Both of my parents hail from Boston, MA so you can imagine the amount of trash talk I have to hear when it comes to sports. (I live in Chicago, but I hail from Dallas, TX. Neither have teams worth bragging about.)

Boston just has it too good right now. I love the following article, in which the author compares the teams that make up the greater cities of Chicago, Boston, and New York. If Boston is king of the sports world with New York coming in a close second, and Chicago is known for it's disappointments, that must make Dallas the city that chokes, seeing that all three of our teams (the Stars, Mavericks, and Cowboys) were eliminated in the first round of playoffs after very successful 2007 seasons. The Cowboys already choked again this year, let's hope the same fate doesn't befall Avery and co. I'd hate to think there's some weird hex on us.

.. 

With Boston flying, Chicago still dying

As Pats, Celtics, Red Sox streak, our teams' outlooks remain bleak

There are times when things all come together, and you just can't believe your luck. And then there are times like this. For Chicago sports fans, this is your biggest nightmare come true.

It's not just that all of Chicago's sports teams stink, but also, at the same time, that New York and Boston are fighting it out to see which one is king of the world.

I'm sick of New York and Boston. They always think they are the king of the world, anyway. Now they might be right.

Patriots vs. Giants in the Super Bowl. Bears in last place. Yuck.

I mean, really, look at it: The Red Sox won the World Series again. The Patriots are about to win the Super Bowl with an undefeated team, a dynasty. The Celtics are a strong favorite to win the NBA title. I think Boston College was even in the running for a football title at one point.

What do we have? White Sox: last place. Bears: last place. Bulls: dysfunctional. Notre Dame was a joke. The Blackhawks are considered a rising team, but even they can't stay out of last place. And the Cubs ... well, they did beat the Brewers to make the playoffs last year!

Where they were swept in the first round.

This is historical in so many ways. I've never seen a town on a run like the one Boston has going now, starting with the Patriots winning the Super Bowl after the 2001 season. Meanwhile, this isn't the worst year in Chicago sports history, but it might be the most disappointing.

All of Chicago's major teams were supposed to be contenders. None of them has been.

How's this for a number: 51-6. The Boston Globe runs a number like that every day, updating it all the time. Here's what it said Wednesday:

''Since the Red Sox lost Game 4 of the ALCS on Oct. 16, the Sox, Patriots and Celtics (sorry, Bruins) have combined for an otherworldly 51-6 record.''

That's just sick.

And frankly, while New York isn't on that kind of a run, the Yankees contend every year, and the Giants are in the Super Bowl.

When you think of a ground ball going through someone's legs, ruining a baseball season, Cubs fans think about Leon Durham. But the East Coast stole that from Chicago, too: Most people think about Bill Buckner.

Critics call ESPN the Eastern Seaboard Programming Network because of a perceived bias. And Mike Royko once wrote this: ''Hating the Yankees is American as pizza pie, unwed mothers and cheating on your income tax.''

We used to be kin to Boston, always suffering nearly as much as we did. Red Sox fans would say that their suffering was worse than Chicago's because they kept coming close and failing, whereas the Cubs and Sox were failing from the beginning.

Meanwhile, the Patriots were a joke, identified not by the Super Bowl but by the Super Flush.

That wasn't a joke. It was a real event in Patriots history. It was 1971, their 11th season as a franchise, and they were scraping by, as always. They had no place to play and had been bouncing around to different fields but finally bought some cheap land way out in Foxboro, Mass., and built a stadium on the cheap.

A few days before their first game in the new building, they found that there was almost no water pressure. The board of health wasn't going to OK the place, so a water tower was built hurriedly, and they tested it out on the toilets.

They had people manned, so to speak, at all the toilets throughout the stadium. A horn blew, and they all had to flush at the same time. And it worked! The Patriots could play.

Now they're a dynasty, and the Bears are in last place.

