Wednesday, February 28, 2007

METS: The Start of Games

The Mets start their first Spring Training game (which should be televised) today. They will be playing against the Detriot Tigers and Oliver Perez will be pitching. You can check this article for more information.

UPDATE: As I heard a news broadcaster say today, "The Mets are winless thus far," or something like that. The Mets lost their first spring training game today, 5-4, against the Detroit Tigers, with Oliver Perez on the mound. Perez let up four runs in two innings. Sadly, I have friends who think Oliver Perez is much better than he actually is. Even though it is too early to tell, I hope this served as a wake up call: THE METS NEED STARTING PITCHING! Things certainly don't look good with El Duque complaining about pain in his neck.

NHL: Islanders/Flyers game

I went to the NHL New York Islanders vs Philadelphia Flyers game yesterday (Feb. 27) and it was the best hockey game I have ever been to. That's not much considering I don't go to too many games. The Islanders scored first and then broke out to a 4-1 lead. The comfort factor quickly whithered away in the 3rd period as the Flyers scored two quick goals to tie the game at 5 a piece. I was a bit down about that but the crowd was relentless. "Lets Go Islanders" they screamed! The game went into overtime.

Overtime is five minutes and, luckily, the Islanders got a powerplay with about a minute remaining. It was 5 on 4 and it didnt take them long to score the winning goal. The crowd went wild while we admired for a few seconds then ran for the exits to avoid the mass of cars (though the mass there is never as bad as it is at a Yankee game).

In addition to the great gameplay (the Islanders' team chemistry looked real good in the beginning) there were two huge fights. I had two scoreboards going, one for the game and one for the fights. Islanders won both games. I don't remember the names but in the first fight the Islander bloodied the Flyer, who needed to be taken away for medical reasons while our player remained in the box. In the second fight, the Islander got his shirt taken off but then quickly got some good punches to the head, knocking down his opponent, right before the fight was broken up by the referees. It sounds barbaric to have hundreds of people in the colisseum cheering as two players bare-fist punch each other but what is boxing for? They need some way to release all the energy built up.

Sunday, February 25, 2007

The Serbian Statue (Rocky)

According to the Associated Press, "A Serbian village, worn out by floods and misfortune, has decided it was time to fight back" by placing The Rocky Statue in the city of Zitiste, which is about 36 miles north of Belgrade. Searching for a change of image, boost of local morale, and a revival of the village, local Zitiste officials contacted Philadelphia where the original Rocky Statue is located. (source)

The Rocky Statue in Philadelphia draws people from all around the world looking for inspiration and a connection to the infamous Rocky films. My great girlfriend bought me a book for Christmas called "Rocky Stories," written by Michael Vitez with special photography from Tom Gralish. The book is full of stories of people who came from all around the world, for different reasons, but for the same goal: to run up the Rocky Steps. Alongside the steps stands the Rocky Statue, which also draws great attention. Michael and Tom spent every day for an entire year at the steps, interviewing people and uncovering some great stories behind why they decided to visit. Some came to celebrate their good fortunes, some came to find some hope in this tough world, and some even used the site to propose their engagement. Whatever the reason, the steps and the statue provide an uncomparable self-fulfillment, one that Serbia desperately seeks.

Saturday, February 24, 2007

YANKS: You Can't Make This Stuff Up

Peter Abraham's reported from Yankee Spring Training camp today,

Carl Pavano has been injured again. The Rajah of Rehab was throwing batting practice when Alberto Gonzalez lined a ball off the bottom of his left cleat. But Pavano shook it off and finished his session, throwing 25 more pitches. Pavano does not use a screen when he throws BP. Ironically, he had hit Gonzalez with a pitch during BP on Thursday. Pavano said it was a little stiff and could miss some drills tomorrow but he expected to pitch as scheduled on Tuesday.
Everything was going so smoothly too. Lets hope this doesn't compound into full lower-body paralyzation.

I asked Pete for an immediate crowd reaction which, if he responds, should be priceless.

Friday, February 23, 2007

Do I really need a SmartPhone?

Someone please talk me out of it. This desire has risen a few times now, to get the Treo 700w, with built-in Windows capabilities.

The benefit of having such a phone? Microsoft Outlook synchronization, better (more expansive and organized) interface, helpful planner, easy-use keyboard.

The negatives of having such a phone? The price! Duh. Without a 2-year plan (which I have no intention of getting) the phone has a list price of $600. That's roughly the price of a PlayStation 3. Lets not forget that you are required to sign up for an expensive Verizon data plan (my dad pays $40/month for the data plan, but his is at least paid by the company). There is simply not enough bang for the buck.

Is Outlook synchronization useful when I barely get any e-mails at the moment? Is a web browser useful if I spend a lot of time in front of the computer? Is a planner worth the extra money when I don't need one on me at all times? Do I do enough text entry in my phone to warrant a keyboard? Hardly.

Until the price drops, the need arises, or they make a much more affordable data plan, I just don't see how much good a phone like that would do for me.

