Camping 2007

First, a caption contest. What is Emily saying in this picture? Best entry gets a prize. (I don't know the true answer)

I actually took around 50 pictures, but these are the cream of the crop. Note: At no time in any of my pics do you see all three DeClerk brother. Coincidence? Hmmm...

The bluffs. How nobody has fallen off that cliff in a drunken stupor in these many years is beyond me.
AAAAWWWW!!! Look how cute they are. Just after I took this picture they started making out. Gross. My only question is: Why is Lauri drinking water instead of Bud Light?


Some clouds make nice sunsets...


...other clouds bring an assload of rain and lightning. If there were ever clouds that signaled the coming of the apocalypse it was these clouds.

About 20 minutes after taking these pictures we were in our various cars waiting out the storm. Thanks again to Tim and Lauri for risking their lives to get us beer.


Lauri was the first victim of the mud. Here's her footprint. Unfortunately, there were no pictures of Rhiannon's (sp?) spill because it sounded like it was much better (worse from her viewpoint) than Lauri's "graceful genuflect".


I didn't want to alarm anybody at the time, but I saw a strange monster in the waves one night at the tracks. I first spotted him wrestling with some seaweed and then swimming in the surf. He never came out of the water, which is good because I saw Pete standing on the beach shortly after taking this picture.

Through rain, lightning, ocean monsters, ice shortages and intense hangovers, one thing remained constant: SLINGBALL.


Once again, nobody got hit by a train, although one of Tom's towels was certainly worse for wear after its run-in with Amtrak.



Again, there may be a prize for the best caption so leave your Emily caption in the comments section. You may enter as many times as you wish.

Today's List - 9/8

1. School started again Wednesday. Two periods of World History and two periods of American Government (which turns to Economics next semester). It looks like a good bunch of kids.

2. I have 4 sets of students with the same first and last names in the same class. For example, in one class I have two kids named Hugo Garcia. I also have identical twin brothers together in a class.

3. Award for the most unique name this year: a girl named Clad.

4. If you are one of those people that goes to the gym: please bring a towel with you and wipe off the machines when you are done. I don't want to deal with your sweat.

5. Countdown to new niece: 26 days.

6. I swear that I am going to put up some camping pictures at some point.

7. Did you see Jerry Lewis call someone an "illiterate fag" during his telethon? No, you can check it out here.

8. Watched "Hot Fuzz" last night. Pretty funny and worth a rent or a Netflix. Lots of fake blood. Incidentally, I had to watch the second half this morning since I went to bed on a Friday night at 9:30. Its too bad we didn't think to arrange to meet some friends for drinks instead - oh well. (That's a jab directed at two people who I know will read this).

9. I recently read two books by Dean Koontz. The first was "Odd Thomas" and then the second in that series "Forever Odd". The first one was a good read during camping. Interesting story with reasonably good writing. The second was not-so-good. Let's just say that an animal enters the story at some point and its completely ridiculous.

The List - 9/3

1. Camping was fun. We were caught in a beast of a thunderstorm that forced us into our cars for maybe 30-40 minutes. OK, it was the Rangers that forced us into our cars, not the storm. We were in the middle of the first game of slingball when they suggested that we find refuge in the cars. Tim, giving maybe the best quote of camping, says "Does he know we are in a tournament?"

2. I'm re-stating my previous belief that I am old. I needed to be in bed by 10:00 or so most nights during camping and woke up with back stiffness each morning.

3. Our new camping stove and percolator worked brilliantly.

4. Students show up Wednesday and its back to the grindstone. I try to make it sound bad so I can get sympathy, but #1: I love my job and #2: I shouldn't complain about actually having to work for the first time in 6 weeks.

5. For me, the ideal temperature for a swimming pool is between 72-76 degrees.

6. I made a list of things to do this summer and only completed about 1/2 of the items.

7. Liverpool is in first place and would look even better if we weren't completely fucked by the referee in the Chelsea game. He admitted his mistakes.

8. David Beckham looks to be done for the season. This may surprise you, but I am fine with that. Our season is shot and I would like him to be back to 100% by next season.

9. I hate to admit this, but I am a Michigan fan. Big loss Saturday to Appalachian State. Never heard of them? That's because they are Div. I-AA (now called something else). However, they are probably the best I-AA team, so there's that.

10. 20 more days until a new "The Office".

11. No more new Entourage until probably June I'm guessing. I was a little disappointed with this season until last night when they had topless chicks snorting cocaine off of each other's boobs. Its not the partial nudity that made up for a mediocre season, but all of the factors put together. Now I am only slightly disappointed.

12. I've been listening to a lot of my old punk and ska CDs again since I loaded them onto my iPod. I miss that stuff. Guttermouth, Lagwagon, Mr. T Experience, The Toasters, Specials, etc.

13. We were completely bombarded by flies last night in the apartment. Our theory is that the next door neighbors leave out a lot of nasty trash and when we made steak the flies came running. Final body count was about 30 dead flies in about 45 minutes. Most squished against various windows. One was mashed into the curtain - not pretty. We won in the end.

14. Man, its hotter than two hamsters having sex in a wool sock these days. (I got that one from another teacher)

The Office returns Sep. 27

Today's Short List - 8/24

1. Galaxy got owned last night. Completely ruined my birthday. 3-0 and those see-you-next-Tuesdays celebrated right in our face.

2. I saw another man's hairy ass last night. It was disturbing. It was a Chivas fan mooning us.

3. Highlight of the match. Riot Squad gathered by the tennis courts to pick up sombreros painted with the Riot Squad logo and followed a full mariachi band into our section. They played our chants and stayed in the section the whole time. We passed a sombrero and bought them beers. It was fun as hell. People's faces were priceless when they saw the procession.

4. Did you see that Baltimore lost 30-3 the other day. Not the Ravens, but the Orioles. The first time in the modern era of baseball (since 1900) that a team scored 30 runs.

5. I'm hungry and we're going camping.

Today's List - 8/23

1. I am officially old. Please use a larger font when typing comments.

2. Got a couple of nice gifts last night at dinner. In-laws got me a dinner at Marston's, but its not a normal dinner - its called a winemakers dinner. Along with a 5-course meal I (and a yet undetermined guest) will be sampling 5 wines from Zaca Mesa, a good winery from the Los Olivos area. Also got a very nice bottle of wine that you can find in my "wine cellar" at corkd.com (see link in sidebar. I have nice in-laws. I don't think most people can say that.

3. Buffets kick ass. We went to the Atheneum at CalTech last night for dinner. It was buffet night. Where else but a buffet can you have prime rib, swordfish, champagne chicken, spicy shrimp rolls, au gratin potatoes, and ratatouille all on one plate.

4. Galaxy vs. ChivasUSA is nationally televised tonight on ESPN. I'm not saying much more, but the supporter's group that I sit with (L.A. Riot Squad) always brings the heat for Chivas. The word "historical" has been used in reference to our planned mischief tonight. Check it out.

5. There are several situations in which I could spend an infinite amount of money: at a good wine shop, a bookstore, Target, a stationary store with nice pens, etc. Yesterday I re-discovered an old one: camping gear. I could buy camping gear all day. We got a new tent last year. Its pretty big, but we are hoping that it will hold our family one day. Yesterday we got a camp stove, a new big cooler with wheels, and a camping coffee percolator pot. There's about a million other things that I could buy.

6. Costco is currently selling a 160-quart ice-chest. Its a beast. I think a small person could sleep in there. You may think your cooler is big - well, its not. This one is.

7. I'm reading Tom Wolfe's Bonfire of the Vanities. I don't think I like it much, but I can't stop reading a book in the middle. Except the last book that Amanda recommended to me, but I stopped reading that because it was a very confusing sci-fi type book.

