Like, Love and Don't Like

Apologies to the Kansas City Chiefs for absolutely jinxing their chance at a Super Bowl threepeat. The Eagles didn't hold back. I'm not sure what the NFL script writers were thinking. 

This week, I like Amazon. There are lots of reasons to like Amazon by my specific reason here is for fast shipping. I know not all areas enjoy the same shipping timeliness as where I live but, man is it nice. 

Oh, I'm not talking about 2-day shipping. I'm talking about the less-than-24-hours shipping I benefitted from this week while dealing with a plumbing issue at the house. At 10:00 pm this past Sunday night, I fired off an order for a product that would assist with this issue. The product was at our front door by 3:00 pm the next day. Bonus: it definitely helped with the issue.

There are lots of horror stories from Amazon employees about their working conditions and treatment. And, as the son of former small business owners, part of me cringes when purchasing from Amazon. But that timeliness sure beats driving to the store or waiting until store are open.

This week, I love getting help from my sons with yardwork. In addition to plumbing issues, this past weekend also featured weather that was warm/dry enough to tackle some overgrown, sun-robbing trees in the back yard. I'm not sure what kind of trees they are - maybe cherry laurels or bay laurels - but they had grown too tall and spindly. They drop a lot of leaves throughout the year, too. 

So, the boys and I cut them down and hauled 5 or 6 truckloads of limbs and logs down our steep driveway. They were a huge help and really saved me a lot of time. They didn't complain, either. I'm not sure how I pulled this off but I'm crossing my fingers for similar experiences in the future!

I was so caught up in the moment that I took no photos of the boys in action. But, I did capture of video of the city hauling off Harris and Graham's output. 

This week, I don't like my iPhone's keyboard. As a long-time Android user, my exhaustive efforts to "Googlefy" my iPhone included installing Gboard to replace Apple's default keyboard across all apps. Despite having this phone for 2+ years, its predictive text suggestions aren't quite right and I "fat finger" messages way, waaaaaay more than I ever did with my Android phones. 

This may seem like a small issue but I'm telling you...it is so annoying. But, at least I can send clear photos and videos to other iPhone users, right? 

Like, Love and Don't Like

This week, I like geneaology. I think knowing about your ancestors is important, but I've never been able to get myself motivated to dive into it. That changed when my parents gifted me a subscription to Ancestry.com for Christmas. 

I might be a little differnent than first-time Ancestry users. I already had a document that traced the past 7 generations of my father's family. I've been able to use that info to get started building a family tree. I really don't know how else I would have gotten started or filled any gaps. However, Ancestry has helped me learn some of the inaccuracies of the document - especially with the information about the older generations. 

There's also a lot of info already in Ancestry about my mother's side. I look forward to having a better understanding of those that came before me!

Here's an old photo of Dad that I used to represent of the tree I'm building.

This week, I love 1-on-1 time with our kids. Julie and I made a pact to spend more 1-on-1 time with Graham, Harris and Ellen this year. So far, I've enjoyed a nice meal with Harris and danced the night away with Ellen. Graham is up next...I'm not sure what he and I will end up doing, but it will happen soon.

These moments have been great. It's nice to get out and have conversations with them. I hope these outings will last for a long time!

This week, I don't like missing my weight loss goals. Over the course of 2024, I managed to lose about 23 pounds. That journey began when my doctor explained I was technically obese (accord to my BMI measurement) at my 2023 annual checkup. 

At the end of 2024, I took a break from exercising and enjoyed a lot of holiday sweets. That resulted in me gaining about 15 pounds back. It's totally unfair how easy it is to gain weight! 

When 2025 began, I resumed my 2024 weight loss efforts with ease. But I'm not seeing the results just yet, and missing my biweekly goals has been frustrating. I'm gonna keep going though...it feels like that needle will start to move very soon!

Like, Love and Don't Like

Starting to remember how posting regularly is a good mental exercise...

This week, I like the consistency of the Kansas City Chiefs. I really, really like the NFL. I don't have a favorite team or player, but I really like "The Shield". From the crazy backstrories of a lot of the owners to how the NFL operate as a business - - there's just a lot to like. There's a lot of history engrained into the league and we are all witnessing history unfold before our eyes in the form of the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs just earned the right to represent the AFC in Super Bowl LIX. This will be their third straight trip to the big game and their 5th Super Bowl in the last 6 seasons. 

The Chiefs have a great head coach in Andy Reid, great players and an unmatched offensive strategy. They also have amazing fans (some aren't), weird brothers and very famous girlfriends*. But more than anything, I like their consistency. They haven't been quite as dominant during the regular season this year, but they found a way to win nearly every week. They'll certainly have their hands full with the Philadelphia Eagle in the Super Bowl. But, I'll be pulling for consistency. 

This week, I love old television shows and movies. A few years ago, I watched an episode of The Twilight Zone on a whim. The plot of the episode was not bad but I really liked the sets and the way actors and actresses dressed. I'm pretty sure the episode featured a doctor smoking a cigarette, too. The episode was short, which is perfect for my attention span. So, in my obsessive nature, I programmed the DVR to record each and every episode then proceeded to watch every episode of The Twilight Zone (except the Season 4 episodes because they're an hour long). I can say for the most part, this was a well written show. I can't say the same for all episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents - some of those episodes have terrible, uninspired endings. 

The enjoyment I've had from the Zone has prompted me to try other older shows. Then I tried older movies and liked a lot of them, too. (I don't think Humphry Bogart was ever in a bad movie!). Maybe it's something about the black and white images or the dialog but these shows and films have been awesome alternatives to what's been put out in the past few years. 

