Drew's Blog

Good movies, even better actor...

2011-12-27T12:34:00.000-08:00

With the holidays here, I am on a pretty big movie kick and thought I would give my thoughts on an actor that has been in a bunch of movies I have seen here lately. Last night I watched the movie Hunger and earlier over the break I caught the movie Shame. Yep, Michael Fassbender is who I am talking about and if any of you listen to the Filmspotting podcasts, this name will be familiar as he is probably Adam Kempenaar’s favorite actor of the moment right now. Some of the more popular movies he has been in here recently were Inglorious Bastards, A Dangerous Method and X-Men: First Class where he played a young Magneto. He is still relatively unknown right now, but that is changing as he surely has become a talked about actor who many consider to be one of the better ones out there right now. Born in Germany, but raised in Ireland, Fassbender can play characters from a variety of European backgrounds and it can be tough to really get a feel for where he might actually be from by just looking at him. In Hunger he plays a Northern Ireland prisoner who begins a hunger strike to protest the English government. For the role he dropped about 40 lbs from the beginning of the filming and at the end of the movie he is at 135 lbs. The dramatic weight loss that takes place over the time of the film is tough to watch and so it must have been even harder for him to go through what he did. And while the weight loss is certainly something that everyone can see, I think the most memorable aspect of the film is a scene between Fassbender and a priest that takes place in a visiting room. The whole scene is one single shot, with the camera not moving, just dialogue for 17 and a half minutes between the two actors. It is unreal and you find yourself wondering how they possibly shot this…and if they had to attempt it more than once. There is no room for even one mistake when a single shot is at play and the practice to get it right must have been extremely laborious. While it is normal for actors in plays to talk for great lengths, it is just not something we see in film. Truly one of the more mesmerizing scenes I have ever seen, right up there with the one shot soccer scene from The Secret in the Their Eyes (still the best film I have seen in a really long time).

Going to another extreme is the character that Fassbender plays in Shame. The movie gives us the portrait of a man who literally is controlled by sex and his need for sexual satisfaction. This role put Fasssbender back together with Steve McQueen who directed him in Hunger and the two just work really well together. Fassbender has a pretty stark existence in Shame, with his life pretty much revolving around going to work and then doing whatever he has to do to satisfy himself sexually. His life gets knocked out of his normal routine when his sister unexpectedly comes to stay with him and he does not really know what to do with his life now that she is around. There are a lot of undertones that the two of them have had a tough past together, but nothing really is said and so everything is left up to interpretation. Needless to say, they have a very contentious relationship that reaches a scene at the end that I did not see coming.

There has been lots of praise for Fassbender for his role in Shame and I will say, it is very well deserved. He does a terrific job of playing a character who has almost no emotion, just the sense of what he needs to do to get to his next “fix.” Right now he is up for a Golden Globe and typically that leads to an Oscar nomination and so we will see soon enough how things end up for him this year. In the end, Michael Fassbender is a great actor who only has brighter days ahead as he gets more and more notoriety for the roles he plays. Keep an eye on him, although some of you might have already had your eyes on him from before.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo review

2011-12-23T08:57:00.000-08:00

Wow!! Been a while since I have updated the blog and so thought, what better way than with a review of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Now for those of you who have not read the books and are going to see the movie, maybe lay off this review as I don’t want to spoil anything for you. Okay, now we are ready to go….

So I have read all three books in the Stieg Larsson trilogy and loved them. While the first one took a little bit of time to get into, it did not disappoint as it introduced us to one of the most interesting characters to come along in a long while….Lisbeth Salander. The second book was addicting as Stieg brought us further into Lisbeth’s life and giving us a whole lot of back story. The third book wrapped everything up for the most part, although there are stories out there that Mr. Larsson had written more books for the series, but due to his unfortunate passing, we might never get to see what actually took place.

And of course when a trilogy is complete and when it is hugely popular, movies are made and the three books were made into films a few years ago with an entirely Swedish cast (as that is where the books take place). Fast forward to now and David Fincher (Seven, The Social Network, Fight Club) is at controls of the “Hollywood” versions of the stories. Now I did go see all three Swedish films and liked them all very much, they were very well done. Subtitles for sure for those of you out there who stay away from those types of movies, but highly entertaining and they did an amazing job of bringing Lisbeth to life on the big screen. For those of us who read the books, we all had a pretty good vision of how we thought Lisbeth would look and act and to finally see her on screen was pretty dramatic. Noomi Rapace was the actress who played Lisbeth and she did an awesome job in what had to be one of the hardest parts to pull off in recent movie history.

But I am here to talk about the new version of the movie and I saw it late last night on opening night. I am a big fan of David Fincher and so was intrigued as to how he would pull the story together and how he would give us his glimpse of the world Stieg Larsson created. And I will admit, after having slept on it for the night, while I enjoyed the movie a whole bunch, I think I am going to have to go with the Swedish version as being a little bit better. Now to be fair, I think pretty much everyone who has seen both movies is going to eventually compare the two ladies playing Lisbeth, as she is pretty much the focal point. That being the case, I am going to say that I think that whole aspect of the movies is a wash. While I loved Rapace’s portrayal of Lisbeth, I was equally pleased with how well Rooney Mara did in this huge role. Most people don’t know who Mara is, she has a very short filmography, and many were shocked when she won the role. Most moviegoers know her as the girl who dumped Mark Zuckerberg at the beginning of The Social Network and that is about all anyone has seen her in. And I think there were a lot of skeptics out there who were not sure she could deliver in what was one of the most sought after roles of the last decade. I am on the bandwagon though! She did an amazing job and she was great in what is an extremely demanding role. For those who know the story and know about Lisbeth, playing her would not be an easy task as there is a whole lot that happens in the story that would command just some amazing acting. Rooney Mara pulls it off and I think it is one of the better performances I have seen in a long time. You really can sense what is going on within her through her eyes and her expressions…and that is not an easy thing to do. She looks the part as she had all the earrings and tattoos and I found myself always gravitating toward her when she was on screen, even when she was in the presence of the more accomplished actors that are also in the movie. Lisbeth is a loner and you certainly got that feeling in the way she was portrayed by Mara and it cannot be understated how tough it must have been to film some of the scenes. She does an awesome job though and I am definitely a fan of Mara and look forward to how she moves the Lisbeth character forward.

