Deep Thoughts from the Shallow End

Revisiting the Best Christmas Movies

2011-12-23T19:26:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of Christmas movies out there, but to me two movies standout...Christmas Vacation and The Christmas Story. So many lines in those movies that have lasted the test of time.

If for some reason you have not seen these movies within a year or two, do yourself a favor and rent them, check that, BUY them and make them a holiday tradition.

Here are the trailers for these movies:

Christmas Vacation (1989)

The Christmas Story (1983)

Excuse Me Officer

2011-11-11T07:13:00.001-08:00

I was driving my family to Arroyo Grande last weekend and experienced something I didn't know was possible...grace from an unexpected source.

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I was driving on the 166, cruising along when I saw a car make a U-turn right after it passed me. A few seconds later I saw the red lights turn on. I looked down and saw I was driving around 75 mph. I was driving my usual 10 mph over the suggested speed limit.

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The officer walked up and asked for my license and said, "I got you going 76 in a 55."

"55??!! I'm sorry I thought the limit was 65."

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"Nope, there are signs everywhere posting 55mph."

Great. 21mph over. I'm cooked.

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He then asked for the registration. As we were getting that he asked, "Your kids sleeping?" I'm thinking, play up the kid angle. "No officer, two are watching a movie and one is crying."

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I handed him the registration, yet he still was standing there. My wife asked, "Do you need anything else?"

"Insurance."

Oh yeah, don't know the drill of what to get out. He took my stuff, and I wondered how much this ticket would cost.

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He returned and asked, "Are you an officer?"

"No, but my dad and brother are." Apparently my license is tagged restricted. THANK YOU DAD.

So the officer told me to slow down. I couldn't believe it. I always heard CHP will ticket everyone, including their mothers. The one speeding ticket I recieved was from a CHP. Now I know there is at least one CHP with a heart.

So I set the cruise control at 60mph until I hit the 101 freeway. I felt like an old lady driving. But as my wife pointed out, driving that slow didn't suck as much as paying for a ticket.

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I'm just glad the officer didn't catch me when I was passing a few miles back (north of 90mph).

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Happy Veteran's Day everyone!!

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Dumb Idea That Made Tons of Money

2011-10-23T20:53:00.000-07:00

A dumb idea can make a lot of money. Don't believe me...

Exhibit A - The Pet Rock.

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Pick up a rock, package it, sell it, and make a ton of dough.

Exhibit B - The Pet Rock App.

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Yes people may have been duped in the 70s, but even now people have bought the dumb app for their smart phone. Some of the comments left for this app are summed up with, "This app does nothing. This is stupid. What a waste of money." What did you think you were buying???

Exhibit C - Bottled Water.

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Once upon a time water was free. There is a theory out there that bottled water started with a bet. "Hey a bet I could sell water to people." "Um, water is free. Who would pay for it?" "I'll just say it's better than free water." Now, people buy it like it's toilet paper.

Exhibit D - New York City Garbage.

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It's not garbage, it's art. What a crock. But for $50, you can buy trash from "New York City". Oh la la!

Exhibit E - Hello Cow

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For $0.99 you can buy an app that has this picture of a cow. Touch it and it moos. That's it.

People of WalMart, California

2011-10-17T20:58:00.000-07:00

Here's another installment of People of WalMart, the California edition. (Credit for picture and some captions to the website).

"We have a lot of shopping to do at WalMart today...let's take the limotruck."

He's a HUGE fan of Cabbage Patch Kids.

Apparently Harry Carey has a twin sister...who loves looking like a cupcake.

Beautiful...just beautiful...like a waterfall.

Check out the talons on that babe.

The crazy old "cat woman" shops at WalMart.

Who hasn't forgotten to wipe their booty every once and a while....me neither.

Don't know if you can see the moon pies...which I'm never eating again.

Nothing like relaxing in the WalMart parking. This is taking carpooling too literally.

Things I Know Because I'm a Dad

2011-10-16T07:18:00.000-07:00

As a dad you get a new perspective on life. There are things that you become familiar with due to having a child (or children). Here's a list of things that I know now (or know more about) due to my kids.

1. There are more than 5 types of dinosaurs. My oldest son, Jackson, is (according to himself) a "dino-expert." He loves dinosaurs and knows a lot about them...even how to pronounce their names.

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2. Getting up at 6:30 can be considered sleeping in. Unfortunately ALL my kids are early risers. Generally they are awake in the 5 o'clock hour. Sometimes we are lucky in that our youngest will "sleep in" while the older two will get up and watch TV, as Jackson is very proficient in using the DVR remote.

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3. My list of shows recorded are mostly kid shows. Every parent gets familiar with popular kid shows. My kids love Backyardigans, Curious George, Wild Kratts, The Penguins of Madagascar, and Dino Dan to name a few.

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4. Formula is crazy expensive and doesn't last very long. My wife breast fed all of our children, except a few weeks towards the end with our oldest. Couldn't believe how much money we spent for just a few weeks.

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5. You can get sick of going to McDonald's. I remember my dad telling me he hated going to McDonald's because we went there so often growing up. I thought back then, "How can going to eat at McDonald's get old?" I now know it is possible.

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6. A dinner with just my wife seems foreign. Every now and again my wife and I will go out to eat, just the two of us. We are so use to being preoccupied by our children, that without them we are just sitting there...looking at each other...thinking, "Oh yeah, this is what it was like!" We love our kids, but it is nice to have a break.

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7. Nap time is GOLDEN! Especially with 3 kids, one being a baby. Usually they all start their naps at the same time. On a good day, they all sleep for 2+ hours. A little peace of mind...especially when you've lost half of it in the morning.

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8. Coming home from work is my favorite part of my day. For the last few years, when I get home from work I am greeted with, "DADDY'S HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" They run to me and give me hugs. Will is now old enough to where he, too, will walk over and want me to hold him and he'll give me hugs or pats on the back. I know this stage will end at some point, but I'm loving it now.

9. You really can love all your kids the same. Growing up you ask your parents, "Who do you love the most?" thinking, of course, you already know the answer. Then they tell you, "I love you all the same." Now as a parent, I understand. I can't imagine life without one of them. I would miss them all the same. I love them equally. I love them unconditionally.

10. God's love is unconditional. It's hard to grasp the concept of unconditional love, until you love someone unconditionally. God made us and wants a relationship with us, and loves us...He is our Father. Kind of like how I love my kids and want a relationship with them. And all they have to do for me to love them is...breathe.

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Person of Interest

2011-10-15T09:35:00.000-07:00

Looking for a new show to watch...or should I say TiVo, DVR, etc?

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Person of Interest on Thursday nights is a good one.

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Of course my favorite show is still Survivor. Here's a disgusting scene from last weeks episode.

Hungry anyone?

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Thirsty?

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Who is the Best Pitcher in the National League?

2011-08-19T11:50:00.000-07:00

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The Cy Young Award goes to the best pitcher in each league. Usually every year there are multiple pitchers who have a great case to win this award. This year is no exception.

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Last year the award went to Roy Halladay and it was an easy choice. The guy had great numbers and threw a no hitter AND a perfect game. This year he is at it again making big league hitters look like frosh/soph baseball players. His team, the Phillies, have the best record. All signs pointing to him having another Cy Young trophy in his trophy case.

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But in my book, if the season ended today, he would not be the winner.

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Granted I am a Dodger homer, but here is my case that Clayton Kershaw is the best pitcher in the National League.

Baseball freaks love stats, so let's start there.
Roy Halladay: 15-5 record, 2.53 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 177 Ks in 184.2 innings pitched
Clayton Kershaw: 15-5 record, 2.60 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 199 Ks in 183.2 innings pitched

Roy has 7 complete games, CK has 4, but CK has 2 shutouts, Roy has 0.

Considering that Roy has a legitimate All-Star lineup behind him while the Dodgers feature mostly has-been, probably-won't-be, and never will-be players, it's astounding that Kershaw has 15 wins.

Kershaw, at the ripe age of 23, has a legit shot at the Cy Young Award this year...and probably the next 10 years (assuming he stays healthy). If he continues his dominance since the All-Star break (6-1 record, 1.53 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 52 Ks in 53 innings), then I think he seals the deal.

Hopefully McCourt sells the Dodgers and the new owner locks up Kershaw. If not, then I guess I will be rooting for him from afar as he dominates as a Yankee or Red Sox.

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Why Do I Need to Know Math???

2011-08-16T21:24:00.000-07:00

I get this question ALL THE TIME from my students..."Why do we need to know math?"

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Here's what happened today to show why knowing some basic math would be helpful.

We bought an item that was priced $20 and marked 40% off. The 40% would be taken off at the register.

When we were checking out, the cashier ripped off the UPC code sticker to scan it due to the size of the item and the lack of having a handheld device. As she was doing this she said, "Got to be careful that I don't..." RIIIIIIIPPPPPPPP. "...do that."

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She tried a couple different ways to scan it but it didn't work.

So she typed in the price, "$19.99". I reminded her about the 40% discount. She called for help.

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When helped arrived, they came to the conclusion that it should be marked down 40%. Here's the conversation:

Helper: "Go ahead and mark it off 40%."
Cashier: "Get a calculator, I don't know what 40% off is."
Brief Pause

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Help: "...Just put $10."
Cashier: {after Helper left} "That's like half off."

Yep, yes it is. If you know how much we should have paid, thank your math teacher.

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Christian Atheists

2011-06-04T20:58:00.000-07:00

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I'm not sure I know a true Atheist, as I think most people I know agree that there is a God...or at least a supreme being to get this ball of wax going. This is not a creation vs. big bang theory debate. This is about not believing in God.

Our church went through a series about Christian Atheists. The concept is, you believe in God...but you live as if He doesn't exist. I got out of it that the attitude that Christians are hypocritical is somewhat true. We all have our area that we don't want to give up, for whatever reasons. There are some things that we hand over to God, but there is your "secret stash" that you don't want God coming in and telling you that you need to stop doing "that".

