Gas Pumper in the Office

I wonder how some people get jobs in the business world sometimes. I know about Mr. Super Important First Class Business Executive Guy, but it still amazes me... especially when I experience it during my own day job. We have this one salesperson who is really a displaced stereotypical dumb jock from high school. And just like the high school dumb jock, he manages to do little-to-zero work and somehow gets by. This is the most incompetant person I've ever worked with, but he holds his job because he's a fun guy at the bar. After years of working at the firm, he still doesn't have the weekly and monthly routines embedded in his empty head. When I send him emails with multiple points, he's only able to comprehend one item. If the email mentioned 3 things, he would usually reply acknowledging one item and ask a question that was already answered by one of the other items. I've tried everything to make my messages more simple including larger fonts and doublespacing. This was an attempt to simulate crayon writing on super thick lined writing paper used by 1st graders. It didn't work though... no hope. What is this guy doing in the office. He should be pumping gas on the expressway.

Deli King

Kosher Restaurant & Caterers

Location: 1570 Union Tpke., Lake Success Shopping Center, New Hyde Park, NY
Cuisine: Kosher Deli, Diner
Hours: Daily 11am-9pm
Phone: 516-437-8420
Website: www.deliking.net
Prices: About $15-20 per person
Credit Cards: All major

Food: 7
Service: 8
Value: 7
Environment: 7

Visits: 1 (eat-in)

The Lake Success Shopping Center is in the middle of nowhere, but apparently people know about it as the parking lot was starting to fill up at 11:30 on a Sunday morning. Deli King is a combination deli and restaurant. They have a deli counter up front for take out and a restaurant in the back. After looking through the menu, it was pretty obvious that pastrami was their specialty. Every category of food had a pastrami item. I thought about getting their pastrami burger (a hamburger with strips of pastrami on top), but then decided to have their specialty in its purest form... a pastrami sandwich on rye. I wasn't disappointed. The meat tasted fresh and didn't have a lot of fat in it. I was more surprised by the bread than meat though. The rye was freshly baked and tasted very good (I normally don't like rye bread). Their "homemade" soups seem to be canned and we saw them nuke it, but the entrees were fresh cooked. They brought ingredients from the deli counter back to the kitchen. Also included with the meal were super grease saturated fries, cole slaw and soup.

The waitress was friendly and polite. She checked up on us a lot and made sure our glasses were always full.

The environment was nice and pleasant. We could hear each other talking while speaking at a normal volume. The recently renovated interior had a maroon & goldenrod color scheme and abstract paintings to match.

Note: If you eat at the restaurant, you can order items from the deli at a 15% discount.

Tech Deals of the Week (7/29-8/4)

For the past few weeks, there have been several flash drive deals below $10/GB. So unless prices happen to go up, I'm only going to post flash deals below and not at that mark. You can get $10/GB at just about any store every week now.

Sandisk 2 GB Cruzer Micro Drive for $17.99 @ Circuit City
This is the lowest price I've seen for the 2 GB SanDisk Cruzer. I've been using my 4 GB model for a week now and it's pretty good so far. It includes the U3 software for portable applications, file management and security. The bright orange LED is very cool!

Targus Groove Notebook Backpack for $7.99 @ Best Buy
This makes the CompUSA price look like a rip-off! CompUSA normally sells this for $24.99 regular, $14.99 on sale and $12.49 as part of a package deal. And Best Buy has it for just $7.99 (no rebate)! I checked out this bag at CompUSA one day to see the quality. It has enough padding for a light 15.4" laptop. I would put a Macbook Pro in here, but not an Alienware. The compartments are well-designed, but the material is just OK. Still, there's nothing to lose for $7.99.

Acer AL2216Wbd for $189.99 @ Best Buy
This beats the lowest price for Acer's 22" model that was reached in June. I looked very carefully to make sure it wasn't a misprint too. Unlike the rebate offer in June, this time it's an instant savings.

Parallels Desktop for $49.99 @ CompUSA
The regular price is $79.99, so this is after a $10 instant savings and $20 mail-in rebate. This one doesn't cycle around that often, so if you're looking to install Windows on you Mac OS X system, this is a good week to go for it. Remember... you still need to have a legal copy of Windows to do this.

Kingston 4 GB Flash Drive for $38.99 @ CompUSA
Here's a 4 GB flash drive that fits my new price requirement.

"We're aware of them. We don't interact with them."

HAMMOND: Sir, I'd like to know who you are and what you know about the Goa'uld.

OMOC: I am Omoc. Our world is called Tollan.

HAMMOND: And what do you know of the Goa'uld and Jaffa?

OMOC: We're aware of them. We don't interact with them.

HAMMOND: Well then, we share a common enemy.