8. Happy early birthday to Pete. I think his is the 25th? Happy birthday also to my brother and to my grandmother. We all share the same birthday. Also, happy birthday to Kobe Bryant, Julio Franco, Keith Moon, and Shelley Long. I would say happy birthday to River Phoenix, but he's dead.

9. Want to hear something weird. I share a birthday with River Phoenix and my wife shares a birthday with Joaquin Phoenix. Joaquin Phoenix was in "To Die For" with Matt Dillon and Matt Dillon was in "Loverboy" with... Kevin Bacon. So there you go.

10. You should see the pen my wife got me for my birthday. It dominates all other pens.

Today's List - 8/21

1. If you want to see the wines that I am currently holding (waiting for consumption) you can go to this link. The link has a permanent home in the "Links" section in the sidebar. I think its a pretty good collection for someone who is far from rich.

2. There are only 3 of those wines that are staying in my possession for the long haul. Anytime you come by the apartment looking for a nice glass of wine I am likely going to take you up on the offer. Most wines don't age that well. I think there are several that I could hold for 5-7 years, but I would rather drink them.

3. Tomorrow is my last day in my 20s. I feel like I should do something that you should really only do while in your 20s. Any ideas?

4. Stamps. We have a buttload of stamps, none of which are enough to send a letter or bill. At this point I am sending out bills and stuff with more than 70 cents worth of stamps. Am I lazy or is it really not worth going to the Post Office to load up on 3-6 cent stamps.

5. Libraries are weird places. They let you borrow books for free. That's very trusting of them.

6. Summer has killed my ability to listen to Podcasts. I am way behind without the 30-minute drive to and from work.

7. Did you know that the NFL is in the middle of pre-season. I just figured that out yesterday. The only thing more boring than a 3+ hour NFL regular season game is a 3+ hour preseason game. Well, that and any NBA game. Basketball puts me to sleep.

Based on the short list you can probably tell that my day was relatively uneventful.

Bringing camping to the next level

As a kid growing up in a relatively poor family, camping was one of our most common vacations. (Side note: poor only lasted until I was maybe 11-12. Nothing against poor, but I don't want anyone thinking that I had a rough childhood financially). Once we hit the late teen years we were more likely to hit up places with hotels, although we still camped every so often. Nonetheless, camping is still one of my favorite vacations. Unfortunately, most of my camping stopped around college. I did camp in the middle of nowhere once during the summer after my freshman year in college. It was with the friends of a friend in Northern California. We passed the night drinking Keystone and Coors Light, throwing knives, and practicing roping a fake bull. It was a good time.

I have been re-introduced to camping by Amanda's friends in the last couple of years. They have been doing regular trips for something like 20 years (when their parents took them). However, the days of whiffle ball and running through poison-oak have been replaced by drinking absurd amounts of domestic beer in cans (usually Bud Light and Coors Light), walking down to the beach, reading, a little Sorry (in which I think I am undefeated), and talking shit around the campfire. Again, good times.

This year I am stepping it up a notch - at least for myself. Due to my somewhat recent obsession with wine, I am going to bring some quality wine to camping this year along with some plastic wine glasses. So far, my only choice is a 2005 Marquis Philips Sarah's Blend. Its a blend of shiraz, cabernet sauv., merlot, and a little cab franc. Being from Australia, it should be a complete fruit bomb, which should be just right for camping. I may also bring a bottle of Four Vines Naked Chardonnay (naked means that it was not aged in oak) for the daytime.

Don't get me wrong. For the most part I will be drinking nice cold domestic cans during the day, but the 14-15% alcohol found in these wines sound pretty good for the night.

Today's List - 8/20

So I'm back from my trip to New England and have a few ideas/comments/annoyances to share.

1. New England is old. I guess old means that you don't have to have street signs. We got lost a number of times. I think old also means that you can randomly change the name of streets. One street had three different names in the course of five blocks.

2. People in Massachusetts are serious about two things: the Red Sox and Dunkin' Donuts. We spent two days in Falmouth, MA. I saw no reference to Starbucks, but there were two Dunkin' Donuts - one was a drive-thru.

3. During one of our experiences being lost we drove through the ghetto of Providence. Their houses are not in very good condition, but they are really neat old Cape Cod style houses. However, we just missed witnessing someone rob a Burger King.

4. Downtown Providence has little parking. However, for some reason they don't put meters next to spots where the sidewalk has bricks, thus creating a few free parking spots. I'm not sure why.

5. Have you ever heard the rule "don't shit in an RV"? I think there should also be a rule "don't fart on an airplane". Someone dropped as maybe four times during our flight from Providence to Cleveland.

6. A lot of people like lobster. They served lobster at the wedding reception. It was a great idea and loads of fun to see people all dressed up wearing lobster bibs and making a mess. However, that's a lot of work to get to your food. Cows are much more suited for eating.

7. I like kids and wouldn't mind having a few of my own in the near future. However, kids on airplanes are annoying. Especially kids whose parents can't teach them that they don't have to whine constantly to get a drink of water and then kick the back of your chair.

8. Humidity sucks.

9. I got a call from the manager at BevMo while I was in Providence. I'm not sure he ever actually apologized, but he sounded apologetic and wanted me to call him back and let him know what happened so it won't happen again.

10. Most parks (and public places in general) have laws that require you to keep your dog on a leash. A lady in one park on Martha's Vineyard didn't follow that law. Her dog got its ass kicked by another dog. That dog was on a leash and the owner did a great job getting his dog away from the other dog. Then, just ten minutes later, the lady let her dog off the leash again. Oh, and the dog was wearing a pink bandanna.

11. During the fight, someone kept yelling "dog fight!". I'm not sure why, but it was funny.

12. We walked around Martha's vineyard for 3 hours or so and I never saw a vineyard. If they named places after the most common resource available they would change it from Martha's Vineyard to Martha's Ice Cream Shop. I saw maybe 20 of them.

13. Don't get me wrong. Martha's Vineyard was beautiful. Very relaxing. People in the park flying kites. Amazing 100+ years old homes. Clear water on the beaches. I enjoyed my time there.

14. Human beings were not meant to fly. 5 hours on a plane is just not comfortable. I've been to Italy and that was 9+ hours. We really need to invent teleportation soon.

15. This video is funny:

Today's List - 8/13

1. This will be my last post for a few days.

2. This is officially my 300th post.

3. E-mail. I am used to getting somewhere around 20-30 e-mails every day. In the last 3 days I got maybe 15 total. Weird. I'm not counting spam either.

4. Did you hear Karl Rove is quitting at the end of the month? What the hell is Bush going to do? Think on his own? Scary. Good riddance though.

5. Baja Fresh really went skimpy on the steak tonight in my burrito. Very disappointing. They forgot the sour cream too.

6. My homie Randy is moving to Alaska on Thursday. I wish him well. Watch out for the bears and moose. Randy is a good guy and I'll miss having him around to harass and make fun of when he gets really hammered. I'm not sure the 49th state will be able to handle two Moe brothers at once.

7. Did you know that Tim Burton directed Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. I did, but I guess its not really common knowledge. Caught the last 30 minutes tonight and I enjoyed it for entirely different reasons than when I was 9.

8. I am slowly approaching 7,000 visitors to this site. I may have a prize waiting for #7000 (or the person that comes closest to being #7000 that I can actually give the prize to.

Today's List - 8/12

1. Thanks to those that came by my/Steve's b-day gathering at the Crown last night. I think we made up half of the total customer count.

2. My body simply does not recover from drinking at an acceptable rate. I had the "ring of fire" all day. I mean, I drank a lot of beer, but it was only beer. There has to be a solution. B12 or something.

3. After watching hours of Shark Week I decided that I would never go in the water again. Just now I watched a repeat of another show on Discovery that talked about irukandji. They are a super-small (almost microscopic) jellyfish whose sting is 100 times more deadly than a cobra. You simply can't see them. I know that they are most common in places like Australia, but it reinforces my decision to only swim in pools. I may swim in lakes though as they don't seem to have as many deadly predators.