This week, I don't like YouTube ads. The YouTube viewing experience has really gone into the toilet. I can remember when ads were NOT featured on ALL videos and when they were, you could skip them after 5 seconds. (I am aware of how old I sound) Now it seems like I have to sit through at least a full minute of ads at the beginning of each video PLUS at least one ad break during the video. And I get it...advertising makes the world go 'round. Google purchased YouTube for $1.5 billion in 2006 (seems like a steal now!) and the first preroll ads appeared soon after in 2008. I get that the ads are needed but it really seems like Google is trying to take a lot more than they need. 

*The Travis Kelce/Taylor Swift relationship was totally arranged by the media teams from Swift's camp and the NFL. Swift and the league both gain access to new audiences from this relationship. And that's just one of the reasons I love the NFL - it's a marketing machine!

Like, Love and Don't Like

This week, I like Campfire Woodfuel. This is a Birmingham-based firewood delivery company that specializes in kiln-dried hardwoods. I've ordered deliveries from them for the past few years and I usually reserve this wood for indoor fires. Thanks to the artic blasts we've been experiencing lately, our fireplace has been used a lot. 

I've had great experiences with Campfire Woodfuel. The ordering process is very easy and they deliver right to your door. And the wood is definitely dry and bug-free. Burns great, too. Plus, they've always provided branded matches and fatwood. Check them out for yourself if you're tired of wet wood!

This week, I love my rubber boots. Rain boots, galoshes...whatever you call 'em. My parents gave me a pair for Christmas a few years ago. Although there are only certain times of the year when I wear them, they are great to have at those times. These boots are perfect for the colder months, when our yard doesn't get a lot of sun and stays wet and mushy. 

I'm not sure of the brand but I believe they are still available on Amazon. I've been wearing them a lot lately. They're easy to pull on and off and seem very durable. I just hose them off before keeping them in the garage and they're ready for the next round. 

This week, I don't like the state of the movie industry. It just seems all the movie studios are trying too hard - and when that doesn't work, they remake one of their older, more successful films. Who knew we had such a good thing with all of the Marvel movies? Did anyone see that train coming to a screeching halt? Not me! 

It's all about quantity over quality now (see: Star Wars). I don't think the rapid availability of in-home access helps either. Graham went to see Sonic the Hedgehog 3 in the theater earlier this month. Despite being released on December 20th and doing very well in terms of ticket sales, it was made available for online purchase today (January 21st). True, technology speeds up the home-release process (hello, VHS), but this seems way too quick. And some of that has to do with the changing preferences of movie watchers. But I have to think the rush to produce new films is really watering down the output.

I dunno...this guy seems to think the problem starts with movie budgets that have gotten out of hand. 

Like, Love and Don't Like

This week, I like snow. Well, we kinda had some snow late last week (January 10th). I say "kinda" because it wasn't a very fluffy snow. It was more like ice. Snowmen and sledding were possible though and the kids enjoyed a day off from school - just a few days since the conclusion of their very long Christmas break. 

I moved to the B'ham area in January of 2008 and we've had at least one brush with snow in all but a few of those 17 years. It's always a fun time and each time lasts just long enough!

I believe we experienced our biggest snowfall in December of 2017. The twins were very little and were not fans!

This week, I love my new device charger. My parents gifted me a Power Cell-CX portable solar power bank from 4Patriots for Christmas. I love a good gadget and I have few different kinds of chargers but this one has really impressed. It can charge multiple devices at once and very quickly. It is also very durable and has an extremely bright light on the back. Plus, it has a solar panel - when I'm done charging my phone, I can just place this charger in the window and it charges on its own. It's really great! Thanks again Mom and Dad!

This week, I don't love Zenni Optical. In my advanced age, it seems I could benefit from reading glasses. My optometrist helped me know what strength I needed and I began my search for some readers. Graham began wearing glasses recently and Julie ordered him a few pairs from Zenni Optical. I opted to do the same. While Graham hasn't had any issues, I can't say the same. Zenni's shipping costs erode any sense of value that you feel after finding a pair of frames you really like. Despite that, I placed an order on December 30th and as of this post, still haven't received my order. Tracking shows my shippment originated in Kentucky then vanished in Georgia. Zenni's website offers a 24/7 customer service chat feature, but it doesn't work. Zenni hasn't responded to my emails, either. I'm sounding like a real Karen here but this was a pair of readers - no prescription involved. So, I can't recommend Zenni Optical.

Like, Love and Don't Like

Kicking off a new year and charging into 2025!*

This week, I like HBO Max. Julie gifted me a subscription for Christmas. Was this needed? No. Do we already have just about every other streaming app? Yes. But, there's a lot of content behind the sealed walls of Max (HBO Max?). Fun fact: Since childhood, I've never really been an HBO viewer - - except on those rare weekends when the cable companies use to grant free access to entice customers to upgrade. So, I've got a lot of catching up to do!

Top 3 things I've seen on Max so far: A biopic about Bernie Madoff with Robert De Niro in the lead role, old episodes of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations and the first installment of Horizon: An American Saga. Send me your suggestions!

This week, I love having the right tool for the job. Over the past several years, I have accumulated a wide variety of tools. Lately, my tool nerdiness has paid off as I've worked on all kinds of home projects. There's no worse feeling than having to pause a project for a Home Depot run to buy a tool or supply you don't have. I haven't had to make many of those trips lately - which is a great feeling because the projects are still comin'. The most appreciated tool/item that I thought I'd never use? Knee pads. 

