tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68134262024-03-25T06:58:26.204-07:00Think About ItEveryday life meets rational thoughtUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger504125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6813426.post-61219959703507744892015-03-28T14:53:00.001-07:002015-03-28T14:53:10.860-07:0037It's strange to me that I haven't actually made a birthday post in a few years. When I got up this morning, it was one of the things I told myself I wanted to do and when I tried to find my last few posts I realized I hadn't. Maybe I'm becoming a little senile in my old age.<br />
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In all seriousness, this one is a strange birthday. I'm definitely starting to feel my age, both physically and mentally. Physically, it's just harder to stay in shape. I haven't trained for a marathon in a while, and so this is probably contributing to this, but when I go out for a run my times are significantly slower than they once were. On the mental side, it's harder to stay focused for long periods of time. I actually feel pretty drained after a long day of thinking.<br />
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But when I think about my life in general, I have to say I really don't have much to complain about. I recently asked my wife if she could change one thing, anything, about our life now so that it would make us happier she said she wouldn't change anything. I admit, I really am not sure what I would change either. Marriage is good. Job is good. We are all healthy. Not much we are want for. <br />
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Since the last time I wrote this, my startup closed and I took a job at Google. I think a few years ago I would have not been happy at a company like Google but having done the startup I think I gained perspective. I'm not sure I would describe it as getting the startup route "out of my system" but it was something close to that. I think I may someday try to go out on my own again but that someday isn't anytime soon.<br />
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I'm actually pretty happy at Google which is saying something since I'm 2 years in and I tend to think this is when dissatisfaction starts. Things aren't perfect, but they are good enough for now and that's saying something. <br />
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The dog is wonderful. Things were a little dicey last time I wrote about him but I chalk it up him being a puppy. It was one of those things that before I got him, I wasn't sure we were really ready for but now that we have him, I wouldn't give him up for the world. It's made me think that maybe children might be in the future for us.<br />
<br />Speaking of which, it is something my wife and I have discussed in a very serious way and something I'm a lot less afraid of happening than before. It's now at the point where I think its more likely than not that we do have children. <br />
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One of the things I thought a lot about this year is things vs experiences. Usually its in the context of thinking about when I might "retire" and what I want to be doing. One of the things driving this decision for me is what I want to spend my money on now and then. What crystalized in my mind this year was how much more I value experiences over things. Granted, I've been frugal with myself on buying material items and much less so on experiences like vacations but I don't think that's an accident. My best memories are all the times I did things with my wife. They are never about joy I received because I bought or owned something. <br />
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Take this past year. I travelled to Tokyo. I explored the city and I went to the famous <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g1066451-d1177368-Reviews-Sukiyabashi_Jiro_Roppongi_Hills-Minato_Tokyo_Tokyo_Prefecture_Kanto.html">Sukiyabashi Jiro</a>. It, and the whole trip, was just awesome. My wife and I constantly talk about it and it brings joy to us every time we do. Its things like this where we want to focus our attention.<br />
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Honestly, not much is bad in my life. My biggest current problem is that I earned a lot of money this last year (thanks to a bunch of stock vesting) and now I have a very large tax bill to account for. I guess the other thing is that I do feel like I'm a little bit too busy with work. I would like to have some spare time to explore other things I'm interested in but can't seem to find the time to do it. The real kicker is that while i'm not doing badly, I wish I was doing better so the effort isn't commensurate withe the return. Need to try to find a way to get that in balance. <br />
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But seriously, those are my big problems. Not too bad really. It's a little strange because for the last several years, life just seems like it gets better and better. Is that sustainable? Is all of a sudden, things will do the opposite? Let's hope not. <br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6813426.post-42563994712093293752012-03-28T14:43:00.003-07:002012-03-28T15:13:52.807-07:0034I wrote on this blog exactly <a href="http://reallythink.blogspot.com/2011/03/33.html" style="font-style: normal; ">one year ago today</a> because I've kept up a tradition where I make a post on my birthday and reflect back on the past year to see how things have changed.<div style="font-style: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; ">Last year, I lamented how not much had changed in my life from the previous year. Where, sometimes you get exactly what you ask for because this year has been the exact opposite of that. </div><div style="font-style: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; ">Starting at the top things are as good as they could possibly be with the wife. I'm going on year two of marriage and things are as good now as they have ever been. I'm actually going on the 7th year of my relationship and I can honestly say that its as good now as it has ever been. She has been less busy with school this year than in the past but that's because of the two big changes that came this year. </div><div style="font-style: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; ">First big change came with the job. This time last year, I was optimistic that things would work out at my previous job. I had actually cancelled a planned vacation because I was supposed to begin work on a project that could fundamentally change my company's business. As it turned out things did change but not necessarily for the better. I don't want to get into details, but that project didn't turn out and a lot of other things just happened which made me reevaluate what I was doing. </div><div style="font-style: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; ">In the end, I realized that I only had a limited window to really pursue my dreams of starting my own business. There wasn't much holding me back, more fear than anything else, so I decided to quit my job and do my own startup. It hasn't been an easy road. In fact, it has turned out way harder than I would have thought. Most of the problems I feel I've faced have been due to not having a partner on this with me full time. That will be fixed in another two weeks but its a lesson I hope never to repeat. </div><div style="font-style: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; ">We haven't made great progress on the business. This is mostly due to the fact that we threw out our original idea and started over in January. But I'm excited about the idea we are pursuing and even more excited that my partner is coming on full time and we are so close to launch. Cross your fingers that by this post next year, I'll have a lot more good things to say about my business.