Went out Christmas shopping last week....stopped at a Deli to get some lunch. Yes, I will have the black pepper ham sandwich. It cost 30 yuan - just less than 5 dollars.
This is what I received.
That is one slice of meat on the sandwich.
Dec 30, 2010
Deli Sandwich
Went out Christmas shopping last week....stopped at a Deli to get some lunch. Yes, I will have the black pepper ham sandwich. It cost 30 yuan - just less than 5 dollars.
This is what I received.
That is one slice of meat on the sandwich.
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from China! Yes, there is plenty of Christams decorations and music here in China. For about a month now, Christams carols - all in English - have been playing the malls. There have been many religious songs included in that collection. The Merry Christams theme is much more prominent here than in the US. There is no "Happy Holidays" sentiment here.
Of course, Christmas for most of the Chinese was a normal day. Our gas went out on Christmas morning - we apparently used up all our hot water and our account was at $0.00 on Dec 25. So our driver went out to the office, recharged our account, and gas was restored later that morning.
We are in the middle of a Monopoly phase here at the house - both boys love to play both the real board game version and the Wii version. They are starting to love the trading aspect and building up the hotels right away. There have been a few games that end in crying when one lands on New York, or Illinois, or even Park Place with a hotel.
It reminds me of years gone by with the Monopoly tournaments in the backyard and - more recently - a cut throat game 15 years ago when I was in Dayton when I held up the game for 10 minutes because I wanted Reading Railroad as part of a 3-way, 12-property trade instead of Short Line, which was being offered.
But I was right!
Dec 22, 2010
Learn English!
Found this book at a bookstore in Guangzhou.
Must.....resist......joke.....about......teleprompter.......
Dec 12, 2010
Sports Market
Went to the tourist shopping market today, called "Beijing Lu" - Beijing Street. Bought some Elmo's World DVDs for 25 yuan (about $4) each. Not bad.
One section of the market was dedicated to sports apparel/equipment - Nike, adidas, Converse, etc. No sign of Stadia, however.
Anyway, two questions for the group from this trip:
1. I need help from Craig, Mike, or others that have a vested interested in the EPL: Should I shop in this first store, or teach my sons to run away?
(and in the Venetian at Macau, there was the "Manchester United Experience" store in the plaza. Again, avoid or jump in?)
2. I would love to purchase multiple copies of this banner (the second picture) and give to our Univ of Maryland readers.....How profitable could I be if I bought 10,000 of these and marketed to every non-Duke ACC fan in the age range of 30-50? This would make a great background for rifle target practice, to put on a punching bag, in a urinal.....
Dec 10, 2010
Lost in translation
This sign appears near the entrance of the grocery/supermarket we visit. This is a European chain - Metro - so it's not a "real native" Chinese market. However, the translation here leaves something to be desired.
What was the real intent of this sign? To point out where the Electronics are? Auto Parts? Road Runners?
Dec 7, 2010
Now I understand how disasters occur.....
Some of you may have known that the 16th Asian Games were hosted by Guangzhou in November! The Asian Games are one step down from the Olympics - but it is still a huge production. 2 weeks of activities where the city almost shuts down - we got the Opening Ceremony day as a holiday. Fireworks and skylights galore.
I took the boys - with another father and their sone - to see the Track and Field events one night. I have to say, it was a lot of fun. The women's 10,000 m final was that night - you can see the action shot in the picture here! Can't you feel the excitement? The gun went off, the ladies started running - and then the boys asked how many laps there were.
25, I said.
"Oh....." they were disappointed. But it was clear that one of the ladies - in the final! - was much worse than the others. By lap 3, she was more than 1/2 lap behind. The boys were fascinated by the main runners "lapping" her - once, twice, three times.
The shot put and hammer throw were going on at the same time as well. We were all fascinated by - how do I put this - how amateur the participants were. At least 33% of the throws ended in foot faults. The hammer throw took place on the right of the picture - you can see the poles and the netting set up so hammers aren't thrown int the track. It's a good thing they were there, too - there were more than a few throws into the net, and sometimes we heard a loud "ping" - when the hammer hit the pole.
But I have to say our experience at the entrance of the stadium was the first time I felt in danger of physical harm. At the entrance on each side of the stadium, all spectators had to go through a metal detector and put any bags on a conveyor - exactly like an airport security check.
On our side of the stadium, there were about 25 or so detectors set up. But there were no lines.
We got there - and there were police standing about 30 feet in front of all the detectors. The policemen formed a human chain - and this chain was at least 300-400 feet long to cover all 25 detectors or so. Every once in a while, the police would open the chain at a position in front of the detector - let a few people in - and then close the human chain.
When we got there, there were people 15-20 deep along all 300 feet. So imagine a rectangle, 300 feet wide by about, oh 20-25 feet deep - and that rectangle was jammed full of people.
What happens when the police opens up the chain? Of course - a mass push to the opening. This was kind of fun when you are in the back - but once you are in the middle of the rectangle - holy hell.
This all occured outside, on blacktop - so even though it was not particulary hot out (maybe 70-75 degrees), just the heat coming from the blacktop was very noticeable. And I am about 6 feet tall. Freddie and Warren were really feeling it being 4 feet tall or so.
And we had to create room for them. They weren't getting much space at all. They were half amused and half confused.
As we got closer to the front, a grim thought hit my mind - what if Freddie or Warren - or I - tripped as we advanced to the front?
I ended letting them be ahead of me allowing me (and my larger-than-your-average-Chinese-person body) to try to force-create room by holding people back.
It was scary. We got through it in about 20-25 minutes, although it seemed a lot longer. Now I understand how people get seriously injured - or even killed - in stampedes. This was the qualification rounds of the Asian Games, for God's sake! What if it was something more important?
Coaching Rule #1: Know your players
Here's some more posts to bring everyone down from the high that was Jake Delhomme's first game winning drive this year (and what a drive it was! Veteran quaterback leadership to lead the Browns down the field to win, 13-10, at the gun):
I signed Freddie up for soccer this fall. The soccer is organized as a 7-on-7 matchup on a much smaller field than a regular soccer field. This is a great idea, as there is more action and all players feel like they are taking part.
I didn't sign up to coach initially, but at the first game (there were no practices! We were just thrown into games right away!), there was only one coach who just wanted to be an assistant. No one was thinking about positions, or how subs would work....so I decided to volunteer. I quickly realized that I was in the top 10% of the parents in coaching kids - with my track record back in the US - so I should have volunteered to begin with. (Freddie, by the way, is the only American on our team of 9). By week 2, I was the de facto head coach.
Anyway, it was time to meet all our players. The assistant coach and his son were English; we have two Korean kids that are twins (and I still get their names mixed up), two Taiwanese boys and an Indian boy.
On the side were two other kids on our team, one an Indian girl and another kid that had dark skin with afro-like hair pulled into a pony tail.
I went over and introduced myself to the girls.
"Hello ladies, I'm Coach Eric. What are your names?"
The Indian girl replied: "Hi, I'm Minu".
The other kid was silent. Alarm bells were ringing in my head.
"Um, hi - what is your name?"
"Ethan"
Of course it is. He looks like an 8 year old Yannick Noah. (That's Joakim's dad for all you youngsters out there). His father is Caucasian, his mother is African.
And it turns out Ethan is our best player on the team - a wicked left foot.
Our record is now 5-6-7 (I am not making that up) with 2 more games to go. Freddie is turning into a pretty good goalie.
I signed Freddie up for soccer this fall. The soccer is organized as a 7-on-7 matchup on a much smaller field than a regular soccer field. This is a great idea, as there is more action and all players feel like they are taking part.
I didn't sign up to coach initially, but at the first game (there were no practices! We were just thrown into games right away!), there was only one coach who just wanted to be an assistant. No one was thinking about positions, or how subs would work....so I decided to volunteer. I quickly realized that I was in the top 10% of the parents in coaching kids - with my track record back in the US - so I should have volunteered to begin with. (Freddie, by the way, is the only American on our team of 9). By week 2, I was the de facto head coach.
Anyway, it was time to meet all our players. The assistant coach and his son were English; we have two Korean kids that are twins (and I still get their names mixed up), two Taiwanese boys and an Indian boy.
On the side were two other kids on our team, one an Indian girl and another kid that had dark skin with afro-like hair pulled into a pony tail.
I went over and introduced myself to the girls.
"Hello ladies, I'm Coach Eric. What are your names?"
The Indian girl replied: "Hi, I'm Minu".
The other kid was silent. Alarm bells were ringing in my head.
"Um, hi - what is your name?"
"Ethan"
Of course it is. He looks like an 8 year old Yannick Noah. (That's Joakim's dad for all you youngsters out there). His father is Caucasian, his mother is African.
And it turns out Ethan is our best player on the team - a wicked left foot.
Our record is now 5-6-7 (I am not making that up) with 2 more games to go. Freddie is turning into a pretty good goalie.
Nov 30, 2010
Common sense translation
So - business question here - how do you create brand names in China? If you want to create a brand name for your product - and have it sound "non-Chinese" - how would you do that?
There's a lot of brands that take Western words, mush them together - and voila! You have a brand name.
For instance, there is a bottle water brand called "C'estbon". Literally, this means "It's good" in French. See? The water must be good!
There is another water brand called "Bonaqua". This is a French/Spanish mish-mash that means "Good water".
So I go into the 7-Eleven, and at the main counter by the cashier, I see a box with the brand name on it; the brand is:
"Jissbon"
I don't think I need to tell you the product that this brand name is associated with.
(and it's right next to the Mentos, too!)
There's a lot of brands that take Western words, mush them together - and voila! You have a brand name.
For instance, there is a bottle water brand called "C'estbon". Literally, this means "It's good" in French. See? The water must be good!
There is another water brand called "Bonaqua". This is a French/Spanish mish-mash that means "Good water".
So I go into the 7-Eleven, and at the main counter by the cashier, I see a box with the brand name on it; the brand is:
"Jissbon"
I don't think I need to tell you the product that this brand name is associated with.
(and it's right next to the Mentos, too!)
Nov 27, 2010
Grocery shopping
You may have to click on the photo to enlarge, but here is proof that Beer is cheaper than Coca Cola in China.
The Hiatus is over!
Well, we are finally back. I have the external VPN set up at home so I can access blogspot, youtube, and many other sites without them being blocked.
So many things to talk about over the last 2 months. Things have gotten better since the last post on Sept 26 - that's the good news. The problem with not posting for that long is that the experiences that seem so fresh,so new at the time are not routine. For instance, listening to Ryan Seacrest in the car to soccer yesterday on a Beijing radio station - so what? But Layup thinks that is newsworthy. Oh well - there you go!
We'll start off with everyone's favorite topic - gambling! We got away for the weekend 2 weeks ago and took a trip to Macau for 2 nights. We stayed at the Venetian and it was great! Warren was crying the second night because "I don't want to leave! Can't we stay here forever??" Sounds like me on the Sunday night of the Vegas trip! (I'm getting him trained early).
First, let me just say that I spent more time doing "recreational" activities on this trip - like taking the canal ride, shopping, mini golf - than in the last 10 Vegas trips combined. I gambled for about 5 hours total over 2 days. Just enough to whet the appetite, but leave you hungry for more.
I mostly played craps. Some random notes about the craps experiences:
- Huge casino; at least, oh, 50 baccarat tables that were open (and 50 more that were not), 20 SicBo, 10 roulette, 30 blackjack - and 2 craps. Just not that popular.
- The minimums were $100 HK. The ratio is about 8 HK$ to 1 US$ - so it's just a tad more expensive than a $10 US craps table. But it plays with your mind! I have $120 on the 6 and 8 - I win a few times - now what? Press to..........$150? $210? ok. What do I win on those? Quick!
- The language spoken by most of the players there is Cantonese, not Mandarin. So that threw me at the beginning. I would be asking for a "liu" (6) and a "ba" (8) - and I was corrected by this older man who said the numbers were "lo" (6) and "bat" (8). I eventually also learned that "gong" is Cantonese for face card (handy at the blackjack table). So my three word vocabulary in Cantonese is solely because of gambling.
- The language got me in trouble later - I wanted to do my patented "Horn High Ace Deuce" bet on the come out. So I try to be nice and throw the $100 in and say "Horn High San", where San is Mandarin for 3. Well, that got them all confused. They don't know "san", and put the chip on the horn high 12. I said "no, no - san! San!" and there was all sorts of confusion. I finally said "3" - and they put in on the right spot.
The dealer then calmly said "next time, just say "Horn High Ace Deuce" - we understand that!"
- The betting behavior at the table was extremely odd. If there were 10 people at the table, you would have:
2 people betting on the pass line
all 10 on the numbers
5 of them betting on the numbers would have them working on the come out roll
0 people betting the come
0 people betting the hardways
and of those 10, 8 would not be at the table 20 minutes from now.
oh, and 15 people would crowd at each far end of the table to watch. It's a fascination to many Chinese casino attendees.
- That betting behavior led to this wild story. So there's like 4 people at the table - I think this was 8 in the morning or so, when I was pissed after the Browns 26-20 OT loss to the Jets. The table was choppy, and this man was constatnly betting the numbers - and they were always ON.
The dice came to him - and the dealers said that if he wants to roll, he has to put a pass line bet down. He grudgingly did.
First rolls - 8 - then several numbers, then an 8! Winner!
Next: 5 - more numbers, then a 5! Two points!
Next: 10 - more numbers, then a 10!
It was getting hot....I was winning the pass line and the 6 and 8, and he was winning a fortune on the numbers.
Next: 8 again - more numbers - then another 8! Woo hoo!
Next: 7 on the pass line - winner!
The shooter - of course - won his minimal $100 pass line, but lost his numbers. He was pressing a bit and had some money out there - maybe $500 on each number. But he had already made a very nice profit to that point.
He paused for about 10 seconds.
"Color up" he said.
I think I said, out loud - "You CAN'T COLOR UP NOW! You're hot!" He didn't hear or understand me.
I was dumbfounded. The dice - in the middle of a hot roll - passed to me. Of course, you know what happened. 6, 7 out.
I am still in shock that he picked up while rolling.
- If any of you ever come out here, I am sure we will have a mini golf competition. It is a 36 hole course that is wild - the holes are about 20-40 meters long; they do not have those stupid boards on the sides of the holes. The course is built on the roof of the casino. It took Freddie, Warren and I 1 full hour to play 18. And the greens are tough and undulating. I can't wait to go back. The only person I know that would have a chance to hit par on this course is Kermit.
The picture above is the approach to the 10th green, I think. You can see Freddie in the background - he hit his approach over the green; that's not where you want to be, as seen by the slope of the green.
All grass in that photo is artificial, by the way.
Sep 26, 2010
Free (to post) at last
I'm coming to you live from the Bangkok airport lounge, on my way to India. This is my first visit to India, where I hear the food is good..........
(and that's about it).
I still don't feel too comfortable posting here from work more than once a week, so postings will be sparse until we can get the external VPN set up in China.
