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I talked with Coach Hanlon on Friday about the difference between good and bad Michigan fans, suffice to say, I've never seen him as mad as when I even brought up the subject. This certainly makes life easier for me when I write my story for Dave coming up. I have my own thoughts as, well but I'll save those for later. On a weird note, we lost the transmitter right after I got to the studio, and we literally did an hour at Scorekeeper's while we weren't transmitting very well, just for the people at the bar.
We got maybe 6 calls after a big Michigan win on Saturday, very disappointing.
It was my grandmother'sbirthday Saturday, I hadn't seen her in a while. it seems that she's doing ok, but obviously there is a big hole there, one that will always be there. My parents and the rest of my family have done a wonderful job of doing what is best for her and keeping things relatively normal.
I am really looking forward to the debate this week. Both parties have been practicing teh bigotry of lowered expectations in the last week. This race is not over, it really isn't. This week, becasue it is the first debate, and becasue it will focus on foreign policy, which is the heart of this campaign, it is John Kerry's opportunity to close the rapidly decreasing gap with the president. Remember, there is no presidential seal on that platform Thursday, Kerry gets even with Bush on that fact alone. We have two men who have never lost a one-on-one debate. I think Kerry will win, but the 'wingers will spin it that since Bush spun to thoughts together, he held his own. Kerry doesn't need to crush Bush, he just needs to start pulling even. Remember, there are two significant political truths to remember: 1- In races involving an incumbent, late undecideds almost always break to the challenger, 2- Kerry is traditionally a great "Closer" to speak in horse racing terms.
To John- My friend, I realize these aren't great times right now, and I know that you're frustrated with nearly everything in your life. Just remember, there's a lot of people in this world who love you, who can give, and want to give you the support you need. Whatever you want me to do, I can do my friend.

M

Ok, so it has been a while, but not for lack of things happening. Last Saturday we got a lot of rather odd calls, given the rather odd game Michigan played. These games seem to happen to Michigan a lot, especially after losses, they struggle, but find a way to win, you know they will, but you can't help but be nervous.

On Sunday, Robert and I set off early, as we had to pick up Meghan and then make our way back to Chicago. We had a bad patch of traffic on our way out to Indiana, and then I had to take Robert back to school, which adds like 40 minutes to the total trip. Meghan and I made it back fine, I dropped her off, and then went back to my place.

Monday was my very, very long orientation at the Trib. I was there, literally all day, when really, just an hour or 45 minutes with an HR Person would have done it. It really got tedious. I then had class, and hopefully I'll be starting to do a couple of articles at the Torch soon.

Tuesday and Wednesday sort of blend together at work, because I was assigned a really big task right away. I had to verify the numbers on this enormous chart the magazine is running, and physically adding everything together took time. My fellow interns seem nice. One looks a lot like Jean. My dad came out Tuesday night, as he had to supervise the deconstruction of his companies booth at the Tool Show. We had Mexican, which was really good, but not quite Lopez good. I am trying to eat a bit healthier, so my lunches at work are changing. At OCC, I basically just ate fast food everyday. At the Trib, I am trying those Naked Food Juices. I liked the first two I had this week, plus, it cuts down on how much I pay for lunch.

Today I left work early, becasue they didn't have a ton for me to do. I had to track down a couple of books at the Harold Washington Library, one I couldn't find, the other, I couldn't check out. On the way home, my car had some problems, though I think some of that has to do with the amount of traffic there was as I left Chicago. I may take it down to the repair shop my Dad uses. If they think it might be serious, well, things might need to change.

All in all, its been a very hectic and interesting week. I like where I work, and they days seem to fly by. Still, I feel a bit disconnected from the city. I haven't talked to John in forever, and class just seems off. Maybe part of me stays in Ann Arbor every week, while still another part is looking for what is to come ahead, after I finish in December. I hope it works out, obviously.

