Haiku Wednesday

Haiku Entry - School

Where did summer go?
Pens, paper, homework - oh my
Need a time machine

Magazine Stuff

Wired

Make a glowstick!

Distilled Water, 2 L
Hydrogen Peroxide (3% Concentration), 50 mL
Luminol, 0.2 g
Sodium Carbonate (Soda Ash), 4 g
Copper Sulfate Pentahydrate, 0.4 g
Ammonium Carbonate, 0.5 g

Add hydrogen peroxide to 1 L of distilled water to one bowl. In another bowl dissolve luminol, sodium carbonate, copper sulfate, and ammonium carbonate in 1 L of distilled water.

Use sealable clear containers and pour equal measures of each solution into the container. The hydrogen peroxide solution oxidizes the luminol producing 3-aminophthalic acid. As electrons drop to a lower quantum state, a photon is emitted at wavelengths between 430 and 470 nm or a purplish blue.

New Yorker

About every 4th issue the New Yorker has articles in which I read practically every one. This one had its usual wide spectrum of topics...

Lesch-Nyhan syndrome - Awful genetic disorder but amazing how one genetic defect causes a protein to not function and result in a phenotype where the individual (only males) have a predisposition of causing physical harm to themselves among other things.

CIA Black Sites - Horrendous article about torture but interesting in that they used SERE techniques as there starting point for how to torture. Having gone through SERE myself I can comment that just spending 3 days in a "camp" can begin to make things go weird. The droning music, the dark closet, the "discussions", and stress positions was an interesting simulation.

Olive Oil - You might be getting hazelnut oil!

Joe Kittinger - OK if you think Chuck Yeager was a stud or Scott Crossfield...check out what Joe Kittinger is famous for! On August 16, 1960 he made the final jump from the Excelsior III at 102,800 feet (19.5 miles!). Towing a small drogue chute for stabilization, he fell for 4 minutes and 36 seconds reaching a maximum speed of 614 mph (1,149 km/h) before opening his parachute at 18,000 feet. The journey took about 14 minutes. The picture says it all...I mean that's high.

Colorado Rockies - Week 19

A 5-2 week against the Brewers and Cubs. Two Central leaders battling it out. The Roxs fortunately got both of them in a slump. A series sweep against the brew crew and a split with the lovable losers. Another good week for the Roxs who are still hanging around and have moved ahead of the Dodgers and moved into 3rd, 5.0 out of first and 2.0 out of the wild card race. The Roxs currently stand at 61 - 56. Currently 35-23 at home and 26-33 on the road, the Roxs have outscored its opponents 601-555 (expected wins is 63 versus historical wins at 54). The Roxs outscored opponents 61 - 31 this week alone! On pace for 84 wins (getting into Wild Card territory. Big West Coast road trip with 3 in San Diego and 3 in LA. A sweep in SD would put us in 2nd and well LA is always tough. One thing I read this week was how Arizona was doing it? They currently have been outscored 502 - 523 and yet have a 67 - 52. Having been outscored their expected win total is only 57 so they are playing 10 games over their collective heads. What does this mean? Well I hope the law of averages starts to catch up with them. 10 games over means they been really lucky! One other interesting note from last week. Tim Harikkala's last start was in 1996! 11 years between starts...way he pitched probably going to be another 11 years! Roxs graphical wins (home in Purple, away in grey)


Few other issues for the week. Bonds became the HR king...thank god he didn't do it in Colorado or against the Roxs. Don't really have an opinion on him breaking the record. Didn't watch don't care to. Not a Bonds fan but glad he is no longer front and center in the baseball world. As with any era in baseball, things come and go. Performance enhancement was just another issue that baseball will have to endure much like integration, gambling, and salary issues. The link below is a decent article and I like one of his conclusions,


In this way 756 is a sign of our times, in which there are no longer any truths, only perspectives, opinions, fragments, and the kind of anti-foundational stuff that gave night tremors to Nietzsche, Foucault, et al. - Brian Gunn @ Baseball Analysts

Another interesting point is Jason Whitlock's take. I had no ideal who Jason was but heard him as a fill in for Jim Rome and he is an opinionated educated sports commentator. Bottom line the Media hates Bonds and controversy sells news so in the news cycle we live in it is easy to vilify an athlete and sweep the bigger issues aside.