Taking it all back to the story and my overall feel for everything, I did like the movie, but the ending seemed just a bit rushed. Good performances by Christopher Plummer, Robin Wright, Stellan Skarsgard and Daniel Craig, but none of them really stood out. I am a big Daniel Craig fan and actually think he does a whole lot better job playing Bond than he does Blomkvist. And for those who are fans of the AMC show “The Killing,” you will be happy to know that Holmgren is in this movie as a part of Millennium and so surely he will be around for the other two films.

I did like this movie, don’t get me wrong. There is a very climactic scene that takes place toward the end of the book and when it happened in the movie, there was about twenty minutes left. From there they seemed to close up and finish the rest of the movie extremely fast. There was a lot that took place in the last twenty minutes (from the book standpoint) and it seemed that they could have developed that aspect of the story just a little better. If I had not read the book, I know I might have been just a little confused. Either way, go see this movie. It is highly entertaining, it has a great soundtrack (Trent Reznor again) and if anything, become a fan of Rooney Mara, she does not disappoint.

Thanks for reading, sure I will be back again soon…

New job, edo style....

2011-06-02T05:35:00.000-07:00

I just recently started what is perhaps the coolest job in the world. I have been lucky enough to become part of the sales team at edo Interactive. I am back into the advertising sales world and back working downtown. Really I could not be happier as I am loving everything about this new job and company. To give you a little bit of background.......edo is a consumer marketing platform designed to drives sales at the retail level. On one end we partner with banks to access their debit and credit cardholders and their transaction data. On the other end, we partner with retailers to help them get through the final mile and get consumers to spend at their locations. The nitty gritty, the process works like this.....we use the bank transaction data information and their platform of cardholders to create unique and targeted deals and incentives for consumers to help retailers drive sales at the store level. Consider us the targeted, easy, efficient coupon of the future. Probably the most unique thing about this whole process is that consumers do not need a paper coupon when checking out at the various retailers. Everything is preloaded onto their credit card and so all they have to do is shop, swipe and save. Pretty cool, huh?

We are headquartered in Nashville, TN and were started four years ago by some really smart, driven entrepreneurs who had this amazing idea. We work with all national brands and retailers and with our sales team here in Chicago, we are just starting to get things rolling. I know edo is going to be taking off here real soon. Get ready to read about us in the news! The next google? The next Groupon? The first edo. Enough said....

HippyTree

2011-05-09T19:36:00.000-07:00

Thought I would tell you all a little bit about a friend of mine from college's clothing line. My buddy Andrew Sarnecki, who I met my freshman year at Notre Dame, started his company HippyTree a few years after we graduated. Andrew was a graphic design major at ND and after finishing school, moved back to Los Angeles where he grew up. He worked for a little bit as a designer at Body Glove until he decided to go off on his own. Awesome clothes and amazing designs are a part of this unique, eco-conscious company and while it is tough to find the HippyTree line here in Chicago, you can for sure order some cool stuff online. For those of you who know me well and have seen that green tree on the back bumper of my car, now you know what it stands for! If you want to be fashionable and walk around Chi-city in some clothes that probably no one around here is wearing, check out Andrew's clothing line and help support a good friend of mine. HippyTree!!

Movies, Movies, Movies.....

2011-04-10T19:16:00.000-07:00

Okay so I have been seeing a lot of movies as I have been on quite a roll here lately. Quick rundown of what I have seen, what I liked and what you can absolutely pass. And really the only movie that you can certainly pass is "HANNA." Whoa, what a clunker that one was. And I am pretty disappointed in Mr. Ebert and his review on that flick as he gave it 3.5 stars. Really? Just could not get into it and it was pretty slow moving in general. Could have been sort of a Bourne Identity movie but really it was nothing of the sort.

Moving on to the good stuff....."WIN WIN" is an awesome movie and so definitely check that one out when you get a chance. Good performances by Paul Giamatti and Amy Ryan. Cool "family saves a loner" plot line and the movie was actually a lot funnier than I thought it would be. Another one that I saw in the theatres was "Source Code" with Jake Gyllenhaal. Very good movie and while it was very Groundhog Dayish in how it kept on going through the same moment over and over, it had some unique twists and the ending was a little bit of something I was not expecting. Lastly, on Neftlix I watched "Tell No One" which is a French film and for those of you who hate subtitles, pass on this one. Great movie and one of those murder mystery thrillers which keeps you guessing till the end. It is a few years old and so not new, but worth checking out for sure. And let me know if you think the main character in the film looks like a young Dustin Hoffman. As the mighty Omar from The Wire would say......"Indeed."

You Want to Adjust WHAT?

2011-03-06T13:13:00.001-08:00

All right, so early on Saturday afternoon I got my movie fix in and went and saw The Adjustment Bureau. Now one of my pet peeves about going to see movies is that I hate being late and I hate missing the previews. And I DESPISE missing the start of the movie. I got in my car just a little late and with the Davis Theatre on Lincoln being in a pretty crowded area, I had a tough time finding a parking spot. I finally got into the theatre, bought my ticket and my Diet Coke and by the time I walked in, the movie had started. Needless to say, I was a little miffed at myself. Not to mention, there was some stuff going on at the beginning of the movie that I am sure was important and so I might have missed a few things. As I said, no one to blame but myself!! Okay, now to the movie. Matt Damon and Emily Blunt star in this one and I guess you would consider it a romantic thriller. A romriller? The whole premise of the movie is unique with the idea being that there is a group of people with hats on (the Adjustment Bureau) who make sure the world is going according to plan. And in this case, this bureau will do just about anything to make sure Matt and Emily don't fall in love and spend the rest of their lives together. Needless to say, this does not make Matt happy and he is going to do whatever he can to change that. Very good movie and while I liked it a lot, it could have been just a little better. I think there were some things they left out or that they could have elaborated on to make the flick just that much of a better film. But I am nitpicking for sure. Definitely go see this movie....

Have YOU ever been to Cedar Rapids?

