Subway Tales: Be Late to be Early

If there's a subway station where you have to walk upstairs to get to another line, the fastest method is to take the last set of stairs rather than the first one you see. The tendency of most passengers is the immediate. The moment they exit, everyone rushes to the stairs, even if they have to backtrack a little. This clogs the path and slows everyone down. If you walk in the direction of your destination, but not up the stairs yet, you'll avoid the clogging and will be moving the entire time. By the time you make it to the last set of stairs, it'll be all clear. So if you walk up late, you'll spend less total time and will be at your destination earlier.

Comments on this Blog

I'm usually able to get to comments about a day after they get submitted, but today I realized that I had a whole backlog in spam. About 75% of those messages were spam, while 25% looked legit. Here are some tips so that your comments won't look like spam:

- Keep it relevant. Don't comment about Novak Djokovic on my post about an ASUS laptop.
- Don't write generic messages. You can email me with compliments about the blog. But if you write them on one of the posts, Blogger seems to detect it as spam.
- Use proper punctuation and grammar. SMS phrases look like spam.
- Not required, but you can avoid almost all problems by posting with a Google account.

Sword of Azrael: Joe's FB Friend

Just over a year ago, Joe Lipari was arrested for a Facebook post he submitted to his profile. After a frustrating experience at the 5th Avenue Apple Store, he posted this:

"Joe Lipari might walk into an Apple store on Fifth Avenue with an Armalite AR-10 gas powered semi-automatic weapon and pump round after round into one of those smug, fruity little concierges."

One of his friends then reported him and SWAT was all over his place, thinking he was a terrorist. While most reporters are going to write about freedom of expression vs. being smart about posts on the Internet, I think the real problem here is Lipari choosing his friends. That's really where it all went wrong. A real friend who knew him would've been able to tell when he was joking and when he was serious.

This is also a lesson to everyone to be careful with their social networking accounts. You should only open up the highest permissions to the people closest to you... people you really know. You can add acquaintances and even strangers, but remember to setup different permissions for them. If Lipari had done that, he could've avoided a lot of trouble.

Old Timers

Yesterday was Old Timer's Day at Yankees Stadium again. They do it every year, but each time it amazes me that an organization can even do something like that. Only the Yankees are fully loaded with all-stars and world champions throughout their history. They brought back guys who played in the 40's to guys as recent as Bernie Williams. A rehabbed Doc Gooden came in and got some quality outs. The only 2 runs in the game came from a double by Bernie, followed by a Tino homer to rightfield. Strawberry also had a legitimate double. The game was nice and clean too... and not filled with blunders and errors. Pitchers threw strikes and batters made contact, proving that once it's in your system, it's there for life.

Afterwards, the inspired present day Yankees pulled off a win of their own against the Rockies. It was fitting that Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera played key roles in the win as they will be the next 2 in line for old timers, though still a few years away. I think Tino and Bernie can still get into game shape if they really wanted to.

Goodburger

Location: 870 Broadway (btw 17th & 18th St.)
Cuisine: Burgers
Phone: 212-529-9100
Website: www.goodburgerny.com
Prices: About $13 per person
Credit Cards: All major

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

Visits: 1

Goodburger is one of the New York Burger Co. clones, so I'll write mostly about how it compares to one of my favorite burger places. Right off the bat, I'd have to say the beef itself is better and slightly larger @ New York Burger Co.. Goodburger offers more customization because there are no items on the menu other than the plain burgers. All of the toppings are there to create anything offered at New York Burger Co., but the customer has to work a bit more... and so does the person taking the order. The advantage is you can make your own custom burger. Even though the orders are long and detailed due to the toppings, the staff didn't miss a beat. I had lunch with 3 other people, so we had a total for 4 custom burgers, 2 sides and 3 shakes. The fries were better at Goodburger as New York Burger Co. is known to have them soggy. But few places can compete with New York Burger Co. when it comes to original sauces.


The layout of the place was similar to New York Burger Co., but wider and slightly more spacious. Tables and floors were cleaner. The restroom was about the same. Goodburger leans more towards a restaurant atmosphere than a fast food place as far as the design and lighting.

