according to jeff

If you have a phone number, listen to the radio, read the paper, watch TV, or have a mailbox, then you probably know that Tuesday, June 3, is primary day, when voters have an opportunity to select candidates to run for local, state, and national office.

In my district, those in my registered party will be selecting a candidate to run for State Senate. I’ve previously written that I vote pro-life, and my choice in this contest is clear. I’ll be supporting Joe Childers with my vote. His Web site might not be the hippest and I might have a hard time remembering how his last name is pronounced (it’s with a long i, like “eye”), but he’s a good man. The Corridor Business Journal recently named him in their 40 Under 40 list of influential business leaders, his family has been honored as community volunteers by a local television stations, and he’s pro-life. If you live in Iowa Senate District 18 and will be voting in the Republican primary, then I urge you to vote for Joe, too.

My typical Friday includes lunch with my Laridian associates. However, regular readers have no doubt noted that my regular report has been missing for the past few weeks. Lest you be concerned that I’ve been going hungry, let me get you caught up.

The Flying Weenie

Three Friday’s ago, only Jim and I were able to attend our weekly lunch. Whenever that happens, we often choose The Flying Wienie. I’m sure that you remember that I’ve written about The Flying Wienie before (here and here) and about the undeniable superiority of a hot dog (here). Without question, The Flying Wienie is the best hot dog joint in Cedar Rapids — don’t let the fact that it is the only hot dog joint in Cedar Rapids cast any doubt on the stellarness of that endorsement. That particular day, I enjoyed the double-play (two hot dogs Chicago style) and cheese fries. The fries are hand cut, fried, and then covered in a liquid cheese or cheese-like product. Even if you’re not a huge hot dog fan (unlikely, I know), you should experience the Flying Wienie.

Beef O’Brady’s

Two Friday’s ago, our lunch choice was Beef O’Brady’s, a newcomer to Cedar Rapids. It’s located in a new building near the new Edgewood Road HyVee, Dickey’s BBQ, and Beckett’s Public House.

The first thing I noticed upon arriving at Beef O’Brady’s was that the names of the proprietors were printed on the front door. Showing local ownership and involvement was a nice touch, and the staff did seem more friendly and helpful than at many franchised restaurants.

The second thing I noticed about Beef O’Brady’s was that it was suprisingly small. It is much closer in size to the now defunct Nothin’ But Noodles than to Buffalo Wild Wings, for instance. The size wasn’t unpleasant in any sense, I’d just expected it to be bigger for some reason.

The third thing I noticed was the masculine decor; most available wall space was filled with flat screen or projection televisions, all tuned to various sports channels.

I found the menu to be similar to the Irish Democrat. It included burgers, sandwiches, salads, ribs, chicken fingers, wraps, etc., but only one dessert item (but it is chocolate). I chose the ribs with popcorn shrimp combo. While the ribs didn’t compare to Jimmy Jack’s ribs (but then, what does?) they were fine. And the popcorn shrimp were numerous.

My friend Craig thought that the menu was bereft of healthy choices, and my friend Brian (whom I ate with there on another day) said that he prefers his burgers from Red Robin, I think Beef O’Brady’s will be a welcome addition to the neighborhood.

Hot Harry’s

Yesterday’s lunch choice was Hot Harry’s, a place for “fresh burritos” similar but superior to Pancheros. At Hot Harry’s, you pick your size (burrito vs. taco) and your fillings to have a unique, made to order burrito. Both burritos and tacos include chips and the salsa bar, which features a variety of salsa’s. Whether you prefer mild, medium, hot, spicy, or sweet, you’ll find a salsa to enjoy. In fact, I like them all!

Hot Harry’s is quickly becoming a favorite of ours when my family wants a fresh meal that seems to be a healthy choice.

“It is abundantly clear that when people give to others, they get happier, healthier, and even more financially prosperous. The scientific evidence detailed in the book (Gross National Happiness) is quite incredible, showing that people can create miraculous changes in their lives when they give.”
— Arthur C. Brooks, Syracuse University, WORLD May 17/24 2008

“The Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
— Paul, Acts 20:35 (NIV)

I wrote over a year ago about the diversity in baseball radio broadcasts available in our area. Today, I am sad to report that the corridor is not as diverse as it once was. And since we all know that a diverse community is a good community, our community is now a bit diminished.

