Entertaining without going to the extremes

As a person who enjoys watching commercials only during the Super Bowl, I have to admit, I find myself paying attention to Target’s ads throughout the entire year— they’re genius. The ads are simple, direct, and entertaining. There are no tacky voiceovers, no one telling you to do this or that in order to benefit the most, and no obnoxious demonstrations of whatever product the ad is pushing.

The 15-second ad is the perfect time span for an ad because a viewer’s attention is usually lost after that. And, the ad gets the point across without having a spokesperson screaming about the product to grab the viewers’ attention.

But going beyond that, Target advertises products that people actually need. Everyday things like bread for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, shampoo and diapers are products that hit close to home in most demographics.

Target, and its advertising department, clearly understand the company’s demographic and know how to effectively reach the target audience. The commercials span all generations for all different types of everyday needs, but they effectively communicate who is the ad is aimed at and what product they promote without having to shove the product in the viewers’ face.

Ending the commercial with a screen shot of the product and the price it’s selling at also allows the ads to be direct in a short amount of time. Target has figured out a way to promote and sell their product by taking everyday life occurrences, such as bad breath, and simply suggesting the product that will remedy the situation found in the commercial, and in real life.

Could a Balanced Budget Amendment Even be ratified?

Over the summer, during the debt limit fight (or hostage situation, depending on your point of view), the most conservative Republicans were demanding one thing in particular: a balanced budget amendment. This amendment would essentially restrict the federal government from spending only as much as it takes in, except in national emergencies. Ignoring for a moment how horrible this would be or that such an amendment could pass both the partisan House and democratically controlled Senate with 2/3 majorities, could such an amendment ever realistically be ratified by 38 state legislatures? Well, because I'm a total political nerd, I decided to examine just such a possibility.

In order to be ratified by a state legislature, both chambers of the legislature (or Nebraska's Unicameral legislature) must ratify the amendment. Neither the president nor the governors of the states have a say in the matter. Assuming a chamber controlled by the Republican Party will always ratify a Balanced Budget Amendment, there are 26 state legislatures where the Republicans control both chambers and would pass the amendment right now. Nebraska's legislature is non-partisan, but the conservative leanings of the state make it likely to ratify any such amendment, bringing the total up to 27. Therefore, Republicans would need to sway or capture 11 more state legislatures to ratify the amendment, meaning the amendment wouldn't be ratified in this year or the next. But that's not typical for constitutional amendments anyway, which can await ratification by the states for years (or in the case of the 27th Amendment, 203 years!) The question then becomes, how hard would it be to get 11 more state legislatures to ratify the amendment? Very.

Currently, there are eight states where Republicans control one body of the legislature. In Alaska, where Republicans control the State House, the state senate is split 50-50. Alaskan Republicans had control of the state senate as recently as 2008, meaning they could very easily win back control of the chamber. I'm unsure of whether the state senate president could make a tie breaking vote, but either way Alaska could probably be relied upon to ratify the amendment. Similarly, control of Oregon's state house is shared by both parties, but because the State Senate is democratically controlled, it is unlikely to ratify a balanced budget amendment any time soon.

Beyond Alaska, the Republicans don't have many legislatures within in their reach. Controlling 27 state legislatures is likely something of a high water mark for Republicans, brought on by their 2010 wave election. Total control of the legislatures in states like Minnesota, Wisconsin, Maine, North Carolina and the volatile New Hampshire is unlikely to last long (and with the recall elections in Wisconsin, perhaps not even past August). States can rescind their ratification of an amendment, meaning that even counting Nebraska and Alaska, the 28 that could ratify a Balanced Budget Amendment are potentially fleeting. That said, if Republicans ratify it while they have control, they need only hold on to one branch to prevent a rescission, which makes it easier for them.

That said, Republicans still have a chance. Like I previously mentioned, a constitutional amendment can await ratification for centuries. In the next few decades, might some state legislature become more conservative? I'd say the writing is already on the wall for democrats in the south. Control of Mississippi's state senate is slipping away from Democrats, and Arkansas is fast becoming a more conservative state. Kentucky and Iowa certainly aren't becoming more liberal any time soon and could conceivably be captured by Republicans in the next few decades. And all four of these states might have enough conservative democrats willing to support a balanced budget amendment even before Republicans take complete control. Oregon, despite being reliably democratic at the presidential level, could realistically be captured by Republicans at some point. The state senate is currently only 2 seats away from their control and the Republicans need only capture one seat in the state house to swing it to their side.