</div><div style="font-style: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; ">The other big change in my life is due to me and my wife getting a dog. I've always wanted a dog but for various reasons never got one. That all changed in the beginning of January. I stopped on one of my long runs at the local Humane Society. Sitting in one of the cages was one of the cutest puppies you have ever seen. I showed the wife and there was no stopping us adopting the little guy. The first month was rough, puppies are a lot of work, but now he is a happy addition to our home. </div><div style="font-style: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; ">At first, the dog and the cat didn't get along and I'll be honest and say I was worried about it. The cat is getting up their in age. No major health problems this year but having a hyper-active puppy around is not his idea of fun. He hissed and growled a lot at the beginning but he is slowly starting to accept the dog as his brother. He doesn't want to get near him or have anything to do with him, but then again that was the way it was with my brother too. </div><div style="font-style: normal; "><br /></div><div>I'm still running a lot. No basketball at all this last year but plenty of running. I didn't run in the LA marathon this year and that was due to a host of injuries I just kept having. I switched to more of a barefoot running style and am in the process of building up my mileage again. I hope to run in the SD marathon which is slated to begin in June. I've become somewhat of an evangelist when it comes to the benefits of running and specifically minimalist shoe running. :It really resonated with me after I read <i>Born to Run</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've become very active on the Social Media front. I started posting regularly on Google+ and then Facebook and have done very well when it comes to generating a following and engagement. I need to explore Twitter more but the short format doesn't really resonate with someone as verbose as I am. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's pretty much settled that I'm not getting a house anytime soon. Now that I'm totally focused on a startup and all my funds are allocated there, no real chance I'm going to buy a house anytime soon. Same thing about a kid. Getting the puppy, and seeing how much work it is, made me and the wife realize that maybe child care is not for us. I think she is even more sure than I am about the whole thing. </div><div><br /></div><div>33 was a great year. I think I will look back on it and realize it was a big turning point in my life. I just hope 34 is even better and more fun. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6813426.post-57330884040122810872011-03-28T09:12:00.000-07:002011-03-28T10:26:23.945-07:0033Wow, I reached another palindrome age. I am continuing the tradition of posting on my birthday despite the fact that I rarely post on this blog anymore since I moved to the other blog. I figured I would keep all these posts together and maybe look back someday at all of them to see how the years flew by. <br /><br />And boy did this year fly by. The thing is, not all that much changed from <a href="http://reallythink.blogspot.com/2010/03/32.html">32</a>. I'm sure as I get older less and less change will happen year by year but it is still odd to me how little things can change in one year.<br /><br />Let's start at the top. This is my first full year of marriage and I have to say things are great. Surprises me a little bit how smooth everything has been and how I seem to love my wife a little bit more every day. You think you reach the maximum level and then you just blow right by it. <br /><br />She is still very busy with school so it causes us to spend less time than I would like. She is still splitting her time between work and school but I know she is eager to drop the work and do the school full time. The only roadblock at this point is my own job situation. We don't want her to give up her job if there is any chance I might give up mine. She is showing some real skill in her work and I have actually been surprised at times how much talent she is exhibiting. <br /><br />And that brings me to my job. Funny, status isn't a heck of a lot different than last year. The reasons for me staying are the same. I have influence and I am important to the company. In fact, I'm about to undertake a key strategic initiative that has a real chance to transform the company. Whether we actually have the will to do it remains to be seen but I'm cautiously optimistic. I did get a promotion, and now am differentiated from some of my peers, but I still wish to get to the VP tier and I'm not sure when that will happen. I have started lightly looking around to see what other opportunities exist but that's all I have done. I haven't made the commitment to totally jump ship yet. <br /><br />One thing I did accomplish that I posted about last year was running a marathon. I ran in the LA marathon a week ago. The time I had wasn't what I wanted but I finished it which was the important thing. I'll have to do it again just to get a better time so I expect that to be changed by this time next year.<br /><br />If it were possible, I spent even less time in the gym this year than last. Of course that was balanced out by the fact I ran a marathon. Couldn't really get behind running on a treadmill so most of my exercise has been outdoors. Barely played any basketball this year. Can really only remember one time I even got into a game. I think that part of my life is over. Just don't enjoy playing pick up basketball like I used to. Everyone is just getting younger while I'm getting older :) Truth be told, haven't even followed the Lakers as closely as I used to. Part of that is just that they are frustrating this year. Actually upsets me to watch them. But it also may just be a waning interest. <br /><br />Bandit is really starting to show his age. He had some problems this year. In one incident, he wouldn't eat and kept throwing up. He eventually got over that but he worried the heck out of us. Today, he actually has a problem with his left eye. It caused us to not do our original Birthday plans which was to go to Vegas. We hope it is nothing too serious, the Vet said it should hopefully be fine, but we might take him to a specialist in a week.<br /><br />No movement whatsoever on the kid and house front. Neither are likely in the near term and it looks increasingly unlikely we will ever have kids. So don't hold your breath on that one.<br /><br />That pretty much sums it up. Let's hope for another great year.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6813426.post-35795000746859123582010-05-10T20:59:00.000-07:002010-05-10T21:04:08.991-07:00Utah Fans are Classless<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_F0UTialnTIY/S-jXLDzEo5I/AAAAAAAAATc/z-bJpErMRT8/s1600/derek+fisher+and+daughter.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_F0UTialnTIY/S-jXLDzEo5I/AAAAAAAAATc/z-bJpErMRT8/s320/derek+fisher+and+daughter.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469858332439520146" border="0" /></a><br />I'm watching the NBA playoff game pitting the Los Angeles Lakers against the Utah Jazz. In the crowd there are two Utah fans that have shirts that read "Fisher Lied".