Begin by par cooking whatever your vegetables and meat will be (or if it is just fried rice plain skip this step.) I prefer raisins, diced onions and sweet peppers in mine. Do this in a large pan with a small amont of oil.
Prepare rice that is almost fully cooked, but fully dried. This is important, the rice should have no residual water left.
Add a small amount of vinegar (rice wine) and soy sauce, leave enough to absorb into the vegetables and leave a tiny pool in the bottom of the pan.
Add the rice and stir everything, coating the rice with the liquid in the bottom and stirring the vegetables equally. Then move the mixture into a circle around the outside of the pan. This should leave an inner circle that you can pour the eggs stright into the pan. This is important as well.
The idea of fried rice is to coat each grain but not have esentially scrambled eggs all over the rice. Pour how ever many beaten eggs you would like. It should feel like too little, again no scrambled eggs. I use two eggs to 4 cups yield of rice. The pan should be very hot, but nothing should be sticking because of the vinegar and soy sauce. Once you pour the eggs in allow them to scramble very briefly, about 10-20 seconds seconds or so, then begin to fold the rice into the eggs quickly. You must move the rice and eggs around the pan furiously until they are cooked. If you do not the eggs will not coat the rice correctly, and you will end up with scrambled eggs, rice, and vegetables, no good. Serve Immediately.
30.10.08
Me and My Peja on a stick
So since the season Has officially begun, I felt I needed a Peja head like the ones they run around the arena with when he hits a three. I made one for waving during games, and there will be more updates with me hanging out with my Peja.
27.10.08
Home Plate officiating.
Home plate umpires are a joke. Their job is way too difficult to do with the human eye. They are perfectly parallel to a ball coming in at 90 mph.
I bring this up because in the fifth inning Scott Kazmir struck out Pat Burrell twice. 5 should have been strikes. The last two called low, and one wasn't even close. It was eventually called a walk. It is impossible to give big league hitters 6 strikes. This is a joke.
I bring this up because in the fifth inning Scott Kazmir struck out Pat Burrell twice. 5 should have been strikes. The last two called low, and one wasn't even close. It was eventually called a walk. It is impossible to give big league hitters 6 strikes. This is a joke.
Hornets naming backups
Everybody knows about the New Orleans Hornets starting five. Chris Paul, Tyson Chandler, David West, Peja Stojakavic, and Morris Peterson make up one of the most brutal (for other teams) starting fives in the league. They may be the best first unit in all the land. However the Hornets have struggled with their second unit. Jannero Pargo, who was a firecracker off the bench albeit an inconsistent one, has left for a bigger paycheck in Europe. That left the problem of who will run the point for about 14 minutes a game while Chris Paul gets a breather. Mike James has won the battle between himself and Devin Brown. After watching some preseason, and having just a baseline knowledge of each of their games I think it is the right move. The Times Picayune reports that Brown will see time at shooting guard, while James Posey will be getting time at power forward.
Coach Scott loves to play multiple ballhandlers together; he did with Pargo and Paul. As Julian Wright progresses as a player, and learns to be more under control handling the ball, I think he will steal a lot of minutes from both of the backup guards and Morris Peterson. Obviously like a lot of others who follow this team I am excited about Posey off the bench. I don't like the back end of the contract but Posey plays hard, smart defense. He is also another shooter surrounding Chris Paul which can't be a bad thing.
Last Year: Pargo, Wright, Wells, and whoever (Hilton Armstrong or Melvin Ely) at the 5.
This Year: James, Wright, Posey, and whoever (Hilton Armstrong or Melvin Ely) at the 5.
Pargo was better than James defensively, but Posey is much better than Wells. Also there is a year of development for the galloping giraffe (Julian Wright) which hopefully will bring great things with him. I like this second unit a little better, and they should be more consistent when the starters are off the court because you never knew which Wells or Pargo was showing up last year.