So if Republicans can ratify a Balanced Budget Amendment in 28 states within the next year and a half, prevent any of those states from rescinding their ratification, they might have another 5 states join them in the next decade or so. That brings the potential number of states legislatures to 33. Are there 5 more that could ever logically ratify the amendment? West Virginia continues to elect democrats at the state level despite its turn toward Republicans at the presidential level. I don't think it's a stretch to say West Virginia's state legislature might someday be controlled by Republicans. Virginia and Colorado, where Republicans already control one branch of the legislature, could revert to their recently conservative pasts after going blue in 2008 (though Colorado democrats weathered 2010 surprisingly well). Nevada and Washington's state legislatures are both controlled by democrats presently, but not by overwhelming margins.

Are these the 5 states that could push ratification over the edge? The rest of the states currently controlled by Democrats are that way for a reason: they are extremely blue states. I'm already heavily extrapolating on the last 3-5 states the Republicans would need, so who's to say New Mexico or some New England state doesn't take a hard right shift in the 2020's? And if I'm extrapolating in one direction, why not the other? At some point, demographics are going to change the politics of Texas and Arizona, and it'll probably be in the democrats favor. And though I said that most of the south is probably lost for democrats in the near term, a Republican shift in Washington or Oregon is probably just as likely as a democratic shift in Georgia and Florida, where demographics are also in flux. Florida is also heavily gerrymandered in the Republicans favor right now, but that could be undone by a new non-partisan redistricting this year. And if you really want to extrapolate pointlessly, consider the possibility that were two more states added to the union, any amendment would require 39 states to be ratified.

Something else to think about is the amount of money states get from the federal government. If a Balanced Budget Amendment were actually close to being ratified, would states dependent on the federal subsidies like Alaska and Mississippi actually pass it? Billions of dollars of federal subsidies would almost certainly be cut, and these states in particular see a great deal of federal largess. Same with agricultural states like Iowa and low population states like the Dakotas. Who knows, maybe some day a coalition of liberal states, tired of getting less money from the government than they pay it in taxes, will actually push for a balanced budget amendment.

So if I were a democratic strategist, I wouldn't be all that worried about this amendment actually being ratified, at least not in this decade. It would certainly be a constant political danger for democrats, always waiting for another historic Republican wave to unleash its powers to strangle the federal government. But if the best Republicans can do in a wave like 2010 is 27 legislatures, any wave capable of putting this amendment close to ratification probably means democrats have other things to worry about (like what weather's like in Toronto during the fall).

Dr. Pepper Ten Not for Women and Shouldn't Be For Men

To call Dr. Pepper 10's latest commercial sexist would be the understatement of the century. Watching this commercial my jaw fell:

As an avid Diet Dr. Pepper consumer, I have to ask why Dr. Pepper would create such a polarizing ad? The polarizing nature of this ad is not that the ad is targeted at men. There are plenty of products that are meant for men including razors, clothing, sporting goods etc. However, never have I seen a commercial that blatantly stats "Not for women."

This is offensive for many reasons. This is not a masculine running shoe, a razor specified to your face or a cologne - it is a soft drink. Soda, regular and diet, is consumed by both men and women. This soda is targeted for men because it only has 10 calories. Diet soda that does not taste like diet soda is commonly targeted to a male audience. For instance, Coca-Cola's Coke Zero line of soda is arguably targeted for a male audience. Compare their commercial to Dr. Pepper Ten's commercial:

Coke Zero will appeal to men without offending women. While diet soda that doesn't taste like diet soda may appeal more to men than to women, why would you risk alienating potential consumers of your product? There is a very large contingent of women who drink regular soda, and would probably appreciate a diet soda that tastes like regular soda. However, if I were a woman I wouldn't go within a ten foot pole of Dr. Pepper Ten. Not only should women boycott buying Dr. Pepper Ten, but men should boycott it as well. Why would you support a non-gender specific product that is sexist? It's offensive, it's sexist and it's further evidence of the stereotypes of men and women in the media.

Professionalism: A Learned Trait

Professionalism.  It is a trait that is neither given nor received.  It is something one must learn.  How does one learn to be professional?  Easy.  They learn by watching and learning from individuals in positions of power, leadership and mentoring.

However, what happens when the person that is learning has no one to learn from? Or, even, if the 'professional' teaches but does not act on their own advice?

In the college realm, students learn from their professors.   They learn the things that are needed for future careers, they learn basic skills that every student is expected to know, and they learn how to act.   For many, outside their parents, teachers are the first outside influence of what it means to be professional.

Professionalism is a trait that needs a little refining here in the KU area.  Over the last few years, students have had little to look up to for role models in the professional sense.  From Athletics to Faculty, there are gaping holes.  It may just be a few rotten souls, but they make the whole look bad.

What's the basic commandment for students?  "Thou shalt not cheat.  If cheating occurs, you shall pay."  Cheating and plagiarism are cardinal sins in the university life and professors don't let students forget it.  It's not so easy to tell a student not to do something, though, and to turn around and see a colleague censured for the exact same thing.