DVD's on the Decline

Was reading the Financial Times before, an article about how DVD sales are slowly on the decline. They talked about the VHS-DVD switch and how there most likely won't be another switch like that, at least not for a little while. The new Blu-Ray (Sony--featured with the PS3) and HD-DVD (Toshiba--featured with the Xbox 360) are expanding the amount of memory that the DVD can hold, with an improved (?) format. You are starting to see some DVD's come out in both those formats. I have been seeing them in their own section, recently, at Blockbuster. Both new formats have their own new players, which also allow us to play regular DVD's as well. Both the Blu-Ray and HD-DVD will not be as big a switch as the VHS-DVD but they will be a nice addition to the new HDTV trend.

What I found really interesting is that they already came out with a player that plays both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD. Since this is happening, it seems that eventually there will only be room for one of the DVD types, but not as long as there is a need for both with the two gaming giants insisting on using their unique format.

The major reason attributed to the decline in DVD sales? Internet movie downloading. There has been a significant increase in the amount of movies downloaded online in the past few years. People are finding it easier and cheaper to sit home and download movies onto their hard drives. It is cheaper because there are little, if any, production costs. Materials costs to a DVD such as plastic, paper, and the actual DVD itself, and other miscellaneous costs such as shipping, production, and storage, are not incurred when a DVD is transferred online. Therefore, the customer does not have to fork the bill for oft-unnecessary and unwanted extras.

Obviously, DVD sales are not even close to reaching worrisome levels. However, it appears that DVD's have reached a maturity level after years of strong growth.

Thursday, February 22, 2007

YANKS: The Start of Scrimmaging

Just a reminder: there is about 6-7 days until the Yankees' first Spring Training game, which will be against the Minnesota Twins (at Legends Field). The game will be on Thursday, March 1, at 1:15pm on YES Network (Channel 70 on my Optimum Cable package). When Spring Training games start, the Yankees will pretty much play a different team every day, the only break in the month being on the 21st. They may play teams more than once during the Spring Training schedule, but never (except for the last 2 days of Spring Training against the Tigers) consecutively. Here is the Yankee schedule, starting in March.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

New Job Blog Consequences

I have a new job as a materials coordinator so consequentially I will not have enough time to post regularly. Expect a decrease in post volume at least until I get comfortable at work.

It feels so good having a regular, full-time work schedule that is more challenging than my previous, stand-still jobs. I hope to learn a great amount from the work they give me and be an important asset to the company.

I enjoy working there but it's easy to say that considering I haven't gotten into the dirty work yet. Things are going really fast in the beginning but that is the way the real world works. The best I can do is come prepared and ready to learn.

Monday, February 19, 2007

YANKS: Position Players and Pavano

Two quick notes. First, Yankee position players report today in Tampa. Yesterday, all they were required to do was let the team know they are in the area. They must be in the facilities today. The two hyped appearances will be for A-Rod and Bernie Williams, if he shows. No doubt, the media will be drilling A-Rod with questions about his opt-out clause while Bernie will receive more friendly questions regarding his non-roster invite from the Yankees. As of now, both Brian Cashman and Joe Torre have urged Bernie to appear and try out for a spot in camp, saying that he has a good chance at making the team if he shows them he can still perform. Bernie has been looking for more of a guaranteed deal, being that he has never had to earn a spot on the Yankees roster in his career. No word from Bernie yet as to whether he will accept but we should know in the next day or two.


Regarding Carl Pavano, Rotoworld said this yesterday:

The Rockies, who reportedly made an offer for Carl Pavano back in November, plan to scout the right-hander again this spring and could make another bid for him.

It was reported that the Rockies were prepared to pay about half of the $23 million owed to Pavano over the next two years back in November. The Yankees, though, weren't interested in doing a deal then. Maybe they'll change their minds if Pavano can't secure a rotation spot this spring. The Cardinals are another team that likely will have some interest. (source)
I highly doubt that the Yankees will trade Pavano to another team if they do not have a viable backup plan. As of now, both Pavano and Kei Igawa are question marks. If Igawa has a hard time adjusting to the Majors, that makes Pavano's role on the team even more important (that's scary). It has been mentioned that the Yankees would bring highly-touted pitching prospect Phil Hughes into the majors this season but it is undecided when that would happen. We do know that the Yankees organization is going to put a pitching limit on the 20-year-old this season, for safety reasons. Though Posada said he can see Hughes coming north with the team to start the season, I see him more coming half-way, being limited to 2-3 innings per appearance in AAA beforehand. However, if Pavano and Igawa get knocked around in the Spring Training games and Hughes is on fire, they could very well decide to promote the youngster and trade Pavano. If Igawa is doing well (and assuming Wang, Pettitte and Mussina are well also) then that will give the Yankees four good starters and the Yankees could shop Pavano for other talent or simply payroll relief.