Coach Scott loves to play multiple ballhandlers together; he did with Pargo and Paul. As Julian Wright progresses as a player, and learns to be more under control handling the ball, I think he will steal a lot of minutes from both of the backup guards and Morris Peterson. Obviously like a lot of others who follow this team I am excited about Posey off the bench. I don't like the back end of the contract but Posey plays hard, smart defense. He is also another shooter surrounding Chris Paul which can't be a bad thing.
Last Year: Pargo, Wright, Wells, and whoever (Hilton Armstrong or Melvin Ely) at the 5.
This Year: James, Wright, Posey, and whoever (Hilton Armstrong or Melvin Ely) at the 5.
Pargo was better than James defensively, but Posey is much better than Wells. Also there is a year of development for the galloping giraffe (Julian Wright) which hopefully will bring great things with him. I like this second unit a little better, and they should be more consistent when the starters are off the court because you never knew which Wells or Pargo was showing up last year.
26.10.08
Live Thoughts on World Series game 4
I'm going to put some random thoughts that go through my head during the game, talk about how I watch the game, mock the announcers, and really just have some fun with this.
The "scrappy" Phillies got it done last night according to Fox's pregame analysts. Scrappiness always wins out, they shouldn't have to mention that, duh!
Rob Neyer is chatting over at ESPN.com. I like his analysis a lot, so I will probably pull from what he chats about and try to add to what he has to say, or disagree and back it up.
8:07- Patti Labelle is not so much good.
8:22- I think that if Sonnanstine isn't really on his stuff we will see the hook quick and David Price will be asked to go for a while, and maybe Edwin Jackson will be on alert early too. They have to win this game and Maddon should mangae like it.
8:33- They just showed a graphic that said Joe Blanton is "unusually over the top" and I had to explain it to my girlfriend. If they are giving us the horrible Buck and McCarver duo that means they are marketing to the masses not the die hards. They should be explaining what things like this means.
8:35- Blanton goes 1-2-3 in the first and looked good doing it other than a long fly ball to the track by Iwamura. By the way I love when guys behind the plate yell strikeout really loudly, it's funny.
8:40- McCarver just said "cut fastball inside" to the pitch Jimmy Rollins hit for a double. Pitchtrax showed it to be on the outer third.
8:45- Another horrible call. Rollins was out at third, tagged by Longoria. Instant replay, Instant replay, Instant replay. That could decide so much. Instant replay.
9:00- Tampa Bay needs to take more pitches and make Blanton labor a little. Zobrist just swung at the first pitch after a goot at bat by Navarro, getting the Phillies out of the inning.
9:09- Sonnanstine has been pretty decent, but not pitch effecient. I'm predicting Price by the 5th inning. The run was given to the Phillies on the bad call. Blanton has been particularly sharp with 4 K's through 3, and allowing only two softly hit singles to the opposite outfield.
9:18- Iwamura just kicked a ball that was an easy play. Utley should have been out, especially with the shift on. Howard singles hard, and gets Utley to third. Maddon should be on the phone.
Update: Utley scored on a Pedro Feliz single, then Andy (we're on a first name basis now) loaded the bases but got Blanton to pop up. I would start the next inning with Price and hope to get 3 innings from him.
9:34- A friend, Kellan, asked me to comment on the smudge of dirt on Blanton's cap. Obviously I don't know what it is. But with the Kenny Roger's situation of having pine tar on his hat it might come up. (Pine tar allows a pitcher to grip the ball more tightly, thus giving it more rotation upon release.) I'd probably have it checked especially because Blanton has been particularly sharp and Maddon at least could get in his head a little. Although I have not seen him adjusting his cap, and it doesn't seem to be nearly as brown as pine tar is.
Crawford smacked a Blanton fastball offering into the right field seats about a row in as I typed that. 2-1 Phils.
9:45- Edwin Jackson is up. I guess he is the long reliever tonight. I hinted that might be the case. They just interviewed the Ray's pitching coach and he said that if we see Price it would be later in the game with a lead.