That is exactly what happened in the last month.  Two KU professors were censured for plagiarism.  What did they get? A slap on the wrist, a censure.  Not only are they telling students that they are not doing what they preach, but also are not held to the same expectation as the student.   A student would either receive an F, or be put on probation.  Should a teacher not be held to a higher standard?

A friend recently spoke of an incident at Barton Community College, while not nearly as disturbing, reeks of unprofessionalism.  The class, Western Civilization II, is a class that Barton CC holds for KU students looking for transfer credit.  For extra credit, the teacher ( or TA, sometimes one cannot tell in the class) asked for the students to pick the winner of the KU v. KSU game.  He added that while picking KSU wouldn't warrant more points, it would make him happier and would be a better post.  If there were KSU or any other school's students in the class, okay.   However, this is only KU students, or students wanting to go to KU.  When is it okay to insult your student's school or its athletic department?  A generic joke is fine; a singling out joke is not.

Professors must remember that they are role models for their students.   They must teach them how to be students and working professionals.  In doing so, they must also abide by the same rules they teach and expect consequences that may be more severe when they violate them.  If this doesn't happen, why should a student try to be professional?  They can say they didn't know any better; they wouldn't necessarily be lying.

A 'hello' can go a long way

At this point in my life, my mind is focused almost solely on what will happen after May 13, 2012. Graduation. The real world. A job.

It’s that last one that seems to keep nagging at me. As someone who has spent my entire life in Kansas — save for summers away at sleep-away camp and a semester abroad — I want to move. I want to live in a city, rely on public transportation, and be somewhere new. But as a broke college student, the idea of moving without knowing I’ll have a steady paycheck each month seems impossible.

I’ve been updating my resume, scouring websites and applying for jobs. But so far, nothing. So I reached out to some contacts — friends of my parents’, family, old bosses, the like. This got me thinking. Is it not enough anymore to have a packed resume, multiple internships and a good GPA to get a good job right out of school? Or even any job after graduation? Do you have to know exactly the right people in order to get where you want to go? I think so. But more importantly, I think you have to be courageous enough to reach out to people and let them know you are looking for employment.

While it takes courage to ask people if they can contact anyone on your behalf, I also think it takes a certain level of humility. Admitting that you’re not getting very far on your own during a job search can feel like defeat, but talking to people and just letting them know you are available can open doors you never even thought possible. Employees in the human resources department don’t know you, making it easier to say no to you. But reaching out to people that you have an established relationship with can help pave the way to a job you might actually be happy in.

I’m still in the process of looking, but throughout my search, I’ve found that people genuinely want to help. They won’t sandbag their contacts, in fact it’s the opposite. So take time to say hi to friends of your parents or send a quick email to an old boss. You never know who might be inclined to help you in the future.

Population Growth In The United States’ Biggest Cities: A Google Motion Chart

This chart shows the top ten cities from every United States census, starting all the way back in 1790. I made this chart using the extremely awesome Google Motion Charts API and historic Census data. It might look a little complicated at first, but this nifty little Javascript/Flash app can display the information in a ton of different ways. Here are a couple of suggestions:

• Try changing the x-axis to 'Order: Alphabetical' to see the cities grow and shrink side by side.
• If it's too hard to see population growth in the first 50 years, switch the y-axis from 'Lin' to 'Log'.
• Switch the 'Color' menu to 'Unique Colors' to see individual cities more easily
• If it's still too hard to see individual cities, you can zoom in by dragging a box around the area you want to see
• You can also switch the entire graphic to a bar chart or line chart in the upper-right hand corner.

Some notes on the data:

• At first I used the top ten cities for each Census, but that lead to cities popping in and out of the chart. I decided to keep cities in for at least 50 years after they last appear in the top 10.
• Washington D.C. remains in the chart for longer than it should because it actually reappears in the top 10 several decades after it got bumped off.
• After about 1900 I continued adding population info for most of the Northern and Midwestern cities to better illustrate their decline against the rise of the West and Southwest.
• Speaking of the Southwest, since many of the cities there only made it into the top ten in the past few Census years, I started adding in their population about 50 years before they actually made it into the top 10, again to compare them with other regions.
• I rather arbitrarily use the 'regions' defined by this incredible website.
• Keep in mind that some of the more dramatic population changes were actually a result of incorporating cities into one metropolitan area rather than a massive increase in people moving to that city.

iReport.com - Genius idea or taking advantage?

Since the 90s, when the Internet came into its own, media companies have striven to keep up with the advance of technology. Academics predicted the fall of newspapers, and although many newspapers aren’t doing as well as they once were, the printed word hasn’t gone out of style yet.

