Obama's Policies "Naive" per Murdoch

I was scouring Drudge report yesterday and found this article stating exactly what I was hoping somebody would say publicly.

Obama's Economic Policies are Naive

It seems like whenever I say anything remotely negative about Obama to anybody remotely liberal, they automatically retort, "Eight more years of the same! WE NEED CHANGE!" (Brainwashing, anyone?) So it's nice to see someone in the media *finally* take the McCain/Palin side.

Oh, and by the way, in the last eight years, I've graduated college (paid for, partially, by federal grants), worked a professional job making $70k a year (decent by Midwest standards), got a 4-9% raise every year for the next four years, got my MBA, and started a consulting business with small business tax shelters. My friends and family have been safe and protected within the borders of our country. So yes, thank you, Bush Administration, for the last eight years.

I certainly hope we're not headed towards the Socialist Obama America so many people are unknowingly touting.

-10-key princess

Lame and Whiny

Ooohhhh... this irritates me.

-10-key princess

Forced Charity

One of my biggest pet peeves is when someone tells you that it's your turn to do something nice for someone else. This happens a lot in our church: when someone new moves into the area, she's assigned a friend; when someone's pregnant, a sign-up sheet goes around to babysit her other kids; when someone has a baby, a week's worth of meals are assigned out to make sure the new mom is taken care of.

Well, I got one such phone call about 42 hours ago.

A little background information on this family to whom I was asked to give forced charity. They just had their fifth baby under the age of eight. The wife is 30 and the dad is a high profile attorney at a law firm downtown. He makes a decent income and has 90 days of paid paternity leave. There is absolutely no reason he shouldn't be able to a) make dinners for his family, b) order takeout, c) fly in a grandparent to help with the cooking, or d) call Domino's.

Here's how the conversation went:

The assigner of forced charity: "Hi, SM, this is Rae. Kristy had her baby a few days ago and has asked for three weeks worth (are you kidding me?!) of meals to help with the transition. Would you be willing to take a meal over tomorrow night?"
Me: "Well, actually..."
The assigner of forced charity: "Great, thanks. I'll tell her you'll drop off the food at 5:30."

I was guilted in.

So yesterday came and went. Before I knew it, it was 5:30 and I hadn't taken anything over. I was tempted to not even go, but I knew that if I didn't, I'd feel the pending guilt for weeks. So I put together a decent meal and drove across town.

The husband (who, let me remind you, brings home lots of money and has 90 days of paid paternity leave but was, for some reason, still in his pajamas at 6:00 p.m.) answered the door with the rest of the clan not far behind. I apologized for being a little late. It's fine, he said sternly. I handed over the food.

The husband: "Do you want me to help you get the rest of the food from the car?"
Me: "Actually, this is it."
The wife: "Oh, SM. I guess you don't know what it takes to actually feed a family of seven."
Me (in my head, but so should have been out loud): "Oh, Kristy. If you have the nerve to ask for three weeks worth of meals from other people, I think you probably have the nerve to throw some chicken nuggets in the microwave for your five kids. By the way, here's a pack of condoms."

Forced charity. I love how it gives me the warm fuzzies.

-SM

Grammar Issues

I'm really picky about grammar. Like really picky. I get upset when people don't know the difference between

whose/who's
there/their/they're
to/two/too
your/you're
its/it's

It also makes me cringe to hear things like, "I could care less." (If you could care less, then please do. It wouldn't bother me that you cared more or less about whatever it is you care about, because by now I've moved on.)

So when I watch sports, this gets on my nerves. It's the word "winningest."

The winningest coach.
The winningest Michael Phelps.
The winningest team.
The winningest Chinese athlete.
The winningest basketball player.

Are we Americans that lazy that we can't say, "The coach with the most wins," or "Michael Phelps is superhuman and a freak of nature?"

Well, I did some research. To my surprise, it's in the dictionary. But let me tell you, it's in there as an "informal" word. So if it's informal, why are we reading it in headlines?

For crying out loud.

-10-key princess

Oranges, Part 2

Earlier I mentioned that my husband and I get into silly disagreements over trivial things. Well, today is no exception. I went to the city today and ended up locking myself out of the car. Yes, I'm that dumb.