<br /><br />Some background. About 3 years ago Fisher's then ten month old daughter was diagnosed with a rare form of eye cancer. This required her to get immediate surgery and chemotherapy at a New York City hospital. Fisher accompanied his family to New York City to be with his daughter. He flew back to Salt Lake afterwards to try and be there for his team. In one of the most memorable playoff games, Derek Fisher helped the Utah Jazz defeat the warriors that evening with several crucial plays including a steal and a clutch three pointer.<br /><br />After the end of the season, Derek Fisher asked the Utah Jazz to be released from his contract so that he could hopefully sign with a team that had specialist nearby that would be able to help his daughter. With no guarantees that anybody would sign him, Derek Fisher left <span style="font-weight: bold;">$22 Million on the table</span>. Read that last sentence again. He gave up a guaranteed $22 million to do what was best for his family. He could have very easily not been signed by any other team and made $0. The Jazz also had the option to make Derek Fisher honor the contract but they chose to let him off the hook. It was a mutually agreed upon solution.<br /><br />The Lakers would eventually sign him but at <span style="font-weight: bold;">$8 million less than what he would have made at Utah. </span><br /><br />I am not a Derek Fisher fan. Despite the success the Lakers have had while he has been on the team, you will often here me complain about his lack of defense or his inability to consistently shoot the three. But I have no doubt that he did not make up the situation with his daughter. If there is one thing everyone who knows him agrees with is that Derek Fisher has class. I hate his ability but I don't question his character. For the Utah Jazz fans to suggest he would use his daughter's life threatening illness for some nefarious purpose disgusts me.<br /><br />We often debate on this blog if <a href="http://reallythink.blogspot.com/2004/04/are-athletes-paid-too-much.html">athletes are overpaid</a>. People argue about the greed that athletes exhibit and they are unworthy of making that money. Yet here you have a very clear instance of an athlete taking LESS money to do the right thing and a bunch of jackass fans decide it would be funny to make fun of the situation.<br /><br />Stay classy Utah. Stay classy.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6813426.post-2527317616271481662010-03-29T20:15:00.000-07:002010-04-07T00:07:01.706-07:0032Continuing my tradition of blogging on my birthday (or in this case the day after) I will now post a blog about how 31 was and how I hope 32 will be.<div><br /></div><div>Overall it has been a fantastic year. No big surprises and that in itself is pretty pleasant. The biggest news by far was my wedding which took place in October. We did a destination wedding and ended up having what I can only describe as the most perfect wedding I could have possibly had. The setting was amazing and the memories were wonderful. I'm not a huge fan of travelling somewhere where I can't speak the native language but we managed to get by and had a great time doing it. </div><div><br /></div><div>Job wise things are OK as well. There are times I think I need to look elsewhere, and I may eventually do that, but it isn't for anything more than having the itch to do something a little more meaningful than the things I do now. The opportunities for advancement at my job are great. I'm considered one of the top performers in the company and my future will be bright if I decide to stay there. I have major influence on the things we work on and I like the feeling of having my decisions matter. The only drawback is always what is next. I'm not sure we have a great roadmap laid out in front of us but what company ever has all the answers? At least at my current job, I have a pretty big say in what gets on that roadmap.</div><div><br /></div><div>Everything else is pretty much the same. The cat is another year older but who of us isn't? I'm actually starting to feel my age in very meaningful ways. While 32 is not old, it isn't young anymore either. My body doesn't heal as quickly anymore and I get sore from doing things I really shouldn't. I've started playing softball again and I'm sore from doing that a few days after our games on Sunday. We are talking softball here. </div><div><br /></div><div>I did start training for that marathon but I never could commit to it the way I wanted to so I didn't end up running it. I will try again to find the time and energy to do it this year and run the LA marathon before I post this blog next year. I am going to attempt to commit to work out more than I have since turning 31. My attendance at the gym was horrific this past year. By far the worse year I have ever had. Got to try and turn this one around. </div><div><br /></div><div>My wife has started studying to be an interior designer in earnest. Most of her time is spent taking classes and doing her homework. This doesn't leave a lot of time for us but it is her dream and I have come to the conclusion that one of us should be able to do something they are passionate about. Since I like work (I'm just not passionate about it) and I can actually support us on my salary, the natural choice for this benefit is her. I just hope she is really happy doing this. </div><div><br /></div><div>People always ask me about either kids or a house. The answer to both right now is no. Definitely no to the kids. I don't see that in our future at all. Our stance on this might change over time but given that both of us seem to be focused on other things I don't think it will change soon. Lots of my friends are having kids now but I've never been one to do things just because everyone else was. </div><div><br /></div><div>Equally unlikely is us getting a house. Housing, despite the fall, is still way overpriced, especially in our neighborhood. Still seems ridiculous to me that a household in the top few percent in terms of income can only afford what amounts to a mid level house. Until that equation changes I will be sitting on the sideline. For those who have followed my blog over the years, you know <a href="http://reallythink.blogspot.com/2005/03/why-i-am-not-in-real-estate-market.html">I've been complaining about this for over five years</a>. That's five years of patience on my part. No need to get anxious now, even if it is another five years. </div><div><br /></div><div>One odd thing that has happened is I'm spending a lot less time investing my money. This is especially odd to me because I would have thought securing my future would become more important to me as I got older and as I started my family but lately I haven't had the motivation to track things that closely. Investing right takes discipline and time and it hasn't been something I've been willing to spend that much time doing. I really do hope to change that this coming year. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6813426.post-60584781333728768792010-04-06T23:39:00.000-07:002010-04-07T00:01:37.881-07:00My Brute - Tips and Strategies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_F0UTialnTIY/S7wtyInTE9I/AAAAAAAAATU/GkqjfzF7yVE/s1600/mybrute.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 163px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_F0UTialnTIY/S7wtyInTE9I/AAAAAAAAATU/GkqjfzF7yVE/s320/mybrute.