Equivalency

Today was mainly me doing two things- checking in as to how much my ticket would cost, and then going to work at the station. My ticket will cost me 175 bucks, but thankfully I was able to give myself an extension on it until next month. Money is tight right now, especially because I just had to pay for my registration, which was $126. I just need to pay rent for the one month though, and then I'll be fine, especially once my refund comes from Roosevelt.
My thoughts have slowly been turning towards what I wasn't to do, or more accurately, where I want to go after I finish in December. Its not really all that silly, considering that I really should be starting to put together resumes and a portfolio for people. My mom told me that my Uncle Rob knows someone at the Los Angeles Times, which I think would be a lot of fun. Obviously there would be a great change of scenery, but I actually have more friends in LA (Susan, Colleen, Alex, Adam) than in Chicago (John). Besides, it might be fun to do something different. Besides, what I really want to do is be in DC again, because that's where I feel I am most at home intellectually and spiritually right now. Maybe that will change, maybe I'll enjoy my time at Chicago Magazine enough that I will want to stay. Maybe I'll want to work here at home, either in print or radio. We'll see. But right now I have options, and for the first time in forever, I am actually feeling a little bit happy about it.

I've decided what I need to do about something else too...

Better By You, Better Than Me
Ok, here's the quick rundown of the last few days.

Thursday- Last Day at OCC. Not really a tearful goodbye, but I was glad for the experience of working there, and obviously, for the money and steady job it provided. I got out of work at 1, went down for my drug screening, and then headed home. I stopped in Albion along the way to see who I could see. I ended up making a night of it. I stayed for the rehearsal of The Country Wife, featuring Andy Groggel, Michael Joseph Bohne, Audrey Coleman, and Karen Green, with Stephanie Mann as SM and Chelsea Sadler as ASM. Bohne then invited me to attend Euphonics rehearsal. Suffice to say, I was very proud of the way they sounded. Obviously, all the work that the founding members put in, especially those night in the first semester when we worked on Crazy Love for two months are being paid back ten-fold.

Friday- Went out to the bar again. I met Andy Mignery, who is married to Anna Fisher, who I went to High School with, see my reunion post. The turnout at the bar wasn't that great. I got eviscerated in NCAA 2005 by a guy named Archie, who came last week too. After the show I went out to Albion, where I got to hang out with some of the people who still knew me, plus I was able to see my nephew for the first time in months.

Saturday- Ok, so this is where the bad stuff happens. As I leave for the studio, I get pulled over by the Sherriff's. My registration expired, and I haven't fixed that yet, so I got pulled over and ticketed. I got to the studio right after Notre Dame's first touchdown, and the same nervous feeling came over me as it did when I watched the Oregon and Iowa games at Karen's last fall. Turned out I was right to have that feeling. We started getting calls in the 4th quarter from people saying Lloyd should be fired, and that he was too conservative. The last part was probably true, but the first part, well, that's for idiots. During the post-game manned the phones, which was akin to manning a suicide hotline. While the network post-game show was on, and then when our own show came on, we got a ton of calls form people who, when they couldn't put their frustrations on the air, aired them to me. I tried to be call, but probably just ended up being condescending, but then, I learned a long time ago not to get upset over things I can't control, obviously some people didn't get the memo.

Sunday- My parents met me in Jackson, as they were returning from Chicago where the tool show was. Also, thank you to them for putting my apartment together. We ate and then they sent me off. I left just in time to hear the Lions game, and basically heard the whole thing, minus the last 2 minutes, on the radio, either the Lions Network, or the Bears' one. I was surprised the Lions won, in that nearly everything they did to beat the Bears, forcing turnovers, blocking the kick, usually happens, to them. I have really been surprised by, and sort of angered with, the treatment of David Terrell by the media the last few days. People are dwelling on the taunting penalty he got in the 3rd, and then forgetting that he caught 5 balls for 126 yards. He was the Bears only real receiving threat most of the game. I think that maybe they all want to perpetuate the idea that he's an underachiever, to the point they are actually downplaying him playing so well.

Monday- Not much today, I went to class, which was ok, and then came home. To day I;m going to go to the Marlins-Expos game at the Cell, seats are general Admission for $15, I'm trying to decide whether to sit behind home plate, or try to get a bleacher seat, thus giving me a better opportunity to catch a home run. The Lions just lost Rogers for the year, but because of Roy Williams and Tai Streets, should still be ok. I was really impressed by the Packers last night, but not really surprised by the way they won. Their line is one of the two best in football, along with Kansas City, and they handled the Panthers D-Line well. I'm not so sure how the defensive strategy of blitzing all the time will work in the long run. I don't know that without Mike McKenzie, they have the corners necessary to shut-down big plays.