For decades, Red Sox fans, like Cubs fans, wore their losing and suffering as a badge. Now, in Boston, losing isn't acceptable. In Chicago, the Jordan Bulls and Da Bears eliminated the badge temporarily.

Today's kids don't realize the pain their parents and grandparents went through. But now the losing is coming back. Not a long, drawn-out slump, but something immediate.

I looked this up once: The worst year in Chicago sports history was 1999, when all five teams were losers. The best year? Well, there really isn't one.

Nothing like what Boston has had regularly this entire decade, anyway.

It's sick, really.

But it's no fluke. Boston's owners are simply better than Chicago's owners.

That's all there is to it. Other major-league owners are upset with the Red Sox for spending so much money on players, driving up salaries. Robert Kraft is a genius with the Patriots. The Celtics went out and got stars such as Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.

And Chicago? Well, we still have the suffering thing going, I guess.

People hate the Red Sox, hate the Patriots. It's a jealousy thing, really.

Wouldn't it be nice if Chicago's teams were hated, too?

"Heath Ledger is dead at 28, and it's sad but not shocking..."

Phil Rosenthal had a column that appeared in the Chicago Tribune today. In the article, Rosenthal discussed America's infatuation with celebrity figures of today. Since I've started this habit of "blogging" out of boredrom, the need to vent, or whatever, I've expressed my disgust with this era of "tabloid journalism" several times. My strong feelings about the subject even resulted in the basis of my final 15-page term paper last semester.

It's hard to admit that I wasn't shocked when I first caught wind of Ledger's death. As an actor, he stayed relatively low on the tabloid radar, and it seemed that his career was just beginning to blossom. Upon first hearing about it, curiosity, of course, got the best of me, and I quickly started flipping through channels and searched online for the latest news on the story...

As an aspiring journalist, it's a new habit of mine to analyze and nitpick how editors, writers and producers, both in print and on television, choose to approach their stories and relay information to the general public. The way in which the media reported on Ledger's death was completely irresponsible, and does anyone care? Do we even notice?

The story has gone through this erratic timeline of "Heath Ledger had a substance abuse problem... Probably committed suicide... pills strewn around the bedroom... Could have overdosed on sleeping pills... Retract earlier statement, pills weren't strewn around the bedroom, they were actually in containers on his nightstand... Death appears to be accidental... Oh, no wait, we just found out he had pnemonia... oh and Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen apparently have a tie into the story, too (The latest news in the realm of "Who the F cares?")

How inappropriate is it for the media to sensationalize death? I realize journalists have a duty to deliver the latest news when and as it happens, and make sure the public only has up to date information, delivered to us as they receive it, but in the case of a person who has just lost a life- a father, a son, a friend, a boyfriend- someone who may just be this "celebrity figure" to you and me, we shouldn't forget that actors and actresses and musicians and other Hollywood figures are, in fact, human. Just like you and me. They have lives outside of the media spotlight where they have families, they belong to someone, and that shouldn't be forgotten in the sake of who can get better readership and ratings.

Ledger's family admitted that they heard about his death from the media and varying news reports. Could you imagine? CNN's headline news network HLN, spent two hours covering the story, in which they discussed past interviews with Heath Ledger and how they hadn't noticed before, but all of sudden we remember Heath was acting very "erratic and nervous and twitchy… and all signs point towards a drug problem which leads to him probably killing himself…" The one HLN story that got me was when they reported that Heath was working on a film called Candy, in which he played a drug addict, and how it's possible he, himself, became a drug addicted because he always takes his roles "very seriously". Seriously? This is reliable news?

I can't even watch football without sports commentators talking about Tony Romo's courtship with Jessica Simpson. It makes me sick! Journalism is quickly growing into a career that even I can't respect anymore, which is largely upsetting seeing how I'm going to college hoping to come out of it and become a- you guessed it. All I can hope is to create some sort of change, and lead us all back to a time before US Weekly magazine was just as reliable as your everyday newspaper.   

