A Talking Sandwich?

2003-02-15T09:36:00.000-05:00

Is anyone in baseball more miscast at leadoff than the Phillies' Jimmy Rollins? At least Alfonso Soriano will hit for enough average to keep his OBP respectable. Jimmy Rollins has become quite the out machine these days and is on the cusp of becoming useless. After turning out a very nice age 22 season, his age 23 season looked a lot more like Paul Zuvella than Derek Jeter. He needs to seriously rebound.

Despite Bobby Abreu's continued insistence that he's a run producer, he really would look fantastic heading up that lineup. Abreu, Polanco, Thome, Burrell. That's a sweet 1-2-3-4. Polanco is a perfect NL-style #2 hitter, able to move guys around. Of course, Abreu batting fifth he'll look like he's an RBI machine batting behind Thome and Burrell. Hell, Jimmy Rollins would look like an RBI machine batting behind those two. Vinny Castilla would look an RBI machine batting behind those two.

My fantasy baseball league is a keeper this year, and I have to select 5 players to keep. I've eliminated a bunch of drek from my roster. leaving the following candidates:
Erubiel (FREEDOM!) Durazo 1B/DH OAK
Jeff (I'm not allowed to wash the truck) Kent 2B HOU
Jose (Outs are outs) Hernandez SS COL
Troy (I could eat David Eckstein, literally) Glaus 3B ANA
Josh (why isn't he catcher eligible anymore? Damn.) Phelps DH TOR
Lance (a-lot) Berkman CF HOU
Bobby (No one loves me) Abreu RF PHI
Tim (the uninteresting one of the Three Aces) Hudson SP OAK
Derek (I got your DIPS right here!) Lowe SP BOS
Brian (Shhhh, don't tell anyone) Lawrence SP SD
Byung-Hyun (there's no crying on the mound of Yankee Stadium) Kim, RP-turned-SP, ARI
Octavio (yeah, I could save 40 games a year, too) Dotel, RP HOU
Jeff (sixth starter) Weaver SP NYY
Ted (I'm gonna make the Yankees pay!) Lilly SP OAK
Austin (he's so dreamy) Kearns RF CIN

So I have some difficult decisions to make.

2003-02-10T21:17:00.000-05:00

Update on me:

Waiting for baseball season. Listening to Modest Mouse, trying so hard to become a pretenious indie rocker, if only to pick up indie rock chicks. I can't play an angular guitar but I certainly can cry. Applying to jobs sporadically, including the occasional job in Madison WI. Dreading Friday and all that comes with it, but knowing I'll be okay in the end.

I'm working on staying positive. I've been going through a rough patch the past few days, but my friends have been incredibly helpful in keeping me afloat. Someday I'll make it up to all of them, but maybe all I need to is smile.

I broke my computer desk out of frustration last night...I need some help controlling my anger. And i'm working on it.

I'm just sick of being made to feel ashamed for who I am or what I like or who I like or the things I find cool. Yeah, it would be easier for me if I weren't such a geek, but I'm comfortable with that. I like being a geek, because geeks like some cool stuff. Now...Star Trek, on the other hand....

Yeah. I'm doing OK. So all of you who worry, I'm getting my act together. And maybe I'll actually mean it this time. :)

2003-02-10T21:09:00.000-05:00

Pavement vs. Syphilis in the Nineteenth Century

pavement wrote a song
about r.e.m.
and it’s cool to drop
fall to the ground like
the names
say wowee zowee
but I’ve never heard
any of their stuff
so I’m just dropping
and the droppers will
become the dropped
just like some
obscure kid
in some
obscure writing class
will point
to this obsucre author
even more so
if I write about something
controversial
like Abe Lincoln’s bout
with syphilis
which must have been
hard
when fighting the hordes
of confederate robots
aiming their laser guns
on Abe’s magical hat
but he never melted
and democracy was safe
but I never was good at history

2003-02-04T23:18:00.000-05:00

every train says goodnight.

We spill out of eight floor buildings. Like a river so determined, it beats through traffic and stoplights. But it dams at the end of the concrete. The concrete never ends really, just drops off here. We stand on the seats to get a better view around the bend. End around to front of the line. This line makes all stops, and that's fine by us. As they turn, all the trains blink their headlights, the suitcases and ties head home. The trains groan a little, but it's nothing more than the workmanlike complaints of the hard working machine. They yawn and we go home. we file into seats like paperwork, so neatly filed. We're all so nearly fired, but we made it through another day. When you look out the windows, they disappear. But when you wish for them to return, memories blow back in. Like someone had left the windows open. The thousand mouths open in synch, and we drive away in a blink. And as we speed through resdiental streets, every train says goodnight.

2003-02-04T23:17:00.000-05:00

Well, that didn't last too long. Material concerns have brought my sailing good mood crashing to the ground. I'm worried about being able to get a car, if and when I obtain my driving license...the date is March 10th, this is subject to change. I think the only thing that's bothering me personally at the moment is that I feel uninteresting...well, not me so much, but my life isn't terribly exciting. It seems like everyone else has got something exciting going on...maybe it's just because I'm used to my life, so it bores me. I don't know.

I'm also in a much better mood than I was, say, three hours ago...so that changes my perception a bit, I'd say.

2003-02-02T01:49:00.000-05:00

So tonight was a good night. I had been considering going into NYC to see Adaptation since last weekend, and despite my best efforts to prevent myself from doing so (I told my parents I had no plans, effectively leaving me as de facto babysitter, then I actually called someone to see if they were doing something), I finally just got on the goddamn train and went.

I had such a good time. I never do anything alone. Ever. This is the first time I had ever gone to a movie by myself. I felt so free to just act however I wanted to act, so I just did the wacky thing a bit, running around, jumping, making noises. So much fun.

Got to the theater about 40 minutes before showtime. So I hung out in the lobby playing arcade games. A group of college-age people came in--I'd guess NYU, considering the relative proximity and the airs which they carried themselves with--and starting monopolizing the Tekken 4 machine. I played my Cruisin' Something game (and actually won a bleedin' race) and just eavesdropped. Eventually, I was just hanging out, being creepy, watching them play. The males were all done playing, and the lone female was still playing. I asked if she wouldn't mind if I played. She beat me.

Quite well.

I didn't really get too good a look at her, as I have issues about being caught looking at a girl too intently. But what I do know is any girl who can beat me at video games is instantly that much more attractive to me.

The movie was quite strange, complicated, and quite good. Many people had said it was just that, and they were right. It's definitely not an ordinary movie, and I'd suggest anyone who's interested in seeing something new check it out. It wasn't groundbreaking, but it certainly is different. The audience wasn't sure how to react to a lot of it. I know I wasn't. And it certainly wasn't what I was expecting. But it certainly was cool.

And well worth the trip. Which was fun in of itself. It's just amazing how much my good mood tempers when I walk in the door of my house. And how it tempers even further when I get to my computer. But I'm still in a good mood, goddamnit, despite my brain trying to tell me I'm miserable. I wish that damn thing would shut up for a few minutes and let me catch my breath.

Tonight's experiment.......mostly a success.

2003-02-01T00:16:00.000-05:00

I've been working on some peotry as you can tell...mostly editing/typing right now.

It's a nice release from a day of work.

2003-02-01T00:15:00.000-05:00

Here You Are
Her hair is blond, chin-length, and curled out ever so slightly. Her widely-spaced eyes are hiding behind thick rimmed glasses. Indie rock chic chick, and I’m a sucker for it. She wears a red dress and it falls to her knees. I’m nearly ready to fall to mine and worship the floor she’s gracing. She stands in my doorway, and it frames her perfect frame perfectly.

She’s here on business. She asks for her CD back dryly. There’s no glint or sparkle anymore. But she’s still gorgeous, beautiful, alluring, amazing to me. I feel my jaw loosen as the late afternoon sun highlights everything that’s right and hides everything that’s wrong. I shuffle through the pile of CDs on my desk, nearly dropping every single one on the floor. If I didn’t keep looking up at her, I might find it faster. She rolls her eyes as I dig deeper into the stack. I finally find her copy of Surfer Rosa, stick my pointer finger in the middle and extend my arm.

If I would have known at that moment that all I would ever exchange with her from that point forward would be awkward glances and uncomfortable silences, I might have said something better than, “Here you are.”

2003-01-31T23:54:00.000-05:00

pop culture icon
I want to be a pop culture icon
not good or talented; per se
but someone who
in 5 years
will have kitsch written all over them
(hey, maybe even now)
and the uncool cool kids
with the striped sweaters
will speak of me in reverant tones

and I don’t want to do it
for the money
the fame
or the women
(though I wouldn’t refuse them were they offered to me)
I want to be on a lunch box
not those cheap plastic Aladdin ones
I want my face die cast into the side
so that I ping a little
when you grab your pb & j
I’m round enough to be on a thermos

so I can take my lunch
(and everyone will know who’s lunch it is!)
to Arnold’s and eat with the Fonz
and play a round of golf
with OJ Simpson
and the “real killer”
buy long distance
from ET or ALF
or that space alien
(what’s his name…Mike Piazza?)
go on a reality show
win a million
lose some shame

I really think I can do it
and Scott Baio will no longer be in charge
it’ll be me
all me

2003-01-26T18:45:00.000-05:00

This blog stuff is boring me. I don't have anything interesting to say.

