Cold
Stillness in the air
Trees bare, frost covers the grass
Toasty warm parka
or
Stars pierce the dark sky
Our breaths like instant comets
Warm cozy blanket
10.31.2007
10.30.2007
Magazine Wrap Up
Rolling Stone
REM has a new "live" album coming out next year some time.
The "Boss" is 58!
Would Godzilla and Mothra kick Megatron's ass?
The New Yorker
Good article on Scott Boras or as this article claims, "The Extortionist." Is he evil or just playing the system? We hate his methods but honestly teams are willing to pay his clients, so who is the fool? I mean the Rangers did drop 252 million on A-Rod. The statistics show that less than one percent of players will have a 6 year major league career and maybe only 3 - 4% will have a three year career. So if you are that special player who transcends the sport do you not try to get the biggest buck? Should we be critical of A-Rod for getting all that he can? There always seems to be a sucker out there willing to spend $30 million a year for a 32 year MVP. Boras just exploits the owners...eventually they will get smart. For years the Rockies ownership probably took a good chunk of the revenue and didn't add to the field. I mean if baseball is such a losing proposition then why do people buy these teams? There is always ebb and flow in anything...I think as a viewer of baseball I just have difficulty in spending $8 for a beer to watch someone take his god given talents and exploit us all. I thought his World Series ideal about moving it to 9 games and making it a spectacle. was good. The game and sport could use some shaking up. Presently he represents 65 players and takes a 5% commission on the salary of his clients.
Another issue with multiple good articles and the second article was about another odd ball entrepreneur from Boulder. In 2001 a company called Dagoba started to sell chocolate..it was a fancy chocolate not your massed produced stuff. Chocolate is known for its content with 70% being the benchmark. The beans when grinded produce a liquid which is mainly unsaturated fat (more than half the bean!). First chocolate shop opened in London in 1657. A dark chocolate has the equivalent of one cup of coffee and theobromine (which by the way makes you pee and can cause cardiac arrest in dogs) Cacao also has serotonin, a cannabinoid component similar to found in marijuana, and phenylethylamine an amphetamine like antidepressant. Wow...anyway back to the crazy entrepreneur he finally ended up selling his company to Hershey and he claimed,
"How could I make a difference at Dagoba, working on such a small scale?" I find this interesting because I knew someone who worked for a similar type outfit in Boulder selling Soy Milk and he also sold his company so that he can make a difference...well they fired him 2 years later. People shouldn't sell out...they do make a difference they just need to stick with it.
Wired
Your ears are filled with tiny calcium carbonate crystals called otoconia and help you maintain balance and sense gravity and linear acceleration. Also cause vertigo if they fall into the wrong canal in the inner ear.
Susan Kare? Anyone? Yup see designed some of the all time classic icons
Since the issue was on manga it has an interesting note that has manga sales increased comic book sales plummeted. The ideal being that manga would have hundreds of pages for $10 while most 32-page comics cost $3. The magazine Shonen Jump (500 pages) for $5 with a circulation of 250,000 while Amazing Spider-Man sells only 100,000.
Air & Space
Good article on the X-15, my personal favorite X-plane of them all. Flown from 1959 to1968 and 199 flights with a maximum altitude of 67 miles and a speed of 4,519 mph. Great plane, who knows what we would have done if NASA hadn't come along.
REM has a new "live" album coming out next year some time.
The "Boss" is 58!
Would Godzilla and Mothra kick Megatron's ass?
The New Yorker
Good article on Scott Boras or as this article claims, "The Extortionist." Is he evil or just playing the system? We hate his methods but honestly teams are willing to pay his clients, so who is the fool? I mean the Rangers did drop 252 million on A-Rod. The statistics show that less than one percent of players will have a 6 year major league career and maybe only 3 - 4% will have a three year career. So if you are that special player who transcends the sport do you not try to get the biggest buck? Should we be critical of A-Rod for getting all that he can? There always seems to be a sucker out there willing to spend $30 million a year for a 32 year MVP. Boras just exploits the owners...eventually they will get smart. For years the Rockies ownership probably took a good chunk of the revenue and didn't add to the field. I mean if baseball is such a losing proposition then why do people buy these teams? There is always ebb and flow in anything...I think as a viewer of baseball I just have difficulty in spending $8 for a beer to watch someone take his god given talents and exploit us all. I thought his World Series ideal about moving it to 9 games and making it a spectacle. was good. The game and sport could use some shaking up. Presently he represents 65 players and takes a 5% commission on the salary of his clients.