I believe we all have crap, just some are better at hiding it. We all fall short. We are human. It's just a question of do you admit your errors, and go back to Him.

The good news is, now matter how "bad" you think your crap is...God doesn't care. He's there EVERY TIME. His arms are open, and He is saying, "Come on home. I've been waiting for you."

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My Team Making Me Look Good

2011-05-01T08:04:00.000-07:00

Frosh Soph update...

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This week we played a team that routinely is one of the best teams in town year in, year out. We played them on Wednesday and Friday, Friday being a doubleheader due to an earlier rain out.

On Wednesday we started out down 5 to 0, without giving up a hit. At the end of the 2nd we were down 14 to 3. They had 14 runs on TWO hits. Errors and walks KILL YOU!!! After the 2nd inning, the umpire came over and asked when we wanted to call the game. (I'm sure he was thinking, "These guys stink.")

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Wow...well we tried to manage a few more innings and got guys some playing time that haven't played much this year.

I lost track at 25 to 3.

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Needless to say it was a disaster. After the game my "pep talk" was quite short. "Let's get our stuff out of the dugout as fast as we can. Then let's get to the bus as fast as we can so we can get out of here and pretend this didn't happen."

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Sure we stunk it up, but most of it was self inflicted. I built on the positives (yes, I was able to find some), and let them know we did a great job setting the other team up for Friday.

I told my team, "They think we are a piece of crap team. And we were yesterday, but we won't be tomorrow [Friday]. They will come in thinking they can just show up and they will trounce us again. But our pitchers are going to throw strikes, our guys are going to catch the ball and throw the ball better, we're going to hit, and we are going to WIN!!!"

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I even convinced myself.

So Friday comes along and all is good. We jump out to a lead and are playing GREAT. Final inning we are up 6 to 1. All is well in the world.

Then the hits started to come. And then a few more hits. Mix in a few errors and we are tied.

At this point I am losing my mind. I'm thinking, "I've seen this movie before. I hope the there is an alternate ending to this one."

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2 outs, runners on 2nd and 3rd. Next batter pops it up to 2nd. CATCH!!!!!

I meet with the guys and say, "We are alright. Santa (my 3rd baseman) is going to get on base. We are going to move him over and we are going to WIN!!"

And can you believe it, Santa got a hit and we got the runner over to 3rd with 2 outs. Next batter popped it up to 2nd. DROP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE WIN!!!!!!!!!!!

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We are pumped. They are stunned.

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15 minutes later we started up again. They jumped out to a 3 to 0 lead. We battled back and tied it up, then took the lead heading into the final inning. We continued our great defense and shut the door.

Two wins Friday after getting smashed on Wednesday. Now our league record is 2 wins, 8 losses and 1 tie.

We are a much better team than our league record shows. It was nice to get in the win column, but it was great to comeback from the shellacking on Wednesday.

Four games left. We'll see what team shows up.

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Easter 1992

2011-04-24T12:30:00.000-07:00

The following took place 19 years ago on Easter Sunday.

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It was a lovely Easter Sunday day. It was warm, sunny, and we had plenty of candy. I was 13 years old and my brother was 11. We were getting ready to go to church that night, as usual. That particular night, Eric and I decided to walk to church. So off we went walking to church.

As we were walking by Pasadena High School, a green Cadillac pulled over to the side. There were two guys in the front of the car, and one in the back. The guy in the back got out of the car and approached me and Eric. He put his hand on his hip and pulled up his shirt. I saw what looked like a knife handle sticking out of his waist.

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He asked for our hats (that's what we get for wearing our hats to church). I flipped my hat to him. Eric gave up his as well. He then asked if we had any money. Neither of us had any, but Eric reaches into his pocket and pulls out some Easter candy. Eric said, "I have some candy." as he puts it in his hand.

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The guy looked at it and dumps in on the ground, as he got back into the car. The car pulled away and Eric said to me, "Remember I D E E". He remembered "3 0 4". (He had his cop instincts way back then...he got the license plate number.)

So we got to church, told our parents what happened, and the cops came to take a report. Turned out that the license plate was 1DEE304. The best guess was that we were a part of a gang initiation. Luckily no one was hurt.

One might think that given the plate, they would be able to track down these hoodlums. Well, less than a week later the cops had other issues taking up their time. The Rodney King verdict came down.

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Who Needs the Movies?

2011-04-22T22:47:00.000-07:00

Our kids were in rare form tonight. Lots of times they are singing, dancing, performing, but most of the time they shy away when we try to capture it on video. Here's our entertainment tonight. One thing that stands out is how much Brooklyn laughs when Jack is performing.

This first one is from one of their favorite shows The Backyardigans.

Itsy Bitsy Spider.

Dora the Explorer.

Jack being silly.

More silliness.

Brooke wanted to be like her brother.

And Jack finishes the night off.

Question of the Day

2011-03-15T21:16:00.000-07:00

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Student: "Mr. Street, what's your favorite kind of candy."

Mr. Street: "Peanut M&M's."

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Student: "No, favorite CANDY?"

[Pause] Huh?

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Mr. Street: "You mean like a candy bar? Twix."

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Student: "NO, candy candy."

[Pause] Am I on candid camera?

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Mr. Street: "Reese's Peanut Butter Cups."

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Student: "NO! Like Skittles, Sour Patch Kids, stuff like that."

Turns out he thinks that if it has chocolate, then it's not in the candy category.

I told him Mambas and moved on. Geesh!

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I don't know about you, but I'm going to eat some candy now. Thanks for reading.

Mix Emotions

2011-03-14T21:15:00.000-07:00

So my team finished up the tournament we were in last Saturday. We had games at 9:45am, 12:30pm and at 2:30pm. We headed into play on Saturday with a 2-0 record.

We won our pool in the first game with a 7 to 2 victory. That meant we played the perennial favorite, Centennial High School.

We played a great game. Our guys were making plays on defense, putting the ball in play and scoring runs. Before we know it the umpire says, "This will be the last inning." We are up 5 to 1.

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First batters gets out...two outs away. And then the wheels fall off.

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A few errors, a few hits, mix in another error and we have a tie ballgame. In the bottom half of the inning, we got a runner to third, but struck out to end the inning.

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At this point I lean on my pitcher a bit too long, and we find ourselves on the short end of the stick and lose 10-5.

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So we move over fields to where we are competing for 3rd place. Our guys are drained...I'M DRAINED and my voice is shot.

We start off down 5 to 0 in the first inning, but rally back to tie it in the 2nd. New ballgame.

We move to the last inning (we are the home team) where we trailing by 2 runs.

First batter, base hit. Next batter, ground ball double play. Next batter, routine ground ball to the 2nd base girl.

Yes girl.

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The ball goes through her legs. We have life.

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The following 12 pitchers are balls, meaning we are down by one with the bases load.

Batter is down to his last strike and then gets hit in the helmet. TIE BALL GAME.

Next pitch is a wild one that goes to the screen, my player runs home for the victory!

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It was a day filled with highs and lows. Our guys gained confidence in their ability to "play with the big boys." They showed heart in coming back from a brutal loss to come from behind to win a game against a good team.

Our next game is Friday as we open up league play. We feel good about our team. The bar was raised Saturday. Here's to the bar moving up.

Jackson's Quote

2011-03-11T20:51:00.000-08:00

Just before bath time tonight, the following dialogue took place:

Me: "Jackson, bath time. Let's go."

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Jackson: "Right after this commercial."

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Soon as the commercial was over, I turned the t.v. off.

Jackson: "Smart."

Me: "What did you say?"

Jackson: "Smart."

Me: "Why do you say that?"

Jackson: "Because then I can't watch anymore t.v."

Another Season Begins

2011-03-10T21:50:00.000-08:00

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You may recall that I coach the frosh/soph baseball team at the high school I work at (Bakersfield High). Today we had our first real games, well kind of real.

Usually we play 7 innings or a two hour time limit. The tournament we are in has a 1 hour time limit, AND a 5 run rule (after 5 runs, your team is done hitting.) Kind of like Little League.

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We played two high schools that were not very good. First game we won 7 to 2 in 3 innings.

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The second game we played 3 innings, but we only batted twice. The second game was very odd. The first five batters all walked, all stole 2nd base, either stole third base or moved over on a wild pitch, and then went home on another wild pitch.

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5 batters, 5 walks, 5 runs.

Same story in the second inning.

We got NO HITS and WON 10 to 0.

Gotta love frosh/soph baseball! (Unless your team is the one that can't do anything right - been there, done that.)

Next games are on Saturday, where it should be more of the same in the first game, but then "real" competition after that.

So our record is 2-0 right now. I'll take it. We'll see how the rest of the year plays out.

Go Drillers!

UPDATE

2010-12-15T21:28:00.000-08:00

Two items to update you on:

1) The pencil sharpener that I "fixed", is dead. It had been getting a lot of use lately, and it started to give off the odor indicated that it was burning. I took it apart and saw that a piece was starting to melt. It's really a lovely odor.

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2) The STAFF team won the basketball lunchtime tournament. It was a lot of fun, plus I did not pull anything. But it is sad that by the end of the 8 minute (running clock) game, I'm out of breath and sweating like a hog. My class right after lunch always enjoys a sweaty math teacher.

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Why Cliff Lee Went to Philly

2010-12-15T06:26:00.000-08:00

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Everyone thought that Cliff Lee was going to either the Yankees (the favorite), or the Rangers (the sentimental choice). They had very good reasons to think that way. The Yankees and Rangers ponied up the money to make Lee's great-great-great grandchildren very wealthy.

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The word was Lee was looking for top dollar, and he had the ability to take it.

But Lee had a great perspective. It appears to me he was thinking, "I'm going to be VERY rich. How about I pick a team that is 1) going to challenge for the World Series, and 2) will do what it takes to keep that team going.

