Experiment Farm

Lincoln Log Desk Organizer

2008-07-03T13:48:00.000-07:00

I built it myself!

Baseball Shorts and Links

2008-07-03T13:47:00.000-07:00

I did it! I posted to my other blog today.

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Went to several of the Cubs/Giants games this week. Thanks to Diana, I got to sit in the Arcade section Monday on top of the right field wall. I highly recommend it. It’s a unique view of the game and the seats are bleachers with backs, so they’re comfortable and good for snuggling your sweetie. Not as windy as the other bleacher sections, but still chillier then the View section where we sat last night.

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While nothing beats Wrigley for an overall game experience, the view from the View section is spectacular, and you’re almost completely blocked from the wind.

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Best comment about my hand, from a Cubs fan last night: “Next time don’t high-five so hard!”

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The Giants had laptops set up in those little portable, plastic, voting dividers you see at polling places where people could vote for the All-Star Game. They even gave out red, white, and blue “I voted” stickers. Genius.

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Here’s a random collection of news stories I wanted to link to:

Obama Voters Protest His Switch on Telecom Immunity: Guess what? He’s a politician.
When Marichal and Spahn Dueled for a Game and a Half: 16 innings: 1 pitcher per team.
The Case That Led to an Uneasy Shift in the Balance of Government Powers
Cave Men Loved to Sing

Old Haunts

2008-07-02T13:18:00.000-07:00

I get a MUNI pass every month so I can get to work everyday on the train. The first 3 days of the new month, the old pass still works. My girlfriend and I like to take advantage of this (she can use my old pass while I use my new one) to go places that are best reached by cable car.

Many of these I used to frequent when my sister lived up on Russian Hill, just blocks from the Powell/Hyde line. Last night, we went to a Zarzuela for tapas. I’m certain I haven’t been there since my sister moved away 7 or 8 years ago, but the place didn’t seem to have changed at all. It really feels like walking into a small restaurant in Europe somewhere. Though, my girlfriend who’s actually had tapas in Spain said it looked nothing like tapas restaurants do there. Given how much she enjoyed the food, I’d say that compared well, however.

We ate chorizo, stuffed mushrooms, goat cheese wrapped in eggplant, and a potato omelet thingy (pictured). I don’t remember the Spanish names, but my girlfriend ordered them all with impeccable pronunciation leaving me painfully aware of how long it’s been since my days studying Spanish in high school. We also had sangria, and bread with olive oil and olives… Yum.

If you’re looking for hipster, trendy tapas, go to Cha Cha Cha in the Mission or the Haight. Or, for the same money, you can have tapas served by a staff that looks like they go home to Barcelona every night after work. That’s Zarzuela.

For desert, we walked across the street to the original Swensen’s for ice cream. Another old haunt. (I took my two year-old niece there for ice-cream the day her younger brother was born. "Ice cream in my mouth!" Ah, memories) This also has not changed, probably since the 60’s. Yum. Save room after Zarzuela’s or make the trip up Russian Hill just for Swensen’s. It’s well worth it. I miss living a block away.

Shorts

2008-07-02T13:15:00.000-07:00

Where do the days go? Seriously. I can’t believe it’s already noon. I mean, I know I’ve done stuff today, I guess I was just so tired and the stuff so unimportant that my brain didn’t bother storing it in long-term memory. So instead, it’s noon and I’m left wondering, what the hell did I do this morning?

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Could this be cure for my allergy woes? I’m not sure if I could stand it.

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The auditors are coming back to the kitchen. They come every quarter. Hold on to your lunch.

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I need to post to Our Intrepid Hero. I neglect that blog too much. For some reason it takes a lot of energy to write something for it, but I'm always happy I did.

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Crap. Now it’s already one!

It'll Make Your Week

2008-07-01T13:10:00.000-07:00

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

Just watch it. It’s amazing.

As Boing Boing said: “This may be the best four minutes and twenty-eight seconds of your week.”

Where the Hell is Matt Video. Where the Hell is Matt Site.

Shorts

2008-07-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

(photo credit)

Why is gas so expensive? Because we spent trillions of dollars on a war which devalued our currency and weakened our economy. Boy that was smart. (link)

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In spite of what you may have read, no one really knows where oil comes from. It might not even be a fossil at all.

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You may have noticed the “Alan’s Shared Items” to the right. (If you’re reading this in a feed aggregator than you wouldn’t have, or if you block flash scripts, you won’t see it either.) It’s a place I post links to articles or other blog posts that I… well… feel like sharing.

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You may have also noticed my out of control labels to the left. I’m attempting to clean them up, but I’m eclectic and the labels show it.

Seeking Advice from Writers and Readers

2008-06-30T11:11:00.000-07:00

As you know, if you read this blog closely enough, I’m working on my first novel. Early feedback from trusted readers and rejection letters centered on the beginning of the book being a bit too slow. I’ll admit, I agreed and did a rewrite wherein I made a lot of cuts and picked up the first half quite a bit. Then I had the opportunity to submit it to an editor at a major publishing house who rejected it saying the beginning read too fast and needed more nuance! Now I notice that the Publishers Weekly review of the old draft (through the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest) actually praised the first half.

I don’t know what to do. Do I keep working from the new draft or go back to the old draft? I’m so confused. Any fellow writers out there had any similar experiences? This is one of those rare moments I wish I were in a writer's group.

If anyone wants to do a Pepsi Challenge, I can point you to the first 5000 words of the old draft and the new draft, both available online if you know where to look. Email me.

(photo credit)

Brandon Inge-ury

2008-06-30T10:48:00.000-07:00

The recovery was going quite well until I rolled over in bed last night and adjusted my pillow with my left hand. Ouch! Brandon Inge, I feel your pain. Pillows are dangerous. I’m going to file a class action lawsuit.

(photo credit)

I can type!

2008-06-29T19:35:00.000-07:00

But given how sore I am afterwards, I probably shouldn't type too much. Work will be interesting.

Random Cub

2008-06-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

May 11, 2000

Glenallen Hill

from baseball-reference.com:

He was the victim of perhaps the most bizarre injury in baseball history. He suffered cuts, scrapes, and bruises while sleepwalking during a nightmare about spiders.
He once was arguing balls and strikes with an umpire, who ordered the pitcher to deliver the next pitch while Hill was standing several feet out of the box. With a two strike count, Hill jumped into the box while the ball was being delivered and amazingly slapped the ball to right field for a single.
Hill admitted in February of 2008 to using performance-enhancing substances during his career. He said he had made poor decisions in his past life.

(link)

One-Handed Blogging

2008-06-27T14:28:00.000-07:00

Shorts

2008-06-27T14:17:00.000-07:00

An Amazing Inning

2008-06-26T17:10:00.000-07:00

In yesterday’s game between the Reds and the Blue Jays, David Weathers of the Reds threw just 6 pitches in the bottom of the 7th inning. That’s an amazing feat (but not unheard of) just on its own, but what’s even more amazing is what happened in those 6 pitches. Three Blue Jays reached base on 3 hits to load the bases with nobody out. Then Weathers pitched out of the jam retiring the side without any runs scoring. He got Scott Rolen to pop out on the infield and Lyle Overbay to hit into a rare 1-2-3 double play. Only 1 pitch reached catcher David Ross’s mitt the entire inning. Overbay took a ball before hitting into the double play. (link)

Google Trends

2008-06-25T12:45:00.000-07:00

I was reading an article in the New York Times about an obscenity trial in Florida where the lawyers for the defense are going to use data from Google Trends to show that his client’s pornographic website falls within the communities values. Basically, the argument goes, because “porn” is searched so often in Pensacola that a website featuring porn must therefore fall within the communities values.

A quick visit to Google Trends reveals that “porn” beats out “Jesus” by almost 9 to 1 (link), and while “Nascar” might edge out “orgy”, it falls way behind “tits” (link). But lest we worry too much about our perverted friends in Florida, "love" does beat out them all... except "sex" that still wins. (link)

At the bottom of the article, the state prosecutor says:

“How many times you do something doesn’t necessarily speak to standards and values.”

Um… I’m sorry, but isn’t that exactly what “how many times you do something” speaks to? Otherwise, you're a community of hypocrites. After all, actions speak louder than words and all that.

Shorts

2008-06-25T12:43:00.000-07:00

You can win a free magazine subscription if you can guess my friend Prince’s favorite potato chip flavor. Great. Now I’m craving Kettle Chip

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I’m trying out some new contacts, and even though they’re disposable, I saved the last trial pair so I could try them again a different day. I just went to put them in, but when I opened the case, it was empty. I’m very confused. I must have brought the wrong case somehow. This is my exciting life.

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I need to start sending out more query letters to agents and publishers about my book. People like it. I need to get it out there more.

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Rehearsals for Un-Scripted Un-Scripted started last night. I blog about every rehearsal on my improv blog.

Cache Creek

2008-06-24T14:54:00.000-07:00

I went to my nearest Indian casino this weekend, Cache Creek, and it did not look like a Filipino fish market as I had been lead to believe by someone who shall remain linked to. Ok, maybe it did look like one down at the baccarat tables, but everywhere else was quite diverse. I expected to be the only gweilo there, but I wasn’t by a long shot. Although I don’t know if Filipinos use the term “gweilo”. It’s Cantonese for “ghost man”, which is what they call white people. Of course, Chinese people are now considered black in South Africa, but they actually sued the government to be recognized as black. Does that mean Barak Obama would be half Chinese if he lived in South Africa? I guess that would make him a communist then, just like Elian Gonzalez. Wait, do I owe the Associated Press money now? I hope not, because I didn’t do so well at Cache Creek.