The challenge many media company’s face now is how to keep the public’s loyalty. With so many voices available via the Internet, journalism has become a more widely defined profession. Anyone who wants to contribute to the flow of news can simply by writing a blog, uploading a video to YouTube, or simply updating a Twitter feed. This proliferation of citizen journalism has left media companies with a problem. How do they make sure they are getting the latest news but still allowing for contribution between the professionals and those who just want to contribute?

CNN has found a way with its iReport.com. iReport.com is a website where citizens can upload videos to CNN’s website about anything that could be considered news. CNN’s About page gives its own definition of what it’s looking for as “something that happens someplace to someone. Whether that something is newsworthy mostly depends on who it affects – and who’s making the decision. On iReport.com that is you!”

A study by Farooq Kperogi (2010) called Cooperation with the corporation? CNN and the hegemonic cooptation of citizen journalism through iReport.com points out that CNN has found an interesting way of bringing in free labor and still managing to stay ahead of the news. Kperogi states that though CNN initially makes it seem that iReport.com is directed by its participants, in reality it’s an ingenious way for the corporation to subtly ask for submissions from citizen journalists without paying them.

iReport.com’s definition of news makes it seem that there are no parameters to what news is, yet it lists seven categories in which you can place your submission. The one CNN usually recruits from for their broadcast is called “newsiest”. If your submission lands in this one then you have a good shot at getting your video footage on TV or used on CNN’s main page. If your submission doesn’t fall into this category, then the corporation is glad for your help, but it probably won’t use what you put on the website. Not only this but there is also an "assignment desk" where iReport.com tells you what it wants you to report on.

It’s a type of carrot and stick, and the great part is that CNN doesn’t have to pay you. If they like your stuff or you report on what they ask, you’ll get your so called “15 minutes”, if not then thanks for helping out anyway.

Is this the way news corporations are going in order to keep up with technology and audiences? I’m not sure. I think from the corporation’s aspect, it makes perfect sense and it’s free. CNN can keep the website running for virtually nothing when it doesn’t have to pay its reporters. Also, it is at least one way to get citizens involved. I’m not sure if it’s fair to the citizens, though. They are doing everything for free, and the only way they can get published is by meeting the standards of news CNN has set, rather than what the citizen might feel is newsworthy. It’s a fact that media companies will be forced to change if they want to stay in business because news has suddenly become two-way rather than a lecture. At least CNN is doing something.

iReport on flooding in Cambodia

iReport on families of Iranian officials leaving the country

In the beginning, there was the word

In England, where I went to high school and also acquired, among other things, my deep and abiding love for documentary television, there's still such a concept of "national treasure/broadcaster," and one mister Stephen Fry is pretty much it.

His latest project is a show about the history and future of language, Stephen Fry's Planet Word.

The entire series, like just about anything Fry touches* is ungodly brilliant, but as a media-type who's also incredibly fascinated** in both the social web an older, academic view of the world, the last half of the most recent episode is especially interesting.

The episode first teaches, in Fry's loving and engaging way, about the history of the written word, then on to the history and revolution of printing, then on, finally, to a celebration of libraries in the internet age.

The host's professorial tone eulogizes the institution of the library and the physical book, but also praises the web revolution's power to give the word to the "demos." The program gives as much time and weight to the development of cuneiform as it does to the founder of Wikipedia.

Journalism students, it's highly worth an hour of your time. In fact, I'd say it's pretty much "required entertainment" for all students of our age.

*The only other close contender for "Alex's all-time-favorite-TV-show-ever-made-ever" after Fry's wholly original, wholly entertaining half-hour tribute to general knowledge QI is the pinnicle of British awkward humor -- yes, more than The Office, friends, way more -- Peep Show. Just FYI, I suppose.

**How I so long for this not to be the only thing I have in common with Stephen Fry.

Too Much Interest in Pinterest

It's almost 6p.m. I have currently spent the last hour looking at "pins" on the website Pinterest. The best way to explain this website is that it is much like a Facebook, but using images and captions as a means of sharing thoughts, ideas, funny links, pictures of food etc.


As you can see in this photo, the images or sites you post from the internet show up as a thumbnail with a caption. You can see how many people have re-pinned each post. If you click on the thumbnail, it will take you to a page, make the photo larger and show you the site source.

Pinning from across the web is made easy with a "pin it" button easily dragged and placed into your bookmarks (for using the web browser Chrome there are two short steps found under the about tab). For Pinning your own links, you create Boards. Your Boards are a means of organizing the links you pin. For example: I love the new Florence + the Machine song. I found the YouTube link, and pinned that video to my "Music I <3" Board.
There are two aspects of Pinterest I do not like:
1. It can usurp hours of my day without knowing it.
2. It is mostly populated by women.

