Things That Matter To People Who Matter

Guinea pigs | Fight Quest | The Bernie Mac Show | The Armies of the Night

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Published: Feb 19, 2008

Guinea pigs

I wanted to get a fun yet low-maintenance pet for my 5-year-old stepdaughter. My wife and I have crazy schedules, so a dog was out of the question. I decided on a guinea pig. I bought two males and we named them Oliver and Fabio (he has long fancy hair). I never thought I'd own a rodent much less fall in love with one ... which is exactly what happened with these guys. They are the perfect pets for city kids. They are sweet, docile and most importantly, they don't smell. We've also added a hamster named Cornball to our family and I am one rodent away from becoming the male version of a cat lady.

Fight Quest

My friend Natalie and I were discussing getting into shape over beers a few weeks ago. We decided that kickboxing would be the way to do it since it's the best thing for our bodacious butts. This discussion triggered an urge that I keep repressing: I secretly want to be a martial arts warrior. Until that happens, I'll keep getting my kicks by watching Fight Quest on the Discovery Channel. These two muscle-bound martial arts guys go around the world learning new fighting techniques. At the end of each show, they have a big brawl against champion fighters using skills they just learned. I get the vicarious thrill of the fight without having to go to a sweaty gym and get kicked in the face.

The Bernie Mac Show

There's something about TV sitcoms in syndication that soothes my ever-jangled nerves, and this family show about King of Comedy Bernie Mac loosens me right up. Like favored TV patriarchs before him, Bernie yells at the kids and just wants some damn time to smoke a cigar or make love to his gorgeous wife, Wanda. Who wouldn't? But Bernie's a sensitive guy in oversize suits — a tasteful home decorator and, of course, a devoted loving uncle underneath the smack-talking, medallion-wearing exterior. Weekdays at 6 p.m., find me on my couch, talking to the cat about the hilarious and heartwarming adventures of the family Mac.

The Armies of the Night

I just finished reading Norman Mailer's The Armies of the Night, an account of the 1967 peace march on the Pentagon. It's an incredible book about the Vietnam War protests and the people working inside the peace movement at that time. Mailer gets inside the mind-set of the anti-war demonstrators as they faced the Army and the police that were sent to stop them from reaching the Pentagon. The writing is powerful and takes you into the heart of an exciting time of change. It's hard to believe that 41 years after this book was written, our country is back in another war where people are again challenged to stand up for peace.

 

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