I am on the record saying that what they had done with Price thus far was a good idea not just using him as a 3 out closer but for long appearances in high leverage situations. They should not get so tied to the idea of that being his "role." Managers get in trouble when they define roles instead of looking at skill sets. These are high leverage situations, better pitchers for the situation should be in.
Howard is up and there is no way I'd let a right hander face him given his platoon splits (batting against RH or LH piitchers). Trevor Miller is getting loose in the bullpen for a reason.
9:49- Homerun. I swear I wrote that before the swing happened. Maddon may have just cost his team a real damn shot at the game, and with Hamels on the mound in game 5, the series.
9:57- Hinske just nailed a HR deep to center pinch hitting for Sonnanstine (told you no 5th inning). Cliff Floyd got injured and he was added for todays game. That's a nice little addition. But I'd like to say that I think Baldelli should be playing in right field, even though he is right handed and Zobrist is left handed. He is much better in the field, and I doubt if there is any value lost at the plate.
10:05- Edwin Jackson is in for the Rays, and he is throwing 94-95. And as I start to type about how he looks, the pitcher Joe Blanton, hits a ball into the bleachers and becomes the first pitcher since 1974 to hit a HR in the World Series. Wow. The Rays have not looked good as a whole this evening.
10:11- Neyer just said he thinks the Rays are probably about 5 wins or so better than the Phillies next year. They won more games, in a tougher league, and are quite a bit younger. I'd bet the Rays are forcasted for more like 8-10 more wins. Something like 90-82. We won't know until the moves this offseason are made, but that is just my guess. I am no PECOTA.
10:14- Pena and Longoria still yet to get a hit. They are both up this inning. 1 out walk of Pena (Blanton's first). Longoria strikes out on a good outside fastball by Blanton.
10:19- The home plate umpire just called a strike on a ball that was so far outside ESPN pitchtrax had already listed it as a ball. No lie. Strikeout victim number 7 is Dioner Navarro. Only 9 more outs, and down 4 runs the game certainly looks over at this point. The Phillies should go full pipeline with the bullpen, 7 innings from Blanton, Madson, then Lidge. Don't let the 4 run lead change anything, just pretend it is a one run game. Let's see if Manuel is thinking the same thing. Obviously Maddon and I have been off all night.
10:24- Rob Neyer just commented on the substance on the bill of Blanton's cap, and he said the exact same thing as me basically with a few less words. And another lead off batter on base with Werth's double over the head of Carl Crawford.
10:30- Maddon is walking Howard intentionally. I would just bring in a lefty, David Price actually, since the guy can't hit lefties. Then I wouldn't have to have two men on base. Manage this game like it is game seven Joe! As soon as I say that Burrell hits into a 6-4-3 double play making me look bad. But the idea is still wrong even if it worked.
10:42- Walk and a hit and now the top of the lineup. Time for the rally caps, or rally monkeys, or cowbells. Scott Eyre coming into the game. There is one out. I haven't said it because it is fairly obvious but this is pretty much a must win with Hamels pitching tomorrow at home. If this inning is going to be a big one, it will go straight through Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria, who still are yet to have a hit. I wonder if the BBWAA will start talks of how unclutch Longoria is already. I doubt it but it would be like them to forget all he did to get them to this point, in high pressure situations.
10:47- Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus just posted an e-mail where Joe Sheehan said he wouldn't let Howard face a righty when he hit that bomb that opened it up. I am in pretty elite company with that and it makes me smile. Although it wasn't all that hard to figure out, managers still struggle with it. Which makes me wonder about managing and the credentials it takes. Probably its own post so that's all I'll say.
10:52- Upton struck out just before it got to Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena.
10:58- The game is getting a little solemn for those of us rooting on the Rays, or just rooting for a longer series so that we can have more baseball. I can't help ask what if Maddon hadn't let a right handed pitcher face Howard. It most certainly was the type of situation that can allow a game to get out of hand quick. Howard lead the league in HR, and there is just no excuse not to use the knowledge of his platoon splits to your advantage. Iwamura and Pena just made a great double play to end the inning.