That is not to say men are not on Pinterest, but there are simply a much larger population of women sharing photos and links on this site. From my personal experience, this means there are a lot of sappy, cliche links posted on Pinterest. I find myself moving further and further away from reading the posts of the people who I actually know, and seeking out other interesting links from individuals I don't know.

Overall, Pinterest is an interesting take on the social media world. We are bombarded with information day in and day out, but now we are able to save the sites, stories, photos, ideas and thoughts we love and not only keep them for our own enjoyment, but to share with others. So for the men out there - get on and start sharing! I want to live in a more gender balanced Pinterest world!

The merits and pitfalls of a four-and-half-year education

Much ink and bandwidth has been spent on exploring the phenomenon of the fifth-year. Less heralded (or lamented), I know several college students who elected to graduate in December of their so-called second senior year. I happen to know of one of them, for better or worse, extremely well: me.

In less than two months, I’ll graduate college, God willing. Like many of the other December grads I know, I was too involved in outside-school commitments to commit to finishing undergrad in just four years and now I’m far too broke and maxed-out on loans to continue for the full victory lap even if I wanted to. But unlike so many of my friends who I ever-so-slightly jealously watched walk across the graduation stage in May, I’m extremely hopeful about the future. I, my friends, have a job.

I first felt that my second senior year was a hindrance, or at least, not exactly the shining star of my limited constellation of experience. But I took the opportunity of having just a few classes left – and that resume-building, GPA-tarnishing work I did in the first four years – to begin a for-credit internship. Through hard work and, I’d be remiss not to mention, a lot of luck in timing, that internship turned into a paid part-time internship, which then turned into a full-time gig. Literally the day after my graduation ceremony, I begin.

Again, I am extremely lucky to be in this position in this dismal economy, but I don't believe I am alone.

My experience of a four-and-a-half-year undergraduate education has been wonderful. It's afforded me the chance to straddle the world of college student and professional at the same time, providing a graceful transition between two major stages of my life. Like all the December grads I've spoken with, I wouldn't change a thing about how this has played out. I would encourage this approach to anyone, but I also worry I am in the minority in that. The University of Kansas encourages four-year graduation tracks strongly, penalizing students who don't fall in line tremendously financially.

How can I change this? I'm not at all sure. But my views about education comes from my experience, and I do wish I could encourage policy makers to seriously consider a more career-focused approach for all students. I'm a person fascinated by all aspects of the liberal education I've received -- heck, I can even see the merit in my first-year geometry theory class in shaping who I've become today -- but when I graduate, I will become the first person in my family to do so, and, first and foremost, I went into higher education with the goal of obtaining a career that I couldn't have otherwise.

In short, I believe that our entire education system needs to have a holistic approach -- balancing a need to inspire citizens interested in knowledge acquisition for its own sake with the need to actually and realistically prepare these citizens for the working world.

Higher fees are a sure thing

Recently Bank of America announced a new plan to be rolled out early next year to start charging customers a $5 fee in any month when they use their debit card for a purchase. A spokeswoman for Bank of America, Anne Pace, said that customers will not be charged if using a debit card at an ATM, only for purchases. Some banks have already implemented this fee and others are saying they will follow suit. But why are customers being charged to use their own money?

Banks say that it’s because of the new rules that limit the revenue banks can get from certain merchants. But I think it’s just another way to stick it to consumers. Customers are just trying to access their own money, and now they are being charged to gain access to their own accounts. Loyal customers are now looking to switch to smaller banks and credit unions that are fee-free. And why shouldn’t they shop around for the best deal? Regional banks offer smaller to no fees for the same cards. And as a bank labeled ‘too big to fail,’ customers believe that Bank of America will be protected by a government bailout.

Most customers use a debit card to avoid the interests rates of a credit card. This new $5 charge is a giant mark-up and hugely exceeds the cost of processing a debit card transaction. In a nation in the midst of a financial crisis, charging customers a fee for something that used to be free could drive customers to take their banking and their business elsewhere.

We Deserve What We Get

Last year, I wrote a "Letter to the Editor" to the UDK about the actions of students during the national anthem.  While I do believe that they have the right to act how they want, I found the total lack of respect upsetting.  People were walking around during the anthem, hats were on, people were talking as loud as they could; for me, it was not a pleasant moment.   Oh, and they yelled Chiefs instead of brave at the end, a continuing form of annoyance to me.