Another LARGE question mark concerns Roger Clemens, who never knows if he is going to retire. We do know that Pettitte and Jeter have been in touch with Clemens but they won't say anything yet. If Clemens were to come early in the season then the Yanks could certainly trade Pavano, while if he were to come mid-season the Yanks would need to be assured before they trade Pavano early, if not upon The Rocket's arrival.

For now, Pavano is a Yankee, and if pitching well he might just earn his keep and stay with the team.

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Last Day at the Wyndham

Today was my last day at the Wyndham Condominiums, working a 7:30-3:30 shift. I was lucky to work with two good employees on my last day, Dave S. and Mel. They both have a good work ethic and love to joke around. I always get a few laughs working with them.

It was pretty cold outside, though not as cold as the past few days. Dave had himself wrapped in a scarf and I didn't really think it was that cold outside. Neither did most of the residents. He did look/sound a little stuffy in the beginning of his shift so maybe his immune system was weak.

We ordered "Pulled Pork" for lunch and were wondering why they call it that. Dave believes its because they pull the pork straight out of the pig. Anyways, it was a good sandwich. First time trying pulled pork.

Near the end of my shift, Frank (the Boss) showed up to work his 3:30 shift. He had a bit of a bruise on his eye from falling on the ice the other day. The same thing happened to my girlfriend and her dad a few days ago. It's unfortunate. Five minutes before the end of my shift, my favorite residents came down to wish me the best of luck and tell me how much they are going to miss me. I am going to miss them too. Had to hold back a bit from tearing; I have grown attached to a few residents.

Well, it's into the tough world, where no job is guaranteed. The petty worries at the Wyndham should be nothing compared to the challenges ahead, and hopefully they will all build character and a stronger foundation for myself.

I will leave on a happy note. Here is a funny clip of Dave pretending to be coming out of a box. He is just behind our podium in lobby, pretty funny.

Yankee Stadium Tour pictures



As I promised in the previous post, here are some pictures I took during the Yankee Stadium Tour on February 17, 2007.

Pictures of myself...
at Mickey Mantle's stone in Memorial Park
at the 9/11 Memorial stone in Memorial Park
in the dugout
on the Yankee bench
in the Press Box

Other pictures on the tour
Memorial Park
New Yankee Stadium construction
Retired numbers
Dugout looking up
Yankee sign
Pitchers mound under snow
Stadium under snow
Press Box lineup board
Hall to Press Box

Yankee Stadium Tour

Today (actually, yesterday) I went on a tour of Yankee Stadium. The tour was great, we started in the press box, went to the locker room then straight out to the dugout (where we got to sit on the same bench that that players sit on) and made our way around to Monument Park to end it. I got some really nice pictures of Yankee Stadium with the field covered in snow. My girlfriend also did a fine job of taking some pictures of me with the Stadium as the backdrop.

My favorite was the dugout. We got to sit on the bench and get a real feel for the environment, being level with the playing field. Our tour guide even pointed out the water cooler that Paul O'Neil made friends with over the years and the railing that you see Jeter hop over every time someone gets a BIG hit!

I also enjoyed the Yankee locker room, but for "player privacy" reasons we were not allowed to take pictures in there. It was interesting to note the location of player lockers (Jeter was separated from others by an empty locker and a closet on both sides of his cubby, Bernie and Pavano were in the corner slots to the left and right of the entrance right when you walk in, pitcher lockers were mainly grouped together) and the fact that Bernie still had a ton of stuff left in his locker while the others seemed to be rather empty. I am too exhausted right now to do it but I will most likely put up some pictures of the tour tomorrow.

Friday, February 16, 2007

Changing a Tire (in 26 easy steps)

Follow these steps to change a sisters tire in the freezing cold:

  1. Report to flat tire site
  2. Remove spare tire and tools from trunk, under garbage
  3. Tell sister to turn off your car alarm by placing key in ignition and turning
  4. Tell sister to turn the car off
  5. Wonder why hubcap won't pop off in the freezing cold
  6. Eventually pop off hubcap
  7. Tell sister to turn off your car alarm again, this time turning key one notch
  8. Get down on floor and look under car for solid spot to place jack
  9. Play with jack and wonder what separate gold ring is for
  10. Tell sister to turn off your car alarm
  11. Jack up the car, turning the misfit lever in all directions while bashing hand on freezing concrete
  12. Clean off blood
  13. Insert wrench onto wheel's lug nuts and unsuccessfully try to loosen them from the frost
  14. Tell sister to turn off your car alarm
  15. Put all strength into loosening lug nuts, inevitably realizing its impossibility
  16. Receive a shovel with a metal pole, which has an end cut off to slide onto wrench, from friendly onlooker
  17. Insert shovel and smash lug nuts loose while enjoying the bone-cracking sound
  18. Remove loose nuts with wrench
  19. Tell sister to turn off your car alarm
  20. Place spare tire on car and tighten
  21. Lower car
  22. Tell sister to turn off your car alarm
  23. Get frustrated that garbage wont allow flattened tire to be stored in trunk
  24. Wash blood and oil off hands in local mart
  25. Decide to put flattened tire in own trunk
  26. Report back to work

Thursday, February 15, 2007

YANKS: What's going on in Tampa?