Some quick updates:
1. I had some nice pictures to share on the topics below - but then Martin (our 2 year old) went and deleted about 20 pictures from my iPhone. He's too nimble with my phone. He sent a mail to Freddie's baseball coach in Cincinnati saying "I scored 459 on Doodle jump! Can you beat that???"
2. Should I be offended, part 1 (of many?): So the beauty of going to an international school is that the classmates are all......international! Freddie was invited to a birthday party for a classmate, who is French.
The invitation came. It had Uncle Sam on it. It said, and I quote:
"I WANT YOU......FOR MY ANNIVERSAIRE"
Um, is that legal? Can you use an icon of the USA and put a French word on it? Should I go to the consulate to complain?
3. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were holidays* here in China. On Wednesday, we took the boys to the 7 story shopping mall, which was complete with a mini amusement park and arcade. Freddie met up with a friend - so Warren and I went off together. He loves those silly carnival games where you put the token in and try to win tickets. Of course, those tickets are worthless.....80 of them will buy you one of those Chinese finger-jammer things.
Anyway, so he plays this one game where you drop the token, it lands on its side and rolls toward the edge of a rotating circle - and if the token knocks over the bar, you win! The larger the bar, the smalelr the prize, of course.
He dropped it - it rolled - and knocked over a bar about the size of a toothpick.
JACKPOT!
350 tickets came spilling out of the machine. One CHinese lady came over and wanted to take a picture of Warren. He said ok.
I expect - somewhere - that picture to be framed somewhere as part of a "Winners play here!" advertisemnt that every casino has...
"Warren Z., of Guangzhou! - 350 ticket jackpot winner!"
*4. Well, we can debate if Wed-Fri were truly holidays. The offices were closed - but, to make up for it, the office was open the Sunday before and the Sat/Sun after the holiday. You don't just get a free day off, you know! We will plead ignorance if someone asks why we weren't in the office on Sat or Sunday.
5. I locked out my ATM card in July when I was trying to set up online banking at HSBC, which is centered in Hong Kong. How do I get a new PIN? Well, I have to mail a form in! To Hong Kong!
I sent the form in on Aug 20. As of Sept 17, there has been no reply yet. So I called HSBC.
"Yes, we sent the new ATM PIN on Sept 2."
To what address?
"To the address you wrote - in China."
I put down my office address. I would hate to have it sent to the US,and then somehow get lost....
Anyway, I told them I haven't received it yet.
"Oh, you should shortly."
But you sent it on Sept 2!
"Yes, that's right".
How long does it take to mail something?
"You should expect it to take 10-15 business days."
OK - This is a mail sent from Hong Kong. It is literally 100 miles away from my office. Given the holidays, I should expect my ATM mail to be received.....next week sometime. That's about 25 calendar days.
Is this what the Pony Express was like back in the day?
(and that's about it).
I still don't feel too comfortable posting here from work more than once a week, so postings will be sparse until we can get the external VPN set up in China.
Some quick updates:
1. I had some nice pictures to share on the topics below - but then Martin (our 2 year old) went and deleted about 20 pictures from my iPhone. He's too nimble with my phone. He sent a mail to Freddie's baseball coach in Cincinnati saying "I scored 459 on Doodle jump! Can you beat that???"
2. Should I be offended, part 1 (of many?): So the beauty of going to an international school is that the classmates are all......international! Freddie was invited to a birthday party for a classmate, who is French.
The invitation came. It had Uncle Sam on it. It said, and I quote:
"I WANT YOU......FOR MY ANNIVERSAIRE"
Um, is that legal? Can you use an icon of the USA and put a French word on it? Should I go to the consulate to complain?
3. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were holidays* here in China. On Wednesday, we took the boys to the 7 story shopping mall, which was complete with a mini amusement park and arcade. Freddie met up with a friend - so Warren and I went off together. He loves those silly carnival games where you put the token in and try to win tickets. Of course, those tickets are worthless.....80 of them will buy you one of those Chinese finger-jammer things.
Anyway, so he plays this one game where you drop the token, it lands on its side and rolls toward the edge of a rotating circle - and if the token knocks over the bar, you win! The larger the bar, the smalelr the prize, of course.
He dropped it - it rolled - and knocked over a bar about the size of a toothpick.
JACKPOT!
350 tickets came spilling out of the machine. One CHinese lady came over and wanted to take a picture of Warren. He said ok.
I expect - somewhere - that picture to be framed somewhere as part of a "Winners play here!" advertisemnt that every casino has...
"Warren Z., of Guangzhou! - 350 ticket jackpot winner!"
*4. Well, we can debate if Wed-Fri were truly holidays. The offices were closed - but, to make up for it, the office was open the Sunday before and the Sat/Sun after the holiday. You don't just get a free day off, you know! We will plead ignorance if someone asks why we weren't in the office on Sat or Sunday.
5. I locked out my ATM card in July when I was trying to set up online banking at HSBC, which is centered in Hong Kong. How do I get a new PIN? Well, I have to mail a form in! To Hong Kong!
I sent the form in on Aug 20. As of Sept 17, there has been no reply yet. So I called HSBC.
"Yes, we sent the new ATM PIN on Sept 2."
To what address?
"To the address you wrote - in China."
I put down my office address. I would hate to have it sent to the US,and then somehow get lost....
Anyway, I told them I haven't received it yet.
"Oh, you should shortly."
But you sent it on Sept 2!
"Yes, that's right".
How long does it take to mail something?
"You should expect it to take 10-15 business days."
OK - This is a mail sent from Hong Kong. It is literally 100 miles away from my office. Given the holidays, I should expect my ATM mail to be received.....next week sometime. That's about 25 calendar days.
Is this what the Pony Express was like back in the day?
Sep 15, 2010
The little things...
It's the little things that cause a lot more frustration than they should....for example:
1. Light switches. Apparently, the thought process of building contractors in the US and China are completely different.
In the US - you go into a dark bathroom. Hmmmm, it's dark - I need to turn on the light. The switch is right there on the wall.....blink! on.
In China - you go into a dark bathroom. Hmmmm, it's dark - I need to turn on the light. There are no swithces in the bathroom. The switches are located on the wall outside the bathroom.
This is consistent in every room. Apparently, you are expected to think ahead. I'm going into the bedroom. Do I need light? Well, decide now because the switches are outside the room, not in the room. There's a bank of 12 switches right by the front door. Decide NOW on what light you want to turn on - becuase if you don't, you'll be walking right back to this bank of switches to turn the light you want on.
By the way, the over/under on the number of switches I try until I find the one I want is still 6 1/2.
2. Drains: there are no traps in the common drains in China. So - any odors in the pipes come right back up and fill your bathroom. (Not to mention this is a source for roaches to come up into your house too). So they have these drain covers in place on top of the shower drains. You are also supposed to keep your sink plugs closed when not using.
These shower drains look like they drain, however. They've got holes in them! So I step into the shower for the first time, sing a couple of stanzas of Rod Stewart....and then I find the shower is flooded and water is draining....out through the shower door.
Apparently, we need to remove these covers before we shower, and then replace them when done. Chalk that up to a "teachable moment".
3. Sickness update: I still have a cough (day 13?), but it is much better. Janice and Martin, however, are not doing so well. We took Martin in to the doctor. She prescribed an inhalant. "Yes, put this mask/pipe over Martin's face, and then spray the inhalant when he breaths. Tell him to take deep breaths."
Did I mention he's 2? Yeah, that's impossible. It takes both Janice and I to hold him down and give him the medicine. It's not pretty.
4. The Mid-Autumn festival is coming! There is a sign on the conveinence store downstrairs, advertising gifts you can buy for the festival! Some options:
- a bottle of wine
- a box of moon cakes (which is a dessert speciality - not at all like Moon Pies in the US)
- flowers
- a can of SPAM
Hmmmmmmm...which one does not belong? I need to get a picture of this advertisement.
5. Yes, I watched the Browns live on Sunday (Monday?). Yes I knew the game was lost when Jake threw that interception late in the 1st half.
The only consoling factor is that I went 9-3-1, winning these games: Mia, Mia under, Pit, Det, Cin over, Ten over, NYG, Arz, and Bal. I lost Cin, Phi, Phi over, and tied the Sea under. Who didn't see a Jets meltdown coming?
Still having issues with moving into our apartment.....let's just say that if we order pizza and want mushrooms on it, we don't order the mushrooms but instead go into one of the bedrooms and pick it off the carpet.
1. Light switches. Apparently, the thought process of building contractors in the US and China are completely different.
In the US - you go into a dark bathroom. Hmmmm, it's dark - I need to turn on the light. The switch is right there on the wall.....blink! on.
In China - you go into a dark bathroom. Hmmmm, it's dark - I need to turn on the light. There are no swithces in the bathroom. The switches are located on the wall outside the bathroom.
This is consistent in every room. Apparently, you are expected to think ahead. I'm going into the bedroom. Do I need light? Well, decide now because the switches are outside the room, not in the room. There's a bank of 12 switches right by the front door. Decide NOW on what light you want to turn on - becuase if you don't, you'll be walking right back to this bank of switches to turn the light you want on.
By the way, the over/under on the number of switches I try until I find the one I want is still 6 1/2.
2. Drains: there are no traps in the common drains in China. So - any odors in the pipes come right back up and fill your bathroom. (Not to mention this is a source for roaches to come up into your house too). So they have these drain covers in place on top of the shower drains. You are also supposed to keep your sink plugs closed when not using.
These shower drains look like they drain, however. They've got holes in them! So I step into the shower for the first time, sing a couple of stanzas of Rod Stewart....and then I find the shower is flooded and water is draining....out through the shower door.
Apparently, we need to remove these covers before we shower, and then replace them when done. Chalk that up to a "teachable moment".
3. Sickness update: I still have a cough (day 13?), but it is much better. Janice and Martin, however, are not doing so well. We took Martin in to the doctor. She prescribed an inhalant. "Yes, put this mask/pipe over Martin's face, and then spray the inhalant when he breaths. Tell him to take deep breaths."
Did I mention he's 2? Yeah, that's impossible. It takes both Janice and I to hold him down and give him the medicine. It's not pretty.
4. The Mid-Autumn festival is coming! There is a sign on the conveinence store downstrairs, advertising gifts you can buy for the festival! Some options:
- a bottle of wine
- a box of moon cakes (which is a dessert speciality - not at all like Moon Pies in the US)
- flowers
- a can of SPAM
Hmmmmmmm...which one does not belong? I need to get a picture of this advertisement.
5. Yes, I watched the Browns live on Sunday (Monday?). Yes I knew the game was lost when Jake threw that interception late in the 1st half.
The only consoling factor is that I went 9-3-1, winning these games: Mia, Mia under, Pit, Det, Cin over, Ten over, NYG, Arz, and Bal. I lost Cin, Phi, Phi over, and tied the Sea under. Who didn't see a Jets meltdown coming?
Still having issues with moving into our apartment.....let's just say that if we order pizza and want mushrooms on it, we don't order the mushrooms but instead go into one of the bedrooms and pick it off the carpet.
Sep 8, 2010
The Browns
Yes, I am still excited for the NFL season to start. I was able to participate in 2 fantasy football drafts, I'm in a pick-em pool and now 2 suicide pools. And I will have two full weekend days to think about the games - unlike you suckers in America that have - at most - 1 1/2 days (and for Layup, it's just 1).
I will try not to be polly-annaish about the Browns, but here's my prediction for the season, based on teh schedule:
Games vs AFC North (6): 2-4. I do think we can win 2 in the division this year. I think we beat Pittsbrugh once (at home, probably), and then win one game against Baltimore or Cincinnati. I'm pretty sure one of those teams is overrated - they can't both go 11-5, can they? I'm leaning toward the Bengals being overrated and us winning vs. Cincinnati at home. So I think 2 wins in the division is doable.
Games vs NFC South (4): 2-2. Well, we're not beating the Saints in New Orleans. I think we should win 2 out of 3 against Tampa on the road and Carolina and Atlanta at home. I'm not that impressed with the Falcons. The opener - if we win - will go a long way to get us to 2-2 vs the NFC South. It's still doable if we lose week 1.
Games vs AFC East (4): 2-2. If we can win at Buffalo last year with the worst quarterbacking the NFL has seen in 40 years, with the Browns completing 2 passes all game and Mr. Anderson having a 0.0 rating for the second half....then we can win at Buffalo again this year.
And for those of you that don't remember the game I'm talking about, click here. This was a game for the ages.
Can we get another one among the Pats at home, Jets at home, and Dolphins on the road? I think so. Either the Pats or the Jets are overrated. Right now, my money's on the Jets being overrated and being 7-9 this year or so. But the Pats may be in decline as well. I think the game at Miami will be the toughest.
Bonus games (2): 1-1. The 2 other games are home vs. KC and at Jacksonville. Week 2 - the home opener vs. KC - is the key. We have to win that one.
Total: 7-9. I think this is a fair estimate. And if somehow we can get a 3rd win vs. the NFC South, a win at Jacksonville, and a 3rd division win - that gets us to 10-6. Hey, I can dream....
I will try not to be polly-annaish about the Browns, but here's my prediction for the season, based on teh schedule:
Games vs AFC North (6): 2-4. I do think we can win 2 in the division this year. I think we beat Pittsbrugh once (at home, probably), and then win one game against Baltimore or Cincinnati. I'm pretty sure one of those teams is overrated - they can't both go 11-5, can they? I'm leaning toward the Bengals being overrated and us winning vs. Cincinnati at home. So I think 2 wins in the division is doable.
Games vs NFC South (4): 2-2. Well, we're not beating the Saints in New Orleans. I think we should win 2 out of 3 against Tampa on the road and Carolina and Atlanta at home. I'm not that impressed with the Falcons. The opener - if we win - will go a long way to get us to 2-2 vs the NFC South. It's still doable if we lose week 1.
Games vs AFC East (4): 2-2. If we can win at Buffalo last year with the worst quarterbacking the NFL has seen in 40 years, with the Browns completing 2 passes all game and Mr. Anderson having a 0.0 rating for the second half....then we can win at Buffalo again this year.
And for those of you that don't remember the game I'm talking about, click here. This was a game for the ages.
Can we get another one among the Pats at home, Jets at home, and Dolphins on the road? I think so. Either the Pats or the Jets are overrated. Right now, my money's on the Jets being overrated and being 7-9 this year or so. But the Pats may be in decline as well. I think the game at Miami will be the toughest.
Bonus games (2): 1-1. The 2 other games are home vs. KC and at Jacksonville. Week 2 - the home opener vs. KC - is the key. We have to win that one.
Total: 7-9. I think this is a fair estimate. And if somehow we can get a 3rd win vs. the NFC South, a win at Jacksonville, and a 3rd division win - that gets us to 10-6. Hey, I can dream....
Update
Hi everyone. Sorry for the delay in updates. Let's see if I can catch people up on the news from here:
1. Some of you may know this, but I was struck by a nasty stomach "bacterial infection" about 2 weeks ago. (Actually, it started 2 weeks ago today). It started with a fever, then the chills - and then 24 hours of non-stop vomiting. I could not even keep water down. It took me about 6 days to regain any sort of appetite whatsoever.
