Edwards AFB

Visited Edwards AFB today. Wow what a difference 10 years makes. I was stationed here for 3 years. At first the desert, the antelope valley, the desert, the desolation really made me wonder if my sanity would be intact. But after spending time here, the area kind of grows on you. The base itself is a living museum. Being a airplane (and space) buff almost every astronaut at one time or another flew something over the lake beds. Really amazing to think how many aircraft first flew (see picture above, taken at the museum, shows every plane that had its first flight here) over the skies at Edwards. Looking at the list, it is pretty amazing. Did you realize the T-38 and X-15 both had their first flights in 1959 about 2 months apart? The XB-70 first flight was in Sept 1964? The F-15 in July 1972 (threw up in one of these bad boys!) B-1 in December 1974 (was't it finally deployed in the 80s after Carter canceled it?) The Enterprise in August 1977. Pretty neat place

2007 Colorado Rockies Preview

Here is your 2007 Colorado Rockies


























Well one thing that jumps out at you is the $16.6 M that goes to one player. Helton is obviously a fan favorite who has played on some mediocre teams at best. Awesome numbers, off year last year, will Todd ever get a chance to play for a playoff team? This is supposed to be the year the Rockies make strides in that direction. We've put up with the GenR logo for long enough...it is time for these youngsters to start making a run for the division. All the pundits don't give the Roxs too much of a chance with an average of a 4th or 5th place finish in the division. Throw in that Vegas only expects a 73 win season and well what does a long time Rockie fan have to smile about?

Well I for one think the Roxs will make strides this year (assuming our coach doesn't bunt our way out of anything!). Realistically the division isn't all that great...no real powerhouses. The Giants are old, LA's offensive is hit or miss, San Diego is consistent, and Arizona has touted young players (wait minute, why do they get headlines for their young players, what about ours?). Pitching is always an issue but alot of NL West teams are banking on some old arms (Maddux and Johnson come to mind). It is a long season...I like youth.

The Roxs lineup could be potent with Taveras and Matsui as table setters for the big bats of Atkins, Helton, Holliday, and Hawpe. Not the Blake Street Bombers but maybe the "20 Somethings". Hopefully Atkins, Holliday, and Hawpe continue to mature and add to their HR totals. The bottom of the order has some questions but who worries about the 7 - 9 hitters?

Pitching will continue to win divisions. Last year the Roxs had a break out season (they didn't finish last or next to last in pitching stats!). They will miss their ace but hopefully Hirsch will be something. Cook and Francis are a good 1 - 2 punch with some hope that Lopez will be glad to be out of the AL East. The relief corps is decent. I like the Roxs to finish better than 4th or 5th. I predict they will win 83 games. Maybe be a outside player for the Wild Card.

Entertainment Weekly

Once again one of my dirty little secrets is that I used to subscribe to EW and read it religiously. I was able to break the habit but when traveling I will occasionally grab one just to see what I am missing. Anyway points of interest include:

- Indiana Jones 4 will be in theaters May 22, 2008 staring Cate Blanchett
- Lena Heady was the Spartan queen in 300 and is scheduled to play Sarah Conner in the Sarah Conner Chronicales, a new Fox pilot
- Grindhouse looks interesting
- NewUniversal gets a plug a B+ no less

That is about the excitement

Charles Seife - Zero, The Biography of a Dangerous Idea

Basic book nothing too exciting but an interesting book with lots of useless knowledge. Like the following:

"Dionysius, a monk in charge of determining the dates for Easter, got the date of Christ's birth wrong. The sources agree that Mary and Joseph feld the wrath of king Herod, since Herod had heard a prophecy about a newborn Messiah. But Herod died in 3 BC, and most scholars believe the birth was in 4 BC."

Nice to know that our calendar is all messed up because of math (and of course the dislike of 0...there was never a zero year) Fascinating how a concept especially in the west just never was well liked. Just because of a number. Other interesting quote:

"What is man in nature?...a mean between nothing and everything" - Blaise Pascal

and finally

"Leibniz thought that i was a bizarre mix between existence and nonexistence, something like a cross between 1 and 0."

There is Leibniz again...where is newton? ; - )

Mojo Risin

Just a quick riff of Morrison's LA Woman. Since I am hanging out in the City of Angels I thought it would be apropo

Well, I just got into town about an hour ago
Took a look around, see which way the wind blow
Where the little girls in their Hollywood bungalows
Are you a lucky little lady in the city of light
Or just another lost angel...city of night
City of night, city of night, city of night, woo, cmon
L.A. woman, L.A. woman
L.A. woman Sunday afternoon
Drive through your suburbs
Into your blues, into your blues, yeah
Into your blue-blue blues
Into your blues, ohh, yeah
I see your hair is burnin
Hills are filled with fire
If they say I never loved you
You know they are a liar
Drivin down your freeways
Midnight alleys roam
Cops in cars, the topless bars
Never saw a woman...So alone, so alone
Motel money murder madness
Lets change the mood from glad to sadness
Mr. mojo risin, mr. mojo risin