2011-02-13T11:42:00.000-08:00

I met up with my brother J.P. today and we caught the flick "Cedar Rapids." Dang good movie and pretty funny with some awesome laugh-out-loud parts. John C. Reilly is hysterical and Ed Helms (Andy from The Office) is perfect as the insurance rep who has never even left his small Wisconsin town. Basically this is the story of "small town guy heading to the big city and learning a few things while he is away." In this instance, Ceder Rapids will have to do as the "big city." Everything revolves around the insurance convention that Tim Lippie heads to for the weekend and the trouble/experiences/mischief he takes part in. He learns that while his thoughts and intentions are always in the right place, that that is not necessarily how the real world works. But in the end, Tim is going to teach the world (and his new insurance friends) a thing or two about the right way (all sigh, awwwwww). Lastly, before the main attraction started, there was a preview for a movie called "WIN WIN" and it looks to be an outstanding film. I will be seeing that one soon as it comes out in the near future.

Snowmageddon/Snowpocalypse = Snowtastic

2011-02-01T14:09:00.000-08:00

February 1st, 2011.....Will it be remembered as one of the storms of the decade? Or one of the most over hyped storms of all time? Guess we will find out here soon enough. If the coverage/trepidation surrounding the snow coming today is any indication, we will certainly have a lot to talk about here in the next few days. My office closed early this afternoon so everyone could get home safely and the office is already closed for tomorrow. Right now, it definitely is coming down here in the city and the roads look pretty bad. I am thinking the predictions on this one could be right. Is it going to rival 1967??? Get back to you in a few days....

The Wire

2011-01-23T19:45:00.000-08:00

In 2010 I signed up for Netflix and have definitely enjoyed it. I have a pretty long list of movies that I want to see and the whole movie-in-the-mail concept works nicely for me. While I have not taken the utmost advantage of getting movies in a timely manner, I am getting better and am working my way through my list. Up right now is not necessarily a movie, but something that I have been wanting to watch for a while. The Wire has been recommended by pretty much every friend of mine who has seen it and so I am psyched to get going with Season 1. I watched the first episode the other night and have to say, I am a fan. Intense scenes and storylines and I am looking forward to seeing where things go with this season and the following ones.....

Blue Valentine

2011-01-20T06:47:00.001-08:00

I went out with a couple of friends last night and saw the movie Blue Valentine. This story of a marriage and love disintegrating stars Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams as a husband and wife who are trying to figure out where things went wrong. It is a very well-written and amazingly acted movie, definitely one of the better ones I have seen in the past year. Although, just as a warning, this film is depressing. Michelle Williams is very good as a wife who seems lost and has fallen out of love with her husband. And Ryan Gosling plays Dean who is the husband who just wants things to work and have them be a family with their little daughter Frankie. The movie has a unique look and feel to it as the camera is a little herky jerky at times and there are a ton of close ups on the actors' faces. The scenes seem so real and life-like, it is almost as if the actors had an idea of what the scene should look like and no real script. It just seems so real. There are a few very emotional scenes and in the last one in particular, you really do forget that you are watching actors and not an actual couple who are having serious problems and trying to figure out if things will work. I think the whole movie is a credit to the writer and director Derek Cianfrance and his vision of what this movie should look and feel like. The actors chosen were perfect and their acting is so believable, you really think you are watching a true story. Hopefully Blue Valentine will get some good recognition at the Oscars, but it is such a small film with limited release that it might be tough. Both Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling deserve best actor nods and Derek Cianfance deserves a best director nod as well. Definitely go see this movie....

Stacey King! He's an announcer for Chicago!

2011-01-11T20:29:00.001-08:00

For those who watch the Chicago Bulls on a pretty regular basis, you have probably become familiar with the announcing team of Neil Funk and Stacey King. Neil does the play by play while Stacey handles the color commentary for the Bulls. And we are all witnessing something special. Stacey King is unbelievably entertaining and by far and away is my most favorite commentator out there. He makes some of the most amazing calls and he even has a webpage dedicated to some of his best sayings. Listening to him makes the Bulls games entertaining enough, but the fact that D Rose is an MVP candidate has made the season just that much better. And the Bulls are really good this year. Please tune in and listen to Stacey and if you are lucky, you will see Stacey "posterize" someone during the game. Stacey King....."Too big, too strong, too fast, too good!!"

The Fighter only has True Grit when dressed as the Black Swan during The King's Speech

2011-01-05T20:20:00.000-08:00

Recently over the past ten days I have seen The Fighter, True Grit, The King's Speech and Black Swan. I love seeing movies in the theatre and typically I tend to go see movies that I have researched and that I know I will like. And I was very pleased with all four of the above films. These movies were all reviewed quite well and also came out right around the holiday season which is usually a pretty good indication of the buzz surrounding the films. Needless to say, I would not be shocked that come Oscar time, Christian Bale, Natalie Portman and Colin Firth all walked away with the award in their respective categories. I thought Jeff Bridges was good in True Grit, but not an Oscar winner for my money. As for winner of best picture, I can see Black Swan (which by the way, talk about a demented movie!) taking that one, but I do think The Social Network is going to be tough to beat in that category. We will find out more once the nominations come out and we will also have a better idea when the Golden Globes announces their awards....they are a good pre-cursor as well. Definitely if you get the chance, see all these movies, they are all equally good in their own right. If I had to pick just one for you to see, go see The Fighter. It really is a great movie, plus the sisters in the film are scary, crazy fun....

Cambodia...ing

2011-01-03T12:25:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since since I have updated the blog and so I thought I would write a little bit about my recent travels. As I stated in my previous post, I was gearing up for a major trip to Cambodia at the end of November. And to say that it was an amazing trip, would be an understatement. I had the journey of a lifetime and it was an unreal adventure to a part of the world that I never imagined I would ever get to in all my life. I spent ten days in Cambodia visiting my good friend Daniela Papi, hanging out, sightseeing, and learning more about the PEPY Ride. Daniela truly is an exceptional person and all that she has done in the six years she has been there is truly remarkable. When you talk about making a difference and actually MAKING A DIFFERENCE, Daniela and PEPY is doing so. I absolutely loved Cambodia and everything about it.....from the people, the food, the culture, the history, the experiences. I really could not ask for a better trip and time spent away from the States. I have a lot to be thankful for in my life and an experience like travelling to Cambodia is one I will never forget. Thank you to Daniela, all the amazing people at PEPY, my new friends who live here and there, and to the country that is Cambodia....you will all always be in my heart.