Sword of Azrael: David Laffer

David Laffer's penalty is Death x 4 for his execution style killings of 2 pharmacy employees and 2 customers. After stealing over the counter painkillers, he waited in the place and killed the 2 customers as they entered the store. He cleaned up and went home, resuming normal daily activity as if nothing had happened. Cops finally arrested him at his mother's house. He resisted arrest, which at least allowed cops to beat him around a bit. Laffer is ex-military, so I'm sure he'll try the insanity plea. 

Shooting for a Guard

It's pretty obvious that the top priority for the Bulls is a shooting guard. While Keith Bogans did a good job on defense, the Bulls didn't have that 2nd clutch scorer that would've gotten them past the Heat in 3 close games. Some of these might not be realistic, but here are my favorites in order:

Ben Gordon
Big surprise, right? How long did I complain about this move when it happened? Gordon is the missing link on this team. The Bulls have every position but an SG. The Pistons lack every position but an SG! Gordon is good for 25 ppg and is a better 4th quarter player than LeBron James. Imagine a team with him and Derrick Rose in the 4th... that would be a team that took the Celtics to 7 games... the peaking Celtics. That Bulls team would certainly have a good shot at the current Miami team. Gordon also has a reliable 4th quarter 3. That along with Kyle Korver gives them a lot of options to make comeback runs.

Jamal Crawford
This one is somewhat realistic because his contract is up and that Hawks probably won't resign him. Crawford also left the Bulls on good terms. I have him after Gordon because Gordon is more versatile. And I placed him above Hinrich because the Bulls desperately need shooting more than defense.

Kirk Hinrich
Hinrich should never have been traded. The move was only made so the Bulls could be in the whole Decision 2010 conversation with Wade and James. If the Bulls held on to Hinrich, they would still have been able to negotiate for Boozer. Hinrich would help the team because he's a great combo guard. He's obviously better than Bogans offensively and defensively. He can also help Rose if he has a bad PG night.

Allen Iverson
AI might seem like a long shot, but the thing is he will likely come cheap. Why not get him? He's the best offensive player since Michael Jordan retired. Even if he put up 20 ppg, instead of his career avg 30, he'd be a huge help. He can create and make big plays. I think AI is also a great piece that could fill the missing link.

Clockwork Apple: Bus Edition

I only take the bus every 2 or 3 weeks on random days, but at the same time. So it's still amazing that I come across the same people all the time. A bus is smaller than a subway, so I guess that fact can favor it. Anyway, here are some of the Clockwork Apple Bus Edition I run into:

El Draco
El Draco is a Latino guy in his 50's that always wears a baseball cap with the Chinese character for "dragon." That kind of hat is only for a specific audience. I'd say there's a 95% chance he's a martial artist. When we get to his stop, he always lets the ladies and elderly on first, which goes back to my post about Jasmine Parr and discipline.

Big Gay Al
After El Draco, Big Gay Al gets on at the next stop. This guy looks just like the character from South Park, though he doesn't have his voice and probably isn't gay. He greets and talks to the bus driver every day, so he's just as friendly as the character. I keep expecting him to say, "I'm super... thanks for asking" when the driver asks how he's doing.

Paul
Paul gets on at the same stop as Big Gay Al. I don't really have anything interesting to say other than he looks like one of my friends, named "Paul." Today, he had an expired MetroCard and was kicked off the train at the next stop.

Cincinnati Game 1

Interleague play continued last night as the Yankees opened their series against the Cincinnati Reds. Which team would show up on both sides   was the  question at the beginning of the game. The Reds are a loaded offensive lineup, one of the best in baseball. On the other hand, they also tend to dig themselves 1st inning holes. For the Yankees, Nova was on the mound and you never know what you're going to get out of him. Will he be solid for 5 innings and then get hit hard after or will he get knocked out early? The most unexpected happened for the Yankees as Nova pitched his best  game of the season, going 8 innings and only allowing the Reds' bats 1 run. The bullpen nearly blew it though and Rivera  had to come in for the save. Overall, it was a good start to the series as the Yankees won 5-3.