Today is the first workout for Yankees pitchers and catchers. Media got a chance to see the starting 5 pitch side-by-side then a second group which consisted of Rasner, Hughes, Karstens, Sanchez and Ohlendorf. (source)

Joe Torre encouraged Bernie to show up at camp, saying that there is a good chance there might be a spot for him. "[He] mentioned several roster scenarios that would allow them to carry Bernie, including Doug Mientkiewicz playing against both RHPs and LHPs or Miguel Cairo playing first against RHPs." No word yet from Bernie, but bringing Bernie to camp would surely excite teammates Jeter, Posada, and Mariano, who have openly spoken about their feelings toward the situation. For now, the best Bernie will get is a non-roster invitation and there will not be a trial run at 1B. (source)

Mike Mussina appears to have spoken his opinion on Pavano to the media. He believes that Pavano has to prove to the Yankees that he wants to pitch for them. No specific quotes out just yet. (source)

UPDATE: Mussina and Pavano had a meeting and both addressed the media today (Feb. 16). Neither players are upset at each other.

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

METS: Green is Gone

Rotoworld reports that "the Mets have declined their half of [Shawn Green's] $10 million mutual option for 2008." A smart move by the Mets. He wasn't much of a force last season and there was no reason to think he would be one this upcoming season, despite his strong performance in the playoffs. Endy Chavez is a better replacement in right field with much more speed.

Rotoworld also says that the Mets had no intention of picking up his contract since they acquired him from the Diamondbacks last season. He was just a playoff move for the Mets, because he had experience and is a veteran player. It will cost the Mets $2 million to buy out his contract.

Shawn Green says that he is not retiring and will continue playing again in the 2008 season. (New York Post)

FILM: Thomas Crown Affair

Thomas Crown Affair, another film starring Pierce Brosnan, is much like The Matador and After the Sunset in a sense that Brosnan is sneaky, adventurous, and creative. Yes, it sounds like James Bond, back to his good old tricks, but he is no spy for a government agency. He is operating on his own, creating chaos for his own pleasure.

The film, which debuted in 1999, comes inbetween famous Bond films Tomorrow Never Dies and The World is Not Enough so it only makes sense that Brosnan maintains his cool attitude in the Thomas Crown. This is what made Brosnan famous after all. Thomas Crown, along with The Matador and After the Sunset are no masterpieces. This is not an insult, they are just more playful than the Bond films. They were not created to win Grammy's or envoke sequel after sequel, they were created for pure one-time enjoyment and Brosnan fills the roles of both sides very well.

Bond plays a rich man who owns a museum in Manhattan. Suddenly, a very expensive work of art is stolen from the museum, which brings law enforcement into the picture. Enter Catherine Banning (Rene Russo) who sells insurance and happens to know a lot about detective work. It seems like every Brosnan film has a Bond girl. This is his girl.

I find it funny that the scene of the crime, and main location of the film, is a museum. A landscape for an artist. Its twists and turns are not necessarily designed to make you think, rather they are designed to let you sit back and watch things unfold. Though you might have some guesses for the ending (there are subtle clues throughout the film) it is not designed to keep you at the edge of your seat, pointing out every little detail. It is designed to keep you back in your seat, enjoying the masterpiece that he is creating, much like an art connoisseur admiring Van Gogh's Starry Night.

Sit back and enjoy the art. I sure did.

METS: Trachsel to the Orioles


As reported by Rotoworld and FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal,

Steve Trachsel and the Orioles have agreed to terms on a one-year, $3.1 million contract with a $4.75 million option for 2008.

This comes after the Orioles found out that Kris Benson (another former Met along with Trachsel) needs surgery. Trachsel will likely compete for the 5th spot in the starting rotation. Trachsel was with the Mets last season but the Mets decided not to pick the pitcher up again after two poor postseason pitching performances.

As I mentioned in a previous post, Trachsel is the only remaining Met from the Mets 2001 ballclub. Since then the team has practically been completely rebuilt.

Monday, February 12, 2007

Barack Obama? How Silly.

Isn't it funny that one of our Presidental candidates' name's rhymes with Iraq Osama?

America's Disturbing Future - MTV

To steal another quote from The World Is Flat:

In China today, Bill Gates is Britney Spears... Young people there hang from the rafters and scalp tickets just to hear him speak... In America today, Britney Spears is Britney Spears--and that is our problem.
A problem with the American educational system is that people are increasingly taking the "fun" career path. They aren't interested in hearing what Bill Gates has to say, they want to hear what body part Britney is flashing this week. More and more kids are starting to think that greatness can be achieved without hard work. Eventually, many of them will reach a point of dissapointment.