Cambodia

2010-09-24T10:25:00.000-07:00

I recently booked a trip to head to Cambodia and cannot wait. I am going to visit my good friend from college Daniela Papi and am beyond excited for the adventure that awaits. Daniela has been living in Cambodia for about the past six years running her organization the PEPY Ride. It is an amazing thing she has been doing and the work and dedication her team have shown is a model for all of us.

I have never been to that part of the world and so very interested to see what it is like and how my reaction to everything will be. I am psyched for the views, the people, the food, just about everything. I know the level of poverty over there is shattering and I am hoping that I come back with a whole new perspective on things. Looking forward to learning a lot about Cambodia and about myself.

Viva Cambodia!!

The Secret in Their Eyes

2010-08-08T19:39:00.001-07:00

Recently I saw one of the better films I have ever seen. Unfortunately this movie is not in the theatres anymore, but for those of you with Netflix or access to a Blockbuster DVD machine, I am sure this movie will be coming out soon. The movie is The Secret in Their Eyes and it is an Argentinian film. It is a bit of a tough one to describe and I will admit, I was a little lost when the movie started, but once you get into it, this movie is truly one of the best you will have seen in a long time. In 2010, this film won the Oscar for best foreign film and definitely this movie has subtitles if you were wondering. Really amazing performances and a story that will have you guessing till the very end. The Secret in Their Eyes is a crime thriller which spans over two decades and keeps you thinking the whole time about what is truly going on. There is a scene in this movie that Roger Ebert commented on and I agree, I have no idea in the world, how they shot it. The scene takes place in a soccer stadium and is one continuous shot that seems almost impossible the way they filmed it. Definitely see this movie and for sure see it more than once. My favorite film of the last few years....

Wrath Arcane

2010-04-27T20:26:00.000-07:00

Wrath Arcane.....cool video of Sean Bilovecky who started the line. Hands down still my most favorite clothing line out there and the coolest clothes that you can buy. Soon they are going to totally blow up and be everywhere.

Super Duper

2010-04-06T20:00:00.000-07:00

Home. Owner. I finally did it and bit the bullet. I bought a place here in the city and could not be happier. It is a change as I am living on my own for the first time, but definitely a nice needed change of pace for me. I live in a loft building and there are about 108 units in the place. It is seven floors tall and I am on the seventh floor in a one bedroom. It is a good deal as I don't have anyone above me and it also allows me to have a skylight in my bedroom. I have a very cool patio off my main room and it looks west with an unobstructed view to basically Iowa. No buildings taller than mine west of me and so the views and sunsets are awesome. I am just pretty psyched and so can't wait for the summer and all the fun that will bring. Looking forward to having everyone over to see the place at some point soon.

Ireland and Italy Reloaded

2009-09-24T19:23:00.001-07:00

Can't wait as tomorrow I am heading to Northern Ireland and then eventually Italy. I am flying to Dublin and going to spend about four days with my cousins the Gallaghers. They live in Northern Ireland and so cousin Mark is picking me up at the airport and then we will make our way north. Can't wait to have a great time out that way! Then on Tuesday night I make my way to Lucca, Italy for Dominic and Sheila's wedding. What a great time that will be as the big day is going to be on Thursday at a ceremony in downtown Lucca. Dom and Sheila are staying at my cousin Jim and Katie's place in Aquilea and it is going to be quite the party. Looking forward to hanging with my college friends Brian and Chris as we are all going to be staying together with my cousin Jim at his apartment in Lucca. Talk to you when I get back!

New book to read

2009-09-16T12:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I picked up my copy of The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. This is the third installment in the Robert Langdon series and after heading over to Borders to get the new book, I headed to the coffee shop to begin the read. I must say, much like the others, it is a page turner. I am about 45 pages in and already I am hooked into whatever is going to happen over the next 500 pages or so. I am staying away from Amazon.com so I don't read any reviews and have anything spoiled for me. Should be a fun read. As for coffee shops, those of you who know me, know that I do not like coffee. So I went to Intelligentsia and had a hot chocolate and a chocolate chip scone. One thing I do love, I do love chocolate and cannot stay away from it. The only thing better than chocolate is peanut butter. Put them together and.......yep, the best.

Good luck to everyone reading The Lost Symbol, interested to hear your thoughts if you are just starting out.

2009-08-23T20:02:00.000-07:00

Sunday night......had a good weekend and saw a couple of films. On Friday I checked out "In the Loop" and today I saw "Inglorious Basterds" with my brother JP. I would highly recommend both of these films, even though both are totally different types of films. If you like "The Office," then you will probably like "In the Loop." And there are some seriously amazing lines in this film by Malcom Tucker who is played by Peter Capaldi. He is Scottish and just hysterical. As for Tarantino's new flick, I liked it a lot. Some really good dialogue and in typical Tarantino fashion, he makes this a unique film that only probably he could create. The performance by Christolph Waltz will for sure draw some Oscar attention.

Sunday night

2009-06-28T19:18:00.000-07:00

Okay so while everyone in the world is a huge fan of Google, I am starting to become a pretty big fan of Bing. Have you checked out the newest search engine? Pretty cool if you ask me and the pictures they use as a background are really sweet. I think it might be a long time before Bing takes over for Google, but maybe there will come the day where instead of people telling others to "google" the answer, one will just say to "bing" it.

And a special thanks to Param, Amar and Martin for throwing an awesome Wii tennis tourney yesterday. So far it has been one of the best parties of the summer and I think "Wiibledon" will become an annual event.

Jackthreads

2009-06-18T12:19:00.000-07:00

There is this really cool email that I get everyday that has some really awesome offers on clothes. Jackthreads is a community website where each day (twice a day) they sent out emails with a different item that is for sale. It could be anything from sunglasses, to jackets, to shorts, to jeans, to shoes, to shirts, to sweatshirts....I am sure you get the point. The item is on sale until it sells out or another item comes up for sale. Anyways, I have picked up a lot of cool gear from this site and think it might be something cool for everyone to check out as well.