Let me know if you need to borrow anything!

This week, I don't like the state of college football. The introduction of the transfer portal and NIL has made college football more like professional football. Players can leave a school in a heartbeat and the teams with the highest payrolls will attract the most talent. I've never had an issue with coaches bolting for greener pastures but it irks me a little now that players can do the same thing. Additionally, the expanded playoff makes for some great TV viewing but has really robbed the grand ole bowl games of their majesty. I don't things will improve, either. That toothpaste is already out of the tube. 

*Let's just forget about the past 9 years in which I failed to create 1 post! I'll try to be better about this and include photos/videos once I get back into the swing of things.

Like, Love and Don't Like (New FAMILY Edition)

Now that we’re all caught up (and before we slip back into complete silence) it’s time to provide a more current look at what’s going on with the Baggetts. As I mentioned in the last post, I’m going to borrow from my Like, Love and Don’t Like format that I enjoy using to grease the writing wheels. But rather than share personal observations, I’m going to put a “family” twist on this format. Keep reading – you’ll see.

This week, I like having a yard. When we moved into our new house, we went from having ZERO yard to having plenty of room for all kinds of activity. Now that it’s getting warmer, I’m excited about being outside even more with Graham. I’m interested to see if the grass rebounds from the wear and tear of Graham’s “roller coaster”. Graham seems to like digging in the dirt so I’m also pumped about getting his sandbox in place soon. I’ll be sure to share pics and videos.


This week, I love Julie’s tenacity. Julie is doubly pregnant yet she has yet to slow her pace when it comes to taking care of Graham and me, helping coordinate baby showers for our Sunday School class, hosting friends and family members, preparing the nursery, buying extra baby items and all of her other many duties. She’s amazing, really. She told me that she figures she only has a few more weeks left before carrying those babies really starts to take its toll. Until then, she’s trying to get as much done as she can. I try to be as helpful as I can but that means just saying out of her way most of the time!

Here's a recent picture of Julie making my mother feel special on her birthday. 

This week, I don’t like toy tornadoes. I guess another reason why I’m looking forward to more time in the yard with Graham is because of the major devastation he leaves in our basement after a day with his toys. It could be worse – at least it’s confined to one part of the house. But, man…that one part of the house sometimes looks like a tornado has scattered all of his toys! Graham has always loved trains. I really thought that interest waned back at Christmas as he only asked Santa for Hot Wheels and Paw Patrol toys. For a short period of 2016, trains took a back seat to those toys. But for last month or so, trains have been in high demand! These days, the confines of his train table are too restrictive – he seems to really enjoy (getting assistance) building new track layouts that span a much bigger area of floor. I guess I shouldn’t complain the product of an enjoyable time. I should also start bracing for the day when we have 3 tornadoes in the house!

Like, Love and Don't Like

This week, I like normal winters. Today is the one-year anniversary of the weirdest, most maddening winter events that I've ever experienced. So far, this has been a typical Alabama winter, and I really like that. Last year's ice event caused a lot of chaos for the better part of a week. I can't imagine how folks even function after snow storms like what occurred in Buffalo last November and this week in the northeast. Even one year later, I still slightly panic any time my tires spin on wet pavement and think the worst of thoughts - like what's depicted in this recent video from a New Jersey driver.


Would you be as calm and steady as this guy if you saw an out-of-control truck barreling your way?

Me neither.

This week, I love advances in car technology. For me, browsing the websites of car manufacturers has become the modern day version of visiting the local dealership. The new designs of Chevrolet's cars and trucks have really caught my eye - especially that new Chevy Colorado. We come to expect car manufacturers to raise the bar each year but I'm super impressed with the WiFi feature that Chevrolet has added to their new vehicles.


This will change road trips forever!

This week, I don’t like misplaced pity. I've had plenty of time to collect my thoughts about Auburn’s 2014 college football season. Ending the season by losing 4 of the last 5 games seems oddly acceptable given the promise that next year holds. But before we begin hyping next season (or is it too late for that?) I would like to address an issue of misplaced pity that fell upon the shoulders of kicker Daniel Carlson immediately after Auburn's overtime loss to Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl. I did not like the swiftness at which the media, coaches and many fans consoled Carlson as if his missed kick was the reason Auburn lost that game. I did not like that because it seemed to redirect the blame for the defense's abysmal play onto something more tangible - a helpless kicker. Also, where was the pity for Auburn kicker Cody Parkey when he also missed a pair of crucial field goals in a far more significant bowl game the prior season?

"Cool it with the penalties on 3rd and long, Mincy." 

Auburn's defense is the reason for those losses and to even hint at placing the blame on a non-defensive player is crazy. I, like a lot of people, like the hiring of Will Muschamp as Auburn's new defensive coordinator but I've been on enough of these roller coasters to know that every up has a down. Muschamp will certainly improve Auburn’s defense but I have that creeping thought in the back in my mind: What if he doesn't??

Like, Love and Don't Like

This week, I like the potential for TV subscriptions. Recently, HBO announced that it will begin selling subscriptions to their programs. These subscriptions will not require a traditional cable subscription and allow viewers to watch popular shows on mobile devises via an internet connection. While I don't watch any HBO shows, I'm very excited for this move and the pressure it might put on other cable channels (and even networks) to make similar offers. Cord cutters rejoice!