Weekend Sports Wrapup

Yankees
Interleague play started up again as then Yankees faced off with the Chicago Cubs. While they won the series 2-1, I felt the Yankees worked a little bit too hard against the .408 ball club. In Friday's game, Freddy Garcia pitched a terrible 1st inning after a solid start a few days ago. As bad as he was, he only earned 3 runs total. But the Yankees offense was bad enough to lose the game, scoring only 1 run on 5 hits. Saturday's game was more of the same. The Yankees had more hits, but also stranded more runners and the defense looked very clumsy. They were charged with 2 errors, but it looked like a lot more. Fortunately, they won this one with the help of a 7-2 double play. Gardner made the catch in mid-left field and gunned a perfect throw to Martin, who held onto the ball after a cheap shot collision. Sunday's game was the way it should be against a team like the Cubs... a 10-4 blowout. The Yankees exploded for 13 hits. Gardner, Granderson and Swisher had 3 a piece. CC hasn't looked good this year, but is still getting wins with run support.

Muay Thai
It only seems natural that Jasmine Parr, 8-year old daughter of John Wayne and Angie Parr would get into Muay Thai. She had her first fight this weekend, working a draw against her opponent. That wasn't the story though. I was caught by surprise to hear all the negative press about how it's irresponsible to have 8-year olds fight in the ring. All of these stories are written by people who don't understand martial arts and the discipline behind it. Did they bother to stick around for the end of the match with the 2 girls hugging? Muay Thai has the greatest sportsmanship of all the fight sports... and sports in general. There's no better interest for an 8-year old child. I think when people write these stories, they're thinking or regular boxing, which is filled with trash talking and something kids take to beat up other kids. There's more to Muay Thai than just beating your opponent. If writers can't take the time to understand that, then they shouldn't write about something they know nothing about.

Yankees Update

Now that the NBA season is over, I'm ready to blog about baseball again. The Yankees have had their ups and downs this season, and as bad as they've been playing, they're somehow in 2nd place. Almost everyone was in a slump at the beginning of the season, but in the past couple of weeks, they're starting to hit well above their averages, trying to recover from the sub-300 numbers. The Yankees have also lost many to injury. The promising bullpen lost their 7th inning (Chamberlain) and 8th inning (Soriano) guys. Jeter's quest for 3,000 hits was delayed by a hamstring injury.

On the bright side of things, AJ Burnett is paying very well, bouncing back from the worst season of his career last year. He was even good in most of his losses. The chances the Yankees took on aging stars paid off in Bartolo Colon, who turns out to be one of the best on the team... an amazing comeback story as he has not played baseball for 2 years. Jeter and Posada are red hot in the past few weeks. Teixiera and Granderson lead the league in homers, keeping pace with the Mantle and Maris race of 1961.

Geico: Smartphones

This video truly says it all about smartphone users and their useless apps!

Whiplash

Another one of my office pet peeves is when people don't say everything they need to at once. Instead, they break it down into bullet points with very long pauses in between. This happened to Mike today. I overheard him visiting a nearby desk. The guy at the desk was seemingly done and Mike backed away. Then the guy started talking again and Mike stepped forward. Again, the conversation ended. Mike turned around and the guy started to talk again. A third time and Mike was already walking away. It's so embarrassing for both sides when this happens.

Subway Tales: English Lessons

On my way to work today, I heard the following announcement in one of the subway station's PA systems:

"The elevator that OPERATES at the XXXX entrance in XXXX station is currently not OPERATING."

OK... there's nothing grammatically wrong with that, but using the same verb twice in one sentence tells me a high school drop out was behind the mic. Or maybe "operate" is a new word he just learned and wanted to keep using it.

Another one I hear all the time is:

"XXXX station... transfers IS available to the X, X and X trains."

They say that one ALL the time, as if the MTA was purposely teaching conductors bad English. It's always a human speaking that one too, and not a prerecorded voice. Why are these guys getting paid so much when they lack education!? The prerecorded announcements are so much better. If the city wants to cut costs, this one is a no-brainer.

