Today marks the one year anniversary of the inauguration of President Barack Obama. Last year it seemed that most of the country was filled with hope (though certainly some were filled with dread).

Today, little of that hope seems to be left.

But rather than blaming Republicans for sucking out all of the liberals' hope or blaming Democrats for squandering their supposed "control" of Washington, one group is proposing a different solution. Their goal: Change Congress.

On Sunday, I was drooling over my TV while watching Super Iron Chef on the Food Network, featuring the secret ingredient of the White House garden.

The show pitted two pairs of amazing chefs, Bobby Flay with White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford against Mario Batali and Emeril Lagasse. For those unfamiliar with the show, the chefs compete by preparing a four- or five-course meal based around a secret ingredient in one hour.

The biggest news in the Catholic world today has nothing to do with bishops or women religious but football. Notre Dame announced that it fired its coach, Charlie Weis, five years into a ten-year contract.

I spend almost every weekend from April through October in Washington Park, the South Side location of Chicago's proposed "disposable" Olympic stadium.

My teammates and I practice Ultimate on a large open space that holds 14 softball fields, three football/soccer fields, and four cricket fields. I bet that thousands use the park every weekend.

Should Chicago win the bid 2016 Olympics today, all those playing fields will be gone--the center of a community destroyed.