FACTORS:

1) PITCHING: Yankees-pitch with C.C. Sabathia and then a big fall off. Rangers: Me and ? ? ? Phillies- join 3 STUDS. Big advantage to Philly.

2) HITTING: All three have great line ups. I'd put them in this order: Phillies, Yankees, Rangers.

3) COMPETITION: Being a National League Baseball fan, I'm sad to say it is "easier" in the National League. Lee probably leaned towards Philly, having a higher probability to 1) make the playoffs, and 2) get to the World Series.

4) MONEY: People are saying Lee left money on the table taking a "smaller" deal signing with Philly. The fact is Lee will average more money per year with the Philly deal, although he will be missing out on an extra year. If Lee makes all his bonus, it turns out that he will be short less than $10 million, not $50 million.

Good for Lee. Good for Philly. Good for all the Yankee haters.

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I DID IT!!

2010-12-11T12:03:00.000-08:00

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Today I was victorious. The electric pencil sharpener in my classroom went out today, and I tried to fix it. Here is the set up...my class was taking a test, so it was very quiet. Many of the students were finished, waiting for others to do the same, and most who were done watched the show, "What is Mr. Street Doing?"

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I'm always giving my students crap about how they can't get the $1.99 electric pencil sharpener (you know a really, quality sharpener) to sharpen their pencil. Many times I'll go over, sharpen it for them, and move on.

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So when I went over to sharpen my pencil, and the sharpener didn't work, I could feel students thinking, "Okay Mr. Smart Guy, see if you can get it to work now!" So after doing the normal tricks to get the "old lady" to work, I realized I had to try something different.

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So I go to the old faithful "Bang-it-really-hard" theory, but again no luck. This brings more attention to what I'm doing, and more students are quietly watching as I try to solve my problem.

I got a screwdriver out of my desk, and unscrewed the bottom part, exposing the insides.

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I thought to myself, "Yep, looks like everything is in its place," while I have NO IDEA what the heck I was looking for. I pulled out the insides, blew off the pencil shavings, moved around some wires, stuff like that so that maybe those observing me think I know what I'm doing.

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I put the "insides" back, screw the bottom, back to normal.

Insert pencil.

NOTHING.

So I unplugged the thing, getting ready to throw it away but then thought, maybe there is something wrong/stuck in the chamber where the pencil goes.

So I took the sharpener over to my desk, grabbed a toothpick and fished out a small sliver of pencil. I plugged it in, put a pencil in, and SUCCESS!!!

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I put the sharpener back, and I hear a student say, "You're like Handy Manny."

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I tried not to laugh.

And yes, the first picture is a guy running with the runs. I believe there is a phrase that goes with that...

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Oh No He Didn't!!

2010-11-30T22:07:00.000-08:00

We have lunch time intramural sports at the high school I work at. I am part of the staff basketball team, and today was our first game. It was my first time playing basketball in MONTHS. Needless to say, I was a tad rusty.

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The nice part about the games are that they are half court and 8 minutes long (running clock). This allows me to avoid keeling over and dying.

The highlight for me today was when I made the crowd go "OOOOOOOOOOOOHH!!!" Here's how it went.

I got the ball and took a few dribbles towards the hoop, while a defender was racing towards me. I could see it in his eyes as I got ready to shoot. He was thinking, "I'm going to block this fool's shot!"

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So I pulled a Maverick (-What are you doing? -I'm slowing down. -You're going to do what??!! -I'll hit the breaks, he'll fly right by.)

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I did a pump fake (pretended to shoot), and the guy jumped, flew by me...I paused, looking at him (for dramatic effect), then calmly nailed the shot. (I put him in the "Popcorn Machine" -RIP Chick)

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I won't lie, it was great.

We ended up winning the game. Not a bad way to start off the "season". Here's to more wins than pulled groins or hamstrings.

Where's the Tylenol?

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Name That Slogan

2010-11-26T21:28:00.000-08:00

These are actual slogan, some from the past, some from the present. Good luck.

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1. "Enjoy the ride."

2. "Reach out and touch someone."

3. "Connecting people."

4. "Get N or get out."

5. "No battery is stronger longer."

6. "Let your fingers do the walking."

7. "Do more."

8. "Flick my bic."

9. "Pleasing people the world over."

10. "Take it all off."

Give up? Some of them are found here and here

Name That Tune

2010-11-26T13:35:00.000-08:00

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Name the artist from the lyrics:

1. "Bass from the back of my car feels soothing, Eight bazookas is what I'm using, I'm Mike D and it's been proven, I love it when I see the party people just movin."

2. "Oh my gosh, Becky, look at that butt."

3. "No I'll stand my ground, Won't be turned around, And I'll keep this world from dragging me down, Gonna stand my ground, And I won't back down."

4. "Strangers waiting, Up and down the boulevard, Their shadows searching in the night."

5. "I get knocked down, But I get up again, You're never goin to keep me down."

6. "Your best friend Harry has a brother Larry, In five days from now he's gonna marry, He's hopin' you can make it there if you can, 'Cause in the ceremony you'll be the best man."

7. "No love for the haters, the haters mad cause I got floor seats at the Lakers, see me on the fifty yard line with the Raiders, met Ali he told me I'm the greatest."

8. "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm, Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm."

9. " Black bandana, sweet Louisiana, Robbin' on a bank in the state of Indiana, She's a runner, rebel and a stunner, On her merry way saying baby what you gonna, Lookin' down the barrel of a hot metal .45, Just another way to survive."

10. "When we returned to the pad to unload everything, It dawned on me that I need new home furnishings, So once again we filled the van until it was full, Since that day my living room's been much more comfortable."

Black Friday

2010-11-26T07:29:00.000-08:00

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I had my first Black Friday experience this morning, and it wasn't as bad as I thought. I had thoughts of long lines, outside in the 20 degree weather, like the one I saw when I drove by Best Buy. Luckily Walmart was open all night, so the line I had to wait in was indoors.

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While in line, I overheard the guy in front of me say he got in line at midnight, then got a wristband at 2am. Meanwhile I got in line around 4:45 (the electronic sale started at 5am). I did have to wait until around 5:30 before the laptop was in my hands.

So to all those who waited outside in the elements, hope it was worth it. I think you are crazy, but hopefully you enjoy your crazy discounts.

Just to add a little spice to this post, here's a very strong chair (look how little the chair leg is):

"I can't feel my legs."

Bad Joke of the Day

2010-11-20T08:37:00.000-08:00

Best bad joke I've heard from a student:

"What do you get when you put an elephant and a rhino together?"

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Elephino (say it out loud EL IF I NO, now say it again a little faster)

LOCKDOWN

2010-11-17T22:18:00.000-08:00

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Of all the days I decide to go make some copies during my lunch period, it just happens to be the day that we have a lockdown at work. For about one hour and 45 minutes!

Luckily the lockdown did not happen while I was teaching ("Mr. Street, I need to go to the bathroom!"). Luckily I wasn't in a gym or caf with hundreds of students. Although I was not in the best place (in my own room), I settled in the staff lounge with three other teachers, a dozen or so students, and a dozen or so adults.

Here's where you can find the article.

Go Drillers!!

That's My Boy!!

2010-10-11T20:35:00.000-07:00

Tonight I was watching the Giants/Braves playoff game, and the following dialogue takes place between Jackson & Rebecca.

Jackson: "Mom, I'm going to watch the Dodger game."

Rebecca: "It's not the Dodgers, it's the Giants."

Jack: "We don't like the Giants."

Proud dad over here.

Dodgers 2011

2010-09-19T10:55:00.000-07:00

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With the 2010 season coming to an end, and the Dodgers playing as if the season ended at the All-Star break, here are some notes on this season and the future.

Clayton Kershaw (picture above), has had a great season. He has developed into the best pitcher on the staff. He has a 2.70 ERA in the second half, but only has 3 wins to show for it. He has the potential to win Cy Young Awards. The kid is 22 years old, so hopefully this is just the beginning of a great career (and hopefully in LA).

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Chad Billingsley has rebounded from his debacle at the end of last year. Over his last 11 starts his ERA is 2.11, but is only has 4 wins to show for his efforts. He may not be an "Ace", but a nice #2 option. He's only 26 years old.

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Manny Ramirez is gone. At least McCourt was able to find a sucker to take Manny and save Frank $4 million (which is spent on legal fees, or whatever shenanigans he's involved in.)

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Kemp, Ethier, Loney, Broxton, Martin all have some good stretches, some longer than others, but ultimately they all fail to improve on last year. This core, along with Billingsley & Kershaw, will need to take another step forward if the Dodgers are going to contend next year because...

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Divorce (Mc)Court is going on and the Dodgers are the "children" paying the price on this one. Joe Torre can read the Bigelow Tea Leaves, and is getting the heck out of Dodge. Good luck to Donny Baseball, hopefully you can lead these young guys to the promise land.

As far as the future (2011) goes, there are MAJOR issues. The divorce is one thing, which Frank doesn't see how that's going to play a role in the teams performance. I would love to believe that, but then I read this...$38 million dollars are being freed up for next year with players contracts running out. So what are the Dodgers planning on doing with that cash? Get a leftfielder who can drive the ball? Get a top of the line starter? Get an infield with some offensive skills? Get bullpen help?

Here's the title for an article on what the Dodgers plan to do during the offseason (from the Dodger website), "Colletti plans no radical roster changes", which means don't plan on them signing an major impact player.

And what does Frank have to say about this?

"McCourt said he was committed to spending "whatever it takes" to field a championship contender next season."

So with so much in the air for next year, it looks to be a cold winter ahead for Dodger fans. Maybe Frank will stick to his word of doing "whatever it takes", maybe the young Dodger players will be ready to make the next step next season, or maybe the Dodgers will stand pat and add cheap veterans and hope for a miracle.

Either way I will cheer for them, put on my rosy colored glasses on next spring, and hope for the best.

