Drink American

Once again, I've failed at self-promotion

2012-02-07T09:45:00.001-08:00

As this writing, the cat who spent about a minute on the field at last night Liverpool-Tottenham match has 28,071 followers on Twitter.

Liverpool's Anfield cat becomes Twitter star

That is 28,059 more followers than I have.

Clearly, I need to run onto a soccer field (or something similar) and act cute.

Charles Murray is Still Despicable

2012-01-27T10:22:00.000-08:00

The great Roy Edroso has a post up about the latest load of crap excreted by Charles Murray, author of The Bell Curve, one of the most despicable books of recent years.

There's also a link to a quiz Murray has concocted that purports to assess the reader's isolation from Real America. You know, the land of NASCAR, American Idol, chain restaurants, and so forth.

The quiz itself is crap that would get an 'F' from any statistics instructor, but in the interest of science, I went ahead and took it. I scored a 30, which makes me "A ﬁrst-generation upper-middle-class person with middle-class parents. Range: 11–80. Typical: 33"

My Chesterfield-smoking, Schlitz-drinking, high-school dropout father woulda been proud.

The Continuing State of Perplexity That Comes With Owning a Car

2012-01-25T17:31:00.000-08:00

Apparently, it's possible to cut the power to your car by closing the glove compartment.

Exactly how this happened continues to puzzle me, but after a few minutes, I opened the hood and jiggled the battery cables. Presto, the power came back and the car started.

If it happens again, this may be my big chance to make it onto Car Talk.

How to Miss an Open Goal

2012-01-22T18:20:00.000-08:00

In recent years, my sports-watching on television has been largely limited to baseball, and more recently, soccer. After a regular diet of English Premier League, Champions League, and of course, the World Cup, I can fancy myself something of a connoisseur of goal-scoring. Furthermore, I can also claim to be an expert on the art of not scoring.

With goals being at a premium in most soccer games, the potential goals that are not scored loom as large as those that are scored. In many cases, of course, missing a goal is simply a matter of the keeper making the save, or when the offensive player simply isn’t able to convert a difficult chance.

Many times, though, the potential goal scorer has no one to blame but himself for missing. Those misses fall into many categories, but to an educated eye (such as mine), three particular types of misses stand out:

1. The Bendtner: When the player’s self-confidence exceeds his skill. In most cases, the result here is good work to get into a goal-scoring position, frequently with a good first touch, but after that, hilarity often ensues, usually in the form of a weak shot or a scuff. This could also be seen as the Dunning-Kruger effect, as applied to soccer.

Usage example – “That was a nice buildup, but then he Bendtnered it five yards wide of the post.”

2. The Carroll: Here, the striker, typically a large, awkward, yet hard-working and likable player, is undine by a first touch akin to an arthritic elephant being asked to tap-dance. Often as not, he fails to even get a shot off, such is the lack of technical skill.

Usage example – “Oh, dear. He put himself into a good position, but once the ball got to his feet, he did a Carroll and never even got the shot off.”

The Carroll is a descendant of the Heskey, wherein the striker, in addition to the aforementioned awkwardness, has the touch of a blacksmith.

3. The Torres: This is truly the most agonizing of misses to watch. The striker shows both great technical skill and a silky first touch, but somehow contrives to miss the goal. In many instances, the term ‘sitter’ applies, as in “He could’ve scored that one sitting down.”

Usage example – “JESUS CHRIST! How on earth could he have missed that? The goal at his mercy and the keeper beaten, and he put it over the bar! What a Torres!”

The beauty of these terms is that they can be used as a noun, a verb, or an adjective. Try it yourself.

However, please refrain from throwing your remote at the TV when one of these misses takes place.

Today's observation

2012-01-17T18:31:00.000-08:00

When doing prescribed exercises to relieve a pinched nerve in the neck, said exercises are made more difficult when one cat decides to sit on my chest and intently monitor my progress, and the other cat decides that the time is right to groom my hair.