Anything really important, and I'll let you know.

2003-01-26T18:44:00.000-05:00

Tampa looks good on two consectutive plays. Alstott with a good block there.

2003-01-26T18:41:00.000-05:00

Joe Jurevicious should be wearing Giant blue. Of course, he'd be sitting at home right now.

2003-01-26T18:40:00.000-05:00

Al Michael's analysis is spot-on....such an obvious call that you hate to have to waste it on a play like that. But you have to.

And Madden, I doubt Steckey was saying "Bologna".

2003-01-26T18:37:00.001-05:00

Not a fumble.

2003-01-26T18:37:00.000-05:00

Just because someone interecepted a pass in 1980, doesn't mean anything.

2003-01-26T18:35:00.000-05:00

Budweiser commercial with the zebra referee: Brilliant!

2003-01-26T18:34:00.000-05:00

Bucs seem to be adjusted to Oakland's line. Flushed Gannon out, now a sack for Rice.

2003-01-26T18:31:00.000-05:00

Both teams seem to use a lot of movement, Rams-style. It works if you have a quarterback who can organize his troops. But it didn't work too well for the Giants. They started to really roll once the offense was streamlined.

2003-01-26T18:29:00.000-05:00

Wow. Did Brad Johnson forget what team he was on?

2003-01-26T18:27:00.000-05:00

PLaying Madden 2003 as much as I have been, I'm sick of the sound of John Madden's voice.

2003-01-26T18:26:00.000-05:00

Just when I thought I was the only loser in front of the computer during the Super Bowl....Interactive TV.

2003-01-26T18:25:00.000-05:00

Oh boy. This Super Sound business isn't going to get too annoying too quick. Not at all.

2003-01-26T18:24:00.001-05:00

Whoops.

Can't even get which team is home and away. Can't be too good.

2003-01-26T18:24:00.000-05:00

Larry Csonka's fallen far since his days of hosting American Gladiators.

2003-01-26T18:23:00.001-05:00

Keenan McCardell is trying too hard to look badass.

2003-01-26T18:23:00.000-05:00

Does everything have to be corporate sponsored? When John Madden takes his half-time shit, will it be the Cottonnelle Halftime Dump?

2003-01-26T18:22:00.000-05:00

Comments on the Super Bowl so far:

-I thought fighting robots were solely Fox's domain.
-That Terminator intro was not exactly good. Arnold's starting to look old.
-The Life of David Gale immediately catches my attention--because it stars my favorite actor, Kevin Spacey.

2003-01-22T20:14:00.000-05:00

http://espn.go.com/mlb/news/2003/0122/1497122.html

This is surprising. To me at least. Pudge a Marlin. $10 Mil for one year? A steep price tag--will he be worth it?

WARP2 courtesy of baseballprospectus.com:

1991: 3.3
1992: 6.3
1993: 6.3
1994: 5.7
1995: 6.5
1996: 8.3
1997: 10.3
1998: 10.2
1999: 10.4
2000: 8.0
2001: 8.2
2002: 6.3

I'd say about 7 WARP2 is a reasonable lowball figure...let's give him benefit of the doubt at shoot at 8. Is eight wins worth $10 mil? (I understand the deferment and all that--but still.) Mike Redmond could be expected to contribute about 4 himself--so that's really only a +4, IMO.

Not worth the money, really. But perhaps as a PR thing, I can justify it. It's just that--by all reports--the Marlins seemed to have outbid everyone else by about $4 mil. That's a bit steep, no?

2003-01-21T23:10:00.000-05:00

http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/cubs_story.asp?intID=3764235

Rutgers student has reason to avoid class. Their next story? Sun rises, as expected.

Apparently, Brownlie did skip class today. I'm curious what class it was. If it was a CS class, he may have skipped it for reasons unrelated to the contract negotations.

I really wish, when I was in college, I could have gotten paid to not go to class. Oh wait....I did. Whoops.

2003-01-19T20:46:00.000-05:00

Surreal:

Watching the LL Cool J halftime show with the sound off (I was watching the football game, but decided I already have too much LL in my life), and listening to Weezer's blue album.

And what's with all the people in the plain colored T-shirts and jeans. WTF?

2003-01-19T20:17:00.000-05:00

Thought of the day:

If the phrase "most trusted Internet psychic service" isn't damning with faint praise, nothing is.

2003-01-19T00:05:00.000-05:00

A short poem. Enjoy.

Blue Screen

when you’re in a movie
and they put the star
in front of a blue screen
you can see a line between
the outline of their form
and the backdrop that
replaces the blue behind them
and you can pretend
it’s you in their place
but no matter
how hard you try
that seam will always be there
in between you
and where you really want to be

2003-01-17T00:56:00.000-05:00

I got Excel Saga volume 4 in the mail today!

Whooooooooooo!

I love Excel Saga. The new VA playing Excel in these episodes is OK, not as good as the one who played her in the first 3 volumes. Other than that, I must say these episodes are just sheer brilliance. These were the first episodes I saw, and they make even less sense in the context of the series as a whole. Ain't that grand?

It appears the gears are turning such that I'll be made a permanent employee at my current employer. Um. Woooo. I guess.

Life is strange. You never know who'll pop in and shake things up a bit. Even if you just write in a stupid blog infrequently. Keep reading. I'd love to hear from you readers.

2003-01-14T23:59:00.000-05:00

So I finally got around to watching Metropolis, which I had rented on Friday. Pretty cool flick. I must say, what is said on the IMDB site is right...the visuals are fantastic. The characters have this strange 40s-50s cartoon short/Gasoline Alley sort of look to them, which provides an interesting contrast to the cut-and-dried design of the machinery and the rather excellent CG. Some gratitutous use of CG towards the end is absolutely stunning. Story-wise, it wasn't terribly compelling, but good enough to keep me watching, especially just how pretty most of it was. I watched the subbed version--so no real comments on voice acting--the Japanese voices weren't good or bad--Pero was well played, but everyone else was fairly standard. Worth a rental, at least. Must of have looked damn cool on a big theater screen.

I also rented the Powerpuff Girls movie. Yes. I did.

For myself.

Anyway, the movie plays much like an extended episode of the series. It wouldn't be the best episode (there's some real classics like "Bubblevicious" and "Meet the Beat-Alls" to contend with), but it wouldn't be the worst either. Some interesting parts, some cutesy touching stuff, and a pretty cool action sequence. Some nifty animation adds to the movie. It's not something you'd enjoy if you don't like the series particularly much. For fans, it's pretty good, but it's relatively short running time (73 min) is a disappointment.

Next up: waiting for Excel Saga 4. Yippeee!

2003-01-14T23:18:00.000-05:00

I've had a lot of ideas for poems lately....here's another:

Weddings
the paper clip weds these
two reports
and with hushed “I do”s
they move into a new desk
with plenty of room to build
a family
and before long
the desk is filled with reports
and the kids grow older
and move out in boxes
marked “archives”
then some other reports
fall in love
with each other
and the thing holding
this marriage together
leaves them behind
and they fall away
from one another

2003-01-14T23:00:00.000-05:00

Been thinking again. Trying to regain control of my brain. It's going so-so so far.

I just finished writing this:
Probability Theory
like marbles in some
probablity theorist’s bag
we’re all mixed together
bumping in the dark
looking for that hand

to pull us out of this
one by one selected
all by random choice
measured and calculated
and we’re all trying

to find some meaning
in all of this business
while the mathematican
just counts and counts
we’re all just numbers

but we scratch each other
scrambling for the answer
but it’s down at the bottom
of the row of figures
on some mathematicn’s desk

I'm not terribly happy with it...but it felt it needed to be written, so I wasn't going to argue.

2003-01-12T00:19:00.000-05:00

So, my brother broke up with his girlfriend today. Why do I mention this? Well, in the process of talking to him about it, I realized that I was saying to him the same things people say to me about not beating myself up and that I'm not a bad person or whatever it is they say (I'm usually too busy trying to come up with something negative to say about myself to listen...).

So I'm trying to convince myself that, while there are things I'd like to improve, that I'm not a worthless piece of shit, and I do have things going for me. I just need to put the work in to make things better for myself, and I'm worth putting in the work for.

At the same time, I'm having a conversation about picking up and moving away, and not telling anyone, so I can a fresh start. No reputation, no knowledge of my past, nothing. I can live in denial all day. It'd be wonderful. Everytime I've had a new start, I didn't how to approach people and start new friendships. I just hoped people would feel bad for me if I made well known that I was upset--so for a long time (and I probably still don't have my hands on it fully) I couldn't have a normal conversation with someone. This has been one of the biggest fears of mine: if I fix what's wrong, I won't have anything to talk about it, since most of my conversation is based on things going wrong. Plus, my problems have been, for the most part, the only way I've gotten people to be my friend.

