What did I say last week about the Diamondbacks making the playoffs? Ouch! They are currently being clobbered by the Giants. Unless they go on a good run over the next couple of weeks I have to say the season is over.
Thankfully the Bills won their opener this weekend. Now I can hope for another week that they will run the table and go win their next 15 games. I just hope they didn't blow their points scored budget for the year already. The AFC East should be interesting now that Brady is done for the year.
Since I was at a church retreat on Saturday I did not see any football though I did get to hear part of ASU's beat down of Stanford when I got home. I'm looking forward to the match up with Georgia in a couple of weeks. Thinking about it I will be in San Diego visiting Dr. Lisa that weekend. Dude, sports bar?
Monday, September 8, 2008
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Sports!
My favorite sports time of the year has begun. I am sitting here watching USC and Virginia on TV. Later today the hometown Sun Devils kick off their season by playing Northern Arizona University. The baseball pennant races are kicking into gear as the last month of the season is getting started and next week the NFL season will kick off. This is way better than any other time of the year.
As a kid growing up in New York state I followed the Yankees. I lost interest in the sport as I grew up but became interested again when the hometown Diamondbacks came into the league in 1998. They are hanging on to a small lead in the NL West and will probably make the playoffs, but I don't expect them to do much once there. I am much more interested in the Yankees not making the playoffs. Yes, I am a Yankee hater. As much as I dislike the organization I hope they go back to the model they used to become so successful in the late 90s using homegrown talent instead of overpaid and under performing free agents. I am shocked that the Rays are still in the AL east lead. Wow. I can even see a scenario where the Red Sox and the Yankees don't make the playoffs. It could happen. That would be something.
I prefer college football to the NFL. Evey year I hope for controversy in the college game because I want a playoff at the end of the year instead of the current bowl system. I was just struck by a thought. With the Olympics fresh in my mind I realized that the college football polls are a lot judging gymnastics. A team does its thing on the field and then the receive a score based on their performance. A team can even receive a deduction for a stumble or flawed performance. That's no way to crown a football champion.
As a kid growing up in New York state I followed the Yankees. I lost interest in the sport as I grew up but became interested again when the hometown Diamondbacks came into the league in 1998. They are hanging on to a small lead in the NL West and will probably make the playoffs, but I don't expect them to do much once there. I am much more interested in the Yankees not making the playoffs. Yes, I am a Yankee hater. As much as I dislike the organization I hope they go back to the model they used to become so successful in the late 90s using homegrown talent instead of overpaid and under performing free agents. I am shocked that the Rays are still in the AL east lead. Wow. I can even see a scenario where the Red Sox and the Yankees don't make the playoffs. It could happen. That would be something.
I prefer college football to the NFL. Evey year I hope for controversy in the college game because I want a playoff at the end of the year instead of the current bowl system. I was just struck by a thought. With the Olympics fresh in my mind I realized that the college football polls are a lot judging gymnastics. A team does its thing on the field and then the receive a score based on their performance. A team can even receive a deduction for a stumble or flawed performance. That's no way to crown a football champion.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Summer's Over
Well, summer is over. Technically there is still a few weeks left but the fall semester has started and I am back to work teaching the kids math and physics. No matter how tired and worn out I may be I always look forward to the start of a new school year. I wonder what adventures the next 16 weeks will bring?
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Sushi!
Last night I ate sushi with my friend Alissa at Sushi Kee. Mmm sushi. In my opinion sushi is the perfect food. With each piece you get a little protein, a little rice, and some vegetables. Some times you also get a little bit of added fat for flavor. Sushi has no extra parts, flavors, or calories and you get yummy goodness in each and every bite.
I have tried to make sushi at home but have failed miserably. For starters I need lessons in making good sushi rice. Any one out there need an apprentice?
I have tried to make sushi at home but have failed miserably. For starters I need lessons in making good sushi rice. Any one out there need an apprentice?
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Finally!