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457287187795219410" border="0" /></a><br />I've been playing a game on the iPhone called <a href="http://bit.ly/cETdqi">My Brute</a>. On the surface, it is really not that interesting or fun. I'm actually not even sure why I play it but I do.<br /><br />The basic premise is that you have a warrior and you build it up. You challenge other people with Brutes and as you fight you level up. Each level brings with it different skills, weapons, etc. Now here is the idiotic part. You have absolutely no control over the game other than who you fight. Let me say that again. <span style="font-weight: bold;">You have absolutely no control over the game other than who you fight.</span><br /><br />This is not an exaggeration. You don't control how your character levels up. You don't control what skills they get. You don't control anything during the fight. Heck, you don't even get to really know anything about the fighter you choose to fight. It seriously might as well be a roll of the dice because that is pretty much what it amounts to.<br /><br />So those who don't like mindless games, this one is not for you.<br /><br />So how can there be any strategy in this game? There really isn't. If anybody reads this actually thinks of any, please share in the comments because I would like to know. Here are the only things I have found to be true<br /><ul><li>At least at the early levels it REALLY matters what animals you have. If you have a polar or grizzly bear, be prepared to win a lot of matches.<br /></li><li>How much health you have is not that important. In fact, it kind of sucks to have a lot of health. More on that later.<br /></li><li>Weapons make a big difference early on. If you get hit with a club, you are toast. Later levels you can avoid weapons so this becomes less useful</li><li>I read that abilities become more important later but I have yet to see that materialize. I'm on level 11. Not very high but that is because it is impossible to control how you level up.</li></ul>Now here is the really stupid part. Remember, I said you have no control over your leveling up. So you can't even pick what animal you want or what skills you pick up. You can't control how much health you get. And that is the kicker.<br /><br />Since gaining extra health cost you an upgrade slot when you level up, and health doesn't matter that much, it actually leads to the one strategy I can give to you<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Pick opponents who have high health. </span><br /><br />The only thing you can see about your opponent is their level, ability level, and health. Since I haven't found the ability level to be that important the only thing you have to go on is health. Since health takes an upgrade slot, that means your opponent was much less likely to get an upgrade giving them a good weapon or a good animal. Since those seem to matter so much early on, this is the only thing that might give you an edge in the game.<br /><br />I doubt I will play much more of this game since I actually like some level of control of my game. I still mindlessly play it when I am riding the elevator or just trying to kill time but that is it. The only thing I haven't tried yet is to get "pupils" which is this games method of trying to spread socially. Since I haven't tried to get any of my friends to actually pay for this app I am pretty sure I won't be building a very big dojo and thus won't advance very far. But hey, if you are reading this and you want to join one, please feel free to join mine. My code is<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">GCIACAGE</span><br /><br />Best of luck to you and like I said, maybe I don't know all there is to this game. If you actually think of something that will be useful to people, please leave a comment for others.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6813426.post-4457299428007665312009-11-10T21:31:00.000-08:002009-11-10T21:45:20.163-08:00Boxing is Dead. Long Live MMA<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_F0UTialnTIY/SvpOYG6TOHI/AAAAAAAAAS4/nJYzOayULJU/s1600-h/fedor.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_F0UTialnTIY/SvpOYG6TOHI/AAAAAAAAAS4/nJYzOayULJU/s320/fedor.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402716879063300210" border="0" /></a><br />Does anyone realize how big boxing used to be? There is a reason that Muhammad Ali is considered one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century. He was the biggest name in the biggest sport of his era. Now I'm a sports fan. I regularly watch all of the three major US sports and I watch SportsCenter when there is nothing else to turn to. But I can't honestly think of the name of a single boxer who is still currently fighting. I think there is a Russian boxer named Klitchko, they may be two of them who are brothers, but that's about it. Heck, do a Google search on the word "<a href="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&hs=jhl&q=boxer&aq=f&oq=&aqi=">boxers</a>" and you don't get anything of relevance. It goes to show you how out of mind that sport is.<br /><br />But to make matters worse there is a sport now called MMA that is really gaining traction and it is everything that boxing is not. I was flipping through the channels this weekend and stopped on a fight that was being shown on CBS. Now, I'm not a boxing fan. I'm not a fan of watching people get beat up, but I have to admit I was actually interested in the fight that was happening. There was action. It was fast. Guys were actually getting hit. And the match was over relatively quickly. The last fight, Fedor vs. Rogers, was over about 7 minutes into the fight. Just the right chunk of time in our ADD culture. <br /><br />Contrast this to boxing. Most of the time fights go the full amount of rounds. Guys are throwing punches but nothing is really landing. You can go the full match and not really watch anyone get in any trouble. And of course, you end up getting some sort of split decision. How boring is that. I don't think I've ever been able to watch a boxing match end to end because it just takes too long and it is too boring. <br /><br />If boxing can't capture the attention of a mainstream sports fan like myself yet there is an alternative like MMA available that can, what chance does boxing have to survive?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6813426.post-26347650597190063802009-09-05T22:15:00.000-07:002009-10-12T11:57:39.161-07:00How to Cook A Steak Without a Grill<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_F0UTialnTIY/SqNGU9LqJSI/AAAAAAAAASw/0CiqcLU5IQc/s1600-h/steak.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_F0UTialnTIY/SqNGU9LqJSI/AAAAAAAAASw/0CiqcLU5IQc/s320/steak.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378219705845294370" border="0" /></a><br />I'm a dude. I like meat but I do not like to cook. Actually, it is not so much that I do not like to cook as much as it is that I do not like to spend lots of time cooking. To that end, I am always looking for a way to cook good food with as little effort as possible. I just found a fantastic way to accomplish this by cooking a steak without a grill.<br /><br />I started out with a nice ribeye steak I got from Trader Joe's. It cost me about $8.00 and it was big enough to feed both myself and my fiancee. Not too bad for a decent cut of meat. The way I prepared it was simple.<br /><br />I let the steak come to room temperature and then I glazed it with a light coat of oil (try to find an oil that won't smoke too much, because you are about to create a lot of smoke). I seasoned the steak with some salt and some ground pepper and that was it. Good steaks should not need lots of seasoning.