Normally, this is the time I would be waxing poetic about the start of baseball season.  Trust me when I say my excitement has not diminished.  As any good Cleveland fan, my hopes are high that this is the year.  Unlike previous years, this year looks like it will be our best shot yet.  Many of the core players are back, and if Sabathia and Carmona can dominate from the mound, there is a good chance the Indians will be playing in October.

Unfortunately, we have a huge event for work in DC this weekend, so long passionate musings about baseball will have to wait.

Now, if we could just have some baseball weather, that would be awesome.

A little over a week ago, Sarah and I took another step towards adulthood. No longer satiated by the typical grocery store, we signed up for memberships at Costco.

Yeah, we’re that awesome.

Our friends Jud and Biz introduced us to the awesomeness of Costco. They took us a few times to help us find our way around the place, so when Sarah and I joined it was like we met up with an old friend. We had the basic layout down, but there was so much more to experience.

Up and down each row, we gazed upon giant boxes of microwave popcorn and shampoo sold by the gallon. We greeted each turn with a sense of purpose, visually recording the locations of various goods we would be searching for on later trips. Sarah got lost in the produce area, while I drooled over the wide selection of meats and beer. If there is a better representation of our relationship out there, I would be completely surprised.

I think a lot of Costco’s appeal goes into how they treat their employees and their customers. Employees get health benefits and are paid much higher than their warehouse rival, Sam’s Club. Unions are allowed and Costco even contributes to their employees’ 401(k) plans. They guarantee that nothing is marked up more than 15%, which is always a bargain when compared to the typical 25% mark up you see in most grocery stores.

Plus, they give out awesome free samples.

I think Costco is going to be our regular hangout from now on. When we can’t decide on what to do on a Friday night, it’s going to be a little Costco browsing and a slice of pizza from their in-store restaurant. Who says romance is dead?

I’m even coming up with Costco scavenger hunts we can play with our friends (only those with memberships of course… we can’t just let anybody in). My current favorite is going to be called, “Name That Wound.” We’ll play it on Saturdays when the best free samples are being brought out. Basically, the goal is to be as aggressive as possible at each sample station. When we get back together as a group, we’ll compare battle wounds and try to guess the improvised weapon that was used and the free sample the person was going after (ie: “Wow - nice black eye… it looks perfectly round, so I’m going to guess a large can of peaches while going for the last pizza roll sample”).

Or, maybe we’ll just shop for basic essentials. Who knows?! The possibilities are endless!

You ever come across one of those random websites that you realize you need to share with everyone you know so they can all join in on the joke?

Oh, you don’t? You think that’s weird? Wait, you think I’m weird? Well forget you, then.

No really, come back. You need to see this. It’s hilarious. Yes, funnier than the last thing on the internet I ‘had to share.’

I promise. You will laugh. You see, about 10 years ago… hey, where are you going? Get back here!

Yes, I’ll make it quick.

Anyway, I came to a weird realization. Garfield comics… are not really funny. At all. In fact, they’re somewhat depressing.

I don’t care if Odie makes you laugh.

Yes, but, what would happen if every character was removed from the strip except for Jon Arbuckle?

No! You would end up with this!

Seriously… Garfield… without Garfield!

I think this is my favorite.

Nope… I spoke too quickly. This is my favorite:

I can too have two favorites!

Or three!

Who doesn’t love weird humor on the internet?!

I wonder if Stuff White People Like did a post about Garfield Minus Garfield, would the internet just collapse at the sheer awesomeness?

I know this may sound like a bit of a stretch for some, but stick with me here. This primary process is shaping up to be like something straight out of the movies. Specifically, the 1976 Oscar-winning Rocky.

It’s pretty clear how everyone lines up.

(more…)

It’s about to get nasty.

For the 2nd time in less than 4 years, watching the election results coming back from Ohio has made my stomach churn and caused a great amount of disappointment in my home state.  I am disgusted as I sit hear and watch Clinton’s victory speech as she is surrounded by hundreds of Ohioans waving their signs and cheering between every word of her speech.  The mocking chants of her crowd (which seems to be very… colorless) are just making me angry.

But moreso than my bitterness and my disappointment, my fear that this race is about to get nastier is about to be realized.  My ultimate fear that the Democratic party would somehow implode and lose the 2008 presidential election is becoming truer and truer.  The Republican nominee has started his November campaign, but an entitled family stands in the way of a hopeful approach to our nation’s future.  The possibility of a “bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran” approach to international policy is slightly greater after tonight.

I’m going to put this out there right now. (begin rant) What part of being first lady makes someone more ready to be president?  Is it the debacle that was HillaryCare?  Do people want to ignore the massive amount of funding and lobbying thrown into Clinton’s senate campaigns by drug and insurance companies? (end rant)

Regardless,  I’m fearful  for the way this is all going to pan out in the end.  As analysts break down the Ohio results and it becomes clear that Hillary won on the votes of those who were born before the Civil Rights era, what will the reaction be from African American voters?  If Clinton goes on to win the nominee, will disenfranchised young and African American voters be disenfranchised and stay home?

And what happens if this goes all the way to June and no candidate is clear?  Shooting ourselves in the foot isn’t good enough, why not go right for the heart?

I need a drink.

This is fantastic.  Let’s hope the people in Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island, and Vermont take former President Clinton’s advice.

“… you better vote for the person who wants you to think and hope…”

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