OMOC: Did I mention an enemy?

The short transcript segment above from Stargate SG-1 episode 117, Enigma sums up how I feel about the Mets as a Yankees fan. I get asked a lot, "do you hate the Mets?" The truth is... I don't really care about them. To me there's no rivalry between the teams. They're in different leagues. A Mets win or loss doesn't affect the Yankees in any way. Why should I waste time and energy hating the Mets when I have the Red Sox to worry about!? If anything, the Mets organization is really an extension of the Yankees now that Willie Randolph is running the clubhouse and Omar Minaya has stepped up the Mets' standards. I'll start cheering against the Mets if both NY teams make the World Series. For now, I'll cheer on the Yankees and boo the Red Sox. I have no need to interact with the Mets.

I think that many Yankees fans feel the same way. Why do Mets fans waste their energy hating the Yankees though? Is it jealousy of the 26 championships? Does too much press focus on the Yankees? Why not concentrate on a National League rival instead of cheering against a team that doesn't affect their standings?

Back in Time to 6/28

The Yankees just completed their 6/28 game a few minutes ago to pick up a much needed win. Under rare circumstances, the 6/28 game was suspended mid-8th inning due to rain and had to be completed during the next meeting with the Orioles (this weekend). Here are some weird things that could've happened over the course of the month:

1) A-Rod came into the suspended game with 499 career homers. If he had hit one during the makeup game, it would've counted as #493 and #499 would've become #500.

2) What if a key player was traded or injured during July? And if that player was on base or in the field? I wonder how they would've handled that one.

3) A pitcher could've played out of rotation. Say the game was suspended while a starter was out there. That same guy just pitched a complete game the night before and had to come out again tonight.

The game still had a very strange feeling even without any of the above happening. We saw Mariano early in the night, facing fresh batters as if it was the 1st inning. We saw Jeter starting off on base without swinging a bat. But in the end, the Yankees went back in time to get a win!

In Need of a 23

I few months ago, I was talking to Lorenzo about sports interests. He watches pretty much every sport, but being from El Salvador his favorites are baseball and soccer. One of the topics we touched on was interests that never seem to catch on in certain countries. Baseball is big in the Americas and Asia, but hasn't caught on to the Europeans (with the exception of Italy). Soccer seems to be huge in all countries but the US. I mentioned that in order for soccer to succeed in the US, there needs to be a superstar with a strong, positive personality. Which basically means it needs a Michael Jordan equivalent. Womens soccer has gained some spotlight here in the states thanks to Mia Hamm, but Men's soccer is like the WNBA! With the recent signing of David Beckham to the LA Galaxy, I think it will start to change. He's going to be heavily marketed if not already. Everyone will know his face and many will start watching soccer. He's the #23 that American soccer has been missing.

Note: I'm not a soccer fan at all, but just wanted to connect a past conversation with the arrival of David Beckham. Soccer was always fun to play as a kid, but I just never caught on to watching it.

Related Links: David Beckham's Official Site, LA Galaxy, Major League Soccer

2 Days & 45 Runs Later

"You might go a few years before you see another game like this. It was just one of those things I don't think you can really explain."
- Capt. Derek Jeter

"Even in batting practice you don't get hits every time you swing the bat. This was certainly pretty incredible -- to be able to continue to get hit after hit after hit after hit."
- Mgr. Joe Torre

Derek Jeter and Joe Torre were referring to yesterday's 25-hit/21-run game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, but the offensive assault really lasted for 2 days in 3 games. After an embarrasing loss on Friday, the Yankees scored a total of 45 runs on Saturday & Sunday. That's unheard of in baseball. I though they'd run out of gas on Sunday after Saturday night's 17-run game, but they just kept going. Hopefully they can carry this into the Kansas City series tonight. So far they've been doing their job and playing 600+ ball. The next step is to start sweeping some of these series just for insurance.

Power Source: A-Rod has 498 lifetime homers now and is still on a good pace to catch Maris' single season record. Matsui seems to be homering in every game. If this goes on, maybe he can even get close to A-Rod! Pettitte struck out 8 batters yesterday. Andy Phillips has been super consistent and clutch since he was assigned to first base. Viscaino has been pitching more like himself and isn't giving up a run per inning anymore... maybe some hope for this bullpen! Rookie Shelley Duncan is off to a great start. How many new kids get a major league hit in their first game and hit 3 homers in 2 games!?

McNuggets Rap

By Fernando Sosa, Thomas Middleditch & Matt Malinsky



This video plays as a commercial during every sporting event and it keeps getting stuck in my head! I guess that means it's an effective commercial, right? At least it's not making me crave Chicken McNuggets! As crazy as it looks, it's actually well done... technically. It cuts on the action for continuity. It's a funny video with a catchy beat.