One thing is for sure, NO MORE MANNY. And here's to hoping no more McCourt.

Ode to Brooklyn

2010-09-12T10:59:00.000-07:00

You know the old question you get growing up, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Well there were two answers that came to mind right away. #1, I wanted to be a Dodger. I love baseball, and when you are growing up you think you have what it takes to make it to the pros. But at some point, reality sets in and you try to figure out what's next.

The other thing I knew I wanted to be when I grew up was a dad. I've been blessed with 3 children, 2 boys and 1 girl. This post is about my daughter.

Brooklyn is currently 2 years old, and we have so much fun together. She is such a sweet girl and sister. She loves Will and treats him like one of her dolls. When Will is crying she says, "Don't cry."

One of Brooke's favorite thing to do is to dance and sing, in particular to the Backyardigan's theme song. One of my favorite things to do is to dance with her, usually in the bathroom, where no one can see me acting like a fool for my daughter.

You see there is nothing that I wouldn't do for her (or for any of my kids). She is a daddy girl, and I love it.

Over the past few days Jackson has been at my parents house, Will is still in the phase of eat-sleep-poop, so Brooke has been getting a lot of alone time with Daddy.

She's at the phase where she is developing exponentially. She loves to help and to "do it myself." She also loves the Dodgers (I have successfully brainwashed her). Anytime there is sports on TV, she'll say, "Let's go Dodgers!"

Even when she is having a bad day...

I will always be there to hold her and tell her it's okay.

So keep smiling Brooklyn...

And know that whatever I got to be, I'll be for you. If you ever need my help, just turn around and I'll be there.

9 Years Ago Today

2010-09-11T13:29:00.000-07:00

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I will always remember the month of September, 2001. I had recently graduated college and was on a trip of a lifetime. Two of my college buddies and I went backpacking through Europe. We hit 8 countries (England, Scotland, France, Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Italy and Spain) in 30 days.

We spent a day or two in a particular city before moving on. We spent the first week or so in London, Edinburgh and Paris. After Paris we headed to Berlin on September 11th. We checked into a hostel, got settled in, and were getting ready to go see the Berlin Wall. Right before we left we decided to check our email, and as I was sitting there I noticed the "living room" was packed. Being in Europe I thought they were all watching a soccer game. I got off the computer, walked in to see what was sooo entertaining and I could not believe what I saw.

The TV had a split screen with New York and Washington on fire. It took me a second or two to figure out what the heck this meant. I told my buddies, "You gotta see this." We couldn't believe it, America had been attacked.

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First thought was fear. We are in Europe for 19 more days. Do we finish the trip? Do we try to get home before World War III breaks out? Will more attacks happen?

As we got more and more details we could not believe what had happened. Story of people jumping out of the windows to their death to avoid being burned alive, the rescue efforts of all the people in the different cities, the heroes on Flight 93, all bringing up such emotion as we continued on our trip.

We saw many people paying their respects to what had happened in America. The front entrance of the U.S. Embassy in Prague was covered with flowers, candles, poems, and the like. The silence there was deafening.

The flight home was half empty (versus a nearly full flight there). When we landed, we expected to see our families there as we entered the terminal, but no one was there. (Do you remember being able to go all the way to the gate?)

It was my first view of what it was like in the States when I was driving home and seeing all the car flags flying, messages on the overpasses on the freeways, messages on windows, etc. It still felt surreal.

It still feels surreal when I take the time to think about it again.

So to those who lost love ones that day, my thoughts and prayers are with you today. For those who are fighting the good fight over seas and at home, a big thank you. Keep it up, stay strong!

And to those who want to do harm to the U.S. again...you better hope we don't find you first.

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Presenting William Denton Street

2010-09-04T11:16:00.000-07:00

Today, September 4, 2010, William Denton Street was born at 7:09am. Momma and Will are doing great. Jackson & Brooklyn enjoyed meeting him. Here are some pictures.

What a stud!

People of Walmart, Part II

2010-08-31T21:10:00.000-07:00

Here we go again...courtesy of an email forward, credit to People of Walmart.

"He is like a parachute slowing down that drag-racer!! Seriously, pick the kid up or buy him the candy bar he wants. I’m not sure what point you are trying to make by dragging him across the floor of a Walmart."

Manny Ramirez's twin brother.

When you got it, flaunt it!!

Who doesn't want a picture with the Easter Llama??

He's a big Daisy Duke fan. (He must work out.)

I hear you can get a great deal on these kind of skirts. Hundreds of them for just a few bucks!

Meet Al Bundy's sister.

"It’s like a garbage bag filled with creamed corn and door knobs."

It's never hot enough to wear that out in public sweetie.

She's here asking if there are any more shampoos/conditioners in the back.

"This guy looks like he just had sex with a rainbow inside a bag of Skittles."

What's Worse

2010-08-29T07:18:00.000-07:00

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Sad story all around on this one. A Las Vegas "pack rat" went missing, or so the husband thought. As the story unfolds, the missing wife was found in the house...FOUR MONTHS LATER.

Despite help from the local police force and search crews, the missing wife was not found. It wasn't until the husband spotted her feet while he was walking around the house.

So I ask you, what's worse:

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1) You go through all the efforts, worry, etc trying to find your wife, only to find out she never left the house. (That's a lot of...stuff, to be able to not notice her).

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2) Living with a corpse for FOUR MONTHS. Wow.

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3) How bad is the "normal" odor in this house so that a decomposing body could go unnoticed for that long? In the story, there is mention that police dogs couldn't even pick up the scent from the body.

YIKES!

More From Jack

2010-08-25T21:27:00.000-07:00

Recently I was bathing Jackson and apparently he was not in the mood to be bathed. Here's our conversation:

Jackson: "Daddy, can you not use soap to wash me. I don't want you to use soap."

Me: "Sorry, I'm using soap."

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[PAUSE for dramatic effect]

Jackson: (huffs) "This is ridiculous!"

Me: (trying not to laugh) "What's ridiculous?"

Jackson: "THIS BATH!"

Happy birthday son!

COOLPL8Z.COM

2010-08-11T22:01:00.000-07:00

There are some funnies plates found here. I kept the rating on this post at an appropriate level. Here are some of the ones I found funny.

The 1 mpg is on the freeway.

I hear this car backfires often.

You know you just sang this song in your head.

If you don't get it, there is an M and an A added on.

I know a few people who could claim this plate.

These are tame compared to some others.

And is fun to drive too.

I like this one the best.

Funny Pictures

2010-08-10T08:51:00.000-07:00

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You know the old saying...

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Where's the spell check?

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Honey, do I smell popcorn? RUN!!

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Apparently not ALL babies are cute.

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Hope you enjoy your day at work today.

Interesting Quotes

2010-08-09T13:43:00.000-07:00

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BAD: From Nancy Pelosi (direct quote found here) on the Health Care Bill: "But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it, away from the fog of the controversy."

It's always best to pass legislation prior to reading it, right?

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GOOD: From JFK: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."

You mean making a career of living off of welfare isn't a good thing? Don't rely on government support. Do it yourself!

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SAD: From OUR President Obama (direct quote found here): "It is wonderful to be back in Oregon," Obama said. "Over the last 15 months, we’ve traveled to every corner of the United States. I’ve now been in 57 states? I think one left to go. Alaska and Hawaii, I was not allowed to go to even though I really wanted to visit, but my staff would not justify it."

President George W Bush had his famous dumb quotes. This has got to be one of Obama's worst.

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SO TRUE: John Wayne: "Life's tought...it's even tougher if you're stupid."

Education is a good thing.

40 Billionaires Donated Half Their Wealth to Charity

2010-08-08T22:30:00.000-07:00

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How amazing would it feel to be able to donate half of (at least) a BILLION dollars to charities? Hope that the 40 people on board to give away an estimated $600 BILLION stay true. Buffett says he's giving away 99%.

WOW.

Out of the 40 billionaires listed, not many names are listed.

Tiger Woods is giving away half of his wealth too. His charity of choice is The Elin "Keep Your Mouth Shut" Nordegren Fund.

Way to go Tiger.

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Best Burger Joints

2010-08-05T09:53:00.000-07:00

If you are ever driving through Pasadena and you find yourself craving a burger, man are you in luck. Pasadena has a variety of great burger joints.

Here are a few to check out:

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1) In-N-Out. A classic place to grab a double-double, animal style, fries and a shake. We have two locations in Bakersfield...which is nice.

2) Lucky Boy. Another very popular place with my high school friends. They also have good breakfast burritos.

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These are good, but I prefer my breakfast burrito from another location.

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3) Wonder Burger. This is the another good alternative to the national fast food, but I'd rank it last out of the places listed here.

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4) TOPS. This is my favorite. Growing up we went there A LOT! I try to figure a way to go there every time I'm in the Pasadena area. I highly suggest the 1/4 lb. Bacon Cheeseburger. During my college years, I'd always take my friends to TOPS to eat. Never a complaint...except that their AMAZING breakfast burritos are too hot to scarf down right away.

MMMMM, breakfast burritos from TOPS!!

If you are in a little further east of Pasadena, they have another location in Azusa, T Burgers. Different name, same great food.

Oh, one more thing...when you go to TOPS (or T Burgers) and order fries, onion rings or zucchini, only order one for you and your family or friends. They are BIG.

Bon appetit!

Fight for More Rights!!! (Expand Civil Unions, Leave Marriage Alone)

2010-08-04T22:09:00.000-07:00

So Prop 8 is overturned by a judge today. Here is my understanding on the Biblical purpose of marriage:

Marriage was originally designed, by God, for a man and a woman to be wed. Not man-man, woman-woman, man-women, men-women, man-animal, woman-animal, etc. In Genesis 1:18-25, God brought forth all the animals and none met the criteria. So He then made a WOMAN, not another man, to fulfill His design for marriage.

