Last week, I had the opportunity to participate in a podcast discussion about the Arena Football League. I'll be writing more about the return of the AFL after a year of hiatus, but if you want to hear me babbling about the league, give it a listen.

Audio: Listen to the AFL Roundtable Podcast

This was the first episode of AFL Roundtable, hosted the by folks at ArenaFan.com.

It was facilitated by Tim Capper, Canadian-based staff member of ArenaFan. The show also featured JP Worley, who co-hosts another AFL-based show with Tim, and Henry Primeaux, who helps run AFLFanZone.com.

I'm not sure why I was asked to participate. It's like I've ever had an opinion or anything. I've always been more interested in the business and marketing side of alternative football leagues more than the X's & O's, so my opinions tend to be a bit different than those who are "really into" the indoor football world.

Or maybe it was my interest in the "new" AFL's first national sponsor, Le Vai Alkaline Ionized Water. Yeah, that should make for an interesting beverage review! I'm still waiting on my review sample from the company.

It's that time of year again. That's right, time to find the "good pop." That is, Kosher for Passover versions of Coke and Pepsi. These are considered awesome because they use real sugar as sweeteners instead of high fructose corn syrup. I'm not Jewish, but this Kosher stuff is awesome!

Note the yellow caps to denote Kosher

This year, the demand isn't as great, I feel, because we've been blessed by similar drinks in the form of Pepsi Throwback, Mountain Dew Throwback, and Heritage Dr Pepper. But still, as a beverage enthusiast, it was time to make a "Kosher run!"

Sucrose = Sugar

I've previously reviewed Kosher Coke, Kosher Pepsi, and even Kosher Caffeine Free Pepsi for BevReview.com, so I don't need to go into that here. This year, I went with my friend George up to Hungarian Kosher Foods in Skokie where they can always be counted on to have the Kosher drinks. And sure enough, I walked away with some 2 liters of Coke and CF Pepsi.

Kosher Bazooka Gum

But even more interesting was the box of Kosher Bazooka Gum that George walked away with. It had a very different taste, in my opinion, though to be honest I can't remember the last time I actually chewed Bazooka. (Michael Ei$ner now owns Bazooka's parent company, so maybe that's a reason!)

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Beyond that, it was somewhat funny to find that the enclosed Bazooka Joe comic was written in Hebrew. I'm not sure what's happening in the comic. Care to give a guess? (Make sure you read from right to left!)

Last night I was down at Catalyst Ranch for an end-of-rally party for EPIC, a non-profit founded by our friend Erin Huizenga.

The organization brings together creative professionals to work on projects for select non-profit clients that focus on education, children, and families… all on a pro-bono basis. It's a way for folks to give back and contribute to an organization that is making a social impact, but may not have the resources to fund such projects on their own.

EPIC pulls together what are called "Creative Rally Teams" which focus on projects for an 8-week period. These teams have folks from different design firms and expertise, but often include copywriters, designers, art directors, and Web gurus.

At the end of each 8-week "Rally" period, there's a celebration event, where the teams showcase the work they performed for the 2-3 selected non-profits. Oh, and there's food, drink, and goofy stuff too! Last night the non-profits being highlighted were the American Nutrition Association, Arts of Life, and the Lincoln Park Community Shelter.

Which brings us to ActionBooth. They describe themselves as specializing in "dynamic event photography." They were at the party last night to shoot photos of attendees, donating their time in doing so.

They shot some photos of our friends Meredith Rollins, Tim & Emily Lapetino, and myself… jumping. Yup, that's what we did.

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It's good to know I haven't lost much in my vertical leap!

On Sunday we gathered with some friends at an Oscars party. One of the requirements in attending this party was to bring a food item that was themed to a nominee.

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Amy & I did some brainstorming and worked on a cake that looked like the house from Disney/Pixar's Up. We called it the 'Up'cake (as in, "cupcake"), and it took home the prize for most creative entry. Continue Reading…

The first Monday in March is always a school holiday here in Illinois, thanks to Revolutionary War hero, Casimir Pulaski. He was a Polish cavalry officer known for his contributions in training U.S. soldiers.

Kazimierz Pulaski, a.k.a. Casimir Pulaski (Source: Wikipedia)

Given that Chicago has the largest Polish population outside of Poland's capital city of Warsaw, we celebrate his birthday via Casimir Pulaski Day! Starting in 1977, it's been a city/county government holiday, which includes the public schools (and most private) getting the day off. I have always particularly been fond of Mr. Pulaski because his little day of honor always fell around my birthday of March 2, meaning quite often I got a "no school birthday" growing up. (Incidentally, both Indiana and Wisconsin also honor Pulaski, but not to the extent of Illinois. Though in the case of the Hoosier state, they actually designated part of I-65 from the Kankakee River to I-90 as the "Casimir Pulaski Memorial Highway").

So, hoist your bottles of Fanta Pomaranczowa and Fanta Lemonic high and drink a toast to Casimir Pulaski!