Tech Deals of the Week (7/22-7/28)

Things are even lower this week than last week!

Acer 19" Widescreen LCD for $129.99 @ Best Buy
This is the same monitor as last week, but there's an additional $10 off. Like last week's sale, it's also an instant savings.

PNY Flash Drives @ Best Buy
There are 2 PNY drives that fall below my $10/GB benchmark. The 2 GB model is going for $17.99 and the 4 GB one for $34.99. Both are instant savings.

Sandisk 4 GB Cruzer Micro Drive for $29.99 @ Radio Shack
This has the same retractable casing as the one I mentioned in last week's deal, but has twice the capacity. At $29.99 it's really "buy 3 GB & get one FREE!"

Logitech LX7 for $9.99 @ Circuit City
The in-store price for this one is $39.99. It becomes $9.99 after a $10 manufacturer rebate and $20 Circuit City rebate. The lowest I've seen this model on the Internet was $20 (not including shipping). It's a steal for under $10 because you get a precise, wireless laser mouse with a tilt wheel and extra buttons. It uses 2 AA batteries and claims to run for 8 months! Even if you do the common rule of dividing by 2 (against the manufacturer's claim), 4 months is still great. This model is symmetrical in shape. You know what that means in the righty-favoring world of mice! I haven't had firsthand experience with this one, but every Logitech mouse I've used has been comfortable and problem-free.

TRENDNet Wireless-G Router for FREE @ CompUSA
After 2 mail-in rebates, this one comes out FREE... well... just taxes on the $40 in-store price. So there's nothing to lose if you need an 802.11g router.

TRENDNet Wireless-G Adapters for $4.99 @ CompUSA
This includes PCI, USB & PCMCIA adapters. Each one is $24.00 in-store minus $20 in rebates. So if you have an old system that's not wireless yet or you're still using 802.11b, this is a good week to upgrade for almost nothing.

Mi Nidito (Otra Vez)

Visits: 2 (eat-in)

For general restaurant information and my ratings, please visit the June 14th posting about my first visit.

My second time to Mi Nidito had a few different conditions. I went with a larger group... 7 people. We also ate much later than normal dinner time... about 8:30pm. I suggested this restaurant to my out-of-town friends since half of the group was vegetarian and based on my previous meal there, they had good food for vegetarians and non-vegetarians. We ate family style, so I had a chance to try a little bit of everything.

Mushroom Chili: This was the same dish Paul had... I just didn't recall the name of it when I wrote the initial review. It's an excellent meat alternative for carnivores and omnivores who want to try a vegetarian meal.

Jumbo Chicken Wings: What's a group dinner without chicken wing appetizers? These fried wings have a unique taste to them and are just the right level of spiciness.

Trio Quesadillas: These are filled with chicken, beef and veggies. There's nothing special about them... meat quesadillas are good everywhere aren't they?

Vegetable Quesadillas: Same as above.

Seafood Quesadillas: These were original and I credit Vanessa for the great decision. I've never had seafood quesadillas before. I would go for these again!

Something worth noting about Mi Nidito is they don't cook any food or prepare any sauces with lard or other animal fats.

Dynasty, T-Mac, Franchise & More

The Houston Rockets seriously powered themselves up recently. Steve Francis will return to a much different Rockets team than he left it 3 years ago. Yao Ming has improved from a good player to the best center in the league. And now they have one of the best scorers in Tracy McGrady. Francis needs to concentrate on being a good point guard. He needs to drop his points and increase his assists and steals in order for this club to be successful. Yao & McGrady are one of the best scoring duos in the league. Francis has the skills to boost this asset. In short, if the Rockets have Steve Francis next year, they'll have a legitimate shot at the title. If they get Steve "Franchise," they might not even make the playoffs. In addition to Francis, the Rockets have also signed Luis Scola from Argentina. Scola was part of the gold medal Argentine team.

Yao Ming played an MVP worthy 1st half before his injury. Tracy McGrady played an MVP worthy period while picking up the slack while Yao was out. With these two players carrying the team, they were able to make it into the playoffs. Now the Rockets are seriously building a supporting cast rather than a team of Yao & T-Mac + 10 scrubs. The most important thing is chemistry of course. So only time will tell if Dynasty, T-Mac and a Franchise can mix properly. Personally, I think they'll at least make the playoffs. This is based on one pattern I've seen in recent years... any player that leaves the Knicks organization makes it into the playoffs!

Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About

By Kevin Trudeau

In this NY Times best-selling book, Kevin Trudeau talks about and lists several reasons to support his opinion that the food and medical industries are intentionally keeping our lifespans and health in check. More of the book is about backing up his theories than about the actual cures themselves. So this book can be read at many different paces. If you need to be convinced, you can read the whole book. If you're interested in the natural cures, chapters 6 & 13 will do.