The 3-4-5 hitters need to make some noise, to produce runs without making outs and flip the lineup over so it isn't the worst hitters up in the 9th.
11:09- Longoria and Pena strikeout. It is extremely difficult to win ballgames when you lose all the production in the middle of your lineup. Their OPS + were 125, and 127 respectively. That is a lot to lose. Add in the bad call that cost a run, and the managing mishap, and it has been a long night for the Rays. Although it has been a pretty entertaining game. Homeruns, by big stars and pitchers, hat controversy, bad call controversy, managing tactics, etc.
11:19- Jason Werth hit a 2 run HR. 8-2 Phils. This will be me signing off unless something super crazy happens, which I really doubt.
The "scrappy" Phillies got it done last night according to Fox's pregame analysts. Scrappiness always wins out, they shouldn't have to mention that, duh!
Rob Neyer is chatting over at ESPN.com. I like his analysis a lot, so I will probably pull from what he chats about and try to add to what he has to say, or disagree and back it up.
8:07- Patti Labelle is not so much good.
8:22- I think that if Sonnanstine isn't really on his stuff we will see the hook quick and David Price will be asked to go for a while, and maybe Edwin Jackson will be on alert early too. They have to win this game and Maddon should mangae like it.
8:33- They just showed a graphic that said Joe Blanton is "unusually over the top" and I had to explain it to my girlfriend. If they are giving us the horrible Buck and McCarver duo that means they are marketing to the masses not the die hards. They should be explaining what things like this means.
8:35- Blanton goes 1-2-3 in the first and looked good doing it other than a long fly ball to the track by Iwamura. By the way I love when guys behind the plate yell strikeout really loudly, it's funny.
8:40- McCarver just said "cut fastball inside" to the pitch Jimmy Rollins hit for a double. Pitchtrax showed it to be on the outer third.
8:45- Another horrible call. Rollins was out at third, tagged by Longoria. Instant replay, Instant replay, Instant replay. That could decide so much. Instant replay.
9:00- Tampa Bay needs to take more pitches and make Blanton labor a little. Zobrist just swung at the first pitch after a goot at bat by Navarro, getting the Phillies out of the inning.
9:09- Sonnanstine has been pretty decent, but not pitch effecient. I'm predicting Price by the 5th inning. The run was given to the Phillies on the bad call. Blanton has been particularly sharp with 4 K's through 3, and allowing only two softly hit singles to the opposite outfield.
9:18- Iwamura just kicked a ball that was an easy play. Utley should have been out, especially with the shift on. Howard singles hard, and gets Utley to third. Maddon should be on the phone.
Update: Utley scored on a Pedro Feliz single, then Andy (we're on a first name basis now) loaded the bases but got Blanton to pop up. I would start the next inning with Price and hope to get 3 innings from him.
9:34- A friend, Kellan, asked me to comment on the smudge of dirt on Blanton's cap. Obviously I don't know what it is. But with the Kenny Roger's situation of having pine tar on his hat it might come up. (Pine tar allows a pitcher to grip the ball more tightly, thus giving it more rotation upon release.) I'd probably have it checked especially because Blanton has been particularly sharp and Maddon at least could get in his head a little. Although I have not seen him adjusting his cap, and it doesn't seem to be nearly as brown as pine tar is.
Crawford smacked a Blanton fastball offering into the right field seats about a row in as I typed that. 2-1 Phils.
9:45- Edwin Jackson is up. I guess he is the long reliever tonight. I hinted that might be the case. They just interviewed the Ray's pitching coach and he said that if we see Price it would be later in the game with a lead.
I am on the record saying that what they had done with Price thus far was a good idea not just using him as a 3 out closer but for long appearances in high leverage situations. They should not get so tied to the idea of that being his "role." Managers get in trouble when they define roles instead of looking at skill sets. These are high leverage situations, better pitchers for the situation should be in.