This week, I love Julie's sales skills. I love my wife for thousands of reasons but one in particular is her shared low tolerance for unused items taking up precious space in our home. But where I'm perfectly satisfied to simply trash such an item, Julie exhausts all avenues to sell that item. I'm not just talking about eBay - - Julie has also tapped into local sales groups that utilize Facebook. I'm completely lost as to how it all works but I'm thankful that Julie is determined enough to make something out of nothing!

This week, I don't like the various approaches to updating a home. In our search for a bigger house, we've visited may area homes that are for sale. In the homes that are included in our price range, I've noticed two levels of effort made by home owners when keeping their bathrooms, kitchens etc. updated: none and cheap. The "none" approach is more popular. I get it...home repairs and renovations are expensive. But it amazes me each time we see a home interior that's had it's current look since 1973. On the flip side (pun intended), it's not always refreshing to see a bathroom that has received a lot of attention...but only with the bare-minimum spent on materials. It seems crazy that there's no middle ground but that probably goes back to the price range in which we're looking.

By the way, why did so many bathrooms feature a pink or mint green color scheme back in the day??

*Above photo used for reference only. Not seen in any homes we've considered buying....but a close example!

Like, Love and Don't Like

This week, I like drones. No, not the military types. I'm referring to the commercially-produced versions that are growing in popularity. When equipped with a decent camera, these vehicles can provide amazing vantage points that have never been so easily accessed by videographers. Drones are now crossing over from recreational to commercial use. Golf courses, realtors and other businesses are starting to incorporate this technology into their marketing efforts after realizing a video from above trumps the traditional ground-level photograph.

I don’t have any desire to own a drone but I enjoy watching this phenomenon from the sidelines. There is a lot of drama and controversy pertaining to regulated airspace when is comes to operating drones in public places - and that's always good entertainment.

Here are some of my favorite drone videos.

Oh, and watch for "dronies" to become a thing.


This week, I love our Chromecast. My sister gave me a gift card for my birthday and with that gift card I purchased a Chromecast. I’m here to tell you that Google has knocked it out of the park once again. Here's the breakdown: this device pairs with your smartphone/tablet and WiFi signal to stream videos, movies, music and shows directly to your TV. Many big players in the media industry, including ESPN, HBO and ABC, have worked with Google to make their mobile apps work seamlessly with the Chromecast device.

I've been completely amazed and the picture quality of the college football games I've watched this season via Chromecast when piped through my phone. As a cord cutter, this device gives me great hope that networks will soon bypass the overcharging cable companies and sell subscriptions to their content. I guess that's the only downfall of Chromecast at this time...in order to view premium TV content, you have to provide the login to the account you have with your cable provider. Time will tell!

This week, I don’t like NBC Sports. As I mentioned, I am a cord cutter and I really appreciate the opportunity to watch streaming programs and sporting events. PBS makes episodes of Downton Abbey available online. I can watch every PGA tournament that CBS Sports carries on a laptop or smartphone. ABC's website was the only place I could watch the final episodes of Happy Endings after we told Charter Communications "no thanks". This concept of sharing is wonderful!

Unfortunately, the folks at NBC Sports (owners of the Golf Channel) aren't in a giving mood. Earlier this summer, the men's and women's US Open was played at the same course in back-to-back weeks. NBC Sports carried the events. I was happily surprised to learn that I could watch the men's tourney online. Weirdly, I had no such luck when trying to watch the women's tournament the next week. NBC did not stream any of the recent PGA Tour playoff events either. You can forget about them streaming any of their Sunday Night Football games. Although that's more of an NFL issue, that’s a terrible policy because I watched the 49ers and the Ravens play in the freaking Super Bowl on CBS on a laptop just a few years ago!! The Golf Channel sends me an email and invites me to watch the Ryder Cup online LIVE...and this is what I get:

I’m not sure what can be done about the stinginess at NBC Sports but the good news is that they lost the rights to cover the US Open to Fox Sports. If the shot callers at Fox Sports are reading this (and I’m sure they are) take note: this is your chance to gain a lot of fans!!

Like, Love and Don't Like

This week, I like Johnsonville Brats. I'm a fan of hot dogs. I'm a fan of sausages too. It's important to realize that there is a difference because I occasionally substitute hot dogs with sausages. But because grilling a sausage dog takes more time than zapping a hot dog in a microwave, the Baggetts don't enjoy sausage dogs very often. So on those special occasions, we have always reached for a package of Conecuh sausage and we have always been very pleased with the results. Well Julie recently changed the game by introducing the family to Johnsonville Brats. These are not the huge sausages you see Green Bay Packers fans preparing at their tailgate in a vat of beer and onions. These bad boys are found in the hot dog section of your grocery store and are only slightly bigger than your normal hot dog. I guess you could cook these brats in a microwave but I played it safe and used the grill. Pro tip: when grilling, remember that these are sausages with casings that can rip when exposed to prolonged heat. Rotation is the key.

These are so good! The brats Julie purchased had cheddar cheese inside the them but I cannot find this variety on the Johnsonville website. It doesn’t matter though - if you see some, buy them!

This week, I love the state of golf. I've seen a lot of golf trends come and go over the years - changes in apparel, swings, player physiques and much more. Golf is certainly more popular with regular folks these days and I fully believe that popularity is due to the success of Tiger Woods. However, as I watched the 2014 PGA Championship last weekend, it was clear to see that Tiger is struggling with his health and his game. That observation, combined with the troubling news from the golf retail industry, made me concerned about the future of golf. But that tournament was a great shot in the arm and proved that the sport is indeed in good shape.