Another issue with multiple good articles and the second article was about another odd ball entrepreneur from Boulder. In 2001 a company called Dagoba started to sell chocolate..it was a fancy chocolate not your massed produced stuff. Chocolate is known for its content with 70% being the benchmark. The beans when grinded produce a liquid which is mainly unsaturated fat (more than half the bean!). First chocolate shop opened in London in 1657. A dark chocolate has the equivalent of one cup of coffee and theobromine (which by the way makes you pee and can cause cardiac arrest in dogs) Cacao also has serotonin, a cannabinoid component similar to found in marijuana, and phenylethylamine an amphetamine like antidepressant. Wow...anyway back to the crazy entrepreneur he finally ended up selling his company to Hershey and he claimed,
"How could I make a difference at Dagoba, working on such a small scale?" I find this interesting because I knew someone who worked for a similar type outfit in Boulder selling Soy Milk and he also sold his company so that he can make a difference...well they fired him 2 years later. People shouldn't sell out...they do make a difference they just need to stick with it.
Wired
Your ears are filled with tiny calcium carbonate crystals called otoconia and help you maintain balance and sense gravity and linear acceleration. Also cause vertigo if they fall into the wrong canal in the inner ear.
Susan Kare? Anyone? Yup see designed some of the all time classic icons
Since the issue was on manga it has an interesting note that has manga sales increased comic book sales plummeted. The ideal being that manga would have hundreds of pages for $10 while most 32-page comics cost $3. The magazine Shonen Jump (500 pages) for $5 with a circulation of 250,000 while Amazing Spider-Man sells only 100,000.
Air & Space
Good article on the X-15, my personal favorite X-plane of them all. Flown from 1959 to1968 and 199 flights with a maximum altitude of 67 miles and a speed of 4,519 mph. Great plane, who knows what we would have done if NASA hadn't come along.
10.29.2007
Colorado Rockies - World Series Conclusions
Well that was that! Too bad the Roxs couldn't get at least one victory at home. They certainly had their chances but for as much luck they had getting to the world series, that same luck sided with the Red Sox for this series. I don't think the Roxs were as bad as they appeared nor do I think the Red Sox were that dominant but for 4 games the Soxs made the pitches and got the timely hits whereas the Roxs just couldn't manufacture that break. So the ugly truth: | ROX | SOX | |
| .218 | AVG | .333 |
| .283 | OBP | .411 |
| 29 | HITS | 47 |
| 10 | RUNS | 29 |
| 1 | SB | 2 |
| 3 | HR | 3 |
| 36 | K | 20 |
| 10 | WALKS | 19 |
| 7.68 | ERA | 2.50 |
Tad bit ugly for the Roxs. The big thing that stands out is the 36 strikeouts by the Roxs and the 19 walks allowed by the Roxs. We had 41 (2 HBP) base runners (plated .244) and they had 67 (1 HBP) base runners (plated .433). We turned 3 double plays and they only turned 2. We left 28 men in on base, they left 34. Finally the Roxs batted .167 with runners in scoring position and Soxs were .419! Yikes! A complete offensive thumping by the Sox or alot of timely hits (or bad pitches). The best evaluation I read was from the USA Today which basically gave the Red Sox scouting department in A+ for giving a fantastic script for the pitchers to use. Granted you have to have pitchers who can make the pitches and that rotation they sent out did that very thing and well our pitchers never seemed to get that dominant strike out or the much needed double play. In the end I think the Roxs were just a bit in over their head. A big stage to be on for the first time and a mammoth historical team to have to face the first time around. Hopefully this will make the next time not so scary!