Buttons = Efficiency

My personal phone is a Droid, but I end up using a lot of iPhones at work for support. When you use both of them as much as I do, you realize how inefficient the iPhone is in comparison. Both devices are very similar with interface and touch gestures. But the Droid has 5 button compared to the single home button of the iPhone. It doesn't seem like much because both rely primarily on the touchscreen, but the seconds of efficiency really add up. Naturally, 5 functions will be faster. But also, it allows Droid apps to have menus, saving screen real estate. If an iPhone app needs extra functionality, it needs to be built on-screen. They need to waste space for back buttons.

You can also apply the same logic to the single click mouse and touchpad by Apple. They are getting better with those though. I always need to use a gaming mouse because the extra buttons really speed up my work. Besides the 2 clicks, need the tilt wheel for all 4 directions and at least 5 additional buttons.

Taking it to South Beach

A 2-1 hole, busted finger and the flu did their best to stop Dirk Nowitzki from winning a championship, but he wouldn't let it happen. The Dallas Mavericks came all the way back and won the next 3 games. They closed it out last night, making franchise history in blowout fashion. Nowitzki actually had an "off" game with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Most of his scoring came in the 4th quarter like he's been doing for the entire playoffs. Jason Terry lead the way and carried the team in the first half with his game high 27. Jose Barea was also clutch with his 4th quarter drives. All active players scored. 9 points and 8 assists for Jason Kidd too. Miami was pretty much done by the 3 minute mark in the 4th quarter. They couldn't buy a shot other than James' deep 3. Miami went back to their normal game pattern this series and choked in pretty much every 4th quarter. Like I said before, the Bulls series was unusual. This is the norm.

"Congrats to Mark C. & the entire Mavs org. Mavs NEVER stopped & now entire franchise gets rings. Old Lesson for all: There are NO SHORTCUTS. NONE!"
- Dan Gilbert, Cavaliers Owner

That was a nice end-of-season shot by LeBron's former owner in Cleveland. The Mavs were a team that built and struggled over the years. They finally grinded it out and won one... something that LeBron's Cavs probably would have eventually done. And it would've been more satisfying had it worked out that way. Now he has to wait one more year. Truthfully, would LeBron feel he earned a ring if the Heat won this series? He's kidding himself if the answer is yes.

Nowitzki and Terry avenged their 2006 loss to Wade's Heat with last night's victory. Kidd got a ring after failing in the Finals twice. Other veterans like Marion and Stojakovic have also gotten close. So this team was very hungry and it was nice to see these guys win it.

HP by Manny Pacquiao

It's about time Manny Pacquaio had a commercial with a big name company. For his contribution to the sports world, I don't think there's enough of him out there in the US. Maybe this will pave the way to future deals.

Sci-Fi Goddesses

After Transformers 2, it very clear that Megan Fox would not be in the 3rd movie. This wasn't from anything that happened in the movie itself, but during interviews, she didn't like her part or the movie itself. She was somewhat out of place in the whole thing. Her normal movie types are the stupid teeny ones like Jennifer's Body. Transformers and other sci-fi story lines really need actors and actresses that are into the culture and role. Naturally, fans like her because she's pretty. If she embraced the role and franchise, she could have been a much bigger star than she could achieve without it. The Sci-fi genre has a great cult following in all of its story lines. Sci-fi fans won't forget you. Whereas if you acted ion a different type of movie, you're popular for a year and that's it. In Sci-fi, you live on because the fans love watching reruns. They'll buy the DVDs, comics and video games associated with the movie. Decades later, people still remember characters and the people behind them from Star Wars, Star Trek, etc. Comics and video games still model graphics after the actors of old. So if you act in a big sci-fi film, you become an icon. Turning down Transformers 3 could be the biggest mistake in Megan Fox's career.

Fighting the Heat

Dirk Nowitzki was fighting the Heat on 2 different levels. He came into the game with a 101 degree temperature, battling a cold. And it was a critical game that would either even things up or put his team in the same 3-1 hole as the Celtics and Bulls. He responded with a 21-point game including what has become his signature clutch 4th quarter. Though it wasn't the 103 degree / 39-point performance by Michael Jordan, the 4th quarter shots and win sure bring back those memories. The Mavericks played the Heat as they should have on the defensive end... shutting down one of the big 3 (James), letting the other 2 go and not letting the scrubs have free points. The rest of the Mavs also picked up Dirk's low scoring with 5 guys in double figures. The result... series knotted at 2 a piece. The Heat are still in control though as they took Game 3 in Dallas to retain homecourt advantage.

