tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397558628283544262024-02-19T14:31:45.802-08:00Jaime Writes<center>Writing about sports, technology, or whatever else sounds interesting at the time</center>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663773591281664871noreply@blogger.comBlogger148125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1539755862828354426.post-25780092514580734512013-02-08T21:06:00.004-08:002013-02-08T21:06:55.057-08:00Join me at my new site!It's much easier to keep all my old posts here, but I won't be updating here anymore. Head on over to <a href="http://www.jaimeh.com/">http://www.jaimeh.com</a> to follow along!Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663773591281664871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1539755862828354426.post-28045873058797337962011-04-28T20:57:00.000-07:002011-04-28T21:01:36.969-07:00The newest San Diego Charger is Corey Liuget<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; ">And the newest San Diego Charger is....Corey Liuget! With the 18th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Chargers took the DT from Illinois, who'll probably play DE across from Luis Castillo. Hopefully this takes some pressure of Castillo, and helps clear up more rushing space for Shaun Philips and Larry English. Can't wait to see the kid in action!<br /><br /><br />Below is his Draft Preview video, and he obviously played pretty well here in Fresno, since most of this video is him destroying Fresno State quarterback Ryan Colburn and our running backs.</span><br /><br /><br /><center><iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YCx4lee8GbM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><br /><br /><br /><center><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26x%3D15%26ref_%3Dnb_sb_noss%26y%3D21%26field-keywords%3Dsan%2520diego%2520chargers%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Dapparel%23&tag=jaimwrit-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Check Out San Diego Chargers Gear Here</a><img src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jaimwrit-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></b></span></center>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663773591281664871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1539755862828354426.post-16798288359924554012011-03-28T21:04:00.000-07:002011-03-28T21:05:25.226-07:00A new domain!You may have noticed a change in the domain name here! To make things easy for you, feel free to hop on over to the main page at <a href="http://www.jaimeh.com">http://www.jaimeh.com </a>or to check out this blog, the updated URL is <a href="http://blog.jaimeh.com">http://blog.jaimeh.com</a><br /><br />Thanks for stopping by!Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663773591281664871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1539755862828354426.post-35190617138221313182011-03-21T21:20:00.000-07:002011-03-21T21:28:00.502-07:00I Gave In...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.jaimeh.com/img/kindle.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 210px; height: 275px;" src="http://www.jaimeh.com/img/kindle.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />...And I got a Kindle. It's one of those things that I suppose seemed inevitable, but I'm kind of impressed at how long I held out. I'm liking it so far, although I've only played around with it a little bit. I've got a couple Kindle books downloaded already, and I think the next step is to try checking out an e-book from the library and getting it moved onto the device.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663773591281664871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1539755862828354426.post-25002379044927858762011-03-11T12:27:00.001-08:002011-03-11T12:56:37.278-08:00Videos from the Japan earthquake and tsunamiWell, I've spent a good chunk of the morning watching video of the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan today, so I'm going to compile some of the videos I've found here, and keep updating as I find new videos:<br /><br /><center><span style="font-weight: bold;">A whirlpool off the coast of Japan:</span><br /><br /><object style="height: 390px; width: 640px;"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lhqGArtBty4?version=3"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lhqGArtBty4?version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="390" width="640"></embed></object><br /><br />Source: <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2011/03/11/that-giant-sucking-sound" target="_blank">http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2011/03/11/that-giant-sucking-sound</a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A water surge in Santa Cruz, CA:</span><br /><br /><object