Like This and Like That

Likes Continued…

41. Venice Café’- I have been eating lunch at Venice Café since the early 90’s. Fast, affordable and good Italian fare will always win me over. At Venice you will get a good hearty meal that won’t break your wallet. It recently had to move across the street from its original location and needless to say I made the move with it.

42. New Orleans – Like Vegas a place were debauchery rules. (Well it did before Katrina.) A place I am glad I saw when I was single, because I know I enjoyed it on a level I would not be able to now. Great food and another city that will kick your ass. I didn’t have one beer the entire four days I was there and I still got wasted. All I will say is that I stayed with two other guys and we averaged over a roll of toilet paper a day.

43. Fruit of the Loom Underwear – While I know conventional wisdom tells you that boxers are sexier and women prefer them, I just can’t let go of my FTL’s. My boys need a home and with the tidy whites they get that. Boxers just don’t offer that solid pocket and I am never comfortable wearing them. I need the support of my fruit of the looms, sexiness be damned.

44. The Simpson’s – Still going strong after all of these years. Sure the show has lost a little of its luster but it is still damn funny and still better then almost everything else on TV. This show has been on the air since 1989. Think about just how long that is. An amazing streak and in all that time it still hasn’t jumped the shark. A program that offers biting sarcasm and has given me so many laughs that I could never begin to verbalize just what this show has meant to me.

45. Redenbacher Natural Light Microwave Popcorn – I love popcorn and I love it plain. I know, how boring. Still popcorn without salt and butter can still be a very tasty treat. I used to pop my own but it is a bit of a pain in the ass. As soon as I found the natural light from Orval, I just started buying that. It is the best microwave popcorn out there.

46. Central Air – I could not live without it. I know that makes me sound like a pansy, but I am telling the truth. I have lived without it and I have been miserable. On a week like this one where the temperature is not expected to bet below 90, it is essential. I know all the arguments about how it is bad for the environment and it is expensive. Still, how can you put a price on comfort? Life is too short to sit around sweating your ass off because you want to save a couple bucks.

47. Tom Skilling – When you want to know what the weather is go to a weather geek. Well Tom Skilling fits the bill nicely. This guy doesn’t just give you the forecast, he gives you a ten minute explanation of why the weather will be what it is. A Chicago icon and a hell of a nice guy. A friend back in the day left him a voice mail at WGN asking him what the weather was going to be for the next Saturday as he was getting married. Skilling actually called him back and left a message with his forecast. How could you not like a guy like that?

48. Arlington Race Track – If you like to bet the ponies, (and I certainly do) then you owe it to yourself to go to Arlington. A beautiful race track and a great place to spend an afternoon. Even if you are not a gambler bring twenty bucks and bet two bucks a race. You will still have fun, I guarantee it.

49. The Onion – A paper that consistently cracks me up. It has become a sort of Mad magazine for adults. Spoofing everyone and everything, the Onion holds nothing back and is now the best place to read political and pop culture satire.

50. Neil Young – Still putting out good music all these years later. It is a rare thing when a musician keeps putting out quality for an extended period of time. Most jump the shark (i.e. The Rolling Stones) or just quit altogether. While the early 80’s for Mr. Young were bleak he has come back and made great music for a long time. I love his voice, I love his message, and I love him.