AM 1360 The Fan, one of our local radio stations, inexplicably no longer broadcasts the St. Louis Cardinals baseball games. Previously a member of the Cardinals Radio Network, the station must find that local hockey and high school games are more profitable. While there might be those who listen to local hockey and high school football games, I’ve not yet met anyone that does (at least, not that does on purpose). While it’s not easy to imagine more fans of local hockey than of the Cardinals, it is easy to imagine that the broadcast costs of a local hockey game would be much less than the cost of broadcasting a Major League Baseball game. So, I assume that the decision was made not to attract more listeners, but to reduce the cost of the programming. If you’d like to see the Cardinals returns to AM 1360, I encourage you to do as I did and email the program director, Randy Lee.

As my faithful readers already know, I enjoy listening to baseball games on the radio. Though we’ve lost the Cardinals, I can still listen to many of the Cubs and White Sox games, with an occasional Rockies game. However, I do miss the Cardinals broadcasts.

So, I’ve been considering MLB on XM satellite radio. XM broadcasts all of the MLB games, making previously unavailable games available. This is very intriguing.

However, two things have held me back:

1. I spend most of my time indoors, not in my car. Satellite reception indoors is typically a problem. However, Delphi has addressed this problem with an antenna and signal repeater. If an indoor location can be found where the signal repeater can receive a signal from the satellite, it can then broadcast the signal to interior locations that do not receive the satellite signal directly.
2. Most of the XM receivers are intended for cars, which provide a sound system. I, on the other hand, want the receiver to be more like a portable transistor radio (as if there were still transistor radios). I’d like a sleep timer and battery power, so I can easily move it from room to room (as I do my AM radio). However, the best that is available appears to be a receiver and a sound system or boom box, none of which (yet) appear to approximate the ease of use of a portable AM radio.

Do you have any experience with XM radio, and especially with bringing XM radio into your home? If so, what has your experience been and what advice do you have for me?

As I’m working this afternoon, I’m also listening to Pat Hughes and Ron Santo call the Chicago Cubs baseball game on AM 800, KXIC. While my experience with radio announcers is limited to the Cardinals, the Twins, the Rockies, the White Sox and the Cubs, and even though I am a Cardinals fan, I freely admit that Pat and Ron are the most entertaining radio broadcasters of those who I have the opportunity to hear.

But that, as interesting as it no doubt is, isn’t the topic of this article.

One endearing feature of a Cubs radio broadcast is hearing the traditional Take Me Out to the Ballgame “sung” during the seventh inning stretch, often by a “famous” guest.

And as I listened today, it struck me just how few of these guests can sing on key. Most, though not all, go up and down in pitch at many of the appropriate places, but rarely get close to actually singing the actual melody in any actual key. Have you noticed that, too?

… but not quite. I’d like to invite you to tonight’s annual Homeschool Choir and Bands Spring Concert. The concert will feature two bands and a 55-voice choir. The concert begins at 7 at Cedar Rapids’ Franklin Middle School. A voluntary admission donation of $1 per person will be gladly accepted.

So, if you’ve not already made other plans, set the DVR to record Dancing with the Stars and/or American Idol, and come enjoy the arts in person!

My typical Friday includes lunch with my Laridian associates. Today’s choice was Taste of India.

Faitheful readers may recall that I’ve previously written about Taste of India. This ethnic restaurant has been open for not quite a year, and does a thriving lunch business. Tables were at a premium by noon.

Taste of India still features a lunch buffet, which is a wonderful opportunity to sample foods that might not usually be served at a typical American home. One touch which I appreciated was that the items on the buffet were identified with both a name and a brief description. If you’re in the mood to try something new and different, consider Taste of India.

Or, if you’re in the mood for trying a new pizza place, try Marco’s Pizza in the Town and Country shopping center. After tonight’s harp ensemble practice, we did.

I found the Marco’s Pizza to be similar to a pizza from Papa John’s. Ample size, ample toppings, ample cheese and generally satisfying. But not a gourmet experience like a Tomaso’s or a Zoey’s pizza. We tried the chicken club — chicken, bacon, sliced tomato. It was tasty. In fact, I’m looking forward to the left-overs. That must be a good sign!

“Having a husband creates an extra seven hours a week of housework for women.”
— University of Michigan study, April 2008

National studies indicate that close to 70 percent of all communication involves miscommunication.

HomeLife magazine, May 2008, page 44