10.27.2007
Colorado Rockies - World Series Impressions Game 3
First World Series game in Denver! Went into town and checked the scene out. Kind of apropos that I took a picture with a big Boston shirt right in front...doh! Didn't have tickets, didn't try too hard as I figured if I was meant to get them I would have gotten them online (probably a bad assumption as I knew no one who actually got tickets on the ticket day!). Anyway a great festive atmosphere. Lots of Rockies fans, lots of purple, silver, and black! Lots of Boston colors too. Bit chilly but overall a beautiful day for baseball in the Mile High City. Was amazed to see all the people wanting tickets. One Boston fan was waving a $1,000 (10 $100 bills) trying to find a single ticket. WOW! The place was hoping...to be frank...I was a bit sad that I couldn't go in. It would have been fun. The game, well not so fun for the Roxs. I really thought they'd get home and get the bats swinging again. Unfortunately once again our bats were quiet. We did briefly flirt with our previous ways closing a 6 - 0 deficit to 6 - 5 but then promptly gave it back and ended up losing 10 - 5. Down 3 - 0 I think the Roxs days our numbered.
10.26.2007
Colorado Rockies - World Series Impressions Game 2
A good, respectable game although we lost 2 - 1. Frankly I don't think the Rockies are that bad offensively and neither do I think the Red Sox pitching is that dominant but in these first 2 games pitching has certainly out done hitting. Only getting 5 hits is pretty pathetic especially considering Holliday got 4 of them! Where do we go from here? Well some home cooking will certainly help. Coors has always favored the Roxs hitters so hopefully getting home will help in the offensive department. Need to have the Fogger come through with a huge performance. It would be nice to see Helton get some meaningful hits. Tale of the tape hasn't been pretty up to date. 61 at bats, 2 runs, 11 hits, 3 walks, and 22 K's! (yikes). It has got to get better hasn't it? Let's get one tomorrow and go from there!
10.25.2007
Colorado Rockies - World Series Impressions Game 1
Yikes! That wasn't much fun. How many Rox fans wished there was the Little League mercy rule in effect? Not much really to report. The defensive looked good. The bats weren't too awful considering Beckett was unhittable. The real issue was the lack of any good pitching. That looked October scary. As Peter Gammons said earlier today, at least the Roxs weren't winning 3 - 2 in the 9th and lost to a Manny walk off home run. Overall nothing really to build on other than it is over and we move on to Game 2. Let's hope the arms are back. Way I looked at it was the 91 series Atlanta lost the first two games, went home won 3 and then couldn't win won more. We just need to steal one...and free tacos!
10.24.2007
Haiku Wednesday
Hannah Montana (don't ask...yuck!)
What a lovely name
Tickets to visit a town?
A concert? I'm old!
What a lovely name
Tickets to visit a town?
A concert? I'm old!
10.23.2007
National Mole Day
A chemist friend of mine wished me a Happy Mole Day and I was stunned that it never occurred to me! A mole is a big number 6.02214179 X 10^23!
For perspective (and taken from Wikipedia):
A human body contains very roughly one hundred trillion cells; there are roughly six billion people on Earth; so the total number of human cells on the planet is approximately 100×1012*6×109=6×1023, which is very close to one mole.
Since the Earth has a radius of about 6400 km, its volume is approximately 1021 m3. Since about 500 large grapefruit will fit in one cubic meter, it therefore follows that a mole of grapefruit would have approximately the same volume as the Earth.
If you had a mole of pennies, you could give out enough money to everyone in the world so that they could spend a million dollars every hour, day and night, for the rest of their lives.
For perspective (and taken from Wikipedia):
A human body contains very roughly one hundred trillion cells; there are roughly six billion people on Earth; so the total number of human cells on the planet is approximately 100×1012*6×109=6×1023, which is very close to one mole.
Since the Earth has a radius of about 6400 km, its volume is approximately 1021 m3. Since about 500 large grapefruit will fit in one cubic meter, it therefore follows that a mole of grapefruit would have approximately the same volume as the Earth.
If you had a mole of pennies, you could give out enough money to everyone in the world so that they could spend a million dollars every hour, day and night, for the rest of their lives.