4. Galaxy suck. Becks may not help.

5. Anyone else watch Entourage? Really disappointing season in my view.

6. There's another cool ocean show on Discovery tonight. I think its called Deep Blue. It makes me wish that I had HD.

Today's List - 8/11

1. BevMo can eat my ass. I went yesterday to take back a bottle of wine that I bought there last week. When I opened the bottle the cork was falling apart because it was so soaked with wine and the wine smelled funny. I'm no wine expert, but I do know when a wine has been cooked (exposed to high heat). All I wanted was a new bottle of the same wine. They decided to give me attitude about it like I was trying to cheat them out of $11. In any case, my shopping days at the Pasadena BevMo are done and I wrote the company an angry letter.

2. Premiership opened today. Liverpool claimed 3 points with a win over Aston Villa. Steven Gerrard hit a brilliant free kick in the 87th minute to give us the win. Man, its really nice to have some EPL to wake up to in the mornings again.

3. Saw Bourne Ultimatum last night. It was OK. They seemed to rip off some ideas from other sources like X-Men and Steven Seagal movies. The other two were better.

4. People are lame. When you show up to a movie on a Friday night just as its starting don't expect to get a great seat. Also don't whine about those of us who arrived early not moving over so you can have the end-of-the-aisle seat that we arrived 20 minutes before to get.

5. Last night Randy, Pete, and I were trying to come up with the ideal cast for the always pending G.I. Joe live action movie. I found several places on the net that have mentioned Mark Wahlberg playing the role of Duke. I can see that. The article for #6 also says that the role of Roadblock will be played by Ice Cube. That would get him redemption in my eyes for the "Are We There Yet" Fiasco.

6. Thundercats movie? That's also a rumor, but it seems much further along in the process than G.I. Joe. Hugh Jackman as Lion-O. Jessica Simpson as Cheetara. Micheal Clarke-Duncan as Panthro. That's what I've read.

7. Both Thundercats and G.I. Joe are slated for a 2010 release, but He-Man is slated for 2009. Joel Silver of the Matrix is involved.

8. I usually don't talk about movie stuff this much. Have you noticed how crappy the movie selection is these days? Honestly, three years ago Amanda and I would never have seen Bourne Ultimatum. There's always Harry Potter in another 18 months. And the teaser for the next Batman (The Dark Knight) is up on the net in a few places.

9. Next time you're at the movies make this drink: in a cup just less than 1/2 full of ice - about 10-15% Sprite, then about 70% Lite Lemonade, then top it off with more Sprite. Its delicious.

Enjoy your day.

Today's List - 8/10

1. I finally got called into jury duty. However, I was there for less than an hour and they let me postpone until my winter break. Word on the street is just before Christmas is a good time to get called in because judges don't like tho be there before Christmas.

2. People are annoying. This lady explained, very clearly I thought, the reasons one could get excused from jury duty and the reasons/methods/consequences of postponing jury duty. Essentially, you just had to step outside and talk to the "postponement interviewers and give them a good reason to postpone and pick a new week up to 90 days away. Easy, right? I guess not. The first question asked was "Can I get postponed for a vacation?" Answer: talk to the interviewers. Next 5 questions: "Can I get postponed for ___________?" Next 5 answers: talk to the interviewers. At this point she said "Let me clarify. I can't grant your postponement. Whatever your reason is, you will need to talk to the interviewers." Next question: "Can I get postponed for maternity leave?" I feel bad for that baby because her mom is retarded.

3. There are a lot of tall buildings in Downtown LA. They create this sort of wind tunnel that feels like a good breeze, but I think its filled with pollution.

4. David Beckham made his MLS debut last night. Exciting? Meh. They lost and played like complete shite until he came on. However, at that point Galaxy had lost one player to a red card and 20 minutes wasn't going to save us. We'll see what happens next.

5. Anybody ever been to Providence or Cape Cod? We're looking for stuff to do. I'm thinking about a pirate museum in Salem. Amanda says that the Salem Witch Museum is corny and the pirate museum is loosely affiliated so my expectations are pretty low. I would also like to visit the JFK library. I've been to the LBJ library in Austin, TX. However, I've never been to the Reagan library which is really close. Or Nixon, which is also really close. Maybe its because they are Republicans.

6. I made a list of things to do this summer. There are maybe 40 things on the list and I've only done 4. I need to get crackin'.

7. Amanda Tivo'd this really strange kids show(?) that involves dogs dressed up like people. Its one of those its-so-bad-that-its-awesome things. Here's a really crappy YouTube version that is clearly some guy recording it off his TV, but you'll get the point. We saw it on HBO Family.



8. Is "Tivo'd" really a word. Can I "tivo" something even though I don't have Tivo? (I have Time Warner DVR)

That's about it for now. Enjoy the weekend.

Today's list - 8/9

Now that we are in summer I have a little extra time to blog and a lot of things that I want to say. Therefore, for the rest of the summer, I am going to write a list of the things that I have on my mind. They may best based in anger, mired in hate, soaked in positivity, or completely devoid of emotion. So here's today's list.

1. Went to the Angels vs. Red Sox last night. Pops used the company seats and we sat maybe 15 rows back of the visitors dugout - nice seats. I love baseball - grew up playing it. But man, this game takes FOREVER. First pitch was at 7:05 and the game ended about 11:10. Over four hours. Soccer is 90 minutes plus extra time (maybe 5-6 minutes) and you're done. No timeouts, commercial breaks, etc. Makes your life so much easier.

2. I hate Orange County. My Dad and I went to a bar/restaurant before the game for a pint and some food. (since I definitely don't want to eat at Angel Stadium anymore). There were no less than 6 guys in there with feauxhawks and it seemed to be part of the uniform for waiters. All of these OC people look the same. Its like communism or something. Orange Curtain.

3. People from Boston are lame (except the ones that I know - Jodi, Fr. Mark, etc.). I would guess that maybe 1/3 of the people at the game were Red Sox fans. Why? If you like Boston so much why do you live here in So Cal? And, if your team is so great why have they only won the World Series once in like 90 years? Shit, the Mets have won it twice and they've only been a team for 46 years. Stick with hockey. Oh wait, your hockey team sucks. Football? Well, they actually play in Rhode Island. Basketball? KG is not going to save you. Even your soccer team, which also plays in Rhode Island, can't win a title.

4. The Angels suck. Yes, I know they are in first place, but I don't think I saw one Angels player show any sign of emotion last night. I guess losing isn't a big deal. Maybe you could have done more to put it in the faces of the 20,000 annoying Bostonians? Well, with 162 games in a season I guess one loss is no big deal. At least they're not the completely useless Dodgers.

5. Jury Duty update. Well, its Thursday morning and I'm blogging so you can probably figure it out for yourself - no call-in yet.

6. Just finishing City of Falling Angels. Good book. I like his writing. However, with about 50 pages to go I am not sure that there will be an ending. Its part of that genre of books that is non-fiction written more like fiction - narrator, dialogue, etc. There's a couple story lines that I want to see closed out, but I won't necessarily die if they don't. I'm not sure what kept me going on this book, but its really really good.

7. I liked Harry Potter too.

8. Birthday party - Saturday 5-? at the Crown. Come by and meet my family.

9. Thursday drink-'til-your-vision-blurs day.

A couple of funny things

First, there is a website that Arianna Huffington set up where you can do a search on a name, address, or zip code to see how much money people have donated to campaigns and to whom they gave this money. My birthplace, Redlands, is home to a Mormon super-temple (not the official name, but its more important than a regular one) and there are two really big Mormon families that I know of who maxed out on donations to Mitt Romney. I'm not poking fun, it was just interesting to see.