All hail the iPod, part 1

2012-01-13T09:37:00.000-08:00

Random music for a Friday commute:

1. Moonage Daydream - David Bowie - Sound + Vision I
2. Three Places in New England 1. The "Saint-Gaudens" in Boston Common - Orpheus Chamber Orchestra - Ives: A Set of Pieces
3. Look For Me (I'll Be Around) - Neko Case - Blacklisted
4. Why Baby Why - Kevin Welch & Deborah Pierce - Caught in the Webb
5. Rock 'N' Roll Queen (Medley) - Mott The Hoople - Live (CD2 - Broadway)
6. Up From the Skies [take 2 - Alternate Take] - Gil Evans - The Gil Evans Orchestra Plays the Music of Jimi Hendrix
7. Dupre: Three Preludes And Fugues Op 7 - Prelude In F Minor - Robert Quinney, organ - The Organ of Westminster Cathedral: Robert Quinney Plays Brahms, Wagner & Dupre
8. Howard Hughes - Ride - Twisterella
9. Tsmindao Chmerto - Rustavi Choir - Georgian Voices
10. Venus - John Coltrane - Interstellar Space
11. Megalodon - Mastodon - Leviathan
12. Houses Of The Holy - Led Zeppelin - Latter Days: Best Of Led Zeppelin, Vol.2
13. The Magic Mitt of Jason Byles - The Baseball Project - Volume 2: High and Inside

While my musical taste remains immaculate, it could also stand some new blood.

The future starts last week

2012-01-09T10:03:00.000-08:00

Theo Epstein and his lieutenants were busy last week.

On Thursday, the long-expected departure of Carlos Zambrano finally occurred, as he was dealt to the formerly-Florida-but-now-Miami Marlins for what appears at first to be a pittance. The Cubs received pitcher Chris Volstad. Yep, that’s it.

Furthermore, the Cubs will be paying $15.5 million of Zambrano’s $18 salary for the coming season. Needless to say, Volstad will not be seeing that kind of salary any time soon, or probably any time later.

The Cubs, then, traded a 30-year old with 125 career wins and an ERA+ of 122 for a 24-year old with 32 wins and an ERA+ of 90. Even accounting for the age difference, it doesn’t seem like a particularly good deal.

However, there’s more here. Zambrano, of course, is well-known for having, shall we say, psychological issues. These issues, along with some minor injuries, have caused him to average about 150 innings in each of the past three seasons. More worrying, his WHIP has risen during this time, and his strikeout rate last season was his worst since his rookie year.

All this is a long-winded way of saying that Epstein needed to dump Zambrano, and did just that. Zambrano may well bounce back this season, as he’ll be pitching for Ozzie Guillen, and theoretically will have something to prove, but it’s also likely he’ll have a meltdown and miss half the season.

Thursday’s trade was followed on Friday by another trade that is pure Moneyball. The Cubs sent pitcher Andrew Cashner to the Padres for Anthony Rizzo, a large young first baseman, who pummeled Triple-A to the tune of 331/404/652 in 2011, but in a two-month major league stint, not-pummeled the NL at a 141/281/242 clip. Rizzo is clearly the first baseman of the future, and furthermore, is a former Red Sox prospect, who was traded last winter for Adrian Gonzalez. If any evidence is needed that the Epstein regime will follow the established formula used in Boston, this is it.

A man of many talents

2012-01-09T08:01:00.000-08:00

Newt Gingrich has now claimed to have beaten the Soviets, invented supply-side economics, balanced the budget with one hand while diddling Callista with the other, and claimed to be an expert on global warming because he knows how to spell 'Haplocanthosaurus'.

This begs the question - isn't being President a bit below his self-judged pay grade?

Oozing into contention

2012-01-04T07:02:00.000-08:00

For anyone thinking that "gee, maybe Rick Santorum isn't so bad," (and yes, I realize that probably does not include anyone reading this humble space), bear in mind that he doesn't believe that a woman should have the right to choose whether or not to use birth control.

Ooh, helmety

2012-01-02T19:23:00.000-08:00

Just you wait and see. When it's First Lady Callista, "helmet-hair" will make its long-overdue comeback.

That hair could probably stop a bullet.

The excitement is palpable!

2012-01-01T16:28:00.000-08:00

New Year's Day has been so far spent:

- Watching Sunderland beat Manchester City.
- Observing that, aside from their ears, dachshunds are generally wind-resistant.
- Making chili.
- Watching a Three Stooges marathon.

Now, we drink beer.

deep thought

2010-08-19T07:36:00.001-07:00

The Cubs now have Wellington Castillo, Darwin Barney, Blake DeWitt, and Thomas Diamond on their roster.

Jane Austen must have done their drafting the last few years.