But I can't let the negativity stand in my way of what I need to. Get my head on straight, get a (real) job, get myself driving, get out of my parents house. Then we'll work on the women. But feeling like this, no one would want to be with me. I understand that, and it's starting to click a little. Hope I can keep it up.

2003-01-08T23:36:00.000-05:00

Conversation:

Mom: "In case you didn't know, we no longer have a washing machine."

Me: "Yes, well, my first hint that something was wrong was the big empty space right where the washing machine used to be."

2003-01-07T20:56:00.000-05:00

Thought for today:

If people are just going to walk up them anyway, and get pissed off when you don't, why bother having escalators?

2003-01-07T07:57:00.000-05:00

WHoops again.

Too much Madden 2003, not enough interesting stuff going on in my life.

From Baseball Prospectus:

Answers to Your top pitching prospect just threw 126 pitches in AA. How do you feel?

"I'd pat him on the back. We're making babies out of farmhands in baseball today. Then we wonder why they don't go eight or nine."
--Art Stewart, Royals scouting director

"It would never happen. We'd probably be listening to the game on the Internet, and would call the manager before he had the chance."
--Paul DePodesta, Athletics assistant general manager

When you look at the standings next year, remember these quotes.

2003-01-02T18:22:00.000-05:00

My boss wandered over to my desk today at work. She then asked me if I "had anything to do". I had to resist answering "waiting to die".

Only to see the look on her face when I said it.

2003-01-01T18:17:00.000-05:00

The X10 camera has a pop up ad saying, "Put this camera anywhere!".

It's going to be exploring the bowels of the people who make it if they don't keep popping up on my computer.

2003-01-01T00:10:00.001-05:00

Oh, Happy New Year everyone.

2003-01-01T00:10:00.000-05:00

It's 2003. For me at least.

I'm trying to contain my excitement.

OK. Done.

Another bleedin' year. Whoopedy doooooo.

2002-12-30T23:57:00.000-05:00

Sign I've been reading too much Douglas Adams:

I walk into work today and look at the calculator on my desk. The display reads "42". I did not put it there, someone else must have used my calculator. I actually mulled the symbolicness of this.

For about 2 seconds. Then my brain fell asleep. Again.

2002-12-29T23:46:00.000-05:00

I had a strange night last night.

I was at a party that almost exclusively involved friends of friends. Seeing the way these people reacted to each other, and told stories, and reminisced, it all made me feel like I was watching a TV show or something. I was trying to put together a complex weave of interactions and histories from snippets of conversations while wandering from one room to the next--and back since there really was only two rooms.

Sort of surreal, really. Fun to do once, but I don't think it's the kind of thing I'd like to do too much.

2002-12-29T15:10:00.000-05:00

So the Mets signed Rey Sanchez to replace Rey Ordonez.

At least Rey Sanchez can actually field.

One Rey for another? Sort of pointless.

2002-12-27T01:06:00.000-05:00

Just listening to Hum's "Downward is Heavenward". Maybe it's just the mood I'm in, but this album is so good, so beautiful.

I thoroughly recommend it to anyone reading this. Give it a chance. It almost made me cry--many times. It still has that much impact.

That's all for tonight.

...moonlight brings me back again this day...

2002-12-25T21:55:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas everybody.

My little brother got Super Monkey Ball 2 for the holiday, and now I can't stop playing it. He also got one of those fancy wireless controllers. It's awesome.

I actually went outside to test it. It still worked.

When I was out there, I realized it was snowing. I love the snow, but it always makes me just the teeniest bit sad.

I'd explain why, but then you all would stop reading and talking to me, so I won't.

2002-12-22T23:19:00.000-05:00

I would just like to say that Metroid Prime is super-neato-keen. That is all.

I would say the same for red Starburst candy canes. Good stuff.

If I am not given a permanent position, this will be my last week on my current job. That would be good in the sense that I hate this job. It would be bad--much worse--because then I will be stuck in the house without a job and dwindling financial support.

It sucks. I really want to get my license and a car and move out, but I'm incredibly scared to do so. It's very comfortable in my current situation, and I hate that.

It's amazing how quickly I can downshift in moods. Takes me a good long time to go the other way, but I can downshift like nobody's business.

Which is always very comfortable for me, because that's how I trap people. It beats the wacky act. I'd rather be pitied than ignored.

Fuck. I'm beating myself up again. Ugh.

Well, I'll go straighten myself out. Talk to you later.

2002-12-19T23:17:00.000-05:00

In Mozilla, this window appears as maybe one quarter of the total space alloted to it. At least the Word Wrap works.

I was thinking today. Never a good thing, I know. But I just was reflecting on why I did a lot of the stuff I did. Whenever someone asks me about my major in college, they always seem puzzled by the combination of the two majors I picked: computer science and philosophy. So here's the real answer (not the one I usually give) on why I decided to study philosophy.

I wanted to know why.

Other discplines have hows and whats and occasionally why, but I've always been fascinated with "Why?". Theology was never too comforting in that regard. It always seemed to come down to an answer of "Because God wanted it to be that way."

I overheard someone tell their story about how they just got out of the WTC before the buildings came down. The person listening to this story responded, "God was looking out for you that day." This bothered me greatly. Why was God looking out for the guy sitting across the table from me as opposed to all the other people who died that day? I'm certain they came from all faiths; whatever God they could have been talking must have been covered.

Ineffability. Fuck ineffability.

I was more disappointed to find philosophy didn't really have the answers I was looking for. So I still look. And think. I feel I'm getting closer all the time. I don't think it's a "Eureka! I found it!" sort of thing. It's a gradual resolution in my mind. It's forming like a picture through the smoke. Hopefully it is anyway.

2002-12-18T22:50:00.000-05:00

Well, in all seriousness, I've been incredibly busy with work and stuff. I worked a lot of hours last week, and I haven't been up to writing in my blog. Why? I've been depressed about what seems to be my permanent lack of sex. I keep trying to figure what will work for me, but I realize it's mostly a whole set of internal problems I have. I do know I have difficultly approaching people to start conversation. I have issues with looking skeezy or whatnot. I'm constantly worried about giving off negative vibes. And of course, I have some self-esteem issues.

But I haven't figured out what I should do instead of the single scene. That is the source of most of my misery these days. I feel like I'm not doing what I should be. I hate the feeling of wasting my time. And my life. You figure I'd do something about it. But I really don't know what to do.

And of course, my friend who is currently setting me up to be her surrogate boyfriend, without any of the benefits, is walking all over me. And I can't stop it. Even when I resolve to. She'll call me (like tonight) and that'll be the end of it. I can't have any backbone. I told multiple friends I wasn't going to work last Saturday no matter much they pushed me. Guess who was at work on Saturday? Well, yes, there were a bunch of other people. But so was I.

Well, at least I got some good news. I won my fantasy football league regular season. Cash money, biotch.

Peace out til the next episode.

2002-12-18T22:30:00.000-05:00

Sorry.

Since the beginning of time, man has needed to eat to survive. And with eating comes the necessity to remove solid waste from one's body. This solid waste is known by many names. "Crap", "poop", "feces", and most commonly, "shit". And this shit lived a life as a minor nuisance. And it rather enjoyed its life as such.

As man evolved, he decided he needed more control over his environment, and so he created rotary devices to cool himself off. He decided to call these devices "fans".

Now, once shit found about these fans, it decided it really to go for a spin. And this is what happened to the world.

The shit hit the fan.

Thank you. I'll be here all the week.

2002-11-19T22:13:00.000-05:00

A warning to those of you with delicate compositions: you might want to avoid this post.

To placate you, here's some happiness for you.

For the rest of you rough and tumble sorts:
Well, I was passing through the back room--where the infamous Toilet in the Middle of the Basement is--and I noticed that there was some solid waste in it. Now, I had gone before, but I flushed.

There apparently is a ghost shitting in my toilet.

2002-11-19T00:11:00.000-05:00

I love this site.

My new project? Finding all the errors in this blog that are listed here.

2002-11-19T00:06:00.000-05:00

Ever just realize someone is annoying, mid-conversation? That happened to me tonight when I was out with my friend. This would have nothing to do with latent feelings at all. No, not at all.

I'm being cryptic again, I apologize to those who have no clue what's going on.

2002-11-17T22:36:00.000-05:00

Oh, and a quick thanks to the reader who today told me that I'm "interesting". Thanks, it's appreciated.

At least not everyone thinks I'm the second biggest waste of Web space out there.

2002-11-17T22:34:00.000-05:00

Been some interesting baseball notes as of late:

Braves land Hampton as part of (AIAP) a three-way deal from the Rockies via Florida.

ROX: Preston Wilson, Charles Johnson, Vic Darensbourg, Pablo Ozuna
FLA: Juan Pierre, Tim Spooneybarger, PTBNL
ATL: Mike Hampton

The Mountain Dwellers get Preston, who'll cut down on his K's and probably hit 40 in the thin air. CJ could resurrect his 2000 form, and maybe slug 550. Darensbourg was overpaid, and Ozuna isn't much.

