|
November 29, 2005
EITHER OR AND WHY #2
Here's this week's edition of 'Either Or And Why' (with the "Why' part always being optional). If you'd like more information on how 'Either Or And Why' started or how it's intended to work, please click here.
You choose... Either Or And Why?
- Trampoline or Ping-Pong Table?
- Maple or Oak?
- Thanksgiving or Christmas?
- Strip Mall or Shopping Mall?
- Mornings or Evenings?
- Sunday's Newspaper Cartoons or Saturday's Television Cartoons?
- Prints or Paintings?
- New Carpeting or Refinished Wood Floors?
- Cushy Corporate Job or Running Your Own Struggling Business?
- Skiing or Sledding?
If you would like to post this week's 'Either Or And Why' on your blog, simply copy and paste the following code into your web site's content management system, and please consider referencing this site as the original source:
<ol><li> Trampoline or Ping-Pong Table?
<li> Maple or Oak?
<li> Thanksgiving or Christmas?
<li> Strip Mall or Shopping Mall?
<li> Mornings or Evenings?
<li> Sunday's Newspaper Cartoons or Saturday's Television Cartoons?
<li> Prints or Paintings?
<li> New Carpeting or Refinished Wood Floors?
<li> Cushy Corporate Job or Running Your Own Struggling Business?
<li> Skiing or Sledding?
</ol>
November 28, 2005
LOST & OFF COURSE: INDIANAPOLIS MONTHLY'S 2005 BEST OF INDY LIST
In the December 2005 issue of Indianapolis Monthly, the magazine's new editor, David Zivan, writes:
"I have spent a fair bit of time these first few weeks getting lost. New friends have patiently explained that the city is easy to navigate, that it's platted. I have found this useful only insofar as it allows me to determine how far off course I have wandered."
Off course and lost is exactly how I feel when reading through the magazineís 2005 Best of Indy feature (pgs. 126-160). While I may agree with or have no opinion about many of the selections on the 124 Of Our Favorite Things about Indianapolis list, I can't help but question the logic behind some of its categories and the magazine staffís selections. For example:
- Jewelry Boxes (pg. 131): Aside from being a silly, inconsequential, random, and arbitrary throw-away category, the magazineís 2005 Best of Indy award goes to all three of The Bombay Company's greater Indianapolis locations. Are they serious with this one... the best the staff at Indianapolis Monthly can do is The Bombay Company? Granted, I don't have a better selection for this category, and I do like to look around a Bombay Company store just as much as the next fella, but on close examination of their wood-related pieces itís plainly obvious that the quality of their product line is less than spectacular. A nice mahogany glaze can do only so much for six pieces of plywood. With all of Indianapolis' unique shops and antique stores, I find it inconceivable that The Bombay Company wins out in any category other than Best Looking Kitschy Reproductions at a Somewhat Reasonable Price.
- Unique Antiques (pg. 136): The magazine staff's pick for this category is Antiques on the Square, a multi-dealer two-story Fountain Square store front specializing in mid-century modern 50's kitsch, and vintage clothing... hardly what I'd call 'antique' or unique. No, a much better choice in this category would have been White River Architectural Salvage and Antiques, a huge warehouse of a store where you can find everything from a 1943 official Boston Red Sox score card, to a Walnut China Cabinet from the 1800's. White River Architectural Salvage and Antiques is so unique in fact that rumor has it that a major cable television network is negotiating with the store's owner to create a new television series based on the shop's unique holdings and acquisitions.
- Glasses for Bookworms (pg 141): This category is meant to make us buy into the notion that people who like to read books have their own style of eyewear, whereas the illiterate must be shopping for their spectacles at the local Sears Optical. That aside, Urbane Optical receives the magazineís pick for this category, but if you've ever stepped foot into this particular store, I'd bet even money that "bookworm" is the last thing that comes to mind. ìEclectic,î ìcold,î ìfunky,î ìoverpriced,î and downright ìuncomfortably pretentious" (along with "fashionista-focused") is exactly how I--and many other people I know, some bookworm's, some not--experience this store. Chances are, if you choose to purchase your eyewear at Urbane Optical--which doesn't accept any of the popular insurance plans--you'll be hard pressed to afford even one used book afterwards. A better choice for this category, IMHO, is Ossip Optometry. With eight Indy locations, superior styles, out-of-this-world technology, quality customer service, and a reputation for exceeding its customers needs (which includes the ability to process most insurance plans), Ossip is more than capable and affordable enough to meet the finicky demands of even the trendiest of Indianapolis' bookworms.