This has turned out to be a very exciting series as all games were won in the 4th quarter.

Nadal vs. Federer (Part 4)

Federer made a nice comeback in the 3rd set to force a 4th, but Nadal closed it out 6-1 in the final. It was a great match overall. Besides the 4th set, the first 3 could've gone either way. Coming into this match, Federer looked slightly better as Nadal had a shaky first round match and another one in the semis. His experience on clay in the French finals came out in today's match though. It looked like he played safe, with only 2 aces, but a high first serve percentage. He risked the net only when he needed to and made them count... excellent strategy. He didn't take any risks against the dangerous Federer, who could mount a comeback at any moment.

Nadal now has 6 French Open titles to tie Bjorn Borg for all time and 10 majors titles overall. That's still 7 behind Federer, but he's also 4 years younger.

Nadal vs. Federer (Part 3)

The 10-minute rain delay ended up favoring Federer as he defended well to get the break point against Nadal. Then he easily won the next game to go up one. Federer's footwork looked better on the wet clay. Nadal then broke Federer back to force a tiebreak. In the tiebreak, Nadal started to adjust to the wet surface. Federer still looked good, but Nadal prevailed to take the 2nd straight set. Great concentration by both guys. Nadal is one set away from tying Bjorn Borg with 6 French Open championships, but Federer is really making him work for it.

Nadal vs. Federer (Part 2)

Just to make things interesting, the rain all of a sudden came down hard when Nadal was ready to serve for the 2nd set. It was the first time rain came down the whole tournament. What were the chances? In this set, Nadal came up with the early 3-1 lead. Then Federer made a run to tie. It featured some nice, long points with a variety of volleys. We'll see if the delay affects either player. It's a tough one because Nadal was on a role and about to get his set point. Now Federer has a chance to recollect himself. Nadal has to come back and put himself back in place mentally.

Nadal vs. Federer (Part 1)

I wasn't thinking of posting until the end of the match, but Nadal just had an amazing first set comeback. He started out slow, falling behind 3-0. Federer was moving better and Nadal was coming up short with everything. Then all of a sudden he wins 5 games in a row! Usually, players make comebacks in the next set, when they've had a chance to sit down for a few minutes and reset themselves. Nadal did this all of a sudden in the middle of the set, showing that he truly feels at home on this surface.

History for China

It was Li Na that made history yesterday with her French Open victory over Francesca Schiavone. With that straight set victory, she became the first Chinese Grand Slam champion in the history of tennis. Li didn't choke like she did in the Australian earlier in the year. The first set started out close, but Li pulled away in the end. The 2nd set was close all throughout and went to a tiebreak, which Li blanked Schiavone for the title. It got really exciting towards the end because it looked like Schiavone was going to force a 3rd set. You could say that Schiavone was a game or 2 from the title. That's how close women's matches are, being only the best out of 3 sets.

The win is huge and will impact the sport in the world's most populous country. Being on top can really inspire people, especially the kids. After the win, I bet every Chinese kid grabbed something around the house that remotely resembled a tennis racket and started playing outside. It's the same effect Yao Ming had when he came into the NBA and Tiger Woods' impact on golf for African-Americans. Li's victory was probably a lot bigger than she even thought as she stood there with the trophy.

Final 4

Rafael Nadal & Roger Federer
The ultimate men's finals is set up. Though Federer is no longer ranked #1 or #2, I still think these are the 2 best players in the game. This is the match everyone wants to see and never gets tired of. In the semis, Nadal defeated Andy Murray 6-4, 7-5, 6-4. It was a gritty straight set win, but a good one because tall players have always had a little success against Nadal. Murray also said that Nadal wouldn't be a problem before the match. No one should ever talk big before matches! Novak Djokovic was on a good winning (43 matches and undefeated this season) streak before Federer sent him home yesterday 7-6 (5), 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5).