I will blog about the last few days tomorrow, just take this as me telling you I'm still alive.

Hitting the Fan
Tonight is the interview with Ben Barnes, former Texas Lt. Governor, that I told you about last week. His interview with Dan Rather will be part of a larger package about George Bush's National Guard Service that runs on 60 Minutes. We also had the release of additional documents yesterday, saying that Bush did indeed have a large gap in service, and that he missed a medical exam he needed to keep his Pilot's certification. He said in 2000 that this was because the plane he flew was obsolete, but the plane's continued in operation for more than a year. The Boston Globe details that Bush reneged on Commitments to continue with Gaurd training, but was not punished for it, on two occasions. He also said that he would join a unit in Massachuesetts that he never joined.

The Kitty Kelly profle of the Bush family comes out in a couple of weeks, too. She alleges that while his father was president, W did Blow at Camp David. I don't know if this is true, though presumably, Ms. Kelly has enough evedence that she could win a lible case.

I'll be watching tonight. I have to get my drug screening tomorrow after work, then I'll be on my way home. I am planning on stopping in Albion on the way back, figuring I'll be just in time for people to be at the Theatre, so I'll stop by and he who I see.

Fighting
I haven't received my things from the Tribune yet, they sent me forms via email today, and they said they are sending me form so I could get a necessary drug test.

I am a bit torn as to what to do for an important thing coming up, I know I want to do something though.

I talked to Susan on Sunday, it was really good to talk to her, as we haven't been able to connect with each other for a really long time. Its good to know that she and Laura are doing so well in the Theatre work. Its also good to know that Colleen is doing well and that Adam, despite a setback, is going to be fine.

Kerry seems to be fighting back, which is good. I read a Newsweek article online that lacked about the tension in the campaign recently, because Mary Beth Cahill, his campaign manager, made a big mistake regarding the Swift Boat Vets, thinking it would blow over and the Kerry needn't concern himself with it. This, combined with a lot of other things, contributed to a bad August. Now the question is, can Kerry, a man who's best when his back is against the wall, and is among the finest closers in politics, get momentum back before and after the debates? He is a skilled debater, and Bush is unlike anyone he's faced. The Republicans won't be able to do what they did last time, which was lower the expectations so much that if Bush forms a complete sentence it's a great accomplishment. He's the President, he has to show a grip on policy.

Zig-Zag
The above refers to "Democrat" Zell Miller and the vitriolic and demagogic speech he gave last Wednesday. Zell has a propensity for switching positions and if you read Joe Conason in Salon, which is linked to the right, you'll find he also has a refined ability to stab his allies in the back. This was Zell Twelve years ago, the man who introduced Bill Clinton before his nomination. Zell is a lot of things. He was a segregationist. What he is now is the last of a breed. He's the last Dixiecrat, about the only one who has stayed in the party after most, Trent Lott, Phil Gramm, Fred Thompson left the party, or died like Strom Thurmond and George Wallace. Zell says the Democratic party has left him and the values he represents. I say, good for the Democratic party. By the way, when Zell got appointed to the Senate, he called a John Kerry "a true American hero".

The Republicans are what they are, incredibly disingenuous and hypocritical. They tell us that John Kerry attacks George Bush at every opportunity. Yet George Bush's name was barely mentioned at the Democratic convention. Republicans went after John Kerry's patriotism at their convention and all but said that he'd be the greatest disaster in the history of the nation if elected. Meanwhile, record deficits, huge increases in the cost of health care and the loss of over a million jobs, with far less paying ones substituted in their place, the Bush record, doesn't get talked about. Republicans are the first to charge the Democrats with playing class warfare, but no one stirs up more resentment and ill feeling on class than Republicans, and in a far more insidious way. They turn people against the defenseless, the poor. I don't think anyone would argue, other than the really radical left, the people who call veterans "baby killers", who don't represent 99.9% of liberals, would say that the War in Afghanistan was unjustified, and that its good Saddam is gone. I disagreed with the Iraq war, but when I met a veteran at my class reunion I thanked him, because Lord knows I wouldn't go. That being said, in both Afghanistan and Iraq, we are, at best, struggling to win the peace. I believe John Kerry would do a better job than what has been done, and I think that his time in Vietnam, however brief it was, makes him, by definition better able to understand what happens in combat than men who have never heard a shot fired in anger.