It sucks since I was bedridden for 4-5 days and I missed Warren's party at the Ritz Carlton. However, on the bright side - when you don't eat for 6 days, you lose weight! I am down at least 5 kgs so far since I moved here. 5 more of these infections and I will be down to my "recommended" weight!
2. I was able to watch the Barclay's live while I was sick - at 5 am China time on Monday Aug 30. It was on NHK - the Japanese station. They were enamored with Ryuji Imada - I wonder why.
And if you ever wondered how to spell Tiger's name in Japanese -well, this is a screen capture of Tiger's scorecard from NHK's coverage.
3. Yesterday I had Chicken Mushroom soup for lunch - from Pizza Hut. We'll see how smart that decision is.
4. Today I went to lunch at a "hot plate" restaurant, where the meat/rice comes out on a sizzling plate. There are signs that say "Hurry and mix to avoid overcooking!". Um, overcooking is one thing I don't want to avoid right now.
The meal came as a combo, with a drink and a small soft serve ice cream cup! I got the vanilla ice cream with the chocolate topping.....
....or so I thought. It didn't taste like chocolate.
Another sign in the restaurant advertised the soft serve ice cream - with three flavorful toppings!!!! They are:
- Marrow (a brownish color)
- Green Tea (green)
- Black Sesame (black).
I got the Black Sesame, obviously. I'm glad that was the default choice.
5. We got kicked out of our temporary apartment and placed into another temp apartment, since our real place is goign to be ready this weekend. The new temp apartment is at the Ritz. Let's just say that if you are homeless and still not settled, the Ritz is a pretty damn good place to be at.
6. We are listening to "Kids Bop 18" on the way to school - and that's really the only American music I get to listen to. So now I have the whole Kids Bop album memorized in my head.
7. Homework in China for the kids >>> Homework in the US for the kids.
Aug 24, 2010
Random Notes & Observations
1. I may have ranted to many of you in the past about this....I am a big $1 coin guy. I hate the wad of dollar bills stuffed in my wallet - and for what? $1 doesn't get much anymore. My solution is to get rid of the $1, bring back the $2, and let Susan B. Anthony be famous again by putting her on a new $1 coin.
Well folks, this is my personal hell here in China.
Coin are very rare. You go into a shop to buy something that costs 6.80 yuan; you give them a 10 yuan bill - and you get 3.20 in change.
That's 3 1-yuan bills, and 2 0.1-yuan bills.
Now - if you take into account the exchange rate;
that's 3 bills worth 16 cents each, and
2 bills worth just under 2 cents each.
My wallet is thinker than the opening day in Vegas. And it's all full of small bills that total $1.47.
I've been giving the boys the 0.1-yuan bills (called "jiao") as payment for silly things like changing the channel on the TV.
2. There is no such thing as a bakery here that will bake cookies for a birthday. As a substitution, I am bringing in strwaberry and mango donuts for Warren's class in honor of his birthday (which was yesterday (but still today for some of you readers)).
3. Warren is having a party this Saturday....at the Ritz-Carlton. Every kid should have a birthday party at the Ritz, no?
4. Reason #46 why I will weigh 300 pounds after this assignment: We visited our new apartment this past Saturday. Hopefully, we can move in for good during this coming weekend. In the complex, there is a conveinience store that has many Western comfort foods, like cereal, tomato sauce, and American (and European) pop.
PS - I love the grapefruit Schweppes soda. I am not joking.
Anyway, the boys and I got ice cream there after the visit (when Janice was picking out drapery patterns for 90 minutes). I opened the ice cream freezer and saw....
oh my....Viennetta.
Viennetta has a special place in my heart (and Steve's heart, too). I'll have to share this story later, but it involved Beavis & Butthead, cards, suggestive advertising and many people at Finast thinking we were homosexuals.
But now that I know that our new place has Vienetta on a stick, I'll be gaining 20 pounds pronto.
5. Cultural references: A lot of reruns are shown here. For instance, I watched the 4th round of the AT&T National this weekend! You may not know this, but Justin Rose won! It only happened 6 weeks ago - and it was telecast on TV last weekend!
Well, apparently, China gets shows 5-10 years after they are popular in the US.
Janice had an off-site work conference for two days. She was wearing a name tag when someone in her department (but does not work for her) came up to her.
"Hi! How do you prononunce your name?"
Uh....Janice. Jan-is.
"Oh, like friends".
Janice first thought he said "French", so she asked what he meant.
"You know, Janice - like friends".
No, she said. What do you mean?
"You know, Friends. Chandler's girlfriend - Janice? The same name?"
So she is slightly mortified that people now associate her name with that character on Friends with the annoying laugh.
Aug 18, 2010
Seinfeld
Just a couple of quick notes...
- It seems like everything and anything gets done here through friends - very much how Kramer survives in Seinfeld. I asked my driver to figure out how to unlock my iPhone in order to get it to work over here.
"No Problem. I will do it today while you are at work".
Do you need me to go to a store with you?
"No. I have a friend who does it."
I expected him to say that his name was Bob Sacamano.
But it got unlocked easily (although the warrenty is now voided. Big whoop.). Now, how do I get a SIM card and a China number?
"No problem. You come with me and you can buy that from my friend."
Really? So off we go - into a Guangzhou neighborhood. We stop at a random building and enter a McDonald's. We go up a flight of stairs (most fast food restaurants are multiple floors), and then exit the McDonald's go up another flight.
THere we enter a electronics market, where it's clear I am the oldest there by more than 10 years.
We go to the apple desk. I am presented with a printout of all the China mobile #'s that are available.
"Go ahead - pick what number you want".
OK....hmm...how about this one?
"Fine!"
10 seconds later.... "oh, sorry, that's taken. Pick another?"
OK....how about this one?
"Great!........oh, sorry, that's taken...try this list!"
I am handed another piece of paper.
This one?
"Let's see....... no"
I said in my best Kramer accent: "Why don't you just tell me the number you want me to have?
So - 65 yuan later (about $9), I have unlocked my phone and have a working SIMcard that can now accept calls. No signatures, no documentation. It's nice. Much, much better than the crap we put up with in the US.
By the way - on the trip, I saw my first NFL jersey in Guangzhou. It was a caucasian (he was across the street; don't know if he was American or European)...
.... and he was wearing a Terrell Owens #81 jersey for Buffalo.
(Yesterday, on the street, I saw a 50-something Chinese man wearing a Sacramento Kings shirt with the logo from the late 90s. I am expecting to see a Montreal Expo jersey any day now - or possibly an Akili Smith jersey)
- It seems like everything and anything gets done here through friends - very much how Kramer survives in Seinfeld. I asked my driver to figure out how to unlock my iPhone in order to get it to work over here.
"No Problem. I will do it today while you are at work".
Do you need me to go to a store with you?
"No. I have a friend who does it."
I expected him to say that his name was Bob Sacamano.
But it got unlocked easily (although the warrenty is now voided. Big whoop.). Now, how do I get a SIM card and a China number?
"No problem. You come with me and you can buy that from my friend."
Really? So off we go - into a Guangzhou neighborhood. We stop at a random building and enter a McDonald's. We go up a flight of stairs (most fast food restaurants are multiple floors), and then exit the McDonald's go up another flight.
THere we enter a electronics market, where it's clear I am the oldest there by more than 10 years.
We go to the apple desk. I am presented with a printout of all the China mobile #'s that are available.
"Go ahead - pick what number you want".
OK....hmm...how about this one?
"Fine!"
10 seconds later.... "oh, sorry, that's taken. Pick another?"
OK....how about this one?
"Great!........oh, sorry, that's taken...try this list!"
I am handed another piece of paper.
This one?
"Let's see....... no"
I said in my best Kramer accent: "Why don't you just tell me the number you want me to have?
So - 65 yuan later (about $9), I have unlocked my phone and have a working SIMcard that can now accept calls. No signatures, no documentation. It's nice. Much, much better than the crap we put up with in the US.
By the way - on the trip, I saw my first NFL jersey in Guangzhou. It was a caucasian (he was across the street; don't know if he was American or European)...
.... and he was wearing a Terrell Owens #81 jersey for Buffalo.
(Yesterday, on the street, I saw a 50-something Chinese man wearing a Sacramento Kings shirt with the logo from the late 90s. I am expecting to see a Montreal Expo jersey any day now - or possibly an Akili Smith jersey)
Aug 12, 2010
Hello!
Well, we are here in China. I found a way (temporarily) to get into blogspot - as most conventional means of connecting do not let me access blogspot, twitter, facebook, youtube, and others....
It's been a long road with some ups and some downs - and some things still unsettled. The apartment search is still not finalized. I feel like the main character on "Quantum Leap" - maybe this day will finally be the day we gt our permanent residence all finalized. Right now, we do not have a real place to live yet because negotiations between the landlord and P&G are stuck --- regarding insurance, of course. So, as of Sept 2nd, we have no where to live.
Maybe today will be the day with good news......
Anyway, things are going fairly well. School has started already; the boys seem to like it. Our driver is working out well; I understand now why we can't drive here. Multiple times per trip I close my eyes thinking we will get into an accident; and yet, there is no crash.
On the Vegas gambling scale, where "Eric" would be the most conservative driver around, and "Wiz Drunk" is a careening, no-hold-barred driver, I think our driver would be like Don. Sensible, yet I swear he says "be, be aggressive" when called for. THe best move he has made so far is going the wrong way in a traffic circle to get to the other side.
I'll have more later - but wanted everyone to know we are doing fine (as fine as expected). Now the fun begins as we settled down!
It's been a long road with some ups and some downs - and some things still unsettled. The apartment search is still not finalized. I feel like the main character on "Quantum Leap" - maybe this day will finally be the day we gt our permanent residence all finalized. Right now, we do not have a real place to live yet because negotiations between the landlord and P&G are stuck --- regarding insurance, of course. So, as of Sept 2nd, we have no where to live.
Maybe today will be the day with good news......
Anyway, things are going fairly well. School has started already; the boys seem to like it. Our driver is working out well; I understand now why we can't drive here. Multiple times per trip I close my eyes thinking we will get into an accident; and yet, there is no crash.
On the Vegas gambling scale, where "Eric" would be the most conservative driver around, and "Wiz Drunk" is a careening, no-hold-barred driver, I think our driver would be like Don. Sensible, yet I swear he says "be, be aggressive" when called for. THe best move he has made so far is going the wrong way in a traffic circle to get to the other side.
I'll have more later - but wanted everyone to know we are doing fine (as fine as expected). Now the fun begins as we settled down!
Jul 21, 2010
Two weeks to go
Well everyone, we're getting close to the bug day. 2 weeks from day we will be leaving for China. It's getting exciting and a bit scary as we frantically try to get everything done. The boys are acting as pin cushions this week as we load them up with shots before the trip.
Been doing a lot of "lasts" before the move:
- Last golf round with Steve and Kermit; had that a couple of weeks ago. I was an idiot and left most of my rain gear in the car - of course, it poured for some of the front 9 and for the last 5 holes. Kermit sank a 15 footer in the pouring rain to beat me, 1 up, but I am protesting for two reasons:
a. I learned in great detail how Kermit worked on his friend's brakes on Saturday - and how that directly impacted his sex life; it impaired the use of his thumb - and I'll leave it at that.
b. Steve got this song stuck in my head for 4 holes on the back nine.
With those thoughts rolling through my head, it's no wonder why I sucked.
- Last trip to the casino with Don/Mike: We did that July 4th weekend; Don's comment was that he was disappointed that Derek's mom never showed up at the table.
A couple of firsts:
- First Skype call: You won't beleive it, but the first Skype call I successfully made was to Leland. I asked Leland if Wiz was on Skype - and Leland said that Wiz barely knows how to type, much less use 21st century technology.
- First Slingbox use: to watch the Golf Channel in my study before the British Open. Wow, it's refreshing to see a piece of technology that promises so much deliver on that promise! It was easy to set up - and the picture quality was great.
The test was to watch my living room TV in my computer room. That's a distance of, oh, 12,500 millimeters. Now the real life test will be to watch from a distance of 12,500 miles....
Been doing a lot of "lasts" before the move:
- Last golf round with Steve and Kermit; had that a couple of weeks ago. I was an idiot and left most of my rain gear in the car - of course, it poured for some of the front 9 and for the last 5 holes. Kermit sank a 15 footer in the pouring rain to beat me, 1 up, but I am protesting for two reasons:
a. I learned in great detail how Kermit worked on his friend's brakes on Saturday - and how that directly impacted his sex life; it impaired the use of his thumb - and I'll leave it at that.
b. Steve got this song stuck in my head for 4 holes on the back nine.
With those thoughts rolling through my head, it's no wonder why I sucked.
- Last trip to the casino with Don/Mike: We did that July 4th weekend; Don's comment was that he was disappointed that Derek's mom never showed up at the table.
A couple of firsts:
- First Skype call: You won't beleive it, but the first Skype call I successfully made was to Leland. I asked Leland if Wiz was on Skype - and Leland said that Wiz barely knows how to type, much less use 21st century technology.
- First Slingbox use: to watch the Golf Channel in my study before the British Open. Wow, it's refreshing to see a piece of technology that promises so much deliver on that promise! It was easy to set up - and the picture quality was great.
The test was to watch my living room TV in my computer room. That's a distance of, oh, 12,500 millimeters. Now the real life test will be to watch from a distance of 12,500 miles....
Jul 16, 2010
St. Andrews
I have a lot to blog about, but I thought this was timely.
Someone asked a British golf writer (his name is Michael Corcoran) what his thoughts are on St. Andrews. The candid, politically-incorrect response:
One thing no one likes to say but is so obviously true is that the Old Course is easy, too easy, unless there's gale force winds. ALL of the courses on the rota, save Carnoustie and Muirfield, are easy without wind, but in average weather--even with normal 20 mph winds for the setting--the Old Course, beloved as it is, is just a pitch and putt with deep bunkers and one hard hole. People get all caught up in the romance of it, and the town is the ultimate setting for the Open, but the course itself isn't even the best course in town. It was more mysterious and challenging before the big changes in equipment, but for modern players using modern gear, the course offers no more challenge than your local muni. Everyday players who get a chance to play it are blinded by their lifelong desire to play it, and for a hacker it's still a tough round. But a solid single-digit handicapper can easily go around there in the 70s even on the first try if there isn't major wind, and if they don't hyperventilate from all the romance. They'll never stop playing the Open there, but it's the least challenging venue used for any of the majors by far. It's like a Man o' War battling a nuclear aircraft carrier. The Man o' War has all the spooky legends and "hold fast" crap going for it, then gets sunk in five minutes by superior technology. It's true they all play the same course, even if the weather changes during the day, so it's still fair, but the Old is the only course in championship golf where a player can be several clicks off his game and not only compete, but perhaps even win. That's why this week is Tiger's best chance this year. Not because he's awesome or will overcome tremendous adversity etc., but because the Old, barring a hurricane, is easy. Like he likes his women.
