Well, I read a few news reports of the auction sale of the building formerly known as Walter Payton's Roundhouse and America's Brewpub. Years ago, this place was bustling but had suffered in recent years with the slumped economy. I've always been hopeful that it would catch fire again (not literally) because I have been a fan of brew master Mike Rybinski and his beer for many years.
The buyers just happen to be my current favorite local brewers - Two Brothers. They make excellent beers and have been growing their business year after year. I don't remember my first Two Brothers experience, but I got to know them best at some Kane County Cougars games.
I've been to the Two Brothers brewpub quite a few times, too. It's hidden away at the back of a small industrial park. No signage, and if you didn't have the address locked into GPS, you'd go right past it. Inside, it's industrial but warm. More importantly, the food is excellent, both in options and in execution. I'm very excited for Chef Tommy to get his hands on a larger scale dining room and kitchen.
Don't get me wrong, I'm even more excited that I'll still be able to meet folks at the western end of the BNSF Metra line and share a good beer. I can even get there on my bike.
May 23, 2011
May 22, 2011
My Problem With the Rapture
One of the funnier images sent around yesterday was of Randy "Macho Man" Savage (RIP) about to deliver a flying elbow to Jesus up in heaven. It's actually quite apropos for the day, with Christians of all sorts taking shots meant for the sad, desperate people looking for anything better than what they have.
I remember watching WWF during its rise in the 80s. My grandfathers were drawn to it up in Milwaukee and I was equally drawn in by Mean Gene Okerlund and the crazy cast of muscle heads dressed up like superheroes. If I'd mention it at school, at least one person would usually try to ruin it for me by telling me that it was all fake. I could never determine if they were trying to help me out or ruin my enjoyment of wrestling. It's still hard to tell.
Back to this "rapture". The saddest aspect of the news from yesterday is that it seems to have been largely spawned by one person named Harold Camping. He's done it before, too, but shrugged his 1994 blunder off as a miscalculation. Let's take a look at the problems with his campaign:
1. If the rapture wasn't set to hit until May 21st, why waste all of that money on billboards and advertising when it could have been spent on people still starving on May 19th?
2. Once someone within the viewing area of a billboard sees the message, then what? If you are a believer, you're already okay according to the bible. Was he looking to convert people out of fear? Hardly seems like the point of the new testament (unless you check Camping's revenues and net worth). Believing to hedge your bets is not really believing.
3. Speaking of net worth, why were people giving up all of their worldly possessions for the "rapture"? To prove to God that they were true believers? If they were true believers, they would have given all of those worldly things long ago. Also, see items 1 and 2. It's a "rapture" of convenience on Camping's terms.
And now back to wrestling. I didn't have to believe that the two men in the ring hated each other and were really smashing each other in the face. I didn't care if they knew who would win or lose before the match started, or if they practiced the whole match, move by move. I enjoyed the choreography, the physical feats of strength, and the general spectacle. I mean, people don't come out of Cirque Du Soleil saying "people can't really fly - IT'S FAKE!"
I'm not saying that religion or Christianity is fake or a facade or entertainment. I'm saying that while there's a mystical component that people tend to focus on (miracles, resurrection, rapture), there's also substance. Regardless of how worked over the text has been through the years, the parables and guidelines to living a good life are still relevant. Whether they were written by God through the hands of men or just arbitrarily written to keep people from stabbing other people in less civil times, the overarching message in Christianity is to be good to each other.
Unfortunately, that's boring. So, we see the polygamists, the doomsayers, and the hypocrites on television all day, every day, tweaking the message to suit their predilections. The average Christian takes a lot of extra heat on days like May 21st thanks to some headline-grabbing crackpots. I find it interesting that some people vigorously defend Muslims in America, correctly noting that Al Quaeda doesn't speak for all Muslims (probably not even considered Muslim by most Muslims) but don't offer the same benefit of doubt for Christians.
The bottom line is, Christianity and science don't have to be polarities, there are Christians who are in it for the humanity (not the competition), and there are lots of lost, lonely people in the world.
I remember watching WWF during its rise in the 80s. My grandfathers were drawn to it up in Milwaukee and I was equally drawn in by Mean Gene Okerlund and the crazy cast of muscle heads dressed up like superheroes. If I'd mention it at school, at least one person would usually try to ruin it for me by telling me that it was all fake. I could never determine if they were trying to help me out or ruin my enjoyment of wrestling. It's still hard to tell.
Back to this "rapture". The saddest aspect of the news from yesterday is that it seems to have been largely spawned by one person named Harold Camping. He's done it before, too, but shrugged his 1994 blunder off as a miscalculation. Let's take a look at the problems with his campaign:
1. If the rapture wasn't set to hit until May 21st, why waste all of that money on billboards and advertising when it could have been spent on people still starving on May 19th?