Li Na & Francesca Schiavone
After moving up in the ranks every year, Li Na is having the best season of her career. After a close match in the Australian Finals, she lost all of her tune-up matches and then went on a winning streak in this tournament. So she's back for her 2nd Finals in a row and another chance to become the first Asian majors winner. She defeated Maria Sharapova in the semis. Schiavone is back as the defending Roland Garros champ. Together, these 2 probably make one of the oldest women's finals matchups at 29 and 30.

Fake Miami Fans

"I wanna thank you all for coming here tonight and drinking all of my booze. No, really. Uh... There's a thing about being a Wayne that... you're never short of a few freeloaders, like yourselves, to fill up your mansion with, so, here's to you people. Thank you. Mm... I'm not finished. To all of you, uh, all you phonies, all of you two-faced friends, you sycophantic suck-ups who smile through your teeth at me, please leave me in peace. Please go. Stop smiling. It's not a joke. Please leave. The party's over. Get out."
- Bruce Wayne (by Christian Bale in Batman Begins, 2003)

That was from Batman Begins when Bruce Wayne had to fake being drunk so his guests could safely get out of his mansion and away from Ras Al Ghul. But every word of that can easily be applied to the Miami Heat's fans. Before LeBron James joined up with the Heat, the arena was getting emptier and emptier. Where were the "loyal" fans from the championship team a couple years ago? All of a sudden they were selling out every game this year, filling it with the largest contingent of bandwagon jumpers in NBA history. And all of a sudden, these fake fans are talking big about their team as if they had been fans for decades.

Facts about most Heat fans:
- only a fan for less than a year
- can't name everyone on the roster
- sees the championship as earned should they win it all

In the eyes of other NBA fans, the Heat can't win either way. If they lose to the Mavs in the Finals, they failed with a supposed all-star team. If they win, the question will always remain about how LeBron quit on a team built by hard work and took the easy way out. The Celtics and Heat of this era will never compare to the Bulls of the 80's and 90's, who had to overcome the Lakers and Pistons. They did so with their star sticking to the plan, forming a core and earning a true dynasty.

Always Bet on Black

John Cutter: Charlie, ever played roulette?

Charles Rane: On occasion.

John Cutter: Well, let me give you a word of advice. Always bet on black!

That was from the movie, Passenger 57 with Wesley Snipes and Bruce Payne.


Unrelated to the movie, you should always go for black when shopping for a TV, monitor, tablet or laptop. While most people look at the color as an aesthetic quality, there is function behind that form. As you can see in the demo above, a black frame creates a noticeable amount of contrast. The gray you see inside the black frame looks lighter than the one in the white frame, but they're exactly the same. This is the reason why manufacturers have most of their models with a black bezel. It's there reason why the Macbook pro went from all silver to 2-tone. And yes... there is a technical advantage of the black iPad over the white even though they're the same exact specs on paper.

60's

It seems that I spoke too soon about the weather again. After our Memorial Weekend Summer preview, things cooled down significantly today. The day started as low as 68, hovered around 70 and will drop to the 60's again tonight. It felt strange especially after work at about 6pm because looking outside from my office building, it looked like a hot Summer day. Walking out felt more like Autumn or Spring.

Massachusetts actually had a tornado yesterday. Maybe ours is coming sooner than I though. Extreme changes in temperature are often followed by big storms.

Summer Starts

Summer Solstice isn't until June 20, but it's already super hot... reached 90 degrees today. This always seems to happen on or close to Memorial Weekend. It's just funny how it works out that way for the unofficial beginning of the Summer. It's really just a marketing thing. Stores have their big sales and it's when people start buying ACs. People use the long weekend for road trips to nearby beaches. Memorial Weekend hardly ever ends up too cold for these things to happen, yet it's still in May... a month that was actually cold for a few days in the beginning. Hopefully the early 90-degree weather isn't a sign of a long hot Summer. I much prefer the cold. You can always dress for extreme cold, but there's a limit to what you can strip down to in extreme heat.