What I write about when writing about someone who writes about running

2010-08-18T19:01:00.000-07:00

I ran about three miles tonight, and my legs are feeling it. Further proof that it’s a lot harder to begin a running program at 49 than it was at 22. The heat has been no help, of course.

Despite the aches (Advil ahoy!), I can tell I’m making progress, albeit much more slowly than I’d like. The key is to be patient and keep in mind that it’ll take that much more time to get to a level near where I was ten years ago. I have lost a few pounds since the first of the year, and my resting pulse is lower, so there have actually been tangible benefits. Not having sore knees after running is an even greater benefit. Amazing how shoes make so much difference.

This brings me to a book review, of What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, by Haruki Murakami. I’ve read only one other book of Murakami’s, which I liked, so I know very little of his fiction writing, which is highly acclaimed.

There are moments of insight – his thoughts on why he still runs after unsatisfying results, and how it’s part of his entire persona. At times, though, and perhaps this is a result of being lost in translation, but the prose is pedestrian. Particularly at the end of his description of a run from Athens to Marathon, the writing is not what I’d expect from a novelist of his stature.

Despite the occasional clunker, though, it’s an interesting read, as Murakami subjects himself to fairly rigorous inspection as to just why he runs.

Dog Walking - the play-by-play

2010-08-15T18:36:00.000-07:00

A slightly embellished play-by-play of this afternoon’s walk:

1540 – Maggie gets antsy. Ernie, hearing this, dashes from the bedroom to the front door, where Maggie joins him. A couple minutes pass while I find my shoes, a poop bag, and my sunglasses.

1543 – M & E dash out the front door and down the steps. The next few minutes are spent sniffing the base of the small tree in the front yard. Meanwhile, I’m trying to remind them that the purpose is to walk, not sniff in the yard.

1546 – We finally start heading up the street. Two minutes later, Maggie starts circling around in a neighbor’s yard before settling on a spot to poop. The resulting poop is about 20% of her body weight. How an eleven pound dog can make such a gigantic pile…

1549 – Ernie, in his usual fashion, simply stops and poops. No fussiness from him.

1555 – Around the corner, where Jake the mutt greets them. Much tail-wagging ensues. Jake is their pal.

1600 – Around the next corner, up a small hill, and we stop to browse the yard of a local hardcore Republican. This was one of several houses to have “Keyes for Senate” signs back in 2004. Despite my best efforts, I could not train Maggie and Ernie to poop in this yard on command, then or now.

1605 – Further up the block, and two Wheaton police officers are walking into a yard. We put on our best faces, but it isn’t necessary, as it turns out that someone’s burglar alarm had gone off. No signs of burglary, apparently. The gendarmes return to their squad cars, a youngster skateboards by, and it’s a fairly nondescript turn around the last corners.

1611 – Maggie leads Ernie by about twenty feet over the last leg, but Ernie catches up as we reach home. Their reward is a baby carrot apiece. Well done, my faithful friends.

Saturday Night Quarterback

2010-06-26T20:18:00.001-07:00

Hindsight is 20/20 and all that, but questions must be raised about Bob Bradley’s lineup choices today. He is obviously privy to more info than I, but first off, Onyewu must have been seriously unable to go. Not only is he the USA’s best defender, but is also one of their few threats in the air. The succession of crosses and corners that went unfulfilled underscores his importance. Both of Ghana’s goals were the result of poor center-back play, where Onyewu might have been able to do better were he healthy.

Of greater impact today was the decision to start Clark and Findley. Clark’s inclusion is understandable, even though he had not played since the opening match. Using him as the holding midfielder allows Michael Bradley more liberty to go forward. Unfortunately, Clark’s mistake led directly to Ghana’s first goal, and the yellow card he picked up shortly thereafter indicated that he was clearly rattled. Pulling him off after only 30 minutes may have been necessary, and Bradley’s display of fatherly affection was both proper and wise, but it only underscores the issue raised of his inclusion.

As for Findley, he was largely invisible, with the exception of one chance that was smartly saved by Ghana’s keeper Kingson. The chance could have been better taken, though. Once again, he made way at halftime for Feilhaber.

With Feilhaber’s entrance, Dempsey moved up alongside Altidore, and the USA’s offense almost immediately sprang into life. This begs an obvious question – why not start Edu and Feilhaber, with Dempsey up front in what is almost a 4-3-1-2 or 4-4-3, with Donovan in the hole or as a true winger?

