whatsoever has really paid off. To everyone who was kind enough to send a card or a gift, thank you. You've outdone yourselves as usual. What was so great you ask? How about a pair of outdoor speakers that look like rocks? That's right, now when we give people directions to the house, we can just tell them to keep driving until they hear the Slipknot coming from the backyard. Oh ya, and how about a fully automated hydroponics garden? I'm definitely going to be growing some herbs this Winter. No, not those kinds of herbs, you degenerate. I'm talking about basil, mint, cilantro, and the like. Now lets discuss the wine themed gifts. A WineStyles gift certificate which, is always handy. We've got to keep the cellar inventory at a sufficient level. You never know, they could re-enact prohibition at any moment and I don't want to get caught off guard. Then there's the gift certificate to Cooper's Hawk, a restaurant and winery that I've been dying to try. Last but not least, the instant read digital thermometer from ThermoWorks they recommended in Cooks Illustrated. We tried taking our own temperature with it but, I think I'm better off using it on a roast. It's tough having such a thoughtful family. Thanks.

Boys are Yucky

My wife recently overheard a conversation between our daughter and niece. They were exploring the many benefits of an all female culture. That's right, all boys would be turned into girls. As with all great plans, they hit a snag. No boys means no daddies. I was relieved to hear that they reached a compromise in which each of their daddies would be allowed to remain male. Everyone else however, was in for a forced gender change. This was, of course, all highly speculative and steeped in wild supposition. They lack both the knowledge and the determination to enact such sweeping cultural change. Should they however, discover the means to turn all the boys into girls, we're going to have to kick fuzzy slipper and stuffed kitty production into high gear. We might want to give China a heads up just in case.

100

I thought I'd take a moment to celebrate my 100th post to the blog. While I've fallen well short of my goal to write something every day, I'm not doing too bad. Thanks to everyone who read them all (or just a few). Here are some statistics you may find interesting. Since March 16th, 2006:

• The main page has been read 3,832 times
• The main page has been requested 235 times from a Mac, I wonder who that could be :)
• 363 MB of bandwidth has been used
• People have read the Blog from Argentina, Australia, the United Kingdom, Illinois, New York, California, Texas, Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, and Arizona.

Wow, the four of you have been awful busy. When did you find the time to do all that traveling? Here's hoping the next 100 posts reach an even wider audience, and get a lot more interesting. It was all down hill after Practice Camping.

Thanks.

Lift Me Up

Emma saved up her tokens (I'll explain the token economy in another post) and bought her first CD ever. Hotel by Moby. She's been listening to it over and over.  It got me thinking about my first musical purchase. Of course, it was not a CD, it was a cassette. My apologies to all you older folks, it was not vinyl or an 8-track. Formats aside, I still remember plunking down my hard earned allowance money for that copy of Twisted Sister's Stay Hungry at the Zayre. What was the first piece of music that appealed to you enough to influence a purchase? Is it as embarrassing as mine? Leave a comment.

Teaching

Ahh teaching. There's no greater satisfaction than knowing you've put someone to sleep. Realizing that the sound of your voice droning on for hours is as powerful as any sleeping pill is the ultimate power trip. As Sponge Bob says, "at least its all behind me now." That's right, my five day flirtation with teaching is over. It's amazing how being in a classroom setting turns otherwise intelligent people into idiots. I've taught classes like this a few times, so I can pretty much classify the students on the first day. You've got the person who's going to disagree with everything you say just on principal. When questioned, they simply rephrase the same thing you just said and spit it back at you. Then there's the guy who wants to be your best friend. He'll start really uncomfortable conversations at any opportunity. "Hey, I know a bald guy from Chicago!" Yes, he actually said that. The trick is to act really busy during breaks so that he doesn't want to bother you. I always enjoy the person who cannot follow instructions that have clearly been written for a trained monkey. Something always goes disastrously wrong and its never their fault. Oh yes, I always look forward to that woman in the back who does nothing but check email and text message through the entire course. It's not like this is the third grade, you don't have to be here. I'm not taking attendance, as long as I get an evaluation form you can stay home! Fill it out on the first day and save everyone the trouble. I wonder which category I fall into when I'm the student.

There is an upside. On the last day of class, that one person comes up and shakes your hand, thanks you, and says "I really learned a lot." It makes all the disastrous demos, difficult people, and late nights learning the material (the night before class) worth it. I'm not a teacher but, it gives me a little insight into why teachers teach. Oh sure, they act all bitter and jaded but I know deep down inside, when they see a student grasp something new and apply it, it's a satisfaction few people get to experience. I don't particularly enjoy my infrequent stints as the teacher, but I do enjoy those moments. Plus, everyone assumes you know what your talking about even when you have no clue! It's great. Now if I could just get into the Teachers' Lounge....

Outta Here

After one last subway trip (#2 Uptown and transfer at 42nd to the #1 Uptown)  to see Central Park, my time in New York is at an end. I will say this about the park, it's big. No, I mean it, really big. Big in a way that seeing it on a map just doesn't convey. I walked for what seemed like forever only to realize I hadn't even traversed half the length of the park. I did get to see the Tavern the Green. After the realization stuck me that I was not going to walk all the way around the park, I detoured west to see the Lincoln Center, New York Opera and Juliard. Like almost everything else here, the Lincoln Center is surrounded by scaffolding and undergoing renovation. I'm starting to think the scaffoldings hold up the buildings.

I had a great time exploring this city. I have the distinct impression that I haven't even scratched the surface, especially since I never made it north of 70th street. I think the thing I'll miss most about New York is the two egg, bacon, and cheese on a roll from the local deli. Those things are good. Maybe I've got time to stop for just one more.  

Hello Deli!

Check another item off my life to-do list (kinda) and all it cost me was $2. Well, actually $4 if you count getting back to the hotel.  The $4 investment in the MTA MetroCard paid off in spades. Catch the #2 Uptown train at the Fulton Street station and ride until 42nd Street. Nothing could have prepared me for what the surface would hold as I emerged from the subterranean tunnel. Advertising Shangri-La. Make a left and head down 7th Avenue through Times Square. This is a sight worth seeing at least once in your life. Nothing I could write would do it justice. I'm not going to compare this with a beautiful mountain range or a vineyard in Northern California. Times Square is the ultimate testament to mankind's desire to sell stuff. Seeing it on television doesn't come close to giving you the proper perspective. It somehow seemed narrower and taller than I imagined, as if television squishes it somehow. Back to the mission, continue heading North and stay on Broadway when it splits from 7th Avenue. If you have any problems, call your wife and have her navigate for you. Continue walking to 53rd Street. When you see the Ed Sullivan Theater, make a left and there it is, Rupert Jee's Hello Deli.  The moment you've been waiting for and, it's closed. Damn you Rupert Jee, you'll pay for this. All I wanted was a sandwich and maybe a shirt. Oh well, as long as your there you might as well check out Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center, and maybe the rest of Broadway. Or, you can peer in the window longingly and dream about that sandwich.

Lost

Yesterday, I did something completely uncharacteristic. I wandered out into Lower Manhattan and,  quite literally, got lost in New York. No map and no orientation, I twisted and turned through randomly angled streets. I simply walked towards each successive point of interest like a moth seeking increasingly brighter flames. Wandering down Wall Street, through Battery City, Tribeca, and China Town I soaked up the atmosphere. That first glimpse of the Statue of Liberty as I emerged from the trees in Battery Park causing a quick inhalation. Imagining how many people, have seen that same site and known they had arrived in America. A sentiment I've heard a million times but somehow feels different when the view is presented in reality. Wandering down the streets seeing caricatures and then realizing that they weren't caricatures but their basis in reality. Ground Zero, striking not for what's there but what isn't. A giant gaping wound in the city begging to be filled. Surrounded by barbed wire and stern warnings. Surprise at a cemetery directly across the street. An ancient lot surrounded by a foreboding wrought iron fence. Tribeca with its trendy moms, kids and dogs in tow. Leagues of treadmill fanatics walking nowhere in storefront gyms.

The city seems to be in a constantly teetering on the brink of collapse. Trash piled in black plastic mountains on every street. Buildings encased in permanent cocoons of scaffolding. A gray pallor on everything as if the smog grew tired of floating and settled down to earth. Vendors on every corner selling fruit and fake purses. Activity everywhere and no one seemingly bothered by any of it. Most amazingly, an exciting, thriving city in which none of this is negative or positive but rather, simply is.

Ground Zero

Seeing Ground Zero is not something I can easily describe. I can not admit to being struck by the tragedy. I think its difficult to associate the place with the images we all saw in the news. It's actually quite difficult to get a good view from anywhere other than the viewing area they have setup along one side of the site. Hordes of people swarm like bees through an area about a block long. Tourists taking pictures, film crews, news broadcasters, conspiracy theorists holding signs and hawking their shirts and books, small vendors capitalizing on the tragedy, and annoyed locals all push and shove their way through. What really shocked me was not the crowds, I was expecting that. What I wasn't expecting was the sheer magnitude of the site.  Although, if anything, it mostly resembles a construction site at this point. If it wasn't for the damaged buildings around the outskirts, you'd never know the tragedy that had taken place here.  I hope they begin construction on the site soon, to leave it empty looking as it does would just be wrong.