height="390" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Nbe6myM0Ffc&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Nbe6myM0Ffc&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="390" width="640"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cars and boats being pushed around by the waves:</span><br /><br /><object height="390" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4YPOK_3r8Dc&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4YPOK_3r8Dc&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="390" width="640"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Footage of the quake from indoors and outdoors:</span><br /><br /><object height="390" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/j3fUqdGXLbM&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/j3fUqdGXLbM&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="390" width="640"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Raw footage from a grocery store:</span><br /><br /><object height="390" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/x9QNzGY0qxw&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/x9QNzGY0qxw&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="390" width="640"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">An oil refinery fire:</span><br /><br /><object style="height: 390px; width: 640px;"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rZcdXIT3FmY?version=3"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rZcdXIT3FmY?version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="390" width="640"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tsunami waves flooding a the port city of Kamaishi</span><br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wBt5VlZkdyY" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" width="640"></iframe><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Added at 12:53 PM Pacific</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">More first person video of the quake:</span><br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VzAs8V9tLaI" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" width="480"></iframe><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Road damage after the quake:</span><br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9XjAxI92Lr0" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" width="640"></iframe><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tsunami TV coverage from Japan:</span><br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8eIVp8EwG5Y" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" width="480"></iframe><br /></center>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663773591281664871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1539755862828354426.post-37711319912314001662011-03-11T10:41:00.001-08:002011-03-11T10:46:22.902-08:00Whole Wheat Bread: Dirty South PunkA few weeks back I went to go see Murs at a small local venue with a friend. Before Murs came out, there were a few other acts, the first being a punk band called Whole Wheat Bread. They were definitely the best of the opening acts, and in a rare move I bought their CD. I love the disc, it's just been playing over and over in my car since I go it. So if you're a fan of punk, check them out. Their album "Hearts of Hoodlums" is on Amazon, both in disc and MP3 format, and you can get it here: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26x%3D0%26ref_%3Dnb_sb_noss%26y%3D0%26field-keywords%3Dhearts%2520of%2520hoodlums%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Daps&tag=jaimwrit-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Hearts of Hoodlums</a><img src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jaimwrit-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /><div><br /></div><div>In the meantime, enjoy this video for "Bombs Away". The video itself is kind of weird, but music videos tend to be that way. Just enjoy the song for now!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/glWCd3xArcs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663773591281664871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1539755862828354426.post-14614488576801573052011-03-11T09:51:00.000-08:002011-03-11T10:12:14.261-08:00Rogue Review: "Birds & Bees: A Cost Benefit Analysis"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqMFqQbljpo66EPlf98kuMYgtwa9nI0Yctb-xfZMu6ygJPJfwNByH6aTtF5dxrNgln85xRBMNimf5O2Y7FLTi9QFKO4JK70RojgBI3ma-wWK1FjMVvL5xyFBQ-smCTjOQ4tjdWXnKuhLc/s1600/Rogue-Street-Banner-300x161.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 107px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqMFqQbljpo66EPlf98kuMYgtwa9nI0Yctb-xfZMu6ygJPJfwNByH6aTtF5dxrNgln85xRBMNimf5O2Y7FLTi9QFKO4JK70RojgBI3ma-wWK1FjMVvL5xyFBQ-smCTjOQ4tjdWXnKuhLc/s200/Rogue-Street-Banner-300x161.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582886782889824786" /></a><br />This year I had about a half dozen shows I wanted to get to, but so far I've only made it to one. It was definitely not a disappointment, I really enjoyed myself.