The absence of Charlie Davies, although barely commented upon as far as I can tell, looms over this. Davies and Altidore form a solid partnership, with Davies in the role of playing off Altidore. This leaves Dempsey to play off them as well, with Donovan as the playmaker. Almost a 4-2-2-2 or 4-3-1-2 with Dempsey in the hole.

As I stated at the beginning, this is all hindsight, but different lineup choices might have produced a win. Despite which, Bradley did show an ability to make intelligent changes throughout the tournament.

From the inky shadows steps a crazy man

2010-02-09T10:30:00.000-08:00

The other day, I noted that Andy Martin continued his perfect record of electoral train-wrecks. Much to the delight of connoisseurs of political craziness, another of Illinois' favorite nuts is still active.

I speak of Tony Lopez-Cisneros, who never fails to remind that he ran for Congress in 2002 against Luis Gutierrez (and lost in a landslide). (Tony's grasp of the intertubes is not strong, as he continues to link to his campaign site, one that is long dead.)

Anyway, Tony shows up at Dave Weigel's Washington Independent blog, defending Scott Lee Cohen, the recently departed LtGov nominee.

It turns out that he's been active as well at various birther sites as well over the last couple of years. What a surprise.

Snuffles McSnufflington

2010-02-08T15:15:00.000-08:00

The shroud of depression has lifted, as I hoped, only to be replaced by a sudden cold. A typical cold for me starts with a sore throat, then moves on to a couple days' worth of nose-blowing. This one followed the usual path, but in about one-third the time. Very strange.

Our new robot overlords

2010-02-06T18:56:00.000-08:00

This is hugely disappointing - with a name like Litter Robot, I was expecting it to follow the cat around while shooting lasers from its eyes.

Still, I suppose it's better than trying to teach him to use a litter scoop.

a big black cloud hanging over me

2010-02-05T09:27:00.001-08:00

Sometimes, it just happens. No warning, no triggering event. Seemingly out of nowhere, a shroud descends, and the world becomes gray. In this instance, it happened while I was on the train home the other night.

By now, I know that the shroud will eventually lift; it may be a matter of hours, or it may be days instead. Occasionally, light pokes through, like when “Search and Destroy” came up on my iPod, or when I saw the Puppet Bike yesterday for the first time. Despite these moments of brightness, the shroud is still with me this morning.

blowing the dust off

2010-02-03T19:08:00.000-08:00

We had an election here in IL yesterday. The one promising candidate, David Hoffman, did not win. What a surprise.

Meanwhile, crazed birther Andy Martin declared victory with less than 5% of the vote in the GOP Senate primary. I love Andy Martin.

Merle, Cat of Action!

2009-10-13T08:06:00.000-07:00

Home movies:

Somebody gets it

2009-10-09T08:38:00.000-07:00

The best assessment of today's big news comes from a commenter at the Washington Post:

"The United States is denied the chance to host the Olympic games.

Conservatives cheer.

The leader of the United States is awarded the most prestigious international award for diplomacy.

Conservatives boo.

I think someone's dictionary has a defective entry for 'patriotism.' "

Well put, sir.

The more things change, blah blah blah

2009-09-22T09:24:00.000-07:00

Here's an exercise.

Take this article (from the wonderful SABR Baseball Biography Project), and substitute "Milton Bradley" for "Alex Johnson."

The results may be illuminating.

Despite the growing understanding of mental illness in professional sports, the most obvious examples still seem to be ignored.

Nazi sympathizer?

2009-09-03T06:49:00.000-07:00

Pat Buchanan is insane.

Buchanan: Hitler Didn't Want War

That is all.

Dachshunds Gone Wild

2009-08-31T09:35:00.000-07:00

Maggie and Ernie went to the vet this past Saturday to get their nails trimmed.

Maggie behaved herself, which is notable, given that she required two techs and a muzzle last time. Recall that she weighs ten pounds after a meal.

Ernie more than made up for her. He:

1) tried to make a break for the door while Maggie was being weighed,
2) had to be towed in when he sat down and refused to budge, and
3) piddled on the vet tech while being trimmed.

I'm so proud of him.

Deep Thought

2009-08-13T17:18:00.000-07:00

Why has nobody bought the rights to "Gary's Got A Boner" for use in an ED commercial?