The Brazilian Meat Torture

2008-06-23T12:49:00.000-07:00

We had a department lunch at Espetus on Friday to celebrate all the new employees who’ve come on board in the last few months, myself included.

Oh my.

They have a buffet area filled with 17 (I think the waiter said 17) salads plus rice and beans and such. You serve yourself there and then sit down at your table. On you table is a little rotating chip that either shows red or green. If you turn it to green, they start bringing you meat. Meat after meat.

It’s all on skewers and they cut off pieces for you if you want some. They came by with at least three different types of sirloin, a couple porks, chicken, chicken hearts, sausages… It just keeps coming, but my was it good. I have no idea how much the whole thing costs, but it was well worth it. If my brother-in-law ever comes to visit, I will have to take him there. He loves meat.

We once had Christmas dinner at his and my sister’s house. His mother brought up restaurant grade prime rib from St. Louis. She works or worked or something at a restaurant down there. She’s a little Japanese woman and boy howdy can she cook. I find it highly amusing that the best biscuits and gravy I’ve ever had was made by my sister’s Japanese mother-in-law.

Anyway, that Christmas she brought up prime rib that tasted as fine as anything I’ve ever tasted, but she brought way too much of it. We kept eating and eating and joking and soon the concept of “All You Can Eat Prime Rib” became known in our family as the Chicago Meat Torture. (Why “Chicago” and not “St. Louis” where the meat originated, I don’t know.)

I have now discovered the Brazilian Meat Torture. Oh, so good though.

Shorts

2008-06-23T12:47:00.000-07:00

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I wrote a blog about hate this morning that I’m not going to post yet. Maybe it’ll become part of a series of blogs about emotions. We’ll see.

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I don’t believe in hate, in case you’re wondering. I also don’t believe in evil. I have a friend who says she doesn’t believe in sin. I don’t think 12 years of Catholic school will let me go that far, even though it might fit in with some of my philosophies.

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I can’t not sing along to “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”. It’s a little embarrassing at the office.

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The gates of hell. Link stolen from Neil Gaiman’s blog.

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Cody’s closed in Berkeley. I tried to support their store in S.F. when it was there, but every time I went in there for a book, they didn’t have it. The nearby chain store always did. Still, it is sad. They at least tried to adapt.

The Graveyard Book

2008-06-20T13:02:00.000-07:00

As frequent readers know, I got an advanced copy of The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman at BEA. I finally finished it the other day and sat down to write a review of it for this blog, only to realize I’ve never really reviewed a book before. I’m not entirely sure how to do it. I have no actors, designers, or directors to critique. I’ve been writing too many play reviews lately.

I feel so unoriginal saying “I liked it”. I can see why reviewers have developed stars, thumbs up, clapping men, tomatoes, etc. I should develop my own, but I’m not sure what it would be.

The book is inspired by Kipling’s The Jungle Book, insofar as instead of being about a boy being raised in the jungle by animals it’s about a boy being raced in a graveyard by ghosts. I kept thinking I was missing references to The Jungle Book, but I could be wrong. Looking at a summary on wikipedia, I can’t imagine it really followed along that closely. Still, I suspect someone who’s read The Jungle Book would appreciate The Graveyard Book on a different level.

That said I did enjoy it, quite a lot. It does suffer a little from the unavoidable comparisons to Harry Potter (orphaned boy, parents killed, killer still hunting him), but I figure that’s more a result of HP using such a common plot line. I mean, you could just as easily have drawn the comparison to Star Wars (orphaned boy, parents killed, killer hunting him). Still though, the comparison is unavoidable and somewhat detracts. Years from now that will be less of a problem.

The tension builds well and has a good payoff. It’s just a “good” payoff. I never quite understood what was living in the barrow or who exactly was trying to kill the main character or why, but it’s explained enough to merit a “good” payoff rating.

I even got a little choked up at the very end.

Keep in mind, this is a children’s book, and I think children will enjoy it, if they’re not too scared by it. We see the main character grow and learn lessons that young readers can take away with them and apply to their everyday lives. After all, The Jungle Book was used by the Cub scouts to teach morals to urban youth. I don’t know that The Graveyard Book will be similarly adopted, but it’s still a good read.

Shorts

2008-06-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

Working from home yesterday was the awesome. I will have to do that more often, especially when the weather’s nice.

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People keep leaving random things on the water fountains in front of the women’s restroom. They don’t stay for long, and I suspect women put them there so they don’t have to take them into the restroom with them. I might start taking pictures of them.

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Right now, as this is posting, I’m eating a fabulous meal HERE

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Apparently, I am on the short list of people that my honorary niece Shif will ask for randomly. Woohoo! Went for a walk with her and Susan yesterday. She’s old enough to really hold on to me now when carrying her. I must say, it feels so good to have a tiny little person clinging to you.