Well - Mr. Corcoran - tell us how you really feel!
Someone asked a British golf writer (his name is Michael Corcoran) what his thoughts are on St. Andrews. The candid, politically-incorrect response:
One thing no one likes to say but is so obviously true is that the Old Course is easy, too easy, unless there's gale force winds. ALL of the courses on the rota, save Carnoustie and Muirfield, are easy without wind, but in average weather--even with normal 20 mph winds for the setting--the Old Course, beloved as it is, is just a pitch and putt with deep bunkers and one hard hole. People get all caught up in the romance of it, and the town is the ultimate setting for the Open, but the course itself isn't even the best course in town. It was more mysterious and challenging before the big changes in equipment, but for modern players using modern gear, the course offers no more challenge than your local muni. Everyday players who get a chance to play it are blinded by their lifelong desire to play it, and for a hacker it's still a tough round. But a solid single-digit handicapper can easily go around there in the 70s even on the first try if there isn't major wind, and if they don't hyperventilate from all the romance. They'll never stop playing the Open there, but it's the least challenging venue used for any of the majors by far. It's like a Man o' War battling a nuclear aircraft carrier. The Man o' War has all the spooky legends and "hold fast" crap going for it, then gets sunk in five minutes by superior technology. It's true they all play the same course, even if the weather changes during the day, so it's still fair, but the Old is the only course in championship golf where a player can be several clicks off his game and not only compete, but perhaps even win. That's why this week is Tiger's best chance this year. Not because he's awesome or will overcome tremendous adversity etc., but because the Old, barring a hurricane, is easy. Like he likes his women.
Well - Mr. Corcoran - tell us how you really feel!
Jul 8, 2010
The signing
Well, I'm sure most of you have heard the news by now. A big signing occured today that imapacts Cleveland sports....
yes! Bobby Engram signed as a free agent! He's the veteran 3rd WR that may be able to help Robiskie and Massaquoi grow and develop. Delhomme to Engram for 6!
Several things strike me as puzzling about the whole deal today...
1. LeBron makes such a big deal about this prime time special - and all the news this morning was a "leak" that he would sign with the Heat. How did he allow a leak to come out and upstage this show?
2. Jim Gray? Cmon....where is Craig Sager when you need him?
3. Match Game time! Fill in the blank. "The Miami Heat is _______'s team". If you said Dwyane Wade, you matched Nipset Russel, Charles Nelson Reilly, Vicki Lawrence, and Richard Dawson. Elaine Joyce said "Pat Riley", and Brett Sommers was drunk - she answered "Rony Seikaly".
Point is - it's not clear who the "alpha dog" is on this team. Is that really what LeBron wants?
4. Oh, he talked about challenge. "This presents the greatest challenge out there for me - going to Miami with Wade and Bosh to win".
Um, excuse me. Yes, you may be able to win with Wade and Bosh. But this is not a huge challenge.
It is now crystal clear that the toughest challenge in team sports for any athlete is to win a championship in the city of Cleveland. Many great athletes have tried in the past - and failed. Athletes who have won before - and after - their stay in Cleveland have all failed since 1964.
Going to Miami is like playing the Masters from the forward tees - it may help you win, but it's not a challenge. If you truly wanted a "great" challenge like you say, then stay in Cleveland and play the Masters with persimmon woods and a balata ball.
It's not the decision that pisses me off - it's the spectacle and the lies associated with it.
yes! Bobby Engram signed as a free agent! He's the veteran 3rd WR that may be able to help Robiskie and Massaquoi grow and develop. Delhomme to Engram for 6!
Several things strike me as puzzling about the whole deal today...
1. LeBron makes such a big deal about this prime time special - and all the news this morning was a "leak" that he would sign with the Heat. How did he allow a leak to come out and upstage this show?
2. Jim Gray? Cmon....where is Craig Sager when you need him?
3. Match Game time! Fill in the blank. "The Miami Heat is _______'s team". If you said Dwyane Wade, you matched Nipset Russel, Charles Nelson Reilly, Vicki Lawrence, and Richard Dawson. Elaine Joyce said "Pat Riley", and Brett Sommers was drunk - she answered "Rony Seikaly".
Point is - it's not clear who the "alpha dog" is on this team. Is that really what LeBron wants?
4. Oh, he talked about challenge. "This presents the greatest challenge out there for me - going to Miami with Wade and Bosh to win".
Um, excuse me. Yes, you may be able to win with Wade and Bosh. But this is not a huge challenge.
It is now crystal clear that the toughest challenge in team sports for any athlete is to win a championship in the city of Cleveland. Many great athletes have tried in the past - and failed. Athletes who have won before - and after - their stay in Cleveland have all failed since 1964.
Going to Miami is like playing the Masters from the forward tees - it may help you win, but it's not a challenge. If you truly wanted a "great" challenge like you say, then stay in Cleveland and play the Masters with persimmon woods and a balata ball.
It's not the decision that pisses me off - it's the spectacle and the lies associated with it.
Parenting Question
So -
Do I let (or make) Freddie (who is 9, by the way) watch the LeBron show tonight?
I think it will hurt him - not crush him, but he will be very disappointed.
Is it time to expose him to the Cleveland curse with sporting events? Losing to the Lions on an untimed play is one thing - losing the biggest superstar the city has ever had is completely another.
For the record, my first memory of a crushing blow for Cleveland sports was the Red Right 88 game vs. Oakland in 1981. I, too, was 9.
Do I let (or make) Freddie (who is 9, by the way) watch the LeBron show tonight?
I think it will hurt him - not crush him, but he will be very disappointed.
Is it time to expose him to the Cleveland curse with sporting events? Losing to the Lions on an untimed play is one thing - losing the biggest superstar the city has ever had is completely another.
For the record, my first memory of a crushing blow for Cleveland sports was the Red Right 88 game vs. Oakland in 1981. I, too, was 9.
Jul 7, 2010
Decision Time
Dear LeBron,
I’m not going to watch your TV show on Thursday evening because my wife already told me your answer. (There is no way this guy drags out this story, then books a 1 hour TV show to kick Cleveland in the mouth) You are staying in Cleveland to play for the Cavaliers. To that I say Thank You.
As we look forward to the future, let me start with this …I forgive you for quitting during the Celtics series. Before you say anything, just stop. We all know you quit. Every sports writer in America is afraid to call you out on that one. Before you start talking about your stats in the last 2 games, you can get a triple double whenever you want, but that doesn’t mean your team will win. Bottom line, you didn’t do enough. I’m glad you realize the fans of Chicago or New York would eat you alive.
I have no idea what occurred in the locker room to turn off the fire. Whatever, whomever, the cancer, make sure its gone by the time camp opens.
About last nigh
Had a terrible nightmare last night....
So I'm in Vegas at the Mirage with the normal group. Eric, Wiz, Mike, Lee, and I go to the UTH table. Don is playing Craps by himself across the way. Don't know why he isn't playing with us.
We are playing for a while and I'm on a tremendous run. Up probably a couple of grand and the dealer decides to take a break. But instead of having another dealer step up in his place, the dealer turns the table over to Eric. But Eric doesn't move out of his seat, he just deals the cards sitting right next to me. So the next hand I think I was playing $500 in each the blind and the ante. Anyway, the next hand I get a full house and the dealer has a straight. The rest of the table losses and Eric then proceeds to return everyones' blind. And I can still remember vividly the following exchange:
Derek: Ummmm Eric, what the heck are you doing? The dealer qualifies.
Eric: No he doesn't. The dealer doesn't have a pair.
Derek: I know he doesn't have a pair, he has a straight
Eric: Doesn't matter. The dealer needs to have a pair.
Derek: What the fuck. The dealer has better than a pair. He qualifies. Now return the blinds.
Eric: Nope
Derek: Wiz, what is Eric's problem?
Wiz: Nothings wrong with Eric. The dealer doesn't qualify.
Derek: WHAT!!!! The dealer has a straight!!!!
Wiz: I know, but the dealer needs to have a pair.
Derek: Lee....Come on. Help me out. This is crazy.
Lee: I hate this game. I'm just here for the company. I don't know the rules.
Derek: Mike?
Mike: I lost the hand so I don't care.
Derek: Pit Boss, come on over here.
Pit Boss: Yup. The dealer doesn't qualify since he doesn't have a pair.
Derek: WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!!!!!!! You guys are just doing this because you lost the hand and I'm the only one that won.
Eric: Well......
And then I wake up. No joke I was so pissed off I almost called Eric to yell at him, but I didn't want to wake up Carol. I was so bothered by this, I couldn't fall back to sleep and was stuck watching Morning Joe for an hour.
So I'm in Vegas at the Mirage with the normal group. Eric, Wiz, Mike, Lee, and I go to the UTH table. Don is playing Craps by himself across the way. Don't know why he isn't playing with us.
We are playing for a while and I'm on a tremendous run. Up probably a couple of grand and the dealer decides to take a break. But instead of having another dealer step up in his place, the dealer turns the table over to Eric. But Eric doesn't move out of his seat, he just deals the cards sitting right next to me. So the next hand I think I was playing $500 in each the blind and the ante. Anyway, the next hand I get a full house and the dealer has a straight. The rest of the table losses and Eric then proceeds to return everyones' blind. And I can still remember vividly the following exchange:
Derek: Ummmm Eric, what the heck are you doing? The dealer qualifies.
Eric: No he doesn't. The dealer doesn't have a pair.
Derek: I know he doesn't have a pair, he has a straight
Eric: Doesn't matter. The dealer needs to have a pair.
Derek: What the fuck. The dealer has better than a pair. He qualifies. Now return the blinds.
Eric: Nope
Derek: Wiz, what is Eric's problem?
Wiz: Nothings wrong with Eric. The dealer doesn't qualify.
Derek: WHAT!!!! The dealer has a straight!!!!
Wiz: I know, but the dealer needs to have a pair.
Derek: Lee....Come on. Help me out. This is crazy.
Lee: I hate this game. I'm just here for the company. I don't know the rules.
Derek: Mike?
Mike: I lost the hand so I don't care.
Derek: Pit Boss, come on over here.
Pit Boss: Yup. The dealer doesn't qualify since he doesn't have a pair.
Derek: WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!!!!!!! You guys are just doing this because you lost the hand and I'm the only one that won.
Eric: Well......
And then I wake up. No joke I was so pissed off I almost called Eric to yell at him, but I didn't want to wake up Carol. I was so bothered by this, I couldn't fall back to sleep and was stuck watching Morning Joe for an hour.
Jul 4, 2010
World Cup Update
Just one question before we get started:
So who is in charge of duct-taping the numbers on the back of Holland's jerseys? Goodness, they look like graphics that show the prices at a Gulf gas station from 1979.
We have a new leader!
Craig: 19 pts in group play + 6 pts in knockout play = 25 (Holland is still left)
Don: 22 + 2 = 24 (out)
Eric: 18 + 4 = 22 (Germany)
Mike: 16 + 6 = 22 (Uruguay)
Layup: 18 + 0 = 18 (out)
Wiz: 15 + 2 = 17 (out)
Leland: 10 + 4 = 14 (Spain)
Ryan: 12 + 0 = 12 (out)
Side pool update coming via email.
So who is in charge of duct-taping the numbers on the back of Holland's jerseys? Goodness, they look like graphics that show the prices at a Gulf gas station from 1979.
We have a new leader!
Craig: 19 pts in group play + 6 pts in knockout play = 25 (Holland is still left)
Don: 22 + 2 = 24 (out)
Eric: 18 + 4 = 22 (Germany)
Mike: 16 + 6 = 22 (Uruguay)
Layup: 18 + 0 = 18 (out)
Wiz: 15 + 2 = 17 (out)
Leland: 10 + 4 = 14 (Spain)
Ryan: 12 + 0 = 12 (out)
Side pool update coming via email.
Jun 25, 2010
World Cup Update, Day 15 - End of Group Play
Remember to send your knockout round predictions to me-with the tiebreaker being the total # of goals scored in all games of the knockout round - by 9:30 Saturday.
Don: 9-4-6-3 = 22 (2 alive)
Craig: 9-5-4-1 = 19 (3 alive)
Eric: 6-4-4-4 = 18 (4 alive)
Layup: 5-3-4-6 = 18 (2 alive)
Mike: 7-7-1-1 = 16 (2 alive)
Wiz: 1-5-5-4 = 15 (2 alive)
Ryan: 2-3-3-4 = 12 (0 alive)
Leland: 6-4-0-0 = 10 (1 alive)
You know, there should be an NIT bracket as well for the bottom 8 teams. What would that look like?
(1) Serbia vs (8) North Korea
(4) Nigeria vs (5) France
(2) Italy vs (7) Honduras
(3) Algeria vs (6) Cameroon
Total goals scored in this tournament: 2, maybe.
Don: 9-4-6-3 = 22 (2 alive)
Craig: 9-5-4-1 = 19 (3 alive)
Eric: 6-4-4-4 = 18 (4 alive)
Layup: 5-3-4-6 = 18 (2 alive)
Mike: 7-7-1-1 = 16 (2 alive)
Wiz: 1-5-5-4 = 15 (2 alive)
Ryan: 2-3-3-4 = 12 (0 alive)
Leland: 6-4-0-0 = 10 (1 alive)
You know, there should be an NIT bracket as well for the bottom 8 teams. What would that look like?
(1) Serbia vs (8) North Korea
(4) Nigeria vs (5) France
(2) Italy vs (7) Honduras
(3) Algeria vs (6) Cameroon
Total goals scored in this tournament: 2, maybe.
Jun 23, 2010
World Cup Update, Day 13
If this doesn't give you goose bumps.....
Don: 9-4-6-2 = 21 (1 in, 1 eliminated)
Craig: 6-5-4-0 = 15 (3 in)
Eric: 6-4-1-4 = 15 (3 in)
Mike: 6-7-1-1 = 15 (2 in, 2 eliminated)
Layup: 5-3-4-3 = 15 (1 in, 1 eliminated)
Ryan: 2-3-3-4 = 12 (3 eliminated)
Wiz: 1-4-4-3 = 12 (1 eliminated)
Leland: 3-1-0-0 = 4 (2 eliminated)
Don: 9-4-6-2 = 21 (1 in, 1 eliminated)
Craig: 6-5-4-0 = 15 (3 in)
Eric: 6-4-1-4 = 15 (3 in)
Mike: 6-7-1-1 = 15 (2 in, 2 eliminated)
Layup: 5-3-4-3 = 15 (1 in, 1 eliminated)
Ryan: 2-3-3-4 = 12 (3 eliminated)
Wiz: 1-4-4-3 = 12 (1 eliminated)
Leland: 3-1-0-0 = 4 (2 eliminated)
Jun 22, 2010
World Cup Update, Day 11 - End of Round 2
Here are the scores at the end of Round 2:
Don: 6-1-6-2 = 15
Ryan: 2-3-3-4 = 12
Craig: 6-2-4-0 = 12
Wiz: 1-4-4-3 = 12
Eric: 3-4-1-3 = 11
Mike: 6-4-0-1 = 11
Layup: 2-3-1-3 = 9
Leland: 3-1-0-0 = 4
Let me know if there are errors!