2. Once someone within the viewing area of a billboard sees the message, then what? If you are a believer, you're already okay according to the bible. Was he looking to convert people out of fear? Hardly seems like the point of the new testament (unless you check Camping's revenues and net worth). Believing to hedge your bets is not really believing.
3. Speaking of net worth, why were people giving up all of their worldly possessions for the "rapture"? To prove to God that they were true believers? If they were true believers, they would have given all of those worldly things long ago. Also, see items 1 and 2. It's a "rapture" of convenience on Camping's terms.
And now back to wrestling. I didn't have to believe that the two men in the ring hated each other and were really smashing each other in the face. I didn't care if they knew who would win or lose before the match started, or if they practiced the whole match, move by move. I enjoyed the choreography, the physical feats of strength, and the general spectacle. I mean, people don't come out of Cirque Du Soleil saying "people can't really fly - IT'S FAKE!"
I'm not saying that religion or Christianity is fake or a facade or entertainment. I'm saying that while there's a mystical component that people tend to focus on (miracles, resurrection, rapture), there's also substance. Regardless of how worked over the text has been through the years, the parables and guidelines to living a good life are still relevant. Whether they were written by God through the hands of men or just arbitrarily written to keep people from stabbing other people in less civil times, the overarching message in Christianity is to be good to each other.
Unfortunately, that's boring. So, we see the polygamists, the doomsayers, and the hypocrites on television all day, every day, tweaking the message to suit their predilections. The average Christian takes a lot of extra heat on days like May 21st thanks to some headline-grabbing crackpots. I find it interesting that some people vigorously defend Muslims in America, correctly noting that Al Quaeda doesn't speak for all Muslims (probably not even considered Muslim by most Muslims) but don't offer the same benefit of doubt for Christians.
The bottom line is, Christianity and science don't have to be polarities, there are Christians who are in it for the humanity (not the competition), and there are lots of lost, lonely people in the world.
May 2, 2011
Give Unto Ceasar What is His (Comeuppance)
I know the removal of Bin Laden was necessary, but I can't get excited about a murder that should have happened nine years ago for a few reasons.
First, Bin Laden has had ten years to watch as an entire country adjusted itself and live in fear based on his cowardly, horrifying acts of terror. He's also had plenty of time to name and indoctrinate a successor. I have a hard time believing that Al Quaeda has shrunk despite the "war on terror".
Second, when 9/11 happened, there were many horrifying news reports. One of the most disturbing (to me) was the video afterward of people in the middle east reveling in the deaths of Americans. My cynicism tells me that it could have been unrelated footage or even propaganda footage, staged for effect.
I'm not sure we're offering up similar fodder to the rest of the world; I'm not sure Bin Laden had any sympathizers outside of his organization. I do know that I would much prefer a simple headline to a day long celebration.
Finally, I wish we weren't lionizing this guy. He was a coward who hid behind his faithful and brainwashed soldiers and took credit for their despicable deeds. Such focus on him likely sparks a fire in others with a similar mindset. Worse, airport security is more and more ridiculous, our government is systematically removing teachers but adding soldiers, and I am more concerned about a terrorist attack today than I was on Saturday.
First, Bin Laden has had ten years to watch as an entire country adjusted itself and live in fear based on his cowardly, horrifying acts of terror. He's also had plenty of time to name and indoctrinate a successor. I have a hard time believing that Al Quaeda has shrunk despite the "war on terror".
Second, when 9/11 happened, there were many horrifying news reports. One of the most disturbing (to me) was the video afterward of people in the middle east reveling in the deaths of Americans. My cynicism tells me that it could have been unrelated footage or even propaganda footage, staged for effect.
I'm not sure we're offering up similar fodder to the rest of the world; I'm not sure Bin Laden had any sympathizers outside of his organization. I do know that I would much prefer a simple headline to a day long celebration.
Finally, I wish we weren't lionizing this guy. He was a coward who hid behind his faithful and brainwashed soldiers and took credit for their despicable deeds. Such focus on him likely sparks a fire in others with a similar mindset. Worse, airport security is more and more ridiculous, our government is systematically removing teachers but adding soldiers, and I am more concerned about a terrorist attack today than I was on Saturday.
April 26, 2011
Don't Shoot Until You See The Whites of Their Union Cards
Here's another thing I can't figure out with just the information I'm gathering. How can government employees (union or otherwise) suddenly be the reason for multiple states being in massive debt? For many years, not a problem. Suddenly, there's this massive debt problem in IL and other states that can only be fixed by breaking the unions (greedy teachers!) and cutting the services that support our communities.
The New Yorker posted up an interesting article on Donald Trump's run for the presidency.
So is Illinois really "broke"? You could ask Illinoisisbroke.com (warning - I find the site and twitter feed infuriating). They've been playing radio ads asking if a government employee should be able to retire at 55 years of age when we, the citizens of Illinois, are footing the bill. My suggestion is that this won't be the first generation of government workers eligible for pension, so why is it suddenly a back-breaking expense? Is there no other place in the budget where fat could be trimmed?