- Wine List (pg 142) The pick for this category leads us into what I like to call the magazine's 'obsession with everything that's shiny and new' phase. Let me explain...Flemming's Prime Rib Steakhouse & Wine Bar receives the magazine's nod for best wine list, despite the fact... wait for it... here it comes... that Flemmingís first day of business in our fair city was September 14th of this year. Now, considering that magazines like Indianapolis Monthly operate on an editorial calendar which calls for editorial content for a December feature to be turned in for layout and design at least one full month before the issue is mailed to subscribers (if not even further out), it's hard to conceive just how Flemming's--with its 9/14/05 opening--could possibly prevail in this category. At best, the staff over at Indianapolis Monthly had maybe one solid chance to dine at the new restaurant, yet it bestows 2005ís best Wine List status upon the chain's new Indianapolis location? Selections such as this dilute all the others.
- Dive Bars (pg. 143) While I have no strong opinions about the five best ìdiveî bars the magazineís staff selected, I do want to point out to the good folks at Indianapolis Monthly that the Melody Inn, located at 38th and Illinois, is far from being on the ìNorthî side of Indianapolis. Maybe itís just me, but the ìNorthî side of our fair city doesnít start until at least 75th street, give or take about 10 blocks; Donít try to tell me that me 38th & Illinois is on the ìNorthî side of town.
- Gourmet Grocery (pg. 145): While I absolutely adore the store they selected, I would not classify any of the Fresh Marketís 53 nationwide stores as ìGourmetî (a highly subjective and overused term, by the way). Can you find gourmet-like items at Fresh Market? Sure you can, just as easily as you can find them at a dozen or so other chain grocery stores in the greater-Indianapolis area. A more appropriate choice for the ìgourmetî designation is Fraiserís Gourmet Foods, which oddly enough received the magazine staffís pick for having the best selection of mustard!
- Burgers (pg 146): The magazine breaks its best burger selection down geographically. The staffís best ìDowntownî burger for 2005 goes to The Elbow Room, which is, IMHO, a huge mistake. Just three blocks north of The Elbow Roomóon the same side of streetósits downtown Indianapolis' own Urban ElementÖ a highly underrated locally-owned restaurant which just happens to flame broil THE tastiest burger in all of downtown Indy. Add a side order of fries and a tall sweet tea, and youíre in heaven. Also of note in this category is the magazineís designation of 96th Street Steakburgers as being the best burger on the ìEastî side of town. Anyone with access to a map, no matter how new they are to town, can plainly see that 5430 E. 96th St, Indianapolis, IN 46250, is on the ìNorthî side of town, not on the East, can't they??
- Flatware for the Modern Home (pg. 152): The magazine staffís selection of Crate & Barrel only further demonstrates their 'obsession with everything that's shiny and new'. Mind you, Crate & Barrel didnít even open its doors until the 10th of this month, yet it receives a 2005 ëbest ofí nod from Indianapolis Monthly? Come on folks, who are you trying to kid with this one!? Including a store that wasnít even open when you went to print the current issue of your magazine is shameful. Yes, Crate & Barrel is an exceptionally interesting and compelling store, but do your readers a better service next time by letting the store open its doors BEFORE you go to print with a ëbest ofí designation.
In all fairness to Indianapolis Monthly, lists like this are highly subjective. According to the article's editor, a very nice woman named Liz Joss, people at the magazine made 100 percent of this yearís selections. In other words, none of the magazine's subscribers contributed to the list, nor were they asked to vote on any of the selections. That having been said, therein lie the problems. A magazine like Indianapolis Monthly should open its 'best of' nominations and voting to its subscribers/readers. Doing so would allow vested members of the community a rare opportunity to add to such a prestigious list, as well as generate excitement--and help the magazine to extend its own brand identity--in anticipation of the annual printing of the list.