Don: 6-1-6-2 = 15
Ryan: 2-3-3-4 = 12
Craig: 6-2-4-0 = 12
Wiz: 1-4-4-3 = 12
Eric: 3-4-1-3 = 11
Mike: 6-4-0-1 = 11
Layup: 2-3-1-3 = 9
Leland: 3-1-0-0 = 4
Let me know if there are errors!
Jun 20, 2010
World Cup Update, Day 10
Great US Open. It's strangely fascinating to see an 80+ round out of the final group, like Gore and Goosen in 05 and now Dustin this year. It shouldn't happen every year, but once in a while keeps us all on edge.
(And by the way - Dustin's caddy should get $0 for his lack of performance between the chips on 2 and the lip out on 4. Where was he?)
One unexpected question has popped up about the scoring in the World Cup Pool: what happens in a forfeit? I think any team that forfeits loses 5 points in our pool. Bonjour, Wiz!
Don: 6-1-3-2 = 12
Ryan: 2-3-3-4 = 12
Craig: 6-2-4-0 = 12
Eric: 3-4-1-3 = 11
Mike: 6-4-0-1 = 11
Layup: 2-3-1-3 = 9
Wiz: 1-1-4-3 = 9
Leland: 0-1-0-0 = 1
Leland and Wiz has 2 games in hand; Don and Craig have 1 game in hand.
(And by the way - Dustin's caddy should get $0 for his lack of performance between the chips on 2 and the lip out on 4. Where was he?)
One unexpected question has popped up about the scoring in the World Cup Pool: what happens in a forfeit? I think any team that forfeits loses 5 points in our pool. Bonjour, Wiz!
Don: 6-1-3-2 = 12
Ryan: 2-3-3-4 = 12
Craig: 6-2-4-0 = 12
Eric: 3-4-1-3 = 11
Mike: 6-4-0-1 = 11
Layup: 2-3-1-3 = 9
Wiz: 1-1-4-3 = 9
Leland: 0-1-0-0 = 1
Leland and Wiz has 2 games in hand; Don and Craig have 1 game in hand.
Jun 17, 2010
World Cup Update - Day 7
Love the way the US Open is setting up. -2 the leading score after 18? Love it. I think the winning score will be even.
Here are the standings; first, the official standings after the 1st round games. The four numbers are the points accumulated by your four picks, in order.
Don: 3-1-3-1 = 8
Eric: 3-1-1-3 = 8
Craig: 3-1-3-0 = 7
Wiz: 1-1-1-3 = 6
Mike: 3-1-0-0 = 4
Layup: 1-0-0-3 = 4
Ryan: 1-0-0-3 = 4
Leland: 0-1-0-0 = 1
And now up to the minute standings:
Don: 6-1-3-1 = 11
Eric: 3-4-1-3 = 11
Craig: 3-1-3-0 = 7
Mike: 3-4-0-0 = 7
Ryan: 1-0-3-3 = 7
Wiz: 1-1-1-3 = 6
Layup: 1-0-0-3 = 4
Leland: 0-1-0-0 = 1
Here are the standings; first, the official standings after the 1st round games. The four numbers are the points accumulated by your four picks, in order.
Don: 3-1-3-1 = 8
Eric: 3-1-1-3 = 8
Craig: 3-1-3-0 = 7
Wiz: 1-1-1-3 = 6
Mike: 3-1-0-0 = 4
Layup: 1-0-0-3 = 4
Ryan: 1-0-0-3 = 4
Leland: 0-1-0-0 = 1
And now up to the minute standings:
Don: 6-1-3-1 = 11
Eric: 3-4-1-3 = 11
Craig: 3-1-3-0 = 7
Mike: 3-4-0-0 = 7
Ryan: 1-0-3-3 = 7
Wiz: 1-1-1-3 = 6
Layup: 1-0-0-3 = 4
Leland: 0-1-0-0 = 1
Jun 14, 2010
World Cup Update, Day 4
You know that financial advice you hear - you should hang on to tax returns for 7 years?
That's the truth. Just got a letter from our good friends in Columbus that they don't have a tax return for me from 2004 and 2005! If I can't prove why I didn't file an Ohio tax return, I'm going to get all sorts of penalties. Nice.
Eric: 3-1-0-3 = 7
Craig: 3-1-3-0 = 7
Don: 3-1-0-0 = 4
Layup: 1-0-0-3 = 4
Ryan: 1-0-0-3 = 4
Wiz: 1-0-1-0 = 2
Mike: 0-1-0-0 = 1
Leland: 0-0-0-0 = 0
That's the truth. Just got a letter from our good friends in Columbus that they don't have a tax return for me from 2004 and 2005! If I can't prove why I didn't file an Ohio tax return, I'm going to get all sorts of penalties. Nice.
Eric: 3-1-0-3 = 7
Craig: 3-1-3-0 = 7
Don: 3-1-0-0 = 4
Layup: 1-0-0-3 = 4
Ryan: 1-0-0-3 = 4
Wiz: 1-0-1-0 = 2
Mike: 0-1-0-0 = 1
Leland: 0-0-0-0 = 0
Jun 12, 2010
World Cup Update, Day 2
Should we be happy with that result? I say yes, others say no - that the US should have won. I'm not sure.
I am happy with South Korea's effort!
Eric 0-1-0-3 = 4
Don 3-1-0-0 = 4
Mike 0-1-0-0 = 1
Craig 0-1-0-0 = 1
Wiz 1-0-0-0 = 1
Layup 1-0-0-0 = 1
Ryan 0-0-0-0 = 0
Leland 0-0-0-0 = 0
I am happy with South Korea's effort!
Eric 0-1-0-3 = 4
Don 3-1-0-0 = 4
Mike 0-1-0-0 = 1
Craig 0-1-0-0 = 1
Wiz 1-0-0-0 = 1
Layup 1-0-0-0 = 1
Ryan 0-0-0-0 = 0
Leland 0-0-0-0 = 0
Ramblings
This site is going to die once Eric goes to china right? We are going to be forced to go to China's version of a blog where Eric will be restricted on commenting on anything other than how great baccarat is and the importance of putting enough top spin on a ping pong ball.
A couple of comments before Morgan wakes up:
1. Doesn't Maradona look and act like an older fatter mr. Diangelo?
2. Listening to soccer on the radio is the worst thing ever. I tried listening to the Mexico South Africa game yesterday on the way into work and it sounded like a bee hive in my car. Plus I don't know anyone so it was worthless.
3. Heard that the world cup will bring in 4 billion. This is nothing compared to the 19 billion the NFL brings in over the same time frame.
3. Interviewing babysitters this past week. Lots of fun. Trying to figure out which 20 year old girl won't bring her boyfriend over and screw on my bed. Found a nice 22 year old Jewish girl with a big nose who is involved in her temple to take the lead. Let's hope for the best.
4. Morgan went to Vegas before her 6 month b day! Forgot the baby holder at home wanted to play craps while she was strapped on my back.
A couple of comments before Morgan wakes up:
1. Doesn't Maradona look and act like an older fatter mr. Diangelo?
2. Listening to soccer on the radio is the worst thing ever. I tried listening to the Mexico South Africa game yesterday on the way into work and it sounded like a bee hive in my car. Plus I don't know anyone so it was worthless.
3. Heard that the world cup will bring in 4 billion. This is nothing compared to the 19 billion the NFL brings in over the same time frame.
3. Interviewing babysitters this past week. Lots of fun. Trying to figure out which 20 year old girl won't bring her boyfriend over and screw on my bed. Found a nice 22 year old Jewish girl with a big nose who is involved in her temple to take the lead. Let's hope for the best.
4. Morgan went to Vegas before her 6 month b day! Forgot the baby holder at home wanted to play craps while she was strapped on my back.
Jun 11, 2010
World Cup Update - Day 1
Here is the update after day 1. The winners? Everyone who didn't have a team going, since no one got 3 points for the win.
I've broken down the points scored in their order of being picked by the owner - so if your first "pick" gets less than Don's last pick, that's no good - no good at all.
Eric 0-1-0-0 = 1
Mike 0-1-0-0 = 1
Don 0-1-0-0 = 1
Wiz 1-0-0-0 = 1
Layup 0-0-0-0 = 0
Ryan 0-0-0-0 = 0
Craig 0-0-0-0 = 0
Leland 0-0-0-0 = 0
I'll try to update every day.
I've broken down the points scored in their order of being picked by the owner - so if your first "pick" gets less than Don's last pick, that's no good - no good at all.
Eric 0-1-0-0 = 1
Mike 0-1-0-0 = 1
Don 0-1-0-0 = 1
Wiz 1-0-0-0 = 1
Layup 0-0-0-0 = 0
Ryan 0-0-0-0 = 0
Craig 0-0-0-0 = 0
Leland 0-0-0-0 = 0
I'll try to update every day.
The Dominos are starting to fall
What will NCAA football (and basketball) look like in 2012? Who knows? The first domino fell today with Nebraska going to the Big 10, and now Colorado has gone to the Pac 10.
Where will it stop? Nobody really knows. However, I laughed so hard when I read this from Stewart Mandel on cnnsi:
While it's entirely possible the Huskers will be joined by two to four other newcomers by year's end -- be it Notre Dame, Rutgers, Maryland, Missouri or Syracuse -- for now, Nebraska's addition appears to be largely Delany's way of making a splash.
Wait, what?
Maryland in the Big 10? Oh my, will that shut up the coastal elites like Leland, Layup and others....
Jun 9, 2010
World Cup Draft
Here we go! Here are the teams for our 2nd (?) World Cup pool. Names listed in order of picking so one can reconstruct the draft if they so choose.
Mike: Brazil, Uruguay, Nigeria, Algeria
Don: Argentina, South Africa, Chile, New Zealand
Leland: Spain, Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, North Korea
Layup: England, Denmark, Australia, Japan
Ryan: Italy, Serbia, Greece, Slovenia
Craig: Netherlands, USA, Ghana, Honduras
Wiz: France, Portugal, Paraguay, Switzerland
Eric: Germany, Mexico, Slovakia, South Korea
Early lines for total number of wins in pool play:
Mike: 5.5
Don: 5.5
Leland: 5
Layup: 5.5
Ryan: 5.5
Craig: 5
Wiz: 4
Eric: 5
Mike: Brazil, Uruguay, Nigeria, Algeria
Don: Argentina, South Africa, Chile, New Zealand
Leland: Spain, Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, North Korea
Layup: England, Denmark, Australia, Japan
Ryan: Italy, Serbia, Greece, Slovenia
Craig: Netherlands, USA, Ghana, Honduras
Wiz: France, Portugal, Paraguay, Switzerland
Eric: Germany, Mexico, Slovakia, South Korea
Early lines for total number of wins in pool play:
Mike: 5.5
Don: 5.5
Leland: 5
Layup: 5.5
Ryan: 5.5
Craig: 5
Wiz: 4
Eric: 5
The dangers of home scanners
So a college friend of mine finally scanned in some of his pictures from Case and sent them out to a group of us. Wow - we were so young 20 years ago.
Of course, many of them are embarassing. I feel like, for full disclosure, I should put one of them on the blog.
But jees, even this one puts me in a bad light. I mean, my God, why am I wearing a Penn State sweatshirt?
And I guess if I ever feel overweight, all I have to do is to look at this picture and I will feel better.
Jun 3, 2010
Does Layup Write For Deadspin?
What are the odds that I would be the next person to blog after Eric? 10-1? 20-1?
Anyhoo, I read this article on Deadspin today and it made me think that Layup wrote it. Especially the "Great Moment in Poop History" part of the article. It's long as shit, but pretty damn funny.
BTW, I'm in Orlando this week for a work conference and I hate this fucking place. Chain restaurants everywhere, it's hot as fuck (went for a run at 6:15am and it was 75 degrees and about 80% humidity), and it's fat-ass WT central. Went to a work party at the Universal CityWalk and it was WT fat asses as far as you could see. Is there a state with more WT than Florida? West Virginia, maybe?
Anyhoo, I read this article on Deadspin today and it made me think that Layup wrote it. Especially the "Great Moment in Poop History" part of the article. It's long as shit, but pretty damn funny.
BTW, I'm in Orlando this week for a work conference and I hate this fucking place. Chain restaurants everywhere, it's hot as fuck (went for a run at 6:15am and it was 75 degrees and about 80% humidity), and it's fat-ass WT central. Went to a work party at the Universal CityWalk and it was WT fat asses as far as you could see. Is there a state with more WT than Florida? West Virginia, maybe?
Advice to the Republicans
If I may, a couple of words of advice to the Republicans if they want to win in November, 2010:
1. A lot of people are investigating and criticizing the deals that Obama and the White House may or may not have made to keep Senate priamry challengers out in Pennsylvania and (maybe) Colorado. Apparently, the White House offered Joe Sestak (PA) and Andrew Romanoff (CO) some sort of job (maybe) if they would drop their challenge to the preferred Democrtatic incumbent candidate. Both Sestak and Romanoff declined; Sestak won the primary in PA and the CO primary is in August.
Many in the Republican side want to highlight this as a scandal, and call for congressional investigations into the matter.
My advice: drop it.
My first gut rule of scandals: Can you summarize the "scandal" nicely in one sentence to someone who is impartial?
I think this is a very good rule for any scandal. I believe this is why the Joe Wilson/Valerie Plame "scandal" never caught on. How do you summarize that in one sentence? You couldn't. If it's too hard to explain, it's not going to catch on.
Can you summarize this Obama scandal here? What would you say? "Obama is trying to use his power to pull strings and get opponents out of the Democratic primary!"
The obvious response: "So?"
What's illegal here? What's the wrong doing?
The Republicans do have a point when they say that Obama claimed to be "a different kind of politician....not going to be politics-as-usual", and then they admit to possbily dangling jobs out there to get people to drop out. That's a fair critique...but save that for the campaign. That's not worthy of investigation.
Just note these incidents, get sound bites from Gibbs/Sestak/others, and build your campaign commercials for 2010 and 2012 - and move on.
2. What the Republicans should focus on is his handling of the Oil Spill since the news conference. Boy, has Obama mishandled this. Is he, or is he not in charge? Did he fire the head of the MMS? Does the buck stop at Obama? Is it his responsibility?
Obama's news conference last week sent the message that he is in charge; he is leading the efforts, and he is responsible. Here are the quotes:
"My job is to get this fixed."
"I ultimately take responsibility for this effort, and the buck stops with me".
Great. So what are the two key actions that people see him doing after that news conference?
1. The day after the news conference, the Attoney General announces the government will go ahead and investigate criminal charges against BP.
Now, there's probably some validity to that investigation, as laws may have been broken....but tell me how exactly throwing the book at them NOW will help to speed up the process to get the spill fixed? Why not wait for it to be fixed - you will need their help, by the way - until announcing criminal charges?