Regardless, I handled the situation in spite of a not-so-helpful Chicago cop and a guy who tried to slim jim my car using a wire hanger. Neither of them got me into the car, so I ended up calling for roadside assistance, who came to my rescue using an assortment of break-and-enter tools I'd never seen before.

You would think the story ends there, but allow me to vent for a minute.

I called my husband to tell him what was going on. Our conversation went something like this:
Me: "I locked myself out of the car. Don't worry, roadside assistance is coming to help. I just wanted to let you know what's going on."
Him: "Okay. I gotta run. The kiddo is acting up." Click.

A couple of minutes later, he called back.
Him: "Did you get into the car yet?"
Me: "No, not yet, but they just called and someone's coming soon."
Him: "So I don't have to go out to the city and rescue you?"
Me: "No."
Him: "Thank goodness. Okay. Bye."

At this point, I'm really feeling the love.

When I got home later in the afternoon, we wrapped up the conversation:
Him: "So did roadside assistance slim jim the car?"
Me: "No. Actually, someone did try to break in using a bent wire hanger, but that didn't work so that's when roadside assistance showed up."
Him: "What? NEVER, EVER, EVER let anyone ever do that. That can really mess up the mechanism of the power locks."
Me: "Um, it didn't mess it up."
Him: "It's just common sense. Don't let anyone do it again."

The best part? He just poked me on Facebook. As if that will make me want to speak to him right now.

-SM

Stream of consciousness

Rather than blog about one specific topic tonight, I decided on a brain dump after having a stressful week (month, maybe?). Here are some happy, philosophical, sad and irreverent thoughts that have been bouncing around in my head recently. Ready? Take a deep breath...

I believe the Cubbies rule more than most people, but even I think it's ridiculous that Carlos Marmlol freaking made the All-Star team after the way he's pitched this past month.

Are ideas ownable? When do they become yours? My boss took an idea that the Chief Creative Officer (CCO) of our company had for a new business project I'm working on and is trying to pawn it off as his own. How do I know this? Because I overheard my boss telling someone else that he had a meeting with the CCO who had a suggestion for a TV commercial. Lo and behold, when my partner and I presented work a day or two later, our boss was like, "That actually kind of works with an idea I had," and then proceeded to tell us the exact idea that the CCO told him. Shady. It makes me wonder how many of our ideas became his ideas when he presented them to the clients.

AVP beach volleyball is awwwwwwesome. I wish my beach skills were 8.31% of the skills of the pros on that tour. But at least all 5'9" of me got to meet and take a picture with 6'3" Kerri Walsh, who's the #1 women's beach volleyball player in the world. Take a look below. It wasn't awkward at all.


To keep my celebrity encounters rolling - on my way to catch the bus to go home after watching the AVP all day, I was walking on the bike path. I happened to look over my left shoulder, and right there next to me was Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith on his bike. I was like, "Hey! Lovie Smith." he was all quiet with a quick, "Yeah." I asked if I could get a picture with him. He obliged and got off his bike. Then he walked his bike in front of me to get on my right (not sure why), and, of course, ran over my flip-flop outfitted foot with his front tire. Luckily for me, he was walking his bike. Luckily for him, he apologized.


Today was my company's summer outing - a scavenger hunt/trek downtown, kind of like the Amazing Race, that ended with a barbecue. It was an absolute blast. We had to complete missions using problem-solving, video, photography, bartering and good old-fashioned charm. I might could have enjoyed it more had I not been called back to work, but it was still fun.

One of my friends from childhood passed away yesterday after a battle with pulmonary fibrosis. We had grown apart as we got older and he went to a different high school, but I've run into him on many occasions at some of the neighborhood festivals over the years. He had been on a waiting list for a double-lung transplant for the past few years, which unfortunately didn't come through in time. Even though he had been sick for a while now, the news still came as a shock. Death has a way of doing that.

Ok, you can breathe again. Goodnight. Sleep well.

-JT

Starting a Business

I'm starting a new business.

I just met with some business counselors, and here's my "have to find" list for the week:
An attorney.
An accountant.
A graphic designer. check
A web programmer. check
A copywriter. check
A printer.
A dry ingredients supplier.
A perishable ingredients supplier.
A packaging supplier. check
A food permit.
A marketing intern.
A baker. check

Oh, and I have to register my business with every county I'm going to be doing business in. And then I have to submit that to the newspapers and let them run it for three weeks.

