I'm not the type of person who usually comes out with a hand-wringing, "the world's going to hell in a handbasket" type of rant, but something happens every 4th of July that I think deserves mentioning. I'm talking about the annual hot dog eating contest. The competition has been going on for many decades, but in the past few years ESPN has decided to televise it. I refused to watch it this year, but I did see it a couple of years ago, and I'm sure it's still the same. It might be the most disgusting thing shown on television. There are millions of people, not only on the other side of the world, but also in the US, who don't have enough to eat. Yet these morons who have conditioned themselves to gorge their stomachs are treated as heroes. Everyone involved - the competitors, fans, Nathan's and ESPN - should really be ashamed of themselves.
It is particularly disturbing that ESPN tries to call this a "sport" and make money off of it. Of course, if anyone actually called the network out on this, their response would be that they are just airing what people want to see. This is pure, unadulterated BS. ESPN calls themselves the "worldwide leader in sports" for a reason. They are big and powerful enough to influence (for better or for worse) the nation's viewing habits. If the powers that be at ESPN think there is money to be made by televising hot dog eating, or a spelling bee, or poker, you can be damn sure that they will ram that pseudo-sport down America's throat and brainwash us into thinking that that is what we wanted in the first place.
As a parent, I feel that I have a vested interest in trying to make the world a better place for future generations. Seeing a segment of our society worship and glorify those who engage in such gluttonous behavior is a real cause of concern for our future. I hope that we all can find better ways to celebrate our nation.
P.S. I heard that this year, for the first time, there is now a women's competition in the hot dog eating contest. Susan B. Anthony must be spinning in her grave.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
2011 baseball predictions
Now that spring is here, it's time for Bill's annual baseball predictions! As usual, my forecasts are not based on any scientific analysis, but rather on gut feelings and wild guesses, Therefore, you should not rely on them for wagering purposes. So here we go, with a list of the teams in each division in my projected order of finish: A.L. East Yankees, Red Sox (WC), Rays, Orioles, Blue Jays A.L. Central White Sox, Twins, Tigers, Royals, Indians A.L. West Angels, Rangers, Athletics, Mariners N.L. East Phillies, Braves, Nationals, Marlins, Mets N.L. Central Brewers, Reds (WC), Cardinals, Cubs, Pirates, Astros N.L. West Dodgers, Giants, Padres, Rockies, Diamondbacks Playoffs - First Round Yankees over Angels in 4 White Sox over Red Sox in 4 Phillies over Reds in 3 Brewers over Dodgers in 5 League Championship Series Yankees over White Sox in 5 Phillies over Brewers in 6 World Series Yankees over Phillies in 6; just like in 2009 :-) A.L. MVP - Joe Mauer N.L. MVP - Albert Pujols A.L. Cy Young - Felix Hernandez N.L. Cy Young - Cliff Lee
Saturday, January 22, 2011
2010 Books
As 2010 was beginning, I set a goal of reading at least 24 books (2 per month) during the year. I'm happy to say that I exceeded that goal; I read a total of 36 books. It was my intention to write a blog ranking the top ten, but I got stuck. So instead, I will mention my favorite book of those I read in 2010, then make some general comments about others. So here goes:
Best book of 2010:
"Open" by Andre Agassi
As I've written before, I thought this was a great book; one of the best I've ever read. Even though I'm not a huge tennis fan, Agassi's style, attention to detail, and willingness to be brutally honest made for a riveting read.
Other books I liked:
"Abraham Lincoln - Vampire Hunter" by Seth Grahame-Smith
This fictionalized biography tells the story of Lincoln's lifelong battle against vampires and reveals that this struggle was one the factors behind the Civil War. A very fun and enjoyable read.
"The Princess Bride" by William Goldman
Since this is my favorite movie of all time, I decided it was about time to read the book. For the most part, it was quite similar to the movie, but some scenes were definitely more elaborate and interesting in the book. Indigo and Fessick's adventure in the Zoo of Death was fascinating.