The Angel Of Death's Minions get Pierre, who'll probably post a sub-300 OBP, but he'll hit 20 3B. Spooneybarger joins a host of live arms in the Sunshine State pen--bullpen that is. Will probably become closer by default. Rumors that the PTBNL is Marcus Giles are most likely just that--rumors--but on the off chance they're true, the Mascot Firers could win this deal.

The Choppers get an engima wrapped in a mystery wrapped in a left handed pitcher named Mike Hampton. Once considered the greatest thing since sliced bread, Hampton seeks to slice 3 runs or so off his ERA. If that doesn't work, the Braves may want to try him at 3B, currently the home of Lineup Black Hole Vinny Castilla, who was historically terrible this season at the plate. Leo Mazzone's done some great things in the past, this should be a challenge.

Atlanta was second in the NL in Defensive Efficiency last year. This should bode well for Hampton--a 2.2 career GB/FB ratio pitcher with a career 5.74 K/9 rate. Of course, Castilla was considered one of the best defensive 3B in the league--so if they fix that problem, it could be difficult for Hampton.

The Mets are the (somewhat) unexpected winner here--this puts Glavine firmly in their lap. It's up to them to seal the deal.

The losers? Gabe Kapler. Ben Petrick. Obviously. Ramon Castro should be a winner--he gets a starting job (hopefully). But it's with Florida. Whoops.

Oakland trades Cory Lidle to the Jays for a couple of minor-leaguers, yet to be described as prospects.

Billy Beane gives Mini-Beane an early Christmas present while freeing up salary space to sign the seemingly on-the -market Eurabiel Durazo long-term after they trade for him. Of course, now, I'm starting to sound like Peter Gammons--but Durazo's part of the long rumored Larry Walker to Arizona deal. Where exactly are they going to put him?

Interesting stuff. More to come as well.

2002-11-16T22:31:00.000-05:00

Glowing praise for A Talking Sandwich?:

DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:42:16 PM): i wanna go to hawaii yay yay i wanna go to hawaii yay yay
DaMightySandwich (9:42:23 PM): Go.
DaMightySandwich (9:42:27 PM): No one's stopping you.
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:42:28 PM): good i wanna go to hawaii
DaMightySandwich (9:42:32 PM): Go.
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:42:37 PM): itz gonna be great
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:42:46 PM): i wanna go to hawaii yay yay
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:42:49 PM): yay
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:42:50 PM): yay
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:42:57 PM): i wanna go to hawaii
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:43:02 PM): i wanna go to hawaii
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:43:23 PM): yay yay i wanna go to hawaii yay yay
DaMightySandwich (9:43:27 PM): There's volcanoes in Hawaii.
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:43:27 PM): POOF
DaMightySandwich (9:43:33 PM): Coconuts too.
DaMightySandwich (9:43:35 PM): I think.
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:43:37 PM): yay yay
DaMightySandwich (9:43:39 PM): Not sure.
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:43:47 PM): poof
DaMightySandwich (9:43:49 PM): Macademia nuts too.
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:43:54 PM): poof
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:44:14 PM): and monkeys with bananas yay yay:-!
DaMightySandwich (9:44:17 PM): No.
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:44:18 PM): i think lol
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:44:21 PM): poof
DaMightySandwich (9:44:24 PM): Maybe in a zoo.
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:44:28 PM): be foreva
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:44:30 PM): poof
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:44:42 PM): no zoos in hawaii yay yay
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:44:51 PM): poof
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:44:58 PM): leave me alone!
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:44:59 PM): poof
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:45:14 PM): im gonna report u for slanmder yay yay
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:45:18 PM): poof
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:45:35 PM): btw i dont think ur too mighty
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:45:38 PM): poof
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:45:53 PM): and ur prob not a very tasty sandwich
DaMightySandwich (9:46:03 PM): Your opinion doesn't mean a hell of a lot.
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:46:10 PM): but u r prob very da
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:46:37 PM): well neither does ur or ur stupid online diaries!
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:46:39 PM): so there
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:46:43 PM): poo on u!
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (9:46:44 PM): poof

2002-11-16T22:11:00.000-05:00

Nine days. Here's what has happened since the seventh:

Work.
Work.
Visit from Dennis, purchasing of Excel Saga Volumes 2 and 3, the Neon Genesis Evagenlion Perfect Collection, The White Stripes' White Blood Cells and De Stijl, and Crazy Taxi. Watching of the entire series of Generator Gawl.
Work.
Work.
Purchasing of the new Pearl Jam and Foo Fighters records.

OK, details:
-Friday was the first Friday in six weeks my friend didn't call to hang out. I thought of calling her, but the thought passed. I wasn't really up for it anyway. I watched some Eva instead.
-Eva is really fucking awesome. Just needed to reaffirm that.
-Excel Saga is one of the funniest things ever. Especially (probably only, but bear with me) if you're into anime on any level.
-CDs:
White Blood Cells: serious fucking rock. One of the best CDs I've heard in a while. "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground", "Fell in Love With a Girl", "The Union Forever", and "I Can't Wait" just totally rock the house. Any house. Pick one. It will rock it.
De Stijl: much bluesier than its followup. Good stuff here, just not on the level of White Blood Cells.
Riot Act: Pearl Jam's 7th full length just isn't impressing me all that much. It's growing on me a little, but it just seems a lot of it muddles through the same territority of the last two records. It has very few standout songs on a first listen--"Save You", "Ghost", "Get Right" are up there with earlier PJ classics, and "Love Boat Captain" and "I Am Mine" are definitely growing on me. "Bushleaguer" has a feel similar to Yield's "Push Me, Pull Me"--except a little more conventional musically. "Green Disease" just lacks something, as does "Thumbing My Way". They just feel devoid of emotion; Pearl Jam just mailing it in. The album could have survived without them. "You Are" interests me; one of Binaural's highlights was "Evacuation", both were penned by Matt Cameron, former Soundgarden drummer. In my opinion, Pearl Jam hasn't really given the world a song with real punch since "I Got Id"--one of their best--and that's a damn shame, since Pearl Jam's first four albums were full of sock. Yield was inconsistent, Binaural was good, but too sterile, and Riot Act just seems to fall somewhere between the two. Production-wise, it's almost as clean as Binaural. I guess we'll never see the "dark" Pearl Jam of parts ofVs. and No Code, and all of Vitalogy.
One By One: The Foo continue their de-evolution into a pop-rock band. They're really good at it; don't get me wrong. But again, a lot of these songs seem subpar. "Low" and "All My Life" are highlights...but none of these songs are under four minutes! "Come Back" feels almost like Weezer's "Only In Dreams" except 1) it's rocking not the slow (melo)drama 2) and it's just not as good. About 3/4 of the way through "Lonely As You", I said to myself "This song's not over yet?" It's the type of the song that could be two and a half minutes, and be much better for it.

Of course for all but "White Blood Cells" I've had at most two listens to get a feel. "De Stijl" I had to return to Best Buy because the copy I got last week was defective.

2002-11-07T22:36:00.000-05:00

Been pretty uneventful. Work is work. It's not baseball season...I don't know what to tell you guys besides sorry for the drying up for the blog.

Submitted without further comment:
Caked on the Slate
so I wanted to clean the slate
slate’s chock full of spots
the blurriness revmoes itself
moved to a higher shelf
where reach for the cookies
that leave little imprints
that build an information space
so I can’t completely remove
what’s come before
and what comes charging
to the forefront
is a storefront selling
some mind erasing kit
but I’d remember that
except when I reformat my brain
here’s a suggestion
write it all down
then when you can’t remember
you throw it all out
and start over again
today’s witty observations
is tomorrow’s tired cliché
and I’m still scraping
at what’s caked on the slate
it if were just zeroes
I know it’d be over
so I carve my name into
the side of my head
so I can find it
when I’ve reset the registers

2002-11-05T19:49:00.000-05:00

Yahoo! Sports: MLB - Astros: Woody sought to firm up staff

Whoo. Thanks to Baseball Primer for this one. I have no comment on the article itself.

2002-11-02T18:36:00.000-05:00

Offered without comment:

hungry

I enter where it’s warm
the kitchen beckons
with sticky sweet smells
soured by your presence
offering me this delicious poison
with smiles of pure filth
words with no weight
sink into an empty stomach
over food you avoid questions
you must feel something sometime
you squirm and wave it away
but there is no fifth amendment
in interpersonal relationships
and I feel I should take it personally
when leave me and my affections
cold on the table
when I make you dinner
and I call and you apathize
so I vacously stare
and refuse what you’re offering me
trifles to trivialize me away
but I’ll hold my tongue
until the saliva coats my hands
and I wipe it on the chairs
and table and dishes
leaving trails of what I want to say
and I wipe it on the food you’ve made
and you scream that I’ve ruined it
that I’ve ruined everything.

