A little of this, a little of that.

What's your favorite five? Five golden rings? Five Finger Death Punch? Hawaii Five-O? Five and dime? Or the Guitarman's infamous five topics in five minutes?

Chocolate:
Who doesn't love chocolate? I mean, how can you not? It's chocolate for God's sake! If you are one of the unlucky few who are allergic, then I feel for you, I really do. But at my house, it's like an all out war to secure the chocolate before anyone else can. Young brooding teen number two has actually licked a piece and dared me to eat it. I have to admit, I considered it for a moment. But I want to know at what point does possession trump greed? I usually get one of the big bars for Christmas in my stocking, but have yet to actually consume the whole thing, before someone else gets their greedy little paws on it. Hey, you want to go all Augustus Gloop on your bar of chocolate? Be my guest. But I want to savor mine a little.

Cubs vs. Bears:
I really like this whole mentality that I am seeing with the Cubs this year. No illusions that pieces of last years team are going to be valuable pieces of next years team. Theo and co. are tossing out the whole stinking piece of moldy cheese and boldly declaring, "We are rebuilding." Sometimes that's what it takes, starting over from scratch. Unlike the Bears, where decades of futility are not only ignored but rewarded. Ownership sees nothing wrong with giving a lame coach chance after chance after chance. Replace a sacrificial lamb or two, and the more things change, the more they stay the same. Unlike the Cubs, they prefer to slice off the little pieces of mold and put it back in the fridge. But when the biggest piece of stinky, moldy cheese is your head coach, you know it's just a matter of time before it grows back.

Election 2012:
If each candidate was a movie, which one would it be? Michelle Bachman? Gone with the Wind. She blew in like a storm, and went out with the bathwater. Herman Cain? The Caine Mutiny. Once the ship started going down, all the rats jumped ship, with head rat Herman leading the pack,. Newt Gingrich? Clueless. It appears that despite his credentials, he just hasn't a clue on how to run a campaign. Rick Santorum? 10,000 BC. That's where he wants to take us with his priciples, back to the stone age. Ron Paul? Make Love Not War. He is determined to let our enemies across the globe know that we will not be sending our troops over there any more, even if Iran DOES develop a nuclear bomb. Mitt Romney? Mission Impossible. Despite everyone saying for the last 5 years or so that we will never elect a Mormon president, it appears that he actually has a shot. And Barack Obama? Liar Liar, no explanation necessary.

Tolls:
Way back when, in our glorious state of Illinois, a new road was built, a super highway, to help those of us who live in the boonies connect with the metropolis that is Chicago. The deal was, that when we paid for the road with our nickels and pennies, the tolls would go away, and we would be free to zip along with no stop lights at the speed of light. But then a funny thing happened as our leaders (swindling con artists) decided that a flow of money was good for our debt burdened state. And the toll umbrella grew wider and more expensive, growing from chump change to actual folding money. Currently, without an IPass, if you want to cross the border to the north, you now have to dole out a whopping $2.80. You know you can eat a meal for that price at Burger King? And let me tell you this: our cheesehead friends to the north that drive to their jobs to the south aren't putting up with that. They get off the tollway, meander their way through my neighborhood, and get back on the tollway on Grand Ave. in Gurnee. The turn lanes at the intersection before they get back on are clogged every morning and night with cars bearing bumper stickers that say "Green Bay Assistant Coach" and plate holders like "Super Bowl Champs". It's enough to make a Bears fan puke.

Music:
Everyone loves music. Well, most everyone. So in a shameless plug, I invite all fans of music, great and small, to come out to Fatman Bowl in LB/Libertyville/Rondout/Green Oaks on every odd numbered Tuesday for the next great open mic night in Lake County. Come to play or sing, or come to watch. Just get out of the house once in a while and support local music. The Guitarman is waiting for you.