Tag: 'Merica

10 Reasons To Love The Sochi Olympics

1. Bob Costas' Left Eye. A bespectacled Mr. Costas greeted us when prime time coverage of the games began. It appears even the seemingly ageless wonder isn't immune to the weird things lurking in the Sochi water. I swear I once got pink eye riding the Tube- I feel your pain, Bob. Photo from deadspin.com
I really wasn’t feeling the Sochi Olympics. I had devoured the London Olympics- watching hours and hours of events thanks to non-stop coverage and my DVR, getting up early before work to catch the coverage, and getting into handball way more than I had any right to. A big part of it was my general... Read more »
By AJ,
February 6, 2014 at 10:18 pm • 

The Mini Abe Super Bowl Commercial: Irresponsible Use of State Money

Before turning off the Super Bowl after the 3rd quarter because I was sleepy and it was getting sad watching Peyton Manning, I did get to catch some of the local advertisements. It’s funny, because I didn’t even recognize that there was a Menards commercial, even though I was singing “Save big money…” until a... Read more »
By AJ,
February 3, 2014 at 1:50 pm • 

A Beginners Guide to Charleston, South Carolina

King Street served as the hub of our universe for the weekend. Our hotel was right off this main drag, which features local and high-end chain boutiques, bars, restaurants, salons- pretty much anything you could need. Word to the wise- some of the bars in this area definitely screen customers. We were told there was a wait (read: You guys are too old) for a bar with visible empty seating. One bar that did not do that and was so awesome we went there three nights in a row? Proof. Go there and order a gin and tonic. You're welcome.
One reason I love to travel so much is to catch up with old friends. I’m not a great phone person and it even sometimes takes me way too long to reply to an e-mail. Without Facebook, I would forget a lot of birthdays. But travel is the way I connect. Don’t offer me an... Read more »
By AJ,
November 14, 2013 at 9:35 pm • 
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NFL Hazing: What The League Can Learn From Greek Life

I was watching CBS this morning before the football games started and caught a bit of the pre-game show. At the end of the program there was a brief round-table discussion of the Richie Incognito NFL hazing incident. Several players who had been in the league for many years, including a current player, London Fletcher,... Read more »
By AJ,
November 10, 2013 at 9:43 pm • 

Sixteen National Parks We Missed During the Government Shutdown

#1: Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in Chesterton, Indiana. I drove down here one weekend morning (only took about an hour from the far northside) mainly because it was the closest National Park to me and I couldn't believe it was that close to Gary. Well worth the visit, although the picturesque dunes and grasses in the same line of sight as the huge energy plants and steel companies was an interesting study in contrast.
There were a lot of unfortunate things about the government shutdown that ended late Wednesday night. A lot of people were furloughed, people had difficulty accessing some government services, and we had to listen to people play the blame game daily on the news. There were many innocent bystanders in this drive-by government nonsense, including... Read more »
By AJ,
October 17, 2013 at 10:41 pm • 

Why Sky Mall Is The Best In-Flight Entertainment

Options abound if you're looking for the small furry forest mammal motif for your next decorating project. I'm not sure which is creepier, the evil squirrel giving you the death stare or the creepy squirrel orgy blanket.
I’ve taken eight flights in the last month or so. That’s a lot of time in the air, eating peanuts, silently judging my fellow passengers, waiting to get where I’m going. Sure, I could be productive at 30,000 feet, but that’s no fun. And nowadays, airlines don’t make in-flight entertainment easy. Southwest has you pay... Read more »
By AJ,
September 13, 2013 at 7:21 am • 
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Three Great Things To Do In Miami Beach

Miami Beach in August? It may not be your first thought for a late summer getaway, but despite the heat, the MIA has a lot to offer in these dog days. Here are three great things to do in Miami Beach. Grab some Cuban food. While Chicago is lucky to have some great Cuban restaurants,... Read more »
By AJ,
September 6, 2013 at 9:35 am • 

Would An Australian Travel Ban On The US Make Any Difference?

A terrible thing happened in Oklahoma last week with the apparently random shooting of an Australian college student by three teenagers with nothing better to do. In the aftermath, an Australian politician has made comments that Australians should avoid travelling to the US due to our gun laws and crime rates. But would an Australian travel ban... Read more »
By AJ,
August 22, 2013 at 1:38 pm • 

What Happens In Vegas Stays With You For The Rest Of Your Life

A co-worker of mine is heading to Vegas this week for the first time. And I’m excited for her. I LOVE Las Vegas. It’s one of those select destinations that I will happily return to again and again. For about three days at a time, before I don’t have to go home, but I can’t... Read more »
By AJ,
August 12, 2013 at 9:21 pm • 
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Moving On from the New Rolling Stone Cover

My Facebook feed is still quite New England-heavy after living there for the better part of a decade. And damn, were people from the Boston area angry about the new cover of Rolling Stone. Here’s why: That’s right, that’s the self-admitted but not-yet-convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on the August cover. Many stores, including... Read more »
By AJ,
July 17, 2013 at 10:12 pm •