Marriage is a covenant, sacred in nature. As the Bible says, "They shall become one flesh." (Gen. 1:24) Here's a link that discusses the question, "Is Marriage a Covenant?"

God talks about husbands/wives throughout the Bible. There is no mention about husband/husband or wife/wife. There is mention of man/man, woman/woman sexually involved, but it is an abomination (Leviticus 18:22,23).

As far as gay marriage being okay with God...my understanding of scripture does not allow for that. My understanding is the Bible does not give any indication that choosing to be gay is okay. I try to know right from wrong based on the Bible. My understanding of the Bible leads me to the conclusion that homosexuality is a sin. Lord knows my sins, mistakes, screw ups, and flaws are numerous. Being gay just is not one that I struggle with.

Switching over to our society today, disregarding any Biblical implications...

Our government has attached benefits to being "Married". Gays have been fighting for "equal rights" compared to hetero married people. So my question is...

...why don't they fight to expand their "Civil Union Rights"???

Why do they want Marriage as the title? If it's due to the rights the government allows for married people, doesn't fighting for expansion of what gays already have make more sense? Or does it come down to wanting the title of "Marriage" because you want it to be more socially acceptable?

That's My Boy!

2010-07-22T21:34:00.000-07:00

This is my son, Jackson. He will be turning 4 this August. He is the funniest guy I know.

Here are a few quotes from him.

[While praying] "And thank you God for killing all the dinosaurs so that we don't have to worry about them. And thank you for making toy dinosaurs." He LOVES dinosaurs.

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"C'mon! I don't care for this!" (for what?) "Cleaning my room!" Spoken like a true child.

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Jackson: "I can't drink it! (milk) There are kids in there!"

Me: "No there aren't."

Jackson: "I know...I was pretending."

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See any kids in there?

Jackson: "Brooklyn hit me."

Me: "Why?"

Jackson: "Because I hit her."

Love the honesty.

WOW!!

2010-07-22T20:56:00.000-07:00

So you go to the zoo and you want to take a picture of the animals with your little kid. Say cheese!!

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So you've had enough of animals getting it on and ruining your pictures, so you decide to take a trip of a life time. You go on a tour of the countryside, on the back of an elephant, then WHAM!!!

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I don't think the tour guide was ready for that.

First Day of "Summer"

2010-07-21T19:10:00.000-07:00

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Jackson has grasped the idea that I go to work, to get paid, to have money to spend on him...I mean our family. When I put him to bed he will sometimes ask, "Do you have to go to work tomorrow?" Yesterday I got to tell him that I didn't have to go back to "work" for a long time. (No more summer school, trainings, conferences). Rebecca was with him as I walked out of the room, and he said to her, "But he needs to make money!"

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Sell, Sell, Sell

2010-07-15T15:43:00.000-07:00

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There is slight hope that the McCourts will have to sell the Dodgers. At this point I'm desperate for any hint of a possibility that the Dodgers will be freed of the McCrooks.

According to an article found here, the McCourts are running out of money. Frank has been borrowing money from whomever he can to get cash. He has big bills that are outstanding on a personal level. He has not paid ANY taxes in the six years that he has owned the Dodgers (isn't that a crime?) When he bought the Dodgers from Fox, he had to borrow money from Fox to get the deal done. This guy is apparently worth close to a BILLION dollars. But he has NO CASH.

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To me he is a fraud. I don't see how he can have such extreme debts when he is worth this much money. (It seems like he has greater debt than what his assets are worth. Doesn't that make him broke?) Now granted I don't know a ton about finance, but it seems like if you need money, and you don't have the money IN the bank, then you SELL stuff to get cash. Cash is KING!

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So Frank, instead of borrowing hundreds of thousands of dollars from family, friends, and associates...sell properties to cover your backside. If you are in a hole (debt), you can't get out of that hole by digging deeper.

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How about selling the Dodgers. That should take care of most of your debts. But my guess is that he will still find a way to be in trouble. Call Dave Ramsey and get some help buddy.

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Frank took out a loan against the Dodgers' future ticket sales to the tune of $390 MILLION!!! One may wonder what the heck is he going to do with all that cash??

Maybe he'll surprise everyone and use that to address needs on his team, you know he is the owner after all. Maybe he'll spend money on a big free agent (Cliff Lee).

My guess is he'll use that money for personal use...like settling his divorce.

OR to help pay his two sons a total of $600,000 for doing NOTHING. His sons are on the payroll. So what do they do? One has another full-time job, so probably nothing. The other is attending grad school. Valuable employees right there.

In June, The Los Angeles Times reported that the McCourts secretly paid Vladimir Shpunt, a 71-year-old who said he was a scientist and a healer, more than $100,000 to help the Dodgers win by sending positive energy from his Boston-area home.

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He is driving the Dodgers into the ground folks. Someone needs to stop the insanity! Judge, please step in and order the McCourts to sell the Dodgers.

Mark Cuban to the rescue!!!

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Name The Movie (Dirty Dozen)

2010-07-14T19:20:00.000-07:00

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Name the movie from the quotes. First person who gets all of the quotes correct will win a guest post on this blog (retail value at $10,000). no cash value

1) "Can I borrow your towel for a sec? My car just hit a water buffalo."

2) "How do you get fired on your day off?"

3) "Is this Heaven? No, it's Iowa."

4) "Senior citizens, although slow and dangerous behind the wheel really can serve a purpose. Don't you go dying on me!"

5) "Your island? You mean Ireland? Yeah, it's MINE."

6) "Well, um, actually a pretty nice little Saturday, we're going to go to Home Depot. Yeah, buy some wallpaper, maybe get some flooring, stuff like that. Maybe Bed, Bath, & Beyond, I don't know, I don't know if we'll have enough time."

7) "HEY MOM! CAN WE GET SOME MEATLOAF?"

8) "You know, if my dog was as ugly as you. I'd shave his butt and tell him to walk backwards."

9) "I'm not really a farmer. I'm a freshman."

10) "Listen, here's the thing. If you can't spot the sucker in the first half hour at the table, then you ARE the sucker."

11) "You know a lot of people go to college for seven years. I know, they're called doctors."

12) "You can't forget, it's a sumo culture, Ted. They pay by the pound over there. Sorta like, um, tuna."

Sorry Kids

2010-07-12T13:56:00.000-07:00

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Yesterday me and the family were shopping at Target. Brooklyn was sitting in the "front row", while Jackson was in the section for all the stuff you buy. We turn the corner out of an aisle, into a main thoroughfare, and then I smelled a horrific odor.

I then ask Brooklyn, "Did you go poopoo?" As I get her to stand up, Rebecca comments, "Is that her? That reeks really bad." So I check her diaper, and it's clean.

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Honestly, who checks a diaper the way shown for INCORRECT??

I digress...So after seeing Brooke was clean, I asked Jackson, "Did you fart?"

It smelled awful, and I was starting to think, "There is no way one of my kids is capable of this."

Then I notice a married couple standing about 4 feet away. They are probably in their 50s. As we are going through this dialogue I notice they start to walk ahead of us, but only a few feet farther down. After I asked Jack if he was responsible for this horrid stench, I notice that the wife is a little blush, trying not to laugh. Meanwhile the husband has a sheepish grin, which I knew exactly what that meant....

IT WAS ME!!!!!!

Well done sir.

We got a good kick out of it, but I'm sure not as much as that guy will telling his buddies how he ripped one in Target and two little kids got blamed for it

Get Off the Phone!!

2010-06-30T13:21:00.000-07:00

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Possible scenario for what happened at a Yankee game. See video at the end.

Joe: I'm so excited to go to my first Yankee game at the new stadium. I have great seats, first row, by the right field foul pole. Should be a fun time.

John: "Sorry babe, long day at the office, won't be able to get home tonight until late. You know how Mr. Lumbergh makes me make sure my TPS reports are spot on. I'll try to get home as soon as I can. Love ya!"

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Joe: Just my luck, I get stuck next to Chatty Kathy. I wish his cell phone would magically blowup.

John: "Dude, I'm at the Yankee game, front row...by the right field foul pole."

Joe: What are the chances that this guy gets crapped on by a bird? Gosh, this guy WON'T SHUT UP!!!

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John: "Yeah, told Mary Beth that I'm at the office. (chuckles) Hope this game doesn't go into extras. This stadium is AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!"

Joe: There is a God.

Check out the video (only about 30 seconds long.)

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6633405n

Lord of the Flies

2010-06-04T22:28:00.000-07:00

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So we have been getting more flies in our house of late, and I am getting more proficient at killing the little buggers. Most of them have been rather large. So to make sure that I kill them, I smash them with a piece of paper, tissue or something like that (I've had a few fly away after I hit them.)

Well the bad part about smashing them is finding out that the fly is a female. Once today and once yesterday I found out the gross, but interesting way...maggots come out!!!

After googling for a picture of baby maggots, I didn't find anything that gave a good picture of what it looks like...which is probably a good thing. FYI: If you need to throw up, but can't make yourself do it, just google fly maggots. I almost hurled a few times.

Let's just say that when you squish the fly and the guts come out, you can tell it's a mom when the guts start crawling around.

If you we're curious about how baby flies are made...this should explain.

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Frosh/Soph Season Recap

2010-05-23T14:29:00.000-07:00

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My second year coaching baseball came to a close last week, and this year we ended on a high note. We won our last two games to end up with a record of 8 - 4 in league, good enough for 3rd place, and an overall record of 13 - 11.

I had a blast this year with this group. Much more talent on this team than last year, even though we ended up with a similar record (a little better this year). But we were in every game this year, unlike last year. Each year I feel like I learn more about how to coach the sport I love.

Next year will be even better. Jackson and Brooklyn do great at the games, but next year we'll have "Little Brother" there too!

Our First Camping Trip

2010-05-16T21:16:00.000-07:00

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We are not what you call "the outdoors type". The thought that comes into our heads when we hear "roughing it", is staying at an Hotel 5 or Sleezy 8. But now we have children and the list of "Things I'd Do for Them" includes going camping. Especially when the camping situation is such a good one.