Box Hill

Now this is really cool. I see from the server logs that I had a visitor from Box Hill, Australia. Even if they got to the site by mistake, it's really amazing that we have a mechanism available to almost anyone to allow this kind of communication.

Trash Day

My first stroll through lower Manhattan was interesting. Apparently, Monday is trash day here, as evidenced by the enormous mounds of garbage on every corner. The entrance to my hotel is in what I'm pretty sure is an alley. I thought the cab driver was kidding when he dropped me off. Wall Street was not nearly as impressive as the image I had build up in my mind. One amazing thing was flying over Time Square at night. Seeing it on TV just doesn't prepare you for the size and brightness of it. The giant screens were visible even from the airplane. After work, I'm planning on going over to Battery Park and hopefully will get a good view of the Statue of Liberty.

Real Oatmeal

Most of the people who know me also know that I'm sorta weird about cooking. I would rather make a loaf of bread than buy one at the store. I recently made my own granola which, was quite tasty if I do say so myself. A recent discovery in my culinary arsenal has been oatmeal. It's been a bit of an evolution to be sure. It started with the realization that you didn't have to get oatmeal in those little envelopes. You can actually buy rolled oats and add whatever flavoring you like. I'm partial to honey while Sue seems to favor vanilla and cinnamon. But, I digress. Thanks to my culinary mentor, Alton Brown, I recently learned that rolled oats are in fact, not rolled when they come from the field. They're actually cut and then rolled. Instant oats go through the extra step of being par boiled and then dried for your cooking convenience. All this led me to the discovery of something called steel cut oats. These are oats that have been cut but not rolled. They resemble little nuggets. You can't cook them in the microwave and they aren't the best bet for a quick breakfast but, if you've got 30 minutes or so, they make some of the best oatmeal you've ever had.

Oatmeal aside, the point to all this is that we pay a price for convenience. There is no greater pleasure in life than creating something for others to enjoy. That creation may be a meal, a painting, a song, a blog entry, or anything else you care about but seeing the look on the faces of others is worth that extra 30 minutes of effort. Food to me, is more than a necessity, it's one of the great joys in life and sometimes it's a good excuse to get my wife and daughter to hang around in the kitchen with me for 30 minutes while I make oatmeal. That beats using the microwave any day of the week.

Comments

Part of the reason I started this blog was to interact with people. You see, in real life, I prefer not to. Over the last couple days I've seen a substantial increase in visitors thanks to the magical marketing skills of this woman I share a home with. I've surpassed my normal average of three daily visitors (thanks Mom, Kristen, and Lori!) by quite a margin. One of the neatest things is that I can look at statistics and see where readers are located geographically. Don't worry, that's about all I can tell about you. While states like Illinois, Indiana, and California aren't exactly mysteries, I've also seen Texas, Georgia and Mississippi. I'd love to know more about these mystery visitors (and the non-mystery visitors as well). So, if you leave a comment, I promise I'll respond. Just ask Kristen, I've responded to all three of her comments. It's not as good as hearing back from your favorite celebrity but, I've been told that if you squint and stand on your head while dizzy, I look just like George Clooney.

The Vanished White City

Lori pointed me to this photo essay based on locations in The Devil in the White City. It was done by Alice Maggio and Brian Sobolak and they did a great job of hitting all the major locations in the book. Sad that almost every location is gone and some of the neighborhoods are nearly abandoned. Thankfully, The Rookery, The Museum of Science and Industry, and the Marshall Field Jr. House are still standing.

The essay that accompanies the photos raises an interesting question. All the locations in the book were built after the great fire so why haven't more of them been preserved? How much of our architectural history should we preserve? The authors of the essay put it much more eloquently than I can.

Read the essay here

See the photo tour here

By the way, if you happen to get WTTW-D be sure to check this out:

Expo: Magic of the White City
Sunday, September 17 at 9:00 pm & Friday, September 22 at 7:00 pm *presented in high-definition Narrated by Gene Wilder, this two-part series looks at the art, technology, and culture of the Columbian Exposition of 1893 where many of the Victorian era's greatest achievements were first revealed.