I could go on and on, but the list is so long, it's ridiculous.

Thanks for letting me vent.

-SM

Would You Rather Be Smart or Thin?

I was at the gym (again) on Friday and like always, someone had left behind their reading material for the next machine user. This time, I was lucky enough to inherit July 2008's Cosmo.

Here are some really substantial, important, fundamental-to-society tidbits I learned during my 50 minutes of cardio:

1. I learned that 56 percent of Cosmo readers would rather be thin than smart. (How sad is that?)

2. I learned how to tell whether two guys sitting together at a movie are gay or straight.











3. I learned that Cosmo has taken on the role of God and has written their own list of 10 commandments, this one to give you a heads up if you're being too bitchy. My favorite? "You just inked a six-figure deal with Midol to be their spokeswoman."















(Seriously, is there anyone out there who a) participates in these surveys, and b) actually reads and believes this stuff? If so, I would like to hear from you.)

-10-key princess

Emoticon Etiquette

Just very quickly, while I'm still thinking about it:

:) or :-) is a smiley face.
:( or :-( is a frowny face.
;) or ;-) is a wink.
:P is sticking your tongue out at me.

I have a business associate who INSISTS on using the following for her smiley face emoticon:

=D

Why this bothers me so much, I don't know. But seriously, whose eyeballs look like that?

And I promise you, on no IM program is "=D" the hotkey for a smiley face.

-10-key princess

Deceptively Delicious

Like every other parent on the planet, I've been having issues getting my son to even contemplate trying vegetables. No, I shouldn't say that. He likes those plain peas, carrots, and corn you get in a bag for $0.89 at the Jewel. But when it comes to fresh broccoli, cauliflower, squash, bell peppers, tomatoes, celery, lettuce, or zucchini, this is what he says:
"Mommy, when I was a little baby, I used to eat those things. But not anymore. I'm a BIG BOY!"

So the challenge to incorporate healthy foods into his diet has begun. So I researched, and looked online, and watched Oprah - of course.

Jessica Seinfeld (wife to Jerry) was featured on Oprah with her new-ish recipe book called "Deceptively Delicious." Essentially, the concept is that if you puree vegetables and mix them into foods like brownies, muffins, cupcakes, pizza dough, chicken nugget coating, deviled eggs, spaghetti, mashed potatoes, sloppy joes, etc., then your kids won't know they're eating them.

I have two issues with this.

First, I want my kid to KNOW that he's eating vegetables. I want him to grow up understanding that it's a healthy part of his diet. Hiding it in his food isn't going to do him any favors when he goes to college and says, "My mom never made me eat vegetables," when really, I did all along, but he just didn't know it.

Second (and seriously, this is where the rant comes in), I'm sure Jessica Seinfeld wasn't the first person in the world to think of hiding vegetables in food. I mean, come on! Just because you have a famous husband and a celebrity last name, you get the rights to selling pureed food in cookbook form?

Rant over. And now I'm off. Off to try this particular recipe that looks super duper appetizing: Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes with Yellow Squash and Beets.

Yum.

-SM

Blame It On the Rain

With gas prices on track to hitting $7/gallon within the next four years (gas prices are hovering around $120/barrel; estimates show $200/barrel by 2012), I thought I'd give a little (totally personal, and totally independent from my job) analysis of what's going on.

OPEC controls only half of the world's supply of oil. So if prices are skyrocketing over there, then theoretically, the world's non-cartel suppliers should step up to fill the void. But this isn't happening. Why? Who's to blame?

The average consumer will blame Big Oil immediately. I can't tell you how many times I've heard, "Big Oil is getting tax breaks while they post record profits for 1Q 2008? I'm going to boycott them by not filling up for an entire day at ________ (enter most hated gas station here.)" The fact is, that's just stupid thinking.

Yes, Big Oil is rolling in the profits. Yes, they're getting more tax breaks (with the initial intent to actually promote exploration and alternative energy sources, which isn't immediately realized by the average American consumer.) However, profit margins for Big Oil are only slightly higher than the average for the S&P 500. These companies are pumping back their profits in the way of dividends, capital spending, employment, etc. They're worthy of getting a hit or two from us, but unfortunately, they aren't entirely to blame.

Speculators seem to be the highest source for media and consumer-driven panic right now. Did you know that the first day of trading 2008, some jackass on Wall Street decided - hey, I'm going to go down in the books as being the first person to close trading on a barrel of oil at $100+? That said, ultimately, the traders get burned faster than the consumers.