Even though Tiger was not around for the weekend, the leaderboard featured young stars, old favorites (Phil!!!) and foreign players. Each year, golf experts roll their eyes and wonder aloud if the PGA Championship should be even considered one of the four "major" tournaments. Given the ratings success of this year’s event, I’d say that conversation has been silenced.


Having Tiger fade from the game could be good on an economic front. For hard core Tiger fans, it's Tiger or nothing. This approach could translate to lower demand for tee times and equipment, thus causing a drop in the amount of money one would have to spend to enjoy the game. That's always a good thing!

Time will tell. You never really know with Tiger - he could bounce back stronger than ever. Either way, the game of golf is in a really good position. Oh, and folks...we’re going to be seeing Rory for a very, very long time. He's good at everything.


This week, I don’t like the ice bucket challenge. You've probably noticed a lot of Facebook videos of celebrities or athletes pouring buckets of water over their own heads lately. This craze, called the ice bucket challenge, has really gained a lot of steam over the summer and is supposed to be a fun form of charitable fundraising.

Here's my understanding of the ice bucket challenge: PERSON A challenges PERSON B to donate money (usually $100) to a specified charity within a certain amount of time (usually 24 hours). If PERSON B fails to meet the challenge, he/she has to dump a bucket of cold water onto their own head. The act can be filmed and PERSON B can call out other people for a similar challenge.

In these videos, pouring the bucket of cold water onto your own head is the “punishment” for failing the challenge of donating money to the charity. So given the large number of videos seen across social media, it doesn't seem that charities are benefiting much from these challenges. Actually, it seems that people prefer to dump water on their head over donating money to charity!


NOOOooooo! Not you too, Coach!! I mean...am I wrong? Do I have a complete misunderstanding of this challenge? Please set me straight!

Like, Love and Don't Like - Vacation Edition

The Baggetts just returned from a great vacation at the Corman's home in Destin. So, this will be a special edition of LL&DL.

This week, I like the new toll roads on the way to Destin. It's been a few years since I've been to the beach. The new toll road that bypasses Niceville is great and helps avoid a lot of traffic lights. I imagine that this road will be a big help with hurricane evacuations too. There's no need to stop and pay the toll on this new road. Your vehicle is photographed and an invoice is sent to the address associated with your license plate. I wonder what happens if your tag isn't updated or if you removed your license plate? Who knows but the new road helps make for a faster trip and the faster the trip, the faster we get to have fun!

This week, I love swimming with Graham. I've been a dad for a little more than 2.5 years now and I have never experienced a better "father moment" than when swimming with Graham this week. Graham showed no fear of the water (which was bad at times) and loved paddling around the pool on his own. He even built up the courage to climb out of the pool on his own and jump back in.


Graham would have loved for us to allow him to stay in the pool all day. Even when he was obviously tired, he still enjoyed bobbing up and down in his puddle jumper vest.

This week, I don't like the end of vacation week. I occasionally suffer from the "Sunday Night Blues" but that's got nothing on the way I feel at the end of a vacation week. We had such a great time and it's really hard to accept that the week has come to an end. But, I don't regret anything - we had great weather and got to do everything we wanted. It will be hard to duplicate the fun time we had on this trip but we'll use that challenge to keep us working hard for our next vacation opportunity!

Like, Love and Don't Like

This week, I like the plans to upgrade Wrigley Field. Part of the charm of being a fan of the Chicago Cubs is knowing that your patience will pay off a thousandfold when/if the Cubs ever win the World Series (The Cubs last won it all in 1908). But I'm tired of waiting and the waiting is only made worse with all of the frustrating decisions made over the last few years made by Chicago's front office. Theo Epstein, President of Baseball Operations for the Cubs, has not been able to duplicate the success he saw as General Manager of the Boston Red Sox, where he was part of two world championship teams. He made one of his bros from his Red Sox days, Jed Hoyer, the General Manager of the Cubs and Hoyer is probably responsible for the questionable hiring of Rick Renteria to be the current manager of the Cubs (Hoyer and Renteria have roots in the San Deigo Padres organization). I have not watched any Cubs games this year but I get a final score update sent to my phone after every game. More often than not, the Cub lose and they lose by a lot of runs. Other than first baseman Anthony Rizzo and shortstop Starlin Castro, I can't name a single position player on the roster. When Jeff Samardzija is considered your ace pitcher, you know things are bad. You may remember Samardzija from his college football days at Notre Dame.

But there is a glimmer of hope. The Cubs owners have recently decided make some significant upgrades to Wrigley Field in a move that I think will instill some much-needed team pride. I was once someone that loved Wrigley for her rich nostalgia. But that park is 100 years old now (the Cubs even managed to screw up Wrigley’s centennial celebration) and it is really lacking in areas that benefit the players. There is no bullpen - pitchers and catchers have to warm up just off the playing field in foul territory. You just know the locker rooms are undesirable too. The Cubs are probably the only team in baseball that look forward to road trips! But, I like the announcement - it shows that the owners are tired of waiting too.