Second, Slate has a story about Rudy Giuliani's daughter and how her facebook page showed that she was a member of a facebook group called "One million strong for Barack" D'oh!

Finally, check out the new awesome license plate that you could have if you lived in Oklahoma:


Why oh why do I have to live in California?

A few notes to keep you/me entertained

1. Barry Bonds can eat a dick. I'm just glad A-Rod will pass him in a few years.

2. Have you been the recipient of an e-mail saying that you got an e-card from either Colleague, Neighbor, or some other non-descript well-wisher? Me too. Don't go to the link - its a virus of some sort. No, I did not learn from my mistake. I learned from my brilliance which said "very few of your neighbors or colleagues like you and the ones that do wouldn't send you an e-card." So be warned.

3. This is my week for jury duty. So far I have not had to report. I feel my luck running out. However, I am flying out Tuesday for a wedding in Massachusetts so I'm thinking that will get me out. If not, I will make some racist comments.

4. I turn 30 this month. There's a rumor floating about that I will be celebrating early on the 11th due to my absence on the following 2 weekends. This rumor also says that we have the back room at the Crown reserved.

5. English Premier League starts Saturday. Liverpool open against Aston Villa. I may have to open the season at Lucky's for breakfast. Kicks off at 9:00.

6. Lynlee says that she only visits Escape from the Rat Race to use the link to get to this blog. Please go visit Rat Race so Pete can stop drowning his tears in Sapphire and Tonic.

That is all.

Note to self...

...don't try to clown Kevin Smith - a man who has made a living being witty. If you do, this could happen. In fact, it did happen at ComicCon this year.

Who rocks? Iraq!

In one of the more inspiring sports stories of the year, Iraq's national men's soccer team completed a major upset yesterday beating Saudi Arabia to win the Asian Cup. In their path to the title they beat regional powerhouses Australia and South Korea. The Saudis were favored in this match, but Iraqi captain Younis Mahmoud scored the games only goal in the 71st minute to give the Iraqis a win and also qualified them to play in the FIFA Confederations Cup where they may end up playing against the U.S. Currently Brazil(Copa America winners), Italy(World Cup winners), the U.S.(Gold Cup winners), South Africa(host), and Iraq(Asian Cup winners) are the teams playing in the tournament. There will be three more spots awarded to the winners of the African Cup of Nations, Oceania's Nations Cup and UEFA's European Cup. Confederations cup will be played in 2009 as sort of a World Cup practice for South Africa, hosts of World Cup 2010.

This Iraq team was made up of Sunni, Shiite, and Kurd players. They had to live in neutral countries to train because of the state of war in their home country. In fact, they won't even be able to bring the cup to Iraq because of the dangers they would face. 50 people were killed by car bombers while celebrating the semifinal victory over South Korea.

In any case, congratulations to Iraq for a greatly earned victory. I couldn't be more pleased.

One of my heroes

I do post a lot on this blog about soccer, but I have to confess that my first love in sports was baseball. I played all the way until college, against teams from as close as San Bernardino and as far as Australia. I learned to love the game that is widely proclaimed as our national pastime. However, after the 1994 Major League player strike I lost a lot of my desire to watch the game. Add to that the recent conflicts over steroids and I honestly barely watch baseball any more (except when my Mets knock the Dodgers out of the playoffs).

Yesterday, one of my heroes in baseball was inducted into the Hall of Fame. I have always respected Tony Gwynn as a baseball player. He embodies everything that I think a baseball player should be- he had fun, he always made time for the fans, he worked endlessly to improve his game, and he never sacrificed his dignity. Statistically, he ended his career with a stunning .338 average and 3141 hits. I think his most impressive stat is his batting average stayed nearly the same with two strikes. When he was inducted, there was no question as to what team he would be connected to - he was a Padre his entire career. This simply does not happen anymore.

Living in San Diego for just over 4 years, I was able to see Tony Gwynn play on many occasions. It never escaped me that I was watching one of the greatest hitters ever to swing a bat. And although I don't care much for him otherwise, Bill Plaschke of the L.A. Times did a nice story on him yesterday.

I want to end with a quote from his induction speech yesterday. I think it sums up what Tony Gwynn was as a player and remains to be as an ambassador for baseball.

"I think people, we make a big deal about work ethic. We make a big deal about trying to make good decision and doing things right, and you know what, we are supposed to. That is what they pay us for. When you sign your name, I'm a big believer when you sign your name on a dotted line, there's more than just playing the game of baseball. I think if you look out here today, you see all these people out here today, they love the game too and there's a responsibility when you put that uniform on that those people, the people who pay to go watch you play, you're responsible, you've got to make good decisions and show people how things are supposed to be done."

As we wait for Barry Bonds to break Hank Aaron's home run record by cheating, its nice to remember that there were - and are - very classy hard-working players in this game.

I am a media whore

Listen to my short appearance on ESPN 710 radio continuing the Beckham hype. Keep in mind that I was in the middle of Guinness #3 during the interview.

That's one handsome devil

Check out these stories from Fox Sports and The Sun (UK News) on the welcoming of Beckham to the Galaxy. There is a pretty handsome looking guy in the pictures doing something on his cell phone. Probably calling one of his many girlfriends. Seriously - one stunning example of a man.

L.A. meets Becks

Yesterday I ditched summer school to attend the "unveiling" of the Galaxy's new player (and savior?) David Beckham. The event was open to season-ticket holders. I also went so I could get my hands on a new jersey - we changed colors and logo to welcome our $250 million midfielder.

Side note: I was once asked why I use "we" and "us" and "our" when talking about the Galaxy when I don't play for the team and am not employed by the team. Well, there are two answers: #1- I have probably given this team somewhere in the area of 5,000 of my hard-earned dollars in the last 6 years or so (season tickets, 6 jerseys, extra tickets, hats, scarves, t-shirts, beer) which I consider a pretty heavy investment. #2- You are obviously not much of a sports fan if you ask that question and shouldn't be bothering me with such quibbles.

Back to the point: So I got to the Home Depot Center, bought two new jerseys (without Beckham's name) and one t-shirt that looks like a jersey (which has a big 23 and Beckham on the back). Needless to say, there are a crapload of people buying this stuff. Yesterday was supposed to be the first day that anybody saw these new uniforms. I saw a leaked picture about a month ago. Someone at Adidas leaked official pictures on Monday. So they released them in Sports Authority (exclusive rights to sell new Galaxy stuff) stores on Wednesday. From Wednesday to Friday there were 250,000 sold. That is how the Galaxy has already made back what we paid for Beckham.

Moving on. It was hotter than a mofo inside since we were seated in the one section of the stadium without shade. I have the sunglass tan only on the right side of my face to prove it. I join my regular gametime friends - the L.A. Riot Squad - and they are already singing and chanting. (also, many of them were in the parking lot before 8am drinking). There are cameras everywhere


This picture shows maybe a third of them.


Then Posh shows up. In case you live in a cave, Beckham is married to Spice Girl Victoria "Posh" Beckham. In any case, she is one skinny-ass chick. As you can tell from the picture, the camera guys like her a lot.

Eventually we got down to business and Becks came out. They showed him on the jumbotron (or whatever you call the giant scoreboard screen) walking out from the dressing room with music blaring. It was all very exciting and I'll admit that I got a little excited and maybe a little emotional (my eyes may have watered up a bit) but I'll explain this later.

Former player and current GM Alexi Lalas spoke, AEG Pres. Tim Liewiki(sp?) spoke, MLS Commissioner Don Garber spoke, and Galaxy Coach Frank Yallop spoke. Finally, they introduced Beckham officially and we all went nuts. They shot out a buttload of confetti and played some loud music while Becks posed with is new kit.