We went camping at a winery (Steinbeck's Winery) with some friends from church. They have an annual camping trip, and we are glad we were able to go this year. There were 17 families in all, times 2.2 kids (or so), so there was a lot of activity going around camp. The kids had a ball running around, going fishing, snacking, and anything else that came to little kids' minds.

Rebecca did a great job of not freaking out with all the bugs around our camp, tent, food, etc. Pincher bugs were the main uninvited guests. They were crawling around everywhere. She did a really good job of not screaming when about a dozen of them were crawling around in our cooler.

As for me, I got to go fishing for the first time in a long while. I also got to shoot guns. Prior to this trip my shooting experiences stop at bb guns and shooting a shotgun once or twice back when I was in junior high. I shot the following guns:

.45

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9mm Beretta

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SKS

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With apologies to all gun owners and aficionados, I tried my best to match what I shot with these pictures. I left out the "child bb rifle", or at least that's what it felt like. I unloaded one clip each with the .45 and the 9mm. I shot about 7 times with the SKS...which was awesome. I felt like Arnold Schwarzenegger in Raw Deal.

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We spent two nights there (about 42 hours), which was just the right amount of time. We were all worn out Sunday morning. Jackson slept the whole way home. Brooklyn took a nice 3.5 hour nap (normal is around 2 hours). As for Rebecca and I, we are looking forward to sleeping in our own bed without thoughts of what may or may not be crawling towards our mouths as we sleep.

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What's That Smell?

2010-04-28T21:34:00.000-07:00

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That awful smell coming from the baseball world has been from the Dodgers. The Dodgers have lost 2 out of 3 games to Pittsburgh, Florida, Cincinnati, Washington, and just lost all 3 games to the NY Mets. Their defense is pathetic, but is better than their pitching (yikes!). Their offense was doing great, until the last six games (they've been outscored 13 - 30).

Good news...well they have won 4 out of 6 games at home (including 2 out of 3 versus the Giants!). They are about to start a 10 game homestand. Hopefully they can get some home cooking and get back into the groove.

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FROSH/SOPH UPDATE:

We headed into yesterday's game with a league record of 4-2, with a chance to avenge one of those losses to keep up our hopes of 1st place in league. After the second inning a few things happened for the first time all season. #1, we gave up 8 runs in the first inning (4 unearned). Not exactly the way we planned it. #2, I had words for the umpires on multiple occasions. Heated in one case. #3, The home umpire called a balk with NO ONE ON BASE. He was about to send the batter to first when I mentioned that you can't balk with no one on base. (This was not the incident that I got upset about).

So we are now 4-3 in league with a shot at 2nd...we just can't lose any of our remaining games.

So here's to my team finishing strong. And here's to the Dodgers getting their act together.

Come on People!!

2010-04-25T22:55:00.000-07:00

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Why do people drive the speed limit or slower and drive in the fast/passing lane? Is there a lack of education on the etiquette of driving by the driving schools or parents? It really is ridiculous how slow some people drive in the fast lane.

If you want to drive slow (for whatever dumb reason), then enjoy your ride in the slow lane. Especially on a two lane highway. Move your donkey (or whatever you call your slow vehicle) over to the right lane and let people drive normal in the left lane.

So when I'm driving 10 mph over the speed limit (give or take), and another car is rapidly approaching me, I move over and let him (or I guess it could be a her) go by. No harm done. No thoughts of "Well I'll show him that he needs to slow down!"

What is the appropriate way to "encourage" the driver in front of you to move over? Pray for enlightenment? Flash your lights and honk your horn? Hope that the cell service will drop the call? See how close you can get to the car in front of you until you can go around them, then cut them off?

Honestly, if you are a slow driver, and are willing to admit it, please comment on the best way to get you to move over?

Oh, and when you give me "The Finger" as I pass you, it only gives me pleasure.

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So Sad

2010-04-18T20:57:00.000-07:00

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As an educator I hope to influence my students' behavior, decision making skills, and help them to overcome difficult situations. I try to instill a sense of pride and responsibility. The year I was an assistant principal, I spent many hours working with students who were sent to my office due to their behavior. There were many "regulars" who I saw frequently. No matter what their issues were, I always tried to point out the best in them...even if I was interrupted with profanity.

But there is nothing that prepares you to see bad things happen involving former students. This particular story has the former student allegedly involved in a brutal crime. It's tough to see a 15-year-old girl possibly partake in a burglary, murder and conspiracy against an 81-year-old woman. See the story here.

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This is an awful story all the way around. It's sad that the lady had to die in such a brutal way. It's sad that Katila's life has led her to this situation. I just pray for all involved, and hope that one day Katila (and the others) will learn from the past and make a better life for themselves.

Good Friday

2010-04-02T21:08:00.000-07:00

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Today is Good Friday, the day that Jesus of Nazareth was crucified. Christians believe He died to be the ultimate sin sacrifice for those who believe in Him. His death was required to allow anyone, no matter what their baggage is, to go to Heaven.

He died for the "good people." You know the type. They don't get arrested, they volunteer in the community, and they help the old lady load her groceries in her car. They are polite, helpful, and are good friends.

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He died for the "bad people." The person that every other word would be bleeped out if he/she was on television, gets drunk/high every night, or is a San Francisco Giant fan. The person in prison for murder, rape, or any other horrible crime.

"For ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not by works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2: 8-9)

"Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)

Jesus came here to die for us all. There is no prerequisites for anyone to follow Him and receive eternal life. He asks that you admit that you are a sinner. Admit the obvious, we all suck from time to time. Repent for your sins by asking for forgiveness.

Then believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, that He died for you, and rose again so that we all can live in Heaven. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)

Finally, confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and follow Him. "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9)

The tough part is sometimes believing that you are wanted, loved, worthy of someone's unconditional love. But that's exactly what Jesus offers. There is no shame, guilt, sin, flaw, hang up, addiction that is so gross that Jesus says, "Whoa! That's too awful." Instead He says "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

Someone once said, "Christianity does not guarantee a release from the ills of the world, but a way to deal with them." Life is hard and unfair at times. But having faith and hope in the right place leads to something better.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." We all stumble and fall, but we get back up. Even if the world says you are not good enough, no one cares about you...someone does.

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A Boy and a Dream

2010-04-02T10:19:00.000-07:00

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Opening Day is almost here and it is time to put on my rosy colored glasses and make my prediction (wishful thinking) about the Dodgers.

The Dodgers have a loaded team with talent, but do have holes they will need to address. Here's how I see it:

*Russell Martin rebounds and returns to his All Star form.

*Rafael Furcal stays healthy and has an average year (good batting average, defense and lots of runs scored).

*Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier both take another step towards stardom. Both are on the All-Star team.

*Mannywood stays challenged by his walk year (he will be a free agent after the season) and by the play of Kemp and Ethier. He leads the league in batting average, but can't keep up with Kemp and Ethier's power numbers.

*Kershaw and Billingsley make everyone forget that they didn't start the season with an "Ace", but now have two.

*Broxton continues his dominance in the 9th.

**Feeling the good vibes on how the team is doing, but seeing how the Phillies appear to be unstoppable, Frank McCourt get drunk and gives Ned Colletti the okay to do whatever it takes to get Cliff Lee (the Mariners fall apart and make Lee available).

The Dodgers pay all of Lee's salary and give up multiple AA prospects. McCourt wakes up the next day with an awful hangover, but is delighted to see a headline that actually is positive about him being the owner. He then sees that Cliff Lee is a Dodger, throws up, tries to veto the deal, but it is too late.

The Dodgers storm through the playoffs, finally beating the Phillies to get to the World Series. They sweep Boston (Manny and Torre dance the jig on the pitcher's mound at Fenway).

The day after the parade through downtown LA, Jaime McCourt teams up with an investment group led by Mark Cuban and buys out Frank. Jaime tells Frank, "They boys will still own the team in the future, it will just be me handing them the reins."

Dodgers resign Cliff Lee during the offseason and now have Kershaw, Lee and Billingsley leading the rotation, with Broxton slamming the door shut. Kemp and Ethier make everyone forget about Mannywood.

Vin Scully retires, and his final words were, "The Dodgers are the World Champions once again...Good night everybody."

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They Finally Did It

2010-03-23T21:13:00.000-07:00

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Frosh/Soph Update:

Today we played a team that we should beat...and we did just that (16 to 1). The boys played well and pulled off the old hidden ball trick.

With two outs a runner advanced to third base. The third baseman did not throw the ball back to the pitcher, but walked away from the base slightly as if he did. The pitcher walked towards the mound, but stayed off the dirt of the mound (very important part of the trick). The runner then took his lead and the third baseman applied the tag. Our fans started yelling, "He's out, he's out!" It caught the umpire, the third base coach, and myself by surprise.

There was a short protest by the coach, but I explained how our pitcher stayed off the mound so that the play was legal.

I was impressed.

We try it all the time in inter squad games, and they have asked many questions on how to do it in a game. They were going to try it in a game last week, but they didn't do it properly and the pitcher "chickened out". Good thing too, because it would have been an illegal play.

So, we'll see if they can do it again this year. I'm guessing they'll try to do it every game. It was pretty sweet, even though the opposing coach wasn't thrilled (we were up 13-0 at the time), but I think he was more embarrassed that it happened two feet in front of him.

So we are in first place in league (1-0), and we'll take it!

March Madness

2010-03-19T21:45:00.000-07:00

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March 17th (St. Patty's Day/My birthday)
I called in sick due to irritable bowel syndrome. After pounding Kaopectate I was able to recover enough (barely) for our baseball game. As I got to the field I kept hearing, "Happy birthday Coach" and "Are you feeling better yet?"

(Hope I don't have to run to the bathroom during the game.)