“I Am Proud to Be a Brick in the Statistics Building of the PRC”

2009-08-04T13:06:00.000-07:00

Nobody parties like Chinese statisticians:

Life
Some mock me for doing statistics
Some loathe me and statistics
Some don’t understand what statistics are
Why is it that statistics
Put a calm smile on my face?
Because of statistics
I can solve the deepest mysteries
Because of statistics
I will not be lonely again, playing in the data
Because of statistics
I can rearrange the stars in the skies above
Because of statistics
My life is different, more meaningful
I love my life, my statistics

Only five of seven?

2009-08-02T19:46:00.000-07:00

Pre-show drink preferences of the Mekons, observed at the Harmony Grill:

Jon and Sally: Magners
Rico: Stella Artois
Steve and Lu: red wine
Sarah and Susie: unknown*

*Susie did carry a margarita onstage.

Blog posts I wish had written, #1

2009-07-30T11:59:00.000-07:00

Brilliant:

Nicey Nice: The Obama Crowley Gates Beer

Takeaway line:

"So both of you shut up and drink your Goddamned beers. Then we’re going to do a little press conference and you guys are going to act all nicey nice and smile, or I will ruin your fucking lives and your families’ lives too. I’m the Goddamned President; I’ve got better things to do than this."

The kids would call this an epic fail

2009-07-22T07:15:00.000-07:00

The birthday boy has had his privileges revoked.

About 4 AM this morning, whilst sitting on the toilet in the dark, I notice Merle in the bathtub. Moments later, I notice he’s not alone. Turning on the light revealed a mouse in the tub as well, apparently unharmed.

I turn the light off, figuring that by the time I get up two hours later, Merle will have done his duty and offed the mouse.

Comes 6 AM, and I go into the bathroom to find Merle (still) in one end of the tub, and the mouse still very much alive and apparently unscathed at the other end. Clearly, Merle and the mouse had come to an understanding.

I, on the other hand, having no desire to share my shower with a mouse, took a container, trapped the mouse, and deposited him in the front garden. The mouse had also left several souvenirs in the tub, so I had to clean the tub as well before showering.

Perhaps there is a course in mouse-catching that Merle can enroll in. Were he still around, the late great Puck could teach it; despite his rotundness, he killed three mice in the 18 months I spent in my last apartment.

Birthday boy

2009-07-21T07:08:00.000-07:00

First, I'd like to say that I was on vacation, but I wasn't.

Anyway. Merle turns two* today, so in his honor, a picture of him versus a squirrel from last winter.

*He was nine weeks old when I got him on my birthday two years ago. You can do the math.**

**Asterisk usage per Joe Posnanski.

Hey baby, it's the Fourth of July

2009-07-04T16:45:00.000-07:00

Fuck yeah, this is the best country ever.

I don't want to become Drunky McTightyWhitey*

2009-06-27T20:31:00.000-07:00

I almost stopped in the local liquor store this afternoon to buy all of the fixings needed to make margaritas. Problem is, I would have ended up drinking then all by myself. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I figure my alcohol consumption does not need to increase. My family history is agin’ me.

For similar reasons, I resisted buying a bottle of sangria last weekend. Sangria isn’t right without fruit anyway.

*Who is Drunky McTightyWhitey, you might ask.

A few years ago, when I was living with Beth and Nick, they were visiting Beth’s sister and her family, leaving me home with the dogs and cats. The Saturday morning after they left, I let the dogs out about 0700, wandered down the driveway to pick up the paper, glanced to my right to keep an eye on the dogs, and saw a neighbor several houses down picking up his paper.

Some time before this, his dog had been wandering around the neighborhood about 10 PM one night, leading Beth and Nick to walk said dog back to this neighbor’s house. He answered the door fully clothed, but rather inebriated.

This particular morning, I had no idea as to his state of intoxication, but did notice to my horror that he was clad in a t-shirt and a pair of, you guessed it, tighty whities.

The name kind of assigned itself.

Your tutu fitting will be at 3 PM, sir

2009-06-25T09:02:00.000-07:00

Goal.com associate editor editor Shane Evans on Tuesday, forecasting yesterday's Spain-USA match:

"...If the USA wins, I'll take up ballet lessons."

Ow! My Freaking Ears!

2009-06-23T07:34:00.000-07:00

I turned on the TV this morning, and this assaulted me:

Omni Dual Saw Televison Commercial

Now, I like power tools as much as the next statistician, but not when Billy Mays is selling them.