Oh, but it gets better. Of all the people in L.A. that love getting attention, but who should really avoid it right now, guess who showed up? Yep, Mayor Villaraigosa (or maybe its Villar again?). When he is introduced, the crowd boos. Don't believe me? Here's the video. Then, just as it got perfectly quiet, one of the Squad yells "is your girlfriend covering this?" There's no way he missed it. Hell, the comment even made the New York Times. Let me explain. First, obviously most of the heckling was directed at him for being a cheater. However, this douche showed up at the first Galaxy-ChivasUSA game with a Chivas jersey on, which is why most of us were giving him a hard time.

Finally, a comment. You might want to practice getting used to soccer in the U.S. It will take over. The World Cup final got better ratings than the World Series. Soccer is the #1 sport played by American children. The entire civilized world is now watching Galaxy games. The most recognizable face in the sports world plays here in the states.

Will David Beckham save the Galaxy? In a sense, he already has. However, in our last game, only 3 of the starters were with the team last year. One of those three joined in mid-season last year. 5 of the 11 starters were added in the last month. Now that becomes 6 of 11. This is a team that has been struggling. One player won't change that right away. Galaxy may not win the title this year. Beckham is not over-the-hill. He still starts for England. Only after being put back in the starting 11 did Real Madrid come back and win the Spanish title. He may not be in his prime, but he has showed that he can make an impact on a team.

Its going to be a fun ride and it starts Saturday with Beckham's debut against Chelsea. And I will have an extra ticket to three Galaxy games starting on September 23rd. Line up now with your bribes.

In the bar that I will someday open...

Pete over at Life Outside the Rat Race came up with a prompt: What will the bar that you open look like (even if you never plan on opening a bar)? Here's my thought:

1. It will be called The Jack Russell or Point E (see Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy).
2. There will be no neon signs.
3. Anybody wearing clothes purchased at HotTopic will not be permitted.
4. no fauxhawks.
5. There will be an entire section of red leather chairs.
6. If you scream - you leave (a.k.a. the sorority girl rule - applies to men and women)
7. jukebox: VIP customers can upload songs from their iPods, but any iPods containing Panic at the Disco will be given a virus.
8. Beers on tap: Guinness, Harp, all variations of Sierra Nevada, XX amber, Firestone Double Barrel, all variations of Stone, Tetley's, Murphy's, Piraat, Boddington's, Bud Light (for those kind of people), Coors Light (for my family from Texas), Fuller's ESB (for Pete), PBR (for Marlon), Dixie Crimson Voodoo, all variations of Craftsman, and a rotating selection of whatever I feel like getting hammered on at the time.
9. All of the tables will have 80's video games in them.
10. There will be an adjoining bookstore where we will have a political book club. Drunken reading will be encouraged.
11. Soccer matches will have top priority on the big screens, but every table will have its own small TV so people can watch the boring sports (i.e. basketball).
12. Every person that brings in their ballot stub on election day can trade it in for one beer.
13. Sunday/Saturday afternoon happy hour in the summer: $2 sapphire n' tonics
14. There will be a selection of really good wines, but they will be cheap and delicious - like Pillar Box Red.
15. Teachers that teach in ghetto high schools will get 50% of food at all times.
16. Chicken wings will be served in two flavors: "hot" and "mother-fucking hot".
17. Rule #1: no bitches (applies to men and women)
18. Drunk VIPs get free rides home in the Point E hybrid car.
19. St. Patrick's Day = only people I know get in.
20. If you start making out in my bar you are banned for life
21. Schooners
22. high-fiving is strictly prohibited unless you are watching a sporting event
23. Show up dressed as a ninja or a pirate - free drink!
24. Costumes will be encouraged on Halloween, but it you show up as a slutty _______, we get to pour beer on your head and throw chicken bones at you until you leave - and no themed costumes for couples.
25. Wednesday movie nights featuring Big Lebowski, Army of Darkness, Bubba Ho-Tep, Red Dawn, Rocky IV, Old School, Office Space, Fear of a Black Hat, Indiana Jones, Star Wars (4-6 only)

Its a long list, but I have high standards.

Summer drinking

Summer is upon us and that means that a new season of drinking arrives alongside the 100-degree temps and smog-warning days. Here is a short run-down of what I plan to drink this summer:

Beer:

My number one all-time favorite summer beer has to be Pacifico. Corona has always had an aftertaste that I don't like and Dos Equis is a little too inconsistent. Pacifico is always light, crisp, and refreshing.

If you are looking for something a little more beer-snobbish I tend to look towards Pale Ales in the summer. I'll never turn down a good stout or Porter, but the crisp hoppiness of Pale Ale always feel like the weapon of choice. A few of my favorites are the Kona Fire Rock and the Karl Strauss Stargazer. Plus, there is always the trusty Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

Other lighter beers that I often go with during the summer: Quilmes - Argentina's favorite beer (that's made in Chile), Sierra Nevada Summerfest, and I even venture into the world of Michelob Ultra. I won't admit that Coors Light is sometimes the way to go when you want something completely watery when its super-hot.

Cocktails

Now, I'm not much of a drinker of cocktails so my recommendations in this area are few. However, a few things stand out. First, although nothing made with tequila will ever again touch my lips, margaritas seem to be the way to go in summer for some. Honestly, I like the taste of Margarita mix. I could see the refreshing nature of margaritas, but I would prefer the on-the-rocks version. The new hot drink around here is the Mojito. That's a great summer drink - light, minty, sweet, the crispness of lime. My dad makes his using a simple mint syrup or even the pre-made mojito mix you can buy in the store. (My dad, by the way, is the king of simplifying. He used to mix a whole jar of instant coffee into like two cups of water, put it into a jar, and use it as a substitute for espresso in blended coffee drinks).

Having said that, there is one king of summer cocktails in my view - Gin and Tonic. Crisp, Refreshing, that slight hint of juniper, bubbly, ice cold. Nothing - and I mean nothing - beats an ice cold sapphire and tonic on a hot day.

Wine

I've been really into wine for the last few years. I'm starting to become quite the geek about it. My stock is about 30 bottles right now, but I hope to have the budget (and storage) for more in the future.

What to drink this summer in wines? First, I think you should move as far away as you can from the oak-ridden chardonnay. To me, the butteriness of the standard California Chard just doesn't fit the summer. Think Ron Burgundy in Anchorman pounding that milk in the heat - that's what I get from these wines. However, there are a number of good non-oaked versions out there. One of my favorites is the Kim Crawford unoaked Chardonnay. Its nice and crisp, not oakey (no shit) and it is easily found at even a place like Vons for like $10-12.

I'm also looking into checking out a few Roses (I can't get the accent to work - pronounced Rose-Ay rhymes with Jose). Yeah, I said it. However, these tend to be cheaper since nobody buys them because people think that they are sweet like Kool-Aid (which is another great summer drink). There are a lot of producers taking a shot at drier versions of "the pink". One of them is Lafond. I went there Memorial Day weekend. Their Rose is a bad example since it was like watered down strawberry kool-aid or maybe even like the Ecto-cooler that they made back when Ghostbusters was the shit. Ecto cooler was greenish though. For some good info on the possibilities of Rose, check out Wine Library TV. Gary Vaynerchuk is far from the older snooty wine guys. He's younger, kind of crazy sounding, but has a great show. In any case, episode 243 of Wine Library TV talks about the Rose. There are lots of other great episodes. I usually check them out as Podcasts, but for some reason iTunes is not liking the link right now. You can watch them on the computer though.

I also plan on looking into some Italian whites. There is one bottle (not an Italian white) that I am really really really looking forward to opening. While on the Spring Break for old people trip, we stopped at Kynsi. One of the bottles that we picked up was a Pinot Blanc that just knocked my socks off. It was maybe the 2nd stop of the day, so I wasn't drunk or anything. This was just a great wine (no oak!).

So there's my drinking agenda for the summer. I have until Thursday at my regular school and then summer school through the end of July. However, summer school is easy, ends at 1:00, and is only 1/2 mile from home - which leaves plenty of time for drinking.