This Week in Comics
Umbrella Academy 2
The dreaded issue #2 where series grow or collapse. I think this should grow but what sort of audience will grow with it? Sort of fits the superhero x-men thingee but the characters are all out of an X-files episode. This book to me seems to have had alot of hype, alot of "noise" but isn't really getting much mainstream look see. Now my guess is that with a writer who is also in a band, kind of helps with the chatter but will this book live to see anything come of it? Dark Horse is pretty good about letting a series run its course. Another thing I find interesting with this book is that it seems to have this huge back story that everyone should know about but for me I struggle with the apparent randomness of it all. I mean the free comic book day offering was set as the "team" was together, the first two books seem to be laying the framework of how the team comes together but then there are these random time lines with stories (that fall into a sort of printing but web offering). Ughhh sometimes time is a good plot line!
Captain America 31
Another great issue. Books like this restore my faith with comics. Good compelling story with good art and a reason to return each month. Where will the Winter Soldier fall? Is he under the spell or his he trying to discover the real truth? Wow great book
The dreaded issue #2 where series grow or collapse. I think this should grow but what sort of audience will grow with it? Sort of fits the superhero x-men thingee but the characters are all out of an X-files episode. This book to me seems to have had alot of hype, alot of "noise" but isn't really getting much mainstream look see. Now my guess is that with a writer who is also in a band, kind of helps with the chatter but will this book live to see anything come of it? Dark Horse is pretty good about letting a series run its course. Another thing I find interesting with this book is that it seems to have this huge back story that everyone should know about but for me I struggle with the apparent randomness of it all. I mean the free comic book day offering was set as the "team" was together, the first two books seem to be laying the framework of how the team comes together but then there are these random time lines with stories (that fall into a sort of printing but web offering). Ughhh sometimes time is a good plot line!Captain America 31
Another great issue. Books like this restore my faith with comics. Good compelling story with good art and a reason to return each month. Where will the Winter Soldier fall? Is he under the spell or his he trying to discover the real truth? Wow great book10.21.2007
Colorado Rockies - World Series Preview
Well FOX was able to expand their ALCS playoff coverage to a total of 7 games and the Roxs finally have an opponent. I for one am glad the Roxs had some time off as I needed to reenergize after those tense 3 weeks. So bring on the Red Sox. The proverbial tale of the tape is below:
For those viewers who think the Roxs just waltzed into the playoffs they are a bit wrong. Granted we had some lucky bounces but the numbers suggest we were at the top statistically in the National League. Our pitching took some time to catch up but it settled in. Really the only glaring statistics we don't match up well with the Red Sox is pitching. We don't strike out a lot of batters and we do give up a fair amount of hits. Hopefully our defense will make up for that. So everyone is plugging the Beckett angle. I admit it will be difficult to get two wins from such a post season monster. Beckett has faced the Roxs in one form or another 6 times over his career and four times in Coors Field. He is 3 - 1 at Coors over the years having pitched about 6 innings, giving up about 6 hits, 3 runs, 4 K, and less than one homer. Schilling has also pitched a fair amount in Colorado having pitched for the D-backs. The two pitchers I think give us the most difficulty would be Dice-K and Wakefield although I am not for sure if Wakefield will pitch in this series? Over the years we are 5 - 4 against the mighty Sox. We were 2 -1 against them this year at Fenway. So who knows...can our luck hold out? Roxs WPA for the two playoff series is below:
The big thing the chart tells me is that Holliday, Helton, and Tulo really haven't done a whole lot in the playoffs. If we can get some offensive from these three I think it would be huge for the Roxs chance. Most of the "experts" give the Sox the edge mostly giving them a 4 - 1 to 4 - 2 series victory. I mean the 2nd highest payroll against the 25th. The "wow" factor of the Red Sox history versus 15 years of nothing but a lone playoff appearance and the Blake Street Bombers. Ultimately on Wednesday, Game 1 starts the 2007 playoffs. If we just played statistics we wouldn't bother playing these games so let's pitch, hit, run, and catch and see where things fall. Let's hope for a well played 6 to 7 more games and at the end of it let the best team win. Go Roxs!
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