<div><br /></div><div>"Birds & Bees" is a tough show for me to review honestly because I know both people in the show, but I'm going to do my best.</div><div><br /></div><div>The show follows a couple talking about where they are now. They talk about the various stages of their relationship, with scenes cutting back to show the happy, sex-crazed, early part of the relationship; the "all I can do is think about him, why won't he call me" and "I'll call her later, I'm going to read a book now" stage; and the "big fight".</div><div><br /></div><div>The show ends with a choice. The audience gets to choose from three endings: happy, sad, and amicable separation. I've read other reviews saying that this is a good way to get people to come back to see the show again, although this is no guarantee you'll see a new ending (unless you bring a bunch of your negative friends to root for the "bad" ending....or something similar with the other endings).</div><div><br /></div><div>As a whole, I really enjoyed this show. I laughed a lot, I enjoyed the music, and it does hit a true spot with me, and probably with just about anyone out there. When times get tough, like during the "big fight", you have to make a choice. And that's where the cost benefit analysis comes in. It's not always "the hot sexy time" vs "the big fight" time, there are a lot more variables involved, but we've all been there. Is it worth sticking around? What should we do? Too bad we don't always have an audience to choose for us!</div><div><br /></div><div>The show starts with the cast talking, and cuts to a video of an older band performance, which is the night they met, and there is a picture slideshow of the couple during their early part of their relationship. I really liked the concept, but this is the part of the show where I was confused. Particularly with the slideshow. At this point, I wasn't really sure that we were seeing a couple. Their early banter didn't make that clear enough for me, and the slides showed the two of them having fun, but most of the pictures could have been some good friends hanging out. Near the end of the slideshow, there is one picture of the couple kissing, but my general confusion about their relationship left me wondering if it was just the angle that made me think it was a kiss.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once the video and picture part of the show was done, and the acting part of the show started with the "flashback" scenes, things became very clear. And this is the part I enjoyed the most. I felt like the use of media was clever, but could have been left out of this particular show. Like it would have fit in better somewhere else.</div><div><br /></div><div>But that's it, the rest of the show was a lot of fun. There were lots of little one-liners that I loved:</div><div>Lady: "I'm going to sing you a song I wrote for you. Why don't you sing along?"</div><div>Guy: "Oh, I know this one? Ok, I'll play with you."</div><div>Just clever and subtle.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Birds & Bees: A Cost Benefit Analysis" plays at the Broken Leg Stage, and they have two shows left, on Saturday at 1PM and 5:30PM. Not a great show for young kids due to language and a little sexual content. Check out their Rogue page here: <a href="http://roguefestival.com/rogue2011/?p=119">http://roguefestival.com/rogue2011/?p=119</a></div>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663773591281664871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1539755862828354426.post-5507078322787198302011-03-03T19:42:00.000-08:002011-03-03T20:17:12.256-08:00I went to see "Spamalot" last night<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8j5YuKbxQtjx4E1gqC-9qpBKS3_LFW9UhgIbQQnV5BH_lp0fxh5EFOcnC6tHqM2xHksSEMj5plbyLRix7V7gOgPHZY0bNx_7qEr9qicHeZGasG_KRjo8VAVOMlEELB0KGy9Y_BUX6Fk/s1600/spamalot.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 217px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8j5YuKbxQtjx4E1gqC-9qpBKS3_LFW9UhgIbQQnV5BH_lp0fxh5EFOcnC6tHqM2xHksSEMj5plbyLRix7V7gOgPHZY0bNx_7qEr9qicHeZGasG_KRjo8VAVOMlEELB0KGy9Y_BUX6Fk/s200/spamalot.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580073958462738674" border="0" /></a>I was fortunate enough to get a pair of tickets to go see Spamalot at the Saroyan Theater in Fresno last night. I've never seen it before, but as a fan of Monty Python, and a huge fan of The Quest for the Holy Grail, I was stoked.<br /><br />The night was a lot of fun. I was exhausted going into it (just a long week and a long day), so I was kind of worried I'd have trouble making it through the show. Fortunately, I was very wrong. Once the show started, I had no issues keeping focused. The songs were great, the story was great, and we had a great time.<br /><br />Although based on the Monty Python "Holy Grail" movie, the show doesn't follow the movie exactly. I found that the first Act was more in line with the movie, and the second Act expanded on a different story for the play. Although if you've seen the movie, you know that it doesn't really have a "conclusion" in the typical sense, so this was great.