<br /><br />I turned the oven on to 500 degrees. I put a skillet in there (make sure your skillet can go up to this temperature). I let the stove come up to temperature. After a few minutes I placed the hot skillet in an oven set to hi. Then I did the following:<br /><br /><ul><li>Cook on one side for 30 seconds</li><li>Flip and cook for 30 seconds</li><li>Place back in oven and let sit for 2 minutes</li><li>Flip and continue to cook for 2 minutes</li><li>Remove steak from oven and skillet. Let sit covered for 2 minutes. (This is important. Do not skip. The steak will continue to cook after you remove it from the oven)<br /></li></ul>And that was it. The above comes out to a medium rare steak so adjust times accordingly to get the steak the way you like it.<br /><br />That was seriously it. A total of 5 minutes of cooking and 2 minutes of letting the steak rest. The steak comes out remarkably tasty and juicy. I was shocked how easy it was. The perfect guy recipe.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6813426.post-71196803765541068612009-09-12T10:54:00.000-07:002009-09-12T10:55:07.563-07:00You Know Your Cat is Fat When ...You have to buy a dog harness rather than a cat harness.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6813426.post-54649532267201095752009-06-14T16:40:00.001-07:002009-06-14T16:49:56.153-07:00Since When Does Shaq Play Defense?There are rumors right now that the Cleveland Cavaliers are looking to trade the Phoenix Suns for Shaquille O'Neal. After getting knocked out of the Eastern Conference Finals by the Orlando Magic, the Cavaliers are looking for an answer to Dwight Howard. And they think Shaq is the answer.<br /><br />I hope this trade happens so maybe finally people will finally realize what I've been writing about for years. <a href="http://reallythink.blogspot.com/2005/04/shaq-is-not-most-dominant-ever.html">Shaq is not that great</a>. True, he was at one time a dominant offensive player. The guy was fantastic on the low block. But he had one HUGE flaw. The guy just does not play defense. And now a team wants to trade for him so he can play defense.<br /><br />Yeah, big mistake. Cleveland would be dumb to make this trade. Shaq can not play defense and he clogs up the lane. Think Lebron has a hard time driving the lane now when people pack the lane. Yeah, have him try it when the opposing team's center is just camped right in the middle of the paint. <br /><br />Please let this trade happen. I really am interested in the outcome.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6813426.post-29034149931355772442009-04-25T09:14:00.000-07:002009-04-25T09:33:46.638-07:00NFL Rookie Contracts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_F0UTialnTIY/SfM4MsGsfBI/AAAAAAAAASo/IEAictyijtg/s1600-h/matstafford.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 216px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_F0UTialnTIY/SfM4MsGsfBI/AAAAAAAAASo/IEAictyijtg/s400/matstafford.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328664574758255634" border="0" /></a><br />The Detroit Lions came to an agreement with Georgia quarterback Matt Stafford. The deal is a reported six-year, $72 million. The deal can actually be worth up to $78 million if he achieves all his incentives.<br /><br />Now those that read this blog know that I <a href="http://reallythink.blogspot.com/2004/04/are-athletes-paid-too-much.html">do not really care what athletes get paid</a>. I am all for people making as much money as possible. Nobody is forcing the Detroit Lions, or any other NFL team, to give athletes this money. I think it is stupid to do, but at the end of the day the free markets should dictate how much money athletes can make and how much money teams should keep for themselves.<br /><br />What is of particular interest to me is how on earth the NFL got to a place where NFL rookies are paid such crazy contracts. In the other major sports, rookies have to "make good". That is, the big contract does not actually come until a few years after they have been in the league and have proven that they are worth the money.<br /><br />This is not the case in the NFL. The big contracts are usually given right out of college, before any of these athletes play one down on an NFL field. This seems a little odd to me and I am not sure how this sport got here. As an owner, I would be hesitant to throw this kind of money on an unproven athlete. Worse yet, these contracts use a significant portion of a team's salary cap. More than any other sport, Football is ruled by its salary cap. A team's success is very much correlated by how well they are able to manage their cap. Yet teams are willing to throw that out the window on unproven rookies.<br /><br />Further, I am not sure how the NFL veterans let this happen. Do they really have so little bargaining power? Why would they allow rookies to get these types of contracts when it directly affects how much they themselves can receive. You would expect it to be like other unions. Those who are already part of the union receive the better benefits and higher salaries. They are the ones who are voting on the rules of the contract and labor agreements. You would think they would create rules that favor those already part of the union rather than those that are coming in.<br /><br />How would you feel if you are a NFL player making $3 million per year. You are busting your ass and doing great. You may even be on the cusp of a pro bowl selection. Your next contract might net you $4 million if you are lucky. And then you see a player like Matt Stafford, who by his own admission admits he may be a crap shot, get something like $12 million/year. Would you not think this is a little bit unfair?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6813426.post-12552407885565449432009-04-11T08:55:00.001-07:002009-04-11T08:56:36.000-07:00I Know I Am Oldbecause it is strange to me that there are people born in the 90's who are now in college.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6813426.post-64507131455312995962009-04-09T20:39:00.000-07:002009-04-09T20:56:10.432-07:00Asian Names Are Hard to Pronounce<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/v9hdVUzMeDw&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/v9hdVUzMeDw&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />I've written in the past how it can <a href="http://reallythink.blogspot.com/2005/04/sucks-to-be-asian-male.html">suck to be asian</a>. Now, government official Betty Brown from Texas gives yet another reason why it sucks to be asian. Our <a href="http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/6365600.html">names our hard to pronounce</a>. <br /><br />No wonder we have it so tough. People are having a hard time pronouncing our names. I mean, just look at the name of the man she was directing her comments to. His last name was "Ko" Damn those two letters, what the hell can they mean? Other common names like, "Lee", "Yao", "Sun" can be extremely confusing. Not at all like nice easy "American" names like "Jake Gyllenhaal", "Shia Labeouf" or our Governor "Arnold Schwarzenegger".<br /><br />I guess Asian people will never be able to be successful in this company or be able to fit in so long as we have these strange foreign names that people just can't figure out how to spell.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6813426.post-74175696651060074752009-04-02T22:24:00.001-07:002009-04-02T22:29:38.628-07:00What the Heck Happened to Scrubs?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_F0UTialnTIY/SdWdpA89skI/AAAAAAAAASg/7DzfKb9oNVU/s1600-h/scrubs.