Rather they wan't to find a job that is less demanding of them and allows for more personal time. Since we spend the majority of our lives at work, why not find something that we love doing? The problem with that thinking is people don't realize that it sometimes takes hard work before you start enjoying something. For example, you cant enjoy all the vastness of science without understanding the basics and to understand the basics it takes time and commitment. They want immediate satisfaction.

I attribute a lot of the laziness and stupidity in our society to a single source: MTV (well, not just MTV, but MTV could be the spokesperson for the movement). MTV shows, most notably The Real World, is a cancer to our brains and trains vulnerable/impressionable people to act and think like bimbo's. Since when do people sit around and whine all day? Since MTV and other likes taught us that it is OK to act that way.

Wondering why people just "have to watch the show," I asked my girlfriend and sister. They both gave me the same answer: it is entertaining. OK, it might be funny to watch people act like morons but the shows purpose is not to entertain, they are clearly trying to educate. Little life lessons are thrown into overdramatic situations and presents a false sense of what real life is like.

Here is the way a "Real Worlder" thinks: My sister just bought 3 sweatshirts and a pair of sweatpants for $460 from bloomingdales from some new line that she claims "everyone will be wearing, they just don't know about it yet." She was in denial when I told her that it costed no more than $20 to make the sweatshirt she was holding. She also has transmission and steering problems with her car but she insists that her recent purchase was a wise investment. I told her not to rip the price tags off incase she changes her mind and hopefully she will gain some sense and bring a piece or two back. I understand that it is possible for her to hold a higher value on the sweatshirts than I, but her argument is that she doesn't have any winter clothing. She says that every winter. Some people need to learn the true value of a dollar and the way hype/marketing works.

Dave Chapelle did a spoof on The Real World called The Real Mad World. Here is a clip from his show:

Roasting a Puppy

This was reported on January 27, 2007, on Pantagraph.com:


ATLANTA, Ga. -- Two teenagers accused of duct-taping a puppy's snout and paws and cooking the animal alive in an oven pleaded guilty Friday to animal cruelty and other offenses.

Prosecutors said Joshua Moulder, 17, and his brother, Justin, 19, broke into a newly refurbished community center, where they tortured and killed the 3-month-old puppy, damaged computers, broke glass and splattered paint on the walls.

The brothers then brought neighborhood children to see the dead puppy and threatened to kill them if they reported it, prosecutors said.

They will be sentenced next month.

Whatever their term, it better be lengthy. You have to be beyond sick to torture and kill a 3-month-old puppy. It goes beyond what little children do to lizards and bugs as kids, these children should have known better. I hope they receive the same treatment as if they killed a 3-month-old human being. Rot in hell, losers.

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Do I Need More RAM?

Trying to decide whether or not my laptop needed more RAM, I hit the forums. Someone responded saying,

The important thing is to look at your Task Manager. Under Performance, find Peak and and Physical Memory. If Peak is near or over Physical Memory, you need more RAM. I have 1GB of RAM and my Peak is very close to the amount of Physical RAM with most games, but when running the F.E.A.R. demo, it hits about 1.3GB so I have lost performance already. 2GB will help if you are running these "next-gen" games.
I do not run any of the next-gen games so I would only need about 1GB of RAM. It's funny, 512MB used to be the standard but 1GB is slowly becoming the new standard. When I multi-task, running several applications at once, the computer slows down significantly. I recently downloaded the Google Desktop and added a gadget that told me how much of my RAM was being used. Shockingly, around 90% of my RAM was being used and my computer wasn't running many applications at all. When the RAM shoots up this high, the computer starts using the hard drive and you experience significant lag, or so I'm told. My dad's laptop came with a 1gig and runs at about 50%, handling multiple applications at a much faster rate.

Upgrading your RAM is a cheaper way to speed up your computer if you cant afford a new processor. Be careful when you purchase RAM to purchase the right part. Each computer requires its own kind of RAM, you can't just plug in any old chip.

Friday, February 9, 2007

Top 10 Baseball Brawls (video)

ESPN Top 10 Baseball Brawls. I can watch Pedro Martinez get laid out all day long. Mets' newest acquisition, Chan Ho Park, is also involved in one of the brawls.


Wyndham Needs to STOP...

Here is a list of things that need to stop at the Wyndham (maybe some of you can relate with your jobs):

  • Stop whining about being 2 minutes late then having no remorse for asking people to stay an extra 15 because you want to leave
  • Stop putting yourself on the schedule when you don't plan on working
  • Stop putting me with people who need more assistance than the people we are assisting
  • Stop letting Tony get away with complaining out loud about every single thing he can think of, 24/7, it's bad for employee morale
  • Stop doing things that you shouldn't be doing then b*tching when somebody corrects you
  • Stop talking behind peoples backs
  • Stop fearing the camera and everything that occurs in front of the camera, it is rarely monitored and only intentionally checked in case of an incident
  • Stop yelling at me for eating a bagel in the lobby but having no problem with me eating from a jar of pretzels because they were provided by a resident
  • Stop the mood swings
  • Stop being upset because I'm reading a perfectly-hidden book while you sit there and read the paper
STOP, STOP, STOP!