"1920 - The Year of the Six Presidents" by David Pietrusza
Tells the story of the election of 1920, which was affected in one way or another by six former or future presidents - Harding, Coolidge, Wilson, Hoover, and both Roosevelts. It was very well done; gripping even though the end result was already known. As an added bonus, when I first wrote about this book several months ago, the author came across my post and wrote a comment thanking me for the positive review. That was the greatest brush with celebrity this blog has ever seen.
"Luckiest Man - The Life and Times of Lou Gehrig" by Jonathan Eig
A must read for baseball fans, especially Yankee fans. It was an interesting look into the man's character.
"Moneyball" by Michael Lewis
Speaking of baseball, this book looks into the front office of the Oakland Athletics and shows the strategies they used to compete against teams that have more money to spend on players (i.e. the Yankees).
"Going Rogue" by Sarah Palin
I know that a lot of people don't like her, but I think she's been a positive breath of fresh air in what is (for me) the drab and dull world of national politics. The book explained her side of some of the controversies from 2008 - and I think did a good job of explaining them.
Classic Literature
A sub-goal that I had for 2010 was that at least six of the books I read be "classics". I fell a little short, but here are the ones I did read:
"To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee
"Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley
"The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger
"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" by Mark Twain (which I had read years ago)
"The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis ( I read this one while waiting around on Jury Duty day)
I really enjoyed all of these classics and intend to read several more in 2011. My favorite of the classics was probably Tom Sawyer. I have to admit that "The Catcher in the Rye" didn't really grab me - I kept waiting for it to get more interesting; maybe my expectations were off. It was still a worthwhile read, though.
One book that disappointed me
"The Yankee Years" by Joe Torre and Tom Verducci
As a Yankee fan, I certainly enjoyed the team's run of success during Torre's run as manager. However, this book seemed like an endless axe-grinding against those who weren't "True Yankees" (i.e. those who were part of the World Series winning teams from 1996-2000). The level of fawning over Derek Jeter was a bit much at times. Torre also took a bunch of cheap shots at Alex Rodriguez, who was an is a much superior player. Overall, Torre came off looking petty and vindictive and lost some respect for him after reading that book.
So there it is. I wish you all good reading in 2011 and I'll report back soon.
Best book of 2010:
"Open" by Andre Agassi
As I've written before, I thought this was a great book; one of the best I've ever read. Even though I'm not a huge tennis fan, Agassi's style, attention to detail, and willingness to be brutally honest made for a riveting read.
Other books I liked:
"Abraham Lincoln - Vampire Hunter" by Seth Grahame-Smith
This fictionalized biography tells the story of Lincoln's lifelong battle against vampires and reveals that this struggle was one the factors behind the Civil War. A very fun and enjoyable read.
"The Princess Bride" by William Goldman
Since this is my favorite movie of all time, I decided it was about time to read the book. For the most part, it was quite similar to the movie, but some scenes were definitely more elaborate and interesting in the book. Indigo and Fessick's adventure in the Zoo of Death was fascinating.
"1920 - The Year of the Six Presidents" by David Pietrusza
Tells the story of the election of 1920, which was affected in one way or another by six former or future presidents - Harding, Coolidge, Wilson, Hoover, and both Roosevelts. It was very well done; gripping even though the end result was already known. As an added bonus, when I first wrote about this book several months ago, the author came across my post and wrote a comment thanking me for the positive review. That was the greatest brush with celebrity this blog has ever seen.
"Luckiest Man - The Life and Times of Lou Gehrig" by Jonathan Eig
A must read for baseball fans, especially Yankee fans. It was an interesting look into the man's character.
"Moneyball" by Michael Lewis
Speaking of baseball, this book looks into the front office of the Oakland Athletics and shows the strategies they used to compete against teams that have more money to spend on players (i.e. the Yankees).
"Going Rogue" by Sarah Palin
I know that a lot of people don't like her, but I think she's been a positive breath of fresh air in what is (for me) the drab and dull world of national politics. The book explained her side of some of the controversies from 2008 - and I think did a good job of explaining them.