Fast forward to this year.  Saturday night the Jayhawks took on the Sooners.  The anthem came up, the stands got much, much quieter, and hats came off.  Some people sang, some talked, but it wasn't that bad. KU Athletics released a bald eagle during the anthem that soared across the football field.  At the end of the song, a few, but not many, yelled Chiefs.  Maybe its because the Chiefs are 2-3, maybe they're growing up and realizing it's somewhat of a ridiculous tradition, even in Kansas City.  Regardless, the national anthem was much more pleasant than in the past.

The game progressed into halftime.  The Jayhawks were only down 10 points; they were holding their own against the 3rd ranked team in the nation.  I was feeling good as were the friends I was with.  Then it happened.  The point where we became disgusted by our fans.

It's been said over and over again.  KU has some of the worst fans, outside basketball, that a team could ask for.  Only down 10 points to a nationally ranked team, and the students started heading home or to the bars.  By the end of the 3rd quarter, over half of the stands were gone, and by mid-4th quarter, there was maybe a quarter of what had been there, and most of those fans were from Oklahoma.

As I looked around and saw people leaving and how the sight had to look from the field, I became as disgusted as the buddy standing next to me.  I'll admit, I wanted to leave.  It was a late game and I was tired.  I stayed, though.  I felt like I owed it to our team to stay and watch.  When we intercepted in the late 4th quarter, I cheered as loud as I would at any other point.  When the game was over, and Bob Stoops refused to down the ball, I was as angry as I would be during any other classless play call.

Fans, if they can be called that, wonder why our football team doesn't win games.   After the 2007 Orange Bowl victory, KU has gained some sense of entitlement that is something from a fairy tale.  One great season, and all of them are supposed to be like that.   We have never had a consistent program, and that's because, to be perfectly honest, we as KU students/alumni/faculty do not deserve a consistently good football team.

Robert Kennedy once said, "We develop the kind of citizens we deserve."  While he meant this for the children of our nation, it is true of KU.  Our non-basketball sports aren't that great because we don't give them the support they need.  They need the cheers, they need people in the stands.  If we aren't willing to sit/stand through a bad season, or several, then we sure the hell don't deserve to see a winning season. We only get back what we put in.

So...is it basketball season, yet?  No, it's not.  Sit down and watch some football.

My Favorite Food and Recipe Websites

These past few months I've been on something of a cooking streaking. I used to cook something new and different maybe 3-4 times a month, but thanks to these websites it's more like 3-4 times a week. Hopefully they can inspire you to preheat your oven and clean off the ole' cutting board.



Budget Bytes

Budget Bytes specializes in cheap but tasty recipes that just about anyone can cook. A recipe website isn't usually noteworthy for me since I use a lot of recipes I find on the Internet, but never before have I used so many from a single website. In fact, in the past few weeks I've made ten recipes from Budget Bytes, all of which were delicious and easy (and usually very healthy). Each recipe breaks down the price per ingredient and per serving, and includes a series of visual instructions. These pictures help me a lot since I'm not always sure how much stirring, mincing, or chopping something needs. Another plus is that recipes frequently come in a series, making use of previous ingredients or recipes. This way your aren't buying specialty ingredients and only using them once. And every once and a while the website delves into interesting mixed drinks, another interest of mine.



Salt and Fat

If you're looking to get a little more technical and experienced in the art of cooking, then Salt and Fat should be your first destination. The website breaks down the simple but super important techniques every chef should know, usually by walking one through very simple, standard dishes like burgers or pancakes. But whats really great about the website is when they go beyond recipes to explore topics related to cooking, like food allergies, the science of cooking oils, and the importance of good, properly seasoned cast iron skillet. If you read this website and take just a little bit of its wisdom with you, it'll make you a much better cook. It's as simple as that.



The Dogs Breakfast

The Dogs Breakfast is almost entirely responsible for my friends and I getting together to cook the awesome brunch in the photo above. Like Salt and Fat, this website is definitely what you'd call a 'foodie' blog. I find it odd that some people use that term derogatively since I think the experience of cooking and eating good food with friends is one of the most genuinely enjoyable experiences out there. And that's pretty much what this blog is about. Some of the recipes are quite advanced, but I can say from experience that they're also quite delicious.



Food Porn Daily

Cooking may be rewarding in its own right, but sometimes you just want to...ahem...fantasize about awesome tasting food. Food Porn Daily highlights those dishes that look so incredibly appetizing that their mere image is enough to make one salivate. Careful, you may get sucked into this website for a lot longer than you'd think. (And yes, I realize you don't do much reading on this website)

Review: The Topeka Symphony Orchestra Debuts "Czech Mates"

The Topeka Symphony Orchestra began its 23^rd and final season with Conductor John Strickler on Saturday night with a strong performance of the program “Czech Mates”.

Strickler’s program paired two well-known romantic composers – Antonin Dvorak and Piotr Illyich Tchaikovsky – with Tchaikovky’s work featuring world-famous Czech violinist Ivan Zenaty. The performance was an opportunity for listeners to experience the romantic and nationalistic style both composers were known for.