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We played a team that crushed us twice last year, but we were ready to have a different experience this time. We were doing great, making defensive plays, getting timely hitting, and building a lead. We headed into the last inning (which is the 7th in high school) with the score BHS 6, FHS 2.

(Feeling better, this will be a good victory for us.)

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On the first pitch, we hit the batter. Later we made a few errors. The lead is now down to one, tying run on third, two outs. The batter gets jammed and floats one just over the first baseman...tie game.

(Stomach is getting queasy.)

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Both teams quickly make outs and it's on to the 10th. Two outs, nobody on and a groundball right to our 2nd baseman...and on to the outfield.

(Profanity.)

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Runner ends up scoring and we go 1, 2, 3...ballgame.

(Happy birthday Coach.)

March 18th

We play a much easier match up and jump out to a 13-1 lead after the 2nd inning.

(Feeling better. This is the time to get guys in that haven't played yet this year.)

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We stop hitting, start making errors, and watch our lead dwindle.

(This is why 1) these guys don't get much PT and 2) there should be a cut policy.)

Rebecca and the kids get to the game and watch us continue to stink up the field.

(Brooke sure does look cute today. Are we about to lose?)

The time limit is about up (2 hour time limit), and the umpire informs us this will be the last inning. The score is now 13-9.

(Wait, we were up 4 going into the last inning yesterday...oh no.)

First two batters walk.

(Profanity.)

Next three batters make outs. Rebecca comments, "You guys won that game?" (When she got there she only saw the other team score...a lot.)

(Thank you!!!)

VICTORY!!!

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The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

2010-03-15T21:20:00.000-07:00

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Frosh/Soph Update:

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The Good:
We are playing a lot better than we were last year. We have our moments of playing really good baseball. Our fielding is much improved, as is our hitting. One of the opposing coaches even mentioned how much better the talent is this year compared to last.

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The Bad:
We lost all three games last week. We had our chances each game, but it just didn't work out.

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The Ugly:
We gave up 11 runs in one inning last Friday. We were playing a top team and we only allowed 2 runs in 5 innings. Unfortunately we had a REALLY bad 4th inning. But to the players credit, we didn't give up any runs after that.

So we have two games this week (Wednesday and Thursday). Hopefully we can get back to the good side.

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Happy St. Patty's Day everyone (a little early I know.)

VICTORY!

2010-03-02T20:47:00.000-08:00

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Today was our first baseball game, and we did what we were supposed to do. We won 22 - 0 in four innings. Here are some of the highlights:

*12 runs in the first inning.

*3 run homer by our #6 hitter in the 1st inning.

*All players got an at-bat.

*The team only made one error.

*Our pitcher only walked two batters.

*He also threw a No Hitter!

*The game was not as close as it sounded.

We'll take the victory. We are undefeated, but will face 4 of the top 5 teams over the next two weeks, so we should find out really quick how good/bad we really are.

The team looks good, much better than a year ago. Hopefully we will be competitive in every game this year, and will compete for the league title.

On a side note, I only have received one parent complaint so far about our uniform situation. We suited up 17 players today out of 29.

GO DRILLERS!

March is the Best Month

2010-03-01T22:30:00.000-08:00

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March is the best month of the year, hands down. Need convincing...

1) March Madness- I'm not a big fan of college basketball, but I do love the tournament.

2) MLB starts up. Spring training begins, and the season almost is here (it used to start in March).

3) NBA is still going on, Lakers are going for another title.

4) Spring starts. Who doesn't like spring?

5) St. Patty's Day- Which happens to be my birthday.

6) Daylight Savings begins!

7) Spring break-doesn't always happen in March, but it will begin this year in March.

8) My anniversary- LOVE YA BABE!

9) High School Baseball- I coach the Frosh-Soph team at Bakersfield High School. First game is tomorrow.

10) One month closer to summer vacation!

Feel free to add more if you'd like. Best month...let's enjoy!

Best Card Trick Ever

2010-02-25T20:49:00.000-08:00

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This was forwarded to me and I had to share it.

http://biggeekdaddy.com/humorpages/Humor/BestCardTrick.html

Crazy!

Frank McCourt is a Donkey

2010-02-22T19:56:00.000-08:00

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Frank McCourt is a great businessman. Unfortunately he is more interested in making money than running a ballclub. McCourt has laid out his plan over then next 8 years. His plan will make him an even wealthier man. I interpret the following information as a way for him to settle his divorce, and coming out richer than before.

In the LA Times today there was an article by Bill Shaikin, and here is my summary:

The article starts off with this, "The Dodgers could seek to keep their player payroll below last year's level through 2018 while the average ticket price and club revenue could nearly double, according to confidential financial documents included in a court filing last week."

Translation: McCourt will be rolling in profits and pocketing the money.

Evidence: "[McCourt] anticipates a significant rise in club revenue, from $295 million in 2008 to $529 million in 2018, and in the average ticket price, from $29.40 in 2007 to $53.50 in 2018."

The "rule of thumb" on clubs spending their revenue is to spend 50% of revenue on player compensation. Here are the Dodgers' numbers: 2007 = 46%, 2008 = 42%, 2013 projection = 25%!!!

Now I'm all for making money. By no means does McCourt have to spend 50% no matter what. My point is that the Dodgers should not claim they can't afford to pay for top free agents or trade for guys that have a big salary. They have the money. Next year Manny's $20 million come off the books, and my guess is it will go towards the divorce settlement.

It's time for McCourt to be committed financially to putting out a team that can compete for a World Series. He claims that he is committed...but his actions scream something to the contrary.

You are ultimately judged by your actions. Frank...it's time to step up or step down.

Frosh/Soph Update

2010-02-20T20:57:00.000-08:00

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Things are looking up for the Frosh/Soph team. This week I've gained a few sophomores who didn't make the starting line up for JV, and elected to move down to my team. Winter sports are over and a few guys from basketball, wrestling, and soccer have come out as well. We don't make cuts, so we are up to 30 deep! (Getting playing time might be a little bit of an issue for some.)

I finally have guys who can legitimately play the infield. I even have competition for infield spots!!

Challenge #1 is to find guys who can throw strikes consistently.

After today's scrimmage, I think I found one or two guys.

The field was pretty sloppy after it rained the night before, so that limited the action. It was a scrimmage and we didn't keep score (even though I was asked every inning what the score was by the players.) We hit the ball harder, made more plays defensively, and our pitchers hit more batters than the other team.

So I'd say we left with a mutual, unspoken agreement that we were the better team today. In about a month, we'll officially find out when we meet them again.

First game is March 2nd. Here's to starting off the season better than last year (a 5 to 17 loss).

Are You Kidding Me?!!

2010-02-11T18:55:00.000-08:00

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This will blow your mind. Check out http://www.regiftable.com/regiftingrobinpopup.html

Every time I actually do what it says, it gets it right. When I cheat and just pick a number it doesn't work. I don't get it...will you?

Thank you Mom for passing this on to me.

Here's to Your Health

2010-02-08T09:53:00.000-08:00

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My favorite beer is Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. According to a new report, drinking beer is healthy for you, especially pale ales. So now when you want a healthy drink at lunch (or any meal for that matter), pass on the soda and ask for a cold one...Pale Ale if you like.

The Grass is Always Greener on the Other Side

2010-02-07T14:09:00.000-08:00

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Today I heard a way to describe the old saying, "The grass is always greener on the other side" that I've never heard before.

If the grass is greener on the other side...then you need to water your grass more. Basically you need to give your grass more time and effort. If you don't, you are not going to like your results.

So instead of complaining about the situation you are in, do something about it. As a Chinese Proverb says, "It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness."

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Flashbacks

2010-02-03T20:29:00.000-08:00

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Here is a quick recap on how things are looking for the Frosh/Soph(FS) team:

"It's unbelievable how much you don't know about the game you've been playing all your life."
-Mickey Mantle

MONDAY:
Non varsity players are split up into groups of outfielders and infielders. After a brief time of working with the outfielders, I identify players that will not be apart of the exciting FS team this year. I break them into two groups (skilled and...raw), and try not to get anyone hurt.

"It took me 17 years to get three thousand hits in baseball. I did it in one afternoon on the golf course."
- Hank Aaron

TUESDAY:
The groups are split by grades. I take all the freshman and tell them to go to a position that they'd like to play. I get excited a little due to the fact that all the infield spots are filled with guys who, dare I say, know what they are doing! During the last 15 minutes of practice the JV coach comes over and starts talking to some of "my" freshman. He says he just wants to see if any of them can pitch.

"Don't forget to swing hard, in case you hit the ball."

~Woodie Held

WEDNESDAY:
As I walk up to my group today, I can see that we've started to gain the sophomores that won't make the JV squad. I also notice that all the freshman that got me excited are no where to be found. I tell the guys to go to their position of choice.

After about 5 minutes...flashback to last year. We are at the ground floor here people. I have ONE guy who looks like he knows what he is doing. I feel bad for him, and give him hope that things will get better.

After watching my new infield options, I wanted to cry. One guy wanted to play shortstop, but bless his heart, he has an arm like a wet noodle. He fielded the ball, then started to run towards first. My first thought was, "This guy is going to run the ball over to first!" After taking about five running steps towards first he let go of the ball. About five seconds later the ball got to first.

So as we go into Thursday, we'll see if we have any pitchers.

Let the adventure continue!

Driller Baseball Dinner

2010-01-30T20:57:00.000-08:00

Here Goes Nothing, Part II

2010-01-29T16:35:00.000-08:00

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For those of you who don't know, I coach the Frosh/Soph baseball team at BHS. This will be my second year coaching. As practice gets set to start on Monday, I am looking back at the lessons I learned from last year.

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#1- Not everyone who tries out for the team has played before.

Growing up I played a lot of baseball by the time I started high school. I learned last year that some guys are ready to start their career during their freshman year of high school. I must admit, I was not prepared to answer the following question, "Coach, can you teach me how to throw?"