Howard is up and there is no way I'd let a right hander face him given his platoon splits (batting against RH or LH piitchers). Trevor Miller is getting loose in the bullpen for a reason.
9:49- Homerun. I swear I wrote that before the swing happened. Maddon may have just cost his team a real damn shot at the game, and with Hamels on the mound in game 5, the series.
9:57- Hinske just nailed a HR deep to center pinch hitting for Sonnanstine (told you no 5th inning). Cliff Floyd got injured and he was added for todays game. That's a nice little addition. But I'd like to say that I think Baldelli should be playing in right field, even though he is right handed and Zobrist is left handed. He is much better in the field, and I doubt if there is any value lost at the plate.
10:05- Edwin Jackson is in for the Rays, and he is throwing 94-95. And as I start to type about how he looks, the pitcher Joe Blanton, hits a ball into the bleachers and becomes the first pitcher since 1974 to hit a HR in the World Series. Wow. The Rays have not looked good as a whole this evening.
10:11- Neyer just said he thinks the Rays are probably about 5 wins or so better than the Phillies next year. They won more games, in a tougher league, and are quite a bit younger. I'd bet the Rays are forcasted for more like 8-10 more wins. Something like 90-82. We won't know until the moves this offseason are made, but that is just my guess. I am no PECOTA.
10:14- Pena and Longoria still yet to get a hit. They are both up this inning. 1 out walk of Pena (Blanton's first). Longoria strikes out on a good outside fastball by Blanton.
10:19- The home plate umpire just called a strike on a ball that was so far outside ESPN pitchtrax had already listed it as a ball. No lie. Strikeout victim number 7 is Dioner Navarro. Only 9 more outs, and down 4 runs the game certainly looks over at this point. The Phillies should go full pipeline with the bullpen, 7 innings from Blanton, Madson, then Lidge. Don't let the 4 run lead change anything, just pretend it is a one run game. Let's see if Manuel is thinking the same thing. Obviously Maddon and I have been off all night.
10:24- Rob Neyer just commented on the substance on the bill of Blanton's cap, and he said the exact same thing as me basically with a few less words. And another lead off batter on base with Werth's double over the head of Carl Crawford.
10:30- Maddon is walking Howard intentionally. I would just bring in a lefty, David Price actually, since the guy can't hit lefties. Then I wouldn't have to have two men on base. Manage this game like it is game seven Joe! As soon as I say that Burrell hits into a 6-4-3 double play making me look bad. But the idea is still wrong even if it worked.
10:42- Walk and a hit and now the top of the lineup. Time for the rally caps, or rally monkeys, or cowbells. Scott Eyre coming into the game. There is one out. I haven't said it because it is fairly obvious but this is pretty much a must win with Hamels pitching tomorrow at home. If this inning is going to be a big one, it will go straight through Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria, who still are yet to have a hit. I wonder if the BBWAA will start talks of how unclutch Longoria is already. I doubt it but it would be like them to forget all he did to get them to this point, in high pressure situations.
10:47- Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus just posted an e-mail where Joe Sheehan said he wouldn't let Howard face a righty when he hit that bomb that opened it up. I am in pretty elite company with that and it makes me smile. Although it wasn't all that hard to figure out, managers still struggle with it. Which makes me wonder about managing and the credentials it takes. Probably its own post so that's all I'll say.
10:52- Upton struck out just before it got to Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena.
10:58- The game is getting a little solemn for those of us rooting on the Rays, or just rooting for a longer series so that we can have more baseball. I can't help ask what if Maddon hadn't let a right handed pitcher face Howard. It most certainly was the type of situation that can allow a game to get out of hand quick. Howard lead the league in HR, and there is just no excuse not to use the knowledge of his platoon splits to your advantage. Iwamura and Pena just made a great double play to end the inning.
The 3-4-5 hitters need to make some noise, to produce runs without making outs and flip the lineup over so it isn't the worst hitters up in the 9th.
