Will Smith is one of the biggest stars in our lifetime. He's succeeded in multiple mediums with Grammy award-winning rap albums, one of the most popular TV shows of the 1990's, and he also starred in a record eight straight movies that grossed at least $100 million. Smith has a famous wife and kids, and he is recognized and loved by audiences around the world. In short, he's a BFD. Will Smith has now taken his skills to the world of books with his new memoir, Will. (out now) A quick moment to acknowledge some preexisting bias before we go... Read more →

Hi everyone, Welcome back! How are you? What a crazy week. Sorry we had to step out for a few days. A couple of things hit at the same time, and we had to focus on that craziness for a while. However, everything seems to have settled down (fingers crossed.) Any big plans for the weekend? We've got the New England Patriots game and the Doctor Who premiere, so that will be fun, and then the rest probably depends on the weather, as another storm approaches tomorrow. Anyway, enough chitchat - let's get to work. BDH and Little Buddha made... Read more →

It's been just over a year since Eddie Van Halen died, but it's still hard to believe that the guitar icon is no longer with us. The man reinvented his instrument, both with his playing approach and technical innovations., setting the stage for legions of imitators to try to copy him. He lit up the rock music landscape for almost 50 years, from infamous backyard parties in high school, to Los Angeles clubs, and then arenas around the world. He was a creative force who went through some mind-blowing highs and dark lows during the course of his life. However,... Read more →

There will never be another professional sports dynasty like the New England Patriots. Other teams may win more championships, but there will never be an almost 20-year-run where a league is so consistently dominated by just three individuals like quarterback Tom Brady, head coach Bill Belichick, and owner Robert Kraft. These men are the elite of the elite in their fields. That they were able to both create this juggernaut and keep it going for so long is remarkable. There were many factors that could, and perhaps should, have derailed them much earlier, but these men would not let anything... Read more →

Hi folks, Welcome back. How are you? Our crew is doing pretty well at the moment. Don't tell BDH and Little Buddha, but I found a list of books being released in the next month, and there are a couple that sound like good matches for the guys. Fingers crossed the local bookstore carries them, otherwise I may have to visit one of the big chain stores in the area. We wanted to watch multiple things at the same time last night, so we kept channel flipping and missed Chicago Med, stayed focused for Chicago Fire, and went to bed... Read more →

Hi folks, Welcome back! How are you? Is it just me, or did September fly by this year? I don't usually think of it as a month that passes quickly, but it feels like it was just August a second ago. Anyway, no luck at the bookstore yesterday. BDH and Little Buddha say not to worry about it, but I'd love to find them something new to read, and soon. At least NBC's "One Chicago" shows are new tonight. In the meantime, let's get to work. The guys made coffee, so grab yourself a nice medium DD, because it's time... Read more →

Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick made national headlines five years ago when he started taking a knee while the U.S. national anthem played before his games. Kaepernick was exercising his freedom of speech by using this silent gesture to draw attention to the killing of Black men by the police across this country. His simple gesture fueled a national debate that continues to this day, as the Black Lives Matter campaign has become a powerful national movement. Colin Kaepernick was blackballed by the league for his actions, but his influence as a public figure is exponentially greater today than if... Read more →

Hi everyone, How is your long weekend going so far? No complaints on this end. I know the world was a dumpster fire, but it was a very productive week here. I took care of almost every item on the to-do list. Some of the tasks had been on there for a long time, so it was particularly satisfying to finally resolve them. Today will probably be pretty quiet, apart from the fact that we're going to vote in the Boston city preliminary election in a little bit. The official election day is the 14th, but BDH and Little Buddha... Read more →

The United States is a sports-obsessed country, but millions of fans remain apathetic at best about the rampant sexism and misogyny that permeates every corner of professional athletics. We largely turn a blind eye to criminal behavior like domestic violence committed by athletes because we don't want to think about our heroes committing such terrible acts. There's also the reality that so many men seem to get angry about women participating in sports at any level, whether it's as athletes, reporters, or in other roles. While some progress has been made over the years, this country has so much further... Read more →

The story of Jeffrey Epstein is a stain on the United States. The wealthy businessman spent years sexually abusing underage women, while forcing many of them to also perform services for his associates. He faced little to no repercussions for his actions for the majority of his life until his suspicious death in a prison cell in 2019. This monster ruined many lives, and rather than provide justice, the U.S. judicial system failed his victims at almost every turn because he had the vast resources to evade meaningful consequences. Many people know the general outline of the story as we... Read more →