<br /><br />For the Monty Python fan, there were plenty of familiar scenes. Arguing with Dennis, arguing about whether a swallow could carry a coconut, the Black Knight, the Knights of Ni, the French castle to name a few.<br /><br />Among the big changes from the movie to the play, I really enjoyed The Lady of the Water. Only mentioned in the movie, she had a prominent role in the play, and I really enjoyed her. A bit of a diva (even a song lamenting that she's been offstage too long), she guides our hero King Arthur on his quest for the Grail.<br /><br />And finding the Grail? Of course they had to, you need some closure! And that's where some audience participation comes in. Not only did they "find" the Grail in the audience, the lady got to go on stage, be serenaded by the cast and had a quick polaroid snapped! And around this time there was plenty of one liners following the day's headlines (something about California's Father of the Year....Charlie Sheen!).<br /><br />Overall, lots of great fun, if you get a chance to see it, you'll love the silly, irreverent humor (perhaps I should use 'humour'?) that we've all come to love from Monty Python!Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663773591281664871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1539755862828354426.post-90717995213293611022011-02-11T16:35:00.000-08:002011-02-11T17:02:39.016-08:00How the San Diego Chargers were builtOn ESPN's "Tuesday Morning Quarterback" from the week before the Super Bowl (<a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=easterbrook/110201_tuesday_morning_quarterback&sportCat=nfl" target="_blank">http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=easterbrook/110201_tuesday_morning_quarterback&sportCat=nfl</a>), Gregg Easterbrook talks about how the Packers and the Steelers were both built through the draft, as most teams claim they'd like to do. He looks at how the majority of the starters for both teams were either drafted by the team, or picked up as an undrafted free agent after the draft. Each team had 18 out of 22 starters spend their entire career with that team. No starters were obtained in a trade, and only Charles Woodson was a big money free agent.<br /><br />After reading this, I got to thinking about my team, the San Diego Chargers. AJ Smith talks about wanting to build through the draft, but how has he done over the years? For the purposes of this, I used the Chargers depth chart posted on the Chargers.com website on 2/11/11 (<a href="http://www.chargers.com/team/depth-chart.html" target="_blank">http://www.chargers.com/team/depth-chart.html</a>).<br /><br />We'll start with the offense. Ryan Mathews, Jacob Hester, Vincent Jackson, Marcus McNeil, Nick Hardwick, Louis Vasquez and Jeromy Clary were all drafted by the Chargers.<br /><br />Malcolm Floyd, and Kris Dielman were both undrafted free agents signed by the Chargers.<a href="http://www.findzombiegear.com/img/huddle.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 336px; height: 240px;" src="http://www.findzombiegear.com/img/huddle.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Kris Wilson was a free agent pickup by the Chargers, originally drafted by the Chiefs. This is a spot where you could argue that he's not really the starter, that's Antonio Gates, who was placed in IR after the Chargers were eliminated from playoff contention. But since the last depth chart had Wilson listed as the starter, we'll go with him.<br /><br />And Philip Rivers. What do you do with him? Technically, he was drafted by the Giants, and traded to the Chargers. But that was all part of a trade situation from the get-go, and Rivers never signed a contract with the Giants. So I think we can say that Rivers has spend his entire career as a Charger, basically being drafted by them.<br /><br />That's 10 offensive starters who spend their entire career with the Chargers.<br /><br />On the defensive side, Luis Castillo, Shaun Phillips, Brandon Siler, Quentin Jammer, Antoine Cason and Eric Weddle were all drafted by the Chargers.<br /><br />Jacques Cesaire, Antwan Applewhite and Steve Gregory were undrafted free agents signed by the Chargers.<br /><br />Antonio Garay and Kevin Burnett were obtained as free agents.<br /><br />That's 9 defensive starters who have spent their entire career with the Chargers.<br /><br />So 19/22 starters is actually ahead of both of the Super Bowl teams. What does that mean? Nothing really. The Chargers didn't make the playoffs this year So this only really says that the team does build through the draft, bringing in players as rookies and developing them, rather than going after big free agents.Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663773591281664871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1539755862828354426.post-15128490288252561182011-01-22T18:09:00.000-08:002011-01-22T18:21:38.283-08:00Fresno Food Review - Iron Bird Cafe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.findzombiegear.com/img/ironbird.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 180px;" src="http://www.findzombiegear.com/img/ironbird.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I've only been to the Iron Bird Cafe a couple of times now, but it's where my book club meets, so I know I'll be finding myself there more in the future. So far I haven't had a chance to sample a lot on the menu, but I feel like I can still write a brief review.<br /><br />The food is what you would expect at a cafe: breakfast food, soups, salads and sandwiches. And coffee of course. I've tried the Grilled Chicken sandwich, which comes with the standard fare: lettuce, tomato, cheese, but it also comes with a pesto aioli spread which is really yummy. Normally I'm not big on trying out new sauces, but this one was really good.<br /><br />Today I tried out the Downtown Mocha. The drink was really good. A carefully crafted mocha. The only downside is that it is a little small for the price, but I watched the guy make it, and he did spend a lot of time making sure it was right and presenting it nicely.<br /><br />The staff at Iron Bird is great. Everyone has been really nice when I'm there, and I never feel unwelcome (You know how that is, you go to get a coffee, and you end up feeling like you're interrupting the person - none of that here).<br /><br />The place itself is very clean and welcoming. Iron Bird also offers free wi-fi, you just have to get the days password off your receipt when you order.<br /><br />A lot of my friends swear by this place, and one of them I know spends a ton of time there. Honestly, I can't blame them. I would probably spend a lot more time there if it had a better location for me. It's right near the Tower District and downtown Fresno, so it's a great spot for lots of people.<br /><br />If you haven't been there yet, then you should give it a shot!<br /><br /><div>Restaurant: Iron Bird Cafe<br /></div><div>Location: 1915 Fulton Street, Fresno (At Divisadero and Fulton, just south of the 180)<br /></div><div>Overall: Highly Recommended</div>Company Website: <a href="http://www.harlemwingandwaffle.com/" target="_blank">http://www.ironbirdcafe.com/</a>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663773591281664871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1539755862828354426.post-84306867369005096402011-01-15T09:57:00.000-08:002011-01-29T16:33:25.505-08:00Fresno Food Review - Harlem Wing and Waffle**This is the first in what I hope to be a series of restaurant reviews in the Fresno area.**<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.findzombiegear.com/img/harlem.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 144px;" src="http://www.findzombiegear.com/img/harlem.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.findzombiegear.com/img/harlem.jpg"></a><div>Last night we headed to Harlem Wing & Waffle at Riverpark in Fresno. As you can guess from their name, the menu isn't very expansive. They have chicken wings, chicken fingers, and waffles. There is more than that, but not much. </div><div><div><br /></div><div>They may not offer many choices, but there are lots of variations on those choices. They have full wings which are breaded, and they have "winglettes" which is the smaller wings you would see at someplace like Red Robin or a pizza place. When you order your wings, you can pick a flavor. There is plain, buffalo, suicide, spicy bbq and many others (I forgot to grab a brochure, so I can't give a full list, but I know there were well over a dozen flavors to choose from). Among our group we tried about a half dozen of the flavors, and everyone was satisfied.</div><div><br /></div><div>Most of us had the waffles. They were small, maybe 3-4 inches in diameter. But really, that was a perfect size. If you couldn't finish it, you could take a couple of small ones with you, instead of having to take half a big waffle home (like you might with a normal sized waffle). They were also very light and fluffy.</div><div><br /></div><div>My wife tried the onion rings as a side, and they were just standard onion rings. Nothing overly fancy and impressive, but nothing wrong with them either.</div><div><br /></div><div>The staff was great. The girl at the front counter was really friendly in explaining our different options. She was also very nice about cleaning up a little "mess" one of our friends had (someone needs a sippy cup next time!). There was a guy who was going around the dining area cleaning up the tables, and he even stopped to ask if we needed anything, which was nice. The guys who were cooking were very polite as well. The girl at the counter had stepped away to clean some stuff up, and when I went up to ask for a knife, they were both quick to find one for me. None of that "I'm in the kitchen, I don't deal with customers" stuff.