Although Strickler’s incredible musical program was responsible in part for the success of the performance, another factor would be the new players who have joined the orchestra for the musical season.

Among those is the new concertmaster, Zsolt Eder. Eder’s young looks might have fooled the audience as to his expertise at first, but by the end of the concert his unmistakable aura of leadership was evident.

Under Eder’s guidance the first violin section showcased an impressive musical unity along with the rest of the string sections. This is something difficult for many ensembles to achieve, no matter how experienced or talented the conductor is. No less than a qualified concertmaster working with Strickler could have pulled it off, and Eder showed listeners he was definitely qualified.

Dvorak’s Symphony No. 6 in D major started the evening off with an impressive show of sound. The balance of the winds and the strings teetered on the fine line of one overwhelming the other, but Strickler’s talent for balance left the audience with nothing but an appreciation for Dvorak’s style of taking sound from one extreme to another.

But the real treat came when Ivan Zenaty took center stage. Zenaty took complicated musical lines and unpacked them with cleanly and distinctively no matter how quickly the tempo.

By the end of the first movement it was clear that Zenaty was a master of technique. He used an incredible energy to drive the music forward and performed each movement with a passionate, rich musicality. It was obvious that Zenaty knew how to handle Tchaikovsky’s stylistic fury, but his encore performance made it obvious that he was also a master of incredibly sweet and lyrical sonorities.

Altogether the Topeka Symphony Orchestra did not disappoint and “Czech Mates” was a pleasing way to experience Dvorak and Tchaikovsky all over again. But Zenaty’s performance was the best part of the evening. Strickler’s brilliance in programming music for the evening and his conducting technique just proved again why he’s been in Topeka for so long – and why we’ve been so lucky to have him.

AFC West: Four things we (think we) know after four games

San Diego Chargers: 3-1

Oakland Raiders: 2-2

Denver Broncos: 1-3

Kansas City Chiefs: 1-3

Defense is optional?

Of the 16 teams in the AFC, four defenses have allowed more than 100 points in the first four games. Three of those four teams are in the same division: Kansas City (126), Oakland (113) and Denver (111). San Diego’s allowed a respectable 86 points, but they’ve played three sub-par teams at home and lost their only real test on the road in New England.

Now, it’s only been four weeks, I know, but it’s clear that, after a quarter of the season, the division’s defenses are weak. The weakest? The Broncos. The strongest? The Bolts.

Injury bugs don't discriminate

Injuries happen. No team is immune. That’s why it’s a 53-man roster and not 25 men. The first cut is the deepest though (I guess?), and that came on the second play of the season for the Chiefs. Second-year safety Eric Berry tore his ACL and will miss the season.

A handful of the best players in the division are sidelined. Gates, Charles, Dumervil, Bailey, Moeaki. It reads more like a Pro Bowl roster than an injury list. We know injuries have already affected the division top to bottom and there’s no telling what could happen in the coming weeks. But, the law of averages says the worst could be behind these teams.

Here are the notable injuries I see in the division:

Kansas City: Eric Berry (ACL), Jamaal Charles (ACL), Tony Moeaki (knee), Jonathan Baldwin (thumb)

San Diego Chargers: Luis Castillo (tibia), Antonio Gates (foot), Quentin Jammer (hamsting)

Denver Broncos: Eddie Royal (groin), Demaryius Thomas (finger), Champ Bailey (hamsting), Elvis Dumervil (shoulder)

Oakland Raiders: Chris Johnson (hamstring), Louis Murphy (groin), Michael Huff (concussion), Marcel Reece (ankle), Jacoby Ford (hamstring), Matt Shaunghnessy (shoulder)

Rivers might run through it

The AFC West quarterbacks aren’t exactly a bunch of gunslingers. Exclude Phillip Rivers, a top five quarterback in the league, and you’re looking at Larry, Moe and Curly. Err, Kyle Orton, Matt Cassel and Jason Campbell. They're not going to set the world on fire.

Rivers is in a class of his own. Look for him to throw for 400+ yards a few times and I’ll go out a limb here and say no one else in the division will do that once. It’s a pretty sturdy limb, but I’m out there on it. Prove me wrong, fellas, but until then, I think Rivers and the Chargers have the best shot at winning the division.

Take your pick

As easy as it is to dub the Chargers a front-runner, the talent levels on all four teams are remarkably even. The two divisional games already played were both decided by three points and both looked like two evenly matched teams. I think this division has all the makings of a tight race, down to the last weeks of the season. Look for some of the best games of the year in the Chiefs vs. Broncos, Chiefs vs. Raiders and Chargers vs. Raiders match-ups.