As I mentioned before, OPEC only controls 50% of the supply in the world. When oil prices go up, other countries with oil supply (England, Norway, Russia, Canada, etc.) open up to take advantage of these high prices. This, economically, should decrease price. But disruptions in supply in all of those countries (by as much as 65%) makes me think that maybe speculators have a reason to . . . well, panic.

Basic economics says that China and India might have something to do with skyrocketing prices. After all, as the middle class grows in these countries, they buy cars. Cars require fuel. Demand sharply increases, supply remains the same (or goes down), and market equilibrium shoots way, way up. That said, China and India's demand for oil is steady. It doesn't explain why, in 2004, we were paying $1.20 for a gallon of gas, and 4 years later we're paying $4.00. The increase in demand and price surge doesn't correlate.

The falling of the value of the dollar is a legitimate potential reason. Oil is priced in USD. Interest rates have been low in recent years, so of course the value of the dollar is low. When the value of the dollar is low, it takes more on our part to buy high-priced oil. We should be more concerned about the credit/mortgage crisis than the oil crisis, because once that's resolved, I anticipate some alleviation to the crunch our budgets are feeling right now.

So, my general conclusion: blame it on the rain. Yeah, yeah.

-10-key princess

Kansas didn't win; Memphis lost

It's taken me a day to recover, but now that I'm good, I thought I'd share. I'll start by saying that I love March Madness. Best sporting event of the year.

And every year, for about the 10 years, I've joined an NCAA Tournament pool that's run by a doctor that works with my mom at a hospital in the Chicago suburbs. This pool isn't your typical $5 entry fee, $100 payout. This is serious business. The guy gets over 200 entries, each at $20 a bracket (plus $10 if you buy insurance, which I won't get into). There are payouts for the leaders at the end of the 1st weekend ($200), at the end of the 2nd weekend ($400) and then for 1st through 5th place once the tournament is over. The breakdown is as follows:

1st place - $1800
2nd place - $900
3rd place - $650
4th place - $425
5th place - $350
last place - they get their money back

Well, going into Monday night's championship game between Memphis and Kansas, yours truly was in first place by 1 point. If Memphis wins the game, I take the $1800. But if they lose, I drop out of the top 5 (to somewhere like 16th place) and win nothing. Needless to say, I was a little amped at work on Monday.

I thought it would be entertaining for my friends to see me hang on every single play as it unfolded, so I invited a bunch of them to come watch the game with me at a neighborhood bar. And believe me, they were entertained. Just like the game, I was up and down - elated one minute, head in my hands the next.

Memphis was up nine with two minutes to go, and it was looking good. But from that point on, they played tentatively when they could have been aggressive and finished off the Jayhawks. And Kansas came back, forced OT, and Memphis lost. Which meant I lost too.

I was bummed. And then my mom, lovely lady that she is, calls me the next morning to talk about the game, which had to have been the first basketball game that I didn't play in that she watched from start to finish. We're talking, she's sharing in my pain, and then she drops this on me - the person who ended up winning was an 8 year-old girl who plays on the same basketball team as the son of the doctor who runs the pool. A freaking 8 year-old girl!

I just started laughing. "Of course she was," I said. My mom's retort, "Well, Jon (the doctor) says she's a hoops nut and that she picked all the games herself."

Wonderful - that makes me feel a whole lot better. Maybe I should consult little Miss Olivia next year before filling out my brackets.

-JT

Baby for Tweak

I'm speechless.

-SM

Jack Bauer's Revenge on Canada

Looks like Jack's upset since 24 isn't airing until 2009. But this time, he's taking it out on his own people.

It seems like something comes up every day that makes me lose a bit of respect for our neighbors to the north.

-10-key princess

Desperate Princesses

-SM

I've Inherited a Book.

Last weekend, my sister casually pulled me aside and handed me this. That's right. A tattered, old, worn copy of "The Rules."

I didn't know whether to be offended or to laugh in her face.

For those who don't know, this book made headlines back in the mid to late-90s. It's all about how to play the "game" of dating, and apparently, by following these so-called "rules," you should be able to land a quality guy.