This week, I love Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. Anthony Bourdain is an accomplished chef from New York that gained notoriety after writing his book, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly. You may know Bourdain from his popular television show titled, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. After this show’s 9th and final season on the Travel Channel, Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown began airing on CNN in 2013. I recently became aware of Unknown on Netflix and had it not been for a little boy’s need to get his Thomas the Train fix, I would have blown through every available episode by now. In each episode, Bourdain travels to non-typical locations, samples the local fare and provides a brief history of each destination. It’s a great way to learn about different cities and cultures. This show also contains excellent reminders that there are some poor, poor, poor people on this planet and God has provided me much, much, much more than I actually need. The following clip is from an episode filmed during his trip to Canada. He did not hang out with poor people on this particular trip.


This week, I don’t like the Wrigley Rooftops. This announcement I mentioned above does not come without controversy. One of the main reasons that prevented the Cubs from making these improvements is the existence of the Wrigley Field Rooftop Association - real estate owners with well-placed bleachers on top of buildings that are across the street from the outfield. These groups charge discounted admission to people who don’t mind watching the Cubs play from afar. The Cubs aren't big fans of these groups and had to work out an agreement several years ago that allowed the Rooftops to remain in business for a hefty fee. The new renovations to Wrigley Field call for changes that would obstruct the view from the Rooftops and more legal action is anticipated, which will likely delay the renovations and the amenities needed for a better team.

Photo Courtesy

Like, Love and Don't Like

This week, I like Billionaire. I've stated in the past how much I enjoy movies that feature tales of financial scandal. Billionaire somewhat falls into this category and is a real-life account of Larry Hillblom, co-founder of shipping giant DHL (he’s the “H”). I won’t overshare details of this documentary, which you can watch for free on Hulu, but Larry relocated to Micronesia in order avoid paying taxes on his mountain of money in the US. After Larry’s early and unexpected death, the real drama began when his estate’s executors tried to honor Larry’s will (and the fact that he named no heirs) despite multiple island children coming forward to claim their piece of the pie. That’s all I’m going to share. Please watch the film for yourself - you will enjoy it. If you’re like me, you’ll be blown away about the massive dollar amounts that were discussed in the aftermath of Larry’s death.

Here’s a clip from a TV special that covered the same drama.


This week, I love my Mashie. It’s a little-known fact that one’s success on the golf course has a lot to do with the alignment of the cosmos. I really hope I don’t jinx the great relationship that I’m currently enjoying with my Cleveland Mashie hybrid golf club, but I really need to show it some love for its cooperation as of late. We haven’t always been on speaking terms - it’s mostly produced gnarly hooks for me since I obtained it on the cheap off of eBay a few years ago. But something’s clicked lately and I've managed to hit some nice shots with it, even from a bunker. Thanks to the cheesy infomercial Cleveland developed to sell Mashies, these clubs have a bit of a gimmicky stigma to overcome. But it gets the job done for me as long as I keep in mind the time-tested swing thoughts of “don’t swing hard” and “let the club do the work”.


This week, I don’t like the hype surrounding the recent unearthing of a bunch of E.T. games at a landfill. Before I give you the back story on this event, you need to get a clear understanding of the rise and fall of video games in the early 1980’s. Atari made huge waves with their home consoles but there was about a 2 or 3-year period of video game nothingness prior to the success of the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985. Many people blame Atari for this gap thanks to their horrible, uninspired games that drove people away from video games. The E.T. game made by Atari and based on the hit movie is largely considered to be the absolute worst game ever made. Although I've never played this game, I would have to agree based on this gameplay footage.

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As the story goes, sales of the E.T. game were so poor that retailers shipped their unsold supply back to Atari. Decades later, a rumor that Atari buried all of their E.T. inventory in a landfill began making the rounds online. This added to the lore of this game’s history and it wasn't long before the rumor was confirmed by a former Atari executive (or something like that). Flash forward to last week’s unearthing, which was heavily documented:


This all leaves me with two questions:

1. What did this accomplish? Good job on your big find but seriously...you do know why items are sent to landfills, don’t you? 
2. Uh, did anyone else notice the near-pristine condition of some of those boxes and instruction manuals? I would expect the plastic game cartridges to hold up fairly well to 30 years of underground conditions but not the paper goods! HOLY COW - that stuff hasn’t decomposed one bit!! I know the games, boxes, etc. were probably held within other containers but...WOW.

Like, Love and Don't Like

This week, I like Amazon’s Wish List feature. This embodies the next-level laziness and an aversion to interacting with other people that is brought on by the Internet. Let’s say I’m browsing the web and come across a neat t-shirt that I would like to own. Using the Amazon Wish List extension on my browser, a simple click of a button adds this shirt to a list of other items that I've added to a Wish List that’s associated with my Amazon profile. I can add or delete items at any time and even share a link to my Wish List with others. Adding items to my Wish List has become my newest hobby.

This week, I love food trucks. April 6th was “Food Truck Fellowship Sunday” at Covenant Presbyterian Church. Four (4!!) local food trucks were on site to serve up a variety of great food after church and Sunday school. I don’t get to enjoy this type of dining experience very often so I was really looking forward to digging in. They did not disappoint! Best of the bunch had to be Off the Hook - I had some great shrimp tacos and Julie had some awesome “rocket shrimp”. The size and taste of these shrimp FAR exceeded my expectations. It was hard to believe that something so tasty was prepared inside of a truck! I don’t know why I had a less-than-stellar impression of food trucks and food truck cuisine before this experience but I will always keep my eyes peeled for food trucks from now on.

Graham loved the food too but I think he liked the “bounce houses” the church set up even more.