MLB: Balls and Pujols

MLB has just announced that all teams have to keep their baseballs in temperature-controlled rooms (a few do now but all of them will be required from this point). This will keep the balls from shrinking in colder temperatures, etc. This idea is most recognizable with the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Because Coors Field is at a higher elevation, it has thinner air and the balls need to be stored in a "humidor" to keep from being effected and easier to hit out of the ballpark. For more on the Coors Field effect, read an earlier post of mine. Here is the article announcing the new rule.

As for Albert Pujols, he officially became a U.S. citizen on Wednesday. Welcome to America! He lived the American dream before becoming an American.

Thursday, February 8, 2007

YANKEES: Kei Igawa Shows Up Early

Here is a picture of Kei Igawa throwing off a flat surface about a week before pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training in Tampa, Florida. Alongside Igawa is Derek Jeter, who has already made efforts to develop a friendship and make Kei Igawa feel at home.

Yankees vice president Billy Connors says that "[The Yankees] need him this year." Commenting on how Igawa looked after his workout, Connors said "He looks like he is going to be a real good pitcher." Only when he is tested against major league batting will we know how he will fare. He also needs to be tested in tight spots such as close games where the Yankees badly need a strong pitching performance.

I like the idea that the Yankees aren't as dependent on Igawa as the Red Sox are on Dice-K. Because the media, fans, and rivalry in New York baseball can be overwhelming, it is best not to pressure a pitcher who has not yet even experienced the majors. Not only are your skills challenged in New York, but so is your character and makeup. By placing Igawa in the number 4 or 5 spot, he will have a lot less pressure than Matsuzaka, who will be needed in the 2 or 3 spot under Schilling. Whether the Red Sox will admit it or not, a lot of their success rides on Dice-K. He certainly is more promising than Igawa, but how much more? At double the price of Igawa, he better be an obvious upgrade.

Among others to show up early to the camp were shortstop Derek Jeter, catcher Jorge Posada, and utility infielder Miguel Cairo. Having Posada there early with Igawa enabled the two to get started early in developing a friendship and common understanding of the game.

UPDATE: Congratulations is in order for Kei Igawa, who was recently married this off-season. News about the marriage had just recently surfaced. MSN news reports that "Igawa['s]... new wife has been helping him in Tampa, Florida, where he will join the New York club's spring training camp."

Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Intrinsic Motivation vs Economic Advantage

A quote from Daniel Pink, author of A Whole New Mind: Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age. It tackles working out of intrinsic motivation versus people doing "things that confer economic advantage" in our American workforce. This one hits home for me so I thought I would share it with you.

The sorts of abilities that matter most now it turns out are also the sorts of things that people do out of intrinsic motivation. Relatively few people become accountants out of a sense of intrinsic motivation. But intrinsic motivation is what propels people to become creators and empathizers, to become designers and storytellers and counselors and consultants. This weekend there will be accountants painting watercolors in their garages. There will be lawyers writing screenplays. But I guarantee you that you won't find any sculptors who on weekends will be doing other people's taxes for fun. In other words, there is a growing congruence between the sorts of things that people do because they love doing them and the sorts of things that confer economic advantage.
Of course not everyone can do what they love and earn a living doing so. But it is sad to see that people are soo drawn by the economic advantages of a job title that they ignore their hearts desires or don't even attempt to explore a more refreshing lifestyle. Like a computer science major who switches focus because of a passionate professor in an unfamiliar subject, you should give it some thought.

The Money Masters

A friend recommended to me a film called The Money Masters about how the Federal Reserve is causing our nations debt. As a private bank, the Federal Reserve was given COMPLETE CONTROL over our economies money. Controlled by banks, they were/are greedy, money-hungry people, or so the video says. Like other conspiracy stories, this really gets you thinking.

A quote, so you know what you are getting into:

"Every bank in the United States is allowed to loan out at least ten times more money than they actually have." This is fractional reserve banking. This is similar to how paper money was created, when money used to be receipts for peoples currency; gold. Back then, since people rarely took out the gold in their reserve, paper receipts were given out, in excess, as loans. Interest was collected on those loans and the money collected by banks grew to enormous proportions...
The video is about one hour and 43 minutes long so you might as well break out the popcorn and find yourself a comfortable seat. You can find part 2 of this video on the sidebar to the right of the video.

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Learning How To Learn

A passage from Thomas Friedman in The World Is Flat, speaking about how children should go upon preparing for a job in the ever-changing future:

Go around to your friends and ask them just one question: 'Who are your favorite teachers?' Then make a list of those teachers and go out and take their courses--no matter what they are teaching, no matter what the subject. It doesn't matter whether they are teaching Greek mythology, calculus, art history, or American literature--take their courses. Because when I think back on my favorite teachers, I don't remember the specifics of what they taught me, but I sure remember being excited about learning it. What has stayed with me are not the facts they imparted but the excitement about learning they inspired. To learn how to learn, you have to love learning--or you have to at least enjoy it--because so much learning is about being motivated to teach yourself. And while it seems that some people are just born with that motivation, many others can develop it or have it implanted with the right teacher (or parent).
I have been saying something to this extent for a while now. If you don't love to learn, then you can't expand your mind. There are things out there that you don't know you enjoy until you try them. You have to find the motivation to learn so you can continue this expansion.

