Appreciation
Unlike last week, I think I've been taking some time this week to appreciate what's been happening for me the last few weeks. I essentially spent the last hour of the Sportsbeat on the air on Friday, which was a really cool experience, because previous to that I'd only been on in short spurts. My parents, of course, thought I did very well, and my uncle, who listens to the station often, called them and told them I did a really good job. I also heard the same from people at the station both right after the show and when I went in for a bit on Saturday. The time at the station has been a really rewarding one for me, and I am sure it will be high atop the list of the things I've done this year, when I compile them, as John did last year.

I also want to post a link so you can read my Marquee stories for Chicago magazine. I didn't write anything this week, as I had more really large projects to work on at work, but the four previous weeks, I have a story, including one on Shakespeare that was the lead on last week's edition. Its been a really fabulous opportunity, both to work at a highly regarded magazine, but also, from a practical sense, to get real clips and give myself more of a shot with potential employers.

I believe Ron Zook's agent owes me commission.

I was surprised, really, by the Kerik withdrawal, because, usually, the GOP is much better at vetting its people than we are. That he would have this skeleton is not surprising, but that it had seemingly not been thought of by anyone who makes decisions regarding Cabinet appointments is scary.

Charlie Weis is a good hire, but not a great one, for Notre Dame. There is some school of thought that says they needed a really big name, and Weis, though highly thought of in NFL circles, is not really that big a name. Now, coaches with NFL experience have seemed to do well in College jobs lately, Pete Carroll especially, but for all of the bluster coming out of this place, you'd think that Rockne had just been resurrected.

Remember, it's not arrogance, it's excellence.