Java Beach

2008-06-19T12:37:00.000-07:00

I'm working from home today, which really means I'm working from Java Beach down by the ocean. It's much cooler down here than it is in the rest of the City, but still nice. I have a number of things to blog about, but I need to actually get some work done first.

Shorts

2008-06-18T13:46:00.000-07:00

I’ve been working out recently, which feels great, expect that I’m eating all the time now. I don’t really have any fat reserves to burn, so all the extra burnt calories need to be made up through more food.

I’m not complaining exactly. I just need to adjust.

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I think I’ve always been aware of this, but I’ve only recently been able to verbalize it: there’s a difference between being hungry and needing food. I can tell the difference and am usually ok with being hungry a while until I need food. Or with eating when I need food even though I’m not hungry.

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I think somehow this white chocolate coated wafer thing has coffee in it. We’ll see how wired I get from it.

Sloppy Joe Pasta Bake Experiment

2008-06-18T13:45:00.000-07:00

I didn’t know what to make for dinner last night, so I went to the Roxie to see what kind of meat product might inspire me. I have some Trader Joe’s Mahi Mahi in the freezer that I keep forgetting to defrost. It’s still in the freezer even now, when I could have cooked it tonight.

I didn’t really feel like making stir fry. Not only did I feel like experimenting with something new, but I was out of rice. Yes, I could have bought more, but I’m low on lots of stuff and need to do a big shop soon.

Anywhoo, spent some time staring at the boxed taco shells contemplating making Sloppy Joe Tacos, a favorite from childhood. They sounded good, but I wanted something lower maintenance that would be easier to take to work later as leftovers.

Lately, having become a big fan of casseroles, I thought… maybe I could just make a Sloppy Joe Taco Casserole. But why not just make Taco Pie, because I don’t want that. I could crumble corn chips into a dish and… or I could just use noodles.

I bought about a pound of ground turkey and some Sloppy Joe mix and then headed off to the Farmer’s Market for veggies. I got a red pepper, an orange pepper, some broccoli, and yellow zucchini. I would have gotten a yellow onion too, but they didn’t look very good.

I chopped up the veggies and put them in the casserole dish. Boiled some noodles and added them. Made the Sloppy Joe meat (which also requires water and tomato paste, which I had) and added that. Stirred it up, baked it for about 25 minutes at 425.

Served it with grated (or close to grated) cheddar cheese and avocado. Yummy. All it needed was Tabasco.

If I make it again I might add some black beans or kidney beans too.

Here's the "official" recipe.

Shorts & Birthday Photos

2008-06-17T12:05:00.000-07:00

Someday I’ll explain in great detail the concept of a “Chicken Sandwich”, but in the meantime just know that one is afoot. Fingers crossed and wish me luck.

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Tomato Mozzarella Pringles are surprisingly good.

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My leftover sandwich, however, is surprisingly soggy.

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Stan Winston has passed away. If you don’t know who he is, he did the alien effects for Aliens, the dinosaurs for Jurassic Park, and many more. Celebrity deaths don’t usually get to me, but I’m more than a little sad. His creatures had a big impact on me and I admired his work.

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I’ve blogged on Our Intrepid Hero about my birthday. Here are some pictures:

Or view the whole album:

Birthday Birthday

Adapt or Die

2008-06-17T08:01:00.000-07:00

Photo from Inkling Magazine

This is kind of a rant and somewhat apropos of nothing, but…

I have so little patience or sympathy for companies/industries that refuse to adapt the changing market place. Rather than just change their business model, they try to force the marketplace to conform to it.

I’m sorry, but no matter how successful or enduring your business model has been, you still need to constantly examine and change it because the marketplace is constantly changing.

Keep in mind this coming from someone who has never formally studied business in any form.

But, take for instance the music industry. Rather than embrace the free flow of information that is the internet and find a new business model to take advantage of that, they’re trying to force people to play by the pre-internet rules.

The automobile industry: GM is thinking about selling Hummer. Big surprise. Experts have been predicting for years that gas prices would go above $5 a gallon, but did they do anything about that? No. If they had developed their original electric car (instead of rushing it into production now), they’d be minting money. Instead they bet on gas guzzlers and now they’re hosed.

The airline industry: Likewise. They had to be idiots not to see high fuel prices would doom them. Now they’re losing so much money, they don’t even have the cash reserves to merge.

The publishing industry: too slow to embrace the internet.

Small independent booksellers: Only ones that were able to adapt when Barnes & Noble, Borders, Amazon, and Wal-Mart came on the scene have survived. Too many stood around acting as if the publishing world owed them their existence. They’re all closed now.

Of course, high fuel prices are the sweet revenge on box stores. The money you spend on gas to get to them erases any savings. Let’s see if they adapt.