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Ben Bass and Beyond

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Tennis

It's my favorite sport to play, watch and write about:
  • Exemplars: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Rickey Henderson and Michael Jordan
  • Federer's amazing trick shot in 2010 U.S. Open first round
  • Talking with golfer Sergio Garcia at the 2002 tennis U.S. Open
  • American men fail to rank in top 10 for first time ever
  • Ten countries represented in women's top 10 for first time ever
  • How to enjoy the U.S. Open
  • David Foster Wallace and Michael Joyce
  • Growing up at the Winnetka, Illinois USTA Challenger tournament
  • 2009 Wimbledon trip report
  • On the Wimbledon practice courts with Venus and Richard Williams
  • Roger Federer as Religious Experience
  • 2011 Australian Open preview
  • The 11-hour Wimbledon match between Jon Isner and Nicolas Mahut
  • Federer asks Hingis about Olympics mixed doubles
  • 2010 U.S. Open photo essay
  • Memo to Bill Macatee
  • USTA President apparently means well
  • 2010 Australian Open preview
  • 2009 Wimbledon preview
  • Freakish skills: Federer, Agassi, Wheaton, Woods & Feyer
  • Federer wins 2009 French Open to complete career Slam
  • The day I broke two nonadjacent strings
  • Roger Federer is 30
  • Nadal celebrates 22nd birthday by winning fourth consecutive French Open
  • Federer's streak ends at 23 consecutive Grand Slam semifinals
  • Pop! goes the plantaris (in which I suffer the dreaded "tennis leg")
  • The weirdest thing I saw at the 2004 Australian Open
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Events of Note

Old Jews Telling Jokes
The title says it all.
Royal George Theatre, thru 2/16/14
Tickets

4000 Miles
Engaging two-hander.
Northlight Theatre, thru 10/20
Tickets

Let Them Eat Chaos
Surehanded sketch comedy.
The Second City, open run
Tickets


Followers

NPR Sunday puzzle

This week:

What familiar saying with seven words has seven consonants in a row? The answer is a common saying, in ordinary English. Sometimes it's expressed in nine words rather than seven, but it's the same saying. And either way, in one spot it has seven consecutive consonants. What saying is it?

Enter here or email me for a hint.

Last week: Name something in seven letters that most people keep in their homes. Take the first, third, fourth and seventh letters and rearrange them. The result will be a four-letter word naming something that the seven-letter thing is commonly used for. What is it?

Highlight for answer: Aspirin, pain

Two weeks ago: The name of what character, familiar to everyone, contains each of the five vowels (A, E, I, O and U) exactly once? The answer consists of two words — eight letters in the first word, four letters in the second.

Highlight for answer: Question mark

Three weeks ago: Name a well-known person from the 20th century who held an important position. Take the first and last letters of this person's last name, change each of them to the next letter of the alphabet, and you'll get the last name of another famous person who held the same position sometime after the first one. Who is it?

Highlight for answer: Ford, Gore

The Siri Project.

The Siri Project.

Guess my word!
_

First one's on me

First one's on me

The proprietor, as seen by New Yorker cartoonist Matt Diffee
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Ben

My photo
Chicago, Illinois
View my complete profile

Inspiring statesman and Barack Obama

Like I was saying...

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      • From the "gotta love it" file...
      • Puzzling
      • Just For Laughs: Saturday's best bet
      • Just For Laughs: He shoots, he scores
      • Just For Laughs: Friday picks
      • Just For Laughs: Thursday picks
      • Bonus pick!
      • Just For Laughs: Wednesday picks
      • Just For Laughs: Tuesday picks
      • Serious funny
      • Dept. of Prognostication
      • Attn. Chicago poker players!
      • Whither the Basstard?
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Alliterative Appellation Association attendees

Aw, shucks

"Best blog name I've heard in a while is the new online journal by Chicagoan Ben Bass: Ben Bass and Beyond."

—Eric Zorn, Chicago Tribune


"I enjoyed the blog, especially your title!"

—Mike Reiss, writer for The Simpsons


"Your blog sucks."

—Everyone else

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Where's Eero?

Where's Eero?
with New York Times puzzle editor Will Shortz at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament
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Official soundtrack

Official soundtrack

Suggested Reading

  • Mon blog en français
  • The New Yorker of the New Yorker
  • Heartbreaking posts of staggering genius
  • International baseball expertise
  • Panic and joy in public places
  • An aggressive species
  • Locally distributed national treasure
  • Best doctor writing, best writer doctoring
  • Chicago's only commercial kitchen
  • Chicago's only humor columnist
  • Chicago's only comedy troupe
  • Chicago's only culture guide
  • NYC: an oral history
  • Valiant attempts
  • Bits about bits
  • Snag a ram
  • Stories told

Greatest leadoff man of all time and Rickey Henderson

Why not to blog

Why not to blog
 


A friend of mine produced this hilarious look at a sad era in American history. After lighting up Broadway and playing live on HBO, it's now out on DVD. Click the image to get yourself a copy. You'll love it.




Hollywood jerk and Jeremy Piven

Go Beyond

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