Some readers praise Kevin Trudeau for stepping up and exposing "the truth." Others see him as a scam artist, citing how he charges a lot for membership to his website. Neither angle can really be proven. My suggestion is to read his book and try a few things. There are certainly things in the book that can improve one's health. There are also some things that may or may not, but at the same time, there's no harm in trying. The book is easy to read as Kevin wrote it in an almost spoken English. Just a few warnings if you decide to read this... 1) It's a bit subliminal... just be aware of this; 2) Don't be overwhelmed by everything. No one can do ALL of the things suggested. Do things at a comfortable pace and gradually add new things over time.

After reading Natural Cures, I decided to make a few changes in my life just to put a few things to the test. I've started eating a lot of pure organic meals. I'm trying to keep it to 50% of all food intake to organic to start with. I'm also testing out regular usage of apple cider vinegar which was a well-known natural cure long before Kevin's book. If I find anything significant, I'll definitely post it here. Also, as I review restaurants in my Leisure section, I'm going to give special props to organic cuisines.

Related Links: Amazon, Bragg Health Products, Natural Cures

Godzilla is on Radioactive Fire!

This is a good time to do a piece on Hideki Matsui. I finished reading his biography (Hideki Matsui: Sportsmanship, Modesty, and the Art of the Home Run by Shizuka Ijuin) a couple of months ago and the YES Network just ran his Yankeeography. Matsui has also been on fire of late. He was playing OK before... his average was a little lower than normal, but he was in a homerun slump. As of last night, he has now hit 6 homers in the last 10 games! His swing looks good and the power has returned.

Hideki Matsui was nicknamed Godzilla in Japan for his homerun power and friendly nature. As a fan of both Matsui and the original Toho monster, I think it's an appropriate nickname especially when his stance and swing are closely analyzed. Matsui has a relaxed stance with very little motion. This is very similar to Godzilla as he charges up his breath weapon. He takes a deep breath as his spinal plates fill up with radiation. The swing is just all-out power as Matsui puts his whole body into it, just like Godzilla when he fires out his blue flame. Both Godzillas seem to attack with more power than their bodies seem capable of.

Related Links: Amazon, Yankees.com

Subway Tales: Mr. Super Important First Class Business Executive Guy

There's nothing like 1st class treatment. Not only do you expect it everywhere, but you also have a way of converting the environment around you to 1st class... all for yourself. You take up several seats with your large stature and crossed legged position. The seat to your left holds your oversized laptop bag (filled with unused looseleaf paper). Over to your right is your $5 premium coffee. You purposely have colleagues call you while you're on the train so all of the riders can see how important you are. You speak loudly and overconfidently so that the entire car can hear you clearly. After all, it wasn't your brains that got you your six-figure salary, but a careless large corporation that throws money away to loud talking, dinosaur brained bull-shitters. When you're done with your cellphone, you whip out your blackberry and thumb away at Solitaire. You act like you're working, but the truth is you have no idea how to use this device.

Here's to you Mr. Super Important First Class Business Executive Guy. You're living proof that success can be attained in the land of opportunity without a single brain cell or legitimate skill.

Offseason Moves are Lookin' Good

"If people believe we are vulnerable in dealing with Luol and Ben, they are mistaken. We've known for a long time we would be dealing with our young players growing into their next contract. But we won't lose them."
- John Paxson

This came shortly after the Bulls added Joe Smith to the team. Smith is not a great player, but he's a guy that contributes and is a great fit for the Bull's culture. He understands that he might start some nights and come off the bench on others. All of the Bulls know this and they're all OK with it. The most important thing about the addition of Smith is the team's skill goes up while the ego stays the same... zero. Next up will be the contract renwals for Luol Deng and Ben Gordon. Paxson's continued talk of keeping the core was very reassuring. He's managed to keep the core intact and add talented options in Joakim Noah, JameOn Curry, Aaron Gray and Joe Smith. This is a significant upgrade over PJ Brown, Michael Sweetney and Viktor Khryapa.

Clawing in to Start the 2nd Half

The Yankees took the series 3 games to 1 from Tampa Bay to start the 2nd half of the season. They didn't beat the Rays in a dominant fashion and had to keep getting hits and making tough defensive plays to come out on top. I felt so tense watching these games, but winning the series means starting the 2nd half the right way. Remember, the Yankees have to win pretty much every series if they want to be in the playoffs... that's 60-66% of the games. Any time they lose a series, they have to sweep the next to make up for it. Looking back at this back-and-forth battle with Tampa Bay, there are some positives to consider. The Yankees are showing some fight and aren't giving up when they lose the lead. Mariano Rivera is getting save opportunities. The starting pitchers are learning to recover after giving up a few runs.