To end on a postive note...on Mike and Mike in the Morning...they interviewed a boyhood Braves hero for many, Dale Murphy. An on the cuff hall of famer who at least kept the Braves afloat for many a year in the 80s when not much was going on in Atlanta. It was always a disappointment that he was cast off before the Braves made their spectacular playoff run. Throw in the fact that he had a cup of coffee with the Roxs in 1993 and bottom line is he is what is good about baseball.

Stats











Used the neat tool to compare players at FanGraphs and compared Murphy to Todd Helton and uh oh Todd might not have too much slugging power left!











Roxs weekly WPA leaders:

Game 116 - Colorado Rockies

Game 116

Second game at Coors Field this year. 4th game in person. I see the Cubbies every year in Denver just because I enjoy being heckled from Cubs fans. Amazing how many Chicago fans come out of the woodwork. Guess all of those years with no MLB in Denver people gravitated to the one team that was sort of close...

Anyway great game. Good game through 5 1/2 then the offensive machine that is the Roxs at home took over. Surprise to see Ian Stewart starting for the Roxs and Atkins at 1B. Is this the future? This was Stewart's first game as a Rox. He was 0-2 but scored a run after being HBP. Even saw Barmes back. Next year could very well be Stewart, Tulo, Barmes, and Atkins manning the infield. Would love to have Matsui back but my guess is he'll take the money. Helton? He's got a year or two left in the tank...trade him to a contender and get another pitcher. Painfully clear the Rox's are missing an arm. Would have been nice to have Jennings down the stretch esp with Hirsh and Taveras not doing too much. Our march to the playoffs would certainly be helped with a Jennings, Francis, and Cook lineup instead of Francis, Cook, Fogg, Uncertain, and More Uncertain. Something to think about in the off season - Dan, assuming you are still around!

Saw home runs at Coors! Wow a lost art although Carroll's grand salami barely made if over the LF wall...it was a squeaker...I really thought it was caught! Fogg had a 35 pitch first inning but kept it going. A gusty much needed performance. Great game!

Neal Stephenson's - The System of the World

One year later, 2,700 pages later - I've completed the Baroque Cycle...whew! Last book was a hurdle but finally put it to rest. What to say? Well surprisingly it is a massive story and the good thing is the three main characters, Daniel, Eliza, and Jack were a captivating bunch. In retrospect, the Confusion is probably the best of the three. Jack's (mis)adventure is a grand story and his lost love to seeing her again is a good story. This last book had less of my two favorite characters, Jack and Eliza, and more of Daniel who at least became a real character not just some shadow character to Newton. The 60 - 70 years that these books spanned was truly and amazing time in history. Not being an 18th century buff I can't tell how much license Neal took in writing this but I am sure the facts are there. Newton and Leibniz both existed...Newton was the head of the mint. Lots of other historical appearances. An interesting time I am sure. Overall a good series, a bit detailed in parts which sometimes gets in the way of the story. Bit disappointed about Eliza and Jack although it is my guess they get back together. Will have to reread cryptonomicon again since the characters all are descendants. One question I do have for Neal is how in the hell do you ever put something like this together? I could see if it just took place in England but it spans the globe. The many interactions of characters, the history, the intrigue, the science, and the rise of an economy of nations. A truly inspiring set of books. Hard to put into words what the story could mean. Radical and interesting. If you have the time...yeah...go for it...it is rewarding in much of the same way as Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged.

This Week in Comics

Batman 667
Another interesting direction for Morrison's Batman. Have to give him credit, he is moving the character is an interesting direction. I imagine with 667 issues writer's have a difficult time moving a character in new directions or ideals. The last couple issues with is son, Damian, and the 666 issue was actually pretty good. This new storyline of different batmans in each country is pretty interesting. Good start off...have to give Morrison credit for taking famous characters and keeping it interesting...I loved what he did with the X-men which really lead to Weddon's run.