Following is the article that somehow led to my rant...

Stars Death Another One For the Books by Phil Rosenthal

That's not a commentary on Ledger, who seemed a solid, sensitive actor over the decade he was a screen star. It's a commentary on the state of celebrity in early 2008.

Just as the 24-hour news cycle sped up how events play out across the globe, the omnipresent and seemingly omniscient Internet-fueled gossip machine has seemed to speed up the lives of the rich and famous.

There was a time when stars were bigger than life and barely seemed mortal. Now they're all too human, establishing their own actuarial tables, at least that's our perception. They're not stars so much as meteorites. If they burn bright and hot, we half-expect them to flame out and crash to Earth.

We've become so attuned to their failings and frailties, hookups and breakups, trips to rehab and the plastic surgeon, mood swings and traffic stops, baby bumps and shopping sprees that it feels as if their lives flash before our eyes, if not their own.

So when their true Hollywood story reaches its dramatic conclusion, no matter how premature, we pause but a moment to reflect on the tragedy as it pops up in our e-mail inbox then get back to work, or maybe surf the net for more info.

It didn't take long for Usmagazine.com to post: "EXCLUSIVE: Heath Ledger's Friend: 'We Saw It Coming.'" The story quoted a source as saying the actor had "gone through a rough road of trying to get sober" and, save for the 2-year-old daughter he had with "Brokeback Mountain" co-star Michelle Williams, with whom he split in September, "everything else was misery for him."

Never mind that there was no official cause of death yet and the autopsy was still a day away. Never mind that some details reported about Ledger's death proved within hours to be erroneous.

Us made some noise last week with the revelation that The Associated Press was preparing an obituary to file away for one-time pop princess Britney Spears, 26. Again, sad, not shocking. You hope the AP doesn't wind up actually needing it, but you have to be trying really hard to avoid the litany of reports about her if you can't follow the bread crumbs she's been leaving on her downward spiral.

Not above feeding the machine, I once asked Spears, then 19 1/2, about underage drinking when she was trying to hype an HBO special.

"I think there's a time and a place for everything," she said. "I like to celebrate if something comes up, but I do everything with balance. One drink here, one drink there is fine for me. I'm growing up. I'm not a little girl anymore. So you know, it's all within balance. I never overdo anything, honestly. I can't afford to do that."

No, clearly she couldn't.

I pointed out there were laws against drinking before age 21, and got cut off by HBO's head of original programming. "Not the time and the place," he said.

Maybe it wasn't. Maybe it was. Even then you could sense the trajectory she was on along with a lot of her companions on the Web sites and trashy TV shows, as well as in the tabloid columns. We know so much about these people because we want to know, no matter what we tell ourselves and others. You should have seen the Internet traffic spike when Anna Nicole Smith died. There are stars who lead boring lives and then there are Lindsay Lohan, Amy Winehouse, whoever.

Without our interest, there's no market for the daily dossiers. And this kind of gossip, usually dispensed with detached snark, has never been more prevalent than it is today. There was a time when it was mostly a guilty pleasure perused discreetly while waiting for a price check in the supermarket line. Now it's only a click away whenever there's a slow moment at the office or at school.

For a night, maybe more, TV crews clog the area around the SoHo apartment where Ledger died. Grim-faced newscasters will go through the ritual of giving Ledger and his story -- and Ledger himself -- the dignity death deserves even if it's accorded with increasing rarity in life.

They're not always successful.

"In a lot of ways, this reminds me," gossip writer Courtney Hazlett said Tuesday on MSNBC, "we've almost had a dress rehearsal for this with Owen Wilson."

Several things that have made my week. (And yes, I realize it's only Monday.)