The weakness in the Yankees roster is still the relief pitching. I wonder why there haven't been any moves made to address this. I like Torre's style of giving players a chance to improve themselves, but it's been way too long for some of these pitchers. If they haven't improved in 2 years, they're not going to improve! It's time to replace the middle relief and setup positions.

Tech Deals of the Week (7/15-7/21)

Acer 19" Widescreen LCD for $139.99 @ Best Buy
This is the same monitor from my July 1 post, but with instant savings this time. It's $10 more, but no rebate.

Sandisk 2 GB Cruzer Micro Drive for $19.99 @ Circuit City or CompUSA
There are a number of flash drives for the $10/GB price at both of these stores this week. I chose to highlight this one because it has a retractable USB port... just a little bonus for the same price as the Sony, Kingston and PNY models.

Old San Juan

Location: 765 9th Ave. (btw 51st & 52nd St)
Cuisine: Puerto Rican, Argentine
Hours: Sun-Thu 11am-11pm; Fri-Sat 11am-2am
Phone: 212-262-7013
Prices: About $20 per person
Credit Cards: All major

Food: 9
Service: 8
Value: 7
Environment: 7

Visits: 1 (eat-in)

I started by browsing the dinner specials. At first glance, it looked like they had one for each day of the week, but more careful examination revealed that most specials were available every day. My stomach told me to go for a plantain dish, so I ended up choosing mofongo relleno de pernil (mashed plantain w/ pork). Everything about this dish was great... the smell, the texture, the taste, etc. The pork was juicy and matched the garlic flavored plantains perfectly. The portions were just right. Eating a meal here will leave you enough room for either an appetizer, side dish or dessert.

I'll definitely come to this restaurant more often to try out the other interesting menu items. Stay tuned!

Hold Out for the New iPod!

The word is that the next iPod will be released this August, but what's it going to look like?

It's about time for a redesign since it's had the same basic look since it was first introduced. When the iPhone was first announced, one of the things I didn't like about it was the fact that it didn't look like an Apple product... it didn't look like an iPod or Macbook. It looked like something created by Samsung or LG. Now I think the iPhone is the start of Apple's next generation design. They tested it and it was wildly successful, so I think they'll stick with it. It was also in the news that Wintek, the maker of the iPhone touch panel will be creating the iPod panel as well. So basically, I think the new iPods will take on the look of the iPhone and will have touch screens. The addition of a touch screen should allow for removal of the physical click wheel and a wide, landscape oriented screen for all of your 16:9 movies. For navigation, there should be a virtual click wheel that retracts like the OS X dock.

Hey... all blogs need to have some rumors, right?

Transformers: Autobots Reloaded

Here are the cars I think should have been used for the Autobots in the Transformers movie if there was no partnership with GM:

Bumblebee
Bumblebee should've been a VW New Beetle. The 1970 Camaro & Camaro concept car were cool, but I just didn't think they matched Bumblebee's personality. A Daytona Yellow Camaro is more suited to be Sunstreaker. The Beetle is small, loveable and tough (RSI Turbo), just like Bumblebee.

Jazz
The classic Jazz was a Porsche 935, so I think a modern Jazz should've been a Porsche GT3. The Solstice was futuristic looking, but is just not worthy of replacing the Porsche with.

Ironhide
Ironhide used to be a minivan. OK... that was a little weak, but I think he should've been something a little more mobile than a GMC truck. I would've choosen the AMG ML55. It has the strength of a truck, but more dexterity.

Ratchet
The classic Ratchet was an ambulance. The new one was a Hummer. I actually agreed with this one. The Hummer makes a great rescue vehicle and is much tougher than a standard ambulance.

Decepticons
The Decepticons were done right. Each character at least resembled a past version. Megatron's alien jet form was sleek, though a departure from the traditional gun or tank. Starscream was upgraded to an F-22 Raptor (which replaced the F-15 Eagle). The only change I would've made was with Frenzy. The cassette tape to boombox was OK with me, but his robot form could've looked more like the classic Frenzy.

Transformers

As someone who grew up with the original cartoon and the Hasbro toys in the 80's, I don't think a 2 hour movie could've been any better than Michael Bay's interpretation. The basic storyline is there, but modernized and integrated into the current time period. The plot moves along pretty quickly, but understandably because it's a movie and not a multi-season TV series. The special effects were amazing. I'm not talking about the signature Michael Bay explosions... the robots themselves are a hundred times more complex than the old toys. Because they had an almost organic quality, each Transformer was made up of thousands of parts. And all of the parts moved so fluidly to change shape into familiar vehicles. The acting was pretty good too. Remember that most of the scenes were green screened, with seamless integration of CG components. Many of the lines were cheesy, but I think that was intentional... to add a bit of nostalgia for the 80's fans of the cartoon. Having Peter Cullen voice Optimus was a nice touch too! Though they didn't get the original Megatron voice, Hugo Weaving's Agent Smith was perfect.