I have been pleasantly surprised, in my time at Hofstra University, to find enjoyment in classes such as Anthropology, Modern Art, and Age of Metropolis (a comparative literature class). My favorite professor was not from one of my major classes (business management) but from a class on classic literature. I never thought I could find interest in Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club) or Anthony Burgess (A Clockwork Orange) until I met this professor. He was so enthusiastic about his work and showed a passion that stuck with many of his students.

It is important to escape your everyday repetition and explore new things. You never know what you might find.

UPDATE: A formula from the same book: PQ + CQ > IQ or Passion and Curiosity is greater than Intellect (what you know).

Monday, February 5, 2007

What Happens To All That Clothing?

Steven Goldman of YES Network talks about what happens to all the Super Bowl t-shirts that were created prematurely for the losing team. Because there are tons of shirts and caps that are created for the winning team to wear immediately after their Super Bowl victory, they have to be made before the game. This means that there is a lot of excess clothing for the losing team. He says,

The good news is that the NFL doesn't destroy this stuff — it's sent overseas and distributed to those in need. Within a few weeks, the backwaters of the world will be outfitted in official NFL licensed merchandise. And if their caps name the wrong Super Bowl winner, they don't know and they don't care. They're just happy to have a cap.
The NBA has a similar program. MLB does not; they destroy all their shirts, what a waste. I can understand not wanting to find a faulty shirt on eBay but, as Goldman says, it's a small price to pay to keep poor children warm.

YANKEES: Spring Training Quick Hits

With the Yankees' pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training in a little over 8 days, Yankees.com processed an article telling us what to look out for come camp time. It holds the projected lineup, introductions to new and gone players, prospects to look out for, and a couple other things.

Sunday, February 4, 2007

NFL: Colts are Super Bowl Champions!

The Indianapolis Colts are Super Bowl 41 Champions!



The Colts beat out the Chicago Bears (29-17) in a wet game at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens. After an opening drive touchdown by the Bears, lots of fumbles occurred in the first half but the Colts pulled out strong in the 2nd quarter going in ahead at halftime. The final nail in the coffin came by interception from the Colts in the 4th quarter, robbing an errant pass by Grossman.

This was my team of course, loving the Colts for knocking the Patriots out of the playoffs and having full respect for Manning and his abilities. He deserves every bit of this victory.

This is Peyton Manning's first Super Bowl win and the criticisms can finally end. Brady fans can no longer hang their rings over Manning.

Reminder: Superbowl

Just a reminder, SuperBowl 41 is on tonight, Channel 2 I believe, at 6:25. Halftime show by Elton John and Cirque De Soler (or however you spell it) will be the pre-game show. Enjoy! For more information, go to SuperBowl.com. I will be out tonight; PARTY HARD!

Saturday, February 3, 2007

FILM: Gridiron Gang

Another great inspirational football story based on a true story, just like Invincible, except this story features a group of young delinquents in a juvenile detention center who learn to live and love each other through the game of football. The Mustangs (the teams name) join a high school football league and find themselves facing all obstacles on and off the field. Everything overcome on the field is a win also off the field.

The film did a great job getting its audience emotionally involved in the characters. I won't lie, my eyes watered a few times. The Rock shows true compassion for a group of kids that grew up in the wrong neighborhoods, misguided by gang violence and abusive families. Xzibit (see: Pimp My Ride) is also in the film and plays a support role for the Rock and for the kids.



The movie is a stand up and cheer film. You want the kids to become better and get a sense that even the most dirtiest of criminals could have had a less violent life if only they had been surrounded by more supportive individuals who genuinely cared about them. Of course, not all violence can be avoided. There are people out there who you can not help, and the film addresses this point.

I recommend this movie to everyone, except those who are "too cool" for inspirational movies. You know who I'm talking about; the kids who make fart noises when an emotional song comes on or laughs at someones on-screen misfortunes. Get with the program.

The Rock makes as good an actor as he did a WWF Wrestler, and that is impressive. I haven't seen a movie starring Rock that I haven't enjoyed yet, including Walking Tall, The Rundown, and The Scorpion King. For a complete list of The Rock's films, CLICK HERE!

Friday, February 2, 2007

FILM: Invincible

Don't you just love an underdog story? I do, as you can probably tell from the quote on the header of this blog. OK, the movie wasn't Rocky caliber but could anything ever stand toe to toe with the Italian Stallion? I think not.