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 271px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_F0UTialnTIY/SdWdpA89skI/AAAAAAAAASg/7DzfKb9oNVU/s400/scrubs.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320331862764008002" border="0" /></a><br />I was excited when I learned that Scrubs was coming back for one last season. It had been one of my favorite shows in the last several years and it really bugged me that they did not finish the series off right because of the writer's strike. So when I heard the series was back on, I eagerly awaited some fresh new episodes and what I hoped to be a satisfying conclusion to the series.<br /><br />But seriously, WTF? The season has been quite a disappointment. The shows just are not as funny as they used to be. I think it is mostly because they seem not to have too much of the regular cast on (J.D. has not been in at least two episodes this season and only Elliot and Turk were in this last one) and are focusing a lot on some newer characters. Perhaps they are getting the viewers ready for a whole new cast, which is just a bad idea, but it really disappoints me to see the series like this.<br /><br />The new shows have their moments, but it just isn't like the Scrubs of old which at times was just completely off beat but always funny. I would have rather had the show just end last season in a half-complete state then for it to just kind of limp to the finish line like this.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6813426.post-19188027396992711502009-03-29T21:36:00.000-07:002009-03-29T22:08:37.562-07:0031Every year I post something on my birthday, so this year should be no different. <br /><br />Yesterday, I turned 31. I blew right past 30 and have now landed at 31. What a year. I barely remember most of it. I would like to say it was not a very exciting year. It certainly started off that way. <br /><br />I am getting to the point where it seems like the days, weeks, months and years kind of blend into each other. When I have conversation with old friends the talks are brief even though we may not have talked for several months. Not much changes in my life. Work is work and life is life. <br /><br />However, this year a few big things have changed. The biggest event of the year is that I got engaged. I will admit, I never thought I would get here. I never thought I would meet someone who fits me so well like my fiancee does but here I am six months away from my wedding. By the time I write this post next year I will be a married man. <br /><br />Work has definitely changed from last year. At this time a year ago, work had gone from something new and exciting to something kind of mundane. I was not thrilled with my position, something that would get worse in the months that followed my post last year. But things at work turned the corner. We had several layoffs and reorganizations. My role is quite different in the company now and for me it is a much better opportunity. This is exactly the type of growth and opportunity I wanted for myself when I quit my last job so I am very happy that at least this part of that risk ended up paying off. <br /><br />There are still some challenges in front of me, things are not perfect, but work rarely if ever is. I actually was able to convince a good friend and an old co-worker to come work for me, so it kind of feels like old times and that makes it kind of nice. <br /><br />There have been lots of little changes. The kitty is still great. He has become more needy as he gets older and now has a very annoying habit of meowing constantly at the most inconvenient of times. Nevertheless, we still love him and I think he is mostly content with his life. I definitely do not play as much basketball as I used to. Too bad really. I do no think I've played a game of basketball this calendar year, something that would have been unheard of just a year or two ago. Most of it is lack of time, some of it is lack of motivation. However, I do plan to eventually run in a marathon. It is something I will have to pick up in the coming months if I want to be in shape for it next year. <br /><br />It is hard to imagine that 31 will be as good as 30 but I certainly hope it is. The wedding is going to be lots of fun and work is on the uptrend. While I think most of my focus will be on wedding planning and the new responsibilities at work, I am also thinking hard about what I am going to do not in the next year, but in the subsequent following years. By this time next year, I hope to have an idea about long term prospects that today I just do not have a plan around.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6813426.post-53294102558232032282008-03-09T00:34:00.000-08:002009-03-27T09:21:01.100-07:00Speaking of Treating Animals like PeopleLast post, I had talked about how we <a href="http://reallythink.blogspot.com/2008/03/what-do-cats-think-about-all-day.html">anthropomorphize our pets</a>. I was reading through various news reports and came across a story about how <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/03/01/woz101.xml">a man took his dog paragliding and ended up getting stuck in a tree</a>.<br /><br />Seriously, what the heck? Why on earth would anyone take their pet paragliding? Is their some belief that because humans enjoy the activity, the pet will too? Is it the thought that you love your pet, you love paragliding, and the two would go great together? Is this person trying to treat his beloved dog by giving him the thrill of a lifetime?<br /><br />I actually think the opposite. I think taking your pet on any sort of dangerous activity like this is going to scare the crap out of it. It scares people too but people are able to translate that fear into excitement, the same can not be said for pets. There is no way I can see how a pet would actually enjoy this activity. Does anyone actually think otherwise?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6813426.post-9480991521120031952009-03-27T09:11:00.000-07:002009-03-27T09:16:17.839-07:00Why I liked Field Trips<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_F0UTialnTIY/Scz7w8L6yJI/AAAAAAAAASY/niy9FaiRYxQ/s1600-h/cokecan.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 206px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_F0UTialnTIY/Scz7w8L6yJI/AAAAAAAAASY/niy9FaiRYxQ/s320/cokecan.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317902078226122898" border="0" /></a>Yesterday, as I walked past a group of kids on a field trip, I had a flashback to my childhood. I suddenly recalled a major reason I liked field trips when I was growing up and it makes so little sense to me now in retrospect.<br /><br />When I was growing up, my elementary school did not allow us to bring sodas in our lunch. This was particularly frustrating for me since I was a sugar fiend and they were easy for me to get since my father had mountains of soda for his restaurant.<br /><br />However, this rule did not apply to us when we went of field trips. For whatever reason, we were allowed to bring cans of soda in our lunch when we were not going to school and were instead going on a field trip. Why on earth would my school make this distinction. I can understand why they would not want kids drinking soda. Besides the health issues, you get hyperactive kids if they are drinking a ton of soda.<br /><br />But why would they allow it on field trips? Was it ok that I was rowdy on the bus? Did they not care if I was all hyped up in public since I was not as much their problem?