My only knock on this movie is the partnership with GM which limited the cars that could've been used. Bumblebee... a Camaro? That makes no sense! Bumblebee = bug = New Beetle.

I hope there's a sequel and can't wait for this to come out on DVD. I'd watch it every day!

Yankees @ the Break

Jeter has the third best batting average in the league. So that could mean a possible batting title. A-rod has 30 homers already. Though he's 3 below Maris' pace in 1961, he could break the natural home run record if he picks it up in the 2nd half. Wang could be a 20-game winner at the end of the year. Matsui's power is returning and he'll probably have 100 RBIs. Along with Jeter, Posada & A-rod also have boosted averages. All of these are on pace to happen... so why do the Yankees have such a bad record? It doesn't make sense! I'm actually worried for the first time because we're now past the halfway point. They're going to have to win every series the play... 2 out of 3 or a sweep.

Thinking positively, they did end the 1st have on a good note. They won their last 2 series, including one against their long-time nemesis... the Angels. In these recent wins, the Yankees bats started to wake up. They just need to keep up this state of mind after the break.

No Further Questions

Yi Jianlian is NBA-ready!

In Friday's game against the Grizzlies, he put on a dunk exhibition along with Rudy Gay. In Sunday's game against the Cavs, Yi caught fire in the 4th quarter scoring 17 of his 20 points to lead Team China. His offensive attack included a clutch turn-around jumper to win the game with less than a second remaining. So far, Yi proved he could play at an NBA level. That was the question before the draft because his agent refused to have one-on-one workout sessions. Now that he's played a few games, it's obvious he's not afraid to challenge shots and go for hustle rebounds. His shooting is just as good with a player in his face. And he can make clutch shots.

I hope we get to see him in the NBA this year. He was drafted by the Bucks, but it's a little shady at this point. Word is Yi wants to be traded to Golden State or Chicago. Otherwise, he'll just go back to China. Naturally he wants to play for a good team in a city that has an Asian population. Personally, I think he should stick with it. Milwaukee is not far from Chicago if he wants to hang in Chinatown on a weekend. And on the Bucks, he would get a lot of playing time. Golden State and Chicago have their cores already.

No-ci-o-ni

John Paxson does the right thing again, choosing chemistry over star power. Andres Nocioni was dealt a 5-year, $37.5 million contract. This secures the Bull's depth. They now have enough well-rounded forwards that they can switch up the starting positions to play match ups against the opposition. With Nocioni on board, their 3-point shooting will stay up in the top 10 and their defensive field goal percentage will still be #1 or #2. Kevin Garnett is one of the best all-around players in the league and Pau Gasol is the missing inside scorer the Bull's need, but as Paxson has said repeatedly, "you can't gut your team for one player." Either of these guys is better than Noc, but neither is better than Noc + 1 other core member + 1-2 bench guys. Chemistry points don't show up in the books. They show up in the playoffs and in the face of the defending champs as they enjoyed an early fishing trip.

Now they just need to resign Chris Duhon. He's not a great player, but he hustles Chicago style and is as good as they come as backup point guard. I know... I know... the Bulls look almost the same as last year. Well... they made it into the second round last year. Changing anything major jeopardizes that. They can make small changes to the #10-12 guys. All they need is one or 2 guys to step up a level. The addition of Noah could be the turning point. Deng's continues improvement could also be a turning point. Wallace's increased comfort level will also be apparent.

King of Grass

In an instant Wimbledon classic, Roger Federer defeated Rafael Nadal 7-6 (7), 4-6, 7-6 (3), 2-6, 6-2. The first 3 sets were close with 2 tie-breakers. Nadal dominated and 4th and Federer returned the favor in the 5th. Nadal has one amazing play where he misjudged the direction of the ball, turned the other way, fell down and hit a winner. Successful circus shots like that usually dictate the outcome of a match, but Federer had his own share of winners that skimmed the line. Today's match was an exciting chapter in the Federer vs. Nadal saga because Nadal played well enough to win. If some of those line skimmers were off by an inch, Federer might not have his 5th Wimbledon title right now. While watching this, I never felt the tides turning either way... even when Nadal was down 5-2 in the 5th. I'm sure this match will be replayed many times... especially during the rain delays of next year's tournament!