Finally, if anyone from Indianapolis Monthly happens upon this posting, please consider updating your web site the very day upon which each issue of Indianapolis Monthly mails to subscribers. Right in the Table of Contents (pg. 12 of the December issue) you plug 'exclusive online content,' but when one visits your web site, said content is not available... in fact, according to the very nice person who answers the phones at the magazine's downtown Indianapolis offices, web site updates aren't completed and posted online until at least one full week into the calendar month listed on the outside of the magazine. In this case, despite receiving the December issue of Indianapolis Monthly in the mail on the 22nd of November, access to Decemberís 'exclusive online content' isnít available for at least another couple of weeks. From a customer service standpoint, Iíd think youíd want to be able to deliver on your promise. Thereís nothing more aggravating to a reader than hitting a dead end like the Indianapolis Monthly web site.
++ UPDATE: Tuesday Afternoon, November 29, 2005 ++
I just had a nice telephone conversation with the magazine's Promotions Director... a friendly chap named Andy Austin... who informed me that:
A. IndianapolisMonthly.com now contains information from the December issue; and...
B. IndianapolisMonthly.com will soon take on an entirely new look and feel. According to Andy, within the next few months, the magazine's web site will be totally redesigned. Popular features like the staff's annual 'Best of Indy' selections and the 'Top Docs' feature (which appears in-pint each November) will be archived and fully searchable, as will all of the magazine's restaurant listings and reviews. The new site, which Andy says is expected to rollout in three separate phases, is now in beta testing, with phase one slated to go live by the middle of December.
Nice work, Indianapolis Monthly! Now, if we could just get you reconsider your stance on who gets to vote in the 'Best of Indy' feature.
November 25, 2005
FOUR FOR FRIDAY
Q1 - Holiday: Thanksgiving in the United States is traditionally celebrated with a large meal shared among family and friends. In both Canada and the U.S., it's an important family gathering, with many people often choosing to travel long distances to be with loved ones for the celebration. What did you do on Thanksgiving Day, and, what was on the menu for the big meal?
Q2 - Religion: I keep seeing this bumper sticker that reads, "Jesus Is The Answer!" What do you think the question is?
Q3 - Innovation: What's one invention that would dramatically change your life for the better?
Q4 - Shopping: Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving in the United States, is historically one of the busiest retail shopping days of the year. Many consider Black Friday the "official" beginning to the holiday shopping season. The "black" in the name comes from the accounting practice of using red ink to denote negative values (losses) and black ink to denote positive values (profits). Black Friday is the day when retailers traditionally get back "in the black" after operating "in the red" for the previous months, often by cutting prices considerably. How much of your holiday shopping do you get done on Black Friday? How much do you save for what could be considered 'last minute'?
November 24, 2005
HAPPY GOBBLE GOBBLE DAY!
Happy Thanksgiving. If you've landed here on Thanksgiving Day, that can only mean one of two things:
1. You're insanely bored; or,
2. You're avoiding your family!
If you are bored, click here for a web site that asks you up to 30 yes or no questions about an animal, vegetable, mineral, or other entity you're thinking of, followed by its best guess as to exactly what it is you're thinking of. The site, which I first wrote about in July of 2004, has correctly identified 90 percent of the things I've been thinking about. It's truly remarkable. Again, click here to see for yourself.
If you're here because you're avoiding family, just remember -- Families are like fudge... mostly sweet with a few nuts. If you don't like fudge, well, then I don't know what to tell you.
In any event, Happy Thanksgiving. We're on our way out the door to run The 2005 Drumstick Dash--a annual Thanksgiving Day 5k benefiting The Wheeler Mission, and then it's back to our quaint St. James neighborhood abode for a quiet meal here at home.