1. Lemon Cream Cake from Olive Garden. Best. Dessert. Ever.

2. Conan vs. Colbert (Probably a ratings ploy, but who cares when it's this entertaining?)

3. Conan O'Brien period. (Is it just me, or is Conan funnier without the help of writers? German Disco Light Show!)

4. John Krasinski on Conan. The man is adorable, and his George Clooney story is hilarious. (About crazy fans: "She could have shived me to see if I, like, bled. 'Oh you do bleed? That's weird.')

5. Hot Rod. This movie is so stupid, but I loved it, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

6. This cookie recipe I attempted the other day out of boredom. Love.

7. I'm growing weary of the cold, but I have nothing against how beautiful Chicago is when it snows.

8. Steve and Barry's "Nothing over $8.98 sale". Hello spring wardrobe, although the season is three months away.

9. Downloading 20,000 songs on my Zune and still having room for 40,000 more. (Who has access to this many songs?)

10. Target = happiness.

One of the things that has been keeping me entertained during the writer's strike (aside from HIMYM S2 and The Office S3 commentaries and deleted scenes, which are entire episodes in themselves) is the Nickelodeon show Drake & Josh. I don't want to discuss how it happened, or why I've instructed my dvr to record all upcoming episodes... I just find it entertaining. That is all.

Also, being plagued by stomach virus after stomach virus this week, I've finally found the time to catch up on movies. I watched The Simpsons (let down) and Waitress (I want pie) this weekend, and have also managed to watch Galaxy Quest for the first time ever (not as dumb as I originally expected, and it had Dwight!) along with Failure to Launch (cute enough, predictable), Ice Age 2 (should have stopped at the first one), and Angels in the Outfield (an oldie, but fun feel-good movie and a young Matthew McConaghey). I tried sitting through the second Pirates of the Carribean but fell asleep- both times I attempted to watch it. Within the first ten minutes. I guess Johnny Depp doesn't do it for me.

Next in my blockbuster queue:
In the Land of Women 
3:10 to Yuma
Hairspray
Happy Feet (Ha.)
Live Free or Die Hard (What's up, Mac Guy?)

So excited. And more excitement for an extended winter break. (My spring term doesn't begin until Jan 28. Whew

So this Drew Peterson story. I am extremely dissatisfied in the way it's being portrayed in the media, better left served for the tabloids. The front of today's Chicago Sun-Times is nearly identical to the front page of a typical issue of the National Enquire. "Stacy Told Clergyman Drew Killed Kathleen!" in size 142 point font. Seriously. As tragic as it is to wait for this story to unfold, the manner in which journalists and the media have reacted  is a bit over the top. Headlines are placed on the front page without valid credibility. "Drew's relative says he may or may not have helped Drew dispose of a blue container the night of Stacy's disappearance. He doesn't really remember because the following day he tried to commit suicide and may be experiencing blackouts." Come on, media. Try to be a little more responsible for what you choose to print or air on television. We deserve much better than the constant crap you've been feeding us.

So I ordered a custom made gift card online from Starbucks and, I ask, why is my confirmation code over 20 alphanumeric characters?

Hilarious article published in New York Variety Magazine., because if I see Jerry Seinfeld's face one more time, I'll punch a hole in my flat screen tv. I especially love the trailer for Bee Movie before showings of Bee Movie, and the ad-in-a-colonoscopy idea.

Where Will the 'Bee Movie' Marketing Team Spend Its Last $20,000?

So this morning we foolishly attempted to read the Daily News online and were hit instead with a huge banner ad for Bee Movie. We've been counting, and that banner ad was the 1,000,000th marketing message for the movie we've seen in the last few months. (Balloons fell from the ceiling, and we were given a free jar of honey.) We're not even going to insult you with the traditional sentence here detailing what the movie is for those who haven't heard of it; at this point, no one on Planet Earth hasn't heard of this movie, and Bee Movie has 42 percent unaided awareness in the space-alien demographic.