This is a distraction from the true task of plugging the hole.
2. Two days ago, President Obama was seen at the White House at a honorary concert for Paul McCartney. The President was dancing on stage, singing, partying - even enjoying the political potshots being lobbed by the honoree, Mr. McCartney. "It's good to have an occupant at the White House who knows what a library is for!" said Mr. McCartney. Laughs all around.
That is a very stark contrast to the continual oil flow coming out of the pipe in the ocean.
How exactly is the buck stopping with you, Mr. President, if you find time to yuk it up with Paul McCartney? That visual says more than 1000 words, and the Republicans should exploit that as much as possible to their advantage.
Drop the Sestak investigation and hammer at the incompetence theme - partying while the well is still leaking.
1. A lot of people are investigating and criticizing the deals that Obama and the White House may or may not have made to keep Senate priamry challengers out in Pennsylvania and (maybe) Colorado. Apparently, the White House offered Joe Sestak (PA) and Andrew Romanoff (CO) some sort of job (maybe) if they would drop their challenge to the preferred Democrtatic incumbent candidate. Both Sestak and Romanoff declined; Sestak won the primary in PA and the CO primary is in August.
Many in the Republican side want to highlight this as a scandal, and call for congressional investigations into the matter.
My advice: drop it.
My first gut rule of scandals: Can you summarize the "scandal" nicely in one sentence to someone who is impartial?
I think this is a very good rule for any scandal. I believe this is why the Joe Wilson/Valerie Plame "scandal" never caught on. How do you summarize that in one sentence? You couldn't. If it's too hard to explain, it's not going to catch on.
Can you summarize this Obama scandal here? What would you say? "Obama is trying to use his power to pull strings and get opponents out of the Democratic primary!"
The obvious response: "So?"
What's illegal here? What's the wrong doing?
The Republicans do have a point when they say that Obama claimed to be "a different kind of politician....not going to be politics-as-usual", and then they admit to possbily dangling jobs out there to get people to drop out. That's a fair critique...but save that for the campaign. That's not worthy of investigation.
Just note these incidents, get sound bites from Gibbs/Sestak/others, and build your campaign commercials for 2010 and 2012 - and move on.
2. What the Republicans should focus on is his handling of the Oil Spill since the news conference. Boy, has Obama mishandled this. Is he, or is he not in charge? Did he fire the head of the MMS? Does the buck stop at Obama? Is it his responsibility?
Obama's news conference last week sent the message that he is in charge; he is leading the efforts, and he is responsible. Here are the quotes:
"My job is to get this fixed."
"I ultimately take responsibility for this effort, and the buck stops with me".
Great. So what are the two key actions that people see him doing after that news conference?
1. The day after the news conference, the Attoney General announces the government will go ahead and investigate criminal charges against BP.
Now, there's probably some validity to that investigation, as laws may have been broken....but tell me how exactly throwing the book at them NOW will help to speed up the process to get the spill fixed? Why not wait for it to be fixed - you will need their help, by the way - until announcing criminal charges?
This is a distraction from the true task of plugging the hole.
2. Two days ago, President Obama was seen at the White House at a honorary concert for Paul McCartney. The President was dancing on stage, singing, partying - even enjoying the political potshots being lobbed by the honoree, Mr. McCartney. "It's good to have an occupant at the White House who knows what a library is for!" said Mr. McCartney. Laughs all around.
That is a very stark contrast to the continual oil flow coming out of the pipe in the ocean.
How exactly is the buck stopping with you, Mr. President, if you find time to yuk it up with Paul McCartney? That visual says more than 1000 words, and the Republicans should exploit that as much as possible to their advantage.
Drop the Sestak investigation and hammer at the incompetence theme - partying while the well is still leaking.
One more China note
As we had our tour of the school, things were going well. The classrooms looked like any normal American classroom, the hallways were outside - very much like my high school in Sacramento - the cafeteria seemed similar....
then we went to the gym.
My first, immediate thought:
My God, my boys will be learning to play basketball with the international trapezoidal lane instead of the good old-fashioned American rectangular lane! THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!!!
May 29, 2010
Notes from the Far East
Well, back from China now for seven days. I see there's hasn't been much happening on the blog since I left.
(Actually, nothing from anyone else since Apr 4. In fact, there are odds posted at MGM Mirage:
Which will happen first?
The oil leak in the underground Gulf is plugged -130
Someone besides Eric posts on F&J +110
-ed )
But I digress. As some of you know, we have a reprieve - our paperwork is being delayed, so we aren't leaving for China until mid-July. This means we have soem time to get everything done around here throughout the month of June - like stocking up on Cascade, Hefty trash bags, chocolate syrup, and Off.
Random notes about the trip:
- I can't reliably access blogspot.com, nor twitter. I did not have the audacity to try to access the on-line gambling site on my P&G work computer. Someone said (another P&G ex-pat) that I need to buy my own VPN, based in Hong Kong. I'll look into that - but any thoughts from the gallery out there?
- Walking off the plane, we were hit with this wall of humidity - at 6 in the morning. It was 85 degrees and at least 90% humidity. It felt like one of those August mornings in Baltimore where it feels that it will rain any moment. It was like that all week.
We remarked to a local: "gees, the heat here is bad, isn't it?"
"Heat? Oh no. It will get 10 degrees warmer (that's 10 degrees warmer in Celsius!!!) in July and August!"
Oh great.
We did not see the sun all week; apparently, we will see the sun/blue skies about 10 days on average.
- The pollution, however, was suprprisingly good. Some ex-pats said it got a whole lot better since the Olympics; 3 years ago, it was suffocating. I didn't notice it at all over a week.
- House hunting was (and is) difficult. We need a 4 bedroom apartment, because of the kids and the need for us to have some sort of office (as we will be taking many late night calls for fantasy football/work). However, there just are not many of those in Guangzhou. It's a classic case of supply and demand. There's no supply - so prices are exponentially higher when moving from a 3 bedroom to a 4 bedroom place.
- Food? Food was good. Many of our Chinese hosts ordered for us - and it was great. Problem is - we will never be able to order that food again, since we don't know what the dish is called. This is espeically a problem at the dim sum restaurants.
- In order to get a work permit for China, we have to go through a state-sponsored medical examination. Let's just say that the exam - which took 3 hours - will haunt me for a long time. You were shuffled from room to room in a 1950s style block building; in each room you were greeted by someone with the personality of Krauss from "Benson".
I had an ultrasound done on me.
- The Asian games are coming! Guangzhou is hosting the 2010 Asian Games in November. This is the 16th playing of the games. This is a huge deal, apparently - and therefore there is an enormous amount of construction going on to get ready.
And - unfortunately - it's all on tight timing. Construction is going on 24/7 - so there is lots of noises that you can hear in the hotel room at 3 am due to the construction all around.
- We think we have found a place to live (we are in the process of negotiating right now); there is a Starbucks, Subway, and KFC within walking distance; there is also a neighborhood corner store very close that sells everything Western - for a price. Pop Tarts? 35 Yuan a box - about $6. Cereal? 50 yuan - $8. Chocolate Syrup? 40 yuan.
And many fast food restaurants - including McDonalds & KFC - deliver. This could be trouble.
- In general, we did not do anything touristy in Guangzhou. We stayed near the neighborhood of our hotel, the school (where our apartments are going to be) and work. We did not explore any of the markets or sightsee.
- Sports? Well, we got ESPN International....where the headline story for two days was "Is Fabregas going to Real Madrid? Will he leave Arsenal??"
Oh God no. Not Soccer.
- We then went to Hong Kong for a day. That city is indescribable. Within 10 miles on the island, you get a combination of:
- New York, with the bright city lights;
- San Francisco, with the famous "peak" in the middle of the island, a 600 foot "mountain" that was fogged in continually as we drove up it;
- San Diego, with the beaches on the eastern side of the island (reminded me of La Jolla),
- Paris, as there are many streets that are barely two-lane streets but are teeming with restaurants/shops/cafes on both sides of the street.
Just a wild juxtaposition of cultures. And - of course - it's own money/currency.
Lot of things still to do to get ready for the move - like figure out how Slingbox works.
Oh! I met my hero. We had dinner at the house of some P&G ex-pats...we met 4 families, one of them is moving back to Cincinnati this summer. I asked the male in the family on what P&G category he is in.
The group laughed.
What is the joke I am missing?
He is a stay-at-home dad. In China. With two "ayis" (or nannys) that cook, clean, and take care of the kids. Now that's the life.
(Actually, nothing from anyone else since Apr 4. In fact, there are odds posted at MGM Mirage:
Which will happen first?
The oil leak in the underground Gulf is plugged -130
Someone besides Eric posts on F&J +110
-ed )
But I digress. As some of you know, we have a reprieve - our paperwork is being delayed, so we aren't leaving for China until mid-July. This means we have soem time to get everything done around here throughout the month of June - like stocking up on Cascade, Hefty trash bags, chocolate syrup, and Off.
Random notes about the trip:
- I can't reliably access blogspot.com, nor twitter. I did not have the audacity to try to access the on-line gambling site on my P&G work computer. Someone said (another P&G ex-pat) that I need to buy my own VPN, based in Hong Kong. I'll look into that - but any thoughts from the gallery out there?
- Walking off the plane, we were hit with this wall of humidity - at 6 in the morning. It was 85 degrees and at least 90% humidity. It felt like one of those August mornings in Baltimore where it feels that it will rain any moment. It was like that all week.
We remarked to a local: "gees, the heat here is bad, isn't it?"
"Heat? Oh no. It will get 10 degrees warmer (that's 10 degrees warmer in Celsius!!!) in July and August!"
Oh great.
We did not see the sun all week; apparently, we will see the sun/blue skies about 10 days on average.
- The pollution, however, was suprprisingly good. Some ex-pats said it got a whole lot better since the Olympics; 3 years ago, it was suffocating. I didn't notice it at all over a week.
- House hunting was (and is) difficult. We need a 4 bedroom apartment, because of the kids and the need for us to have some sort of office (as we will be taking many late night calls for fantasy football/work). However, there just are not many of those in Guangzhou. It's a classic case of supply and demand. There's no supply - so prices are exponentially higher when moving from a 3 bedroom to a 4 bedroom place.
- Food? Food was good. Many of our Chinese hosts ordered for us - and it was great. Problem is - we will never be able to order that food again, since we don't know what the dish is called. This is espeically a problem at the dim sum restaurants.
- In order to get a work permit for China, we have to go through a state-sponsored medical examination. Let's just say that the exam - which took 3 hours - will haunt me for a long time. You were shuffled from room to room in a 1950s style block building; in each room you were greeted by someone with the personality of Krauss from "Benson".
I had an ultrasound done on me.
- The Asian games are coming! Guangzhou is hosting the 2010 Asian Games in November. This is the 16th playing of the games. This is a huge deal, apparently - and therefore there is an enormous amount of construction going on to get ready.
And - unfortunately - it's all on tight timing. Construction is going on 24/7 - so there is lots of noises that you can hear in the hotel room at 3 am due to the construction all around.
- We think we have found a place to live (we are in the process of negotiating right now); there is a Starbucks, Subway, and KFC within walking distance; there is also a neighborhood corner store very close that sells everything Western - for a price. Pop Tarts? 35 Yuan a box - about $6. Cereal? 50 yuan - $8. Chocolate Syrup? 40 yuan.
And many fast food restaurants - including McDonalds & KFC - deliver. This could be trouble.
- In general, we did not do anything touristy in Guangzhou. We stayed near the neighborhood of our hotel, the school (where our apartments are going to be) and work. We did not explore any of the markets or sightsee.
- Sports? Well, we got ESPN International....where the headline story for two days was "Is Fabregas going to Real Madrid? Will he leave Arsenal??"
Oh God no. Not Soccer.
- We then went to Hong Kong for a day. That city is indescribable. Within 10 miles on the island, you get a combination of:
- New York, with the bright city lights;
- San Francisco, with the famous "peak" in the middle of the island, a 600 foot "mountain" that was fogged in continually as we drove up it;
- San Diego, with the beaches on the eastern side of the island (reminded me of La Jolla),
- Paris, as there are many streets that are barely two-lane streets but are teeming with restaurants/shops/cafes on both sides of the street.
Just a wild juxtaposition of cultures. And - of course - it's own money/currency.
Lot of things still to do to get ready for the move - like figure out how Slingbox works.
Oh! I met my hero. We had dinner at the house of some P&G ex-pats...we met 4 families, one of them is moving back to Cincinnati this summer. I asked the male in the family on what P&G category he is in.
The group laughed.
What is the joke I am missing?
He is a stay-at-home dad. In China. With two "ayis" (or nannys) that cook, clean, and take care of the kids. Now that's the life.
Memorial Day Notes
So Freddie's school put on a performance by the 3rd graders on Friday in honor of Memorial day. The 3rd graders sang patriotic songs, recited poems, and honored veterans.
Quick quiz: Which one of these songs was not played in the school program:
a) Grand Old Flag
b) Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
c) In the Navy
d) God Bless America
Answer: e) All of them were part of the performance!
I would really have liked to known what went through several of the veteran's heads - many of them 80 years old or so - when the class did "In The Navy" and were dancing to it. "Is this what we fought for? We fought so that American kids can dance to The Village People to honor us?"
Quick quiz: Which one of these songs was not played in the school program:
a) Grand Old Flag
b) Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
c) In the Navy
d) God Bless America
Answer: e) All of them were part of the performance!
I would really have liked to known what went through several of the veteran's heads - many of them 80 years old or so - when the class did "In The Navy" and were dancing to it. "Is this what we fought for? We fought so that American kids can dance to The Village People to honor us?"
May 14, 2010
And we are off!
Off for house hunting tonight! We'll see how much blogging I can do starting on Sunday!
May 12, 2010
The end of the NBA in Cleveland?
Well, I think I have to post something about the game 5 debacle last night. In today's sports world with the media, it's easy to overstate events. (An 80-79 OT college basketball game is instantly declared the "Game of the decade!")
But it's easy to see how the game 5 disaster can lead to the end of the NBA in Cleveland....and a vastly different landscape for Cleveland sports.
Reality hit hard last night that Game 5 could - and probably will be - LeBron's last game in Cleveland. If they don't survive against Boston, this is now two seasons where they didn't even reach the conference finals. THey didn't even make the final 4!!!!
Can you imagine if they lost in a blowout in game 6? Why would LeBron stay? Can anyone give me one good reason why he would stick around? Has his actions so far indicated that he would?
It has been written in an article that Cleveland fans "expect the worst, and then worry if they are being too optimistic". That has a lot of truth to it. What are the next dominoes to fall if/when LeBron leaves this summer?
First, let's fill people in on the Cleveland sports pecking order. The Browns will always be #1. The Indians are a clear #2. The Cavs are #3 - and in many cases, are #4 behind the Buckeyes. No one will care about this team. I will be done with the NBA for a long time - not that I was the biggest fan - but I will actively diengage.