11:09- Longoria and Pena strikeout. It is extremely difficult to win ballgames when you lose all the production in the middle of your lineup. Their OPS + were 125, and 127 respectively. That is a lot to lose. Add in the bad call that cost a run, and the managing mishap, and it has been a long night for the Rays. Although it has been a pretty entertaining game. Homeruns, by big stars and pitchers, hat controversy, bad call controversy, managing tactics, etc.
11:19- Jason Werth hit a 2 run HR. 8-2 Phils. This will be me signing off unless something super crazy happens, which I really doubt.
24.10.08
Bullpen usage, the Rays, and David Price.
So, it has been broken down by many people much smarter (and way too many people who just have an audience) than me, but the Rays won World Series game two. James Shields was OK, but the part I want to focus on is David Price.
It was a two run game. David Price got the last seven outs in the World Series. I applaud Joe Maddon for going outside of the normal managerial box to use a very talented pitcher to get seven outs. Most managers get in a zone of "save their own ass" by doing what is expected, by going with proven relievers and known quantitie closers. Maddon leveraged the situation in his advatage by using his most talented left handed reliever to get out the Phillies best hitters (who are left handed) and stayed with him throughout it.
Further proof that conventional bullpen usage is ridiculous. The save stat, the Baseball Writers, etc, all hurt the overall understanding of the game in the public.
It was a two run game. David Price got the last seven outs in the World Series. I applaud Joe Maddon for going outside of the normal managerial box to use a very talented pitcher to get seven outs. Most managers get in a zone of "save their own ass" by doing what is expected, by going with proven relievers and known quantitie closers. Maddon leveraged the situation in his advatage by using his most talented left handed reliever to get out the Phillies best hitters (who are left handed) and stayed with him throughout it.
Further proof that conventional bullpen usage is ridiculous. The save stat, the Baseball Writers, etc, all hurt the overall understanding of the game in the public.
22.10.08
NBA Preseason Picks
MVP: LeBron James
Defensive Player of the Year: Ron Artest
6th Man of the Year: Rodney Stuckey
Rookie of the Year: Greg Oden
Coach of the Year: Jerry Sloan
Divisional Winners:
Atlantic- Boston
Central- Detroit
Southeast- Orlando
Other East playoff teams: Toronto, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Indiana, Chicago
Southwest- New Orleans
Pacific- Los Angeles
Northwest- Utah
Other West playoff teams: Houston, San Antonio, Phoenix, Portland, Dallas
Western Finals : New Orleans vs. Los Angeles
East Finals: Philadelphia vs. Cleveland
NBA Finals: Los Angeles vs. Cleveland
NBA Champions: Los Angeles
I originally wrote that New Orleans would win it all, which I a big part of me still believes. But if the Lakers can stay healthy they should be the best team. Also I would seem like and huge homer (and feel like I jinxed it if they lost.) I think there are are 4 west teams who can win easily (LA, NO, Utah, and Houston.) I don't think any East team will be strong enough to compete with them, unlike last year.
Defensive Player of the Year: Ron Artest
6th Man of the Year: Rodney Stuckey
Rookie of the Year: Greg Oden
Coach of the Year: Jerry Sloan
Divisional Winners:
Atlantic- Boston
Central- Detroit
Southeast- Orlando
Other East playoff teams: Toronto, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Indiana, Chicago
Southwest- New Orleans
Pacific- Los Angeles
Northwest- Utah
Other West playoff teams: Houston, San Antonio, Phoenix, Portland, Dallas
Western Finals : New Orleans vs. Los Angeles
East Finals: Philadelphia vs. Cleveland
NBA Finals: Los Angeles vs. Cleveland
NBA Champions: Los Angeles
I originally wrote that New Orleans would win it all, which I a big part of me still believes. But if the Lakers can stay healthy they should be the best team. Also I would seem like and huge homer (and feel like I jinxed it if they lost.) I think there are are 4 west teams who can win easily (LA, NO, Utah, and Houston.) I don't think any East team will be strong enough to compete with them, unlike last year.