2009-01-25T09:08:00.000-08:00

I really like this song by the Silversun Pickups. Take a listen. It is a pretty strange video, but the head bobbing is good. Good listen for a nice Sunday morning. I hope everyone is having a great weekend....

Lastly, check out this site, you can turn all your photos into those cool Obama photos that you see everywhere. Really neat.....

The Puppies' Weblog

2009-01-14T20:05:00.000-08:00

The Puppies is a bike gang started by my good friend Matt Isherwood. They always have fun events and if you like riding bikes, this is one of those gangs that your parents would not mind seeing you in. Matt is always setting up times to meet up, times to ride, places to go see, breakfasts in the morning, etc. And the great thing? There is no membership fee, all you need is a love of Chicago, a love of bikes and a love of meeting some cool people. Puppies unite! Keep updated on their site and become a Puppy soon. I have been Puppy since last summer....

2009-01-13T20:24:00.000-08:00

Anyone a big Guns n' Roses fan? I am not, but heard this really cool cover of Sweet Child O' Mine. Take a listen, cool version....

2009-01-11T19:25:00.000-08:00

This might be one of the craziest videos I have seen in a while. You have to admire the talent, skill, and insanity of this video. The fact that the two people keep on passing the camera to each other only makes it better. Enjoy.....

2008-12-28T14:10:00.000-08:00

My new favorite clothing company was started by two guys from Cleveland. Wrath Arcane is one of the slickest lines of clothing I have come across in a long time. There are a couple of places here in Chicago to get their stuff, but it can be hard to find. And unfortunately it is not the cheapest either. Wrath Arcane has an interesting way of showing their clothes as they mask the models' faces as they want the focus to be on the clothes, not the models. Check it out....

Lastly, here is one of my top five favorite songs of all time. Enjoy!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2008-03-17T17:14:00.000-07:00

March 17th, a great day to be Irish, that is for sure. Corned beef, cabbage, Irish music, Guinness, what better way to celebrate one of the most fun holidays? In Chicago, the big celebration takes place on the Saturday before the the 17th and this year it was no different. The annual party that Cousin Pat and Zach throw was at Cody's this year and it was a great time. I could only stay for a little bit as I had a wedding to go to later in the day, but it was a great chance to catch up with a lot of friends. I hope everyone had/has a wonderful day and congratulations to Jack McKinney and his new wife Susan. It was a beautiful celebration and they are an awesome couple. Lastly, enjoy this song from the Chieftans and the Corrs.

Daniel Day - Lewis

2008-02-29T14:31:00.000-08:00

In keeping with the Lewis theme, does anyone really know a whole lot about Daniel Day-Lewis? Wikipedia has a pretty cool write-up on him and so you can take it for what it's worth, but a lot of what is written there is all stuff I have heard before. I think the best thing about Mr. Day-Lewis is that at one point in his life he became a shoemaker while living in Italy? Talk about someone with strong convictions.

He is definitely a unique person and truly one of the most gifted actors of his generation, maybe all-time. He uses method acting where he keeps in character during the whole filming of the movie, even when he is not being filmed. Can you imagine meeting up with him off-set while he was filming Gangs of New York? That would be crazy! Anyways, I think he is unreal to watch and he definitely deserved his Oscar this year.

Mind the Gap

2008-02-27T19:40:00.000-08:00

I will be the first to admit that I am not the biggest Juliette Lewis fan, but I cannot help but think that she appeared in one of the best TV commercials of all time. If you have not seen the ad, I will put it here below, but before I do, does anyone else agree with me about Miss Lewis? She just comes across as being strange, but maybe that is her quirkiness and I am just not getting it. Never met her and probably never will, and who knows, maybe she is a really cool girl. I guess I will always wonder. Either way, here is one of the best TV commercials I have ever seen.

In case you are wondering who sings the song from the commercial, it is Daft Punk and the song is called "Digital Love." A great song....

Vacation

2008-02-20T21:36:00.001-08:00

Finally I am getting out of town here for a few days. I am really looking forward to it, should be a nice little break. I certainly can use it! Hope everyone has a great rest of the week and weekend, see you next week!!

Sunday night

2008-02-17T18:54:00.000-08:00

For those of us who have work tomorrow, tonight is just like any other Sunday and so I will be getting to bed here soon. Everyone else that has tomorrow off, you are lucky and enjoy the day, I am sure it will be nice not hearing the alarm go off on a Monday morning!

I am just watching the NBA All-Star game here and I wanted to point you all to a great article in the Chicago Tribune today. For those who remember the 1988 All-Star game, it was held here in Chicago and Michael Jordan was the MVP of the game. Was there any doubt that would be the case? Anyways, the article is a pretty cool read as it talks about how the game was Jordan's coming out party and how the game actually meant something back in the day. It was competitive and it was not just all dunks and fast breaks. Take a read if you get the chance. And goodnight!!

Say some prayers

2008-02-14T19:35:00.000-08:00

Working at an AM radio station, you tend to get the news as it is happening and today was no different. This afternoon on John Williams' show on WGN Radio, John was taking calls from students who were reporting news about a shooting at a school. I quickly checked CNN.com and the news was not on there and so the calls coming in were literally some of the first words on this tragic event. My heart goes out to all the people and families affected by the tragedy today at Northern Illinois University. It is a shame that another college shooting has happened again and I hope that this will be the last time this will ever happen. I will be saying prayers tonight for everyone involved.

Another Brennan Baby?

2008-02-11T21:07:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Cousin Chris and Cousin Eva on the birth of baby Nora!! So very happy to welcome another Brennan into this world. Nora joins little brother Aidan and the good news is that everyone is doing well. Looking forward to meeting the new one here soon and finally getting to see the new house in Valpo. A special congratulation to Uncle Tom and Aunt Becky on welcoming in grandchild #3.

Been a while....