November 21, 2005
'EITHER OR AND WHY' #1
"Choice", we're told, is the mental side of the thinking that goes into the process of judging the merits of multiple options, and then selecting one or more for action. A simple example can involve deciding whether to get up in the morning or go back to sleep, while a more complicated one is deciding what to order at The Cheesecake Factory (have you seen the size of that menu).
Most people generally regard having choices as a good thing, which is exactly what I'm hoping you'll think. Once a week I'll do my best to post ten or so 'either ors' for you to choose from. I've been playing a spontaneous version of "either or?" in the car, in restaurants, and before the start of movies for years. If you decide to join in on the fun, you have two options:
Option One: Post your answers here on my site by clicking on the 'comments' button below. Anonymous submissions always welcomed.
Option Two: Copy and paste the code that appears at the end of this post to your own blog. If choosing this option, please credit Belicove.com as the originator.
You choose... Either Or And Why?
- Cats or Dogs?
- Beer or Wine?
- Sunday Paper: In bed or On the couch?
- Baked Potatoes or Mashed Potatoes?
- Target or Wal-Mart?
- Rain or Snow?
- Board Games or Computer Games?
- Friday Nights or Saturday Mornings?
- Land Line or Cell Phone?
- Elevators or Escalators?
If you would like to post this week's 'Either Or And Why' on your own blog, simply copy and paste the following code into your blog's content management system (with an appropriate reference/credit back to Belicove.com):
<ol><li>Cats or Dogs?
<li>Beer or Wine?
<li>Sunday paper: In bed or On the couch?
<li>Baked Potatoes or Mashed Potatoes?
<li>Target or Wal-Mart
<li>Rain or Snow
<li>Board Games or Computer Games?
<li>Friday nights or Saturday mornings?
<li>Land Line or Cell Phone?
<li> Elevators or Escalators?
</ol>
November 18, 2005
FOUR FOR FRIDAY - THE FOOD EDITION
Q1 - The Last Supper: If you could place an order today for your very last and final meal--with the option for said meal to be cooked/prepared by anyone of your choice, dead or alive--what would you order and who would prepare it?
Q2 - Cooking Class: It's three years from now and you've been asked to teach a fun and engaging one-time class at a local cooking school. What are you qualified to teach, and/or what would you like to teach?
Q3 - Cravings: When you have uncontrollable cravings for food, is it for something salty, hot, spicy, greasy, crispy, sweet, buttery, sour/tart, creamy, peppery, steamed, citrusy, rich, melted, pungent, hard, bitter, crunchy, fresh, chilled, oily, gritty, savory, tangy, sharp, zesty, or sweet-smelling?
Q4 - Holiday Weight: Each year millions of U.S. citizens look forward to sitting down at the table with family and friends for a special Thanksgiving Day meal. Woven into the nostalgia of the holiday are the types of dishes which evoke memories of childhood and family togetherness, along with an unhealthy side dish of guilt, which if not poured on by family is surely brought on by the weight of extra calories and excessive portions. According to several leading studies, the average American will reportedly gain 5 to 7 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Years. Keeping in mind that 3,500 calories equals one pound, how many pounds do you think you might gain this holiday season, or are you one of the rare few who plans on actually loosing weight or maintaining your current weight?
November 17, 2005
STATE OF INDIANA'S OUTDOOR SMOKING BAN DOESN'T GO FAR ENOUGH
Earlier this afternoon, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels announced that the Indiana Government Center Complex, which located here in downtown Indy just off the Canal, will become smoke free effective January 1, 2006. The governor directed the Indiana Department of Administration, which operates the State Capitol and state office buildings, to change the current policy for the facilities to one which completely bans smoking on the grounds of the complex, including in all common areas, parking lots, and garages.
From this afternoon's online edition of The Indianapolis Star:
State employees who want to smoke at work soon will have to take a hike -- literally...
Cigarette smoking has been banned in the buildings and within 50 feet of any building entrance since 2003. Daniels' new executive order will also bar employees and visitors from smoking outside the building and anywhere outdoors on the state-owned grounds...
Daniels said there are no penalties for violating the order, but that flagrant violations could become part of an employee's record. He said the state will assist people who want to quit smoking by offering additional smoking cessation classes.