The movie was very good though. I first saw Invincible in Blockbuster a few weeks ago but decided to wait a little because my interest in football wasn't very high. But now, the SuperBowl is in 2 days (a little less) and I figured that there is no better time. Plus, my interest level went up after the Colts beat out the New England Patriots two weeks ago. That was probably the most fun I've had watching a football game in my life (I root against New England because I associate them with the Red Sox).

The movie, starring very talented Mark Wahlberg (Vince Papale), takes place in Philadelphia (another underdog story from Philly! I was waiting for him to run up the Rocky steps). Papale works at a local bar and as a part-time teacher for a high school. For fun, he plays tackle football in a nearby park with a bunch of his buddies. All of a sudden things go south and Papale is strapped for cash. Lucky for him (well, not totally), the team he loves (the Philadelphia Eagles) are holding open tryouts to the public because they are in desperate need of some help.

I won't tell you the rest. The movie was well made and follows a few things that made Rocky such a success: poor neighborhood, local kid with a 1/1,000,000 shot, rough times, etc. If you aren't even remotely a football fan, I could understand you not being very interested. For example, I'm not a basketball fan so all inspirational basketball underdog movies are a joke to me (Coach Carter).

I will say this though: after watching the film, I threw on my sweatpants and went for a jog. I love underdog films... they pump me up!

It's Diversity Day at the Office

This show is absolutely hilarious. When I rented the DVD from Blockbuster I wanted to kick myself for not adapting to the show earlier. I felt the same way about 24.

It's Diversity Day at the Office and everyone is trying to guess what cultural background is written on an index card taped to everyones forehead. The show is a little racist (not severely) but isn't all comedy (Kramer)?

Storm Hits Florida

Storms have hit middle Florida and it is reported that at least 14 people have been killed at this time. A state of emergency has been declared in the certain counties that were hit. A news reported says that for disasters like this, it is best that everyone stays in their homes and people do not travel around the damaged areas as spectators. This is because it hasn't yet been assessed which areas are "hot," or dangerous. Electrical lines are down and there is risk of coming in contact.

The storm, which developed small tornadoes, came at the worst time; while residents were sleeping. The tornadoes were believed to have developed in Sumter County around 3 a.m. in the morning. CNN.com reports that "weather services in Melbourne and Tampa provided at least 8 to 15 minutes of warning ... before the tornado touched down." Tornado warnings continued until 10:15 a.m. in the morning.

The total amount of damage has not yet been stated but it is believed to be very large. "Progress Energy spokeswoman Cherie Jacobs told The Associated Press that about 20,000 customers were without power throughout a large area of the state's midsection." Trees and power lines are down and parts of houses have been found up in trees still standing.

Republican 770 AM stated that people are proactive in the area and are doing their best at this moment in the rescue mission. They also compared it to Hurricane Katrina saying that people in Florida are not complaining that the government is not acting. They are responding to the disaster and coming together.

I hope that the total count is not much larger than presently stated. And it is unfortunate for the families that have lost loved ones in that area. Working at a Condominium that has numerous residents down in their 2nd home in Florida at the moment, I only hope that no one I know was hurt.

UPDATE: Death toll hit 19.

Thursday, February 1, 2007

PSP: Rocky Balboa

Found a clip of a new Rocky game coming to the PSP called "Rocky Balboa." Game looks decent and I will consider buying it. I like that they have some "Eye of the Tiger" music in it and that you can go back and fight guys like Apollo Creed and Ivan Drago. This has been the theme in all Rocky games, being able to fight anyone from any movie in the series.

PS3 vs Wii Commercial

I saw this video a while back and decided to bring it up for the sake of this blog. It's a commercial put out by Nintendo with two girls, one imitating the Wii console and the other the PS3. The commercial gets the point across very well and is, um, arousing? My girlfriend is going to kick me for that.

2009: Yankee Stadium and Citi Field


Wikipedia is the best site for continuously updated information about the new Yankee Stadium. It is all outlined pretty clearly. The Stadium will be open in April of 2009 and will feature a brand new facade and interior that will resemble the old Yankee Stadium. The dimensions and fences, however, will be the same as the present Stadium. In 1996, an assessment was done on Yankee Stadium and it was estimated that a renovation would cost the Yankees around $770 million dollars, so it made sense for the Yankees to have their new Stadium constructed. The Yankees are believed to be paying the majority of the bill for the new Stadium. Check the site for more information on its design, transportation, financing, and more.



Here is the Wikipedia entry for the new Shea Stadium, which will be named "Citi Field," after Citi Bank. If you are wondering why the Mets changed the name of their Stadium and the Yankees haven't, it's because the Mets want more financial help. My friend wanted it to be called Met Life (after Met Life) and was disappointed, as was I, with the name that was selected. Citi Bank will be paying $20 million each year for 20 years to have the Stadium named after them.

Citi Field will cost significantly less than the new Yankee Stadium. Both Stadiums are expected to have less seating than their two present Stadiums but should nonetheless be good for New York and its fans.