2002-11-02T16:16:00.000-05:00

http://espn.go.com/ncaa/news/2002/1031/1453962.html

I've been involved with in debates with a number of people regarding "student atheletes" and college athletic programs. It seems that, while removing SAT requirements, the NCAA is taking some steps to assuring that players in college programs are more than just athletes. They trying to make them student atheletes again. This isn't to take away from those who do work their asses off to compete both academically and atheletically; I tip my cap to them.

The SATs as a cut and dried measure of student ability is not one I feel comfortable with. Just like in every situation where one is evaluting something, every factor should be taken into account. Grades, participation in activities--extracurricular or independant of school altogether, and other tools can be used to determine a student's ability and work ethic. The sliding scale idea sounds nice, but pushing GPA too low if the SATs are high could be problematic. By most technical definition, a 2.0-2.5 should be about average. That should be sufficent.

2002-11-02T15:53:00.000-05:00

By the way, this is what you get as an away message when IM my new friend from earlier:

HEYY EVRY1 IM CLEANIN MAH ROOM RITE NOW BU IF YA WANNA CHAT IM NE WAYZ! LYL. ----LINZ

These people exist. Good lord.

2002-11-02T15:05:00.000-05:00

DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (2:57:40 PM): who is this?
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (2:58:08 PM): jackson?
DaMightySandwich (2:58:21 PM): Huh?
DaMightySandwich (2:58:25 PM): Who are you?
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (2:58:36 PM): is this jackson?
DaMightySandwich (2:58:47 PM): I am not Jackson. To my knowledge.
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (2:59:15 PM): who is this?
DaMightySandwich (2:59:37 PM): Who are you?
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (2:59:45 PM): lindsay
DaMightySandwich (3:00:08 PM): I don't know anyone named Lindsay...hmm, wonder how you got my SN.
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (3:00:25 PM): my friend who
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (3:00:38 PM): said thois was jacksons im
DaMightySandwich (3:01:19 PM): I'm not Jackson. I don't know who referenced you to me. But I'm not Jackson.
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (3:01:29 PM): ok
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (3:01:37 PM): who do u have for algebra?
DaMightySandwich (3:01:49 PM): No one.
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (3:02:03 PM): wat5eva
DaMightySandwich (3:02:27 PM): Whatever indeed.
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (3:04:57 PM): dreamingofwhite gave it to me
DaMightySandwich (3:05:08 PM): Not familar with said person at all.
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (3:06:42 PM): she said to stop bein an ass
DaMightySandwich (3:07:16 PM): I really don't understand why I'm being an ass. I don't know you people.
DaMightySandwich (3:07:59 PM): And I'm sure if this IMing random people on a Saturday afternoon is your idea of fun than you are a sad, sad person indeed.
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (3:08:30 PM): wateva
DaMightySandwich (3:08:37 PM): Whatever indeed.
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (3:08:43 PM): rite
DaMightySandwich (3:08:58 PM): Yes, yes I am.
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (3:09:05 PM): ok
DaMightySandwich (3:09:23 PM): Satisified now?
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (3:09:50 PM): sure
DaMightySandwich (3:10:04 PM): I'm glad.
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (3:10:05 PM):
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (3:10:14 PM): ok
DaMightySandwich (3:11:00 PM): Is it ok?
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 (3:11:06 PM): sure
DaMightySandwich (3:11:24 PM): How can you be sure?
DiAmOnDzR4eVa753 signed off at 3:13:50 PM

2002-11-02T03:08:00.000-05:00

http://www.nanowrimo.org/index.php

This is my latest project that'll never last. We'll see how it goes, maybe, just maybe I can 1) convince myself to do it, 2) keep on it, 3) have enough ideas to hold out on it. The new button on the left will take you directly to the work in progress. As it gets bigger (and has a name, chapters, and all that fun stuff), I'll make it better looking and move navigable. Right now, it's just over a page--1255 words. That would leave me well short, but it's a start. I'm tired right now--tomorrow I'll shoot for 2000. Assuming I don't make plans or something.

2002-11-01T08:07:00.000-05:00

http://espn.go.com/mlb/news/2002/1031/1453951.html

The Phillies have a hard time recognizing what they have and they don't have. Signing Thome is unnecessary; Jeremy Giambi will gave them 80-90% of the production at 10% of the cost. Sign Kent, if anything; Maddux or Glavine would work too. Cliff Floyd is also mentioned; where, pray tell, would they put him?

2002-10-31T22:50:00.000-05:00

Today was clearly one of those days designed to test my ability to keep myself from having a panic attack. Small bits of work suddenly turning huge, numbers not adding up, bouts of transposition, and outside distraction made work hellish.

At least I had CANDY! tonight.

2002-10-30T21:57:00.000-05:00

Orioles resign Pat Hentgen.

You know, the argument is often made that, if I (or any other particularly vocal critic of baseball management) could do better, we'd be doing it. Or the slightly less strong "since they're there, they must know what they are doing" version of that argument.

I know one example won't refute that theory. But this isn't good for Orioles fans. At least they got only a one year deal, with team option. But it's these types of mediocrities that the Orioles have no business fooling around with. See what your young players can do; it's pretty obvious you're not going to win next year.

2002-10-30T21:25:00.000-05:00

Remember this? Well, Baseball Primer finally decided to post it. Go me.

2002-10-29T20:38:00.000-05:00

http://espn.go.com/page2/s/halberstam/021029.html

David Halberstam writes about Barry Bonds. He begins by decrying Bonds' tendency to stare at his majestic home runs. I don't blame Barry, everyone else loves watching them, too. But the point about showing up the other team is one that is well made. But to suggest the firing of a 90+ mph projectile in the general vicinity of his body as punishment is immature and smacks of an overbearing machismo. That's not about respect; that's about having your manhood challenged, which, of course, "real men" who resort to violence are idolized.

So if baseball's authorities can invent the DH, why can't they invent the DR, the Designated Reporter, someone chosen by Major League Baseball, questions to be written out by the players and owners and managers themselves, and answers supplied by the above as well. I think it might be a lot better that way, and it would certainly take some of the heavy burden off Barry.

And perhaps if the media ever issued an intelligent, thoughtful question that required more than recycling The Great Baseball Cliches, we might notice the difference. Writers may as well write their own answers.

because of the burden they've placed on Barry, letting so many people invade his space after a game, separating him from his God-given right to privacy. [WARNING: Logical jump here.] I think he has a right to dress in a locker room all his own, no reporters allowed before or after the game, and, if need be, to play in a ballpark all his own, with no fans or media people there to distract him. And no newspaper would be allowed to write about what happened in his lonely little ballpark.

Whoa. Well, Halberstam's trying to make a point...I think it would be sellable if didn't resort to ridiculous hyperbole. Yes, Barry does not generallly give the big smiling interview. He does look like I do at work. So? I understand he's a performer, a public figure. But the Giants aren't paying him to smile; they're paying him to hit the damn baseball, which he's doing quite well. I have a hard time NOT rooting for this guy, simply because he's the best damned ballplayer I've ever seen.

I like that, telling them to find other work -- it really sums up his value system, and what he's about, and it shows that he understands that what they do, all the free coverage they give baseball, day in and day out, has nothing to do with the size of his paycheck.

Oh, you mean the same reporters writing these "baseball is dying" pieces? The ones choking down on the game's anti-marketing? Bonds telling them to find other work is definitely wrong of him (I can't really remember this incident per se...I can't seem to find a quote or reference to this incident on Google---maybe one of my few readers can?)--but of course, Halberstam relies on what I like to call the "What About The Teachers?" argument--players should do X because they make so much, and we don't. To Mr. Halberstam: if you don't like what they do--stop writing about it. Stop watching the game. ESPN is giving you money to report about Bonds...it goes both ways.

Then he gives us his history, and invokes the name of the First Amendment. What the fuck? Does this guy not realize how much he's marginializing one of the most important pieces of our fundamental framework as a society? To suggest, even imply, that Barry Bonds is doing something to harm his First Amendment right is just reeking of self-importance.

Even more, it doesn't look like there's very much fun in it for him. I've watched closely over the last year, and in sharp contrast to Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa in their hour of fame, for instance, I don't think it's a cumulative portrait of a man having a very good time. Brilliant at what he does, yes, but enjoying it ... I don't think so.

Most good drama isn't very fun. Art usually isn't. To suggest Bonds' work is some sort of art is obviously some academic hand-wiggling on my part--but your enjoyment shouldn't matter whether he's enjoying it. If you listen to what he says--he rather sounds like he enjoys playing the game, even if he isn't Sammy (who's looked rather grumpy himself lately) or Big Mac.

Ultimately, for an article that's as long as it is, it adds nothing to the table. Halberstam comes across as completely convinced that what he does is more important than what Barry does--but without Barry he can't pontificate or tell everyone about his career full of dangers. From this article, it doesn't sound like Halberstam 's enjoying his line of work very much.

2002-10-29T08:12:00.000-05:00

Bengals guarantee a victory against Texans

This is sort of like me guaranteeing I'm going to get laid this week. It's merely wishful thinking, and no one takes it seriously.