Did she actually bequeath this to me to imply that I'm a whiny girl who actually accepts Saturday night date invitations after Wednesday (rule #7)? Someone who doesn't get that staring at men or talking too much can be a turn off (rule #3)? Someone who thinks dating married men is acceptable (rule #23)? Puh-LEASE.

I may not remember exactly how the game is played, but I haven't forgotten that if a guy isn't interested enough to plan in advance or make the effort to call, he's just not that into me. I GET IT!!!

Dear sister, just because I'm not married like you (yet - and by choice, mind you!) doesn't mean that I'm a helpless, needy, clingy single girl. I really appreciate your vote of confidence, though. :P

This book is going out with my weekly recycling.

-10-key princess

Cop's 3rd Wife = Murder Victim

Kathleen Savio's death has been ruled a homicide. I'm sorry if I'm jumping to conclusions, but how has Drew Peterson not been charged with murder yet?

• This guy is 53. His fourth wife (Stacy, who's missing) is 23.
• They met when she was still a teenager as a motel clerk.
  
• He was still married to his third wife, Kathleen Savio, while courting Stacy (then still a teenager.)
• Kathleen was found dead in an empty bathtub with a gash wound to her head just before their divorce settlement hearing. Drew was first on the scene. It was ruled an accidental drowning.
• There was a life insurance policy of $1 million on his third wife.
• Kathleen's body was exhumed to investigate further. In the meantime, a local minister reveals that Stacy told him in confidence that Drew came forward and told him that he killed Kathleen.
• Drew's stepbrother claims he was paid $2,000 to help Drew move a blue barrel, warm to the touch, the day Stacy went missing. Drew claims his stepbrother is mentally unstable.
• Drew says in an interview that Stacy left him (and their two children) for another man with a bikini and passport. As if he had the chance to inventory everything and declare that those were the only two things missing.
• In a Today Show interview, Drew laughs when he's asked what he would tell Stacy if she could hear him right now. "Come home," he laughs. (This is actually a really interesting take on how he's perceived among 300 Americans, men and women, by Mediacurves.com)
  
• And now, today's news, that Kathleen was murdered. I wonder who dunnit?
  

But ladies, if after all of this suspicious behavior you still decide you want some one-on-one time with Bolingbrook's most notorious ex-cop, you can still call Chicago's WJMK-FM to petition they bring back their contest, "Win a Date with Drew Peterson." I mean, who wouldn't want a chance to be his 5th wife? Though, I'm assuming it would help if you were underage and unable to defend yourself. Sorry 10-key princess, but it looks like you're out of the race. After all, you have a Taser.
-SM

Writers Strike's Biggest TV Casualty

24 fans, we're going to have to wait for another year before Jack Bauer is back. I'm officially going into mourning for the next 24 hours. At least we'll have Presidential Election coverage to last us through November. But it's really too bad Jack's not on the ballot. :P

On a serious note though, how do you think violent shows like 24 have influenced mainstream American society with regard to events like the NIU shootings? Do potential killers look at characters like Jack Bauer and think they can save the world by setting up a few perimeters, knocking down a few doors, and shooting a few rounds? I mean, is it really that difficult to separate fact from fiction?

Honest questions. I'd like some honest responses.
-10-key princess

Shooting on NIU Campus

This happened not even an hour away from where I grew up. Some guy dressed in all black opened fire in a classroom filled with 150+ students at Northern Illinois University today. 17 injuries. Five fatalities, as of 7 p.m. Killer pulled the trigger on himself.

I'm appalled. I feel like the only thing I hear these days are horrifying incidents like Virginia Tech, Columbine, or the Von Maur in Omaha. And now at NIU??

What's your opinion on gun control? How do we keep guns out of the hands of crazy criminals while still protecting our Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms?

-10-key princess

Who We Are

We have a readership! I've gotten a few random e-mails and comments from blog readers asking us who we are. I thought we could do a little Q&A to appease our (small but growing) fan base. (This reminds me of those slam books we used to do in middle school. Does anyone else remember those?)

In the meantime, here's a bit about us: 10-key princess, Janos, JT, and SM (the Suburban Mommy).

Hit us with your best shot.


