well what do you think? i've reworked the blog design to something a little more simple and easier to update. it's a modified style from glish. i like the look of text on white, and the far background color and blues let's you know you're still on reggienewton.com. hope you like the new look.

testing new design

haven't quite had a chance to update this in a while -- getting ready for the big move back to chicago this weekend. last weekend went to a fantastic wedding there for an old school friend. beautiful ceremony and reception at the embassy suites dowtown. this is the first chicago wedding i've been to since my own so it felt kinda weird being a spectator. saw lots of old northwestern friends, and folks from nyc. good times.

things you should read this week.
The War Comes Home
How Bush Misleads Himself
Cubbies plug some holes

well my site in progress is finally complete! updated the last sections of the cold storage uploading the kitchen sink. only thing left to do now is some minor java scripting issues so images will load faster and getting my blog archives in some kinda of order. but overall i'm pretty happy with what i've accomplished. i said i was going to get this done this summer and it is. tomorrow off to chicago for a what should be a really fun wedding.

been reading some interesting and amusing things online recently.

Bush Asks Congress For $30 Billion To Help Fight War On Criticism
the onion is @ it best when its arrows hit too close to the truth. . .
Clarett's academic adventures renew age-old debate
some academic shennanigans involving the national champs at the ohio state university . . .
A sighting during Bush's recent African trip as an elephant gets horny
have you ever seen the poster w/two elephants on it called 'the making of a republican?"
Are Voters in the mood for an angry Democrat
an interesting joe klein piece on the phenomenon that is howard dean. . .

had a great weekend camping in southwestern wisconsin. some hiking, canoeing, seeing the stars w/o city glare. tonight another trek down to ravinia. this time to see blues traveller. i've seen them probably more than any other band. the first time being at the northwestern campus bar way back in 1990. should be a good show. in other news, just updated a section in cold storage called "call me" check it out.

its been another crazy couple of days. sarah and i got an apartment in chicago and she got a job! we're moving to the windy city in august. is start law school on the 25th.

tuesday night went to norah jones. good show, but very wet conditions didn't make for the best concert experience.

yesterday we went to the brewer's game here in milwaukee. my brother-in-law, jon, got us some really sweet club level seats. so anyway in between the sixth and seventh inning at miller park they have this sausage race. folks in foam costumes: italian, polish, brat, and a hot dog race down the third base line; everyone laughs, and those looking for action place bets. last night i was sure the italian sausage was going to win, jon liked the cut on the bratwurst. as the came past the pirates dugout italian was in the lead. and then came this cheap shot out of no where. italian got whacked with a bat by some tool in the pirates dugout, causing a sauage pileup that also took out the hotdog. the stadium erupted with boos and bratwurst went on to win the race. talk about fixing a race. well the rest of the game was kinda anti-climatic at the point. it went 12 innings and the brewers won. but the story of the night was definitely the sausage race. which has gotta kinda tick off brewers pitcher glendon rusch . he entered last night's game with a (1-11) record and an ERA of 8.61. fresh from a three game stand in AAA land he pitched pretty well for six innings -- his best outing of the season -- and today the only thing people are going to ask him about is his opinon of the sausage scandal.

a whirlwind these last few days. the india arie concert on july 2nd was incredible. the concert could have been marred by technical problems, but befitting an artist of her skill she simply stripped down songs and performed the last songs solo with her acoustic guitar. she's a show definitely worth checking out.

then 4th of july weekend iit was off to iowa for a wedding of sarah's old roommate. a great time had by all. i've never been to iowa and despite horror stories from some jaded folks i was pleasantly surprised. as long drives go (9 hours) all in all i think indiana is more boring. for an east coast guy like me seeing those rolling hills of corn and big open spaces was pretty neat. i've never gone to europe by iowa looks a lot like what i imagine ireland is -- in a word -- green. so anyway the wedding was at a beautiful victorian mansion and despite some occasional rain went off w/o a hitch. lots of fireworks and booze. we also checked out the lewis & clark museum. and on the way home we went off the interstate in davenport and went up old highway 67. it runs along the mississippi into wisconsin and the mississippi valley side of iowa into southwestern wisconsin is a beautiful site. i may upload some pictures later.

tomorrow night off to see norah jones at ravinia.