Please let me know what you are drinking this summer.

Busted again!

A few days ago I wrote about another episode of a secret hold ironically being placed on a bill that was written to make government more open. Well, the culprit has been nabbed and it is none other than Arizona Republican (big surprise) Jon Kyl. He says that his concern is that the Justice Dept. will be forced to reveal sensitive secrets. Yeah, because the law really seems to be having quite an effect on the Justice Department these days.

On another note about a douchebag Senator, there is a new website dealing with Minority Leader Mitch McConnel's continued protection of the person using the secret hold against the bill that would require members to file electronically with the FEC - a requirement that would make it easier to create a database showing where they get their money. Here's a link to the website - brilliantly titled Whatsmcconnellhiding.com.

Maybe the single greatest invention ever

If you're like me, which I assume most people are, then you hate people that make noise during movies. The most common offenders are the people that hold full conversations about who-knows-what, but there are also the cell phone talkers and the old people that have to yell to each other about every line that every character says. That's right, I'm dogging on old people. Who else do I hate? The people that bring their kids to see 3-hour epics. Hell, all kids that are in a theater showing anything that is not a cartoon or made by Nickelodeon.

Well, here is the answer for all of us: the remote control complainer. Regal theaters will be installing these devices that allow you to push a button to not only complain about the picture and the sound, but also the annoying-ass people sitting behind you - all without leaving the theater! Basically, one person in the theater - a member of their "Loyalty Club" gets the device and they get to page a theater employee if there is a problem. Its not the solution, but its a good start.

Racism in 2007? It couldn't be!

Here is a quote from a recent television interview:

"But do you understand what the New York Times wants, and the far-left want? They want to break down the white, Christian, male power structure, which you’re a part, and so am I, and they want to bring in millions of foreign nationals to basically break down the structure that we have." (Emphasis is mine)

Who said this? (for the answer, click on this link)

A. former Presidential candidate and KKK Grand Wizard David Duke
B. Presidential Candidate Senator John McCain
C. Fox "News" host Bill O'Reilly
D. A certain teacher at my school

I guess it was kind of obvious. However, the fact that a public personality can say this on broadcast television is a little stunning. The fact that he can also claim to be "fair and balanced" is even more stunning.

Secretly preventing the release of secrets

Last year I was up in arms about a "secret hold" being placed on a bill that would create a database showing where earmark spending went. It was finally revealed, thanks mostly to bloggers, that the hold was placed by infamous pork-barrel whore Ted Stevens from Alaska.

Well, someone is back at it. Its sort of funny though, when you ignore the fact that the secret douchebag is completely slitting the throat of democracy and taking a hot steaming shit on accountability and transparency. The bill that has been secretly held is a bill called the Open Government Act. The goal of the bill is to strengthen the Freedom of Information Act which will allow the public a greater oversight over our representatives that have turned to being a little to secretive lately.

Its sort of stunning to me that this type of hold can still be used in 2007. In fact, I would go as far to say that I am surprised that this tactic could ever be used. In the end, I have no hesitation to say that whoever is doing this is nothing short of a coward who should be removed entirely from public service jobs except sanitation.

my famous students

18 of my Economics students attended an event yesterday held by TownHall Los Angeles. The speaker was James Wood, President of the Getty Trust that runs the Getty Museum. This is part of a program that gets high school students involved in local civic events. Although I got them hooked up, I was unable to attend with them due to, uh, extenuating circumstances (a.k.a. Liverpool in the Champions League final). In any case, the L.A. Times did a story on the event and mentioned my students along with my colleague, Diane Wilson, who took my place. Look towards the end of the story. I guess my kids asked great questions dealing with questioning the Getty's dedication to student programs, etc. while some of the "grown-ups" asked poignant questions like "Why aren't there more bathrooms at the Getty?" In any case, I am proud of how well my kids represented our school.

Douchebag of the undetermined time period

In the last few months I have laid off the douchebag posts for several reasons. Partly because I wanted to be more faithful in humanity. Partly because I didn't want to become a target of crazy people. Mostly because it takes too long. However, this guy has brought the hate back out of me.

Roy Pearson is a judge from D.C. Two years ago, he took some stuff to the cleaners. A pair of pants were not returned to him so they were considered lost. He wanted the cleaners to pay him the $1000+ for the suit, which seems fair. However, before paying the cleaners found the suit. He still wanted to be paid. He said no. They offered $3,000, then $4,600, then $12,000. He refused and is now suing them for...wait for it... $65 million. Why? Pain and suffering, the cost of a rental car to drive him farther to a new cleaner and according to the article"the bulk of the $65 million comes from Pearson's strict interpretation of D.C.'s consumer protection law, which fines violators $1,500 per violation, per day. According to court papers, Pearson added up 12 violations over 1,200 days, and then multiplied that by three defendants."

Really?! Over pants?! How is this guy allowed to be a judge? He should be disbarred and humiliated in public. In fact, I think he should be ordered to spend an entire year not wearing pants no matter where he goes. Seems fair to me.

Let me throw this one by you

I was thinking today, which is a rarity in itself, about this "war" that we are in. The commonly-used talking point in the pro-war camp is that we need to fight terrorism there to prevent another attack here in the U.S. Now, here is my problem. Since when do terrorists have to fight us in Iraq? It has been made pretty clear that there wasn't much of a terrorist problem in Iraq while Hussein was in power. Now there is - mostly because we are there. However, if terrorists wanted to attack the U.S. again they could just do that. I mean, if we want to prevent Iran from attacking us we could attack Iran. Unless they want to give up their country then they'd be forced to defend themselves in Iran. Terrorists, however, have no home. In fact, one high ranking government official had this to say about terrorists In a 2004 speech,:

"The terrorist enemy holds no territory, defends no population, is unconstrained by rules of warfare, and respects no law of morality. Such an enemy cannot be deterred, contained, appeased, or negotiated with." (my emphasis)

So we can't expect them to stick around and "defend" Iraq right? Oh, by the way. The quote was from Dick Cheney in case you didn't check the link.

This brings me to the question. Exactly how is fighting in Iraq preventing terrorists from attacking the U.S.? What incentive do terrorists have to stay in Iraq? There may be some that ultimately want to control Iraq, but that does not seem like Al Qaeda's mission.

I know what the next pro-war point will be. We can't leave Iraq because chaos will become the order of the day. I ways back I went to the Pasadena Civic's Distinguished speaker series and listened to Mikhail Gorbachev. One of the points that he made that stuck with me was that no stable democracy can be created by an outside force. Those within the budding democracy need to create it on their own. I feel like the people of Iraq need to be the driving force behind their new government. This is an opinion that the majority of Iraqis want as well. (Just look at the charts in this link)

In short, I have found myself incredibly frustrated of late on this issue. I am not seeing that there is light at the end of the tunnel. I'm probably preaching to the choir a bit and only repeating ideas that are all over the internet, but I really wanted to say more than "I agree". Assuming that the publicly stated reasons for staying in Iraq are bullshit, what other possible reason could Bush have now other than giving Halliburton more money?

Republican debate bingo

I know that its a little late, but if you read this before 5:00 Pacific Time, go to this website and make yourself a bingo card for tonight's republican debates. Each square has a conservative buzzword.

Kind of serious but not really

I have yet to add my opinion about this whole Virgina Tech shooting thing and don't look for me to do so. However, I came across this brilliant post that has a list of no less than 56 people/groups/ideas that are to blame for the shooting including the devil, Collective Soul, and abortions.