Finally on my summer vacation I took a vacation. I went with my friend Wayne to visit long-time friends Clay and Kristi at their farm near Monroe, Wisconsin. It was a relaxing week with beautiful weather.
The farm's vegetable garden supplied us with tasty corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, and herbs. It had been quite some time since I've eaten food within hours of it being picked. When we weren't raiding the garden we ate everything else in sight. One thing I particularly liked was farmer's cheese spiked with basil that we bought from Brennan's Market. That was good!
In Monroe we visited the Minhas brewery. The tour took us through the facility to see the large vats where the beer is brewed and also the bottling facility. It was pretty cool to see the line running. I've seen the same thing on TV, but it was nice to see in person. The tastings before and after the tour were the highlight. I enjoyed the Lazy Mutt Ale and the Amber Bock. The brewery also makes sodas and an energy drink. I don't go in much for energy drinks since I gave up Red Bull some years ago, but I really liked the root beer. After the tour we ate at a place called Baumgartner's. The braunschweiger sandwich was quite tasty. I found the signs in the place to be very funny. My favorite was "In case of tornado hide behind the urinal in the men's room, it hasn't been hit in years". Ha!
On the day before the brewery tour I ate fried cheese curds at Suisse House. Never having had cheese curds before I would say it just tasted like fried cheese. Did I miss anything? We also visited a place called Chocolate Temptation. This place featured hand dipped chocolate and I indulged in one piece each of amaretto creme, hazelnut creme, and a chocolate covered cherry. The order was for eating in so I was served my chocolates on a small white plate. It was kind of like eating sushi in a way and was very tasty.
Swiss Colony has an outlet store in Monroe too. I really like Petit Fours but never order any when I see them catalogs because they always seem overpriced. Well, I was right! In the outlet store you can get factory rejects for about $1.50 per pound. So what if they are crooked or missing a layer, they taste fine!
We also made a trip to a nearby town of Galena, Illinois. The main street has a lot of ancient brick buildings that now sell tasty treats and a lot of novelty items. One store sold sauces, salsas, and dips of every kind. I was impressed by the amount of hot sauces they sold, something like three large seven foot tall racks full of every kind of hot sauce imaginable. In a special box they had on display something they tout as the hottest hot sauce there is. I took their word for it. Novelty items like balsa wood gliders and cap guns brought back memories of my childhood.
When we weren't eating or watching Olympic events on TV we did engage in other activities like grass cutting, basketball, and Frisbee. I did try to play with the kitties but they just hissed at me or ran away until the last day anyway when the hissy cat jumped up on me to beg a piece of cheese.
The farm's vegetable garden supplied us with tasty corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, and herbs. It had been quite some time since I've eaten food within hours of it being picked. When we weren't raiding the garden we ate everything else in sight. One thing I particularly liked was farmer's cheese spiked with basil that we bought from Brennan's Market. That was good!
In Monroe we visited the Minhas brewery. The tour took us through the facility to see the large vats where the beer is brewed and also the bottling facility. It was pretty cool to see the line running. I've seen the same thing on TV, but it was nice to see in person. The tastings before and after the tour were the highlight. I enjoyed the Lazy Mutt Ale and the Amber Bock. The brewery also makes sodas and an energy drink. I don't go in much for energy drinks since I gave up Red Bull some years ago, but I really liked the root beer. After the tour we ate at a place called Baumgartner's. The braunschweiger sandwich was quite tasty. I found the signs in the place to be very funny. My favorite was "In case of tornado hide behind the urinal in the men's room, it hasn't been hit in years". Ha!
On the day before the brewery tour I ate fried cheese curds at Suisse House. Never having had cheese curds before I would say it just tasted like fried cheese. Did I miss anything? We also visited a place called Chocolate Temptation. This place featured hand dipped chocolate and I indulged in one piece each of amaretto creme, hazelnut creme, and a chocolate covered cherry. The order was for eating in so I was served my chocolates on a small white plate. It was kind of like eating sushi in a way and was very tasty.