Classic Literature
A sub-goal that I had for 2010 was that at least six of the books I read be "classics". I fell a little short, but here are the ones I did read:
"To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee
"Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley
"The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger
"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" by Mark Twain (which I had read years ago)
"The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis ( I read this one while waiting around on Jury Duty day)
I really enjoyed all of these classics and intend to read several more in 2011. My favorite of the classics was probably Tom Sawyer. I have to admit that "The Catcher in the Rye" didn't really grab me - I kept waiting for it to get more interesting; maybe my expectations were off. It was still a worthwhile read, though.
One book that disappointed me
"The Yankee Years" by Joe Torre and Tom Verducci
As a Yankee fan, I certainly enjoyed the team's run of success during Torre's run as manager. However, this book seemed like an endless axe-grinding against those who weren't "True Yankees" (i.e. those who were part of the World Series winning teams from 1996-2000). The level of fawning over Derek Jeter was a bit much at times. Torre also took a bunch of cheap shots at Alex Rodriguez, who was an is a much superior player. Overall, Torre came off looking petty and vindictive and lost some respect for him after reading that book.
So there it is. I wish you all good reading in 2011 and I'll report back soon.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Dunkin' Everything
Saturday morning I went to Dunkin' Donuts to get a special breakfast for the family. As you probably know, you can buy a lot more than donuts at Dunkin' Donuts. They also sell munchkins, bagels, croissants, and of course coffee and assorted other beverages. It seems that it wasn't that long ago when the only food sold there was donuts and munchkins.
You might say, here goes Bill again, complaining about too many choices and varieties. It's true that I'm a bit of a curmudgeon; longing for a past, simpler time. When Oreos were single-stuff, M&Ms were plain, and DD sold donuts - a wide variety of donuts. Now, there are so many other items crowding the display shelves, most Dunkin' Donutses only carry about 10 or 12 different types of donuts. That's fine with me as long as they still offer good old jelly, but my wife wanted a donut with coconut - no dice. If only DD would focus on their core business, they could produce a wider variety of donuts, and satisfy more customers. Because really, who would actually want a croissant?
You might say, here goes Bill again, complaining about too many choices and varieties. It's true that I'm a bit of a curmudgeon; longing for a past, simpler time. When Oreos were single-stuff, M&Ms were plain, and DD sold donuts - a wide variety of donuts. Now, there are so many other items crowding the display shelves, most Dunkin' Donutses only carry about 10 or 12 different types of donuts. That's fine with me as long as they still offer good old jelly, but my wife wanted a donut with coconut - no dice. If only DD would focus on their core business, they could produce a wider variety of donuts, and satisfy more customers. Because really, who would actually want a croissant?
Monday, December 27, 2010
Snow
I am writing this post after a blizzard hit New Jersey. I don't know what the final measurements were, but it appears that we got about 2 feet of the white stuff, with some drifts much higher than that. During the time I was outside battling against the elements, I had several snow-related thoughts which I thought I would share:
There is only one day of the year when I really want to see snow on the ground. That day is Christmas, and we missed it by about 24 hours. In a way we were lucky. If Sunday's storm had happened on Christmas Day, it would have wreaked havoc on a lot of people's travel plans. However, a decent storm a few days prior to Christmas would have been nice.
A couple of years ago I received a snowblower which my parents didn't need anymore. It has come in handy on several occasions. Unfortunately, today's conditions revealed a horrible truth about snowblowers - they only really work well in certain conditions. Specifically, the snow needs to be relatively dry and fluffy (which it was), and not more than about 8 inches deep (not the case today). I was struggling quite a bit with a blower that was frequently jamming. To my great relief, my neighbor has a heavy-duty snowblower and he came over to help me; which saved me at least an hour at the pace I was going.
Even though the snow had stopped by the time I went outside, it was very windy all day. There's nothing quite like blowing snow into a sudden gust of wind and having the snow blown right back into your face.
When I finally finished and came inside, I thought that my kids might be clamoring to go out and play in the snow. To my great relief, they were content to stay inside all day playing with their new Wii. I was tired and sore and had no desire to play in the snow; video bowling was about all that I could handle at that point.