(If you think this links to some nutbar that lists these as reasons think again. He actually lists links to articles, blogs, etc. that decide who is at fault - really funny)

In Which I define awesome

So the last year or two has brought an incredible proliferation of disastrously horrible horror flix that never really deserved to see the light of day (Saw, Hills Have Eyes) let alone a sequel (Saw II, Saw III, Hills Have Eyes 2). However, thanks to the kind people of New Zealand, the film industry has redeemed itself. I present to you ... Black Sheep




Top 3 lines: "bloody animals"
"get ready for the violence of the lambs"
" you wouldn't understand"

Once in a while, a film comes along that defines a generation. This may be it.

It is hard for me to believe that this summer brings this movie, The Simpsons movie and Transformers the movie.

Spring Break Part 2 - Electric Boogaloo

The second leg of our Spring Break journey brought us to Sonoma and the heart of wine country. The drive from San Luis to Sonoma was trecherous - mostly Oakland and this bizarre stretch of traffic that seemed to be caused by a Sunday-only flea market in some middle-of-nowhere town along the 210. Our arrival brought the realization that our quaint inn was in a not-so-quaint neighborhood and was likely only serving as temporary home to 3 other guests. However, the Sonoma Creek Inn had nice rooms (documented by the dozen or so pictures Amanda took of the room at various angles) and we even had a fountain on the patio. Amanda stayed in the room for a nap as I ventured out with a long-time friend who drove out from ______ to go taste some wines in a local tasting room. The wine I had was really unique. Somewhat carbonated with a malty taste - even a sense of hops. OK, so the tasting room turned us away saying they were closed although it was 30 minutes before the time displayed on the window. After 2 pints of Smithwicks and some garlic fries I made my way back to the room and left shortly thereafter for the dinner at the Rutheford Grill in nearby Napa. The dinner was noisy but tasty as the patio with gimongous fireplace was the highlight.

Our first full day in Sonoma brought us to Sugarloaf Ridge State Park for some hiking. It was a bit awkward since there were no rangers to be found and only one other couple in sight. However, we took of on our adventure and quickly found ourselves face-to-face with some very dangerous wild animals. We stood still in the distance hoping to avoid being spotted. We were not so lucky. I did get this picture before the attack:

OK, so it wasn't that bad. That, my friends, is a wild turkey.

Here are some other pictures from the hike:



I was very impressed with my wife seeing that she got to the top of these huge rocks with what seemed like great ease. After climbing up myself I discovered that the other side was about 5 feet from the ground. I climbed the tough part again later just to prove my masculinity.

One of the hikes that they offered was a trail that they called the "planet walk" in which they created a trail that was a scale model of the solar system. The idea was that you would realize just how much empty space there is in the solar system. Each step accounted for 1 million miles. You quickly got from the sun to earth in about 500 feet and Mars in another 1000 feet or so. We made it to Jupiter and Saturn no problem, but were quickly running out of time, so we stopped short of the next planet. However, for your viewing pleasure, here is... wait for it...

... the bridge to Uranus.

This was a really nice park, but the lack of other people combined with tall brush and narrow trails and the big watch out for mountain lion signs brought our hiking day to an end.

I'll continue later with some wine tasting in Napa and Sonoma. I know you're all intrigued.

Spring Break - the old couple version

The wife and I took a little trip for Spring Break since, for the first time in our relationship, our spring breaks coincided. We hit all the hot Spring Break locations - San Padre Island, Daytona, even did a little New Orleans. Amanda flashed anybody that seemed remotely interested. We went out to all kinds of clubs - some with foam, some with jello wrestling, some with wet t-shirt contests. Man - it was crazy.

Oh wait. Actually, we went to wine country. It was a perfect Spring Break trip for a couple of married 50 year-olds. No topless chicks, no guys with wife-beaters and too much hair gel, nobody throwing up off the balcony. And before I go on I have to admit that I was very excited to be going on this trip and I enjoyed every minute of it. Which says a lot about the impending completion of my 20s. (a little over 4 months left as I write this)

A brief itinerary: 1 night in San Luis Obispo, 2 nights in Sonoma and Napa, 2 nights in Monterey. I'm going to do a couple of posts with some thoughts about our trip and some pictures. Enjoy.

Day One: San Luis Obispo.
We started, just like every other trip, with a trip to McDonald's for breakfast. The drive up the 101 is a great drive once you get past Hollywood. Trees, water, etc. It gets better after you pass Oxnard. Upon arriving we checked into our fancy hotel - Le Travelodge. Now, if you ever decide to make a trip to San Luis Obispo you must stop at Firestone and get a tri-tip sandwich. I love tri-tip and have had much of it in sandwich form. The one thing that annoys me about tri-tip sandwiches is that you must revert to your carnivorous roots to tear the meat apart, thus making the sandwich more of a challenge than a meal. Not at Firestone. You'll walk in thinking that its a corporate chain generic sports bar, but you'll leave with a belly-full of sandwich. 4 things make this sandwich awesome. #1: toasted buttered bun - a rare commodity in the tri-tip sandwich world. #2: delicious sauce, which regulars will tell you to get an extra cup of since they never put enough on the sandwich. I actually like that because you can regulate the sauciness. #3: they put enough meat for a guy and too much for a girl, so the guy can eat the little bits that his girlfriend/wife/lover/friend-with-benefits leaves on the plate. #4: meat so tender that you can actually bite through it. An absolutely awesome sandwich.

Later that day we went on a little wine tour. We went to Tolosa, which has a huge gorgeous facility, but doesn't really make much wine. They had a really good garlic olive oil, a really nasty almond olive oil, and we bought a very delicious bottle of unoaked chardonnay. The second winery, Kynsi, was the location for my proposal to Amanda back in May 2006. There is no photo evidence of this since Target killed the film, but at least they gave me $50 in gift cards to restore the memory of that event. Here's a picture at Kynsi:


That lizard is about 18 inches long and tried to bite me. OK, it was pretty much 4 inches, but it looks giant. They have owls that hang out in their barn, so that is why they have an owl in their logo. They make less than 1000 cases of each wine (which is not a lot). We bought their estate Pinot Noir and a bottle of their Pinot Blanc. These may have been my favorite wines of the whole trip.

We went on to Wolff Vineyards. This is where I would have proposed to Amanda had she taken my suggestion that we walk around in their vineyards. By the time we got to Kynsi last time, she had enough wine to be convinced. Wolff is our favorite spot since it is a small place, it has outdoor seating, and has the best view of any vineyard I could imagine. Take a look:

After wine we hit up the Apple Farm for dinner. Don't go there unless you really like gravy. Think Mimi's Cafe, but brought down to a more 909 level. Nasty. We then retired to our fancy hotel and slept for our long drive to Sonoma the next morning. We walked around a bit in San Luis too, which was nice. I saw a lot of green hills that I wanted to run to the top of, but they were probably steeper than I thought, so I didn't.

The Power of One vs. The Man

Now that my Sacagawea dollar stash has disappeared I have been trying to get my hands on some of the new dollars. However, in my two trips to Wells Fargo I've come up empty. They seem to have "sold out." I wish I could say that this means that they are taking off like I hoped, but I suspect that these dollars are sitting in various collections out of circulation.

However, there are many that have taken up the same burden as I. In this article on slate.com (previously linked to by Peter at Pete the Elder), the author seems to have picked up on all of the same arguments that I've put forth about the golden dollars. He even goes as far to suggest that the government takes the paper dollar out of circulation. Bonanos writes:

But back to dollar bills: Why keep producing them? The Bureau of Engraving and Printing pumps out 3.4 billion fresh singles every year. Pressure from bill partisans at the BEP even kneecapped the Sacagawea ad campaign. According to the GAO, "an informal Treasury restriction" prohibited the Mint from suggesting that a coin was superior to a bill—it could say only that a coin was also available. One TV spot showcasing a frustrating vending-machine moment (vvmp-vvvvmp, vvmp-vvvvmp) was scotched, after a combative meeting at the Treasury, on the grounds that it "negatively portrayed the dollar bill."

I can't believe that "special interests" are inhibiting the growth of the dollar coin. Whores!