While Governor Daniels' is to be applauded for recognizing the need for a new policy, I'm very disappointed with his laissez-faire approach towards enforcing the new rule. Openly admitting that no penalties exist for violating the policy is absolutely ridiculous. Do you agree or am I missing something here?
November 16, 2005
MY PREDICTION FOR WHO WILL WIN THE 2005 HEISMAN TROPHY
Since 1935, the Heisman Memorial Trophy has been awarded to the most Outstanding College Football Player in the United States, including my college dorm mate Andre Ware in 1989. Now that the 2005 college football season is hitting the home stretch, the race for who will win this year's award has become much clearer with three candidates from the nation's two top-ranked teams leading the way. Although the University of Southern California Trojans (a team which I despise) are currently ranked #1 in the BCS poll, for the first time all season a USC player does appear to be my favorite to take home this year's Heisman. Instead, conventional wisdom about college football's most prestigious award has moved in favor of the leader of second-ranked University of Texas Longhorns (a school/team which I despise even more than USC). The Longhorns' quarterback Vince Young is now my clear frontrunner to win the 2005 Heisman Trophy.
Throughout this college football season, USC quarterback Matt Leinart or his backfield teammate, running back extraordinaire Reggie Bush, have been widely considered as the favorites to be named college football's best player. However, following his career-best four-touchdown pass performance against Kansas last weekend, I feel that the tide has turned, and Vince Young has now become my odds on favorite to win the 2005 Heisman Trophy.
Although both Leinart and Bush are again enjoying stellar seasons (Leinart won the award last year, and he and Bush have led USC to an unblemished record thus far this year), Vince Young is hands down the most dangerous and effective college football player in the country with the ability to score on the ground or through the air seemingly at will (his team too is currently undefeated). Having already accounted for 30 touchdowns (22 thru the air, 8 on the ground) and over 3,000 total yards, Young has clearly established himself as the most complete offensive player in the nation. With two USC players in contention for the award, I feel it's likely that Bush and Leinart will split Heisman votes, giving Young an even bigger edge to become the first Texas quarterback to win the award.
Unless the Texas Longhorns have an unexpected breakdown over the next three weeks, look for Vince Yong to be named the 2005 Heisman Memorial Trophy recipient on Saturday evening, December 10th.
November 14, 2005
IN HOWARD DEAN'S OWN WORDS--THE DEMOCRATS HAVE NO PLAN
Yesterday morning, while watching NBC's "Meet The Press", I'm stunned, but in an ' I told-you-so' sort of way, by what Howard Dean, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, is saying. Here it is, in his words:
TIM RUSSERT (interviewer): Let's talk about the Democrats and some of the polling data. Congressional Democrats have the same priorities as you: yes, 26 percent; no, 54 percent. So the Democrats aren't perceived as the answer. And look at this, Chairman Dean. We asked independent voters: Do you believe that Democrats have a clear message, a vision for the future? Fifty-two percent of independent swing voters say no. One in four Democrats say you have no clear vision, no agenda, no clear message. Joe Trippi, your former campaign manager said, "Obviously, the results from Election Night are great for us Democrats. But given the GOP's problems, the tightness of the results suggest that people aren't happy with either party right now. Democrats have got to push an alternative agenda."
DR. HOWARD DEAN (Chairman of the Democratic National Committee): We have an alternative agenda. We made it very clear. We want a strong national security based on telling the truth to our people at home, our soldiers and our allies. We want jobs in America that'll stay in America, and we believe that renewable energy is one of the areas where we can do that. We want a health-care system that covers everybody, just like 36 other countries in the world. We want a strong public education system. And most of all, we want honesty back in government. I think that's a pretty good agenda.
Okay, if it's all right with you, I'm going to interrupt here for a moment. The Chairman of the DNC thinks a pretty good alternative agenda for his party is to promote telling the truth, keeping jobs here in the States, promoting renewable energy, health care for all, and strong public education. I'm sorry, but that's weak, weak, weak. Every candidate for elected office in this country for nearly the last 50 years, be they either Republicans or Democrats, has had those very same items on their 'agenda' too. But I digress...