15.10.08
Dessert Happenings
Easiest dessert ever, and sort of impressive if you have friends over. Just put sugar on to a banana that has been cut in half long ways and across. Leave the peel on and then place sugar side down in a hot pan and wait. Then toast peanuts for a minute or so in a pan and pour more sugar over, cook until caramel is formed all around and pour onto parchment or other non-stick surface and break apart. Add your favorite ice cream.
14.10.08
Braised Pork Ribs
Braising Liquid
5 Vine Ripened Tomatoes (quartered)
1/2 sweet onion (quartered)
1 shallot (julienned)
1 red bell pepper (julienned)
kosher salt,fresh cracked pepper
4 cloves garlic (slivered)
1/3 cup Heavy Cream
Handful of Italian Flat Leaf Parsley (fine chop)
Combine everything but the heavy cream and parsley in a large saucepan and cover with water, just above all of the ingredients. Cover the pot. Cook on med-high for about 45 minutes (or until everything begins to fall apart and combine.)Let cool, and then puree in a blender (or puree now if you have a stick blender.) Move to a saute pan without curved walls, often called a frying pan, and reduce heat to simmer. Add cream and parsley.
Salt and Pepper the boneless pork ribs. Bring a saute pan with a small amount of oil up to high heat. Once hot, brown the ribs on both sides to create a crust on the outside. Move the ribs into the braising liquid, and turn the heat up to meduim- medium low and finish cooking the ribs. Flipping them to make sure the liquid is cooking through.
10.10.08
I love Manny Ramirez
Manny just hit a homerun that was in on his hands out to left field. He rounded the bases and went back to the dugout. He then yelled back to the pitcher, Brett Myers, "if you don't throw 95, don't go there."
Everybody should love Manny Ramirez.
Everybody should love Manny Ramirez.
Tyson Chandler's Lucid Thoughts on Taxes
Tyson Chandler is 7 feet tall, plays basketball for a living, and never went to college. However he is a well spoken and intelligent human being. His blog is on NBA.com and had this to say about paying taxes at a rally for Barack Obama. I'm not trying to illustrate a political point, very far from that. I have tried to keep my political views out of other people's lives. I wanted to illustrate that not every guy in the NBA is a greedy jock who can't think without a line of people doing it for them.
"It's funny, because when Obama was giving his speech, he said he was gonna give a tax cut to 95 percent of the people. He says, "If you make under $250,000 a year, raise your hand." And everybody there raised their hand, except for this one small section of guys. That was our section. And everybody around us was laughing.
But you know what, it's a bigger cause. And the way I look at it is that I can afford to pay more in taxes. But my parents, my grandparents, my cousins ... with what they make, they can't afford to cut back in their household with what they're trying to survive with. I can afford to make cuts and still survive. They can't take that knock.
I think that's what's going on now and the reason why the middle class is struggling so much. The upper class, we can take that hit. Obviously, nobody wants to take it, but we still can. And we can afford to live nice lives.
I've lived in both situations. And not only that, I'm obviously the only one in my family that can say that I'm a millionaire. I've seen my entire family struggle. So, would I rather see my whole family struggle while I get a break, or have me not get a break while the rest of my family gets one? I'll take my entire family getting a break."
"It's funny, because when Obama was giving his speech, he said he was gonna give a tax cut to 95 percent of the people. He says, "If you make under $250,000 a year, raise your hand." And everybody there raised their hand, except for this one small section of guys. That was our section. And everybody around us was laughing.
But you know what, it's a bigger cause. And the way I look at it is that I can afford to pay more in taxes. But my parents, my grandparents, my cousins ... with what they make, they can't afford to cut back in their household with what they're trying to survive with. I can afford to make cuts and still survive. They can't take that knock.