2008-02-10T20:38:00.000-08:00

It has been a very long time since I have written and so I thought I would get back to writing a little. First things first, the cool class that I took a few months ago that I talked about in my last entry was a sewing class. It was really cool and I made a pillowcase that I gave to my Mom for Christmas. The class was at The Needle Shop and I would recommend to anyone the classes they offer. Definitlely worth a try, it was a sweet time. And now that I have taken their intro class, I can now sign up for the second class - pajama pants making. Wouldn't that be fun?

As for everything else, I am ready for this weather to really be over! Wow, it has been quite the brutal winter and I am ready for spring - it cannot come here any sooner. I am looking forward to it.....

I went bowling this past weekend and it was really fun. What better way to forget about the cold and have a good time? Check out this video of possibly the best bowling shot ever. I have no idea how he did this!!

And tomorrow is little Chris' birthday! Happy birthday Stauff, the big 2-4! Can't believe you are getting older. Enjoy your day, you deserve the best as you are an amazing brother.

Okay, well I promise I will get back into this and write more often. As I have said before, it is time for change...

Guitar

2007-10-31T20:51:00.000-07:00

Guitar class just finished last week and after eight weeks of lessons, I am a fully functioning guitar player! It was a great class and I am very happy that I signed up through the Old Town School of Music. I went to the center located on Lincoln in Lincoln Square and it was really a fun time. All my classmates were very nice and we had a terrific teacher who really made us all feel at ease. You can imagine what a room full of new guitar learners sounds like, sometimes it was not pretty. At the end of the session, our group performed a song in front of the other classes. I will just say that this version on the song is a lot better than what the ten of us in my class produced!! I am going to continue the classes and so I will keep you updated on how everything goes.

And keep an eye out for next week's post as I signed up for a different type of class that is not musically related. It should be fun. It is a one night session, but hopefully I will have some interesting stories.

Congratulations!!

2007-09-13T05:49:00.000-07:00

Yep, it has happened again. This time congrats are in order for Chip and Maggie Jessopp, two of my very good friends. I have known Maggie since freshman year at Notre Dame and have gotten to know very well her husband Chip, once Maggie and Chip started dating here in the city. Last night on Wednesday, Chip and Maggie welcomed into the world Charles Edward Bate Jessopp, III (Chase). Everyone is doing great and Chip reported that Chase is excited to watch the ND vs. Michigan game on Saturday - and he will be rooting for the Blue and Gold. This is huge as Chip used to be a Michigan fan but has slowly converted to the ways of the Irish. Everything seems right in the world, doesn't it? Congrats again Chip and Maggie!!

Television and Commercial

2007-08-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

All right, well tonight I am going to talk a little bit about some current classic television and a current classic commercial. Now I am in no way an expert in either field, but what I am sure is that I know pretty terrific stuff when I see it. With regards to television, for those of you who have not seen Flight of the Conchords, you are missing out on some of the best television around. Take two New Zealanders, Bret and Jemaine, who are not the brightest guys, their kooky manager Murray, an obsessed fan Mel, and you have a pretty hilarious story of a band trying to make it big in New York City. Each episode has a plotline and involves the Conchords performing at least one song. One of my favorites is "If You're Into It." There are a ton of their other songs on Youtube and so browse around a little. Just classic! And if you get a chance, check out the show, you won't be disappointed.
As for my favorite commercial right now, there is nothing better than the Geico Warren Wallace commercials. So funny! There are a couple of them out there so look for them the next time you turn on the tube. The intensity of Warren Wallace is just something you don't see these days! What a badass.....

Congratulations!!

2007-08-22T06:08:00.000-07:00

Congratulations are in order for Rick and Colleen Saxen. Rick and Colleen are two good friends from ND and on Friday they welcomed Abigail Vera Saxen to the world. I have Rick and Colleen's blog located on the right side here, but you can also check it out by clicking here (I think they might have to change the title of their blog!). Rick and Colleen are now living in Dayton after a stay in San Fran for a little bit and I am hoping that sometime this fall I will have the chance to visit them and meet little Abbie. Congrats Rick and Colleen!!

What?

2007-08-16T18:55:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it is hard for me to come up with a topic for blogging. Tonight I have sat here for about 20 minutes trying to come up with a topic and just nothing is coming to mind. I think a lot of time these posts are just some sort of stream of consciousness, but for some reason tonight I am just not coming up with anything good or fun. Therefore, I think I will just write a few things that have been a part of my life recently. These all are for different reasons, things that have been a part of Drew for the past couple of weeks......TimberTech, St Louis University, Mirai, Wilson tennis shoes, Callaway Gardens, Iceberg Mountain, HD Radio, Tru-Link, BBQ Beef, Euchre, Golf, Harry Potter, Notre Dame, 121 Marketing Resources, Mountain View, Tennis, Guinness, Holy Family, Starbucks, MIA, Molson, Snack Mix, ABCs, Florida, Indiana, Minnesota, New York, Illinois, Ireland, Newborns, Buffalo Joe's, Driving and Family. Wow, that was not as much fun as I thought it would be, but still some insight into me. Next week I promise I will have a good Teaching Thursday post. Feel free to leave any suggestions!!

The ABCs of Drew

2007-08-13T19:52:00.000-07:00

Some of my favorite things....

Adidas
Bratwurst
Cubs
Driving
Entourage
Florence
Google
Hot Doug's
Italy
Jeans
Knute Rockne
Lacrosse
Morrissey Hall
Notre Dame
Olympic winter hats
Peanut butter
Quiditch
Running
Scrabble
Tailgating
U2
Vacations
WGN 720
X-men
Yeses
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ (sleeping)

Congratulations!!

2007-08-09T16:14:00.000-07:00

Well this is turning into a pretty normal occurrence here with my blog and so congratulations to Cas and Missy Schneller on the birth of their baby boy this morning. Still waiting for the name confirmation, but good news is that everyone is doing great. Congrats Cas and Missy, awesome for you both and can't wait to meet the little one. For updates, check out the Schneller blog here and it also located on the side as well.