Part of me - just part - is secretly happy the Cavs are folding. As you know, the city is starving for a title. I want to see a championship sometime in my life. If I am going to dream, why not shoot for the moon? In order, if I had a choice, my rank of the "worth" of championships is:
1. Browns
2. Indians
3. Cavs
The Browns and the Tribe are a close 1-2; Steve would switch the 2; I'm not sure how Don would rate them. But I am positive that the joy we would have in a Cavs title would be dwarfed by a Browns Super Bowl. So if I'm only going to get one title in my life, why not want it to be the greatest title ever?
Anyway - back to the present. If LeBron leaves, the Cavs will not win 70 games in the next 3 seasons combined. We will go back to the late 90s pre-LeBron Cavs, where Randy Wittman was our coach, Shawn Kemp was our best player and our record was 25-57. No one will care. Games will routinely have 5,000 people.
I think it would be an even money bet to see if the Cavs would be playing in Cleveland in 2015. They would be in a 20 year old arena (wow, now I am old), worth absolutely nothing with a team that is pathetic. I would wager on a move to Kansas City.
Which then means - what is the city of Cleveland going to do between December and April? um - debate who the #1 QB would be for the Browns, which is an annual event? Ha ha.
It opens up the way for a three-person partnership (me, Steve, and Kermit) to buy the Tampa Bay Lightning and move them to Cleveland for the 2019 season.
But it's easy to see how the game 5 disaster can lead to the end of the NBA in Cleveland....and a vastly different landscape for Cleveland sports.
Reality hit hard last night that Game 5 could - and probably will be - LeBron's last game in Cleveland. If they don't survive against Boston, this is now two seasons where they didn't even reach the conference finals. THey didn't even make the final 4!!!!
Can you imagine if they lost in a blowout in game 6? Why would LeBron stay? Can anyone give me one good reason why he would stick around? Has his actions so far indicated that he would?
It has been written in an article that Cleveland fans "expect the worst, and then worry if they are being too optimistic". That has a lot of truth to it. What are the next dominoes to fall if/when LeBron leaves this summer?
First, let's fill people in on the Cleveland sports pecking order. The Browns will always be #1. The Indians are a clear #2. The Cavs are #3 - and in many cases, are #4 behind the Buckeyes. No one will care about this team. I will be done with the NBA for a long time - not that I was the biggest fan - but I will actively diengage.
Part of me - just part - is secretly happy the Cavs are folding. As you know, the city is starving for a title. I want to see a championship sometime in my life. If I am going to dream, why not shoot for the moon? In order, if I had a choice, my rank of the "worth" of championships is:
1. Browns
2. Indians
3. Cavs
The Browns and the Tribe are a close 1-2; Steve would switch the 2; I'm not sure how Don would rate them. But I am positive that the joy we would have in a Cavs title would be dwarfed by a Browns Super Bowl. So if I'm only going to get one title in my life, why not want it to be the greatest title ever?
Anyway - back to the present. If LeBron leaves, the Cavs will not win 70 games in the next 3 seasons combined. We will go back to the late 90s pre-LeBron Cavs, where Randy Wittman was our coach, Shawn Kemp was our best player and our record was 25-57. No one will care. Games will routinely have 5,000 people.
I think it would be an even money bet to see if the Cavs would be playing in Cleveland in 2015. They would be in a 20 year old arena (wow, now I am old), worth absolutely nothing with a team that is pathetic. I would wager on a move to Kansas City.
Which then means - what is the city of Cleveland going to do between December and April? um - debate who the #1 QB would be for the Browns, which is an annual event? Ha ha.
It opens up the way for a three-person partnership (me, Steve, and Kermit) to buy the Tampa Bay Lightning and move them to Cleveland for the 2019 season.
May 9, 2010
A request for diversity
I've really been hesitant to wade into the political arena on this blog. You probably know where I stand on about 90% of the issues, and is this blog really fun when we write every week on how Obama is a communist/Bush is evil/Pelosi is an alien/Boehner is a baby-killer? To me, it gets old and tired quick - so I'll save the political posts for some really big events (like the Tea Party throwing out a sitting Republican senator in Utah) or as we get close to elections (wait for October's Nena's 99 Red Balloons for Democratic House Seats preview!)
Are you sure people don't want political talk? I thought last week you were informed that political talk is eminently preferable to NHL memories from the 1990s... -ed
This post, however, is a request to President Obama. As we know, there is another Supreme Court opening that needs to be filled....and I call on President Obama to use this chance to demonstrate his commitment to diversity.
What diversity am I talking about? I'm not talking racial, sexual, or age diversity. I'm talking educational diversity.
I read in one post (and dammit, I can't find the link) that the current Supreme Court justices are all educated from 1 of 3 Ivy league institutions - Harvard, Yale, or Princeton. (Note to self - find that link to confirm!)
It's time we recognize that excellence in professional fields do not come from elitist institutions. Back in the 20th century, the Ivy league institutions had the best and the brightest in the land. However, over the past 10-20 years or so, something has changed. I can't put my finger on exactly what has changed, but I don't think we necessarily need to look at a handful of colleges and determine "that's where our societal leadership comes from". I think it is very unhealthy.
Yes, I am a Republican, but I am also a populist at heart and I abhor elitism. And I think we can all agree that our political, societal, and financial leadership has failed us over the past 10-15 years. Bush was from Yale, Obama got his law degree from Harvard, the Wall Street mess was led mostly by Ivy League graduates (um, need link! -ed.) . It's starting to be clear that there is a detachment from the east-coast Ivy League schools and the rest of the nation.
I realize I am painting a broad brush here, but I really believe we are raising a generation of "leadership" candidates that has never held a real job in the private sector. Yes, I can easily point to Obama as a prime example, but I bet I can find many on the Republican side as well.
I think this nation used to send its brightest to Ivy League schools - because it was clear that the Ivy League schools were head and shoulders above the rest - and then the graduates would be dispersed throughout the land. Now? There are two things that changed with that statement.
- it's no longer true that the Ivy League schools are head and shoulders above the rest. There are plenty of state (and private) schools across the country that can give a comparable educational experience in many fields.
- It just seems (again, I don't have stats here) that the graduates don't "go forth and multiply" but remain concentrated in Academia or in certain regions of the country. And that's not healthly.
(I also can rant about the falling reputation of the Ivy League schools due to their insane liberal bias - the Larry Summers affair and the banishment of the ROTC at Harvard come to mind. But I won't go into that now).
I'm not that stupid to suggest that Obama should nominate a white male with a history of conservative rulings from the Univ of Mississippi law school (Chales Pickering?)
I do request, however, that Obama nominate someone that has no Ivy League ties to the Supreme Court. If it's a Asian-American from Washington State, a white female from Michigan, a black judge from Virginia - whatever. But I look to President Obama to help show that we have become more educationally-diverse in this country by nominating someone with an education from a respected law school outside the northeast - like the Univ of Michigan, Texas, or UCLA.
And if this ever comes to pass, the questioning will immediately focus to "how can this person be qualified? He/She didn't even go to an Ivy League school?" And I will be the first one to condemn that line of questioning, even if it comes from Republicans like Lugar, McConnell, or Grassley). That type of questioning is completely outdated, now that it is the year 2010.
Are you sure people don't want political talk? I thought last week you were informed that political talk is eminently preferable to NHL memories from the 1990s... -ed
This post, however, is a request to President Obama. As we know, there is another Supreme Court opening that needs to be filled....and I call on President Obama to use this chance to demonstrate his commitment to diversity.
What diversity am I talking about? I'm not talking racial, sexual, or age diversity. I'm talking educational diversity.
I read in one post (and dammit, I can't find the link) that the current Supreme Court justices are all educated from 1 of 3 Ivy league institutions - Harvard, Yale, or Princeton. (Note to self - find that link to confirm!)
It's time we recognize that excellence in professional fields do not come from elitist institutions. Back in the 20th century, the Ivy league institutions had the best and the brightest in the land. However, over the past 10-20 years or so, something has changed. I can't put my finger on exactly what has changed, but I don't think we necessarily need to look at a handful of colleges and determine "that's where our societal leadership comes from". I think it is very unhealthy.
Yes, I am a Republican, but I am also a populist at heart and I abhor elitism. And I think we can all agree that our political, societal, and financial leadership has failed us over the past 10-15 years. Bush was from Yale, Obama got his law degree from Harvard, the Wall Street mess was led mostly by Ivy League graduates (um, need link! -ed.) . It's starting to be clear that there is a detachment from the east-coast Ivy League schools and the rest of the nation.
I realize I am painting a broad brush here, but I really believe we are raising a generation of "leadership" candidates that has never held a real job in the private sector. Yes, I can easily point to Obama as a prime example, but I bet I can find many on the Republican side as well.
I think this nation used to send its brightest to Ivy League schools - because it was clear that the Ivy League schools were head and shoulders above the rest - and then the graduates would be dispersed throughout the land. Now? There are two things that changed with that statement.
- it's no longer true that the Ivy League schools are head and shoulders above the rest. There are plenty of state (and private) schools across the country that can give a comparable educational experience in many fields.
- It just seems (again, I don't have stats here) that the graduates don't "go forth and multiply" but remain concentrated in Academia or in certain regions of the country. And that's not healthly.
(I also can rant about the falling reputation of the Ivy League schools due to their insane liberal bias - the Larry Summers affair and the banishment of the ROTC at Harvard come to mind. But I won't go into that now).
I'm not that stupid to suggest that Obama should nominate a white male with a history of conservative rulings from the Univ of Mississippi law school (Chales Pickering?)
I do request, however, that Obama nominate someone that has no Ivy League ties to the Supreme Court. If it's a Asian-American from Washington State, a white female from Michigan, a black judge from Virginia - whatever. But I look to President Obama to help show that we have become more educationally-diverse in this country by nominating someone with an education from a respected law school outside the northeast - like the Univ of Michigan, Texas, or UCLA.
And if this ever comes to pass, the questioning will immediately focus to "how can this person be qualified? He/She didn't even go to an Ivy League school?" And I will be the first one to condemn that line of questioning, even if it comes from Republicans like Lugar, McConnell, or Grassley). That type of questioning is completely outdated, now that it is the year 2010.
Quick Etiquette Question
Are you supposed to tip at Sonic?
Just asking....I didn't, but then I felt guilty. Don't the teenage rollerskaters deserve something?
Just asking....I didn't, but then I felt guilty. Don't the teenage rollerskaters deserve something?
May 6, 2010
The market today...
Well, it's good that I had meetings away from a computer for most of the afternoon. I don't know what I would have done if I saw teh quotes of the stock price today when P&G went to 55, 50, 47......
It is a little scary that the computers and automated orders can send the Dow down almost 1000 points. Do we really think that one possible fat finger caused a 10% drop in the net worth of Americans?
It is a little scary that the computers and automated orders can send the Dow down almost 1000 points. Do we really think that one possible fat finger caused a 10% drop in the net worth of Americans?
Apr 29, 2010
A bittersweet anniversary
One more thing I wanted to post earlier....
Last Saturday (April 24) was the 14th anniversary of the 5th longest NFL playoff game ever....
Pens-Caps, Game 4, 1996 NHL Playoffs
I remember this game pretty vividly - I was in Washington for a training class, and I picked up Layup from college to go to the game that night. I think I called that day (in the morning) to order tickets and we picked them up at will call. The game startd at 7:30. I planned that it would end at 10, I'd get back to the hotel room at 11, and get plenty of sleep for the next day.
This was my first NHL playoff game - and I thought it was cool that it went to overtime. Sudden death! Wonderful!
Then no scores in the first period. Layup and I looked at each other - c'mon, he was in college, what deadlines did he have? We'll stay for the second OT.
The second OT came - we had a penalty shot (Juneau took it? is that right?)- but he missed. It's now 12:15 in the morning. Should we stay? OK, one more OT.
Third OT - another scoreless period. We are now well past 1 am. At this moment, what's the point of sleeping? We stayed on....
Fourth OT - at the 18:00 mark (2 min left), we were still tied at 2-2. It's 2:15 or so in the morning. Jesus, am I going to get a sleepless night?
Petr Nedved (damn him) scored at the 19:15 mark of the 4th overtime; the Caps lost 3-2, and the series was tied, 2-2. Do I have to say that the Pens won the series in 6?
At that time (I think), it was the 3rd longest game in NHL history. Now it is the 5th longest. In doing research for this post, it's weird to see that an Anaheim-Dallas playoff game in 2003 (5 overtimes) passed this Pens-Caps game, and the Anaheim game was played on the same day - April 24.
(It's ironic that I post this now given the Caps' collapse vs. the Canadiens. The more things change..... God, I hope the Habs beat the Pens in 6. )
Last Saturday (April 24) was the 14th anniversary of the 5th longest NFL playoff game ever....
Pens-Caps, Game 4, 1996 NHL Playoffs
I remember this game pretty vividly - I was in Washington for a training class, and I picked up Layup from college to go to the game that night. I think I called that day (in the morning) to order tickets and we picked them up at will call. The game startd at 7:30. I planned that it would end at 10, I'd get back to the hotel room at 11, and get plenty of sleep for the next day.
This was my first NHL playoff game - and I thought it was cool that it went to overtime. Sudden death! Wonderful!
Then no scores in the first period. Layup and I looked at each other - c'mon, he was in college, what deadlines did he have? We'll stay for the second OT.
The second OT came - we had a penalty shot (Juneau took it? is that right?)- but he missed. It's now 12:15 in the morning. Should we stay? OK, one more OT.
Third OT - another scoreless period. We are now well past 1 am. At this moment, what's the point of sleeping? We stayed on....
Fourth OT - at the 18:00 mark (2 min left), we were still tied at 2-2. It's 2:15 or so in the morning. Jesus, am I going to get a sleepless night?
Petr Nedved (damn him) scored at the 19:15 mark of the 4th overtime; the Caps lost 3-2, and the series was tied, 2-2. Do I have to say that the Pens won the series in 6?
At that time (I think), it was the 3rd longest game in NHL history. Now it is the 5th longest. In doing research for this post, it's weird to see that an Anaheim-Dallas playoff game in 2003 (5 overtimes) passed this Pens-Caps game, and the Anaheim game was played on the same day - April 24.
(It's ironic that I post this now given the Caps' collapse vs. the Canadiens. The more things change..... God, I hope the Habs beat the Pens in 6. )
Why do you hate me?
I'm sure many of you have seen this poll:
Indians are the most hated team in baseball
This makes no sense to me. Really. None.
I'm clearly not as insufferable as the Yankees/Red Sox fans in October. Am I?
Seriously, this makes no sense. Can some one explain this to me?
Indians are the most hated team in baseball
This makes no sense to me. Really. None.
I'm clearly not as insufferable as the Yankees/Red Sox fans in October. Am I?
Seriously, this makes no sense. Can some one explain this to me?
Apr 21, 2010
Guilty pleasures
Hello again. It's been a while.
A quick post while at Freddie's baseball practice, where I just heard the term "double steal":
1. Cleaning out the basement - found a whole shoebox of cassettes. These are classics, containing the best music from the 1987-1991 era :
Extreme III - pornograffiti
Traveling Wilburys
Biz Markie
and of course
Rod Stewart "Rhythm of my Heart"
Just great stuff. Too bad no one owns a cassette player any more.