LARIAT-OOOOO!

2009-06-12T17:41:00.000-07:00

A while back, I saw this story about one Shaver Hansen, a junior shortstop at Baylor, whose father is this guy.

Turns out that after hitting .330 with 17 home runs this past spring, Hansen the younger was drafted in the sixth round by the Seattle Mariners earlier this week.

All of this is really just an excuse to link to the best six minutes on YouTube.

Curly was the Zen Stooge

2009-06-09T08:04:00.000-07:00

The words of Emmylou Harris at Ravinia this past Sunday, as reported by my brother. The context being the following lyric snippet of Patty Griffin: "I don't know why I keep doing this."

To which Emmylou observed that it reminds her of Curly's oft-repeated line "I'm trying to think, but nothing's happening."

The Zen Stooge. It fits.

Lefty blogging

2009-06-04T08:39:00.000-07:00

In this case, Lefty Grove. I posted the following as a response to this post by America's best sportswriter, Joe Posnanski.

---
I wouldn’t take very seriously any online poll, and this one is no exception.

Grove is probably the greatest left-hander ever.

But…there’s also a fair amount of evidence, mostly dug up by the late Dick Thompson, that Connie Mack did not pitch Grove against the Yankees as often as his other starters during the 1929-31 period. For instance, according to the indispensable Retrosheet, Grove started eight games against last-place Boston in 1929, more than any other team.

Rob Neyer has mentioned this as well:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=neyer_rob&id=1704222

On the other hand, as Bill James pointed out, Grove spent several years in the minors when he was clearly better than most major-league pitchers of the time.

It doesn’t mean that Grove isn’t the best lefty of all time, just that the margin may not be so large between him and the rest.

Wednesday Garden (and Dachshund) Blogging

2009-06-03T09:51:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: All posts regarding gardening must bear in mind that I don't know what many of the plants are. You see, Beth (my ex) was the one who decided what to buy and where to plant it. I was merely the instrument of her genius.

With that out of the way:

These are in the back yard.

OK, this one I know. Lilacs.

Maggie

Ernie

"Shut Up" he explained

2009-05-27T13:39:00.000-07:00

The President's press secretary treats Newt with the contempt he deserves:

Gibbs Dismisses Gingrich Comments As "Blog Of A Former Lawmaker"

Me, I'm glad Newt piped up, because I've been waiting for a chance to use this:

Now batting, Judge Sotomayor

2009-05-26T07:10:00.001-07:00

Further evidence that the universe may revolve around baseball.

This was pointed out on, all places, WFMT. It will no doubt become a talking point during her confirmation (and she will be confirmed):

"On March 30, 1995, she issued the preliminary injunction against Major League Baseball, preventing MLB from unilaterally implementing a new Collective Bargaining Agreement and using replacement players, thus ending the 1994 baseball strike."

Shocking news

2009-05-25T08:25:00.000-07:00

This has 'trainwreck' written all over it:

Michael Jackson's London Shows Already Delayed

It remains unclear if the delays are due to new plastic surgery catastrophes.

We had a barrel of fun; plus, Beer of the Day

2009-05-24T18:54:00.000-07:00

Behold the rain barrel. Net cost of materials was about $50, including the new flexible downspout, and labor time was about two hours, spread over yesterday evening and this morning.

No injuries were sustained in the making of this rain barrel.

After finishing the barrel and mowing the lawn, I relaxed with a tasty Leinenkugel Berry Weiss. As its name indicates, it tastes of berries. A lot of berries. Not that I mind, as I have a weakness for fruity beers, but this makes it none too popular among the beer cognoscenti. Never mind what they say, though - this is a good summer beer.

Lunch thoughts

2009-05-19T11:01:00.000-07:00

It would be ungracious of me to complain about free pizza for lunch. But, one would think that in a city with a legendary pizza tradition, the choice would not be Sbarro.

Barrel Roll

2009-05-18T10:19:00.000-07:00

Motivated in small part by my green-ness, and in greater part by me being cheap, one of this coming weekend's projects will be building a rain barrel. Rather than seeing my water bill double during the summer months in an attempt to keep the gardens verdant, a rain barrel offers the chance to both save money and use rainwater for watering, which gardening gurus recommend.