Finally, I will close by saying that I am looking forward to the day when my children (who are now 7 and 3) can take over the snow shoveling from their old man. Then I will be happy to drink cocoa and watch them through the window while giving waves of encouragement.
There is only one day of the year when I really want to see snow on the ground. That day is Christmas, and we missed it by about 24 hours. In a way we were lucky. If Sunday's storm had happened on Christmas Day, it would have wreaked havoc on a lot of people's travel plans. However, a decent storm a few days prior to Christmas would have been nice.
A couple of years ago I received a snowblower which my parents didn't need anymore. It has come in handy on several occasions. Unfortunately, today's conditions revealed a horrible truth about snowblowers - they only really work well in certain conditions. Specifically, the snow needs to be relatively dry and fluffy (which it was), and not more than about 8 inches deep (not the case today). I was struggling quite a bit with a blower that was frequently jamming. To my great relief, my neighbor has a heavy-duty snowblower and he came over to help me; which saved me at least an hour at the pace I was going.
Even though the snow had stopped by the time I went outside, it was very windy all day. There's nothing quite like blowing snow into a sudden gust of wind and having the snow blown right back into your face.
When I finally finished and came inside, I thought that my kids might be clamoring to go out and play in the snow. To my great relief, they were content to stay inside all day playing with their new Wii. I was tired and sore and had no desire to play in the snow; video bowling was about all that I could handle at that point.
Finally, I will close by saying that I am looking forward to the day when my children (who are now 7 and 3) can take over the snow shoveling from their old man. Then I will be happy to drink cocoa and watch them through the window while giving waves of encouragement.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Happy Black Friday
Today was a great day. As I write this, it is evening of the day after Thanksgiving. This day is now known as "Black Friday" in reference to its impact on the bottom line of many retailers. It seems that each store tries to outdo the others with their sales and also how early they open. I know of several people who spent the better part of last night and today in search of bargains.
I, however, did not conduct any business today. Frankly, dealing with the madness at the Black Friday sales sounds dreadful. (This is not meant as a criticism. If that's what you enjoy, then more power to you. Goodness knows that I spend enough time in pursuits that other people would consider boring or ridiculous.)
So what did I do to make this a great day? It starts with what I didn't do - go to work. I have been fortunate to always have a four-day weekend for Thanksgiving. That's what makes today unique - it's a free day off. I spent all day yesterday at a family get-together, and still had another day off before the weekend began!
Our number one priority for today was to set up the Christmas decorations. I am adamant about not having Christmas spread too early, but once Thanksgiving is over, all bets are off. We set up our artificial tree (no desire to get a real one), then everyone helped put on the decorations. It came out beautifully; there's something rather calming about looking at a lit and decorated Christmas tree.
There was also an added bonus to this day. When I was up in the attic to get the boxes, I noticed a couple of boxes in the corner that hadn't been paying much attention to. They were items that we put away when we moved here nine years ago and have basically forgotten. One of the boxes contained some wonderful treasure - it was filled with my baseball cards as well as a bunch of my old school work and class pictures! For a sentimental sap like me, it was a delight to behold.
I've been giving it some thought today, and I have concluded that Black Friday is one of my favorite days of the year. It's a quiet day with my family were we can start turning our attention towards Christmas. (And finding treasure in the attic as well!)
I, however, did not conduct any business today. Frankly, dealing with the madness at the Black Friday sales sounds dreadful. (This is not meant as a criticism. If that's what you enjoy, then more power to you. Goodness knows that I spend enough time in pursuits that other people would consider boring or ridiculous.)
So what did I do to make this a great day? It starts with what I didn't do - go to work. I have been fortunate to always have a four-day weekend for Thanksgiving. That's what makes today unique - it's a free day off. I spent all day yesterday at a family get-together, and still had another day off before the weekend began!
Our number one priority for today was to set up the Christmas decorations. I am adamant about not having Christmas spread too early, but once Thanksgiving is over, all bets are off. We set up our artificial tree (no desire to get a real one), then everyone helped put on the decorations. It came out beautifully; there's something rather calming about looking at a lit and decorated Christmas tree.