I think that's what's going on now and the reason why the middle class is struggling so much. The upper class, we can take that hit. Obviously, nobody wants to take it, but we still can. And we can afford to live nice lives.
I've lived in both situations. And not only that, I'm obviously the only one in my family that can say that I'm a millionaire. I've seen my entire family struggle. So, would I rather see my whole family struggle while I get a break, or have me not get a break while the rest of my family gets one? I'll take my entire family getting a break."
8.10.08
Hollinger's PER 08-09
It is almost time to switch to basketball season from baseball season as my predominate passion. Right now I'm at about 65-35 baseball. But our favorite statistician and yours John Hollinger has come out with his individual PER rating and low and behold who is first. Actually I'll just copy and paste.
2008-09 outlook: Paul projects to lead the NBA in PER this season, a fact that surprised some folks -- like me, for instance; I'd expected LeBron James to be first. But Paul is only 23, is playing a position where development curves tend to be long, and has made substantial improvement in his first three seasons.
In fact, if you compare how he played at ages 20 through 22 you'd be hard-pressed to find a single point guard in history who was demonstrably superior, which might make it easier to digest the possibility of further ascent. It might be odd to think of a 6-0, 175-pound guy as the best player in the league, especially when iconic talents like LeBron and Kobe are in their primes. But if Paul improves much at all from last season, we're going to have to get comfortable with that idea.
I've said it once, I'll say it again Chris Paul was the best player in the NBA last season. NOT KOBE BRYANT. Lebron was (mostly) better than Kobe too, but Kobe's other stuff like playing through injury and not coasting for 20-30 games made Kobe second in my book. I don't truly expect Paul to have a better season than Lebron even though it is entirely possible and those two are probably going to battle for that honor. I'd love to see it, and the Hornets could have just as successfull season if he does live up to these lofty expectations.
2008-09 outlook: Paul projects to lead the NBA in PER this season, a fact that surprised some folks -- like me, for instance; I'd expected LeBron James to be first. But Paul is only 23, is playing a position where development curves tend to be long, and has made substantial improvement in his first three seasons.
In fact, if you compare how he played at ages 20 through 22 you'd be hard-pressed to find a single point guard in history who was demonstrably superior, which might make it easier to digest the possibility of further ascent. It might be odd to think of a 6-0, 175-pound guy as the best player in the league, especially when iconic talents like LeBron and Kobe are in their primes. But if Paul improves much at all from last season, we're going to have to get comfortable with that idea.
I've said it once, I'll say it again Chris Paul was the best player in the NBA last season. NOT KOBE BRYANT. Lebron was (mostly) better than Kobe too, but Kobe's other stuff like playing through injury and not coasting for 20-30 games made Kobe second in my book. I don't truly expect Paul to have a better season than Lebron even though it is entirely possible and those two are probably going to battle for that honor. I'd love to see it, and the Hornets could have just as successfull season if he does live up to these lofty expectations.
Update: Bubble and Squeek
That is the Kale and red potatoe version. It went well. Served with a flat leaf parsley compound butter. Besides that it was just baked potatoe, kale, salt and pepper. Then made into rounds and "grilled" (it was in a grill pan.)
7.10.08
Bubble and Squeek
Bubble and squeek is a traditional breakfast side dish in England, usually made from leftovers of a roast dinner. Vegetables (mainly cabbage)are mixed with mashed potatoes in a hot pan. I had it for the first time last week and it was grilled with collards and mashed potatoes.
I am going to attempt to make it soon, two different ways. I'm thinking maybe kale and red potatoes, and sweet potatoes with mustard greens. I will update on how it goes.
I am going to attempt to make it soon, two different ways. I'm thinking maybe kale and red potatoes, and sweet potatoes with mustard greens. I will update on how it goes.
5.10.08
Steakhouse Night
I wanted to make a traditonal "steak and potatoes" dish to take a picture of for my blog so I did and this is how it came out. I served it with a red wine reduction sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, and an green onion infused olive oil.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)