10-key princess








Janos







JT







SM





What's the best advice you've ever given?
10-kp: To my little brother: "Don't drop out of college, idiot."
Janos: Telling one of my high school best friends to quit being a waiter and get a real job. He became an engineer for Lockheed Martin 3 months later.
JT: "Um, guys. Guys. Guys!" (Said while pointing up in the air) to two of my friends sitting next to me in the bleachers during batting practice before a baseball game. They were being stupid, throwing peanut shells at each other. All of the sudden, thwack. The batter crushed a ball, and it was heading directly at them. They have no idea as they're still playing around, and the ball's getting closer. I start pointing in the air as I'm like, "Um, guys. Guys. Guys!" Finally, they realize I'm talking to them, look up, can't find the ball and just scatter. And about 2.438 seconds later, the ball comes crashing down right where one of them was sitting. Luckily for his future wife, whoever it may be, I was paying attention.
SM: I told my husband on 9/12/01 while working in the airline industry, "Look for a job IMMEDIATELY."

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
10-kp: Tahiti. They speak French. It's an island. Perfect.
Janos: Costa Rica. Imagine being a 2-hr drive from the Atlantic, the Pacific, mountains, rain forests, volcanoes, warm weather, and LOTS of bikinis.
JT: Australia. Kangaroos and koala bears. Enough said.
SM: Marin County, CA - or, my husband prefers Berkeley Hills. But that's too liberal for me.

What is your deepest fear?
10-kp: Clowns. Admit it. You're scared of Ronald McDonald, too.
Janos: Failing in front of people I know.
JT: Getting a papercut on my eye. Just writing that makes me shudder.
SM: That someone I know will get Alzheimer's.

If you could meet one person, dead or alive, who would it be?
10-kp: Dalai Lama, probably
Janos: There are so many...Pablo Casals is one of them.
JT: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The footprint he left on this world makes my life seem insignificant.
SM: My great-grandmother. I hear she was a great storyteller.

What is your favorite food?
10-kp: Pomegranates
Janos: Almost anything from any small hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant, preferably in Italy.
JT: A nice juicy steak. I'm a meat and potatoes kind of guy.
SM: Louisiana Chicken Pasta, Cheesecake Factory - yum!

Favorite song today?
10-kp: No One - Alicia Keys (again, thanks, Philip)
Janos: Calling - The Clash
JT: Circus by Craig Cardiff
SM: It seems all I listen to is Little Einsteins classical selections these days

Do you have any pets?
10-kp: Not right now. I can barely keep my houseplant alive.
Janos: Not since I moved in 2005
JT: Define pets, please.
SM: Almost got a goldfish last night, but then decided to let a teenager adopt it. Was that a good idea? That poor goldfish.

What is the last book you read?
10-kp: Eat, Pray, Love. An Oprah book club book.
Janos: As I Lay Dying - William Faulkner
JT: Finding Fish. It's Antwone Fisher's autobiography.
SM: The Friday Night Knitting Club

Do you like to cook?
10-kp: Not for myself. But I like hosting dinner parties.
Janos: Not unless it's for people. I'd rather do dishes!
JT: Yes. When it's something I know how to make, at least.
SM: I prefer it if my husband cooks. He used to have a chef as a roommate. I don't mind cleaning in exchange for a good meal.

Are you married or single?
10-kp: Joyfully single, apparently.
Janos: Not married but "it's complicated"
JT: Married. I think.
SM: Married, almost 8 years

Do you have brothers and sisters?
10-kp: 2 older sisters, 2 younger brothers
Janos: One older brother and one younger sister
JT: An older sister. Living in DC. Trying to save the world. She's great.
SM: Only child

Do you live alone?
10-kp: Yes. But I have a Taser. And mace. And self-defense training. ;)
Janos: Sure.
JT: See the answer to "Are you married or single?"
SM: Husband and son live in the same house. Interesting concept, huh?

Have you ever lived in another country?
10-kp: Switzerland, France, Belgium, UK (briefly)
Janos: Once or twice. I am right now.
JT: No.
SM: Long term? No. I did a study abroad in Europe during college.