1a. There is one cassette I found that will be kept. I found the cassette recording of Steve and I calling an inning of a random Tribe game from 1992. I think we were playing Texas and Nolan Ryan was pitching .
But we didn't do the recording in our voices - we did our impressions of Tom Hamilton , the play by play man , and Herb Score, the color guy. I bet you all can guess who was who.
2. Is it bad that I love "operation Repo" on Tru TV ? Yes, of course, it is terrible tv. I guess that is what makes it good.
3. What's wrong with kids today ? I took F and W to Kroger. We went by the Hostess stand. Fruit pies !!!!! I was jumping up and down.
The kids? Not interested at all. They looked at me like I was from Mars. How do kids nowadays not go crazy over those fruit pies ?
A quick post while at Freddie's baseball practice, where I just heard the term "double steal":
1. Cleaning out the basement - found a whole shoebox of cassettes. These are classics, containing the best music from the 1987-1991 era :
Extreme III - pornograffiti
Traveling Wilburys
Biz Markie
and of course
Rod Stewart "Rhythm of my Heart"
Just great stuff. Too bad no one owns a cassette player any more.
1a. There is one cassette I found that will be kept. I found the cassette recording of Steve and I calling an inning of a random Tribe game from 1992. I think we were playing Texas and Nolan Ryan was pitching .
But we didn't do the recording in our voices - we did our impressions of Tom Hamilton , the play by play man , and Herb Score, the color guy. I bet you all can guess who was who.
2. Is it bad that I love "operation Repo" on Tru TV ? Yes, of course, it is terrible tv. I guess that is what makes it good.
3. What's wrong with kids today ? I took F and W to Kroger. We went by the Hostess stand. Fruit pies !!!!! I was jumping up and down.
The kids? Not interested at all. They looked at me like I was from Mars. How do kids nowadays not go crazy over those fruit pies ?
Apr 11, 2010
New traditions needed
Good Masters this year. I still believe Freddie would have 3 jackets (instead of 1) if he could putt over the last 5 years. He should have been -17 or better today.
Anyway, we need new traditions. We all know where the pins are going to be on the Sunday of the Masters. And, of course, the pros do too ----- and they know exactly where to aim in order to get the roll/bounce they need to funnel to the hole. They don't have to aim at flags, but aim at areas, and the ball will roll dutifully.
Let's change it up. Let's make the players think and be on edge on Sunday. My proposal for the 2011 pin positions:
#10: OK, we can keep it back right. Having it up front is too tough given that.....
#11: Gees, this is Sunday at the Masters. Get the lake in play. Back left. Hell, bring the back water in play too.
#12: Right is fine.
#13: This has got to change. Move the pin 10 feet more to the right, or 10 feet closer to the creek - else put it back right. Let's see the front and right misses go in the water.
#14: There are no real good places here. Switch middle and right every other year.
#15: C'mon, let's see some action. Dead left. And shave the back fringe so balls can go bounding into the lake behind it.
#16: No more back left. How about front left, 3 steps on? Else back right. They have 7 irons - they should hit it like a laser.
#17: The Nicklaus pin from '86. Middle right?
#18: Enough of this as well. Back right.
Anyway, we need new traditions. We all know where the pins are going to be on the Sunday of the Masters. And, of course, the pros do too ----- and they know exactly where to aim in order to get the roll/bounce they need to funnel to the hole. They don't have to aim at flags, but aim at areas, and the ball will roll dutifully.
Let's change it up. Let's make the players think and be on edge on Sunday. My proposal for the 2011 pin positions:
#10: OK, we can keep it back right. Having it up front is too tough given that.....
#11: Gees, this is Sunday at the Masters. Get the lake in play. Back left. Hell, bring the back water in play too.
#12: Right is fine.
#13: This has got to change. Move the pin 10 feet more to the right, or 10 feet closer to the creek - else put it back right. Let's see the front and right misses go in the water.
#14: There are no real good places here. Switch middle and right every other year.
#15: C'mon, let's see some action. Dead left. And shave the back fringe so balls can go bounding into the lake behind it.
#16: No more back left. How about front left, 3 steps on? Else back right. They have 7 irons - they should hit it like a laser.
#17: The Nicklaus pin from '86. Middle right?
#18: Enough of this as well. Back right.
Apr 10, 2010
Random Notes
- Sorry, I just don't love the Masters when 31 people are under par. I don't like majors where if someone shoots 73, they are out of contention. Give me Augusta where -6, -7 wins - not -12, -13 or more (like it's going to be this year).- F&J Poll: If you had to choose for the Masters Chairman for life, who is it? Hord or Hootie?
I'm a traditionalist - I love the Hord Hardin era (1980-1991). He was so uncomfortable in front of the camera it made the opening 15 minutes of Augusta to be can't miss TV.
- The upstairs of our house had this fog over it on Wednesday night. It made it very hard to sleep, given the intense odor of the fog that covered the upstairs.
What was it? Bug spray? No, Freddie got some Tag body spray in his stocking for Christmas and used it after his shower - without supervision. I swear he emptied half the can Wednesday night.
Apr 5, 2010
The Good Old Days
I'm finding YouTube clips of old Sesame Street clips to play for the kids - and they are just as hilarious now as they were back then. This beats another episode of "SpongeBob" anyday - hell, it even beats the recent "Sesame Street" episodes and its too-cute "Elmo's World" vignette.
I've played this clip for Martin about 20 times over the past 3 days. It doesn't get old for me.
"Fat Cat Sat Hat"
It's just fascinating - the pure genius of the clip. The 2 minute video could be interpreted to make a statement on many social themes:
- 60's coolness vs 70's brashness
- conformity vs individualism
- repressed homosexuality. My rommate for 3 years in college had an immense library of Sesame Street clips, and was convinced that Henson was trying to show it was OK to be gay. The first few months, I laughed him off; by the 3rd year, I was convinced (and still convinced) he's right.
Evidence #1459: Listen to the lyrics starting at the 1:35 mark.
For the older kids, I still get a kick out of Grover the Waiter. The oldest two love it as well:
The Big Hamburger (I remember being afraid of hamburgers for a year after watching this)
Fast Food
Grover's Memory (don't you feel like the Blue Guy when the damn waiter doesn't write anything down?)
I've played this clip for Martin about 20 times over the past 3 days. It doesn't get old for me.
"Fat Cat Sat Hat"
It's just fascinating - the pure genius of the clip. The 2 minute video could be interpreted to make a statement on many social themes:
- 60's coolness vs 70's brashness
- conformity vs individualism
- repressed homosexuality. My rommate for 3 years in college had an immense library of Sesame Street clips, and was convinced that Henson was trying to show it was OK to be gay. The first few months, I laughed him off; by the 3rd year, I was convinced (and still convinced) he's right.
Evidence #1459: Listen to the lyrics starting at the 1:35 mark.
For the older kids, I still get a kick out of Grover the Waiter. The oldest two love it as well:
The Big Hamburger (I remember being afraid of hamburgers for a year after watching this)
Fast Food
Grover's Memory (don't you feel like the Blue Guy when the damn waiter doesn't write anything down?)
Apr 4, 2010
Houston Shell Open
Easter Sunday and the wife and kids are gone back to Kentucky. Tax Return did not come in, so I'm restricted to the house and not the UTH table at Palo. I'm in a golf and hockey gambling pool and this is a big day. I have Anthony Kim in the golf pool and I'm in second place with a bunch of my players going today. Also I'm itching for some action so I took all of the away teams plus two goals, Uconn women, Oklahoma women, and the Yanks-Soxs under. Oh and lets go over my golf 4 team parlay listed below:
- Anthony Kim over Bryce Molder
- Kevin Sutherland over Charl Swartzel
- Justin Leonard over Matt Kuchar
- Adam Scott over Justin Rose
Oh and I did another wager on Adam Scott over Justin Rose since my hatred for Rose is very high.
12:46pm: So I join you at hole 10 for Anthony Kim. I'm three bloody marys and one Diet Dr. Pepper and rums into the morning. Hey, no judging. I went for a 4 mile run and a healthy breakfast.
12:47pm: Thank you Johnny for gooching AK. 24 straight holes without a Bogey and then AK promptly shanks his tee shot into these huge bushes. Oh, who do I get a text from? Thank you Wiz for checking in. F you. Oh and F you too Don. Your gooches won't work on the master.
12:48pm: Ha. Swartzel misses a short birdie putt on 12. Suck it RRD.
12:52pm: Who are these guys chasing AK? Delaet? Micheal? Ugh. Its amazing how much I've learned
12:54pm: Maggert in the chase. I will never forget him from here on out as he replaced VJ two weeks ago in the Arnold
12:58pm: AK misses the par putt. Now only up two on the contenders.
1:00pm: Wiz and I text how much Kevin Stadler looks like Eric.
1:01pm: AK pulls his drive. I'm mixing another Diet Pepper and Rum. Not good. I'm getting a little too buzzed. Thinking about lighting up a cigar in the living room.
1:02pm: Things I wish I knew before I placed a wager or picked a golfer. Phil does an interview that basically states that he used a driver on every hole to get ready for the Masters despite knowing that he couldn't win this tournament since the holes are very tight. He also stated that his wife's doctor lives in houston and he let him caddie in the final round. Great to just throw an entire tourney.
1:07pm: AK great second shot out of the bunker. Text goes out to Wiz. Eat it.
1:09pm: Away team Red Wings lost by one and now Calgary (away team) is down by two. Need the Sharks and Wild to come through for me to win my wager.
1:10pm: Really thinking that I could make it as a professional sports bettor. If I could just hold off on the 10,000 stupid wagers that eat away on my solid wagers.
1:11pm: Adam Scott makes another birdie. Now 3 up on Justin Rose. Its like they are just giving money away.
1:12pm: If you have a chance. Watch Ray Romano on the golf channel with Phil Hanney. Excellent show. Watched 3 episodes this morning and was laughing my ass off.
1:15pm: Taylor for Birdie and is now at 11 under. One behind AK. And to think Eric mentioned him early this past week. Ugh. And now AK tee shot...another bunker. This is not good.
1:18pm: Does anyone feel cool wearing Transitions glasses? The ones that change with sunlight? And to have Kenny Perry and Trevor Immelman as your spokesmen is not a good sign.
1:20pm. Lee has been so bad for his picks in the fantasy league that he is now offering his picks for $2 a piece. Text Lee stating that I want his pick for the Masters and said that he is interested in a subscription. And I'm going to take him up on it.
1:22pm: Yes Sir!!! Kim has an amazing bunker shot. Another Birdie.
1:32pm: Took a little break. Had to make another drink and made a nice little turkey sandwich. Back on the couch and ready to go. Looks like Kim will be going for the green on the 13th hole. And he goes over the green. But still a chance for birdie.
1:42pm: An interview with AK stating that he is injured and will need to take time off to heal his thumb. And then Johnny comes on and states that he will be able to use the $1 mil plus winnings during his time off. Someone needs to tell him about the gooch for christ sake.
1:43pm: Swartzel is starting to scare me. And so is Westwood. Need to hold off on getting too excited about both of these two for next week. Totally different courses.
1:46pm: AK hits one over the green again. I can't watch this anymore. Need a cigar. Thank god I'm in CA where outside TV watching is accepted and able to complete. Two years ago, Ben and I pulled the 44 inch flat screen outside so that we could smoke, drink, eat, and watch the superbowl. Probably the greatest superbowl viewing experience of my life. Nice and warm and didn't have to worry about missing any parts of the game. God I love CA.
1:48pm: George Lopez and the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am? Um yeah, I'll skip that one.
1:49pm: Great chip by AK, which makes me yell and wake up the cats.
1:50pm: Getting drunk now. Another par by AK.
1:51pm: Bogey on the last hole by Adam Scott and birdie by Justin Rose makes me lose my bet. Fuck you Mr. Adam Scott. I'm so angry right now. Just laughing outloud to myself to help control my anger.
1:52pm: Talk to Carol. Ask her to stop by Pappy Van Winkle's distillery to pick up some bourbon for me. She is confused and concerned while her dad states that I have good taste and they will go tomorrow. Thank you Don.
1:55pm: Tension between AK and his caddie. AK wants to hit his driver and the caddie won't move his bag, trying to talk him out of it. Hits it anyway.
2:15pm: Slowing down a bit. Getting drunker. Craving my cigar and hot tub. Vaughn Taylor's tee shot is pulled and some fat lady ducks the drive and is on all fours and looks disgusting. Johnny states that she is looking like an Easter egg trying to hide in the grass. Then I get a text from Wiz just stating "What a pig". Its sad that I'm so into golf that people can just text a comment on a random golf happening.
2:21pm: Eric texts me that Kim is a quick putter. On behalf of Kermit, Don, Mike, Craig, and Steve, I told him he should take some notes. He doesn't like this comment.
2:22pm: Kim just drills a stupid lady walking on the cart path. She went down like she was shot. Honestly, you're looking at the tee box and you still get hit in the stomach????? How is that possible. Pay attention you fucking idiot. You cost AK about 40 yards on his drive.
2:28pm: AK comes over to the lady to apologize and she is holding an ice pack to her boob. Why are there paramedics tending to her? If she wasn't cute and in her 20's nobody would even care. I remember last year at the US Open, someone drilled an elderly lady sitting in a chair next to the green in the leg and nobody even cared.
2:30pm: What am I going to do once Eric goes to China? I can't send him 30 texts in an hour about stupid golf shit. He can't send me videos of his kids playing golf in the backyard while he does play by play like Verne. What will I do??????
2:31pm: Thinking about what sport I want my daughter to be good in and I'm thinking that it should be golf.
2:33pm: Deleat makes a birdie on 18 and pushes Schwartzel back a little in the money list. Haha RRD.
2:35pm: AK really doesn't spend that much time over the ball. Wow, almost made a huge putt. 2 shot lead going into 18.
2:37pm: Man I miss not having a kid. So relaxing and I got so much accomplished this weekend.
2:42pm: Kim on 18. Hits it in a fairway bunker. Vaughn who is two shots back of Kim birdies 18 and now is one shot back.
2:43pm: Wiz just text that this was like the UTH dealer beating you on the last card. I agree. I'm so nervous as they go to commercial break. I am now chewing on my patch to get nicotine directly into my system.
2:44pm: Can they have anymore commercials for the The Players tourney in May? Jesus.
2:45pm: 224 to the hole for AK. Hits it into another bunker. Cats have left the living room as they can feel the tension.
2:46pm: Chewing on the Us Weekly with Sandra Bullock on the cover. Why would you cheat on Sandra. Wonder if Jesse James has a sex addiction?
2:49pm: Tremendous bunker shot by Kim. 5 footer for par and a win.
2:52pm: Kim misses it. And blows it by. Going to a playoff. I can't continue this so I'm out. So pissed right now. So angry. I can't even talk. Good day.
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