TIM RUSSERT: But those are words that will appeal to people. But when you go behind them, for example, what is the Democratic position on Iraq? Should we withdraw troops now? What do the Democrats stand for?
Okay, well this should be good. Hit him with it, Howard! Give him the specifics. Represent!
HOWARD DEAN: Tim, first of all, we don't control the House, the Senate or the White House. We have plenty of time to show Americans what our agenda is and we will long before the '06 elections.
Gazed look on my face.. deer staring into headlights. Did he really just say that? Russert's gotta follow-up on that answer with something good, doesn't he? I sure hope so... let's see what he comes back with:
TIM RUSSERT: But there's no Democratic plan on Social Security. There's no Democratic plan on the deficit problem. There's no specifics. They say, "Well, we want a strong Social Security. We want to reduce the deficit. We want health care for everyone," but there's no plan how to pay for it.
Way to go, Tim. My point exactly. I've been saying this very same thing for years, and not just about the Democrats either. Okay, surely Dean's going to clarify his party's position here. Clearly, he has to give some specifics, doesn't he? Wait for it, wait for it... here it comes...
HOWARD DEAN: Right now it's not our job to give out specifics.
Holy Crap... he didn't just say that, did he? Gazed look on my face.. deer staring further into headlights Wait, wait, there's more...
HOWARD DEAN: We have no control in the House. We have no control in the Senate. It's our job is to stop this administration, this corrupt and incompetent administration, from doing more damage to America. And that's what we're going to do.
And there you have it folks, straight from the mouth of the DNC Chairman... the Democratic National Committee's job is not to propose sensible solutions or to work with Republicans to actually solve problems and make life better for all U.S. citizens in the here and now. Quite the opposite in fact. The Democratic National Committee Chairman says his party's job is stopping the Republicans.
They're wrong and we're right, and that my friends is what politics--at least at the national level--has become all about. They're wrong, I'm right. I'm right and they are wrong. Forget substance. Forget even the notion of working together to make this a better place to live.
TIM RUSSERT: But is it enough for you to say to the country, "Trust us, the other guy's no good. We'll do better, but we're not going to tell you specifically how we're going to deal with Iraq."
HOWARD DEAN: We will. When the time comes, we will do that.
TIM RUSSERT: When's the time going to come?
HOWARD DEAN: The time is fast-approaching. And I outlined the broad outlines of our agenda. We're going to have specific plans in all of these areas.
TIM RUSSERT: This year?
HOWARD DEAN: In 2006.
Shame on you, Howard Dean. Members of your party were elected to work now, not starting in 2006. Is this the best the Democrats can do? Said under my breath...And some people wonder why some people choose not to vote in this country!
If you're a registered Democrat, are you pleased with how your party leadership is operating? If you're a Republican, I bet you're licking your lips right about now, aren't you?
In the end, we all lose out when crap like this is allowed to go on. When will our elected and appointed officials get that it's not about who is right and who is wrong?
November 11, 2005
FOUR FOR FRIDAY
Q1 - Elevators: If you got on an elevator in which everyone had their back to the door, what would you do?
Q2 - Doubts: When was the last time you doubted your professional abilities?
Q3 - Salaries: Do you think it's okay that professional athletesí salaries are made public?
Q4 - Jokes: Knock knock. Who's there?
November 4, 2005
FOUR FOR FRIDAY
Q1 - Halloween: Did trick-or-treater's come to your house this year? If so, approximately how many came by? Was this year's number higher or lower than you've had in previous years, and what did you give them?
Q2 - Allergies: Do you have allergies? If so, what are you allergic to? If you're not allergic to anything, is there anything you wish you were allergic to?
Q3 - Organic Food: The organic food market in the United States is projected to reach a value of $30.7 billion by the year 2007. According to one recent report, close to 40 percent of the U.S. population now uses organic products on a daily basis. Are you included in that 40 percent figure... do you intentionally buy organic foods or drinks? If so, what are you buying? If not, why?
Q4 - Television: Which TV shows from the past would you like to see back on television and why?
|
|