Swiss Colony has an outlet store in Monroe too. I really like Petit Fours but never order any when I see them catalogs because they always seem overpriced. Well, I was right! In the outlet store you can get factory rejects for about $1.50 per pound. So what if they are crooked or missing a layer, they taste fine!
We also made a trip to a nearby town of Galena, Illinois. The main street has a lot of ancient brick buildings that now sell tasty treats and a lot of novelty items. One store sold sauces, salsas, and dips of every kind. I was impressed by the amount of hot sauces they sold, something like three large seven foot tall racks full of every kind of hot sauce imaginable. In a special box they had on display something they tout as the hottest hot sauce there is. I took their word for it. Novelty items like balsa wood gliders and cap guns brought back memories of my childhood.
When we weren't eating or watching Olympic events on TV we did engage in other activities like grass cutting, basketball, and Frisbee. I did try to play with the kitties but they just hissed at me or ran away until the last day anyway when the hissy cat jumped up on me to beg a piece of cheese.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Oh My
I just heard on ESPN Radio that Brett Favre has been traded to the Jets for a pepperoni pizza and sack of bagels. This disturbs me because I live and die with the Bills. Mostly I die. Time to give back at least one of the wins I was counting on. Blah.
I'm torn on the whole idea of Favre unretiring. On one hand I'm happy that he wants to come back and play because he has been one of the few true tough guys in the league the past decade who played the game the right way. On the other hand I am disappointed by the way things have gone down the past few weeks. Maybe he shouldn't have been so quick to retire? Maybe the Packers shouldn't have demanded an answer so quickly? It is going to be odd seeing Favre in the wrong uniform this year. It's too bad the Packers don't have the Jets on their schedule this year. I'd really like to see that game.
I'm torn on the whole idea of Favre unretiring. On one hand I'm happy that he wants to come back and play because he has been one of the few true tough guys in the league the past decade who played the game the right way. On the other hand I am disappointed by the way things have gone down the past few weeks. Maybe he shouldn't have been so quick to retire? Maybe the Packers shouldn't have demanded an answer so quickly? It is going to be odd seeing Favre in the wrong uniform this year. It's too bad the Packers don't have the Jets on their schedule this year. I'd really like to see that game.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
I've been an off-and-on reader of Asimov's since about 1988. I was still a high school student at the time and not much of a reader yet. I knew who Isaac Asimov was but at the time was mostly into fantasy thanks to The Lord of the Rings and playing Dungeons and Dragons.
This magazine has published some amazing stories over the years, but they have also published some bombs. The bombs are why I've been an off-and-on reader for the past 20 years. When my renewal notice came earlier this year I chose to re-up for three years instead of the usual one. Don't let me down Asimov's!
Some favorites from this year:
- Alastair Baffle's Emporium of Wonders by Mike Resnick (January)
- Sex and Violence by Nancy Kress (February)
- Inside the Box by Edward M. Lerner (February)
- Shoggoth's in Bloom by Elizabeth Bear (March)
- The House Left Empty by Robert Reed (April/May)
and some not so favorites:
- The Hob Carpet by Ian R. MacLeod (June)
- Call Back Yesterday by Nancy Kress (June)
- Lester Young and the Jupiter's Moons' Blues by Gord Sellar (July)
I really enjoy fiction at shorter lengths because it is not much of an investment of time. Even a 90 page novella no matter how bad it is will only cost me a couple of hours of my time. Reading Asimov's allows me to try new authors and stories I would never go near if I had to shell out $8 and then read a behemoth 900-page novel that is probably book 1 of a planned decology. Sorry, I mean book 1 of a planned decology that is sandwiched between prequel and sequel decolgies.
There are also many online markets for short fiction, but I just don't read them. I have limited time and do not like to read on my computer screen for long periods of time. Call me old-fashioned, but I like to hold what I am reading in my hands. Someday there will be a good electronic reader that is inexpensive. For now I'll take paper, not plastic.
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