There was also an added bonus to this day. When I was up in the attic to get the boxes, I noticed a couple of boxes in the corner that hadn't been paying much attention to. They were items that we put away when we moved here nine years ago and have basically forgotten. One of the boxes contained some wonderful treasure - it was filled with my baseball cards as well as a bunch of my old school work and class pictures! For a sentimental sap like me, it was a delight to behold.
I've been giving it some thought today, and I have concluded that Black Friday is one of my favorite days of the year. It's a quiet day with my family were we can start turning our attention towards Christmas. (And finding treasure in the attic as well!)
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Raking Leaves
This afternoon, I spent a couple of hours raking leaves and mowing the lawn. Generally speaking, I don't mind mowing the lawn and shoveling snow, but I find leaf-raking to be quite unpleasant. I'm not exactly sure why - maybe it's the association with the upcoming winter season. (At least with snow you sometimes get a day off from school or work). There are still a lot of leaves up in the trees, so to some extent the work today would be in vain. But tomorrow my town starts their collection of the leaf bags, so I figured I should get going.
So after lunch, I headed outside. I planned to make the chore more enjoyable by listening to some music on my iPod. Nothing gets me pumped for physical work like rocking out to Barry Manilow. However, a few minutes later, my 7-year-old daughter came out to help me rake the leaves. I appreciated her enthusiasm and willingness, but I had my doubts as to how much help she would be (not to mention that I would not be able to listen to my iPod).
After we (I) had raked a few piles, it was time to put the leaves into the large brown bags that the township provides. Then a funny thing happened. Instead of picking up a big handful of leaves each time, Amy would pick up a single leaf and admire it. She would show it to me and make some comments about its color, shape, etc. At first, I would just say a quick word of agreement followed by encouragement to pick up more leaves. But soon I found myself noticing some individual leaves. I even found one that Amy and I agreed was the biggest leaf ever!
In spite of some leaf-observing breaks, we managed to get the job done before it got dark. Since there are still many leaves in the trees, I know that upcoming weekends will contain more leaf raking and watching. I want to thank my daughter for giving me a fresh perspective on what has previously been a tedious chore.
This morning at Church, the preacher spoke about thankfulness. After Jesus healed ten lepers, only one came back to thank Him. I realized that I take many things for granted. It's even possible to be thankful for a lawn full of dead leaves. Not only did this provide me with some exercise and time with my daughter, leaves remind me of the beauty and uniqueness that can be found in all areas of God's creation. I just needed to see them through a child's eyes.
So after lunch, I headed outside. I planned to make the chore more enjoyable by listening to some music on my iPod. Nothing gets me pumped for physical work like rocking out to Barry Manilow. However, a few minutes later, my 7-year-old daughter came out to help me rake the leaves. I appreciated her enthusiasm and willingness, but I had my doubts as to how much help she would be (not to mention that I would not be able to listen to my iPod).
After we (I) had raked a few piles, it was time to put the leaves into the large brown bags that the township provides. Then a funny thing happened. Instead of picking up a big handful of leaves each time, Amy would pick up a single leaf and admire it. She would show it to me and make some comments about its color, shape, etc. At first, I would just say a quick word of agreement followed by encouragement to pick up more leaves. But soon I found myself noticing some individual leaves. I even found one that Amy and I agreed was the biggest leaf ever!
In spite of some leaf-observing breaks, we managed to get the job done before it got dark. Since there are still many leaves in the trees, I know that upcoming weekends will contain more leaf raking and watching. I want to thank my daughter for giving me a fresh perspective on what has previously been a tedious chore.
This morning at Church, the preacher spoke about thankfulness. After Jesus healed ten lepers, only one came back to thank Him. I realized that I take many things for granted. It's even possible to be thankful for a lawn full of dead leaves. Not only did this provide me with some exercise and time with my daughter, leaves remind me of the beauty and uniqueness that can be found in all areas of God's creation. I just needed to see them through a child's eyes.
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