Even better, how about refocusing attention on the corporations that do not contribute to the budget in the form of taxes but operate out of and collect revenues in Illinois?
Should someone be able to retire at 55 after working for the government? I say yes. Should a giant, global company operate tax free in my state (where there's a budget deficit)? I say no, and I think that's where the injustice lies.
The New Yorker posted up an interesting article on Donald Trump's run for the presidency.
The dismaying truth is that birtherism is part of a larger pattern of rejection of reality that has taken hold of intimidating segments of one of the two political parties that alternate in power in our governing institutions. It is akin to the view that global warming is a hoax, or that the budget can be balanced through spending cuts alone, or that contraception causes abortion, or that evolution is just another theory, on a par with the theory that the earth is six thousand years old.
So is Illinois really "broke"? You could ask Illinoisisbroke.com (warning - I find the site and twitter feed infuriating). They've been playing radio ads asking if a government employee should be able to retire at 55 years of age when we, the citizens of Illinois, are footing the bill. My suggestion is that this won't be the first generation of government workers eligible for pension, so why is it suddenly a back-breaking expense? Is there no other place in the budget where fat could be trimmed?
Even better, how about refocusing attention on the corporations that do not contribute to the budget in the form of taxes but operate out of and collect revenues in Illinois?
Should someone be able to retire at 55 after working for the government? I say yes. Should a giant, global company operate tax free in my state (where there's a budget deficit)? I say no, and I think that's where the injustice lies.
April 18, 2011
What's the Frequency, Kenneth?
I have not thought about a new receiver for nearly 20 years. I have an older JVC mid-line receiver that I got at American TV and Appliance in Rockford just out of college. Back then, surround sound was the big deal, and while I wasn't too concerned about that (I only had a pair of bookshelf speakers at the time), I did want the option in case I decided to upgrade.
On a few occasions, I've hooked up all five speakers only to realize that this JVC setup only boosted the higher frequencies in the center channel and put a slight delay on the two rear channels. A parlor trick, basically. The standard stereo output was plenty for me, anyhow. Surround sound, even when done with state-of-the-art gear, is just a novelty and is lost after the first 10 minutes. It might even be a distraction to the content. Like 3D video, there's more time spent setting it up than actually enjoying it; for me, anyhow.
So, this morning I happened across a CNET review of the new line of Denon receivers available soon. (http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20053559-1.html) I have always had an appreciation for the simple style and solid performance of Denon gear. The only bit I could afford back in the day was my first CD player - a single disc Denon model with A-B playback (select any section of a song by hitting the button [A], then the end of the section by hitting it again [B]). That little feature helped me to learn lots and lots of drum parts.
That CD player lasted through roughly 15 years of abuse, including numerous apartment moves, parties, and even being dropped twice on concrete. When it finally bit the dust, I considered trying to fix it (I knew it would still work if the tracking arms could be adjusted) but had so many other CD players by then, it wasn't worth the expense.
I'm all over the road here. Basically, I admire Denon gear but it's usually out of my price range. JVC was my reasonably-priced alternative when I last needed a receiver (long ago) but I can see where I might want to consider upgrading to the AVR-1612 sometime in the future to accommodate all of the HD content I consume. The USB port on the front makes it even sweeter.
I'll post up if I ever decide to make the jump, but the JVC is still pumping out smooth, clear sound. Perhaps in 2012...
On a few occasions, I've hooked up all five speakers only to realize that this JVC setup only boosted the higher frequencies in the center channel and put a slight delay on the two rear channels. A parlor trick, basically. The standard stereo output was plenty for me, anyhow. Surround sound, even when done with state-of-the-art gear, is just a novelty and is lost after the first 10 minutes. It might even be a distraction to the content. Like 3D video, there's more time spent setting it up than actually enjoying it; for me, anyhow.
So, this morning I happened across a CNET review of the new line of Denon receivers available soon. (http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20053559-1.html) I have always had an appreciation for the simple style and solid performance of Denon gear. The only bit I could afford back in the day was my first CD player - a single disc Denon model with A-B playback (select any section of a song by hitting the button [A], then the end of the section by hitting it again [B]). That little feature helped me to learn lots and lots of drum parts.
That CD player lasted through roughly 15 years of abuse, including numerous apartment moves, parties, and even being dropped twice on concrete. When it finally bit the dust, I considered trying to fix it (I knew it would still work if the tracking arms could be adjusted) but had so many other CD players by then, it wasn't worth the expense.
I'm all over the road here. Basically, I admire Denon gear but it's usually out of my price range. JVC was my reasonably-priced alternative when I last needed a receiver (long ago) but I can see where I might want to consider upgrading to the AVR-1612 sometime in the future to accommodate all of the HD content I consume. The USB port on the front makes it even sweeter.
I'll post up if I ever decide to make the jump, but the JVC is still pumping out smooth, clear sound. Perhaps in 2012...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)