Tech Deals of the Week (7/8-7/14)

Memorex Capless Flash Drives @ Best Buy
There are 2 Memorex drives on sale this week. The first is a 2 GB model for $19.99. The second is a 4 GB model for $39.99. Both are capless... there's an attached cover that swivels to the back end to expose the USB connector. If you're using Windows Vista, this is a good time to pile up on ReadyBoost memory.

Targus Groove Notebook Backpack @ CompUSA for $14.99
It's not fancy, but it's very practical. The Targus Groove has the standard compartments and enough padding to protect up to a 15.4" widescreen laptop. Where else can you get a true notebook backpack for this price?

Ten Random Chain Survey Questions for 2007-07-07

1. What bill do you hate paying the most? Cable/internet... because it's overpriced
2. Do you cheer for the bad guy in a movie? If the bad guy is played by Jet Li or if the bad guy is a Decepticon
3. What do you want when you are sick? Hot chrysanthemum tea to burn away the darkness
4. Last book you read? ColdFusion Web Application Construction Kit
5. Last thing you bought? Man on Fire DVD
6. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Iced coffee.... even in the Winter
7. Name a celebrity you love: I'm not much of a celebrity worshipper, but... Amanda Tapping
8. Do you own anything with a skull on it? The Sword of Darkness
9. Last movie you saw: My Cousin Vinny
10. If I were a character on Friends I'd be: Ross

Venus 777

On lucky July 7, 2007 (7-7-7), Venus won her 4th Wimbledon title. Though she was seeded at #23, she played like a #1... like the vintage champion Venus we all know. After her previous 3 matches, one could pretty much tell that she was going to win it all. She was just in the zone. The 1st set of the final was close and exciting, but it looked like Marion Bartoli ran out of gas in the 2nd.

Even though Bartoli was the runner up, she should be just as proud as Venus. She upset #3 Jankovic and #1 Henin to make the final. How did this cute, chubby girl beat the hard-bodied, lightning fast Henin!?

The Men's Final is up tomorrow and guess who's in it... Federer and Nadal... surprise, surprise! I would've liked to see a Federer/Roddick semi though.

Subway Tales: Ms. Space-usurping Self-centered Subway Princess

Physically, you are 5'2" and weigh 95 lbs., but manage take up enough space for someone that's 6'0" and 250 lbs. When you sit down in the subway, you take up three seats by expanding your shoulders and placing your oversized bags on both sides, not giving an inch to flanking passengers. You're so important that you take up as much width as possible on the sidewalks, stairways and escalators, making it impossible for other pedestrians to pass in front of your slow-moving body during rush hour.

Here's to you, Ms. Space-usurping Self-centered Subway Princess. The existence of a low-life such as yourself makes me feel much better about myself.

Testing Large Hard Drives

There are a lot of large capacity hard drives on sale these days. It's very tempting to go out there and buy a 500 GB or 1 TB drive, but how long would it take you to fill it up? What if you buy a 1 TB drive and there's a flaw around the 967 GB area? By the time that part is reached, the warranty could be over. Here are a couple of tips for avoiding this problem:

1. Get a hard drive capacity to fit your needs. If you're surfing the web and creating office documents, you don't need a 500 GB drive.

2. When you buy a hard drive, test it immediately within the store's return policy period. Format, scan and defrag right away. Then fill up the hard drive to its full capacity. Turn if off for the night. Start it up the next day and do some work on the drive... play a video, play some music, etc. If everything works OK, then you're safe. Wipe the drive and do a defrag. You're good to go from there.

Why Not the 5th?

Though July 4th is the holiday, I've always thought that companies should be closed on the 5th instead. Independence Day is mostly a nighttime holiday. People have dinner barbecues and play with fireworks after dark. It's a holiday where people stay up late. So when it falls on a weekday, like this year, it's usually less festive (if they opted to skip the late night partying) or people will be exhausted the next day (if they partied out). Of course we could have moved the festivities to the night of the 3rd too. But based on the firecracker sounds, I can tell that no one really did that.

2008 Nissan Altima Coupe

It looks just like the Z and it costs much less. The Altima coupe has a better price per hp ratio than the Honda Accord and it looks a little sportier. Here's my recommended configuration. I'll start at $25,515 for the 3.5 SE.

6-Speed MT: This is standard and should work well with the 270 horses.

Other Standards:

No packages: All of the packages just add overpriced versions of things you can get later... CD, sound system, satellite radio, GPS, etc. 3rd party items are usually better too. I would add those later so the initial cost isn't too high.

Accessories: I just added the aluminum kick plates because they look nice and clean. A 3rd party one might not blend in as well with the car's interior. That puts the final price at $25,600.

This is just a first impression of the beautiful new Altima Coupe, but there are a lot of unknowns right now. I noticed during the Online build that there were no performance accessories... strut tower bars, sway bars, aero kits, etc. I wonder if these are standard items. If not then I would wait for 3rd party products to make it to the market. I've tried out the Altima Sedan 2.5 SE before and it was in bad need of suspension bars.