This week, I don’t like NPR pledge drives. So, I've been listening to NPR a lot in my car lately. Before you label me a tree-huggin’ Democrat, know that NPR programming is surprisingly entertaining and their news segments are very informative. You've gotta love the somber tone use by the on-air personalities too...very soothing for post-work, rush hour traffic. NPR’s advertising-free stance is a definite bonus too since programs like The Rick and Bubba Show feature 49 minutes of ads per hour. You’ll never hear a full-on ad like you will on other stations.

Ah, but all good things must come to an end (at least for a little bit). WBHM, the local NPR affiliate, is currently hosting a pledge drive in which they constantly ask listeners to donate money to the station. This has been driving me crazy. They've got everyone from the general manager to the station janitor coming on air and reminding people how much a donation means. What’s worse is that they know it’s annoying. They try to compensate by regularly stating that WBHM is cutting the number of pledge drives in half this year. That’s a nice thought but all that really does is create a situation for a higher dosage of pledge drive begging!

I guess I should take comfort in knowing that the current pledge drive will be over soon and that we can get back to regular to normal programming that hits close to home.
 

Like, Love and Don't Like

This week, I like This Old House. I’m handy to the point where Julie keeps me around. Not only am I without the knowledge of how to frame a door, I really can’t say I have the desire to frame a door. But I really like watching that kind of stuff on This Old House. I can’t explain it. It’s amazing to watch some of the jobs they accomplish in just half an hour! OK, kidding - but I do like the continuation they have for each season’s house. I like all of the characters on the show too - Tom’s got little-man syndrome, Norm rarely picks up a tool, Roger (or Rahjah) seems to have a decent green thumb for a Yankee, Richard the plumber is really sarcastic and they ALL give Kevin the host a hard time. Interesting side note: as much as I like This Old House, I couldn't care less about Ask This Old House.

TOH's opening theme has come a long way since things began in 1980:

This week, I love Hoverpost. This is work-related but I really, really like this new tool I stumbled across just the other day. In general, working in the marketing world is all about proving your worth. We love us some analytics. In turn, social media is all about keeping it short and sweet - especially with URL links that eat up valuable character space. Hoverpost helps handle all of the above. Basically, it’s a URL shortener that produces a link that, when clicked, will display embeddable media over your website. So, when the viewer finishes watching the video you linked (for example), your website will appear. Hoverpost provides added pageviews for your website AND the analytics to track your clicks!

Here’s a real-life example: I shared a link to a YouTube video on my employer’s Facebook page earlier this week. Rather than using my normal URL shortener, I used Hoverpost. Click this link to see the results: http://hovr.us/2oviP

This week, I don’t like being a victim of leftism. No, this doesn’t have anything to do with political preferences. Leftism - or maybe I should say rightism? - pertains to the ratio of right-hand golf clubs to left-handed golf clubs in the marketplace. I’ve played golf for the majority of my life now and while the availability of left-handed equipment has tremendously improved over the last two decades, dexterity equality is a concept that has always seemed unattainable by us lefties. I was recently saddened to learn that some of the major equipment manufacturers are still incorporating leftist practices into their production lines. Long story short, I found out that the loft/bounce combo for a particular wedge I like is not available in a left-handed model. This is a REAL problem. It is 2014, people - it is time for this unfair treatment to end. Please write to your Congressman on my behalf.

Of course, I could always follow Bubba's lead:

Like, Love and Don't Like

This week, I like Fish Dogs. Recently, Julie and I dined on fried fish fillets. They were delicious. We had some bonus fish (aka: leftovers) so the next night, while Julie was out of town, I got creative in the kitchen. You may not enjoy the fish filet sandwiches from McDonald's as much as me but I really wanted to replicate this delicacy using the bonus fish. However, I ran into an obstacle when I realized that we didn't have any hamburger buns. I did what anyone would do in this situation and grabbed the hot dog buns. (Did I mention that the creative juices were already flowing?) A strip of oven-warmed bonus fish + warm hot dog bun + tartar sauce = goodness. I give you the Fish Dog, America. You are welcome.

The inspiration for the Fish Dog.

This week, I love my Bible app. **HYPOCRITE ALERT**HYPOCRITE ALERT** In the past, I've mentioned my disappointment in people that use iPads in Church as opposed to the pew Bible that’s sitting less than a foot away. But, after installing a Bible app on my new phone, I must say that it is hard to beat. The app I use makes navigating to scriptures very easy and gives me the option to read from any version under the sun. I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to those of you that worship with your mobile devices.

Of course, it's never a bad idea to keep The Good Book on you at all times.

This week, I don’t like iMessage. That new phone I mentioned above? It’s not an iPhone. I really like my Android phone but I may have stayed with Apple had I known about a very common problem people encounter when switching to Android from Apple. After making the switch myself, it became very clear that I was having difficulty receiving texts from my contacts with iPhones. After much research (that I would have never known to make prior to making the switch), I determined that the issue was far greater than a matter of me being listed as an “iPhone” in my contacts’ phones. No, the problem stemmed from the fact that Apple’s iMessage feature had latched onto my phone number - and wouldn't let go. It’s been likened an iOS 7 bug and it won’t let iPhones make the distinction between phone numbers that accept iMessages or SMS texts. This created a very frustrating situation for me (and many others). A tip from the Internet eventually led me to call Apple Support and request to revoke my iMessage certificate. I mean...who would have known to do that? Everything seems to be working properly now but this ordeal was a scary reminder of the evil, sinister ways of Apple and the safety and trustworthiness of Google.

I’m kidding people! Calm down! I know that Google is Big Brother.