2002-10-29T07:35:00.000-05:00

I had a dream last night where I was trying to explain the meaning of the word "derisive" to Enimem at a hot dog stand. See, he wasn't running the hot dog stand; no one was. The hot dogs were free. But he overheard me say something "ghetto" and he said something derisive. So I had to explain to him what that meant. Then I went back to watching the parade. I wonder what that means.

2002-10-28T22:14:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone.

Sorry about not blogging. I just started a temp job, doing some data entry. It's really boring, and not very challenging. But it pays, and it keeps me out of the house. They're finally giving me some work (as opposed to watching others do work to "learn").

So if that were all that was going on, I'd be relaxed. But I'm stressing myself out over a girl, again. I'm in the "sorting out my feelings/trying to find some excuse not to say anything" stage of the game. The one I usually stay in for a very very long time. So I'm going to be in a mood for a while.

It would be easy if I could sort out some residual feelings I have. But things are muddled in my head...and yet, I'm not completely miserable.

I want the new Foo Fighters CD. But alas, until my paycheck comes in, I am broke. Stupid paycheck. Stupid money.

The World Series was pretty bitchin'. I missed Game 6, though, the best one of the Series. Troy Glaus MVP--great performance. But has anyone ever so dictated the tone and strategy of a game like Barry Bonds? I mean, every move is made with his ABs in mind. It's scary. And when he doesn't get walked, it's pretty damn incredible what he can do to a baseball.

John Ritter. 8 Simple Rules (for Dating My Teenage Daughter). Now comedy shows can usually put a good joke on a commercial to tempt unsuspecting victims into watching the show. This show cannot. "Put on a bikini and goes as HOT!" Is that funny? I mean, do I just not have a sense of humor?

Yay, it's that Pepsi Blue commercial. "First you say whoa, then you say yeah."

Pepsi Blue sucks just as much as its commercials.

2002-10-28T07:32:00.000-05:00

http://espn.go.com/mlb/news/2002/1027/1452045.html

Newspaper reports young Wedge will guide Indians.

No confirmation of the rumor that he will hire Biggs as his bench coach.

2002-10-26T18:56:00.000-04:00

Um. Pretend I didn't neglect my blog for five days...again.

2002-10-21T17:35:00.000-04:00

http://espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2002/s/2002/1021/1448876.html

"The Angels scored five runs in the first Sunday night, and the Giants scored four in the top of the second. So Eckstein led off the second with a bunt single. Has there ever been a better way to defuse the momentum gained when a team cuts a five-run deficit to one."

I can think of plenty of ways. Any hard hit would have done it better than a bunt. A BUNT?!? Come on Tim, you don't really that bunt took the wind out of SF's sails, did you?

2002-10-21T17:10:00.000-04:00

ESPN.com - MLB Playoffs 2002 - Selig thanks fans for 'patience and enthusiasm'

Minnesota greets Selig with "kick to the groin, punch to the face".

"We look forward to a beatdown...together" It was signed "Minnesota Twins fans everywhere."

"Oh, and Pohlad? You ain't sneakin' outta this, either!"

2002-10-21T14:15:00.000-04:00

Sorry about the downtime, folks. Just, um, yeah....look away. Anyways, I don't have much to add. If you're bored, check this out: http://www.baseball-reference.com/random.cgi

That should amuse you.

Did you see Barry Bonds' monster shot last night? Good lord, that man hit that ball hard. What a shot. That was a crazy game, with multiple lead changes, and a wild finish.

Can someone remind Dusty Baker if the series goes 6 not to DH Shawon Dunston--he's hacktastic. I want my Shinjo! Shinjo may suck, but at least he's Shinjolicious.

2002-10-16T15:11:00.000-04:00

ESPN.com - MLB Playoffs 2002 - Expect more teams to get the St. Louis Blues

Excellent article on the pitfalls of the current baseball playoff system. This is the reason why I hope the Yankees don't go off the deep end with their overhauls. Same with Oakland, Minnesota, and St. Louis. The Braves have the worst bottom half of a lineup, and will probably need to replace Glavine or Maddux; maybe both. The D'Backs ancient core is really starting to age--hopefully for them, they can clear out some salary space and get younger, while relying on their anchors in the rotation. And yes, maybe they will Free Eurabiel Durazo, once and for all.

2002-10-15T00:08:00.000-04:00

Monday Night Football: Terrell Owens did the strangest thing I have ever seen. After scoring a touchdown, he pulled a pen out of his sock, autographed the ball in the end zone, and handed it to someone. Why, exactly, would he carry a pen in his sock? They explained it was a premediated act--he knew the person he was giving it to--so he's not in the habit of carrying a pen. But still, a rather surreal sight.

Oh, and they panned over Seattle and played Pearl Jam. Yes, because the only thing anyone knows about Seattle is Pearl Jam and Nirvana. How creative guys.

MLB Playoffs: Helluva game tonight. Baker and LaRussa were "outmanaging" each other (Shawon Dunston PHing against a RH; leaving Morris in to hit in the ninth of a tie game), but the ninth inning, and Kenny Lofton singling in the game winner in the bottom of the ninth. Wow. Great stuff.

Anaheim-SF World Series. Would never had called it.

2002-10-14T19:12:00.000-04:00

October 14, 2002 - The Winner's Curse

Interesting article. This concept is one of those subrational things that goes on with human behavior. Weird emergent stuff. It makes logical sense, and it's really unavoidable. Jason Kendall looked that blue line a couple of years back, but now he's much closer to that red line.

I'd like to do some studies on this kind of stuff--although I believe it was Clay Davenport in BP2002 who did a study on replacement level that touched on some of these concepts.

2002-10-13T20:12:00.000-04:00

I didn't get the job. I just found the letter they sent me which I did not notice yesterday. They said no thanks.

Damn. Now I'm really screwed. I've been sort of letting up looking for a job while I saw whether this fell out. That was stupid, but now I have to start looking hardcore again.

2002-10-13T19:03:00.000-04:00

The Random Game!

OK, the shakeup has happened. I am now officially in charge of the Three Line Novels game over at TRG. So, go post there. Please. Even if you're not funny. Bonus if you are.

2002-10-13T13:57:00.000-04:00

Sorry for drying up for a few days, it's been busy.

Friday: Went out with a friend. Dinner at the Red Lobster was adequate, but the service was so godawful and my friend totally did not like her drink, at all. So then she wanted to get a book about parakeets, after which we'd drive to the movie theater and see a movie. So we go into Barnes & Noble and wander around. She finds a small little book about her birds, which she proceeds to read all of--so she didn't have to buy it. I picked up a copy of The Rediscovery of the Mind by John Searle, which I read briefly. I got through most of the first chapter. Pretty interesting. He challenges most of the historical philosophy of mind, using a "commonsense" approach. I would have bought it, but I'm not really in a position to do so.

So we left the bookstore and headed back to the car. As she pulls out to drive away, we realize that her front right tire is flat. This ruined any other plans we had that evening. We waited for her father to bail us out, she dropped me off at home. When I got home, I realized I had misplaced $40. What the hell. A horrible day.

Saturday: My former college roommate came up to my house to hang out. He brought up his birthday present for me: a box of Pokemon fruit snacks, a box of Nintendo Jelly Pops, and a DVD copy of End of Evangelion. Which should be super cool; I haven't watched it yet, I will tonight, after football. We then made a trip into NYC to see the movie Spirited Away, a Disney import from Japan. Brilliant movie, fantastic. I, for one, am shocked that Disney actually released, if only because it completely blows away most of Disney's workmanlike films they've been mailing in since The Lion King. The characters weren't two dimesional stereotypes, broadly brushed as "hero" or "villain". They have depth to them. Some excellent animation also helps, as there some breathtaking images in the film. It was definitely worth the $17 (7 for transportation, 10 for movie ticket) I paid to see it. I highly recommend seeing it, if at all possible. It's in limited release right now--do yourself a favor and try to find it. (Oh, the kicker was seeing on a DLP screen. Absolutely beautiful.)

Dennis and I then proceeded back to my house, where we played Super Smash Bros. Melee for 4 or 5 hours. Good times. Good times.

Today: Left to my own devices for breakfast, I walked down to the local Dunkin' Donuts. This very Dunkin' Donuts was the scene of one of my most traumatic personal experiences, and probably set my dating life back a few years. After having my feelings pryed out by my current love interest at the time, she proceeded to find them rather humorous. Her story later was that she wasn't expecting it, and she had the unfortunate reaction to laugh. So thinking about that was...fun.

Other things:

Fun with IMDb: Looking through the voice cast of the aforementioned Spirited Away, one finds out that the English voice of the rather large baby (the incomparable, well, perhaps comparable, but still just plain awesome Tara Strong) has also been the voice of the Powerpuff Girl, Bubbles (my favorite); Rikku, from Final Fantasy X; Batgirl, in various incarnations of Batman animated series; appeared in two incarnations of Captain N the Game Master; appeared as one of the "giggling girls" in Clerks: The Animated Series; and voiced Hello Kitty in Hello Kitty's Furry Time Theater. Wow. I saw her name in the credits, and recognized it as the woman who voiced Bubbles, but I never realized she had such an impressive resume.