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6813426.post-27522634979192955332009-02-14T13:09:00.001-08:002009-02-14T23:37:55.480-08:00The Lobster Dribble<span style="font-style: italic;"></span>A few months ago, there was tremendous controversy about Lebron James and his "crab dribble". See the video below.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DpQBD672HkQ&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DpQBD672HkQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Believe me when I say this. I've played a lot of basketball in my life, and you can call it whatever you want, but Lebron James traveled. It was blatant and I applaud the referee for giving the proper call despite the fact that it might have changed the game. A travel is a travel no matter what the clock says.<br /><br />But I had to laugh when I saw this video of Corey Maggette against the Atlanta Hawks.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xN_ljDfevB0&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xN_ljDfevB0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />The guy literally travels about six times in a six second period of time. For those who are not familiar with the rules, you can not pick up you feet as soon as you catch the ball or you come to a complete stop after dribbling. Since this is an even more blatant disregard for the rules, I decided to call it the "Lobster Dribble" since it is an even better version of traveling.<br /><br />This is seriously one of the craziest things I have ever seen in a game. What makes it even worse is that the referee is standing right there. What the hell? And, to top it off, Maggette COMPLAINS about the non-call after he turns the ball over. No wonder so many people are disillusioned with the NBAUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6813426.post-1104447249400525322003-10-27T14:53:00.000-08:002008-12-13T08:52:25.479-08:00Kobe Or Shaq?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_F0UTialnTIY/R1CXOxLp5HI/AAAAAAAAAHU/kVQd0-df62I/s1600-R/shaq+and+kobe.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_F0UTialnTIY/R1CXOxLp5HI/AAAAAAAAAHU/6pucbo9PaJo/s320/shaq+and+kobe.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138773454805918834" border="0" /></a><br />This topic is getting kind of old huh? Once again Shaq and Kobe are at it in the media <a href="http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-lakers27oct27,1,1613020.story?coll=la-headlines-sports">taking jabs at each other</a>. Is it me or is this straight out of Kindergarten? These two need to realize one thing, they don't win three championships without each other. That's why the Lakers didn't win it last year (no Shaq) and that's why Shaq never won anything until Kobe became the player he is today.<br /><br />That being said, what should the Lakers do? If you had to choose one what would you do? Let me say one thing is for certain, without Shaq the Lakers aren't doing anything right now. The way they are built, they need Shaq. He is truly unstoppable when he wants to be and he is in shape. Nobody in the league has anybody else who can match up. That being said I take Kobe. Huh?<br /><br />OK, first off Kobe is younger. You're going to get 7 more years out of Kobe than you are with Shaq if not more. Shaq is on his way down the hill, Kobe is still looking up. Kobe, albeit not this year, stays in much better shape than Shaq. He improves on his game year in and year out. The NBA is a guards league. Guards dominate the game because they have the ball in their hands. Its a fast paced game where things have to happen quickly and throwing it in the paint is not wise unless you have a Shaq or a Tim Duncan. Now the last few championships have been won by teams with either Shaq or Tim Duncan which would seem to suggest that having the big man is more important. Well I would argue, yeah if he is Tim Duncan. Tim Duncan, as much as I hate to admit it, is better than Shaq is. Why would I say such a thing? Because Shaq is inconsistent. You know what Duncan is giving you, he gives it to you every night. Shaq has 1 MVP, Duncan 2 and Duncan is younger. The reason, Shaq gets hurt. He misses too many games.<br /><br />But given all the above I was still leaning toward Shaq until I thought, would I rather have the Bulls teams of the 90's or the Lakers of now. The answer was the Bulls. How come? They had Jordan and he dominated the game from the two guard with almost no big man to speak of (unless you count Luc Longley?) In fact, he routinely beat Shaq and the Magic.<br /><br />So for the long term I take Kobe. You're simply going to get more out of him, unless he goes to jail.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6813426.post-1105406551779996882003-12-30T17:22:00.000-08:002008-12-13T08:52:24.983-08:00Bright Light Hell<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_F0UTialnTIY/R1CcPxLp5II/AAAAAAAAAHc/CH56Fh7Gwd8/s1600-R/brightlight.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_F0UTialnTIY/R1CcPxLp5II/AAAAAAAAAHc/MBfb9O57pB0/s320/brightlight.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138778969543926914" border="0" /></a><br />In preparation for getting Lasik I had my comprehensive exam yesterday. It is an exam where they do all sorts of things to you to make sure that your eyes are healthy enough to undergo the procedure.<br /><br />One of the things they do to you is check the health of your retina. They do this by dilating your eyes and shining a VERY bright light into them. Yesterday when they did this to me I decided it would be an excellent way to torture someone. I can't tell you how painful this was for me yesterday. Just thinking about it now brings tears to my eyes.<br /><br />No I know what most people are thinking. I have had this done to me before and it wasn't that bad. Well I have too but I don't remember it being this painful. Maybe the light they used was extra bright. Maybe the doctor just took a lot longer than most to ensure the health of my eyes. Whatever it was it hurt like hell. And I only had to endure it for about a minute and a half in each eye. If you did that for a long period of time to someone I can't imagine them not passing out from the pain.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6813426.post-1112640925099076412005-04-04T11:28:00.000-07:002008-12-13T08:52:22.588-08:00Shaq is NOT the Most Dominant Ever.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_F0UTialnTIY/R1CW_RLp5GI/AAAAAAAAAHM/jWnz0h41zns/s1600-R/shaq1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_F0UTialnTIY/R1CW_RLp5GI/AAAAAAAAAHM/4yusz00zzkY/s320/shaq1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138773188517946466" border="0" /></a><br />I'm getting really tired of people, namely <a href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/o/onealsh01.html">Shaq</a> himself, declaring Shaq to be the Most Dominant Ever. I said it when he was a Laker and I was rooting for him and I'll say it now that he is part of the Heat and I can't stand him, he is not, never was, and never will be, the most dominant player to play the game. How can I say that.<br /><br />How many times has he done any of the following?<br /><br />1. Lead the league in rebounds.<br />2. Lead the league in block shots.<br />3. Been named Defensive Player of the Year?<br /><br />That's right, a grand total of <span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">0 times.</span></span><br /><br />OK how about leading the league in Scoring? 2<br />MVP's? 1<br /><br />He has been in the league a total of 13 years. And has dominated the league how? Two scoring titles and 1 MVP.<br /><br />OK he has 3 championship rings and 3 finals MVP. Yeah?