Crazy city. Just so different for a large city. East Coast cities just seem to be stacked up while LA just seems to sprawl over the coast. Hills seem to be swallowed up, houses placed anywhere, highways as arteries giving the life blood to the city. Highways are highways but LA highways are in a class by themselves. Huge mammoth concrete structures, always busy. Swooping into the Wilshire, Sunset, Hollywood, and Westwood area is just a mass of what the entertainment capital is all about. Cars everywhere, tourist gawking at it all, locals trying to be hip (are there any real locals? Aren't they all looking to be that star?), and overlooking it all is the famous sign signifying you've made it, or there's hope, or magic in that hill. The myth, the underlying energy, the glam and glitter is what one would expect from Southern California.

Fantasy Baseball 2007 Team

Draft Day! Well have to admit I made a mistake...sort of. ESPN this year decided to offer Fantasy Baseball for free, I'm all for that but once I signed up, found a league, joined and didn't look into any further until draft day and that is when I discovered that for free leagues they don't offer the standard that I have been playing for the last 7 years. So no 5 outfielders and in actuality a more truer game. Well that kind of threw me off as I've so nicely kept records to determine how to win that type of league...oh well...I was getting stagnant anyway so maybe something fresh will work. So here is my team:

C - Brian McCann, Atl (go with a hot hitting catcher)
1B - Adam LaRoche, Pit (another Atl product but lot's of 1B with big numbers...hoping to get Helton)
2B - Brian Roberts, Bal (one stat - stolen bases)
3B - Morgan Ensberg, Hou (not real pleased with this selection)
SS - Jose Reyes, NYM (stolen bases and runs)
OF - Jermaine Dye, CWS (still playing?)
OF - Adam Dunn, Cin (big bat)
OF - Xavier Nady, Pit (who knows?)
Util - Adrian Beltre, Sea (sleeper team for the year?0

I'm awful at picking offensive...put too much weight on position scarity but end up with not enough big boppers

P - Roy Hallady, Tor (local product year 2 with him)
P - B.J. Ryan, Tor (need lots of saves)
P - Jose Valverde, Ari
P - Brian Fuentes, Col (hometown)
P - Ryan Dempster, ChC (errrr)
P - Joe Borowski, Cle (another errr)
P - Daisuke Matsuzaka, Bos (give it up to the Japan phenom)
P - Barry Zito, SF (slow starter)
P - Daniel Cabrera, Bal (hmmmm)
P - Chad Paronto, Atl (Atl's hot hand?)
P - Ian Snell, Pit (we shall see)

This Week in Comics

Witchblade Manga 2 was okay...the Japanese version is bit too slow and ackward. Big panes, little dialogue, seems they are having trouble putting together an americanized version. Might be moving on without this one. Tired story, silly art, and painful plotting.















Finally a good Bendis Spidey. Last few issues lost the fun that was essential to this books success. When Spidey has it going with his dialogue the book just works. When Spidey is down in the dumps for like 8 issues it just doesn't work as well. I realize the character needs more then just web-slinging and catchy phrases but the whole clone thing was a downer. Again I don't think it really did much to the overall ultimate spidey mythos.

Classic line:

"Put the moon toys away, Casper. I'm just here for the chicken wings."







Will the real Grant Morrison stand up? Having started on Morrison's thread I keep waiting for a decent Morrison story. This one finally has it all. Good plot, good lines, and great art. A complete package. I was going to give up but this issue might keep me hanging on a bit longer. The spread on page 12 and 13 is a classic batman montage. Finally who is the big bad bat dude in the end? I have my thoughts...

300 - The Movie

Okay, I'm on the road, so nothing better to do but go the movies especially when in Hollywood! Saw the movie on an IMAX and wow that was impressive...don't know how I can go back to the small screen ;-)

Two Points about the movie:
1) The movie itself...good. Visually stunning, excellent translation from the comic book. Enjoyed the film...fight scenes were good...overall I thought it had a good plot. Good all around Saturday adventure movie!

2) Realize I am probably giving the movie too much credit but I really saw parallels with today's news lines. Try not to read too much into it but Sparta throwing out the duty honor country thing versus the persians slavery and backwards (East vs West). Definite stereotypes that were tough not to see.

Just my 2 cents.

Somedays Are Just Girrrrrrrr!

Fantasy Baseball 2007

My goal is to improve...I hope! My record lately has been dismal...10, 8, 9, 6, and 3 since I last won a league. I start out strong, pitching always seems to be good but I get killed in offensive. Have some new tools this year hopefully the draft will go smoother than last year. Again the numbers to shoot for are (in a 5 x 5 scoring):

Wins 98
Saves 136
Ks 1248
ERA 3.770
WHIP 1.266
Runs 1194
HRs 315
RBIs 1155
SB 174
Ave 0.2877

Play Ball