Sen's mother was voiced by Lauren Holly, from, most notably, to me, anyway, Dumb & Dumber. Haha. Her father was voiced by The Commish himself, Micahel Chiklis. I love this site, and use it extensively.

The NY Football Giants: They suck. Atlanta spent almost a whole quarter driving down the field on them. Atlanta MINUS Michael Vick. Ugh.

The Random Game: TRG's main mod, Rob, is resigning his position. The game, it could be said, is in a state of transition. That is why if you like my sense of humor and enjoy my funney, you should be going there all the time. The link is in the left hand margin. Do it. Now. I will love you for it.

Work: I should find out this week whether or not I will employed by New Horizons as a software trainer. I really hope so. I'm broke.

2002-10-11T12:57:00.000-04:00

Major League Baseball News

Unsure what to get me for the holidays? Here's an idea.

2002-10-10T01:17:00.000-04:00

A good night to be a baseball fan--if you could pull off what I had going. I had a little two TV setup hooked up to watch BOTH the ALCS and the NLCS at the same time. The benefits: got to see a lot of baseball, got to avoid listening to Fox announcers (Steve Lyons is annoying, Tim McCarver is annoyance incarnate). The drawbacks: It's really hard to follow two baseball games, especially if they're both "in action" at the same time.

Some notes:
--Benito Santiago is an ugly man. This picture does not do justice to his pockmarked visage. But hey, he's making millions of dollars, and I'm drinking Hi-C on my couch.
--I couldn't keep an accurate count of Boston Public commercials tonight. I did catch one. Fox is actually showing commercials for other programs!
--Barry, Barry, Barry. A 2-run triple when the game was still in doubt. And the walks. They are scared of you Barry. Hell, I have nothing to do with the game, and I'm scared.
--In the eighth inning of the Twins-Angels game, Troy Percival was brought in to pitch to Bobby Kielty with two runners on. Kielty fanned looking on a pitch that looked inside to me, but it may have tailed and caught corner.
--Tino "Clutch God" Martinez was standing on deck, representing what would have been the tying run, when Edgar Renteria hit one back to Robb Nen to close the game out.
--Both games looked like laughers early, but both closers wound up picking up saves.
--Kenny Lofton needs to chill. A ball that I personally did not think was all that close sent him into a tizzy, which brought the whole team onto the field for a nice little discussion, followed by milk and cookies and a nap. LaRussa and Baker even got into it a bit, yelling and requiring separation.
--Bonds was on the frontlines, starting trouble. Does he have a bad attitude, or does this make him more of a team guy? Does it really matter when you're the greatest player in the game, probably in the last 20 years, and maybe even ever? If the Giants take home Crazy Bud's Shiny Object, it'll be on the strength of Barry's bat--or at least the fear of the strength of Barry's bat.
--I am philosophically opposed to artifical turf, but I must admit, it is amusing.
--The difference between satellite TV and regular old antenna is rather stark, when you sit the two next to each other. Not that isn't stark by any other means, but you catch my drift.

It was a fun time--although I doubt I'll repeat it anytime soon. Too stressful on the eyes. I'll try and drop a line after tomorrow's Game 2 of the NLCS.

2002-10-09T02:46:00.000-04:00

"Service continues. I'm not dead."
--Q and Not U, "When the Lines Go Down"

What an interesting day.

I headed back down to New Horizons--the software training place--for my "test teach". The three mock students I had to teach Windows 2000 basics were convincing. So what's the verdict? I'm good relating to people, and explaining concepts to them on a one-on-one level. But, apparently, I'm edgy when I'm up there, and create a barrier when speaking to the whole class. I can handle distractions--sudden changes in direction--but I'm just too edgy. Well, I'll find out within the next week or so if I actually get the job. The other place that called about my resume hasn't called me back yet. Blagh.

OK--after at least 10 listens through "Different Damage", I'm still undecided how I feel about it. There's songs I really like, and songs I could live without. This is really Q and Not U's "End Hits", where "No Kill No Beep Beep" was more along the lines of "Repeater". So I'm going to break down "Different Damage" track by track and give you the lowdown:
Soft Pyramids--Track 2 of the On Play Patterns single, this version is pretty close to the single version. The vocal line is different, and includes some off-tempo lyrics that create an awkward feel. The song is a slower one, but I like the way it feels as an opening track. It builds a nice groove, then goes out with some weird synth-type thing, which rolls right into....
So Many Animal Calls--possibly a vastly rewritten version of Track 1 of the On Play Patterns single, it comes together to a driving pulse which Christopher Richards' vocal line perfectly bounces along on. It's definitely more reminiscent of NKNBB--the guitars are a little more wild.
Air Conditions--slow and depressing. A prominent bass line drives most of the song, until the climax of the song, including some falsetto vocals from Richards. An interesting contrast. It's rather full bodied compared to some of the other songs on the record.
Black Plastic Bag--one slow, one fast. This track races out to quick start with some bass and drums tumbling. Percussive guitar backs screeching vocals. This is followed by perhaps the most satisfying (and catchiest) choruses on the record. The song ends with some strange lines about every town "getting an Eiffel Tower".
Meet Me In The Pocket--the song that probably impressed me the most on the first few listens. As catchy as some of the stuff from the first record, but much more midtempo. The vocal line is again excellently arranged over the riff, and the song retains this tight form until it hits the halfway point. Then it dissolves into some sparse, almost Sonic Youth-esque guitar over the bass line carried over from the first part, over lyrics about "soften[ing] the tones". The song wraps weaving through a chant of "Dance or hang it up" which carries over from the chorus of the first part. It's some amazing work, and a real testament to this band's potential.
This Are Flashes--a clappable opening breaks out into an all out frenzy. A song that caught my attention live last time I saw them (you tend to remember someone singing "la la la la la"--even if I can't place the tune that he's mocking).
Everybody Ruins--I haven't quite figured this one out yet. There's about a minute of silence, interspersed with drum clicks, ooohs, and quick guitar hits. Then an almost straightforward minute or so of punk--it's somewhat non descript as such--which amusingly may have the most lyrics of any song on the record--which randomly and abruptly cuts back into the ooooohs right at the end---mid word. It's rather uncomfortable to the listener.
Snow Patterns--I really haven't gotten into this song yet. It's got this weird trippy vibe going on. The vocal line bears a vague resemblence to Perry Farrell to me for some reason. The track just seems out of place here. I don't know I appreciate trying something--but this is the one song which I think bombed. The drums are interesting, though, and keep from completely skipping the track. They race back and forth with little regard for the sleepiness of the rest of the track.
When The Lines Go Down--I just really like this track. It's fairly simple, slightly faster than mid-tempo track, with a cool bassline, and some great vocal flows. The super cool--if maybe a little cheesy--bit in the middle where the band winds down as if at the end of the song before kicking back as strong as ever--cements this as one the better tracks on the record.
O'No--another experiment. Built largely around the drums, cymbal crashes, and a whining synth. Works pretty well. Interesting enough to have stretched out longer--just clocks in at over a minute.
No Damage Nocturne--the real centerpiece of the record. Opens with some oooohs and handclaps over a slow melody which carries through another impressive verse. A slower track with enough power to light a whole city, it's also surprisingly catchy. I found it stuck in my head most of the day, which is kinda weird. It dissolves into some studio trickery. A highlight.
Recreation Myth--everything about the opening of the song sounds tired. Not in a hackeneyed sense, but in an exhausted sense. When the drums kick in, the song seems to pick up, as the drums seem to have this weird danciability to them. A track with some obvious religious overtones, the chorus of "ask what happened to believers" is the only thing that saves the song from falling asleep on itself. Some weird noises help, but this track just isn't one of the better ones. It works as an album closer though because of its sudden crumble into nothingness with a mumbled line or two.

It's a good album, if not at all what I expected. That's a good thing. The band has some obvious talents that shine through at parts. I just think the few lowlights ("Snow Patterns", "Recreation Myth") and a little more similiarity between the uptempo songs than I might like overshadow the really incredible parts of this record (the closing of "Soft Pyramids", "Black Plastic Bag", "Meet Me In The Pocket", "No Damage Nocturne"). Definitely an experimental record which most of the experiments succeed. It's definitely a ballsy CD, when they could have released something less ambitious easily and built on their fan base. I applaud them for it.

I haven't even gotten into the almost five hours (!) I spent on the phone with my former roommate. He's a great guy, and I do miss chatting with him. We're going to hang out Saturday--maybe head into NYC to catch a movie. I've stayed up too long and have gotten hungry. As it's almost 3 AM, I won't make a 7-11 run--I wouldn't get back until 3:30. Which means I wouldn't be in bed before 4 most likely. Maybe later. So, while tempting, I think I'll just get something to drink, and get myself ready for bed. Peace out to all my homies.