<br /><a href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jordami01.html"><br />Jordan</a> has 6 rings, 6 finals MVPs, 5 MVPs, 10 scoring titles, 1 defensive player of the year (which is ridiculous for a guard to win)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.hoophall.com/halloffamers/RussellW.htm">Russell</a> - <span style="font-weight: bold;">11 rings</span>, 5 MVPs, 5 time rebounding champ And probably would have had a dozen defensive player of the year awards and lead the leage in block shots if they had it back then<br /><a href="http://www.hoophall.com/halloffamers/Chamberlain.htm"><br />Wilt Chamberlain</a> - 7 scoring titles (once with a sick 50.4 scoring average), Lead league in rebounding 11 times and averaged an NBA record 22.9 RPG,<br /><br />So please stop saying he is the most dominant ever. He is VERY good. Top 10 player no doubt. But Most Dominant Ever? Please. A big man needs to rebound and defend the paint, not just score.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6813426.post-1118784367386419882005-06-15T09:25:00.000-07:002008-12-13T08:52:21.380-08:00Phil Jackson Part II<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_F0UTialnTIY/R1CWWRLp5FI/AAAAAAAAAHE/92yCo_EhJnA/s1600-R/phil-jackson.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_F0UTialnTIY/R1CWWRLp5FI/AAAAAAAAAHE/d8Qc-JDMbsA/s200/phil-jackson.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138772484143309906" border="0" /></a>In case you haven't heard, and if you live in LA I find it hard to believe, <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&id=2085271">Phil Jackson will be returning as head coach to the Los Angeles Lakers</a>. Let the Soap Opera begin.<br /><br />I have mixed feelings about Phil coming back. He said some pretty awful stuff about Kobe and the Lakers in his book, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Last Season</span>. Basically he called Kobe uncoachable, called out Jerry Buss for his lifestyle, and chronicled a stormy relationship with GM Mitch Kupchak. Now he returns to lead the team he blasted in his book.<br /><br />On the one hand you can't argue with 9 rings, the most for any one coach. Phil wants to win and he knows how to do it. The Lakers needed to do something, and boy did they do something.<br /><br />On the other hand it's hard to go home again. Given all the things he said in his book I find it hard to believe the team will trust him, Kobe especially. However, after the press conference Phil showed that maybe he has learned from his mistakes. Several reporters asked him about Kobe Bryant and the conversation they had on the phone prior to the announcement. Phil steadfastly refused to get into the details out of respect for Kobe and his relationship. That's a good sign.<br /><br />I'll take the optimistic approach and say that I believe with Phil, the Lakers can make the playoffs and maybe even win a series. No matter who the coach is they need players and so it matters a lot what the Lakers are able to do this off season in terms of acquiring players. It is my hope that Kobe and Phil will be able ot mend their relationship, act professional, and bring back the trophy where it belongs, in LA.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6813426.post-48136399082035574972007-01-11T19:00:00.000-08:002008-12-13T08:52:19.035-08:00Sony PS3 Availability<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_F0UTialnTIY/RcLyZUD0cWI/AAAAAAAAAAo/4ZemrMUSvRw/s1600-h/PS3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 204px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_F0UTialnTIY/RcLyZUD0cWI/AAAAAAAAAAo/4ZemrMUSvRw/s320/PS3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5026846650794275170" border="0" /></a>I was talking to a co-worker a few days ago and he was talking about how they had PS3s in a huge stack at Fry's. That kind of surprised me as I would still think the PS3 would be selling out. I then saw it for myself when I went to Best Buy, a stack of about 50 PS3s just sitting there.<br /><br />I can't imagine that supply has finally caught up. The main reason I went there was to look to see if they had a Wii. I plan on getting a Wii, but have no interest in the PS3. No Wii, plenty of PS3s. Now you can't tell me that Sony can currently out produce Nintendo, so the only reason that I can't get a Wii and I can get a PS3 is that Demand for the Wii far outstrips the PS3.<br /><br />I figured I was in the minority in this one. But I guess there are more people like me who think the Wii's playability and $250 price tag trumps the PS3's supposedly amazing graphics and $600 price tag. If this is true throughout the country, Sony is going to be seriously hurting.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6813426.post-29473688312891491202007-01-26T09:25:00.000-08:002008-12-13T08:52:18.794-08:00Wii: Finally Got One<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_F0UTialnTIY/Rbo69r3B1_I/AAAAAAAAAAc/luNK9ZgAbuc/s1600-h/wii.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 276px; height: 210px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_F0UTialnTIY/Rbo69r3B1_I/AAAAAAAAAAc/luNK9ZgAbuc/s320/wii.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5024393165705172978" border="0" /></a>I had the day off this morning. I still got up at about my regular time and did my normal routine. I turned on the computer, and just to check I went to this <a href="http://crayz.org/target_wii.php?zip=98126">site</a>. And lo and behold there were Wii's available in my neighborhood.<br /><br />I had seen some Wii's available in some other neighborhoods over the last few days, but like I said <a href="http://reallythink.blogspot.com/2007/01/trying-to-get-wii.html">earlier</a>, I had no intention of going out of my way to get one. So I got dressed and went down to the local Target. I had been following the Wii's availability all over the country using the above site. Not really because I wanted to get one, but more out of curiousity for how well Nintendo is doing. By following it I know when there are Wii's available they usually don't last very long. Lucky for me, I must have been one of the first ones there (nobody knows when these shipments normally drop, last time it was announced but it was a special circumstance). So I paid my money, and now I'm a proud owner of a Wii. Haven't played yet, but I'll update at some point with my thoughts.<br /><br />I am very interested on how quickly my local Target sells out. I'll probably keep checking today and tomorrow to see if the shipment I was able to get one from sells out quickly.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6813426.post-64479190794565848912007-02-13T22:06:00.000-08:002008-12-13T08:52:18.491-08:00Bumper Sticker.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_F0UTialnTIY/RdK4nUIOGqI/AAAAAAAAAA0/PeAMheExqOE/s1600-h/bumper.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5031286719283862178" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 263px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 65px" height="77" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_F0UTialnTIY/RdK4nUIOGqI/AAAAAAAAAA0/PeAMheExqOE/s320/bumper.jpg" width="283" border="0" /></a> I was driving around today and saw a "I Love My Wife" bumper sticker.<br /><br />Why on earth would anyone actually put this on their car? Nothing good can be implied from the sticker. If the guy put it on his car of his own free will that's just pretty pathetic. If his wife made him put it on, you know that marriage can't be headed for success. If its supposed to be a joke, it isn't particularly funny.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2