Have you ever met a famous person?
10-kp: (not including sports or concerts) David Schwimmer, Angelina Jolie, the Olsen twins, P. Diddy (or is he just Diddy now?), Tom Brokaw, Jay Leno, Angelica Huston, Vanessa Paradis, Jessica Biel, Christian Bale, Katie Holmes, Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez, Caroline Rhea, Clay Aiken, Barack Obama
Janos: Define "famous". On numerous occasions I've embarrassed myself in front of Nobel laureates. I once spent an afternoon with Hillary Hahn.
JT: Forest Whitaker. Jewel. Shigeru Miyamoto (created Super Mario Bros. and other Nintendo characters). The band Cheap Trick. Mayor Richard Daley. Robert Randolph and the Family Band. Hillary Clinton. Ms. Pac-Man. Toni Kukoc. Glen Phillips (solo artist and former lead singer of Toad the Wet Sprocket). Chris Brown. Jen Scheff and Andrew Firestone (from the Bachelor). Mario, Luigi and Zelda (the official ones, not people dressed up for Halloween). Warren Brown from Cake Love (Oprah loves him). Otis Wilson. The band Collective Soul. Harry Caray. The Marlboro Men. The band Good Charlotte. That's who I can think of right now. And yes, a lot of them are musicians and characters - it's one of the job perks.
SM: I did get my picture taken with Steve Young when he was a top QB... my other friend was also in the shot. I conveniently enlarged the pic and cut her out of it when I framed it. But his arm was around me, not her!

How old are you?
10-kp: 28
28
JT: 28
SM: 29

Are you religious?
10-kp: Christian
Janos: Not at all
JT: Jewish but not religious.
SM: Christian - Mormon/LDS

What's your political stance?
10-kp: Morally Republican.
Janos: I'm for human rights and well-educated decisions. I guess that makes me a left-libertarian communist fascist hippie, depending on how you interpret that.
JT: Democrat
SM: Moderate - Republican

What do you think you'll be doing five years from now?
10-kp: married, kids, house, a dog named Marley, Volvo station wagon, working, traveling
Janos: Hopefully married and beginning a career as a research professor
JT: Five years from now, I'll still working at an ad agency, although it's hard to say where. Wherever it is, I'll probably be sitting at my desk, notebook in hand, writing for whatever assignments I'm working on at the time. Oh, and I'm guessing I'll be scrambling to put a Valentine's Day present together.
SM: My son will be in 2nd grade! YEAH!!! And, yikes! I'll probably go back to work.

Are you a morning or night person?
10-kp: Late night, early morning. I tend to work best during those hours with few interruptions.
Janos: Night person
JT: I'd say I'm more a morning person than a night person, but I'm adaptable. Like a chameleon.
SM: Neither. I like my sleep too much.

Sunrises or sunsets?
10-kp: both
Janos: Sunsets
JT: Both. For different reasons.
SM: Sunsets on the beach in San Diego.

Do you like bananas?
10-kp: yes - they're easy to eat, peel, and clean up
Janos: Not particularly
JT: Yep. Especially after going on a run.
SM: They're the dream food for a mom. No prep. Convenient packaging.

Flip flops or sandals?
10-kp: flip flops
Janos: Sandals
JT: Flip flops. I mean, they flip and they flop. How could anything be better?
SM: Both, all year round.

Tell us about your first kiss.
10-kp: 8th grade after school... my "boyfriend" and I had been "going out" for about 2 weeks. He told his friends he wanted to kiss me, and they told my friends. So that's how we communicated that it was going to happen. We gave each other a peck by the science lab. Then, our parents came to pick us up. It was so hot. ;)
Janos: I was 16. It was at night on a big rock at orchestra camp with the cute redhead. She smelled like shaving creme and neither of us had ANY idea what we were doing.
JT: A bunch of us were at this one girl's house in eighth grade, and after getting bored with watching TV, we decided to be a little randy and play a little spin the bottle. This smoking hot eighth grade girl was up - I'm talking hairsprayed bangs and different colored braces - and when the bottle stopped spinning, it was pointing at me. So we both leaned in, over the center of the players' circle, and pecked the lightest, fastest kiss in the history of PDA. My heart never pounded as hard.
SM: Junior Prom. It was magical. Hold Onto the Nights. Richard Marx. Dancing.

What did you study in college?
10-kp: Finance, then MBA, and a bit of slacking off in between
Janos: Physical sciences and cello mostly, with some dabbling in government, econ, journalism, soviet history, and early cinema.
JT: Got my undergrad degree in advertising, and then I went to portfolio school to put my book together.
SM: International Studies, Global Economics. Totally useless these days with a toddler. Maybe when he goes to kindergarten, I can get him started with the concept of market equilibrium or at least some basic cultural geography.