The actual building of the barrel seems simple enough. Acquire a barrel or drum, cut a hole the top and install a screen, put a spigot in the bottom and an overflow hose near the top, place it under a downspout, and get that warm fuzzy Al Gore-like feeling of self-satisfaction.

Via Craigslist, I found a food distributor not far from my house that sells 55-gallon drums for $25. When adding the cost of the remaining parts, it means the entire operation will cost me around $50 in all. Assuming no self-inflicted injuries occur.

Beer of the Day

2009-05-14T13:58:00.000-07:00

SKA Pinstripe Red Ale

Aroma is okay, appearance is okay, taste is okay. Spectacularly average in every possible way. The very definition of an ordinary beer.

Won't someone listen to me?

2009-05-13T16:04:00.000-07:00

Jose Canseco holds a news conference, and (almost) nobody shows up.

"Only one reporter from The Associated Press, Canseco’s lawyer, a photographer and four camera crews attended the news conference. All but two of the 100 seats were empty."

And there are pictures:

How not to interpret data

2009-05-12T15:01:00.000-07:00

Story in the local papers today:

Naperville ranks second in state DUI arrests

Naperville happens to be the fifth largest city in Illinois. The city with the most DUI arrests (excluding Chicago) is Rockford, which is the third largest city in the state.

Sensing a pattern?

The actual data, available at the web site of the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists, is better, as it ranks the municipalities by arrests per officer. Don't drink and drive in Carol Stream or Barrington.

Manny being Manny

2009-05-07T10:16:00.000-07:00

Regarding his 50 games off - perhaps he was using Pud Galvin's monkey juice.

[UPDATE] I was closer than I knew...

followup

2009-05-06T18:59:00.000-07:00

Dear Mary,

The show last night was magnificent - hope you made up your mind to go. Either way, thanks for not writing another 750 words about the subject.

Regards,

Tracy

Make up your damn mind already

2009-05-04T10:07:00.000-07:00

This Chicago Tribune column has been on my nerves for about two days now.

Setting aside for a moment the absurdity of calling a 3600-seat theatre with immaculate sightlines “a large space,” the wishy-washiness on display is stunning. It doesn’t seem to be a difficult choice. Here is a legendary artist on what may be his final concert tour, performing in a splendid theater, with tickets that are expensive for the best seats, but certainly within the budget of a Tribune columnist, to say nothing of a DePaul statistician. Cough up ~100 dollars as I did and go. You won’t regret it.

So why spend 750 words on the subject, without any sort of conclusion?

Beer of the Day

2009-05-01T12:49:00.000-07:00

This was actually a beer I had several months ago, but I just got around to rating it elsewhere.

Leinenkugel Fireside Nut Brown

Quoting myself: "Had this several months ago on tap at FitzGerald’s. Berwyn IL. Poured a deep brown with little head. Aroma was overwhelmingly sweet and artificial, and it was served far too cold. Taste was artificial as well. Couldn’t finish it. Ugh."

Shocking news of the day

2009-05-01T09:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a surprise:

Prior reports shoulder soreness to Padres

Now, I'm being a little snarky here, but given that Prior hasn't pitched in a major league game since 2006, said snark is understandable.

For a much better discussion of the reasons Prior has gone from"can't miss prospect with perfect mechanics" to "he'll be lucky to be able to brush his teeth when he's 40":

Mark Prior's Pitching Mechanics - A Different Perspective

injury report

2009-04-29T09:29:00.000-07:00

Continuing in the tradition of odd self-inflicted injuries, such as cutting my ass while cleaning the bathtub...

This morning, I woke up from a dream around 4, a dream in which I was talking to Jon Stewart while we were using a public washroom. Needless to say, this prompted me to get out of bed and piddle.

With two cats not wanting to be disturbed, I sat up, leaned over, and reached for the footboard while climbing over the side. It was dark, of course, and I missed. Instead of grasping the footboard with my right hand, I tried to grasp it with my chest. Didn't work.

By this time tomorrow, I should have a nice bruise just below my collarbone.

Burning questions

2009-04-27T10:32:00.000-07:00

What is the collective noun for dachshunds?

I'm considering "a wiggle," but am open to suggestions.

Beer of the Day

2009-04-27T07:22:00.000-07:00

Pyramid Rollick Amber Lager

While marketed as a spring seasonal, this is more of a summer brew. A good balance of hops and malt, resulting in a drinkable lager with a bite of hops. A far cry from the crappy macros.