It's hard to say which of the movie's marketing techniques has been the most effective: The trailers? The TV spots? The billboards? The magazine ads? The newspaper ads? The appearances on talk shows, including an hour on Oprah during which the host wore a bee headband the entire time? The front-page "Arts & Leisure" profile of Jerry Seinfeld? The event at Cannes where Seinfeld dressed as a bee? The Brach's candy corn "made with real honey"? The McDonald's Happy Meals? The bee-painted Volkswagen Beetles at the L.A. premiere? The music video with 100 kids dressed as bees? The short mini-mockumentaries on NBC? The Hewlett-Packard ads that manage to contain not one but two mentions of Bee Movie? His guest-starring role on 30 Rock, during which, at one point, he actually looked right at the camera and plugged the movie?

Gosh, they've all been so great! But we worry: What's left? After the jump, we suggest ten ways the marketing team might spend their final twenty thousand bucks.

So my husband and I are watching the Spurs-Blazers game, and I just now realized why TNT commentators annoy me. 

Question. Do we really need Cheryl Miller in the stands interviewing Eva Longoria about becoming a "Desperate Housewife" over the summer, and giving us her entire wedding guest list? Do I care how many carats her wedding ring is? This isn't Gossip Filler with Miller Hour. If I wanted the latest juicy details on Eva and Tony Parker's domestic life, I'd watch Entertainment Tonight. I'm here to watch a friggin basketball game. Get with the program TNT.

Anyway, whenever there's a lull in the middle of the game, my husband, Nate, and I usually like to start our own commentary. Tonight, we discussed how lame the new Spurs uniforms are. You know, with the championship trophy embroidered on the front. (Screw you San Antonio. Love, a bitter Dallas fan.) We discussed the possibility of actual championship jerseys. Bright red ones, with "CHAMPIONS" emblazoned on the front. I mean, that teeny tiny trophy in the corner? Doesn't really say much. It's like, "Yeah, we won last year, but we're not going to rub it in your face too much..." That's not enough. When you're NBA champions, you want to shout it from the rooftops and make sure everyone knows about it. I think they need a stronger statement. And what better than having a jersey that says CHAMPIONS right across the front. Nobody needs to know who you are. "Who are we playing tonight? The Spurs?" No! You're playing the 2007 NBA CHAMPIONS! And that's all you need to know.    

Did anyone else wake up late this past Sunday? My crackberry was convinced daylight savings took place THIS week instead of NEXT week and caused mass confusion in my household. I woke up to my computer saying 7am, the microwave reading 7:15, and my trusty, reliable blackberry telling me I should be okay for an extra hour of sleep because it was only 6:00... Yeah. I did not make it to work on time that morning.

http://www.bookswim.com/

Rent a book. Keep it as long as you want. Return it, and they send you another one. Kind of how a library works, but so much cooler. It's netflix for books. Why don't I come up with these ideas? Geesh.

Dang you!!! Is it really necessary to devote three hours (four if you include the actual news telecast) to storm coverage? I mean, seriously. Channel 8 and Channel 5, you have ticked me off!! This is the third time I have missed one of my favorite shows because of your endless reporting on some storm that may or may not produce actual tornadoes. I understand lives may be in danger. I understand we all need to stay aware of when to duck and cover and get in the bathtub with a mattress over our head. But how is it that Channel 4 and 33 both get the difference between "just enough" and "way too much"? These channels didn't devote three hours to some random reporter wearing a poncho in downtown dallas shouting over tornado sirens that "Sirens are going off. Can you hear them? Here. Let me put the microphone up higher so you can take in exactly what I am experiencing here." Just a simple ticker scrolling across the bottom of the screen was all that was needed. That's all!! So thank you, WFAA and you Delkus punk who will never be as endearing as Troy Dungan. Instead of getting to watch the new beloved comedy Notes From the Underbelly, I was instead subjected to watch One Tree Hill where some random girl was being drugged by some albino kid sticking her with needles. For the ENTIRE episode. Seriously, WB, you call that quality television?