The last Two days have been pretty interesting. I went down to TKA on Friday at around 1. Me, Dennis and Mike went out for the remote broadcast at Scorekeepers, which was the same bar I went two a week and a half earlier with my reunion. I basically just hung up banners for the radio station. I didn't really do much else. But I did get to meet more people from the station, as well as meet some of the callers/listeners who came out. Next week, if I go back on the remote, should be a lot more crowded, because it will be Notre Dame week, as opposed to Miami of Ohio.

Yesterday, I went down to the studio at halftime of the Michigan game, to prepare for the post game show. I must say, listening to the product of the post game show, as I had for a really long time, and actually seeing it done, the amount of effort by so many people is absolutely amazing. Me and three other people worked to get callers and stats, put together the highlight show, and to edit and put together press conference tape. I should say, in fairness that I had the easiest job, answering phones and getting stats. The other people have been there a lot longer than I have and do a great job.

I have to say that last night, along with Thursday, have really made me appreciate the importance of quality kickers in football. Northwestern lost in 2 overtimes because their kicker went 1 for 6 on Field Goals. At the Albion game yesterday, Butler's kicker missed 2 extra points and a chip-shot field goal. And last night, Oregon State was denied an upset of LSU because their kicker missed three extra points. It was painful to watch his reaction because I know that he had to feel so guilty about losing his team the game.

As far as the Michigan game is concerned, the defense looked tremendous. If I had my way, and assuming that his injury was real and not just some creation of Lloyd's to fool Miami, Matt Guttierez should start next week at Notre Dame. I just have this weird feeling that we are seeing Brady vs. Henson again, as people don't seem to count time within the program as experience and just want to see the Golden Boy with the Golden Arm. I would advise those people to remember how wrong they were before. There was no way then, and no way now, that Henson was the better QB, despite the accolades.

I know there are Notre Dame fans who read this blog, and suffice it to say, I don't know that next week is going to be very pretty. I don't mean that to be mean, there just looks to be, after watching Michigan and Notre Dame yesterday, a real difference in the physical talent level of the two teams. Notre Dame will play very hard next week, as they always do. They could summon enough to beat Michigan. But it also wouldn't surprise me if it got real ugly, real quick.

Timing
Today, thankfully, has been a bit of a break from the stresses of the last few days. I haven't done a ton, I had a project earlier in the day for work but I finished it in about 45 minutes, so since then I've been doing nothing. Which is fine by me. I decided I'm going to go out to the Sprint Store tonight and then just look for a parking space, rather than waiting tomorrow and then going home. I need to write a pitch for my Journalism Project for Tomorrow.

I haven't kept as close a tabs on the Republican convention as I did the Dems. Part of this is stress and part of it is that nominating conventions of incumbents are incredibly boring, even more than those of challengers. I did, however, see a bit of the twins' "speech" last night. The speech that one site, probably only half-jokingly, said might have lost the Republicans the election. They came off as arrogant WASPS and spoiled rich girls with absolutely no direction and no desire to find it. And by the way, anyone who says they're hot is an idiot. They're not. Jenna looks like a female version of her father, which is just bad to think about. Barbara looks exactly like 10-15 girls currently at any high school in America. Chelsea they certainly are not, and they certainly don't seem to have the same head on their shoulders as Alexandra and Vanessa. By the way, I saw that they were booed at the VMA's Sunday. I know part of this may have been the crowd not wanting to hear political messages or being pro-Bush, but I also have another thought. While the two of them are both attractive, they aren't their step-brothers, who, and I say this as a heterosexual male, are both jaw-droppingly handsome.

By the way, watch 60 minutes next week. After the Woodward interview, there was extensive coverage on the aftermath for a week and a half. Next week, 60 Minutes will have an interview with the man who got Bush into the National Guard, and now says he is ashamed that he did.