Like, Love and Don't Like

This week, I like Native American history. Julie and I enjoyed watching Dances with Wolves earlier this week. It had been a long time since either of us had watched this classic movie. As I watched, I thought about how this movie (released in 1990) was probably one of the first mainstream films to feature Native Americans as victims of America's western expansion. Wolves also made me remember how much I enjoyed Ken Burns' American West series, which is what gave me the majority of my limited knowledge of Native American history. It's not a very "happy" history but it's really something to think that there was a time when whole cultures thrived using only the survival techniques they developed over hundreds of years.

This week, I love thinking about my birthday lunch. At the beginning of 2014, I severely altered my lifestyle by cutting out all sodas from my diet and eating only small portions of my wife's delicious cooking. I'm happy with the weight-loss results but I miss some elements of my old lifestyle. I've decided that I will treat myself on my birthday this year, which falls on a Saturday. I might enjoy thinking about what I'm going to eat more than I'll actually enjoy eating this food. Here are some options that have been on my mind lately:

• Doritos Locos Tacos from Taco Bell. I never have been a frequent patron of Taco Bell but my goodness - these things have been catchin' my eye lately.
• Five Guys Burger and Fries. Cheeseburger with ketchup and pickles, please.
• Southwestern Eggrolls from Chili's. I never said this would be a classy list.

These are all items that I would normally wash down with a Coke. Even though I am going to splurge a little on my birthday in terms of food, I plan on staying committed to my no-soda lifestyle. Just FYI.

This week, I don't like Keyboard Courage. One of the biggest holidays of the year, National Signing Day, recently occurred. Thousands of high school football players indicated where they'll be playing (and studying) next year. Shortly after, hundreds of thousands of anonymous college football fans took to the Internet to display their loyalty to their favorite school while using juvenile tactics to belittle other fans that don't share their same views. There's no better example of keyboard courage than the clowns that seemingly spend all day posting comments on football articles at al.com. The very worst aspect of this epidemic is that not one of these blowhards have the fortitude to use their real name or feature their photo as their avatar. A few months ago, I applauded Google for requiring YouTube users to use their real name and likeness to post comments. That decision was met with a mountain of backlash (even from one of the founders of YouTube) and it now seems that Google has caved under the pressure. If al.com put a similar overhaul into play, the viciousness seen there would decrease dramatically.

Like, Love and Don't Like

This week I like Google Keep. There's nothing overly exciting about Google Keep. It's very simple - and that's what so great about it.

Google Keep allows you to jot down a note or list from any device thanks to Google Drive. I've always been the type to write down a to-do list on a scrap piece of paper, only to lose the piece of paper. Google Keep has almost completely replaced the old paper method for me and it really keeps me on track.

This week, I love the Pioneer Woman. I've never met this woman and couldn't pick her out of a lineup but I sure do like her cookin'. To be more specific, Julie has really been knocking dinner out of the park lately thanks to PW's recipes. Julie recently made some steak strips that were so good that I almost could not stop eating them. Plus, I kinda feel like I'm eating some sort of dangerous, exotic meat when I know that the recipe came from someone with the word "Pioneer" in their stage kitchen name.

Didn't see me going there, did ya?

This week, I don't like Internet problems. In addition to all of her other many duties, Julie has been working tirelessly to put the nice, new modem and wireless router we got for Christmas to good use. Unfortunately, this hasn't been as simple as unplugging the old equipment and installing the new pieces. Our Internet provider, Charter Communications, has been slightly helpful but it's taken Julie many long phone calls and multiple visits from technicians to get the new equipment functioning. She's done a great job while exhibiting much, much more patience than I would have shown. Everything is working great now, except for one odd issue. Much like Graham, our Internet doesn't like waking up in the morning. You can count on the Internet going out for short periods at approximately the same time each morning. When you've got a little boy that really likes to watch train videos, those few minutes seem like an eternity. 

Woo woo!

Like, Love and Don't Like

This week, I like Val Kilmer. I recently watched Oliver Stone's The Doors for the first time. Even though this movie was your typically weird Oliver Stone film, it helped me learn about this band and also remember that Val Kilmer was the man in the 1990's. This realization prompted me to look back at Kilmer's career. You won't believe what one of the more questionable choices to play Batman is doing these days.

Yes, this is real. And yes, this is great acting. Visit the official Citizen Twain website for more details about this show. Kilmer's a great follow on Twitter too.

This week, I love watching Graham color. Graham's wonderful mommy goes to great lengths to make sure he stays entertained all day. He's recently taken a liking to coloring. It was never one of my favorite activities but I can't resist when he tugs on my hand to sit down and join him in a coloring session. He's mastered the basic scribble and can sorta say "blue" now. It's fun to watch him give it his best try. Sometimes he uses his left hand, sometimes he uses his right hand, sometimes he uses both hands annnnd sometimes he does this:

This week, I don't like John Calipari's recruiting success. In a past post, I mentioned the incredible achievement of Duke and Michigan to land four McDonald's All-Americans in the same recruiting class. Well, that number has now been eclipsed by John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats. They managed to sign six All-American's in this year's class. Calipari has been the head coach at Kentucky since 2009. Each year he has recruited a stellar Freshman class and each year they all left school once the season concluded. This year will be no different. What really bugs me is that Kentucky was the preseason #1 ranked team in the country. I don't know how a bunch of unproven players that have yet to play in a college game can influence the polls like that. Don't get me wrong - Kentucky is good. But they've already lost a big-time game this season. All I can say is....GO DUKE.