Teaching Thursdays

2007-07-26T19:20:00.000-07:00

Bear Grylls is a superstar if ever there was one. So my Teaching Thursday is going to be about teaching everyone about Bear Grylls. And if you learn anything, learn who Bear Grylls is and you will have learned so many things (how to get out of quicksand; how to avoid hypothermia in high altitudes; how to survive in the desert with no water; how to be just an overall survivor). Therefore I will have created multiple Teaching Thursday blogs into one Thursday blog. That is so resourceful, maybe Bear Grylls should take lessons from me! Anyways, Bear is the host of Man vs. Wild which is on the Discovery Channel. On the show, Bear drops in through parachute into different environments and shows the viewer how to survive, what to eat, what to wear, where to sleep, what to drink, etc. You really get a good idea of how difficult the situation can be and how tough it can be to survive on your own. Bear is always on top of his game. Now I know it is a TV show and it is edited, but he is for the most part at ease, and if you have ever seen an interview with him, he has a presence about him that just makes you feel like no matter what the case, things are going to be okay. Some interesting facts on Bear: he started out as a British Special Forces member; he is a black belt in karate; he lives on a boat with his wife and two kids. When he was in the Special Forces, he broke his back in a bad parachuting accident. After an amazing recovery, he became the youngest Brit ever to climb Mount Everest and return alive, and he led a team across the North Atlantic Arctic Ocean in an inflatable boat - another first in the world. He is an adventurer, an explorer, a motivational speaker and just an interesting guy. Learn more about him and I am sure you will be pretty astonished if you are not already!

Harry Potter

2007-07-19T20:53:00.000-07:00

All right Muggles, unless you have been living under a rock, you all know what is going to happen tomorrow at midnight. That's right, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is going to be become available and an end will be put to one of the greatest stories ever told. For those that don't follow Harry Potter, this is the seventh and final book in the series by J.K. Rowling that has not only captivated millions, but also re-energized reading for people of all ages. I was first introduced to Harry Potter when I was teaching school in California back in 2001. One of my 5th graders was a huge fan and let me borrow his book to read. By this time there were already two Harry Potter books out and I had previously thought that the book would not be to my liking. From the minute I opened it, I was hooked and could not put it down. I proceeded to read each and every book in the series and am now eagerly awaiting the release of book # 7. When Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (book # 6) came out a couple of years ago, I was there at midnight at the Borders ready to get my copy. Pretty crazy for a person my age, but I am happy to admit that I was there and even happier to admit that I was not the oldest person waiting in line that night. The end of an amazing era is upon us and I am hoping that I will be able to finish the book before I hear what some of the final outcomes will be. Because I am a notoriously slow reader, I will need to shield myself from any and all spoilers so I can find out on my own what happens to Harry. There are many varying opinions on what is going to happen and so I thought I would give you a little idea on what I am thinking might go down. Just to lay it out on the line now: I think Harry will not die; I think Snape is good; I think Dumbledore will come back; I think Hermione and Ron end up together; I think Quiditch is a pre-cursor to lacrosse! Okay kidding on that last one. For all you Potter fans out there, enjoy the book and I look forward to us talking about every last page. Just wait for me to finish it first!

Congratulations!!

2007-07-19T14:18:00.000-07:00

A very special congratulations to Dan and Sharis Cooley on the birth of their son Ryan Sherman Cooley this morning. Dan and Sharis are the blogging originals and if you want to take a look at little Ryan, click here to see the new little one. And their blog is linked on the right side of the page as well. Awesome news Dan and Sharis!

Cool web site # 2

2007-07-08T18:39:00.000-07:00

For those who don't know, I work at a radio station here in Chicago, WGN Radio: The mighty 720 AM. If you are around my age, you might not be familiar with it as most people our age tend to head to the FM side of the dial (if you are a big Cubs fan, you probably know WGN as the radio home to the Cubs, the best sports team in Chicago). With regards to AM Radio.....I would have to agree that I was not the biggest listener, until I started working at WGN. I don't know, there is just something about a truly local radio station (no syndicated shows) and the personalities and the way the station IS Chicago. I am sure I sound like a salesman, but give it a try, it is worth a shot and I guarantee you there will be some shows that will fit what you are looking for.

This all being said, I am getting to Cool web site #2. The radio world can be a small place and since I started working at WGN, I have gotten to know some cool people involved in the world of radio. One of them is my buddy Mike Stephen who used to be a producer at WGN. Mike has since moved on to bigger and better things, but recently he and another friend of his, Andy Hermann, started their own radio show - Outside the Loop Radio. At first, their show was done on their own and then Mike and Andy would download the finished product into podcasts. Now they have a home on WLUW 88.7 FM which is located at Loyola University. Mike used to host a show on WLUW when he was a student at Loyola and now he is back on at the station where he started. Outside the Loop Radio airs every Friday night from 6:00 - 6:30 PM, but if you miss the show, you can download their podcast of the show for free on their site (they have all their shows available for downloading). The show is really sweet and is a weekly audio magazine that talks about cool stuff here in Chicago. Take a listen, it is a fun time and Mike and Andy are two awesome guys. You can also download the show off their website through iTunes and you can then play it on your iPod. This past week's show had a neat interview with Brad Zibung who founded The Heckler, and an interview with a student from Northwestern about how Google (have you tried iGoogle?) is taking over her school. So be "in the loop" and listen to Outside the Loop Radio.

Happy Birthday America

2007-07-04T18:53:00.000-07:00

Once again the 4th of July is here and it has come and gone. I always think of the 4th of July as the midway point of the summer and this year is no exception. With the big day taking place on a Wednesday, it seems more in the middle than ever before. I have always thought of all the fun that the big day brings, but today my brother J.P. reminded us all (in his dapper linen pants and bow tie) that what today actually is, is the birthday for our beloved country. And he's right. Today we celebrate all that is amazing about the country we live in and the people we live with. I hope we think about all the unique aspects of our country and all the sacrifices so many people (especially those in the military) have made to help make this the best place to live in the world. So in honor of our nation's bday, I thought I would let everyone know some interesting facts about this place we call home and why it is just so special. Happy birthday America, you deserve the best!

Did you know that.....