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#2- At the frosh/soph level there are no easy plays.

Every time the ball was put in play, there was a feeling (sometimes weak, sometimes very strong) that something might go wrong. Lightly hit grounders right at someone (through the legs), back to the pitcher (thrown over the 1st baseman's head), high fly balls (you name it, it happened) were all adventures at times.

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#3- Throwing strikes is pure gold...no matter the speed.

If you can throw strikes consistently, whether at 80 mph, 70mph...50mph, you will do well at the FS level. I didn't have anyone who threw hard, but I had a few guys who could throw strikes. It seemed that the slower the better...especially against good hitting teams. They were so use to hitting faster pitches that they had difficulty adjusting to the slowness of our pitchers (at least a few times through the order, which hopefully wasn't after 2 innings.)

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#4- The mercy rule is my friend.

After 4 innings the mercy rule went into effect in the first 7 games last year (twice in our favor), 14 out of 25 games overall.

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#5- There is no such thing as a single.

Or a one base walk for that matter. We had 277 stolen bases (in 25 games), while only being thrown out 8 times. We threw out ZERO base runners (although we did pick off a handful of guys). In one game we stole over 30 bases, while the other team swiped over 20.

Despite many challenges, I had a blast last year. I'm living the dream...teaching/coaching baseball. After home games, Jackson ran out on to the field and helped me drag the field (and by helped I mean he rode shotgun on the cart.) We'll see how Brooklyn does this year now that she's mobile.

So Monday the adventure begins. We'll see how the talent is this year.

Abortion, Gay Men, and oh yeah, Football

2010-01-28T19:46:00.000-08:00

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With over a week to go before Super Bowl Sunday, we sure are hearing a lot about the commercials already. By now you've probably heard about Tim Tebow and his mom talking about how the Pro-Life choice has worked wonders for them. And you probably have heard about how some women's groups are up in arms over it.

"Women's Group Blast 'Divisive' Pro-Life Super Bowl Ads - Without Even Seeing It."

"An ad that uses sports to divide rather than to unite has no place in the biggest national sports event of the year -- an event designed to bring Americans together," said Jehmu Greene, president of the Women's Media Center. (click here for the article).

HUH? "Divide rather than to unite"...last time I checked, we are not all united in who we want to win the Super Bowl. The biggest sports event of the year is exactly about dividing.

From what I've read, it's not going to be a graphic display of the abortion process. "Some people will be surprised when they see the actual content of the ad. It's anything but the way it's been described with that fiery rhetoric."

Another commercial that is up for consideration is an ad for gay dating website.

Looks like the commercials might actual be memorable (for better or for worse). They have been a let down over the last few years.

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As for the actual game, I'm on the fence. I respect both teams and do not have a strong feeling one way or the other. If I had to bet on the game, I'd bet on the Colts, but I wouldn't be that confident in that.

I'm hoping for a 52-49 final score...you pick the winner.

McCourt Gets Back in the Game?

2010-01-22T22:12:00.000-08:00

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If you have been following this blog, even for a little bit, you've noticed that I am a fanatic of the Dodgers. And you know that I have been riding the inactivity of the Dodgers this off season (as many baseball experts have been doing as well.)

But this article makes me want to vomit.

The title is "Dodgers' Frank McCourt gets back in the game." What game is he playing? It must mean he is dating, because the Dodgers are certainly cutting back.

In this article here are some interesting facts, followed by commentary.

"Season tickets are at the same level as last year."
   This is a good sign, money is still coming in. The Dodgers were #1 in attendance last year.

"Mannion and General Manager Ned Colletti had consistently denied that McCourt would limit team spending because of the divorce case."
   You can say there are no spending restrains, but when you aren't spending money...forgive me for thinking otherwise...since...

"The Dodgers' opening-day payroll projects to be below $90 million for the first time since 2005 and the second time since 1999."
    What happened to all the talk about money not being an issue. We can see money is still flowing in, but where is it going? I'm not saying spend to spend, but I don't see why the Dodgers seem to be unable to offer Ben Sheets (Dodgers need another pitcher) or Felipe Lopez (they need a second baseman) a contract. The Dodgers should have no problem having a payroll over $100 million.

So where is the money??

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"I'm very, very excited about this team. This is a team that almost got to the World Series last year and is basically coming back intact."
Basically, except for a 2nd baseman and a #1 starter. Those two spots are important. There is still time left to fill those holes. Time will tell.

Can You Imagine?

2010-01-21T20:45:00.000-08:00

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Hugo Chavez has a great imagination and obviously is a big fan of Sci-Fi movies. He believes the U.S.A. is responsible for the earthquake in Haiti. Apparently we have a way to create earthquakes at will.

Chavez points out that the U.S. has sent military personnel to Haiti with the guise of offering aide, but the real mission is to occupy the country.

This is the same Chavez that blames capitalism for the climate crisis.

So as you can see, he's pretty smart.

Chavez also points to the documentary of ABC on Wednesday nights that shows the U.S. has other mind boggling powers. In the documentary it shows how the U.S. has the ability to move islands from place to place, which also enables time travel. He admits to being "LOST" at times while watching the documentary.

Speaking of LOST, I am a little nervous that in this final season that is it just going to get crazy weird and leaving us with something to be desired (that's what she said.)

As John Wooden Said

2010-01-21T20:26:00.000-08:00

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The Dodgers have been busy lately. They have locked up their young players to one or two year deals. They have been "spending money" on guys they already had. They signed Vincente Padilla today for just over $5 million for one year. This did address one issue.

Unfortunately they still are short a legitimate major league ready second baseman and they need another starter. Word is, though, that they are done spending. I hope this is just a negotiation ploy because they really need another starter.

Despite all this activity, they still haven't really plugged many holes. As John Wooden said, "Never mistake activity for achievement."

4 weeks until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training!

Father Knows Best

2010-01-13T19:36:00.000-08:00

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There is an old remedy that I grew up with that can cure what ails you. No matter the symptoms, there were three things you should do to get right back on top.

Step 1: Drink lots of water.

Step 2: Take some Tylenol.

Step 3: Get more sleep.

That is the magic potion that we were given for headaches, colds, flus, broken legs, severed finger, and the like.

For example, I had a cold and I followed the program and I recovered in about 10 days. The next time I was sick, I didn't follow the program and got better in a week and a half.

So thank you dad for the best way to recover from illness. I'll be sure to continue to pass this along to my family and friends.

Here are some facts to help back up some of what my dad has been preaching:

DRINKING WATER.

The following will probably amaze and startle you.

One glass of water shuts down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University study.

Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen.

Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

Are you drinking the amount of water you should every day? (No kidding, all of the above are true...)

Hall of Fame

2010-01-12T21:11:00.000-08:00

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Baseball players from the "Steroids Era" are now up for Hall of Fame selection. Each year more and more players from this era will be debated on whether or not they should be inducted into the Hall of Fame. I obviously do not get a vote, but like many people, I do have a view on how to handle this batch of players.

You have two choice. First one is: No One Gets In. It is impossible to guess who took a bite out of the apple and who did not. Sure you could look at spikes in stats, particular in hitters, but I'm guessing there were a lot more pitchers than most people think. So throw the baby out with the bathwater and lock them out.

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The other choice makes more sense to me: pick the best guys from the era to represent the era in the Hall of Fame. McGwire, Bonds (that's painful), Clemens, A-Rod, and the gang of studs get their ticket to Cooperstown, NY. But I would have a mark on their plaque that denoted that they a) admitted to using performance enhancing drugs, or b) were under heavy suspicion that they used performance enhancing drugs.

Baseball has had many different eras. The Dead Ball Era comes to mind, yet there is nothing held against those players for playing in that time. Steroids is the black sheep part of baseball's history.

The baseball writers who vote on whether or not these players to get into the Hall are the same guys that gave these players all those awards. Bonds, Sosa, McGwire were all winning MVP awards. Clemens won SEVEN Cy Young Awards.

Bonds...don't get me started. (Check out his rookie card)

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THERE IS NO WAY THE BASEBALL WRITERS THOUGHT THEY WERE LEGITIMATELY DOING THIS.

Maybe they didn't know exactly how, but they had to have know something was up.

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Being a Dodger fan and watching Eric Gagne doing his thing was exciting. But my friends and I knew he didn't just become the most dominant reliever over night after being AWFUL as a starter.

Clemens went 40-39 in his last four seasons with Boston. Boston thought he was done and let him go. He heads up north to Toronto (where Canseco was playing at the time) and he goes 41-13 in two years!!! Click here for his career stats.

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My point is...if MLB, the Player's Union, owners and fans all were enjoying the ride of wave of offense in the Steroids Era, don't lay ALL the blame on the players. Own up to this part of your history, pick the best of the best in the Era to be in the Hall. And let's move on. Please, please, please...no more Jose Canseco!!!

Big Mac Admits Big Lie

2010-01-11T18:59:00.000-08:00

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Mark McGwire was an amazing athlete who fell to temptation of using steroids (to help with recovering from injury, or so he says). This bit of information is not news since most people who watched him or looked at his stats had huge suspicions that he was in fact a user. This news would be classified under the "No $#!t" file.

From what I remember McGwire never lied about being a user. At Congress he said he wasn't there to talk about the past which made him look like a coward. But to his credit he didn't lie (unlike the famous Palmeiro scene).

There have been a list of guys who have admitted to using performance enhancing drugs, but that list is small compared to those who are still under suspicion or who have been caught but blamed it on someone else (Manny Ramirez). Now we can add McGwire to the not-so-bad list.

The typical American sports fan (and American in general) want people to be upfront about their mistakes, especially when you are caught. Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens, a host of other baseball players (Pete Rose), and Tiger Woods could all take a page out of McGwire's book. Maybe don't hide out for as long as McGwire did, but either way come clean about your dirt.

The truth really does set you free.