I'm hoping that people really start to pick up on this movement, especially seeing how we are clearly going to continue wasting billions in Iraq. Bonanos

don't see this movie...

but at least watch this 4-second (pirated) clip because its kind of funny.

What message?

Starting March 28th, you will be able to find these mailboxes around town. I'm not sure where, but it gives me a greater incentive to walk to the post office and maybe even greater incentive to use that towing package that came with my truck.

5/5/05

Its coming

(except its really 07, but that doesn't work as well)

The Power of One continues

The new dollar coins have been released. I am not quite out of the Sacagawea versions, but I will head to the bank tomorrow to grab a stash of the new dollar coins. I am a little concerned that my quest will be vanquished by the people at Wells Fargo again. This came up again since my buddy Peter (who I will call Conservative Peter to distinguish him from the more liberal Pete at Life Outside the Rat Race) brought it up in his blog. For once, Conservative Peter and I are in agreement - there needs to be a switch to the dollar coin. I highly suggest that you go out and pick up a few. In return, I will double my efforts to spread the use of these coins.

Hiking pictures

The wife and I recently decided to take up hiking. I like nature, I like walking, and I need the exercise, so it seems like the perfect hobby. Here are some pictures from a recent hike to the top of Echo Mountain in Pasadena. It was a hazy day, so the view was not all that spectacular. Today, we will hit the Ben Overturff Trail in Monrovia - our longest hike yet at just about 7 miles. Pictures will come later.

I never really meant to end up here...

...but time, circumstance, and I would argue destiny brought me to my current life. After spending my college years in San Diego (not at state, but UCSD) it never really was an option that I would leave. My plan was originally to start subbing there, eventually teach full-time and make my life there. Things didn't come together fast enough and I was forced to move back home. It was not the worst thing in the world. The girl I had been dating lived there, the rent was cheap, and I would be closer to my family - although I had recently decided that my family was somewhat dysfunctional after my parents' divorce. (I've come back full circle since then). Ironically, I was offered a job with a law firm in San Diego shortly after moving away.

The only part of my plan that really worked out was teaching. What does that mean? Well, to me it means my plan was mostly shit. I love my new hometown - (South) Pasadena. I love where my life has gone since the plan disintegrated. The school where I teach has its ups-and-downs, but I feel fulfilled by what I accomplish there. There's some chick that seems to hang around my apartment a lot and she's pretty OK.

However, there is one thing that I miss about San Diego that I will never have again. I miss driving down Garnett Avenue in Pacific Beach with the window down and the radio on. Not the CD player - the radio. There's something about the sound of FM radio that seems to match that scene. Maybe its the crackle that you get when crossing under electric lines. I think it has a lot do do with feeling like you are listening to the same thing as everyone else. I loved seeing people walk around in flip-flops, covered in tattoos, drinking coffee/tea/beer/smoothies, etc. I loved the cool, clean air. I hate the beach itself, but the beach city cannot be matched by anything anywhere. There really is no equivalent in Pasadena. No place to just roll down the window and take it all in.

And I miss having that.

Picture of the day

This won't be a regular spot on the blog, but this was too funny too pass up. Bush was visiting an elementary school and, well, let's just say there was mixed reaction. (look at the little girl near the bottom)

Major announcement...

OK, not really. It has been so long since I last posted that my computer no longer enters my user name for me. Shameful. Although I believe strongly in personal accountability, there are several reasons for my blogging absence:

1. Really busy. New semester, first time teaching economics, lots of meetings, etc.
2. Tonsillitis. Really. It started about 2 weeks ago resulting in a fever of 101 and 2 days away from work.
3. learning school (as opposed to teaching school). I took a class towards my professional clear credential at UCLA. It was 8:45-4:30 Saturday and Sunday on two weekends. I missed one day due to the illness, but had a lot of make-up work to do in order to get the credits. What did I learn in this class? Our students are fat and eat too many flamin' hot cheetos. They don't excercize enough. Complaining is to teachers as Jesus is to Christians - whenever two or more are gathered he (it) is there. Teachers will cheat on an open note test that is super-easy despite being told not to by a PhD instructor.

In any case, here is a collection of things that I have been thinking about in the last couple of weeks since posting.

I hate to give any attention to psycho-lunatic bitches like Ann Coulter, but I do so only to make a point. Even in our country of partisan politics and extremism on both the left and right sides of the political spectrum, people can go too far. As of this writing, 8 of the 100 or so newspapers that run Coulter's syndicated column have cancelled their subscriptions. Also, several advertisers have asked that the online ad services they subscribe to not allow their services to be advertised on Coulter's homepage.

This blog had screenshots of stupid shit FoxNews has put on the screen. Most of them are pretty funny or at least that strange combination of infuriating and funny - especially the one talking about the Libby being not guilty (which is true for one of the five counts).

I'm one of those suckers that continues to show an absurd interest in the 2008 elections despite the primaries being 10 months away and the election around 18 months away. Here are my thoughts right now:

1. I still want Obama to win, despite the harsh criticisms of his (insert sarcasm here) major faults - smoking, not going to school in a madrasa, and his investment in companies that he actually did not ask to invest in and sold his shares in at a major loss once he found out about them.
2. Who is going to be the Republican nominee? Mitt Romney? I don't see people voting for a Mormon, which I think is, in itself, a sad comment on the lack of tolerance in our country. John McCain? Too old for many, too caught up in the war for others. Rudy Giuliani? Pete at Pete the Elder has more-or-less endorsed him saying "What a lot of liberals do not understand about conservatives is that the war on terrorism trumps a lot of other issues for us." I respect Pete, as he is one of my oldest, smartest, and favorite friends. However, Pete is a big Monkees fan, which I think discredits him greatly. Seriously, I just don't see how a conservative can forget about their other main planks in their platform - abortion, same-sex, etc. - things that Giuliani does not agree with them on. Gingrich? This guy, despite being evil and angry, can get conservatives moving like prunes to old people. He could be the dark horse. I will leave the country if he wins. Brownback is too conservative. Huckabee is too. However, Huckabee seems to be a real reasonable and honest guy to me. His record in Arkansas is pretty strong. In any case, I'm stumped.
3. Why do we care so much so far from the election? I was telling "Other Pete" and Randy yesterday that I just think we are all so ready to be done with Bush that we sort of feel like talking about who his possible replacements are makes us feel like January '09 is already here.

I changed my list of books that I am currently reading. City of Fallen Angels never made it off of my nightstand because I picked up Distant Land of My Father. The author is going to speak at my church this Friday and I wanted to read it before then. I'm not much of a literary critic, but I feel safe in saying that this book is really well-written. A good amount of it takes place in my new hometown - South Pasadena.

Next month is the L.A. Times Festival of Books. Its a pretty nerdy event, but I have enjoyed the two times that I went. There are lots of author panels, book signings, and booths to visit. The authors are not listed yet, but I suspect that I will look forward to this FREE event.

My beloved Liverpool FC beat the holders (defending champions in soccer talk) FC Barcelona to advance to the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals - where they will face the Dutch side PSV Eindhoven. Game 1 will be during my spring break - I hope to find a pub somewhere on the road during our spring break trip up the coast. This tournament is the most important tournament in the world next to World Cup. It features the best clubs from every league in Europe. Remaining teams are: Liverpool, Manchester United (scum), and Chelsea from England; Valencia from Spain, Bayern Munich from Germany, AS Roma and AC Milan from Italy, and PSV from the Netherlands.

Finally, here are some pictures from our recent hike up to Echo Mountain here in Pasadena. There used to be a train that ran up to a hotel there. It was a somewhat-strenuous hike. It was also unreasonably hot for February. Unfortunately, it was rather hazy so the view wasn't as top-notch as I hoped. (Edit: something's not working - I'll post them later)

um......so....yeah....just watch