Accounting We Will Go

I'm officially a student again. I have a text book, a professor, and some assignments to prove it. The difference is that I'll never see the inside of a classroom or my professor or any of the other students. Everything is being done online. So far it's going smoothly. I have to post a response to a discussion topic on net income, cash flow, and earnings per share by the 19th. Two online exams and one project later and I'll be 1/12th of the way to an MBA. Thanks Sue, for giving me that push I needed to take this step.

I'm really interested to see how the online learning experience compares to the college experience I had years ago.  I'm just wondering how we'll get access to the keg via the Internet.

It's also interesting to see Emma go through a learning process at the same time. We really take for granted things like telling time, counting money, and writing in mixed case letters. To her, these topics are just as complex as the world of accounting is to me. We'll learn together as we go.

This Stuff's Made in New York City!

Next week I'll be visiting New York for the first time. I'm giving a seminar on ASP.NET. Imagine that, some poor souls are going to have to listen to the soothing sounds of my voice for five days! I'll be staying under the big red push-pin near Wall Street. Despite the packed schedule, I'm still hoping to get out in the evenings and see a few sights near the hotel. If you've got a New York tip for a good restaurant or some attraction I can visit in the evening, leave a comment or send me an email. Since I've only prepared one day's worth of seminar materials, they'll have to be quick stops.  Hopefully, I'll be posting a few pictures from the Big Apple.

The Apprentice?

Working for the Donald is so last year. Besides, without Carolyn, he's nothing. What's the new hotness you ask? Working for the Stephen. That's right, Stephen Hawking is looking for an assistant. You can check out the job posting here, but don't get any ideas because you are not qualified.  The requirements include flexibility, stamina, caring, confidence, and a valid drivers license. Hey, I've got all those things! Well, maybe not so much stamina but I can carry a five year old all over a craft fare and only have a sore back for three days. Does that count? I definitely have a drivers licence. I've read A Brief History of Time, that has to count for something. It should be a sufficient substitute for the flexibility and caring.  Stephen and I could sit around and fine tune our theories about black holes and dark matter. I've got a few thoughts on String Theory I think he might be interested in. My peanut butter and jelly theory is set to turn the world of physics on its ear. And check it out, it pays £20,842! Now if I can just figure out how much 1 £ is worth. What the heck is a £ anyway?

The Sleeping Critic - Capote

1959. Open with a scene of murder most foul. A girl lying dead from an apparent gunshot wound discovered by a friend. Cut to a swanky party, a group of party goers listening intently to the weird guy from Boogie Nights. What's the deal with those weird glasses? Does he have some kind of sinus issue? It's the story behind the story "In Cold Blood."  Truman Capote is one of those guys whose books they made you read in high school. Excellent acting, excellent story, and an excellent nap. After the opening, I awoke to Capote talking to some woman, Capote talking to a police officer, and Capote talking to some guy in prison. I'm assuming there were no explosions or big fight scenes because I would have woken up for those.  Roll the final credits for one last awakening. Sue said it deserves 3 stars and based on her synopsis and how refreshed I felt afterwards, I agree. Until next time, I'm the Sleeping Critic.

The Sleeping Critic

I'm introducing a new feature here at Steve's blog called "The Sleeping Critic." No, I won't be talking about mattresses or pillows. In this series, I will be reviewing films that caused me to fall asleep. To be clear, the fact that I fell asleep is no reflection on the quality of the movie, I can fall asleep pretty much anywhere. How can someone review a film that they slept through? Easy, I've been practicing this art for many years and have finally decided to put it to good use. The formula works something like this:

1. Find a nice comfy spot in a chair or on the couch
2. Watch the first ten to fifteen minutes of the film to get familiar with the key characters and the main plot points
3. A short nap
4. Wake up to catch a key piece of dialog
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until I wake up during the ending credits
6. Get a 30 second synopsis from Sue
7. If Sue has fallen asleep, read the synopsis on the front of the NetFlix envelope
8. Reach an informed opinion regarding the film

I've watched countless movies using exactly this same formula and not once has it failed me. Remember, knowledge is power, so use this formula wisely. Stay tuned for my first Sleeping Critic review of Capote coming soon.

Happy Labor Day

Did you know that many of the labor unions originally favored May 1st for Labor Day? You can thank Chicago and a riot that took place in may of 1886 for causing then President Grover Cleveland to choose the September date in 1887. Most of the world continues to celebrate Labor Day in May. As always, you know where to find the details.  Be it May or September take the day to enjoy your family and rest. Tomorrow, it's back to work.