The house is sold! And I mean sold. I closed on it this morning and everything went smoothly. I had accepted an offer on the house within 9 days of putting it on the market and the buyer wanted a quick closing. I had it priced to move, and probably left some money on the table, but Elizabeth and I are thrilled to have this big piece to our transition behind us. We were both pretty worried about having to carry on with mortgage payments after school started.

As pleased as we are to have the deal done, we are also pretty saddened by parting ways with the house that we loved so much. We'll miss it.

--Chris

Elizabeth and I saw this sign at the Country Kitchen a few blocks away:

We just thought that they didn't know how to spell Ribeyes, but it turns out that they have a BBQ Ribbies meal after all.

--Chris

I really try to avoid politics on my blog, but this just got under my skin.

You can't go around saying that you "support the troops" then compare them to Nazis.

Now, imagine a Dutch schoolboy in 1945 greeting a Yank "occupier". That's more in line with how soldiers see themselves, and that is how I see those who are in the sandbox today. I have a helluva lot more respect for the 19 year old PFC who volunteered to serve in Iraq than I do for the kids at UW-Madison who think that their opinion is actually worth something.

This is a good example of why my opinion of Madison has been in a constant state of decline since moving to Wisconin 5 years ago. Strange, then, that my next stop will be Ithaca, NY.

Hat tip to BlackFive.

--Chris

I just posted my review of Naked Economics by Charles Wheelan up on my website. I have never taken an economics class and wanted a quick survey of the subject before I find myself in Prof. Frank's econ class this summer. The book was a great read; surprisingly great for a book on economics. I heartily recommend this book to just about anyone.

See my full write up here.

I also just finished reading Freakonomics yesterday. I'll be posting a review of it as soon as I can, but I'll tell you now that I don't think it lives up to the hype. Freakonomics is entertaining, I guess, but Naked Economics is a much more worthwhile read.

--Chris

There it is. That is my prediction for who will be on the ballot next year. I was just reading the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey and it seems to support my hypothesis. Hillary Clinton has the clout, and Fred Thompson has the momentum, and he's not even in the race yet (well, "officially" anyway). As for who will win, I believe that is totally up in the air. The survey clearly indicates that the Democrats have the upper hand in the next election, but Fred Thompson has one Huge Thing going for him: people do not hate him. Ten percent of those surveyed had a negative reaction to Fred Thompson. Compare that with Hillary's 42% negative reaction and John Edwards' 26%. Hillary Clinton is just more polarizing than Fred Thompson. Of course, polarizing could be a good thing for Clinton, and I'm sure as the process continues people will find more reasons to dislike Fred Thompson.

So, Clinton/Thompson and the election will be a lot closer than Pres. Bush's current approval ratings suggest. That's my take, anyway.

--Chris

If there is one thing that I wished I had figured out earlier in life, it is that so called "soft skills" are, more often than not, more important than "hard skills" when it comes to your success. I spent quite a bit of time and energy scrutinizing the way in which I interract with others when I left the military; I knew that some of the habits I picked up in the Army were not going to fly in Corporate America. I've been going through the same exercise again as I prepare to leave the world of software development and head to business school. It is obvious to me that my success after school will be every bit as dependant upon my ability to build professional and personal relationships as it will be dependent on my ability to apply new skills that I learn in school.

With that goal in mind, , I read How to Win Friends and Influence People for my second time. I don't know of a book that does a better job of getting you to be more aware of how you relate to people than Dale Carnegie's classic. I have posted a review here. I think everyone can benefit from reading this book and almost any time in their life or career, but it could be especially beneficial for those of us who are heading back to school this summer. Add it to your summer reading list.

--Chris

Something light for the weekend. Click play to watch me peform, then go make your own paloozahead for some cheap entertainment.