Jackrabbits, Tsingtaos, ipods

• The South Dakota State Jackrabbits are going to the NCAA tournament. No one, not even IceBorg, can convince me South Dakota State has a better basketball team than Iowa, but the Jackrabbits are part of what makes the tourney different, and cool. Anyone can make it. Plus, no South Dakota team had ever made it to the Dance.

Tourney bound.

• I was in downtown Des Moines tonight for dinner at Zombie Burger. I had the Flamethrower, but who really cares what I ate? What is this---Facebook? Anyway, while dining it was just nice to see downtown so busy. It's thriving with several entertainment options on any given night. It wasn't always this way. Nice job, city leaders and local business folk.
• Andy Fales gave me Tsingtao beer for my birthday. I have no idea how it tastes, but it comes in cool bottles.
• Two years ago, Ames High School finished its second straight undefeated boys basketball season. The star of the team was undoubtedly the nation's #1 recruit Harrison Barnes. But many of us who saw games thought Doug McDermott was underrated. We feel smart now. However, I'm not going to pretend if I had to guess which one would be a Wooden Award finalist in 2012 and which one wouldn't, I'd go McDermott in, Barnes out, but so it is.
• I'm watching "Hanna" right now. I hope it gets better.



Nice stache.

• Saw "The Lorax" over the weekend. It was good, but not great. It never quite soars, but it's bright and fun and kids will love it.
• On our radio show Tuesday, we revealed the guilty pleasures on our ipods. These are the songs you're truly embarrassed to reveal. I have more than a thousand songs, and that includes these aberrations:

When I See You Smile" Bad English

"Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy" Big & Rich

"Candle in the Wind" Elton John

"The Final Countdown" Europe

"You Sang To Me" Marc Anthony

"Dancing Machine" The Jackson 5

"Sister Christian" Night Ranger

"My Sacrifice" Creed

"Livin La Vida Loca" Ricky Martin

"Song of the South" Alabama (song, song of the south, sweet potato pie and shut my mouth)

• Now that's embarrassing. Andy tried to top it with "Mmm Bop" and some song by Michael Bolton ("Said I Love you, but I Lied"). Our producer, Andrew Downs, did no better than N'Sync's "Bye, Bye, Bye"
• The Cubs finally win the World Series. In this commercial: