Twainfecta's Blog

Kindle Fire Vs. iPad (Forget the Rest)

2011-10-04T13:16:00.005-04:00

Amazon last week revealed their iPad rival, the Kindle Fire. At a price of $200 and with a seemingly comparable array of features it demands to be considered as an alternative.

Overall tablet use in the U.S. has skyrocketed up from 3.4 million devices in Q2-2010 to 13.6 million devices in the same period in 2011, a growth of 303% (see chart below). Just walk up and down the aisle on a plane ride and you’ll see how ubiquitous these tablets—and in particular the iPad—are becoming.

I feel as though we are about to break through to the next frontier of multimedia. The infrastructure is being put in place but we’re not quite there yet. I love the fact that with a tablet you can read and listen to books, watch instant movies and TV shows (and mirror those programs onto your TV), view photos, browse and shop online, email, and a whole host of miscellaneous activities through 3rd party apps. Add to that the fact that the cloud solution for remote data storage is becoming more and more practical and you’ve got a very compelling option for multimedia consumption.

My gripes with the above are the following:

• e-reading is still too expensive relative to paperback and library (new books should cost closer to $5 not $10, and physical purchases should come with a free e-copy)
• Netflix and Amazon Instant Video are missing way too many movies for their streaming format offering, and purchasing movies/shows through iTunes is far too expensive, and renting is too restrictive with its viewing windows.
• The standard Amazon Kindle has excellent screen resolution for reading text but not for viewing photos or video. The iPad has excellent screen resolution for viewing photos or video but not for reading text.

While I don’t yet personally own a tablet device of any kind I believe these general issues discussed above will be resolved soon and I am therefore on the cusp of jumping into the market and changing the way I consume multimedia. Is the $300 savings worth it to go with the Kindle Fire and not the iPad? Here are what I view as the biggest considerations when making that decision:

• The Kindle Fire has a surprisingly small screen (7’’ compared to 9.7’’)
• The Kindle Fire lacks a camera and video camera (not a big deal most of the time unless you are hoping to do video chats)
• A purchase of the Kindle Fire is an implicit commitment to Amazon’s online media store and its cloud storage system. A purchase of the iPad is an implicit commitment to Apple’s online media store and its cloud storage system. Both products have some crossover content but both companies are pushing to get you to fully commit to their online media stores by offering free cloud storage, and potentially instant access to files not physically stored on your device.

For me, I have to wait and see how the cloud systems work out and whether the iPad 3 (supposedly coming in Q1 2012) will have Kindle-like screen resolution for reading.

An Ode to Lake Powell

2011-09-06T17:34:00.002-04:00

Now that I have lived on the East coast for the past 3.5 years or so I'm better able to step back from a lot of the things I used to do/eat/not do/not eat/etc and reassess how cool/uncool they are/were.

Lake Powell is one thing that I can clearly categorize as cool. Not that I didn't already know that, but that classification has been solidified now that I juxtapose it with some of the dinky and crowded lakes and parks on this side of the country.

They just don't look like this in the East

Some of the landscapes and mountains out West are majestic, expansive, and awe-inspiring in a way that other parts of the world simply are not. After we landed in PHX, the next morning we made the 4- to 5-hr drive to the lake to launch the houseboat and ski boat. We happened to have checked out a book on CD from the library and the book was 'No Country For Old Men'. It turned out to be perfect material for my drive across the desert. As the narrator painted a picture of the scene with words like bajada and caldera and brush I didn't have to use my imagination much to envision it--I was already there. It became very apparent to me why you have authors like McCarthy and Stegner who were so inspired by the scenery that they incorporated it heavily into their writing.

Even the drive up there is nice

The basic outline of these trips is we get a houseboat and we drive it up the lake 20 miles or so and scout out a nice beach where we can tie down anchors. Then you stay put for a week or so and you take out your ski boat several times a day for waterskiing, wakeboarding, wake surfing, tubing. You also take a trip or two up the lake to explore the canyons, swim, cliff dive, fill up on gas. Back at the houseboat you do your meals and you can watch movies, play guitar, canoe, have dance parties, etc. If you don't have fun then there's something wrong with you.

Our camp at dusk

Here are some fun factoids about the lake:

Lake Powell has over 2,000 miles of shoreline which is more than the combined states on the Pacific Coast. It is 400 feet deep, 186 miles long and has a water storage capacity of 27,000,000 acre feet of water.
Over 3,000,000 people visit Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon National Recreation area every year. The average length of stay of 4.5 days is the longest stay of any federal park.
Lake Powell was formed when the Glen Canyon Dam was completed on the Colorado River in 1963. Lake Powell took 17 years to reach "full pool" in 1980.
Glen Canyon Dam provides essential water storage and electric power to small rural electric co-ops, Native American reservations and towns throughout Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. The power plant has eight generators with a combined capacity of close to 1.3 million kilowatts.
Lake Powell was named in honor of Civil War veteran John Wesley Powell who led an expedition in wooden boats down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon in 1869.
Rainbow Bridge, the largest natural bridge on earth, is the most famous site on Lake Powell.

High On Low

2011-07-29T17:13:00.000-04:00

Back in April when I was living the bachelor dream (i.e. pop tarts and nachos for dinner and never having to do the dishes) my first real act of being a one-month bachelor was going to a concert with my friend Paul. This is not to be confused with the piano recitals and violin concertos that Paul often refers to as concerts; no, this was a real, check your ID at the door, ink stamp on your fist, people wearing weird clothes, rock concert.

The band was Low and the venue was The Black Cat in DC. Low was touring their new album, 'C'mon', which I highly recommend by the way. The new album, and the live performance served as a reminder that Low is an awesome band.

As white males standing 6'2''and 6'1'' respectively, Paul and I fit right in to Low's target market demographic

They are pioneers and perfectors of the "slow-core" rock movement. It's the kind of music to which you can get lost deep in thought one minute, and then find yourself doing feet stomps and air drums the next.

I was surprised to see just how good of a singer and performer Alan Sparhawk is (lead vocals, lead guitar). His vocals were floating up and down the treble clef and he is impressive in his ability to sustain notes at the top of his range (I was further convinced of this when I tried to play some songs on my own at home and was downright ashamed at how awful I sounded). His guitar style is completely unique as well. Almost everything is in alternate tunings and he's an unconventional strummer. When he plays the more intense guitar parts he appears like he's trying to simultaneously chop wood and birth a child.

And on the skins (simple drums) is Mimi Parker. Her voice is mostly melodic and angelic, but occasionally harrowing.

What is even more interesting to me is the band's personal life. Alan and Mimi are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (you're welcome, President Packer). This seems like a real struggle to have to balance what seem like two incompatible lifestyles. And from what I can tell it has been a struggle for Alan Sparhawk (some skeletons in his closet include drugs and a belief that he was (or is) antichrist). Add to this the fact that they are raising two children and one has to wonder how they manage. I won't try and guess; but maybe they manage just fine; maybe they manage better than you and I do.

It seems like a whole different kind of romance and marital connection to me to have two people sing together and harmonize the way they do. I think all couples should find some format in which they can really get on their own wavelength like these two do. I really admire it. This youtube clip is a good example of how they achieve that wavelength (just ignore the fact that they look like drugged out hippies).

My wife still can't get into Low (she cites monotone and boring and heavy as her key criticisms) so I guess they won't be our "wavelength," but I'll convince her eventually.

The King Of Limbs (Music Review)

2011-03-01T16:43:00.002-05:00

'The King Of Limbs' is Radiohead's 8th studio album. It was self-released on Feb. 18 and is available from the band's website for $9 as an MP3 download

I have gone through the whole album about 6 or 7 times by now. I find that the best way for me to enjoy new music is to just clean around the house with my headphones on. If the music is really good (like in this case) I get a lot of cleaning done.

I'm a big fan of the music and they repeatedly cement themselves as one of the best (the best in my opinion) bands since the 90's. They've practically achieved a PhD in sound engineering at this point. Their recent music (particularly 'In Rainbows' and now 'The King Of Limbs') sounds so crisp and rich, it's hard not to enjoy it.

Radiohead: The best band since the 90's

I find similarities between this album and 'Hail To The Thief'. The style and feel of some of the more avant garde tracks of the latter (e.g. "Where I End And You Begin," "Myxamatosis") find their way back on 'The King Of Limbs' in a big way. Where they were almost afterthought songs on 'HTTF' they are the main attraction on 'TKOL'.

Tracks 1-5 are as strong a string of songs as Radiohead have ever put together. The percussion work is AMAZING and the bass and vocals complement it perfectly. It's almost modern jazz. It's almost techno. It's almost rock. But it's none of those really.

But then track 6 comes along which feels so dull and simple. And then track 7 is kind of cool but it seems a bit campfire-ish and out of place. And then they get back on track with track 8 and before you know it the ride is over.

So, I love the sound they achieve but I think the album suffers a bit from being too short and from having a couple of songs in there that sound out of place to me. But they get props for managing to blindside the entire music industry with the release of the album. With only about 1 week to get hyped up about the album and to build expectations it was hard to be disappointed.

You can also buy the "newspaper" collectors edition of the album (available May 9) with vinyl records and tons of original artwork. It costs $48.

Rating: 9.0

Best Albums of 2010

2011-02-16T17:14:00.010-05:00

1. The ArchAndroid - Janelle Monae
2. Sisterworld [Deluxe] - The Liars
3. Brothers - The Black Keys

This band is two dudes from Akron, Ohio, named Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney. Their 2004 album, 'Rubber Factory' was the subject of some praise but in hindsight I think it sounds a little too much like an indie version of The White Stripes, whereas this newest album is totally original and more energetic. It's a fine production and it's apparent that they put a lot of work and finishing touches into the project, and with 15 solid tracks stacked one after the other it really makes for an enjoyable album experience. "Tighten Up" is one of my favorite singles of the year. And, "my next girl will be nothing like my ex girl" is just a cool line.

Rating: 8.6

4. Plastic Beach - Gorillaz
5. The Suburbs - Arcade Fire
6. This Is Happening - LCD Soundsystem
7. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy [Clean] - Kanye West

Hailed by many critics as a masterpiece, a glimpse inside the mind of one of the most interesting personalities of our generation, best album of the decade, and various other superlatives. This is a good album, but I don't think it's that good. When one of your tracks is a Chris Rock voicemail that sounds like he just discovered the echo effect on the Inception app and can't help hearing himself talk I think you just wrote off your chances for the best-album-of-the-decade-award. "All Of The Lights" is a really cool song and I like the Rockyesque horn bit. "Lost In The World" is another one of my favorites from the album and I think having a chorus of robots is such a simple yet ingenious idea.

Rating: 7.0

8. Go - Jonsi
9. Body Talk Pt. 1 (and Body Talk Pt. 2, and Body Talk) - Robyn

An ambitious Two Thousand and Ten for the sexy, sassy, Swedish pop star. She released a trilogy of albums all within a year for her 'Body Talk' project. Her music has the bubblegum pop appeal to make you want to sing and dance upon first listen but it also has the attention to detail, and production quality, and clever lyrics etc. to give her music staying power. "Fembot," for example, has just the right blend of funny computer terms and futuristic sound effects to make me a certain kind of happy that I hadn't experienced since listening to Neil Young's 'Trans'. The way she uses bass guitar and synthesizer helps to bring an emotional charge to the music and is reminiscent of the great Billy Idol. This must be why my brother, Des, likes her so unabashedly; at the risk of being a feminist sympathizer... not that there's anything wrong with that.

Rating 6.9

10. Le Noise - Neil Young

This album also got a lot of love from critics and it even won a grammy for Best Rock Song with "Angry World" (Neil Young's first grammy, in fact), but I didn't care for it tons. The appeal is the exposure that Neil Young allows for in this record. It's just him and his guitar and his producer (Daniel Lanois) in an empty mansion (I heard) somewhere in LA. It all makes for a dreamy effect and you have to be in a certain mood to enjoy the album. I still prefer the classic stuff (especially the Archives Volume 1 box set which was released in 2009) but kudos to Neil for continually reinventing himself.

Rating: 6.5

Last Possible Place: The Age Of Adz - Sufjan Stevens

I was dumbfounded at how awful this album is. But it all made sense after reading an interview in which Sufjan said, "I'm very aware that this material is far less popular and accessible than the kind of songwriting on Illinois. I'm also willing to admit that these songs don't measure up to the songs I was writing five years ago; these aren't great songs in terms of the palpable, fundamental nature of a song. But I'm not interested in songwriting anymore. I'm interested in sound and movement." Translation: "I've gone off the deep-end." I'm actually OK with sound and movement experiments (I mean, I definitely prefer Talking Heads' "Burning Down the House" to David Byrne's more experimental "Glass, Concrete & Stone") but the problem is when you decide to sing like a shameless prepubescent teenager at the very top of his range. Listening to this album the whole way through was one of my greatest accomplishments in 2010.

Album Rating: -9.0

Good Things to Come:
Low: C'mon (April 12)
Radiohead: The King Of Limbs (February 19)

Update

2011-02-16T15:38:00.000-05:00

Fans,

I have not managed to write a post for a while. I think blogosphere activity has been down in general; though not over at Trifecta's blog which appears to have been overrun by Chinese spammers (his most recent 100 posts or so are either exercise ads from buyallonline.com or investment strategy tips), as evidenced by the picture below which appears on one of his posts.

Fortunately, he has added a Twitter feed to his blog where you can find one of his top 25 quotes of all time: "I hope that I can make my genus side of me to kick in and make me a company that will make me money. I am very intelligent not ur Average."

Anyways, to make up for my lack of posts I am treating everyone to this new blog design which should be a lot easier on your eyes than the white text on red background (though we sure had our share of good times).

I look forward to a happy and prosperous and entertaining 2011.

Podcasts

2010-11-09T14:30:00.007-05:00

Podcasts are great. In case you don't know what they are, they are essentially free mp3 audio recordings of radio shows that you can download to your iTunes (either manually or through automated subscription) and listen to on demand (at an hour that suits you, in segments, or all at once) either directly through your computer or through an iPod or similar device that plays mp3s.

This means that my mom no longer needs to queue up the clunky, family-room radio player to record Prairie Home Companion every Sunday at 10:00 am onto cassette tapes that she would then lug around with her to share with her friends. She can just subscribe to it on iTunes and carry around hours and hours of the show on her mp3 player. And if she wants to share it with her friends in UT she can simply send them a link, like this: http://americanpublicmedia.publicradio.org/podcasts/xml/prairie_home_companion/news_from_lake_wobegon.xml. Also, you can just open up iTunes, go the iTunes store, and search for whatever podcast you want and you should be able to track it down in no time.

Now, to say that podcasts are simply on-demand radio shows would be selling them short. Since the advent of the podcast and in step with the proliferation of mp3s creative individuals and universities have also jumped onto the scene and are setting out to publicize their content or ideas to anyone that will be their audience. This means that the total content can be overwhelming but to the extent that you can sift through it you might just find a treasure that perfectly suits you. Regarding the university content, in theory, you can now essentially audit a class anywhere in the world assuming you find a partcipating university and a subject matter that interests you.

With all that in mind, here are some podcasts I regularly listen to and recommend:

Sound Opinions - A weekly radio show hosted by Jim & Greg, two geeky rock and pop music critics from Chicago. They typically spend a few minutes discussing music news (e.g. artists in jail, deaths, records and concert sales, federal rulings on things like Napster) and then they have a 30-minute feature with either a special guest (past guests have included Thom Yorke, Trent Reznor, Arcade Fire, etc.) or a dissection of a theme (e.g. the advent of disco music, an exploration of Pink Floyd's The Wall) and then review new music which is always an enjoyable listen even if you don't care much for the music.

Filmspotting - Another weekly radio show from the same studio as Sound Opinions. This is pretty much the same show as Sound Opinions but dealing with film instead of music. The two hosts are Adam and Matty and I find them to be very likeable--guys that just love watching movies but that are also trained in the art and can offer intelligent opinions and critiques. I heard what they had to say about my movie, Avatar, and it hurt but I completely respect their opinion... and I still like Avatar by the way.

Fresh Air (NPR) - This is a more serious radio show which was recently recommended to me. Its format is refreshingly simple: find interesting people and sit them down for an hour-long interview. Terry Gross is typically the interviewer and she operates with great comfort and tact so as to get her subjects to relax and come out of their shells a bit. The episodes I've really enjoyed so far have been interviews with Bob Woodward, friends and family of John Lennon, Jon Stewart, Jason Schwartzman, and Justin Timberlake.

ESPN: The B.S. Report - A podcast hosted by Bill Simmons (Sports Guy) dedicated mostly to sports but heavily interlaid with Bill Simmons theories and analogies. He also brings on guests who are only slightly connected to sports (e.g. Tre Parker from South Park) and he often has shows entirely dedicated to TV shows, happenings in the media, movies, and other stuff like that. I enjoy listening to him call his friend JackO and just chew the fat on Yankees/Red Sox talk, but this is definitely not for everyone.

The Ricky Gervais Show - The greatest podcast of all time. It was actually awarded the Guinness World Record for the most downloaded podcast. This show is actually 100% about the mind of Karl Pilkington. Ricky Gervais is a comedian and British personality (best known as the creator and star of The Office BBC) and Stephen Merchant is his co-creator. These two gentlemen are actually pretty intelligent, scientific-minded guys and, given their sense of humor and quest for anything funny, they prove to be the perfect counterpart to simple-minded, bald-headed, shaven monkey, complete idiot, Karl Pilkington. Karl is the rare individual who teeters between idiot and genius. Ricky and Stephen pretty much just ask him questions and probe him with intellectual subject matter and laugh hysterically as he deconstructs or simplifies or just outright misses the mark on whatever it is they're talking about. This podcast had three strong seasons and is actually no longer available, except as audiobook. If you're interested in a free, mp3 version just let me know and I can send it to you.

This American Life - A weekly NPR radio show that consists of inspirational/interesting stories that take place in America and are typically based on a theme and staged in 3 acts. This show is hit or miss (erring on miss) but sometimes I really enjoy it. It is hosted by Ira Glass.

WNYC's Radiolab - Similar to This American Life but less inspirational, and more interesting/scientific. One out of every 10 episodes is really good. I enjoyed one that was about gun control and another one about how cities are living organisms and how their citizens all adapt to the city's footspeed and physicists claim that by knowing a city's footspeed you can extrapolate countless characteristics from that city (e.g. libraries per capita, expected AIDS outbreaks in a given year, etc.). Also, their technique for editing is really cool; it makes the show fly by and it keeps your ear interested.

Econ Talk - It's a very good show hosted by this really bright, really level-headed academia guy, Russ Roberts. He brings on various economists and discusses their theories. I wish I were more disciplined to listen to this show regularly but I only check in every so often.

LDS General Conference - A great way to relisten to general conference talk by talk.

INNOVATION

2010-08-12T18:00:00.004-04:00

Sometimes humanity’s innovative advancements amaze me. I marvel at the amazing things that handheld devices or machines or apparatuses can achieve. You need only take a step back and tune out the critical complaints about signal attenuation issues, or how a camera lens isn’t sharp enough at certain ISO levels, or how a certain car doesn’t make the grade on MPG, or whatever and just appreciate the creation for its capabilities to realize how much we have achieved as a race.

Three particular innovations have been on my “mind grapes” lately. Bikes, cameras, and mobile phones.

Sometimes I wonder if I get carried away in my marveling (e.g. I dreamt about buying an expensive DSLR camera last night) and if it’s inappropriate to consider the creations of man’s hands with such awe and respect. Should I renounce manmade innovations and modern innovations and spend my energy reading, or conversing, or contemplating nature? I say no. While there is always the risk of becoming too extreme in my affection for innovations, on balance most of these items, and particularly the 3 listed above, if anything help to accentuate and facilitate these more virtuous acts. I’ll spare you specific examples of how this is the case.

Bike
With bikes, I’m not really sure why I’ve been so impressed with them. I have been riding my bike a lot more lately I guess and one day I just realized that they are really great. My bike enables me to use native energy and inputs to get from one place to another. It helps me to slow life down (relative to the car) and appreciate my surroundings and be more aware of the sun and wind and rain. Yet it doesn’t force me to slow life down so much (see walking: boring) that I get hot and bothered, and frustrated at the slow speed.

I own the Specialized Crosstrail which you can get for like $500. It’s a hybrid which means it has shocks on the front wheels and it seats you more erect than you would be on a road bike. But it also has road bike features and can go faster than a mountain bike on pavement and is good for commuting. If you live in an area where work is relatively close and the city has set up bike paths or there are trails nearby then I would definitely recommend getting a decent bike.

Camera
My super slim Sony Cybershot T7 fell out of my pocket and died on me on a recent trip to Israel. I was a bit sad but I like to reflect more on the good times we had together. R.I.P. T7, or at least until I sell you for parts on ebay. We had a good run but now I’m pretty excited as I shop for a new camera. Do I go with a big DSLR and risk looking like a dweeb when I carry it around my neck? Do I go with a more compact camera and sacrifice those really cool action shots? We’re expecting a girl in October and I want to be well equipped to capture the moments. I saw this picture the other day on wsj.com and it got me thinking, how do I manage to get a picture like that?

I’ve been doing some research and I’m leaning towards the Canon Powershot S90 ($350) since it got very high marks on cnet.com and it was recommended by Ken Rockwell as “The World’s Best Digital Pocket Camera.” If I don’t go with that one I might go with the Nikon D5000 DSLR ($650). One other question I have is should I be worried about buying a refurbished camera?

Whatever I decide, I’m glad to live in a time when cameras are as available as they are and are by and large all capable of capturing powerful, memorable, emotional images that can be enjoyed for years to come. I just need to learn how to take such pictures…

Mobile Phone
Coming from a guy who didn’t own his first mobile phone until February 19, 2005 as a senior in college, I am a big proponent of owning a high quality cell phone. I am also a big proponent of not taking on fixed monthly bills when you haven’t first satisfied the more primary concerns: rent, food, gas, etc., which is why I don’t see the previous sentence as inconsistent or ironic. I recently paid $20 or so for a prepaid in Guatemala with a couple hundred minutes and then threw the phone away when the trip was over. Who would have ever thought a cellular phone would be so expendable?

After owning the very reliable Sanyo MM-8300 - red (Sprint) for about 2 years I upgraded to the iPhone when it first came out. I loved it so much that I didn’t even care that they overcharged me by like $200 when they first sold it—but I didn’t complain when they gave me a $200 certificate either. Since then I’ve upgraded a time or two and now own the iPhone 4. Of all the innovations I am amazed by, this one takes the cake. The iPhone is not only a product of creative genius it is also a source and a platform for it thanks to the countless apps and open software developer kits so that all can contribute. The designers at Apple may be a bit eccentric and arrogant or whatever but the fusion of technologies both digital (phone, computer, camera, iPod, compass, voice recorder, and on and on) and analog (bullet proof glass, touch screen with heat and tactile sensors, smart antenna, retina display, etc.) is a modern day masterpiece. I have had little or no reception issues with my iPhone 4 and whatever problems it may have are vastly outweighed by the conveniences it offers.

Here are some reasons why you must own an iPhone (budget permitting):

• iBooks (as well as the Gospel Library app) paired with the retina display resolution is quite good and I have been pleasantly surprised by how much I have enjoyed reading on the iPhone as a sort of handheld kindle.
• You’ll always have a high quality camera and an HD video recorder in your pocket.
• You can fill all your down time with either entertainment (card games, web browsing, social media, podcasts and other multimedia, etc.) or something productive (read books, scriptures, write emails, language training, etc.).
• The Voice Command function has proved to be very useful as I’ve learned to wield it to make calls and play specific music while it stays in my pocket (great for biking or running or for wearing skinny jeans).
• It doubles as a mirror.
• It’s just a fun experience and it enriches life.

If humanity stretches roughly from 3000 BC to 2000 AD it’s pretty fascinating to think that these 3 innovations (bikes, cameras, and mobile phones) didn’t show up until early 1800’s, early 1800’s, and late 1900’s, respectively.
Of all the eras I could have been born in, I’m glad I was born in an era where I can own a bike, camera, and iPhone.

New Albums that I Like (Continued)

2010-07-16T14:44:00.000-04:00

This Is Happening (LCD Soundsystem) - James Murphy is the dude behind this band. He is exactly that, a dude. That's what's so alluring about LCD's music. He is just a chilled out guy making cool music and not taking himself too seriously (except for on the track, "You Wanted a Hit," which is some sort of backlash at music producers and is painfully reminiscent of Tom Petty's worst song of all time, "My Name's Joe I'm a CEO). It is dance-punk executed perfectly. For those who expressed disappointment in this album, I'm not sure what you were hoping for. Yes, the predecessor, "Sound of Silver," was amazing, but in the end it's just really good dance-punk music. 'This Is Happening' is likewise really good but to a slightly lesser extent. Fortunately, for the listener, they introduce some new sounds to their repertoire like the funkdafied "Dance Yrself Clean" and the Bowie-esque "All I Want." Finally, it has been rumored that 'This Is Happening' will be LCD's final album before James Murphy moves on to other projects. If that is so, then the final track, "Home," represents a great swan song and a culmination of talents, beats, and emotion.
7.4

The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III) (Janelle Monae) - In sports people often hope for and talk about "some kid, somewhere that's going to be the next [Michael Jordan/ Tiger Woods/ Babe Ruth/ etc.]." Based on sheer population and anomalies, the theory goes, someone has to emerge eventually. In the music arena Janelle Monae is this kid. She seems, to me, to be a huge talent who just suddenly came out of nowhere (Kansas City, MO, to be precise). Apparently she was starting a career of training for Broadway but realized her passion is pop music. This means that she has an awesome voice (both booming and melodic) and great stage presence and dance moves. 'The ArchAndroid' is a continuation of her Metropolis concept series. Apparently, the series involves the fictional tale of Cindy Mayweather, a messianic android sent back in time to free the citizens of Metropolis from The Great Divide, a secret society that uses time-travel to suppress freedom and love. Whatever. The things to note here are that 1) the music is super high quality: good beats, vocals, lyrics, and an amazing range of genres (she channels Michael Jackson, Outkast, James Brown, Beatles, Claude Debussy, and Simon & Garfunkel, all with fluidity and grace), as well as a hefty dose of material (18 solid tracks); and 2) the over"arch"ing theme is actually pretty cool: she uses futuristic worlds and space travel as a metaphor for being free from chains and oppression (possibly inspired by her connection to African-American slavery).

9.1

New Albums that I Like (Update)

2010-05-12T16:30:00.005-04:00

Plastic Beach (Gorillaz) – A concept album from a concept band. What impresses me about this album is how fluid it manages to be for having guest artists on most every track (from Snoop Dogg to Mos Def to Lou Reed). It definitely has some catchy songs (e.g. ‘Melancholy Hill’) that you can’t help but like but it also has some less “user-friendly” tracks (‘Sweepstakes’ w/ Mos Def) which have a lot of depth to them upon subsequent listens. This helps make the album a lastingly good one. ‘Some Kind of Nature’ w/ Lou Reed doesn’t really fit any of those categories; it is just awesome.

8.5 (on a scale of -10 to 10)

Sisterworld (Liars) – A friend of mine wondered if the cd had possibly been retrieved after being “discarded somewhere on the floor of hell.” He continued, “I tried, but I just can't do it. I feel like an old man getting his first taste of rock 'n' roll.” This album is definitely not for the faint of heart and yes it may have some diabolical qualities to it, but damn if I don’t LOVE this album. It’s so good. Admittedly, you have to be in a slightly sinister mood (in other words, don’t listen to it on a sunny morning whilst on a power walk) to really get into it. Interestingly, some of the tracks (e.g. ‘Scissor’) are haunting and jagged, yet others (e.g. “Too Much, Too Much’) are angelically melodic. Also, they pull off one of the best album remixes I’ve ever heard. As a bonus disc they do alt versions of each track allowing other artists to inject their influence and remix the track to their style. Two of these remix creations are just annoying and offer no new perspectives or improvements, but at least two of them are homeruns and most of them are just really good.

9.0

Go (Jonsi) – Listen to this album on a sunny morning whilst on a power walk. It will make you happy. Jonsi (frontman of Sigur Ros) steps out on his own to deliver this solo project. It’s very colorful and upbeat and I like that it draws on that signature Icelandic sound that he has helped to create. No song really stands out as genius, and after a week or two you might even forget that you have this album in your collection, but it is good and you will be glad when you play it again after realizing that you haven’t listened to it in a while.

7.0

Forgiveness Rock Record (Broken Social Scene) – The Canadien indie superband is back at it with their fourth studio album. I think this is BSS’s most consistently good album to date. It doesn’t have any immediate hits like ’Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl’ or ‘7/4 (Shoreline)’ but it has two or three or four songs that I really like and more importantly, no duds. This album is pretty recent so I haven’t given it a lot of listens yet but I’ve found that it’s their most complete album and for that reason probably their best. I'm bored with this album by now. It has little character and at least one annoying song ("Texaco B's"). It still has a few nice tracks but it's never enough to pull me back in.

~~7.5~~ 4.0

The NBA: Where Vengeance Happens

2010-04-15T12:59:00.126-04:00

Will the Suns have enough to rise above their former slayers?

You know how often in movies the plot centers around someone being killed and that someone's friend/lover/child swearing he will get revenge? And then there's another character who tries to tell the avenger that revenge isn't the solution, it is eventually unsatisfying. Or, as Batman put it to Robin, "You make the kill, but your pain doesn't die [there], it grows. So you run out into the night to find another face, and another, and another, until one terrible morning you wake up and realize that revenge has become your whole life."

Well in 2010 the Suns are the dead corpse and I am the friend/lover/child and even if Batman himself tells me not to seek revenge, I don't care. We Suns fans have been dealt some deadly blows in the past, and this year I want vengeance.

With the Suns going on an impressive surge since the All-Star break and finishing out the season by beating both the Nuggets and the Jazz, they clinched the 3rd seed in the Western Conference. Here's the playoff landscape they face:

Round 1: Suns (3) vs. Blazers (6) - The Blazers have toppled some hurdles of their own to get here. Some of their role player guys have been playing well above their level and Brandon Roy is always a force to be reckoned with, but I take comfort in the fact that the unflappable Suns come into the playoffs scorching hot and the Blazer bigs don't have the speed to defend Amar'e.

Vengeance Implication: In the days of KJ, Hornacek, and "Thunder Dan" Majerle, the Blazers beat us in 5 in 1989. Then, in 1992, with the addition of Tom Chambers, and poised to go the distance, the dynamic duo of "Clyde the Glyde" and Terry Porter with help from the nefarious, head-banded Clifford Robinson, stopped us short by beating us in 5 in the Western Conference Finals.

Fear the headband. Cliff Robinson literally invented the thing.

*Round 2: Suns (3) vs. Mavs (2) / Spurs (7) - The Mavs have been playing good, playoff-caliber basketball for a good stretch now and they are not to be overlooked as serious title contenders. The Spurs are not at 100%, or even 90%, health and vitality, and their core of Manu/Parker/Duncan is getting old and less title-hungry. But they've had our number for a while and they are probably the most savvy team in the NBA. I don't think this is their year to win it all, or even win the West, but they can certainly cause some serious disruptions.

Vengeance Implication (Mavs): With Amar'e out for the playoffs with a knee injury, the Suns miraculously made it to the Western Conference finals in 2006 on the strength of career years from the likes of Boris Diaw, Shawn Marion, and Barbosa, and of course Steve Nash leading the way with his MVP season. We put up a good fight against the Mavs but the Mavs were too deep and they went on to beat us in 6. The frustrating thing is that they had a relatively easy path to the trophy with a finals matchup against the Miami Heat but after going up 2-0 they crapped the bed and lost 4 straight.

Vengeance Implication (Spurs): Oh how I loathe the Spurs. The anti "joga bonito". I hope we do get the chance to match up against the Spurs so we can comprehensively exorcise the vengeance demons. In 2005 the Suns had one of their best ever regular seasons and were poised to win it all. En route to face the Spurs we challenged and conquered the Mavs but not without Jerry Stackhouse pile-driving our offensive star, Joe Johnson, onto the floor and literally breaking his eye bone (tack this offense onto the paragraph above). So we hobbled into our series with the Spurs and were dismantled 4 games to 1. Momentum, excitement, thrill: gone. In 2007 the Suns worked hard all season to build up steam and assemble a Spurs-proof team. We succeeded at building such a team but in game 4 of the semifinals in San Antonio we were staging a symbolic, come-from-behind, crunch time win but in the closing seconds all that was marred by the Robert Horry hip check on Steve Nash that sent him flying into the scorers' table and resulted in a 2-game suspension for stars Amar'e Stoudemire and Boris Diaw on a ruling technicality. In 2008 I wrote the following post and my feelings haven't changed since: "In 2008 things were almost looking good. We had beaten the Spurs 3-1 in the regular season series and we had started game 1 in complete control, leading by double digits for most of the game. Then the entire season ended with one ill-fated shot. Tim Duncan's OT buzzer-beater 3-pointer. His first 3-pointer in the last 2 seasons. I think that shot ended the game, the series, the season, possibly the era of the Phoenix Suns. I strongly dislike the Spurs. I have nothing more to say."

Classless.

*Round 3: Suns (3) vs. Lakers (1) / Thunder (8) or Nuggets (4) / Jazz (5) - The Lakers are the defending champs but they are backpedaling into the playoffs, Kobe is playing through pain, and they are not as deep as they were last year. The Thunder are young and exciting. Kevin Durant is a pure baller and I look forward to watching him play for years to come. The Nuggets historically crumble in the playoffs but they might go far this year if they get inspired play from "Mr. Big-Shot" Billups and a revitalized Carmelo Anthony. Their excess of tattoos means that I will never root for them. The Jazz are hopeful that Carlos Boozer's injury is not serious. They are always a threat to win at home but losing the advantage by slipping to the 5 seed might have a devastating affect on their 2010 run.

Vengeance Implication (Lakers): Some Suns fans hate the Lakers but I don't really hold anything against them. In my era we've had the upper hand in our matchups so I've got no reason to hate.

Vengeance Implication (Thunder): None. Not a likely matchup.

Vengeance Implication (Nuggets): None. They've never knocked us out of the playoffs and we typically beat them in the regular season.

Vengeance Implication (Jazz): With the Jazz it's more about rivalry than revenge. Technically they beat us in the first round of the 1991 playoffs but I've pretty much forgotten about that by now. The Jazz are just one of those teams that get my blood boiling. I can't stand their foul-crying, home-court fans and I don't care for their style of play--they're like a hybrid of a poor man's Spurs and a throwback to the early 90's Stockton-Malone combo.

Carlos Boozer, I award you 0 points for style.

The 2009/2010 Suns are clearly not the best team we've assembled in the Steve Nash era but they might actually represent our best chance to make it to the finals. If not the finals, some sweet vengeance will suffice.

Avatar

2010-01-05T12:07:00.006-05:00

What if I told you that Star Wars Episode III (the last of the new ones) was the best of the entire Star Wars series? OK, try this one on for size: what if I told you that Avatar is better than any of the original Star Wars? So maybe I've now blacklisted myself as a heretic, but I must say that I found myself pulling for Jake Sully in a way that I never did for Luke Skywalker. And I was attracted to the hot Na'vi chick, Neytiri, way more than I ever was to Princess Leah. Maybe I'm overreacting because I just recently saw this film whereas I've rehashed Star Wars a dozen times by now, but this is a truly quality film and there's more to it than just a cool protagonist and a smokin' C.G. babe.

Jake Sully and his avatar

I enjoyed the avatar concept of having an alternate identity, made even more poignant by the fact that the hero is liberated with full use of his regularly crippled legs when he is in avatar mode. There is this clearly defined conflict between the greedy corporation and the natives, but there is also the more ambiguous conflicts involving Jake's loyalties and Neytiri's affections. As Jake transports from one reality to another, he becomes converted to the Na'vi way of life and begins to appreciate the elements and the various life forms and his own interdependency with the biological network in which he resides. But he knows he's a human in the end, and so, he struggles with his loyalties to humankind as well as his commitment to his hired task. This dilemma is similar to that of John Dunbar in Dances With Wolves as evidenced in the scene where the union soldier taunts, "turned 'Injun', di'nt ya." An equally difficult dilemma faces Neytiri who falls in love with the outsider Avatar. She faces persecution from her own tribe, and eventually has to confront the fact that Jake is truly a human. This all results in what I consider to be a deeply moving, not too sappy love story.

The graphics and images in this film were breathtaking. The time and meticulous effort put into creating the creatures and the alternate universe are made apparent by the level of detail and the colors in the mountains and trees, in the creatures, and most impressively in the seamless overlay between the two universes. Here James Cameron risked plummeting into the Uncanny Valley but fortunately he came out unscathed and on top. I consider this film to be a culmination of the progress Hollywood has made with computer graphics merged with good acting and good storytelling--something George Lucas couldn't achieve in Star Wars round II. This is one of the few movies where I will watch (and enjoy) the bonus features once it comes out on Bluray.

Incredible graphics and color. Neytiri is a total babe.

Finally, this movie had a pretty awesome bad guy, the Colonel. He was hardcore to the very end, and he introduced me to some cool tough guy sayings that I will be sure to incorporate into my daily speak. Oh, and Sully had some pretty bad-A manuevers himself.

Have I Lost Touch?

2009-12-13T15:02:00.004-05:00

The seemingly innocent Honda Fit is causing quite a debate between my brothers and me.

It's a long story but the Twainfecta family recently lost the '04 Audi due to a driving fault of hers and an insurance fault of mine. Whoops. We need to get a new car and without that trade-in value from the old car, we'll need to be economical about it.

I didn't even realize it but apparently I've had a secret crush on the compact, metro-friendly Honda Fit. It costs about $17-$18k new and has only been in the U.S. for a few years so the used market is pretty limited. With some trepidation, I sent a picture of the car to my younger brother. It didn't take long before I got a phone call from my older brother that went something like this, "um... I'm not sure how to say this... I gotta say: not a fan of where your car search is headed." I let my emotions get the best of me and I told him that the two of them are just a bunch of conservative, southwestern rednecks who can't appreciate a good urban vehicle.

This exchange left me wondering, have I been living in D.C. too long? Does my interest in the Fit symbolize my spiral away from the core values that got me where I am today? Do I now find appeal in what I would have once scoffed at and written off as, in my younger brother's words, "a fusion of a minivan and a PT Cruiser." Or are my brothers really just not progressive thinking enough to see that this car embodies efficiency, practicality, value, and just the right amount of garish, euro trash style? I just don't know.

Anyways, yesterday we rode our bikes to the closest dealer to give it a test drive. It was about what I expected. Rides like a Honda. Safe. Not too exciting, but not very boring either. But I could envision some fun road trips, and some good times folding the seats in various contortions as we fit things here and there (the car's specialty). Who knows, maybe one day Twain Jr. could even inherit it. The dealer didn't quite have the model we were looking for so we didn't make any hasty decisions, but now I am in the thick of a bidding war between all the area Honda dealers to see who can give us the best price.

http://www.insideline.com/honda/fit/2009/2009-honda-fit-sport-long-term-test.html

Book Review: Cloud Atlas

2009-11-10T17:58:00.001-05:00

Just finished reading 'Cloud Atlas', the 3rd novel by Brit author, David Mitchell. A lot of the reviews and summaries call it a series of nested Matryoshka dolls; I consider it more of a chiasm. It tells 6 stories in A-B-C-B-A fashion, telling half of the story at first and then providing closure and resolution to each story in the 2nd half of the book. The plots cover protagonists that are doing such things as writing a journal in the South Pacific in the early 1800's, working on a classical-music opus magnum in Belgium in the 30's, cracking a giant conspiracy in California in the 70's, trying to convince the workers in a convalescent home in England that you don't belong there, providing a final interview to an archivist explaining how you achieved enlightenment, all prior to being executed for being a heretic clone, and telling a campfire story in post-apocalyptic Hawaii about how you saved your tribe with the help of a tech-savvy outsider.

Obviously the different stories provide varied themes and perspectives, but I especially enjoyed how the author was able to weave it all together, which, from my observation, ties to the central theme of the text: that we all, as souls, pass through time like clouds shifting and floating across the sky. Each protagonist has an undefined origin and travels through time changing and advancing. He is linked to his predecessors and progenitors and finds himself on different parts of the globe.

Call it gimmicky, but I loved the way Mitchell was able to write each story as though he were an entirely different author. From each transition, I felt like I was picking up an entirely new book--which is why I'm counting this as reading 6 books.

Twain Fantasy

2009-10-08T16:08:00.002-04:00

Devotees will recall that last season in fantasy baseball, I was locked in heated battle with my own kin in "The Bunkbed Series". Since I never offered any follow-up, it would be safe to assume, and you would be correct, that I ended up on the "bottom bunk" in that series. This season I was lucky enough to make it back to the championship matchup, now pitted against my older, more cunning brother, team name: Montecore.

The battle was definitely going my way throughout most of the 2-week period, and the Gordon Gekkos had accumulated a sizeable margin in most of the batting categories. But Monte rarely goes down easy (I mean, his namesake actually attacked his own master, the peaceable Roy Horn of Siegfried & Roy). I had a 13-9-0 lead at the end of the 2-week period and was just waiting for the obligatory call of congratulations from my opponent. But then the dumb league decided to count the stats of the 1-game, postseason playoff between the Twins and Tigers. Ever monitoring, and quick to enact his strategy, Montecore proceeded to pick up all the Twins/Tigers players he could and put them in his lineup in a last-ditch effort. He would need 9 hits and 2 walks to tie, and an additional 2 stolen bases to win.

The time for the 1-game playoff arrived and I raptly followed on the web, on my phone, and on TV. Would M. Tolbert rope a single to left? would N. Punto draw a walk? would they both try for a double steal? would A. Everett come off the bench for a bunt single? Who knew that these AL Central no-namers could cause so much stress? For those who watched, the game went into extra innings and the fantasy implications from all the different combinations and game-ending scenarios became too much to bear, and I had to turn it off when family dinner just couldn't be postponed any longer. But I kept that laptop nearby, and a strange thing happened--that little "0" in the third column of the Win-Loss-Tie scorechart, quietly transformed into a "1" by stealing a digit from my loss column. In the top of the 12th with the bases loaded and 2 outs, Gerald Laird was the Tigers' last hope and the Tiger's demise. He struck out swinging against Bobby Keppel, thus erasing my loss in the strikeout category, and propelling the Gordon Gekkos to an 11-10-1 victory over Montecore.

Detroit Tigers catcher Gerald Laird reacts after tagging out Minnesota Twins' Alexi Casilla (25) during the 10th inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009, in Minneapolis, during a tiebreaker to decide the American League Central title. He got the job done behind the plate, but not beside it.

And if that victory wasn't enough, I also won the 14-team office league. It's all about markin' twain.

Fist Pump

2009-09-11T17:05:00.005-04:00

On Wednesday night, Derek Jeter went 3-4 at home against the Devil Rays and in so doing, tied Lou Gehrig's record for the most hits as a Yankee. This has led sports columnists and TV commentators to reflect on his career and gush about what a stellar athlete and stand-up personality he has been.

I would like to use this blog post to remind everyone that Derek Jeter is actually a big dork. I think all these sports people are overestimating Jeter now that the Yankees are no longer the loathed empire of MLB dominance. The Yanks have been choking since 2001 and now everyone feels sympathy for them.

I even have a friend who's an Orioles fan who by all rights should be a Yankee hater but confessed to me that he one day came to a realization that Jeter is "awesome." Dear friend, do not be blinded by the Yankee mystique. Here is some solid proof that Jeter is a dork and not awesome.

If they kept stats of consecutive games with the same hairstyle, he would be the new Ironman
He makes a living off of opposite-field hits and the short Yankee porch
He sticks his butt out too much when he's up to bat and he always leans over the pitch when he watches it for a ball
A 2008 study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that, from 2002 through 2005, Jeter was the worst defensive shortstop in the Major Leagues
The fist pump
Doper - His homerun total went from 10 in 2003 to 23 in 2004

Summer Toonz

2009-06-15T11:25:00.010-04:00

I recently set a new personal record by attending 3 concerts in 8 days. That's an average of 0.375 concerts/day. Was it a good idea? Yes. Let me explain.

6/6/09 - David Byrne (Everything That Happens Will Happen Today)

Mr. Byrne dressed up in his pearly whites for this one and had some nice assistance from his interpretive dancers. He, himself, even got in on the dancing every now and then. The songs from his new album are all quite nice. Nothing mindblowingly good but it a nice melding of Byrne pop and Eno ambient sounds--exactly what you would expect and hope for from a Byrne/Eno collaboration. The eye-opening thing about this concert for me was when he played a lot of the old classics from the Talking Heads days (which apparently also had a lot of Eno influence) and I could see that 'I Zimbra' signature sound come to life. The organ playing on a hurried, irregular beat, the double percussion going nonstop, and the high-treble guitar keeping to the rhythm, and some weird sound effects for good measure. I could really appreciate the research Byrne and the 'Heads had done to create that sound and once I caught it, I felt like I could groove to it for hours. He also played a few get up and dance songs like 'Burning Down the House' and 'Once in a Lifetime'.

6/11/09 - Elvis Costello and the Sugarcanes (Secret, Profane, and Sugarcane)

I didn't really get into Costello until about 3 or 4 years ago which I realize was entirely too late but I can't really be blamed for that now can I? I started with 'My Aim Is True' and then progressed to 'This Year's Model' and then skipped ahead to 'Accidents Will Happen' and then pulled back a bit to 'Blood And Chocolate'. And then this new album, 'Secret, Profane, and Sugarcane', just came out this month and he happened to be touring at Wolftrap, which is a fantastic outdoor venue here in the DC area, so I just had to go. I would call this show, "enjoyable". Nothing too incredible, or even with a very high degree of difficulty, but it played into the outdoor nature ambiance quite nicely. This album is a shift from the Costello norm as he's teamed up with a bluegrass band to record some Nashville hits. It works as an alternative project but it's not the best use of his talent as some of the angst and rebellion in his strainy voice are best accompanied by percussion and jagged electric guitar riffs. One song I especially enjoyed was 'I Felt the Chill', which he recorded with Loretta Lynn.

6/13/09 - Duke Ellington Jazz Festival

This was a free event held on the D.C. mall next to the Washington Monument. They had about 10 jazz bands, mostly from New Orleans, doing one-hour sets over the course of 2 days. We went to the Saturday evening portion and set up a blanket and picnic. It was fun for the relaxation and the eating and the freeness, but the music was only on and off. Off when the band we heard was playing free-form, cerebral stuff with overdubbed reverend lyrics; all part of their latest concept album. We were just looking for something to bob our heads and snap our fingers to. Fortunately, they closed the set with some more traditional songs, and at long last, fingers were snapped, and heads were bobbed.

And in the non-live music arena, I recently picked up the latest release from Sonic Youth, 'The Eternal'. I heard Greg Kot (Chicago Tribune) describe their sound as urban surf music, like a car ride that you get on and have no idea where it's heading. This album really rocks and has some popping guitar riffs throughout. I might still like their previous album, 'Rather Ripped' a little more but most critics seem to agree that this latest is their best in a long time. Definitely worth checking out.

PREAKNESS!!

2009-05-18T11:13:00.012-04:00

Rachel Alexandra (#13) becomes the first filly in 85 years to win the Preakness Stakes, edging Kentucky Dirby winner Mine That Bird by one length.

We spent this last weekend at the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore. The drama surrounding Rachel Alexandra (the filly female going up against all the colts) made for an exciting sporting event. It's too bad we don't gamble because we were going to put $1 million on Rachel but our conscience got the better of us.

I was quite surprised to find that the horseracing crowd is not so elite and distinguished as it once was. We were misled to believe that the madams had to wear a dress and fancy hat, and the gentlemen a coat and tie. Needless to say, I felt a little too formal (and a little too hot) mixing it up with the "running of the urinal crowd" and rocking out to ZZ Top. But in the end the excitement capitulated when the main event was starting, and the race itself turned out to be quite a thrill. Next year I'm wearing a tank top.

Overdressed

Appropriately dressed

Spain & Spore

2009-05-15T10:30:00.009-04:00

The Mrs. and I recently returned from a tricontinental adventure whose official itinerary looked something like this: DC, Phoenix, DC, Heathrow, Gatwick, Malaga, Gatwick, Heathrow, Singapore, Frankfurt, Chicago, DC. Fortunately, many of those plane rides were spent sprawled out across 3, sometimes 5, seats, and one leg in first class, and two legs aboard Singapore Air where you can watch dozens of current on-demand movies and enjoy several other travel perks, like a cup holder that is attached to the bottom of the pull-down tray so you don't need to pull down the whole tray to access it.

We arrived in Spain on Monday after the wedding in Arizona. Our home base was in Benalmadena (near Malaga) and from there we would venture out to the nearby cities and destinations in our bright orange Kia Picanto rental car. We spent one day in Malaga, one day in Granada, one day in Tarifa, and two days in Sevilla.

The Alhambra in Granada was quite spectacular. It was a Moorish castle conquered by the Spaniards in 1492 and retooled as a Catholic site. The Moores were very anti-ostentatious and designed their palaces such that the outside was an unimpressive block with four plain walls, but the inside was ornate and incredibly colorful and detailed. It would have been nice to see the Alhambra in its heyday. After a long day of walking, we went into the nearby town (Albaicin) and patronized the Arab baths.

Tarifa itself was not a very fun town (a little too dingy and stale for my taste) but driving up and down the coast, and traversing the shoreline were a real treat.

Sevilla was quite a romantic city, and it felt much more bustling and classic European than the other Andalucian cities we visited. We stayed in a really cool hotel with a rooftop terrace right next to the bell tower of La Giralda. It was nice walking the bridge at night, despite the dopers and the drunks that were out in plain sight. We also caught some Flamenco dancing while we were in town. When the male dancer came out in his fancy get-up I predicted, correctly, that his coat wouldn't last more than ten minutes. I was pleased with prophetic satisfaction when he slung it off dramatically in the middle of his routine, but I was displeased when I heard Val B. perk up in admiration of his nice chest and seductive maneuvers. I quickly reassured her that I could do that if I wanted to.

After Spain, we made our way towards Singapore. We were there for about 6 days and much of our time was spent either making preparations for the wedding banquet, taking wedding pictures, or actually banqueting. Fortunately, we were able to do a lot of fun things in between all of that and once it was all over. We went out for delicious food it seemed at least twice a day. I ate lots of spicy noodle dishes, sea food, tropical fruits, rice, frog porridge, curries, you name it. The weather was constantly warm and humid but the abundance of bright-colored flora and foliage made it worth it. The modernization and orderliness of the city were quite impressive. I say orderly, but then again, there were monkeys rummaging the streets. I mean, how orderly can that be?

Mr. and Mrs. Twainfecta - the view of Malaga from the Alcazaba (pronounced: Alcathaba)

The Alhambra in Granada. Surprisingly, the water looks cleaner through the camera than it did in real life.

Mediterranean coast in Tarifa. So close to Africa, yet so far away (80 euros/person)

The Cathedral of Seville and La Giralda

Cool trees in Singapore; these are behind Casuarina Curry--a favorite eating spot for breakfast.

Neil Young - Fork In The Road

2009-04-16T15:46:00.002-04:00

It looks like Neil has put out another album right on cue (every year or two). This one seems to get no love from the critics. I haven't listened yet but I will be sure to check it out soon. I'm only half excited because most of the reviews just say that it's unimaginative and boring. If they had said it's ludicrous and obnoxious, then I might have been more enthusiastic about fulfilling my commitment to own every NY album.

Other media to check out:

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
Ricky Gervais - New audiobook series with Steve and Karl touching on more soul-searching topics such as Philosophy, English, Art, etc. Free samples available as iTunes podcasts.

44th Inauguration

2009-01-25T17:58:00.005-05:00

January 20th marked the inauguration of the 44th U.S. President, Barack Obama. It also marked the first time I have gone to a Subway since arriving in D.C. over a year ago. Both events have their place in history but this day was Barack's day. The masses gathered in from all over the nation totaling roughly 1.9 million people. In ancticipation of the event I reserved spots in the conference room where I work (10th & Pennsylvania, between the Capitol and the White House) so my guests, Val W. and Andrew W., and I could be in the middle of the goingson and partake of the energy of the atmosphere. Due to the road & bridge closures we thought it best to arrive the night before and sleep at the office. The idea seemed flawless except for two setbacks. One, we were grossly underprepared with one pad, one sleeping bag, and two towels between the three of us. This made for a very uncomfortable night of repose, not to mention the awkward exchange with the Mexican cleaning lady when she came in around 11:00p and just emptied the trash as if we weren't there. Two, we failed to take into account that my office and The Mall are on opposite sides of Penn Ave. which meant that we were trapped on the wrong side of Penn until 11:00a--the ceremony started around 11:30. Needless to say, we crossed at 11:00a and pushed our way onto The Mall by about 11:25. We ended up between the Washington and The Capitol just behind the Smithsonian Castle. For those of you who don't know D.C., this just means that we were close enough that we could tell that there is a Capitol, but far enough away that we definitely couldn't make anybody out. Fortunately, they had speakers and jumbotrons there so we could all tell what was going on. Bush was introduced and all the crowd around us started booing. I felt bad for "dubbya". I decided not to join in on the "hey hey hey, goodbye" chants. Then Obama came out and the crowd got excited. The announcer asked the audience to "please stand", and about a million people laughed in unison at the irony since they had been standing for about 4 or 5 straight hours. Then some crazy guy gave a prayer followed by Yitzhak Perlman, Yo Yo Ma, &c doing a cool rendition of 'Air and Simple Gifts'. Then Obama was sworn in and he gave a speech. I thought the speech was superb. He touched on most all of the points that I find important for a President to address and he provided the masses with a vision of refining America and uniting to achieve something great and restore our place at the top. In the words of the great Ricky Bobby, "We? No, we are not French. We're American, because you're in America, okay? Greatest country on the planet."

Wrist Watches

2008-12-25T20:42:00.002-05:00

As if you could kill time without injuring eternity. ~ Henry David Thoreau

I'm fed up with people saying they are going to stop wearing wrist watches just because they can always tell time from their phones. The way I see it wrist watches were invented as an alternative to the pocket watch so people could tell the hour just by looking at their wrist, without having to dig into their pockets. The pocket search is further complicated when any one of the following variables is in effect: a) tight pants, b) overcoats in cold weather, c) proliferation of pocket goods (e.g. keys, candy, etc.).

The invention of the wrist watch is analogous to the new technology of the keyless entry and ignition. This key was invented to help people avoid the trouble, and occasional injury, of always reaching into your pocket and exposing your cuticles to the harsh materials. Ironically, by abandoning the wrist watch and reaching for the cell phone, people are literally rejecting science and technology.

Specs

2008-11-24T16:36:00.005-05:00

It looks like my computer-screen-intensive lifestyle has finally caught up with me... and not a moment too soon. On the east coast, you're a nobody if you don't wear glasses. You have to be a nerd to be heard. The experience at the eye doctor was all so sudden. He ran some tests and told me to respond "clear" or "blurry" and next thing I know, this young sales associate is telling me which frames look good on me and which don't. Suddenly, I now belong to this new society where you talk about books that you have read while wearing a vision-improving apparatus on your face. I was kind of nervous about the new look but preliminary feedback has been overwhelmingly positive--one person even plans to feign blurred vision at an eye exam. I think as long as I just continue wearing V-neck sweaters I'll be OK.

Fall TV: 30 Rock

2008-11-09T23:34:00.003-05:00

30 Rock has been crushing it so far in Season 3. The Oprah episode was wonderful. My favorite part was the ethical dilemma theme with Kenneth ("scenarios are like lying to your brain", and the elevator scene [tripped wire, hermetically sealed, oxygen enough for 8 people, unfortunately there are 7, I have replaced the emergency phone with a pistol loaded with 1 bullet] where Kenneth can't pull the trigger fast enough). So far this season has been pleasantly comical. I'm not sure if you saw last week's episode with Kathy and the soap operas but the scene up in the top floor where Jack and Liz were acting out a passionate soap scene and were on the brink of kissing was pretty fantastic.

Season 1 is definitely on par with (if not better than) what we've seen so far in season 3. Season 2, as with so many other sitcoms, felt a bit interrupted, possibly gimmicky at times (thanks to the writers' strike) but the raw wit and the character interaction and the topical satire remained strong. I highly recommend renting/acquiring season 1 (and 2). If you're looking for some greatest hits, I think my favorites from Season 1 were 'Jack Meets Dennis' and whatever the episode with Thomas Jefferson is called. They pretty much all have at least something redeeming about them.

Financial Meltdown

2008-09-19T18:18:00.003-04:00

As the financial markets came to a near collapse during the early part of this week, I, like so many others, found myself with head in hand. The Dow dropped nearly 500 points on Monday after Lehman's bankruptcy, Merril Lynch's merger, and AIG's troubling balance sheet came to light. Then, on Wednesday, stoked by investor pessimism, it dropped 450 points (4.1%) to finish at 10,609.66, its lowest closing level since Nov. 9, 2005. This led me to hastily sell off a sizable portion of my stock portfolio on Thursday morning--ironically, the market jumped about 400 points after I sold. The Fed announced that it plans to enact a bailout program which would take the bad assets off the balance sheets of financial companies, freeing them up to resume conducting business in a somewhat regular fashion, and restore some sense of trust and confidence between institutions. The market has reacted positively over the past 2 days but we'll see how this plays out long term.

The Bunkbed Series

2008-09-15T18:00:00.007-04:00

It comes down to this: 2 brothers, former bunkmates, separated across the nation, but united as family, forced to duke it out. In one corner, The Al Pedriques (Desmond B.) bolstered by Chase Utley, Justin Morneau, the ailing Vlad Guerrero, the surging Andre Ethier, and Cliff Lee. In the other corner, The Gordon Geckos (Twainfecta) a.k.a. The Wall St. Whammers who surged from 12th place to 4th place over the course of about 6 weeks just to get into the playoffs, and who now, miraculously, find themselves in this 2-week September Classic. The Geckos boast a lineup of Alfonso Soriano, Jimmy Rollins, Manny Ramirez, Dustin Pedroia, Nate McClouth, et al. And a pitching staff backed by Jon Lester, Brett Myers, Mike Mussina, and a bunch of mediocres.

As these brothers go tete a tete, the question on everyone's mind is: who will end up on top?

There's a New Look-Alike in Town

2008-08-17T13:21:00.011-04:00

Don't worry, Del Potro. I'm excited too.

Verlan L. from Eugene, OR, helped me find this gem. Looks like we'll have to add Juan Martin del Potro from Argentina to the list of look-alikes.

Prior Notables:

John Kerry
Tommy Reeve
Keith Gordon (Jason Melon from 'Back to School')

Please let us know who your lookalikes are by posting links in the comments section.

Say It Ain't So (Manny Ramirez: 2001-2008.5)

2008-08-05T00:13:00.005-04:00

It was tough seeing Manny starting to dog it these last few weeks in Boston. I'm not going to turn on him, and I will continue to be mesmerized every time I see him step to the plate; I just wish he would have done something that was morally redeeming after incuring the wrath of just about every sportswriter on the planet. Below is a good article by P. Gammons (a colleague of mine) that raises some pretty convincing criticisms of Manuel.

The deal that had to be done

Thursday, July 31, 2008 | Print Entry

The text message from Alex Cora came not long after the deal was done. "I am very sad," wrote Cora, one of the game's best and brightest people. "I am happy for him because he wanted it, but he is a great guy. He taught me a lot. I will miss him."

That is what's so sad about the way the Red Sox had to spend $7 million, and trade two very good young players named Brandon Moss and Craig Hansen, to be able to trade Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers so they could get Jason Bay from the Pirates. But the way the past month had gone, there was no chance -- none, zilch, nada -- that Boston could make the playoffs with Ramirez on the team. In his mind, he had completed his obligation for the guaranteed $168 million the Red Sox paid him, and he was waiting to go on the market and collect the $100 million over the next four seasons he believes he is going to get, which would pay him through the age of 40. He insulted ownership and everyone in authority, and one player who really cares for Ramirez said he knew Ramirez could sit the last two months, collect his final $7 million and ride off into the $100 million sunset. The Red Sox knew that, as well. They already had threatened him with an unpaid suspension, but in a world in which the union fights for those who don't work, the last two months were going to be a living hell of sit-down strikes, followed by suspensions. It would have been a half-season of what the past two weeks have been, namely a choke hold on the team's baseball culture. Ramirez tried to sit, citing his knee. Problem is, after Felix Hernandez and Joba Chamberlain had come and gone, the Red Sox ownership and medical staff ordered him to take an MRI. If Ramirez hadn't forgotten which knee was bothering him, he would have been more convincing, but he got mixed up. Massachusetts General Hospital performed MRIs on both knees and found nothing, and the next day, ownership served Ramirez with a written notice that if he did not play, he would be suspended without pay. Someday, when we really understand the whole 1980-2005 steroids era of which one admitted user says, "The only guys who didn't do them after 1994 were either stupid or scared," we might ask the question: Was it worse to take performance-enhancing drugs to perform better and win, or to decline to play and steal money? That is a question for another decade. The suspension threat was this past weekend, hence the "woe-is-me" stuff on Sunday and the absurd statements about a team that protected him time after time after time after time. But as soon as the deadline passed, if Ramirez were still with the Red Sox, there would have been one incident after another with Ramirez secure in knowing that he didn't have to play, hustle or give any regard to winning to collect his remaining $7 million. Anyone who was watching John Lackey's run at a no-hitter continue in the seventh inning Wednesday when Ramirez jogged to first in 5.7 seconds, realizes that he is one of those rare, gifted athletes who cares nothing about winning, about the integrity of the game or about his teammates. He can hit. Oh, there had been attempts to rid the club of Ramirez. At first, it was about the contract Jeff Moorad snookered from Dan Duquette when no one else was bidding, a contract Ramirez decided he wouldn't abide by in the eighth year. The Sox put him on waivers. No one claimed him. They tried to trade him for Alex Rodriguez, but the union killed that. They tried to trade him to the Mets after the 2004 World Series, then at the 2005 deadline for a package that included Lastings Milledge and Clifford Floyd, but those deals fell through. And they won two World Series with him. But this season became a nightmare when Ramirez's attention span turned to the next four years, to the next contract. General managers said this past weekend that Red Sox GM Theo Epstein had begun calling around trying to get interest in the hitting machine, but by Wednesday night, there were but two teams, the Marlins and Dodgers. The way Boston looked at it was that, fine, Ramirez was gone, and Bay seemed the best replacement with his season averages of 32 homers and 102 RBIs. To get him at the end of the season would have cost more than Moss and Hansen, so they did the deal now. Their feeling was that if Bay adjusts to Boston right away, and they settle their bullpen, they will contend. They do not think they would have contended with their $20 million player on strike. Florida made every honest effort to get him. On Wednesday night, the Marlins thought they were getting Ramirez and Pirates reliever John Grabow for Jeremy Hermida, second baseman-third baseman Chris Coghlan and left-handed pitcher Taylor Tankersley, who would have gone to the Pirates with a Boston prospect for Bay. The Red Sox had agreed to add $2 million, so they were paying $9 million plus a prospect to do Ramirez-for-Bay. Pittsburgh wanted more in the deal, while Florida never wavered. The Pirates wanted another package, which was filled by getting Andy LaRoche and right-handed pitcher Bryan Morris as well as Hansen and Moss. It was a very good package for Bay, a package that frees cash to sign top draft pick Pedro Alvarez. Hansen and Moss were this year's Matt Murton, without whom the Red Sox could not have made the Nomar Garciaparra deal in 2004 that led to a championship. Ramirez should be great in L.A. The Dodgers need the bat. Joe Torre and Don Mattingly are perfect for him. He helps maligned young players such as Matt Kemp and James Loney. The Dodgers essentially got Ramirez and Casey Blake with the Red Sox and Indians paying their salaries. Ramirez will be there for only two or three months, and Torre won't have to live with the compromises that ate at Terry Francona. It'll be a nice stop en route to Cooperstown. Ramirez can blame Larry Lucchino as the reason for not running out ground balls or ducking Hernandez and Chamberlain or sitting out the last five weeks of 2006 when David Ortiz and his teammates needed him, and some of the L.A. media will sympathize. The Angels continually prove that baseball is not a computer game but a human sport, and the gap between Ramirez's numbers and performance widened this season as he became obsessed with his next contract. It is sad, sad that he trashed Francona and those who tried to coddle him to the point that one of the best managers of his time lost weight and sleep trying to live with what he had to allow Ramirez to do, including deck the traveling secretary. It is sad because most of us will always like Manny Ramirez, because the best people on the team -- guys such as Cora, Ortiz and Mike Lowell -- tried to make it work and cared. In the end, though, Ramirez listened to and cared about no one when it came to the next $100 million. He "tased" the 2008 team because management wouldn't pay him $100 million for four years. Now he has a chance to be happy, his back turned on the team with which he won two rings, a team that on Thursday turned the page and, in many ways, is morphing into a team far, far different from the Idiots of 2004, one built around Josh Beckett and Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia and Jonathan Papelbon and Jon Lester.

MLB All-Star Game: 2008 (Yankee Stadium)

2008-07-16T18:09:00.003-04:00

Watching the Allstar game in the top of the 13th now. Let’s just end this thing. I can’t believe Aaron Cook escaped 3 innings with no damage. I guess Clint Hurdle isn’t really sweating it if the NL doesn’t get homefield advantage in the World Series. The 2 force-outs at home followed by the acrobatic Tejada play from Short in the 10th. Then the McClouth throw-out from centerfield in the 11th.

I’m glad that the game wasn’t decided on the run that Papelbon gave up in the 8th since everyone in NY misinterpreted Papelbon’s comments to mean that he thinks he should close the game instead of Mariano Rivera. We would have been hearing about the Papelbon/Mariano drama for weeks to come, and people like me would have been contesting, “well if Navarro would have helped out Papelbon with a throw-out instead of a throw-away, like he did for Mariano, then this would be a different story.”

Uggla just made like his 5th error in the bottom of the 13th, and Joe Buck and Tim McCarver are tyring to make excuses for him. It’s too bad for Uggla too cause Ken Rosenthal was talking earlier about Uggla and his dad used to come to Yankee Stadium to watch the greats and his father had always wished that his son would play a game in Yankee Stadium. He reminds me of a rattled Kevin Elster when he subbed in at shortstop in game 6 of the 86’ World Series.

Carlos Quentin strikes out and we’re going into the 14th inning. While I don’t disagree with the format for MLB tiebreakers—extra innings—I think that maybe for the All-Star game they could do something creative. Maybe a bat-throwing contest. Or a 3-on-3 butts-up game. Which brings me to another idea. What do you think about replacing Soccer shoot-outs with a best-of-5 3-on-2 midfield attack? I think you’d see some more spectacular plays and the better team would end up on top more often. Any other sports that need tie-breaker improvements? Ping-Pong: check. Football: NFL should mimic the NCAA format. Tennis: maybe a one-on-one dodgeball contest.

Webb comes in for the 14th inning. Lineout, strikeout, strikeout. On to the 15th.

Brad Lidge comes on in the bottom of the 15th after Kazmir gets the job done in the top half of the inning. Leadoff hit for Morneau. I was about ready to give up on the game and go to bed but I just heard that Kazmir is the last available pitcher for the AL and he just threw on Sunday. That means that if the NL can extend it one more inning, we might be headed for a pitching matchup of Jason Varitek vs. Russell Martin. J.D. Drew up at the plate with 1 out and runners on 1st and 2nd. I’ve got a good feeling about this. Put me down for J.D. Drew as MVP. Drew walks. Bases loaded. Michael Young up to bat. I’m still voting for J.D. Drew cause Michael Young is going to do something undramatic for the win.

…Michael Young mid-length popfly to right and Morneau tags and scores. Game over. AL wins, again. 11 straight.

Summer Flicks

2008-07-16T18:09:00.002-04:00

Hollywood has finally come through with some good movies after a seemingly quiet first half of the year. July in particular is showing a lot of promise.

Hellboy II (July 11) – I saw this movie on opening weekend with some Del Toro fans. I left the theater very happy and we all agreed that II was better than I. I guess that ringing endorsement might not be so compelling to some of you. Let me explain. Hellboy is not just some cheap-thrill horror film. Hellboy is the code name given to the red, horned infant who was rescued by an American research team from the clutches of a Nazi Rasputin experiment. He grows up and joins the Bureau of Paranormal Research & Defense in order to defend the human race in a behind-the-scenes, light-hearted kind of way. Hellboy is a man’s man with a sense of humor and cynicism. This latest movie does a good job of exploring internal dilemmas and it has a great plot with a complex conflict and only partial resolution.

Batman – The Dark Knight (July 18) – I’m still not convinced that this movie is going to deliver like I hope it will, and like the first one delivered. But I’m excited to see it anyways, and maybe it will be awesome. Heath Ledger’s role as the Joker is intriguing to say the least. Maggie Gylenhall doesn’t turn me on which is OK, I guess. As far as Batman paramours, I don’t think anyone will ever top Kim Basinger as Vicki Vale in the Tim Burton version. Maggie G. and Katie Holmes (Batman Begins) just lack that mysterious dark side which is so essential in the world of Bruce Wayne.

X-Files – I Want to Believe (July 25) – I have no idea what the plot or the inspiration for this movie is. But I saw a cool billboard with the iconic flashlight “X” and shadows of the two agents, Mulder and Scully. That was enough for me. In other words, I want to believe.

(Also Neil Young and friends are coming out with a politically charged movie, ‘CSNY: Déjà vu’, later this month. It’s sure to be a smash hit.)

i Year Anniversary

2008-07-15T18:07:00.000-04:00

It was exactly one year ago when I sprang for the revolutionary mobile device that is the iPhone. Overall, the experience has been excellent. Having a calendar, a notepad, a picture viewer, instant email, web and map access, and other features that are both productive and enjoyable in their use make it a life-changing, life-improving technological advancement. And that’s saying nothing of the impressive iPod integration, the video capabilities, media streaming, and the actual phone itself. I have definitely been a satisfied customer, but there have been a few annoyances:

Obnoxiously soft speakerphone
Recessed headphone jack
Occasionally inaccurate “Current Location” on Google Maps
Problems crashing to the home screen when using iPod and Safari simultaneously.

But now that the iPhone 3G is out, I imagine all these items will be resolved. I may need to get one. I’m not certain on the crashing issue but I know the headphone jack issue has been resolved, the GPS will be a big plus on the new model, and the volume on the speakerphone I know has at least been addressed.

By my calculations the new iPhone will cost an extra $360 over the course of 24 months ($10 extra for data, and $5 extra to maintain 200 text messages). And with the 1st generation used iPhone fetching upwards of $300 on ebay (people are still willing to pay top dollar for last year’s model due to it’s ability to be unlocked), it’s hard to stand pat. My only question is whether or not it’s worth it to hold out for a 32GB model.

R.E.M. Accelerate Concert

2008-06-12T00:20:00.007-04:00

No, that's not a command to the Georgia rock band to wrap things up, 'Accelerate' is the name of the most recent album that they're showcasing on tour right now. I just came back from their show in Merriweather, MD, still on a bit of an R.E.M. high, quite possibly partially due to the excessive amount of gonja that was passing hands in the back corner close to where I found myself situated. In my opinion, the concert was a big success and I'm glad I shelled out the $40 and endured the 1.5 hr drive. I don't consider myself a huge R.E.M. fan but I feel like they're doing things now that are on par with what they put out at the height of their fame, and just as relevant politically and socially. Anyways here's an abridged setlist with some commentary. (Buy/acquire the newest album when you get a chance.)

The Finest Hour - The band sounded OK but Stipe was a little out of tune. I was kind of surprised to see this from such a seasoned performer.
Living Well Is The Best Revenge (new) - starting to get into the groove
It's Been A Bad Day - I noticed that Stipe plays the harmonica just about as well as I do (make sure you've got the right key and blow then suck, occasionally moving your mouth from left to right to left). It's interesting, though, how no matter how good or bad you are, when you produce a harmonica from your pocket you're guaranteed to draw some cheers and excitement from the crowd.
What's The Frequency Kenneth - Who doesn't love this song?
Then they performed a 3-song miniset dedicated to the people of the Washington, D.C. area: a) Ignoreland - about the hostage crisis that brought in the Reagan administration apparently; b) Man-Sized Wreath (new); c) Little America
Houston (new) - It's never too late (2008) to take a stab at Bush for his mismanagement of the Katrina disaster
Electrolite - I wasn't aware that this song is essentially an ode to L.A. It made me like it more than I already did.
Firehouse - awesome
[Acoustic Set] - nice touch
Orange Crush - now we're getting nostalgic, baby. Instant crowd energy with this song. Complemented nicely by one of those loudspeaker things that P.E. teachers started using in the mid 90's... megaphone??
Mr. Richards (new) - apparently about how we allow ourselves to be governed by people we not only don't like, but altogether despise... whatever. I like this song a lot.
Fall On Me - I didn't recognize this song but probably should have. They played it with guest guitarist Johnny Marr (of The Smiths, now playing with Modest Mouse). It had a smooth, rhythmic beat to it.

Check out the new posts on 'Trifecta's Blog'
Also, the addition of 'Dorfman's Blog'

Musingszzzzah

2008-05-29T23:06:00.004-04:00

Just got back from the traditional trip to Duck Beach, Outer Banks, that all the LDS hotshots who live on the east coast go to. It was tons of fun. I calculated that between the 600 or so of us that met up out there we accounted for about a $100k jolt to the local economy (roughly $150 all in per person). Some coworkers of mine were cracking up that you could get hundreds of people aged 21-29 together for a beach party weekend and keep booze out of the equation. One of my coworkers was telling me about something called a "No Shower Happy Hour". I skipped out on the big volleyball tournament but I did go sea kayaking with Valerie W. We decided to head out towards a water tower in the distance but I think we misjudged the total distance a bit. What I had expected would be about a half-hour excursion ended up being a 3.5 hour voyage with the wind against us on the way back. My sparsely sunscreened back did not appreciate the extra time in the sun. I ended up with an odd-looking sunburn; like a large-scale version of Gorbachev's birthmark.

Found some new albums to digest: Elvis Costello - Momofuku, and Mudcrutch (Tom Petty). I'm a sucker for buying records of people that have proven themselves in the past. I will buy any Neil Young album at this point, even if the hit single were, "Don't buy my record". The Costello album is really cool. I'm impressed that he was able to reach back and pull out a lot of the classic sound and the angular voice from days past. The Mudcrutch album is just OK, so far. Two or three songs warranted a skip but it was otherwise enjoyable. Sounds to me like Tom Petty is trying to get back to the Florida deep South sound he started with. I appreciate more and more an album that you can mindlessly listen to the whole way through without being either annoyed by some particular tracks or overly engaged in others. I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing. The newest R.E.M. installment is also very cool--I don't think I mentioned that in a previous post.

Desmond B. got me signed up on Netflix and I still haven't watched any of the movies that I've rented. I'm trying to decide if I should cancel the membership once the trial period is over. The intriguing bit is that you can also rent Blurays from their service for the same price as regular DVD's. I guess I should buy a Bluray player and then not watch rented DVD's on that either.

I'm preferring Amazon MP3 store to iTunes store lately. The quality is higher if I'm not mistaken, most albums seem to be cheaper, and they are all DRM-free.

Saw an outdoor production of Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring last week. The video was shown on a theater-sized screen and they had a live symphony, and some soloists, and Tongan sit-ins performing the score. The audio enhancement was quite a treat. It wasn't the extended version so we didn't get to see anything like the Boromir Pert Plus commercial that shows up in #3.

Premium gas is north of $4.00/g around here. I'm thinking of either getting a hybrid or sleeping at the office Monday-Friday.

Future So Dim

2008-04-30T23:38:00.000-04:00

In 2005 the Suns lost 4-1 in the Western Conference Finals. In 2007 it was the Robert Horry incident at the end of game 4 and the Suns lost the next two games. In 2008 things were almost looking good. We had beaten the Spurs 3-1 in the regular season series and we had started game 1 in complete control, leading by double digits for most of the game. Then the entire season ended with one ill-fated shot. Tim Duncan's OT buzzer-beater 3-pointer. His first 3-pointer in the last 2 seasons. I think that shot ended the game, the series, the season, possibly the era of the Phoenix Suns. I strongly dislike the Spurs. I have nothing more to say.

DC: Land of Dudes & Chicks

2008-03-17T00:24:00.005-04:00

Living in the land of dudes and chicks has been a great experience so far. The work load is drastically heavier, dating activity has increased exponentially (thanks to a near 2:1 female to male ratio in the local ward), and video game hours logged are way down. Things I miss from the West coast:

Mexican Food - there's nothing out here to fill the Ajo Al's / Julio's void. I would say I miss In N' Out but they do offer 5 Guys Burgers out here. East Coasters rave about it. I'll admit it's pretty good but a little too heavy and greasy--even for me.
Straight-shot roads. Sometimes I think I'm following directions only to later realize that I somehow managed to merge onto a wrong road without making any turns or anything. It drives me nuts.
Phoenix Suns games at a decent hour - they mostly play from 10:30 to 1:00 a.m. so when they lose I'm extra upset.
Proximity to family and my blogmate, Trifecta. Though the virtual connection methods (e.g. video chat, Xbox live) alleviate that somewhat.

Music Thoughts:

Panda Bear 'Person Pitch' is one of the best albums of 2007. Vocals eerily similar to Beach Boys but a lot of thick, building, musical layers.

Rhymefest 'Man In The Mirror' is pretty fun. 'Fest does a few very cool covers of Michael Jackson songs and even creates some comical fake conversations with the King of Pop himself.

Scott Walker 'Scott 4'. This album came out in 1969 but I'm liking it in 2008. Thom Yorke cites him as one of Radiohead's biggest influences; songs like "How To Disappear Completely".

Sports Thoughts:

March Madness starts on Thursday. BYU got an 8 seed which will make it tough for them to make it past the 2nd round. UofA got a 10 seed and ASU got snubbed. I guess I'll also be rooting for Georgetown this year; I believe they got a 2 seed. I'd like to root for UCLA but they haven't looked convincing throughout the season from what I've seen. I guess UNC has the deepest team but even they barely squeaked past VA Tech the other day. I expect this year to have a lot more "upsets" than last year as there's a little more parity from team to team since such a deep pool of talent got snatched up to play for the NBA after last season.

MLB is just around the corner. This year I'll be able to see NL games in the new Washington Nationals stadium and AL games in nearby Camden Yards in Baltimore. This is a perfect setup. I just hope I can come across some tickets that are as cheap (free) as they were going to Dbacks games last year.

Suns are finally coming into form, and not a moment too soon. I'm gonna be severely put out if we end up with a better record than the Jazz but end up with a 5 seed or below just because of the stupid divisional setup. The Jazz are gay. How much longer can the madness continue for the Houston Rockets. I just watched them beat the Lakers for their 22nd straight win. Keep in mind Yao Ming is out for the rest of the season and it just so happened in this particular game that Tracy McGrady started out shooting 0-9. Something freaky is going on there. They match up against the Celtics tomorrow and the Suns on Saturday. I'll be watching to see how long the streak continues. The Wizards could be a serious threat in the East if Gilbert Arenas comes back soon enough to be a factor by the time playoffs start.

Cross Country Morale Chart

2008-02-12T19:55:00.000-05:00

Cross-Country Blog Log: That Ol' Highway's A Callin' (Part III)

2008-01-19T21:59:00.000-05:00

Raleigh

Now second guessing our plans to hit the beaches up the coast (Charleston, SC, and Outer Banks, NC), we were hit with heavy indecision. Des proposed a more direct route through Raleigh, NC, but neither of us could think of anything worth seeing there. After deliberating for about 25 frustrating minutes like a couple that wants to break up but nobody can say anything decisive enough to make it happen, I gave in to Desi saying, "Raleigh it is... I know it's what you wanted". Meanwhile, the stressful delay and the uncertainty that lay ahead was taking its toll on our morale (as clearly shown on the Pace and Des Morale chart) but we quickly countered with several consecutive episodes of 24 (season 3) that catapulted us back to healthy morale levels. By the time we got into Raleigh our suspicions had been confirmed and there truly was nothing to see. We ate at the Olive Garden and made our way over to our 2-tv, cabin hotel. Through the miracle of WiFi we were able to download Radiohead's 'In Rainbows CD2' which was the ultimate godsend. Then we turned on the tube and watched 'Romeo Must Die' with Jet Li, which had just the right mix of cheesy villains, quirky fight scenes, a fairly complicated plot, and a funny black guy, that my dad would have totally been glued to the tv with this one.

Before departing Raleigh we figured we owed it to the town to at least stop by UNC and Duke since we were so close. UNC was pretty cool I guess but we couldn't find anything (Dean Smith Center, some sort of bookstore, a food court) and there was no place to park. We ended up just kind of repeating the same figure-8 formation through the campus roads, never really seeing anything new but sure we would stumble into something. Eventually we did stumble into something: The Planetarium. This was even lamer than you might expect. There was not a single tour guide or fellow observer. We ran into a couple of construction workers and a half-asleep cashier and decided to book it before any pamphlets or questionnaires were forced upon us. The decision not to continue on and see Duke University ended up being one of the highlights of our time in Raleigh.

Our Nation's Capital

Made the final ascent and arrived at our destination in Arlington at about 8:00 p.m. My new place came with only about a 10-inch tv and we wanted to watch the Suns game at 10:30 so we decided to head out to Jeff's house in Baltimore. This 45-minute drive ended up taking about 2 hours due to some factors on which I won't go into detail--suffice it to say Des did some great navigating up until this point. Fortunately, we were still able to catch the 2nd half and then we slept over and enjoyed some delicious variations of Frosted Flakes in the morning before heading back. The journey officially came to a close when I dropped Des off at the airport on Sunday morning. Now I'm just doing my best to adjust to late work nights, $18/day parking fees, chilly weather, and life in the land of "dudes and chicks" (D.C.).

*Trip Stats:
Total Drive Time: 46:30
Avg MPH: 65
MPG: 31

Cross-Country Blog Log: That Ol' Highway's A Callin' (Part II)

2008-01-03T10:42:00.001-05:00

New Orleans

Survived the drive from SA to NO thanks to some intense calisthenic exercises, tandem style. Arrived at the Marriott hotel around 9:00 pm; still plenty of time to get our NOLA New Year's groove on. Was almost tempted to stay in for the night since this hotel had FREE WI-FI!! Made our way into the French Quarter around 9:30 and after parking about a mile away, suddenly found ourselves in the vortex of sin: Bourbon St. But the drunkards and the thumpers were actually really amusing and energetic, and there were some really cool live jazz bands blaring through the cafe windows. Then we waited in line for a while to get in the Cafe Chartres where we had jambalaya, fried shrimp, and spicy hush puppies. Counted down the final 10 seconds on St. Peter + Decatur St. near Jackson Park and then watched a fireworks display by the bridge. It was a lot of fun. Desi did his best to let everyone know that "2007 sucks". Like most parties involving alcohol this one left its fair share of teary-eyed damsels in its wake and we witnessed at least one awesome heated argument between a couple. It left me curious, do these guys chose to drop relationship bombs on their girlfriends immediately following the start of the new year. Shouldn't there be like at least a 2-hour grace period in which neither party shall be allowed to deliver any serious relationship blows? Anyways, I enjoyed myself.

Pensacola

Made our way through Mobile, AL without getting the Memphis blues--team morale was still at a favorable level. Arrived at Pensacola around 3:00 pm and couldn't decide where to dine. There was a Mexican place called La Hacienda which supposedly had "the only salsa in town" so we had to determine if we wanted any salsa for lunch. We stopped at a Gulf of Mexico beach park to weigh our options and scope out the coast. We were approached by this bum in the first two places we parked so we got back in the car and looked for a spot that was a little more remote. We got close to the water and it was freezing and windy. We walked closer to the ledge and I asked Des what it would take him to go swimming in it. He answered $100. I countered with 2 gift cards valued at $90.10 (after activation fees) and he accepted. I couldn't stop laughing at the thought of it and then he was suddenly completely submerged. As he raced back to get out of the water another bum rode by on his bike and declared that Des's manliness exceeded that of his own (in not so many words). Once that little adventure was over, we had burned enough time that Outback would now be open for dinner. Once they opened the doors we rushed in to beat the senior couple and enjoyed a delicious meal before pressing on to Jacksonville.

Jacksonville

Stayed at an oceanfront Marriott Fairfield on the cheap. It was OK. The hot tub in the morning was nice except for the chilly wind which prompted us to cut our dry off short and just run inside the hotel still sopping wet. Once showered and checked out we walked over to the beach and endured it for about 10 minutes until a blistering cold gust of wind picked up. So this is why people don't go to the beach in the winter... My source has just informed me that Florida is experiencing its lowest temperatures since 1928. Yikes.

Cross-Country Blog Log: That Ol' Highway's A Callin' (Part I)

2008-01-01T11:10:00.000-05:00

Tucson (12/29/07)

Official departure from the Creighton & Melissa B. residence (formally that of Li Farn Tang) at 7:15 p.m. We raced to get to Mark & Mika L's house before 10:00 pm so we could enjoy some delicious Sonoran hot dogs. Unfortunately, we were too late and the stand had closed early as we're now in the cold months. But Mark invoked his internal map of Mexican hot dog stands around town and we followed his backup routes. The 2nd stand was closed too but we struck it rich on the 3rd. The three of us marked twain on the spicy dogs and went back to the house to chat and watch Star Wars III (my favorite of the 2 trilogies). We liked the line where Anakin tells Padme, "our love won't save you, only my new powers can do that." We stayed the night there and Mika most graciously offered us waffles and eggs before we darted off to 8:30 church. She also gave us chocolate-covered twig snacks (the equivalent of lamus bread to the hobbits) and spicy japanese trail mix which didn't taste half as good as it normally does (don't buy 片仮名 brand). A great start to the trip and props to the Mark & Mika B&B establishment.

We left sacrament meeting a few minutes early so we could beat the big church rush, and so Des could practice on the clutch in the parking lot. We stopped for gas at a heavily advertised (a comical amount of billboards) fireworks store. Tempted to buy some $25 leather jackets and genuine moccasins but ended up resisting. I used the stinky torture chamber of a restroom and opted not to wash my hands believing that in the end the trade off of exiting the bathroom sooner would result in less total germs. We're assuming this gas station was somewhere in New Mexico... You do have to pass through NM to get to Texas right?

Lunched in El Paso at the Outback. As was to be expected the food was delicious, but Des was infuriated by the exorbitant amount of ice cubes hogging up precious coke-glass volume. This was appropriately accounted for in the tip.

After 11 hrs 50 min of straight-shot, foot-free cruise-control driving we arrived at the $100/night dump of a Motel 6.

San Antonio (12/30/07)

Enjoyed some local breakfast cuisine at the McDonald's and patronized the attached "Red Box" DVD vending machine (these $1 rental machines are ideal for brothers [or sisters] on road trips as you can return them at most McD's around the country). Then we drove into town on Houston St. and parked somewhere near the Alamo. The Alamo wasn't all that impressive in stature or anything but it was fun to walk around and read some snippets of the history of Travis and Santa Anna and Bowie and all that. The weather was ideal too (almost a lack of weather) which made it very enjoyable.

After taking in the sights of the Alamo we crossed the street to a place of historical significance which rivals, nay trumps the significance of the Alamo: The Guiness Book of World Records museum. Here we learned about the smallest dog ever, the most drum beats in a minute, and tons of other useless records. I will say I was disappointed not to see a display of probably the most famous GBWR character, the man with the longest finger nails.

Then we just walked around for a bit until we stumbled upon the "Riverwalk". This was much cooler than anticipated. It meanders all over the place and there are lots of cool, breezy cafes and eateries along the banks of the shaded river. We got some pizza and Orange Juliuses and just enjoyed ourselves for a good while before running back to the car to beat the parking meter and be on our way to New Orleans. Despite the negative connotation from the Spurs, San Antonio was much better than we both expected.

Drive or Fly?

2007-12-19T00:34:00.000-05:00

The house where I'm moving to in Crystal City, VA

Greetings. And happy holidays. After 3 months of roughing it the house at 8300 finally got internet from the putzes at Cox Communications. Unfortunately, I'll have only exactly 3 days to enjoy it--I'm moving to DC for a job with The Carlyle Group starting Jan 7 and the movers are coming to pick up my stuff on Dec. 20th. (Please note, this lack of household internet has been a key reason for Trifecta's and my recent blogging inactivity--Trifecta was even inspired to write a post about it titled, "Facts about not wanting to write on your blog cause you don't have internet", but this never panned out due to deterrents previously mentioned.

So now I'm faced with a difficult decision of driving or flying and I'm looking for advice from the readers. I've had some people say it's the chance of a lifetime to drive across country on somebody else's dime (I have a relocation allowance) and then I've had other people tell me a drive that long would be "torture" and "idiotic". Let me paint the picture:

I can fly out on Jan 3 ($500) and have my car shipped up ($1900) for a grand total of $2400.
I can drive across the country with my brother Des B. for the cost of gas ($50 x 9 gal = $450) + Motel ($100 x 4 nights = $400) + Food ($60 x 5 days = $300) + Flight back for Des B ($500) for a grand total of roughly $1650.

Day 1 (Dec 30): Phoenix to San Antonio
Day 2 (New Years Eve): New Orleans
Day 3 (Jan 1): Pensacola, FL, and Charleston, SC
Day 4 (Jan 2): Outer Banks, NC
Day 5 (Jan 3): Washington DC

What do you recommend? What are my oversights? What are your PR's for distances traveled? I have to decide by Wednesday 12/17.

I Want This Car

2007-11-14T20:07:00.001-05:00

My pal Trifecta is keeping his fingers crossed for the Saleen S7, but I’m willing to settle for this little gem making its USA debut sometime in the Spring of 2008. The BMW 1 Series will come in two models—the 128i and the 135i. The 128i features a 220-hp engine and will start at roughly $26k. And the 135i boasts a 300-hp engine (0-62 mph in 5.3 seconds) and starts at $31k.

Basically, the 1 series is BMW’s USA-friendly version of the European compact car. It’s about time Americans got on board with the less is more philosophy. I can understand wanting a Suburban or a Club Wagon for big families or if you’re hauling stuff, but the average U.S. consumer needs to reevaluate his/her roadway needs. Every time I see a single-manned H2 or Ford Expedition or some other gas guzzling behemoth, I cringe at the inefficiency. Little known fact: Millionaire and litigator extraordinaire, Leo Beus, owns several sport and luxury cars but his transportation of choice for his daily commute from Ahwatukee to Scottsdale is the Toyota Prius, because it allows him access to the HOV lane and it gets between 40 and 60 MPG.
Mercedes made its US compact foray in 2001 with the Sportcoupe, a smaller, three-door version of the popular C-class, but they experienced lackluster sales due to high prices and (at that time) less sensitivity to fuel prices and environmental conditions and they stopped selling the model in the U.S. in 2005. But since then the Mini Cooper—which is made by BMW and was launched in the U.S. in 2002—has proved consumers will buy well-designed premium small cars. In 2006, the company sold 39,171 of its Mini Cooper models, currently the smallest car on the U.S. market. The 1 Series will fill the void between the zany Mini Cooper and the pricey 3 Series, both in size and in target markets.

I’m still not sure what the fuel efficiency statistics are for the BMW 1 Series but from what I’ve seen so far, I want this car.

Notes:

Motor Trend Review - BMW 1 Series

Wall Street Journal Article - "Small is Big in Luxury Cars"
I also think the new Honda Accord is pretty cool. And it’s surprisingly powerful to boot.

RE: RIP MLB

2007-11-02T20:20:00.001-04:00

So JTL couldn’t see the beauty in the Red Sox’s road to the championship. I guess he wasn’t impressed by the (h)uuuge Manny Ramirez walk-off homer in game 2 of the ALDS off one of the toughest closers in K-Rod, or by Boston overcoming a 3-1 deficit thanks to one of the more brilliant pitching performances (Josh Beckett 8IP, 1ER, 11K) I’ve ever witnessed, or by doing what no National League team could do: slay the purple Barneys and put an end to the Rockies’ incredible (but annoying) streak of 21 wins in their last 22 games. Admittedly, it was an amazing feat and I’m glad that the people of Colorado were able to witness it (though I would bet about 80% of the fans didn’t even realize they had a streak going until they won about 10 straight) but by no means was the baseball world ready to accept the COLORADO ROCKIES as its crowned victor. That would have been the real tragedy. There are few things worse than a team building up momentum, dominating their opponents, and then inexplicably crumbling on the championship stage (see 2006 Detroit Tigers, 05/06 Dallas Mavericks). The Red Sox were the right team to win the 2007 World Series. They were the best from the beginning to the end and they had the character, the talent, and the drive to be the champs.

OK, so you’re going to say, “yeah, they deserved to be the champs, but only because they paid the hefty price tag”. Well that may be true but can you blame a team for making every attempt to reward its devoted fans with the one thing they covet: a championship. The MLB, just like the NBA and the NFL, is a business, and to the extent that spending gobs of money makes sense from a business model perspective and you can absorb the payroll and handle the 40-cents-on-the-dollar luxury tax, then why not play to compete? I applaud the Red Sox and the Yankees and the other high rollers for finding creative ways to work around the barriers (TV contracts, merchandise revenue, paying $51 million non-refundable just so your opponents can’t negotiate with an international pitching phenom, etc.). The one thing the MLB has taught is that teams that want to win will find ways to win.

And if you’re upset about the Yanks & Sox snatching all the attention, you should be happy to hear about all the drama being shifted over to L.A. I’ll admit, the 07 series was a downer if you didn’t happen to be a Sox fan or a Rockies hater, but that’s no reason to blow up about the state of the game. The Red Sox were bound to get all the attention they did by sweeping the World Series, and when the sport’s biggest superstar decides to stick it to one of the most storied franchises at the same time, then as a sports fan you’re just going to have to endure some Sox/Yanks coverage.

Let’s take a look at the most recent winners of the World Series and where they ranked on the highest team payroll list:

2001 (Diamondbacks #8)
2002 (Angels #15)
2003 (Marlins #25 at $48MM)
2004 (Red Sox #2)
2005 (White Sox #13 vs Astros #12)
2006 (Cardinals #11 vs Tigers #14)
2007 (Red Sox #2 vs Rockies #25; runners-up: Diamondbacks #26; and Indians #23)

Comments:

Out of 30 total MLB franchises, the 25th highest-paid team, the 2003 Florida Marlins, beat the Yankees in 6; In 2007, 3 of the final 4 teams were in the BOTTOM quartile salary wise; Only one team has won twice since 2000
In the NFL, the Patriots won 3 years straight until the Colts won last year. This year? Looks like it will be the Colts or Pats.
In the NBA, the Spurs have won 3 times in the past 5 years

Here are some things that suck about the NFL that don’t suck about MLB:

Too often, the final outcome comes down to a pesky, little, single-coil-helmet, mismatching-shoes, cupless, padless, field goal kicker who probably used to get picked last on the playground. The NFL needs to enforce a rule that field goals are illegal once you reach the 2-min mark in the 4th quarter.
The Challenge thing has gotten out of hand. So the game already lasts like 4 hours with only 20 or so minutes of real, onfield action. Now some dude throws a little red flag out of his pocket and the refs go into some space travel simulator machine and spend like 5 minutes watching replays even though everyone in America already knows the real outcome. I hope baseball doesn’t allow for replay reviews. Being subject to the refs/umpires and their human imperfection is part of sports.
The whole calling a timeout right before a field goal attempt is annoying
Helmet-banging, muscle-flexing, touchdown-dancing abound…much too much.

Here are some things that suck about the NBA that don’t suck about MLB:

Contact sport. I think they should reduce the foul limit to 3 per player. Too many players just break up the flow of what would otherwise be a beautiful game when they hack someone going up for a bucket just because they have 6 fouls to give. Nobody ever thinks they committed a foul and they always think they got fouled when they’re running back up the court jawing off to the ref. That’s why I’ve enjoyed watching Kevin Durant so far. He just plays his game and leaves the officiating to the refs. I wonder how long it will last. I also hate the charge/block call. I don’t know what the solution is for that one.
The tattoos are getting out of control. I think the Denver Nuggets have like 200 tattoos between them. The only cool tattoos are Tom Gugliota’s barbed wire tattoo and Stephen Jackson’s new tattoo of the Warriors logo across his torso.

I’m not down on the NFL or the NBA. I just think that baseball is still beautiful and the Red Sox winning is no reason to think less of the game. 4 straight lopsided world series just has people in a tizzy.
Red Sox payroll
NBA 06/07 Team Salaries
NFL 2006 Team Salaries
MLB 2007 Team Salaries

Back On Top

2007-10-29T19:12:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to the 2007 Boston Red Sox, winners of the 103rd World Series. Now with their 7th title they are only 19 away from the Yankees’ 26 titles. Suddenly, with the way these two teams are heading, that doesn’t seem like such an insurmountable disparity. Since losing to the Diamondbacks in a game 7 come-from-behind victory, the Yankees have reached the postseason 6 times and have lost all 6 times, advancing to the World Series only once. Last night, as the Sox were about 6 outs away from winning their 2nd world series in 4 years, Ken Rosenthal reported that Alex Rodriguez, who is widely considered “the best baseball player”, would opt out of his contract and would be leaving the Yankees based on uncertainty about the organization’s future—namely the expiring contracts of Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, and the departure of Joe Torre.

As I digested what this news implied about the Yankees-Red Sox dynamic, the Sox’s 4-1 lead narrowed to 4-3 in the 8th inning off a Garret Atkins 2-run homer served up by Hideki Okajima (who just happened to be overworked but otherwise had a phenomenal postseason). Fortunately, the new and improved curse-free Sox don’t let anything break their spirits in this post-2004 ALCS era, and they called on Jonathon Papelbon who came in and shut down the Rockies plain and simple, retiring 5 straight batters, including a strikeout on Seth Smith to seal the victory.

In the post-game analysis Peter Gammons was asked about the irony of an A-Rod announcement on the same day as the clinching game of the World Series and called Rodriguez out as a “buyer beware” commodity who’s more into the A-Rod show than the game itself. He went on to basically call him a loser who isn’t able to win the big game. With a potential vacancy at third base for the Red Sox in Mike Lowell (who, thankfully, Theo Epstein says he’s sure they’ll resign), is this the kind of guy I want on the team? I’ll pass. Better to let him exit the AL East and do his regular season damage elsewhere just in time to forget his bat when the postseason rolls around.

Anyways, I’m getting off topic here. The important thing to note is that the Red Sox dominated the 2007 regular season just as they dominated the 2007 post season, and the emergence of their young players (Pedroia, Ellsbury, Papelbon, Lester, Buchholz) along with their incorporation of the Asian world (via Matsuzaka and Okajima and their interpreter who gets to sit in the dugout) and the consistency of their veteran players all indicate that they’re just going to get better and better. Meanwhile, the Yankees just had an ugly fallout with one of the most successful managers of all time, had their collective face spat upon by the game’s best player, and are left just hoping that some of their unsigned players still value the Yankee mystique enough to re-sign. The Yanks still have plenty of up-and-comers stashed away and I’m sure the Steinbrenner Sons won’t just squander the franchise but it will be interesting to see not only if the Evil Empire has the patience to sacrifice some championships to develop their youngsters, but also if they can regain their former swagger.

Here’s to 19 more titles in my lifetime.

Music Review (10/10/07)

2007-10-10T17:54:00.001-04:00

Radiohead: In Rainbows

Yes, the new Radiohead album is out, and it’s solely available through their website. If you haven’t heard, the band have established their own distribution model, allowing consumers to pick their price. In case you’re curious, I elected to pay £4 (with a £0.45 service charge). I wouldn’t worry too much about reports that the files are below cd-grade quality; at 160 kbps you’re still getting pristine sounding files that are superior to the 128 kbps mp3’s most of us are accustomed to.

There comes a point when you have to concede that Radiohead is the best act around. I realize that band comparison requires some measure of subjectivity but with the works of art they put out one album after another, nobody else can even touch them. ‘In Rainbows’ is no exception to their long streak of non-disappointing LP’s. In fact, I’m surprised at how good it is, even given their track record. After first listen (and without accounting for the bias of not compensating for the discounting factors of time and repeat listens) I’m ready to declare that ‘In Rainbows’ is the best album EVER. Yes that's right. Ever. OK, maybe that's a little extreme but I don't remember ever connecting with an album this fast. Give me another week to qualify my declaration.

The record has an eclectic blend of jazzy guitar riffs and dance-pop drum beats—I’m guessing Thom Yorke is really into his one-handed, open-palmed, wrist-twisting dancing these days, and a lot of the tracks appeal to that dancy, head-shaky feel. The sonic experience is incomparable. I read an article about how the band were working to incorporate this technology where the tracks are recorded through a true-to-life dummy head (making the proper calculations for the distance between human ears and such) so as to create the illusion that the listener is actually in the recording studio with the artists. Radiohead have mastered sound layering and this album in particular does a phenomenal job of layering strings and basslines and drums and computer beats and Thom’s melodic voice into one ethereal sound experience. And the best part is: they have 8 more songs to be released (hopefully through the same distribution system) sometime around Dec. 3. Long Live Radiohead!

Key Tracks:

15 Step – They always know how to start their albums off with a kick-A track #1. This song features an excellent guitar riff and an infectious beat throughout. I could listen to this one on repeat for a long time.

Weird Fishes/Arpeggi – This track is a more gentle version than I was expecting based on the angular, guitar-heavy version I heard live. But I love it all the same. I’m baffled as to how Jonny/Thom can sustain that intricate picking pattern through the whole track.

Faust Arp – I dig how they blend the acoustic guitar in with the strings ensemble. This is one of their more feely, melodic songs, and I think it might even be about love. Imagine that.

Reckoner - This has to be my favorite song from the album. I lose it when the piano kicks in. As Chris J. noted, "Betta Reckonize!!".

Rating: 9.8

Twain-Thousand-and-Seven MLB Playoffs

2007-10-03T13:02:00.000-04:00

Let us collectively cleanse ourselves of the 2005 (White Sox vs. Astros) and 2006 (Tigers vs. Cardinals) World Series and start anew with this promising cast of 2007 players. Let’s take a look at the matchups and make some prognostications, shall we:

American League:

LA Angels @ Boston Red Sox: These two teams faced each other in ‘04 and the Angels were swept thanks to a game 3 walk-off homer by David Ortiz to combat Vlad Guerrero’s grand slam. Both these teams feature a strong 3-man pitching rotation and deep bullpens, but where the Angels attack with small-ball and opportunistic baserunning, the Red Sox counter with sluggers and new-and-improved defense. This series will make me nostalgic for the days when Orlando Cabrera played shortstop for the Sox.
Prediction: Red Sox in 4

NY Yankees @ Cleveland Indians: The Indians have the best 1-2 punch pitching tandem (of late) in C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona, but the Yankees have the most intimidating lineup in baseball. Look for Bobby Abreu to take some 40-pitch AB’s, Derek Jeter to hit some flare singles the other way with runners in scoring position, and Giambino to inject some HGH in his buttocks and cue-shot some go-ahead dingers over the short porch in right. Just thinking about the dreaded Yankees gets my blood pressure rising. Let’s hope they get eliminated early enough that I don’t need to watch them play in the later rounds at all. Everyone will be watching A-Rod, who is roughly 5 for 46 since the Dave Roberts stolen base in game 4 of the 2004 ALCS, but has also had one of the most amazing seasons statistically in baseball history.
Prediction: Yankees in 5

National League:

Colorado Rockies @ Philadelphia Phillies: A miraculous comeback for the Rocks winning 14 of their last 15 to leapfrog the Padres into a Wild Card berth. I’m excited for them, but not that excited. They still wear purple. Both teams are riding hot streaks coming into the playoffs and both rely on their heavy hitters to win ballgames. But I’ve got to give the advantage to the Phils since they have a big lefty by the name of Ryan Howard, and arguably the NL MVP in Jimmy Rollins (139 runs scored and 88 extra base hits from a NL shortstop).
Prediction: Phillies in 5

Chicago Cubs @ Arizona Diamondbacks: What a great matchup. I can’t get over how cool it is that the Baby Backs made the playoffs—and won the NL pennant no less. The D-backs have at least 4 extremely bright, young talents in Chris Young (nearly a 30HR 30SB man), Stephen Drew, Mark “Reynoldinho” Reynolds, and Justin Upton (still making the transition to the bigs but a 5-tool, raw athlete with huge upside). The pressure will be on the AZ pitching staff fronted by Brandon Webb to contain the big bats of Alfonso Soriano (who had a monster September), Aramis Ramirez, and Derrek Lee. I’m not too worried about the Cubs pitching staff but the youthful bats of the Dbacks could go cold at any minute; let’s hope they don’t.
Prediction: Dbacks in 5

The most exciting part of all of this is the prospect of a heartbreakless Dbacks - Red Sox World Series. But the awkwardness between my brothers, my dad, and me might be too much to bear. Watching the Red Sox – White Sox series in 2005 with Chris J. taught me never to watch with friends when your teams are opposing each other with the season on the line. The worst case scenario this year would be a Rockies – Yankees World Series with the Yankees sweeping. I’ll be at the Dbacks games tonight (10 ET) and tomorrow (10 ET) so look for me on TBS.

In the words of the immortal Dane Cook, “There’s only one OctOber.”

RE: Someone Very Special

2007-09-21T12:28:00.000-04:00

Please disregard the contents of the post under the above title dated September 6, 2007. In my 8 months of blogging I have never had to print a retraction but after receiving yet another hate-mail message, I am left with no option. For protection of the anonymous blogger-to-be I will not reveal the identity of the anonymous blogger-to-be. I wish to remind my readers that making the leap into the blogosphere is no small task. Many would-be-bloggers get right up to the edge and then find themselves unable to commit.

Apologetically,

2F

Music Review (9/11/07)

2007-09-11T18:44:00.000-04:00

This 9/11 was not marked by the war between the United States and Al Qaeda, but by the battle between 50 Cent & KanYe West. Both released their new albums ('Curtis' and 'Graduation') today, and both guaranteed to outsell the other with 50 Cent at one point offering to stop writing music if KanYe moved more units (though I believe he has since reneged). In the past, 50 has been far more successful comercially than West but if sales of the pre-release single, "Stronger", from Kanye's 'Graduation' are any indication, this latest record from the self-proclaimed Louis Vitton Don may reach record sales. I stopped by Best Buy on my lunch break and picked up 'Graduation' for $9.99 (I love this program of new releases for $10 which rewards the aficionados and leaves you with DRM-free songs), opting to leave 50's 'Curtis' album on the shelves. Not saying that 50's stuff is trash, I've just never thought of him as making great records, just hit singles.

KanYe West: Graduation

So far, I'm thrilled with the album. This dude must have stockpiles of the latest & greatest mixing & production equipment. Who else can take a Daft Punk techno song and make it cooler by mixing and digitizing it even more? Not to mention the genius lyrics he throws in. KanYe understands sound engineering and he hires the best (e.g. Jon Brion) to put out a good product. The only song I haven't liked is "Drunk and Hot Girls" though, admittedly, it is kind of humorous. This album features oodles of clever rhymin'. "Bow in the presence of greatness. You should be honored by my lateness..." I thought the album would have more political themes than it does, given his politically controversial track record and what with the 9/11 release, but unless I'm just obtuse I didn't notice hardly any anti-Bush/anti-war material. I'm bummed Lupe didn't make a guest appearance on this record but Mr. West reeled in some cool guests like DJ Premiere who does some pretty dope scratching on "Everything I'm Not", and on "Homecoming" he brought in Chris Martin of Coldplay and what sounds like Michael McDonald or Phil Collins or something playing on a Casio. On a scale from -10.0 to 10.0 (Neil Young: 'Arc' being a -10) I would give this album the following rating:

Rating: 8.2

Liars: Liars

Don't let the self-titled eponymousness fool you, this is not their first album. The NYC band, Liars, recently released their 4th (or so) album. It's less of a mood piece than its predecessor, 'Drum's Not Dead', relying more on drum machine beats and conventional rhythms. But their signature low-voice, atmospheric melodies are in tact. Whereas with 'Drum's Not Dead' I didn't like it a ton at first but enjoyed it more and more with every listen, I instantly fell for 'Liars' and it's yet to be determined what my take on it will be after numerous spins, but for now, I haven't grown tired of it one bit.

Rating: 8.0

M.I.A.: Kala

The British-born Sri Lankan follows up her moderately successful tribal dance pop album, 'Arular' with this latest gem. Now that she's hit it big (i.e. Timbaland collaborated on this album), she's able to produce some sounds that she couldn't attain on her last album. On the whole, I don't like this particular album as much as 'Arular' but it's got 3 or 4 songs that are fantastic (Jimmy, 20 Dollar, Paper Planes). She is known for being eclectic and taking bits and pieces of all the unique musical sounds of the world (Brazilian, Congo, Indian) and putting her Electronica twist on them. The liner notes referred to her as a "citizen of the world whose religion is doing good to others."

Rating: 7.1

Someone Very Special

2007-09-06T19:30:00.000-04:00

Avid readers of my blog will recall the 'Trash Talking' post in which Trifecta made reference to "someone very special" he was going to be adding to his links, baby. Links! Links! Links! etcetera and so forth. Well I would like to take this opportunity to announce that I will now be adding someone very special to my links...baby. Please keep an eye on 'Twainfecta's Sponsored Links' if you'd like to take part in this person's blogosphere foray.

Twainfecta's Log: Part III (Berlin and Back Again)

2007-08-12T18:49:00.000-04:00

Before arriving in Berlin we had a brief tour of the former bombed out city of Dresden. I should mention that two important events transpired on the bus ride from Prague to Dresden. 1) We pulled into a gas station in the back where the big rigs go and saw a German trucker going cowboy style in the parking lot. We parked in the spot behind him and had a good laugh. But then, as if straight out of a National Lampoon's movie, another bus packed with Chinese tourists drove in and took the parking spot in front of the trucker. I could tell they had an even bigger laugh than we did. 2) I broke out of a Tetris funk once we crossed the Germany border and set a new record for consecutive times beating Level 9 High 5. In Dresden I picked up the indispensable German phrase, svi veiner bitte (literally, "two hotdogs please" but understood in the local tongue at the braut stands as "the really long hotdog folded in half and placed inside a french roll"). It was cool to see the buildings in Dresden how they had just used recycled limestone left over from the bombings in their rebuilding process.

Berlin - Here we finally got set up in a proper hotel, complete with bidet and sauna. It also had a flat-screen TV ideal for watching MTV Germany's top 20 including a Tommy Reeve video who everyone kept saying looks like a sexier version of me. Walking around Unter den Linden street was pretty nice. It leads to the university square where the Nazis burned the thousands of books, and to the Berlin Schloss castle along the River Spree, and eventually to the famous TV tower and Alexanderplatz. The shopping was meant to be like Rodeo Dr. or something but I wasn't all that impressed. I guess the fact that the dollar is sucking it up these days made it hard for me to make good overseas purchases (the only souvenirs I ended up hauling back were a Manchester United hat, an extended shoe horn at the All-A-Euro store, and a free pen from the hotel). We also took a tour of Potsdam and saw Frederick the Great's summer Sans Souci palace, as well as the Cecilienhof where Stalin, Churchill, and Truman met to decide the fate of post-war Germany. Touring the Berlin Wall was cooler than I expected. The countless murals spread out all over the wall are surprisingly decorative for such a somber, morose site.

The flights back were a drag, as they always are--a missed connection in JFK and a 3-hour delay on the runway. But it's good to be back. "We are American, because you're in America, okay. Greatest country on the planet."

Miscellaneous Highlights:

We lose sight of Desi in his forest-green outfit

Exact Change: The Berlin Miracle(s) - When it came time to shed our Euros I went into a market with all my remaining change (E3.77) and picked up 2 bags of Gold Fischli, a Cherry Coke, and some Yoghurt Fruchtbonbons. When I got to the cashier she said E3.77. Later, at the airport, we all chipped in with our bills and coins and bought a communal Burger King order. We each put in our order and took our E10.56 to the counter. The total came out to...E10.56.

Favorite Albums of the Trip:

Sonic Youth Rather Ripped
Liars Drum's Not Dead
Bob Dylan The Times They Are A Changin'
Arctic Monkeys Favourite Worst Nightmare
Elvis Costello My Aim Is True

Twainfecta's Log: Part II (Salzburg - Prague)

2007-08-05T13:59:00.000-04:00

Salzburg – If you’re a ‘Sound of Music’ fan at all, this is the place for you. Here we cruised the lush gardens and sparkling fountains of the Schloss Mirabell, and strolled through the very cemetery where the Von Traps made their quick escape. Lah Dee Dah. In all actuality, though, Salzburg was very cool, and not just for the thespian types. We got to see the birthplace of Mozart and one of his houses, though apparently he despised Salzburg, feeling that the residents didn’t appreciate him and that the town couldn’t even provide a decent opera house, so he took the first train to Vienna, so to speak. Strolling the banks of the Salzbach River and taking the scenic €2 elevator ride by way of the 5-story parking garage (even though I could have ridden it for free since I snuck past the gate with a pack of Chinese tourists but then let my conscience get the better of me) gave me a good sense of the picturesque layout of the city and its impressive baroque architecture.

Cesky Krumlov – A brief stopover en route to Prague, the Cesky offered mediocre seafood, speedo-donning Czechs in river rafts, an overabundance of specialty souvenir shops, and “trash ice” (their translation of shaved ice). But for all its inconveniences, C.K. was quaint beyond belief (rivaling Intercourse, PA), and the cool weather, the flowing river, and the surrounding castles and cottages just took you instantly back in time…and you didn’t want to leave. After trekking up the steep trail to catch a superb view of the city, Crato decided he didn’t feel like walking back down so he offered Des 20 krohn to piggy back him all the way down (fooling Des with the 20:1 USD exchange rate). Interestingly enough, Crato was the one who sustained injuries in the treacherous ride.

Prague – This had to be my favorite city of the whole trip. The St. Vitus Cathedral had an incredibly ornate exterior and an even more detailed interior with stained glass windows made out of 20-some-odd thousand pieces of glass. The walk down Charles Bridge was “a walk to remember” with its countless catholic statues and adornments. This was one of those places where I could just lean up against a wall with the right book and relax for hours. The astronomical clock in the city square added a nice touch and the looming threat of being pick-pocketed by the Gypsies at any given moment made it all the more exciting [I tried to reach for Sue’s purse here posing as a Gypsy but she wouldn’t have any of it. I quickly regretted trying]. One of the nights we dined at a nice restaurant with a view of the city, and a nice piano and keyboard. Our waiter, a young Czech fellow, started doodling around on the little Casio keyboard (I think I recognized the sound loop as Samba 27). He was just one-fingering it and trying to jam out. No one wanted to look at him, thinking it might cause embarrassment or something, but Des and I peeked over and when we made eye contact he did one of those neck-shrug and grin things. Other than that he was a total pro. Once the regular pianist came in and finished his set, my mom took the reins and Dvoraked all over his face with Symphony #9 (From the New World). Though he did come back and counter with the Loveboat Theme.

Miscellaneous Highlights:

Getting really close to buying male capris

Remote Control PPV mishaps by not one, but two of my brothers

Saw Mozart's 'Don Giovanni' at the Prague Estates Theatre

Toured the old Prague Jewish Quarter (pre-WWII population: 120,000, post: 20,000)

Crato fits his head through the other side of a castle wall

Twainfecta's Log: Part I (Munich - Linderhof)

2007-08-01T20:59:00.001-04:00

Now that I’m back from Europe and no longer disoriented by European time zones, I can get back to my favorite pre-Europe activity: blogging it up.

Countries: Germany, Austria, Czech Republic
Dates: July 17 – July 28, 2007
Members: 7 Barkers + Sue, Miguel & Josefina, Derek (guide), Alex (driver)

Munich - There's one glaring memory from our 2 days stay here and that is Courteney fainting in the town square in Marienplatz. Luckily she was able to break her fall with her forehead right on the cement sidewalk. One of the most painful things I've ever witnessed. Fortunately, she ended up OK and may even have some recollection of the rest of the trip. We also saw BMW headquarters and the Olympic Stadium.

Went on a lovely drive up the Bavarian Alps where we stopped in Oberamergau and had possibly the worst meal of my life. 4 courses. Started with Vegetable soup (predominantly spinach I think), then vinegar-cured vegetables, then some sort of roasted lamb that was so salty it reminded me of the times I mistook the salt for the sugar when piling it on my cereal. This is where Crato learned the "No thank you. Thank you." phrase with the accompanying hand gestures. It would come in handy throughout the rest of the trip. We also spotted a fly in one of the drinks so the waitress took it in the back room, spooned out the fly, and then returned the glass. My dad assured us this is not the typical German dining experience.

From Oberamergau we continued on to the Linderhof Castle, the hideaway summer palace of Mad King Ludwig. Here we got to walk through the floral tunnels (a la Secret Garden movie), and cool down in Ludwig's domesticated cave where he chilled in his little pond boat and listened to Wagner symphonies.

When Worlds Collide

2007-07-02T23:57:00.000-04:00

*The race for the inside scoop

Last week I made a trip out to San Diego to spend some quality time with Trifecta. Our adventures included: Red Sox @ Padres (Matsuzaka vs. Maddux), eating at Ruby's, competing on the Nintendo DS's, 2-on-2 water basketball, softball, analog 'Catch Phrase', watching 'Hellboy', and trying to download lots of music before my flight but the computer saying, "Time Remaining: 5:15:42:23". Pretty much what you'd expect from a meeting of the blogosphere masterminds.

Sadly, the Nelson's are moving out of the Poway house on Crestwood. This meant we had to leave no trace of human life every time we left the house--something I've grown accustomed to since my parents are also selling our house and we have to go to such extremes as hiding the trash can when someone is coming to look at the house. We have had some great times there and it will be sad to see it go. Some fond Crestwood memories:

Go-Karts
Street Hockey (but do NOT let the ball roll down the hill)
The "Bonus Room" (only the Lambert "Game Room" can compete for the best-title-for-a-room award)
The rod-throwing contest
"One Command" (When Blake got simultaneous commands from Ron & Ellen)
Wimbledon. Barbara Walters interviews
Mrs. Bogus, Kramer
The ever smaller roll
Stereo while you shower

I've uploaded a video series entitled 'Drunk Padres Fan' which showcases one of the highlights of the trip.

Drunk Padres Fan: 7th Inning
Drunk Padres Fan: 8th Inning
Drunk Padres Fan: 9th Inning

Bonus Footage - By Popular Demand

Pace Barker: Not Bruce Bowen

2007-06-22T12:26:00.000-04:00

Pace Barker: Not Bruce Bowen from pace barker on Vimeo

This should set the record straight once and for all. This clip clearly shows that my opponent's injury was caused by his own doing. I may be a pesky defender, but never dirty.

Trifecta Video Series: Episode 1

2007-06-07T03:16:00.001-04:00

Age Does Not Matter from pace barker on Vimeo

This is the 1st in a series of videos featuring Trifecta. This video is titled, 'Age Does Not Matter', taken in Courteney & Mely's apartment in Newport. Trifecta & Mely were locked in a heated debate regarding the importance of a person's age and their abilities. You be the judge on who won this argument.

PS3 v. Xbox 360 v. Nintendo Wii

2007-06-01T20:17:00.000-04:00

*Picture not to scale

I realize that my review on the latest series of new gaming systems might seem a little late but now that each console has had a chance to stabilize, and get some games to back it up, and now that you can actually find and purchase the various systems, I think now is as good a time as any to review and compare the competing models.

Playstation 3: The sexiest of its class. You could almost justify shelling out the $600 for the Play-trois just for the aesthetical value it will bring to your room. Not to mention, a Sony/Samsung/Panasonic Blu-Ray disc player with specs essentially identical to those of the PS3’s is likely to run for somewhere between $800 and $1000. Free access to the online network as opposed to $50/year for a slightly superior online community with the Xbox 360 is good, I guess, but the real deterrent seems to be the fact that game manufacturers haven’t kept pace with the Sony system itself by providing us with games that really showcase the PS3’s capabilities, and in the cases in which they have, it has only been through games that aren’t especially fun—war games and the like. The PS3 is purportedly much quieter and runs cooler than its 360 counterpart and generates power from a single cord (no unwieldy 360 behemoth power brick). The SixAxis controller with tilt capabilities in select games is a nice bonus, but still does not measure up to the Wii’s motion-sensitive interface.

Xbox 360 Elite: You have to go with the Elite if you are in the Xbox camp. Only an $80 premium ($480) and it comes equipped with an HDMI connector and a hard drive upgrade from 20GB to 120GB. The big plus for the 360 is its extensive library of hi-def games. EA’s next-generation-graphics version of FIFA ’07, for example, has a 12-month exclusivity agreement with Microsoft. And the 360 version of Guitar Hero II checks out (I was always bothered that the Xbox version of Dance Dance Revolution plays so differently than the Playstation version). HD DVD’s (similar to Blu-Ray DVD’s, though slightly inferior) can be played on the 360 but only with the purchase of an external HD DVD player which runs for about $200 [frowny face]. But as I mentioned earlier, the 360 offers a portal to a stellar online network and an expansive media hub. Here you can buy TV episodes in hi-def, and rent HD movies (2 weeks, $5-$10), and even download original arcade games in high resolution (e.g. Street Fighter II). This brings us to the heated debate (which my colleague, Trifecta, so eloquently presented in a previous post) of ‘Physical HD versus Digital HD: Which way is the market headed?’. Being, as it is, a Microsoft product, the Xbox 360 doesn’t seem to make any efforts to cooperate with macs. If you’re a PC guy you can wirelessly stream your computer content to the console and play movies/music/slideshows on your TV (a la Apple TV). For me, the big Ace in the hole the Xbox 360 has is that I have friends that own it. If I “join in” as the commercials have instructed, I could instantly be competing or cooperating with a proverbial ‘friend in Vietnam’.

Nintendo Wii: Innocent, clean, YSA enjoyment right out of the box; all for only $250. Where the 360 and the PS3 promote lethargy with their everything-remote system, the Wii requires constant interaction through oft intense hand and arm motions. Wii Sports sounds like a blast but other than that, I don’t see too many titillating titles except for maybe Zelda. I fear that the novelty of this unique console could wear off really fast, but maybe I’m wrong. One big plus, however, is the Virtual Console offered through the Wii Shop Channel. This is the place to go to buy replicated versions of classic NES, Super Nintendo, and N64 games. By simply turning your Wiimote sideways you are ready to knock out Soda Popinski in Mike Tyson’s Punchout or crank a dinger off of B. Sbrhgn in R.B.I. Baseball II. This would be an immediate fix to my brother’s and my NES woes since someone recently sabotaged our player 2 controller and effectively rendered the whole system worthless (we’re now relegated to watching the computer play against itself, and poorly at that—worthless Boggs groundouts become triples in computer play). I’m disappointed that only a select few games offer an online multiplayer option; even the DS Lite allows for Wi-Fi multiplayer on most all of its titles. And the online Wii channels are pretty lame. They offer AP news updates and weekly weather forecasts, but who wants to get their news from Nintendo? I can just picture it: “In today’s news, Luigi is released from prison after his 8-year sentence and Princess is enjoying her stay in the Koopa Beach Promises rehab center”.

So what’s my recommendation? I think the only feasible solution is to buy all three systems. PS3 for the Blu-Ray and the tech specs, Xbox 360 for the library of games and the fantastic online network, and the Wii because you can’t afford not to, and it’s so small and cute.

Admittedly, I’m getting pretty close to buying the Xbox 360 Elite but I’m curious to see what my readers have to say so please, chime in on the ‘Comments’ link below.

R.I.P., 2006/2007 Phoenix Suns (10/31 - 5/18)

2007-05-19T03:03:00.000-04:00

61 Wins, 21 Losses, .494 Field Goal Percentage (1st), .399 Three Point Percentage (1st), .808 Free Throw Percentage (1st), 110.2 Points Per Game (1st), 0 Championships.

It's a shame that in the end, that final, pesky statistic is the only one that matters. The 06/07 Phoenix Suns assembled one of the most exciting seasons the NBA has seen in quite some time. But for 3 or 4 games when Steve Nash and Shawn Marion were plagued with injuries, the team treated its audiences night in and night out to a masterful offensive obliteration of its opponents. With their blazing speed, uncanny chemistry, and international style, I've said all season that the Suns are the sports equivalent of the Brazilian national soccer team. It's a tragedy that they got some tough breaks in the playoffs and weren't able to secure a championship. Had they gotten over that hump, they would have proven dozens of naysayers wrong, and would have earned the respect that is long overdue. But, thanks to some questionable rules and league officials who allow themselves to be controlled by their own institutions it will always remain a "what if...?".

Alas, it is not my intention to post a bitter rant, but these are the thoughts on the forefront of my mind, and I have to get it out if I want to expel my blogger's block. My intention is to pay tribute to this team of skilled athletes who provided so much joy for so many fans.

These are some of the players and performances that stood out during the regular season and into the playoffs:

Amare Stoudemire - An amazing recovery from microfracture knee surgery. He said the right things in all of his interviews and played with passion all season long. The man is a beast on the court and was possibly the strongest, most agile finisher in the league. A real asset in playoff style basketball. 15 straight 20-point postseason games is an awesome stat. He seemed truly poised to win a championship this year but also showed great maturity and understanding when things didn't go his way.

Leandrinho Barbosa - The Brazilian Blur had a breakout season and was the 3rd leading scorer on the Suns. Hit his first game winner against the Chicago Bulls on the road and had one of the best game-winning reactions I've ever seen, unphased as his teammates mobbed him. Well-deserved 6th Man of the Year award. His older brother, Arturo, disciplined him as a Brazilian youth to make it to the NBA.

Shawn Marion - The underrated $15 million man. Put together another great season and was an integral part of the team's success. We appreciate you and your praying mantis shot, Marion. Hope you can stick around another year.

Steve Nash - One of the coolest and greatest athletes of all time. Some athletes are gifted, some are skilled, and others just think they are gifted or skilled, but still play sports, so technically they are still athletes, while others concede that they are neither gifted nor skilled, but still consider themselves athletes, or in some cases not. Steve Nash has incredible skill. He made countless, jaw-dropping feeds to his teammates and was the ultimate teammate. He is enormously skilled with both hands, and has an unbelievable sense of balance which allows him to shift his weight in the air and still get off virtually the same shot he would get if he were set on the floor. He is a gritty competitor and a sports hero of mine. No matter what it takes, I hope he gets a championship before his career is over.

Tom Leander - The Suns announcer whose cheesy lines and cheerful personality never grew tiresome. "Rises to the 10th floor", "Elevates and detonates", "a tasty dish", "straight but strong", "a thing of beauty", etc. He and color man, "EJ" Eddie Johnson were always enjoyable to listen to, especially the time when EJ (a long time NBA veteran) asked Tom to explain what a "baby hook" (a common shot) was.

(12/7/07) Phoenix 161, New Jersey 157 (OT) - An amazing game that went to double overtime thanks to an unreal fadeaway 3-pointer from Nash at the end of regulation. This game featured an unforgettable battle between two of the premier pointguards of this era. Nash ended up with 42 points, and Jason Kidd had 38 points, 14 boards, and 14 assists.

(3/14/07) Phoenix 129 - Dallas 127 (OT) - Another double OT battle and another Nash 3-pointer to send it into the first OT. Nash posted 32 points, 8 boards, and 16 assists and outdueled his former teammate, Dirk Nowitzki, in a battle that should have given Nash the upperhand in the battle for MVP, but ultimately did not. Amare Stoudemire was an impressive 16-19 from the field and put up 41 points.

Sorry you couldn't win it all Suns, but for what it's worth, I don't blame you. In fact, I embrace your style of play and I hope you have the guts to stick with it until you do win the title. "Joga Bonito".

"Hey I Was Wondering If You Have These:"

2007-05-11T18:33:00.000-04:00

Some time ago, Trifecta asked Chris and me if we listened to these artists and what we thought of them:

Notorious B.I.G., Mike Jones, Warren G, Dr. Dre, Kanye West, 50 Cent, Bone Thugs N Harmony, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Ice Cube, Ghostface Kiliahz, 3 six mofia, 2 Pac

Also, my two brothers recently brought up my piqued interest in hip-hop music, so I think it's only fitting that I address this matter via the blog platform. Keep in mind that I consider myself only a casual hip-hop listener and I tend to filter a lot of what I listen to based on explicitness.

First of all, in my opinion, rap music seems to cyclically perpetuate in a given locale. For instance, it used to be that the East Coast had the stronghold on rap music and all the good original material was coming from that area. Then, with the emergence of groups like N.W.A., suddenly you had a California-based hegemon running the show (my first real exposure to the hip-hop scene--most notably when my older brother surreptitiously bought 'Doggpound', and Trifecta bought 'The Chronic'). Then guys like Ice-T, Easy E, Snoop D-O-Double G, 2Pac, and a bunch of others started to put out their own records and they all fed off of each other's creativity. The scene was at an all time high but slowly began to decline as consumers grew tired of so many songs all about scoring chicks and hatin' on other gangstas.

Eventually, the East side regained some of its popularity through rappers like Puff Daddy, Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, and Common. But an unnecessary battle broke out between the two coasts featuring countless disses from the opposing rappers. The stakes escalated too high and ended in the death of Tupak Shakur and the retaliatory assassination of Biggy Smalls. This was a dark time in Hip-Hop and the music suffered as a result.

Fortunately, some new names have busted out onto the scene and have really redefined and improved the industry. Most notably in the Chicago scene where guys like KanYe West, Lupe Fiasco, and Rhymefest are taking new approaches and with the help of some skilled producers are incorporating dope beats and some orchestral arrangements and the like to produce more musically-intensive rap tracks, without sacrificing the rappin' and rhymin'.

So in response to Trifecta's question, and with some additional commentary on some others, here is my take on the following hip-hop artists:

Trifecta's List of Artists:

Notorious B.I.G. - Not a fan of his era of rappers. He's got a few songs that are OK but I don't really care to listen to his stuff
Mike Jones - One awesome, narcissistic song ("Who Is Mike Jones").
Warren G - Don't know much about him. Don't really care to either.
Dr. Dre - Dude's a genius. Released what is probably the biggest hip-hop record of all time (The Chronic), and kickstarted dozens of rappers' careers. ("Let Me Ride" and "Forgot About Dre" are some of my favorites)
Kanye West - The guy understands music and isn't afraid to crossover with guys like the lead singer of Maroon 5. Two great albums and his forthcoming record should be great as well.
50 Cent - Hasn't put out anything great in a while but he's got some classic raps on his resume ("In Da' Club", "P.I.M.P."). The quintessential street gangster who happens to have survived 5 or 6 or 7 bullet wounds.
Bone Thugs N' Harmony - Haven't ever gotten into these guys. Should I? Is it worth my while?
Snoop Dogg - His act is tired but his voice and style are so unique that he'll always have a place in the industry. ("Beautiful" on the new Heineken ad is pretty sweet).
Eminem - You don't want to mess with Shady...cause Shady...will kill you. This guy scares me. Some of his beats and tunes are so unique and cool, but his lyrics are off-the-charts descriptive/violent/venomous/abrasive/etc. Years from now, someone will write an amazing biography on him and I will probably still be afraid to read it.
Ice Cube - I would give an opinion on him but I can never keep him and Ice T straight.
Ghostface Killahz - Don't know enough about them
3 Six Mafia - Never heard 'em
2Pac - "How Do You Want It" and "California" are both fantastic. Other than that they all sound like disses--except for "Changes" which I'm not a big fan of anyways.

Additional Artists:

Lupe Fiasco - Peach fuzz buzz but beard on the verge. This kid rocks. Pulls out some obscure loops and is heavy on the strings. 'Food & Liquor' is one of my favorite albums of '06. Gotta love "Kick Push" and "Kick Push II".
Rhymefest - Another Chicago rapper. He's got a huge voice and lots of charisma. (Check out "Bullet")
MF Doom - I'm late in the game with this guy but his stuff is dope. Comes from the UK. 'Madvillainy' is an awesome record with tons of heavy-layered tracks, all of which sound very unique. Always wears the Gladiator metal-face mask and his voice is as smooth as they come. (I recommend "Accordion", "Raid", and "Supervillain Theme")
Spank Rock - These guys put out some pretty sweet underground hip-hop. They're hit and miss with me but overall I dig 'em. They only have one album out ('YoYoYoYoYoYo').

So I hope that answers your question, Tri.

We Believe

2007-05-04T13:15:00.000-04:00

The Golden State Warriors have pulled off the biggest upset in NBA playoff history thanks to inspired play by some pure ballers and a stadium full of believers. This was no fluke. These guys came out to play every night and there was never a moment where they were intimidated or even nervous. It was truly a joy for sports fans everywhere to witness the beautiful play by the Warriors as they outdueled the 67-win Mavericks team in 6 games. Just read some of the reactions I got from personal friends of mine (first names only to protect their identity):

"I'm naming my son Baron" - Chris
"All I know is that the score is 71 to 57 for GS and that it's exciting" - Sarah
"I feel like that game strengthened my testimony" - Trevor

Steve Kerr, the TNT announcer, repeatedly mentioned how shocked he was to see an NBA game with the fans standing the entire 2nd half and how that demonstrated how special this game was. There were some interesting post-game interviews--and in case you weren't aware there's a scintillating love-hate triangle between Coach Avery Johnson, Coach Don Nelson, and Owner Mark Cuban (with some especially bad blood between the latter two)--but I was impressed with Stephen Jackson's (who is notorious for his nightclub & gun incident and his role in the Artest brawl - [video]) comment regarding the concern when Baron Davis left in the 1st with a hamstring pull. He talked about how important Baron is to the team and said "I'd die for him right there on the court". That statement shows the love between this team and the reason for their phenomenal chemistry.

And in case you're wondering what Trifecta has to say on the matter: "I think that the Warriors did Annihilation".

2006 World Cup

2007-04-24T16:17:00.000-04:00

For my readers who for one reason or another were unable to watch the 2006 World Cup in Germany, I am providing a quick recap of the event.

Team USA stunk up the place and failed to advance by not scoring a single goal (except for an own goal in the match against Italy). Landon Donovan was a huge letdown and didn't even come close on any of his shots.

Brazil joga bonito'd until they met France's defense. Ronaldinho had flashes of brilliance but never did net a goal. Ronaldo (Fenomeno) proved he could still score (3 goals in the tournament) but may have been a hindrance to the team's fast-paced offensive attack.

France advanced to the finals on the outstanding play of Zidane and Henry (3 goals) but lost to Italy on penalty kicks when Trezeguet hit the inside of the crossbar and the ball barely bounced out. For the last minutes of play France was without their star, Zidane, who received a red card for head-butting Materazzi.

Italy played well throughout the cup and never surrendered a conventional goal. They beat Germany in the semi's in overtime play on a beautiful bender and a Del Piero rainbow shot.

Biggest Sports Weekend Ever?

2007-03-30T15:21:00.000-04:00

Probably not but here's a quick rundown of the events to look forward to:

1. Saturday Night: NCAA Final 4 (CBS)

Georgetown Vs. Ohio St. [6:07 pm ET]
Florida Vs. UCLA [8:47 pm ET]

If you want to know who I like to win it all the answer is none of these teams. After going 8-8 on my Elite Eight picks I followed that up with an 0-4 on my Final Four picks. So I am unqualified to judge any of these teams, but I'm rooting for UCLA. When are they going to ditch the 35-second shot clock?

2. Sunday Noon: Mavericks @ Suns [3:30 pm ET] (ABC)

Possibly the biggest regular season game of the season. The Suns will attempt to tie up the series between the 2 most explosive teams the NBA has seen this side of the 21st Century. If either Steve Nash or Dirk Nowitzki steps up and has a significant game-winning impact they could seal the deal for their MVP candidacy. I'm just glad the game's not at Dallas so we don't have to endure the testicularly-proned Jason Terry's eagle-soaring, ape-stomping antics.

3. Sunday Night: MLB Opening Night - NY Mets @ St. Louis Cardinals [8:05 pm ET] (ESPN 2)

Baseball is back. Last time these teams met Endy Chavez made one of the greatest playoff homerun snags of all time, but the Metties still lost on a Yadier Molina dinger and an Adam Wainright curveball. Biggest stories to follow this season:

Daisuke Matsuzaka (松坂大輔) for whom the Red Sox paid $51.111MM just to talk to his agent will make his major league debut later next week (TBD). The young pitching phenom features 8 pitches (including the "shuuto") and has no pitch count, and as far as I'm concerned no ceiling for potential.
The Baby Backs (AZ Diamondbacks) added some quality pitching, including the Big Unit (Randy Johnson), and will look to their highly-touted young stars to carry the load in their quest for a playoff spot. Meanwhile, I will look to my dad to carry the financial load in my quest for a seat at the ballpark.
Sammy Sosa is back and playing for the Texas Rangers. Will he hit 50 homeruns? Will he hit 2? I have no idea. The HGH era has made it really difficult to gauge performance on some of these players (particularly the ones with perpetually increasing head sizes)

--Throw that sensational sports batch in with Saturday & Sunday LDS General Conference and factor in the marvel of the Tivo era and I'm looking at roughly 20.5 hours of TV over a 48-hour period (for which I'll be awake for only 32 hours give or take--that's a 0.64 TV/Waking Hours ratio). But if I cut out all MoTab sequences and all "shoulder-pad" talks I can cut that down to about 18.5 hours.

Apple TV - A must have??

2007-03-23T15:23:00.000-04:00

Apple TV

NY Times Review

$300
40GB of memory
Streams up to 5 other computers
Brings iTunes to your HDTV

I love the concept and I'm a huge proponent of non-physical collections (except for baseball cards) but at least in my case, I'm not on board until iTunes begins offering 720 resolution HD movies, TV shows, etc. Why exclude non-HD households from the market (apple TV doesn't communicate with standard TV sets) if you don't even offer HD programs? I'm sure it's just a matter of time before high-res programming becomes available. Apparently video recording capabilites are on the horizon as well. Intriguing, but on the Buy/Wait/Don't Buy scale, I'm giving it a "Wait".

26

2007-03-02T12:55:00.000-05:00

Having let 26 days come and go since my last post, today I will cite 26 examples that define Blake's greatness, on this his 26th birthday. (What's the name of that new Jim Carrey movie?)

Just a great guy
The Trifecta blog, I mean c'mon
Cap'n Overtime
Douchey Doucheying it
Age Does Not Matter. It does not matter.
Voicemails
Jack N' The Box: Chicken Tenders Combo
All the unfinished Coke cans
The Brown Lexus
Writing the Owner's Manual
Traveling with Surge Protectors
Always leaving something behind
Miracle Gro
Great Golfer
Public Relief
Knows how to Bilbo Baggins it
Still uses Case Logic products
$30 steaks - knows how to fine dine
Knows good music
The Congratulatory Prize
Spango Dango
Understands Politics
Loves to spoon
Sports Buff
Stuffed Pockets
A true friend

Comfortable Man Hug (CMH)

2007-02-05T00:02:00.000-05:00

3F and I recently invented this maneuver for those times when you want a hug but you just don't need any more discomfort in your life.

Trash Talking

2007-01-23T00:05:00.000-05:00

The following was taken from a blog-related voicemail from Trifecta:

"Did special P enjoy his entertainment blog that he has created? Oh wait, no. I am the one that added a special link to. I will be adding a link to somebody special who i know very dearly and he is going to have a blog going to be started. And guess what? You'll have to wait and see because i am going to be the first one to add him to my links baby. Links links links links links. My name is special p body. I am special. I mean what? Oh wait. I mean no. Spicy corn nuts. Did i say corn nuts? Pace, did you just say corn nuts? Alright man well hey. You must be doucheying doucheying it. Alright now captain call me back. Later."

Hopefully this provides some good insight into the lifestyle of us bloggers.

Caught in the Act

2007-01-23T00:02:00.000-05:00

A nice promotion from my good friend, Trifecta (3F)

Composite Best of 2006 Albums

2007-01-09T19:48:00.000-05:00

The following list was created by Matt Nelson through compiling top 50 ratings from over 17 magazines, critics, websites, etc. Methodology and an expanded list can be provided upon request.

Artist
1 TV on the Radio 2 Joanna Newsom 3 Ghostface Killah 4 Clipse 5 Neko Case 6 The Hold Steady 7 Scott Walker 8 The Decemberists 9 The Knife 10 Destroyer 11 Mastodon 12 Belle and Sebastian 13 Grizzly Bear 14 Bob Dylan 15 Liars 16 Yo La Tengo 17 J Dilla 18 Tom Waits 19 Gnarls Barkley 20 Band of Horses 21 Cat Power 22 Hot Chip 23 Boris 24 Lupe Fiasco 25 Jenny Lewis 26 Beirut 27 Bonnie "Prince" Billy 28 The Roots 29 Junior Boys 30 Sunset Rubdown 31 Converge 32 Art Brut 33 Arctic Monkeys 35 Sonic Youth 34 Lily Allen 36 Yeah Yeah Yeahs 37 Justin Timberlake 38 Wolf Eyes 39 Mission of Burma 40 Herbert 41 Girl Talk 42 T.I. 43 Enslaved 44 Califone 45 Celtic Frost 46 M. Ward 47 Iron Maiden 48 Isis 49 The Thermals 50 Current 93

Recent Celebrity Sightings

2007-01-08T19:39:00.000-05:00

Year; Celebrity; Location; Distance
2003; Kevin Bacon; Park City Ski Resort; One ski length
2004; Steve Buscemi; Park City Albertson's; One shopping cart
2005; Tom Young (Steve's brother); Palo Verde Ward; Zero distance
2007; Jeff Hornacek; Phoenix Suns game; One row

Trifecta is not all he appears to be

2007-01-08T19:31:00.000-05:00

In a personal attack, which I can only conclude was spawned by Twainfecta's Blog's sudden surge in popularity, Trifecta viciously declared the following:

"oh so you think that you are a good king of blogging. You only started because of me. So i think you copy-catted me. Oh lest i say more your balls are showing."

You be the judge.

Paid for by Twainfecta over Trifecta 2007 (c).

Welcome

2007-01-02T18:45:00.000-05:00

Here at Twainfecta's Blog we strive to do everything that Trifecta's Blog does...but even better.