The division is lacking for one dominant team. It’s two young coaches, John Fox and Norv Turner. We all know the tendency of Norv Turner coached teams to crumble. Most see it as a boring division, but this is going to be a season-long grind before there is a champ.

Yelp - Saving Small Businesses

In light of our recent assignment to review a restaurant, a blog post on the Washington Post's website caught my eye.

Michael Luca, a Harvard Business School student, wrote a paper on the effect the reviewing site Yelp is having on small restaurants and larger chain restaurants. According to Luca's paper, larger restaurants like McDonald's and Applebee's have always had an advantage over smaller, local businesses because it is much less of a risk, Luca wrote; people go to these chain restaurants because they know what they are going to get. But, with the help of Yelp, smaller businesses are actually detracting from larger chains' dominance.

For his study, Luca concentrated on the city of Seattle. "For Seattle alone, the website [Yelp] had over 60,000 restaurant reviews covering 70 percent of all operational restaurants as of 2009. By comparison, the Seattle Times has reviewed roughly 5 percent of operational Seattle restaurants."

Yelp is changing the world of restaurants. Since Yelp's popularity has increased, the profit share for chain restaurants on the whole has decreased. People want to go to restaurants that receive great reviews and to places where they know what to expect: Yelp is providing that service to the public. Yelp reviews have a massive impact on local restaurants. Luca wrote, "a one-star increase leads to a 5-9 percent increase in revenue for independent restaurants." Comparatively, a larger chain's reviews/star level on Yelp has little to no impact on the chain's revenue.

This study gives me hope for the future of local businesses. We are always hearing the negative about local businesses going under, and it is refreshing to hear something positive. Since Yelp has grown, the profit share for the larger chains has decreased. Not that large chain restaurants should go away, but small restaurants should stick around too. There is nothing I love more than McDonald's fries, but I also love walking into my favorite, local pizza shop and having them address me by name, and know exactly what I want. Yelp is facilitating in keeping smaller businesses in business - a great service to the public.

Texas prison kitchen now closed before executions

A couple weeks ago, inmate Lawrence Russell Brewer, serving in a Texas prison, was served his last meal before his execution. He ordered an obscene amount of food including — but not limited to — a triple bacon cheeseburger, fajitas, chicken-fried steaks, an omelette, and a pint of vanilla ice cream. And he didn’t eat a single bite.

Sen. John Whitmire (D) was so angry he immediately asked the state prison agency to halt the tradition of a last meal before an execution. Whitmire said that if the practice wasn’t stopped, he would get the help of the State Legislature to pass a bill to stop the procedure. The executive director for the agency responded a little while later saying that the tradition was halted and went into effect immediately. Inmates on death row will now eat the meal served to every other prisoner for their last meal.

Some people agree with Whitmire, saying that a perpetrator does not deserve a last meal when one wasn’t provided to his or her victim. Others, like former inmate and prison chef, Brian Price, think the tradition should continue. Price even offered to pay for and prepare the last meals for inmates on death row.

However, Whitmire said it wasn’t the money that was the problem. He felt that inmates take advantage of the process, sometimes even making a mockery out of it. But are inmates in fact having the last laugh at the state’s expense, or is it the very last thing in life they are able to control before being executed?

Taking Back Wall Street

For the past two weeks, protesters have camped out in Wall Street.  They are protesting big business controlling government interests.

During the protest, 700 people were arrested for trying to march across the Brooklyn Bridge.  Most have been released, except a few with warrants and others that refuse to cooperate with police.

From a personal standpoint, it's actually kind of refreshing.  I stated a couple of weeks ago that it is disheartening that there have been no large-scale protests against perceived political incompetence.  Over the past year, there have been a lot of complaints about the political scene in America, but not much being done, or even attempted.

Now, a small group of college students sitting out of Wall Street has turned into a movement.   There are groups like this protesting across the nation.   They may not all be as large as the group in New York, but they are coming together under a common cause.  They aren't trying to take political office; they're just protesting what they believe to be injustices.

Now, those protests are coming to the Kansas City area.  The group, Occupy Kansas City, is organizing their version outside the Federal Reserve Building in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.  The movement hasn't made much news coverage here, but I look forward to see if the protests last in the Midwest.

I may not agree with everything these groups are doing, but it is nice to see something happening.  It's not organized, it's not clean, but hey, a start is a start.  At least some people are utilizing their basic rights.

The MRI and the Justice System

Last week, a video hit the Internet that seemed to come straight out of science fiction. You can learn about it, and what it could mean for our justice system using the HTML 5 application I created above (which works best in Safari).

If you'd like to learn more about how MRI's might change our justice system, I'd recommend checking out this article from NPR.