The state of Maryland has no natural lakes

The first telephone book was published in New Haven, Connecticut in 1878. The book was only one page long and had fifty names in it

The ZIP code 12345 is assigned to a company in Schenectady, New York - General Electric

Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of their birthplace

Alaska has rain forests

San Francisco has no cemeteries

Tennessee is the birthplace of miniature golf

Americans throw away about 5 million bicycles each year

The longest beach in the U.S. is in Washington State

Montana is home to the shortest river in the world. Roe River is about 200 feet long

Kansas City has more fountains than Rome

Illinois has the highest number of personalized license plates than any other state

Everybody loves the Chicago Cubs

2007-06-26T20:57:00.000-07:00

Last night I was at one of the better sporting events I have ever been to in my life. To say that it was thrilling is an understatement, and for those of you there, could you ask for a better finish? I am talking about the Cubs vs. Rockies game from Monday night. I will lay out the scene for you.....Cubs lead 8-3 going into the top of the 9th inning. Got it in the bag right? Nope. Cubs allow the first six Rockies to not only reach base, but also score (all with no outs). Yep, the Cubs now trail 9-8 and lucky for them they got out of the inning without any more damage done. Side note, to make the inning even worse, a fan ran onto the field and almost attacked the Cubs pitcher. That was bizarre and not the smartest thing. Anyways, heading into the bottom of the 9th, Cubs down one and so we need a miracle. De Rosa gets on first with a bloop single to right center. Angel Pagan (oxymoron?) strikes out. One out. Rob Bowen grounds into a fielder's choice and so now there is a runner on first with two outs. Koyie Hill comes up to bat and he's batting .194. He goes down in the count 0-2, it's over right? Out of nowhere Hill lines a single down the left field line, runners now on first and second. Theriot steps up to bat, he being Ryan The Riot, one of my new favorite Cubs. He grounds one up the middle and unbelievably the second baseman boots it for an E-4. Everyone is safe! We now have the bases loaded and Soriano is coming up to bat. He is 0-5 on the night, but everyone is feeling it. First pitch, ball one. Crowd screams, we will take a walk for sure. Second pitch, liner to right, one run in, another man rounding third, coming to the plate......Cubs Win! Cubs Win! Cubs Win! We are all going nuts. Pandemonium breaks loose. High fives all around. I could not believe it. The ultimate low in the top of the inning followed by the greatest high in the bottom of the inning. Only the Cubs could do this to us. A great night at the ballpark and an unreal night of baseball that will not be surely forgotten any time soon.

Lastly, I walked to and from the game, but if I had driven to the game, I would have driven home on Lake Shore Drive with the windows down to this song. Stanley would have loved it! And a certain someone else out there would have loved it too. You know who you are!!!!

Another side note....In the video, doesn't the woman backup singer with black hair look like one of the bad villians from Superman 2? Discuss on your own.

Teaching Thursdays

2007-06-21T19:19:00.000-07:00

I thought I would make Thursdays a teaching day. My little brother said Teaching Tuesdays sounds better, and while I agree, today is Thursday and I want to teach tonight. I am going to start out with something that everyone has always wanted to know. Solving Rubik's Cube. I recently found one here at my place and started learning how to figure it out. The first few steps are not that hard, but it does get tougher as you get further along. As with anything, practice makes perfect though and if you don't pick it up for a few weeks, you can lose a lot of the moves. I will put this video here that gives some good steps on how to solve the cube. Time to start flexing your brain muscle.

Got it? If not, here is another 'more detailed' version that will start you from the beginning. There is a sequence of videos that follows (steps 2 thru 6 are in the related video section) and I think it does a good job of explaining everything. Good luck!

Cool web site #1

2007-06-20T19:40:00.000-07:00

Okay, so being that I am letting people know a little more about me and letting people know about some of my weird aspects, I thought I would let you know about one of my favorite websites. I first learned about Threadless about 4 years ago as I read a very pint size article on them in a magazine. One of the things that caught my eye was that it was a Chicago company and that they were run by kids my age. I checked out the site and little did I know that I would become a fan and a die-hard supporter of their way of life. My Mom made fun of me when I joined their T-shirt of the month club a couple of years ago and my Dad would always laugh when the t-shirts would arrive in the mail in the sealed plastic bags. But I don't think anyone is laughing now. This company is one of the most successful and coolest of its kind and both the founders were recently named to Crain's 40 under 40. Pretty impressive for two kids who didn't finish college and who basically print t-shirts. The concept is pretty simple. Have a t-shirt design contest where designers all around the world submit their unique, original designs. Let the public vote and then print the winning designs on t-shirts. Keep the winners happy by giving them cash prizes and then selling their t-shirts on-line. All the while, never selling out and creating a community that is one of the coolest on the Internet. I wish I had the foresight to see that this company was going places years ago and applied for some type of job, any type of job! I would be one happy man as they have so much fun and can wear whatever they want to work! Take a look at this video from Chicago Tonight and you can learn a little more about how Threadless all came together and why they are the envy of so many people out there. So next time you see me in an obscure t-shirt or in my lion sweatshirt, just smile and say, "Gotta be a Threadless!!"

Lionel Richie

2007-06-19T19:44:00.001-07:00

First real post on this new blog. A thanks to the Flow Cooleys for the blogger help page. I needed the help for sure.

I thought I would start out with something fun. This is a great link and I have to give credit to two big Lionel Richie Fans - Andy and Chris. Thanks Andy for always making this a part of the parties at our old place. And Chris, you know you love the DVD. If this doesn't brighten your day, I don't know what will.

Random notes.....Our work softball team lost tonight, but that is okay. While I can be competitive, I like to just get out there and play. It is fun to then hang out afterwards with the team. We go to O'Donovan's and have some food and drinks and that is a good time to just relax and get to know your co-workers a little better. My favorite part of the night though is driving home by myself with the music on real loud. I like to get on Lake Shore Drive and just let Stanley (my car) fly (although Stanley is not a 2007, but a 2006). On the play list right now is Bloc Party and they are a hard one to pass up for me of late. This is a sweet song by them if you do not know them already.

Okay, first real day of blogging done, pretty cool. Think I might just make a habit out of this. Night.

New Blog

2007-03-14T18:29:00.000-07:00

I have just created this new blog and so am going to figure out how to do everything I want. I think this will be a great place for me to talk about all that I enjoy! Give you all a chance to get to know Drew a little better.