New Avengers 33
Another new direction, the bomb that was two issues ago, Elektra a skrull, has basically led to two issues of whining superheroes freaked out about who is who. Bendis then brings in the Hood which I have never heard of (ahh just read the wiki entry and it a new character...whoopee...don't care). Wish Bendis kept moving in the skrull direction instead of taking these side streets. Also the art is getting old...come home if I went chicken scratch I will do my own drawings!





Omega Flight #5
OK well you knew my excitement 6 months ago when this came out and well now its over. Yippee...really a horrible way to kill a decent ideal, Marvel. Come on, Alpha Flight has always had a place in Marvel X-lore. It was a decent book with good characters. This looked like a worthy restart but seeing the storyline cobbled together to fit a 5 book mini-series really made this just awful. Not pleased! Now I guess they will be in Marvel's new weekly book coming out in September? We shall see...what a big disappointment!




Powers 25
A new storyline! Alrighty I've been following Powers since issue 1 and I knew Deena got powers but from a powers virus? Guess I'm a big dummy and never picked up on that...how well. What is great about Powers is Bendis and Oeming don't take the book too seriously. I mean they screw with their characters but the book is willing to go pretty much anywhere. It is Bendis's playground. I mean who could get away with the Monkey issue? Now this one (ohh it's got a facelift...more pages...stiffer paper, yup stiffer!) has the a 2 page spread of Walker doing what a million year old man does. Go figure. Anyway will be interesting to see how the Walker/Deena conflict pans out.

Haiku Wednesday

Haiku Entry - Fair

Livestock smells abound
Sweet, sticky cotton candy
Spin, shake tummy ache

San Jose Del Cabo

Fabolous 5 day, 4 night stay on the southern tip of baja california. Stayed away from the hussle and bussle of Cabo San Lucas and stayed at the Casa Natalia in San Jose del Cabo. A "small luxary hotel" it was a nice getaway. The town itself was a bit rustic but always interesting to see how other people in the world live. Was a bit surprised by the prices but I imagine all food and drink has to be freighted in. The tip of baja, although surrounded by water, is a desert. No agriculture. The beach was great. Big waves, not a great swimming beach but to listen to the crash of waves each day was well worth it. The sand was not soft sand but rather rough. One can be spoiled by the sand in Florida! Big mountains in the area, the Sierra de la Laguna range. The pennisula streches over 800 miles from California!

Colorado Rockies - Week 18

A 3-3 week against Florida and the Braves. A traditionally difficult road trip. The Roxs had opportunities but lost a few close ones. A good week for the Roxs who are still hanging around. Still comfortably in 4th place, 5.5 out of first (due to those crazy D-backs, why are their rookies better than ours?), and 3.0 out of the wild card race. The Roxs currently stand at 56 - 54. Currently 30-21 at home and 26-33 on the road, the Roxs have outscored its opponents 540-524 (expected wins is 57 versus historical wins at 51). On pace for 82 wins. Nothing happened at the trade deadline. It would have been nice to have the Roxs newsworthy but frankly there wasn't any real talent out there so it is good we hung on to our prospects. San Diego was the only one who really spent and they didn't really get much.

Listening to the Mets/Braves game tonight and heard the announcer make a snide comment about the Roxs winning record at home versus away and wondered what the Roxs have done over the years. Anyway the most road wins is 36 in 1997 although their best winning percentage was the strike shortened wild card year at 0.467. The Roxs win an average of 31 road games a year and have posted a 0.543 winning percentage at home over the years and only a 0.387 percentage away from the Rocky Mountains...hmmmm. This year they have 26 wins and have a 0.441 percentage or on pace for 36 wins. Can we get another Wild Card?. Roxs graphical wins (home in Purple, away in grey)


Weekly WPA Leaders:

Haiku Wednesday

Haiku Entry - Colorado

Centennial State
Purple Mountain Majesties
Smile, we are here!