The Altima Coupe is a nice car for the type of person that's into import tuning, but also needs something that's daily-driven. It also makes a great project car. A 3.5 L engine has a lot of potential to go over 270 horses. The body is stylish, but plain enough to personalize. It's not the Z mainly because it's FWD. It can't do many things that the Z can do, but I still think it's a good price for the performance output. I would totally get this car... if I didn't live in New York City!

Let There Be Tennis!

Tennis was played today! The Nadal/Soderling match that has spanned 3 days finally resumed with Rafa back on fire. Though the waiting must've been tense, the breaks probably helped him a little. Since Nadal usually blows his opponents away in 3 sets, he's probably better with fresh starts.

Hopes for a Federer/Nadal match are still alive! And Andy Roddick is still in the mix too as he convincingly defeated Paul-Henri Mathieu in 3 sets. He was great playing the net and seemed to be in control of the match the whole time.

Related Links: Nadal Finally Reaches Fourth Round..., Roddick Rails at the Rain

Old & New Gems

A good start for July!

Could this be the start of another winning streak? Last night, Roger Clemens & Mariano Rivera pitched a 4-hitter together as the Yankees won 5-1. That's a good start. The pitching came through and the offense was OK. There were still too many stranded runners though. The Yankees had 12 hits and 6 walks, but only 5 runs.

Wang + Yankee Stadium = W. That's just what happened as he pitched an 8-0 shutout tonight. The bats really came alive this time with 14 hits. Even when the Yankees got out, they made good contact with the ball. The defense was great. Wang got into trouble a few times but was able to setup a few double plays. It still amazes me how he's able to do that.

So that's 2 great wins to kick off the new month and they have a chance to sweep the series tomorrow. I'm not all that excited though. The next few wins are necessities to make up for the recent losses. During the 2nd half of the season, they need to win 60% of their games if they want to keep up in the wildcard & division races. So while the wins are nice, they need to keep doing it.

I'm at the point where I'm afraid that the Yankees are going to raise my expectations and then go on a losing streak. I don't want them to become the NY Knicks of baseball! OK... that's probably pushing it. They'd have to lose a lot more to be the Knicks... but the principle is the same. Teamwork is important and championships can't be bought.

Tennis H-O-R-S-E

I forgot to give props to James Blake on his sweet move against Ferrero. On one play, Blake hit the ball and it ricocheted off the inner part of the poll and dropped in bounds. There was no way return that shot. Too bad Blake lost the match. Maybe he'll go back home and practice that move! It reminded me of H-O-R-S-E in basketball. I wonder if there's a tennis equivalent.

Saved by the Rain

Shortly after my previous post, the rain really became a factor. Serena Williams suffered a painful cramp during the 2nd set, losing it in a tie-break to Daniela Hantuchova. Rain delayed the 3rd set and allowed Williams to recover and win the match. That was a nice heroic match for Williams. While Hantuchova must have been disappointed, I'm sure she wouldn't have marked it off as a true victory if she beat an injured Williams. A cramp and some rain turned what would've been a rout into a dramatic classic.

On the men's side, it seemed like the rain put out Rafael Nadal's fire. He was a on a roll during the first 2 sets. The third was close and was tied up on a very close play that was challenged. The tie-break was played after the rain and Nadal was just not the same during the 4th set and the 5th was suspended due to rain. More to come later... if the rain ever ends.

PS: If there are any more rain delays, please visit this blog and just stare at the picture in the previous post. Isn't she pretty?

Wimbledome

Have they ever thought of making Wimbledon an indoor tournament? Almost no tennis was played over the weekend due to rain. The Sharapova/Sugiyama match was completed on Saturday, but they kept replaying it because everything else was rained out! I don't mind seeing Maria all the time, but she already makes an appearance during all sports programs in her Powershot commercial.

The word is things are going to continue soon. Nadal is up next. I wonder if this will be another tournament scripted for him and Federer... just a change of scenery!

Tech Deals of the Week (7/1-7/7)

ACER 19" Widescreen LCD for $129.99 @ CompUSA
This is the same model I bought a few months ago when it was on sale for $150 (the normal price was $200). Now it's $20 cheaper! As I mentioned in my previous post, this monitor performs great and has the extra added value of the included DVI cable. It's $129.99 after a $90 rebate.

Belkin Bluetooth USB Adapter for $4.99 @ CompUSA
At just $5, this is a nice little upgrade for you system if you don't already have a built-in Bluetooth. Bluetooth isn't widely used, but could be occasionally useful for transferring files with cellphones. You can't go wrong for $5 ($25 in rebates)!