Word.

2002-10-08T13:43:00.000-04:00

ESPN.com: MLB - Defecting Cuban pitcher under control of INS

"Yes, I'll post his bond."

"OK, will that be all, Mr. Steinbrenner?"

:)

2002-10-07T16:52:00.000-04:00

So I was playing Animal Crossing this morning, when I get a phone call from one of the places I sent my resume out to months ago. Someone's supposed to call me back to set up an interview time. The place is in way South Jersey, by Point Pleasant. That was surprise #1.

Surprise #2: On my way out the door, I checked the mail which had gone unchecked. I saw a manila enveolpe much like the one I recieve stuff in through the mail. I had already gotten my wristbands from winning the Boone Pool. I had preordered the new Q and Not U CD, entitled Different Damage. But it's not out until October 21st (according to the band's official site). So I imagine my surprise when I saw the return address was Dischord Records. I opened the package, finding inside one copy of DIfferent Damage. I'm currently listening to it for the third time--it's very different from No Kill No Beep Beep, their previous record. But on further listenings, it's definitely growing on me. It's much more experimental than NKNBB. I'll do a more complete write-up of the record once I've digested it fully.

I've prepared my test lesson on Windows 2000 for my trial tomorrow with the software training place. I hope it works out, but I'm still worried about not having my license. I was supposed to get up to the DMV to reschedule my road test, since there's no way I'll be ready by Thursday. We'll see.

2002-10-06T20:03:00.000-04:00

About my eccentricies....my mom DID notice, and she asked me about it. She gave me a weird look when I told her that I just felt like getting ice cream.

At least the Twins won their series. While I like the A's (aesthetic reasons, mostly)--I want the Twins to make Bud Selig even more of a laughingstock than he already is. Pohlad, too.

2002-10-05T23:20:00.000-04:00

ESPN.com - MLB - Recap - Yankees at Angels - 10/05/2002

:(

2002-10-04T11:20:00.000-04:00

ESPN.com - MLB Playoffs 2002 - Radio DJ stoops to committing prank on Kile

I've done and said some tasteless things in my life--a certain comment about Jeremy Giambi springs to mind immediately--but this is a low to which I don't think any person with class, taste, or human deceny would stoop. Not to get on a moral high horse, but come on. The woman's husband died less than 4 months ago--suddenly, too--and you're pulling this? The radio station shows no backbone. And they never thought to apologize to the Cardinals or Kile's widow? Damn.

I'm all for freedom of expression--but there's just some things that aren't funny--this is one of them.

2002-10-04T02:11:00.000-04:00

So I had my job interview today. I got all dressed up in my nice little suit, meandered down to Iselin, NJ (a wonderful little town full of office buildings), and walked right into New Horizons Computer Training for my interview. After a half hour or so presentation on how wonderful the company is, and how wonderful our compensation would be if we were to get employment, there was a break. Two of the eight individuals who showed up to this "open house" (there seems little sense in calling it an "open house", when, in fact, we were all chosen to attend) used this opportunity to high tail it out of there. The remaining six had to teach the entire room something--anything, as long as it wasn't computer related. 3 minutes. So I had to think of something. I had it perfectly planned! I would teach them how to make chicken parmigana. It went well, although I suddenly got incredibly nervous while doing it. I had to wait for the interview. Man, was that agonizing. Long story short, though, I have to return on Tuesday at 4:30 pm for a "sample teach" where I get to teach "mock students" some basic "Windows 2000".

I hate pay phones. I hate collect calling. I hate Carrot Top.

Everyone in my family has gotten used to my eccentricies. Like walking to 7-11 at 1 in the morning to get ice cream. I don't think anyone even notices.

I noticed one thing. 7-11 has a choice of way too many delicious beverages. Just having Code Red is enough, but Vanilla Coke, Yoohoo, Snapple, etc. is just too much for one mere mortal to handle. I bow down to the impressive might that is the 7-11 drink cooler.

On that note, I tried Dr. Pepper's Red Fusion on a whim tonight. I was woefully underimpressed. It didn't taste that much different than Dr. Pepper--which I am ambivalent towards as a soda--and it just didn't do it for me. I'm regretting my soda purchase still.

I think it's about time for bed. More to come.

2002-10-03T01:44:00.000-04:00

Time to ramble.

OK, it's been a wild week. I turned 22 yesterday (well, now it's Thursday technically, but who cares?). Twenty-two! Man I feel old. The Yankees split the first two games of their division series with the Angels. I have a job interview tomorrow. My left eye is itchy as all hell. I rented a very silly game called Animal Crossing. And I heard from my AWOL former roommate. Did I mention the guy cutting his arms at the dinner table the other night?

Wow.

Where to begin: the job? OK. Well, it's a software trainer position. The big huge massive problem being---they want me to have a car. Well, due to not really having any one to take me out, and being ill-equipped to afford driving lessons---my test is next Thursday, but I doubt I'll be able to pass it! I've only gone out driving three times, but I've been promised much more than that. It's a damn shame. I know they're going to want to hire me, but pass me up due to my driving situation. If I had employment, the car would be done---but I can't do that without the license.

I really have been feeling rather lonely lately. Once I get my job situation settled, I need to figure out a way to get myself out there meeting people and dating. Or maybe something (or someone) will fall into my lap. But I don't catch those kinds of breaks, so I'll have to go out and meet someone. Oh well. The job situation is much more important to sew up anyways.

The Yankees need more consistent work from Mussina and Wells if they want to win this series against the Halos. Cause these dramatic late-inning heroics aren't going to work every night, as they proved tonight. Good lord. This series is TOO MUCH!

Animal Crossing. What a fun, cute little game. It's real simple. You just....do stuff. The biggest thrill? Interior design. I'm not kidding. It sounds horrible, yet I'm quite tempted to march down to the mall and purchase a copy. This is after a few hours playing it. I kinda want to run upstairs now and play it, but I know if I start, I won't get sleep. And THAT would be bad! Maybe now WASN'T the best time to rent a game!

My resume, et al, is making its way to Washington, D.C., tonight. The job opening with the Bureau of Labor Statistics seems exciting, but I'm thoroughly dreading the thought of moving away. While I'd jump at the chance to get the hell out of the house (who wouldn't, when you live here?), leaving my safety net of friends here in Jersey is not something I want to do. But I can't be afraid of the change if it works out that way. And I won't. I'll learn how to create new opportunities for myself. I always do.

I've been listening to a bunch of MP3s I got from Jade Tree Records. Denali, Pedro The Lion, Jets to Brazil, and Milemarker. All excellent stuff. Pedro The Lion is standard indie rock type stuff, Jets to Brazil seems to have more of a Toad the Wet Sprocket type influence, Denali is more electronic spaced out rock, with rather enchanting female vocals, and Milemarker is shifting, lo-fi, electronic, analog crunch. So good. I'll hopefully be purchasing some of these CDs soon.

Excel is staring at me. Hyatt's face is covered by this window, but Excel's giving me that look. I think it might be time to change my desktop again. When I start accusing it of staring at me, me thinks it's time to go. Which I will. There's more to talk about, and hopefully, I'll sit myself to do it!

2002-10-01T01:45:00.000-04:00

Clutch Hits - Baseball Primer (September 30, 2002 - Post #4791)

I'd just like to post this if only because of the phrase "...and Paul Mazurkiewicz is indeed the winner."

I am so smart.

2002-10-01T01:37:00.000-04:00

Of course, it also could be:

Yanks over Angels 3-2
Twins over A's 3-2
Braves over Barry 3-1
Cards over Snakes 3-2

Twins over Yanks 4-3
Cards over Braves 4-2

Twins over Cards 4-3

The Twinkies: from contraction to champions. Although, in this alternate reality, they'd have to go the distance in all three series!

2002-10-01T01:32:00.000-04:00

I wrote a program to predict the results of this year's baseball playoffs. Here are the results of my program:

Division Series:
Yanks defeat Angels 3-2
A's over Twins 3-1
D'backs over Cards 3-1
Giants over Braves 3-1

LCS:
A's over Yanks 4-0 (oh no!)
D'backs over Giants 4-1

WS:
A's over D'backs 4-1

There you have it. If my Java programming is correct, and the UNIX machine I ran it is prescient, then you could put down the big bucks on the A's now.

2002-09-30T12:13:00.000-04:00

Internet Baseball Awards

Simply put, the best place to get your voice heard in regards to this year's performance on the field. The best fan balloting around.

My votes (not to influence you in any way):
AL
MVP: A-Rod
Cy Young: Pedro
RoY: Eric Hinske
Manager: Mike Scoscia
NL
MVP: Barry!
Cy Young: Randy Johnson
RoY: Prior
Manager: Jim Tracy

It's really a lot of fun--you can fill out a whole ballot (10 for MVP, 5 for Cy, 3 for the others) or just a partial (at least 5 for MVP, 3 for Cy, 2 for the others) ballot. Voting ends Friday. I'll post a link to the winners when they are announced.