</div><div><br /></div><div>Finally we come to what might be the greatest thing about Harlem Wing & Waffle: the price. I ordered the 12 wingette combo, which was $8.99. In comparison, at Red Robin I could get around 10-12 wings for the same price. Except that this combo also came with 4 of the small waffles and a soda! All of their combos are like this. Get a bunch of food and a drink for a good price. At any other place, I would probably have paid close to double the price to add a drink and the extra side.</div><div><br /></div><div>I have to give a big recommendation to Harlem Wing & Waffle. The only downside I can think of is that it is at Riverpark, which can be an unpleasant experience if it's too crowded. Surprisingly, Riverpark was pretty clear for a Friday night, and there were plenty of tables at this place. So get out there and try some Wings and Waffles!</div><div><br /></div><div>Restaurant: Harlem Wing & Waffle</div><div>Location: Riverpark, Fresno, Next to the IMAX theater</div><div>Overall: Highly Recommended</div><div>Company Website: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/HarlemWingandWaffle" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/HarlemWingandWaffle</a></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663773591281664871noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1539755862828354426.post-32553959601906151842011-01-07T21:45:00.000-08:002011-07-21T20:40:29.091-07:00I Am Going to Read 50 Books in 2011<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.findzombiegear.com/img/booknerd.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 324px;" src="http://www.findzombiegear.com/img/booknerd.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I don't generally make New Years Resolutions. I try to stick to goals. And I do have a goal for 2011. I want to read 50 books. Just under 1 book each week. I think this is doable. I've got a decent list built up that I want to read, and I know I can find more as the year goes on.<br /><br />I'm going to keep a list here of the books I plan to read or have read. I'll update fairly frequently as it regards to this goal. I'm of course going to keep more specific tracking over on <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4319736">GoodReads</a>.<br /><br />The first 20 books on my list are books that have won both the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award for science fiction. I'm in a group that is going to go through these throughout the year (on a side note, if you're interested in joining us for this, come visit our group here: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/41533.Hugo_and_Nebula_Awards">http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/41533.Hugo_and_Nebula_Awards</a>).<br /><br />The rules? Nothing too concrete, but it has to be a mostly word book. In other words, I won't count the latest treasury of "Pearls Before Swine," or a compilation book from the "I Can Has Cheezburger" site. But I would count a blog-turned-book book like "Stuff White People Like" or "FU Penguin," since it's mostly text. The book doesn't have to be all high falutin' or anything. Young Adult does count, I plan to read the 2nd book in the "Lorien Legacies" series (i.e. the sequel to "I Am Number Four"). I also would like to re-read some books I read as a kid ("Where the Red Fern Grows," "A Wrinkle in Time") and that I never did read as a kid ("The Chronicles of Narnia" series). Other than that, I'll adjust the rules as necessary.<br /><br />1/7/11<br />Currently the list stands at 36 books I plan to read, with 1 completed. So I've got my plan of attack, plus room for a little over a dozen books that I can randomly find throughout the year!<br /><br />1/29/11<br />Six books done, 44 to go. I'm well on pace (although Maus and The Metamorphosis were pretty short, I do admit that).<div><br /></div><div>3/19/11</div><div>Seventeen done in eleven weeks. Good pace, actually a lot better than I thought I was!<br /><br />7/21/11<br />I haven't really been keeping track, since this is all but done! 40 books down!<br /><br />On to the list!<br /><br /><ol><li>The Windup Girl, Paolo Bacigalupi, Started 1/15/11, Finished 1/19/11</li><li>The Yiddish Policemen's Union, Michael Chabon, Started 1/19/11, Finished 1/26/11</li><li>Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold, Started 2/16/11, Finished 3/3/11<br /></li><li>American Gods, Neil Gaiman, Started 3/9/11, Finished 3/13/11<br /></li><li>Forever Peace, Joe Haldeman, Started 4/22/11, Finished 4/29/11</li><li>Doomsday Book, Connie Willis, Started 5/14/11, Finished 6/11/11</li><li>Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card, Started 6/15/11, Finished 6/18/11<br /></li><li>Speaker For the Dead, Orson Scott Card, Started 6/18/11, Finished 6/24/11<br /></li><li>Neuromancer, William Gibson, Started 6/28/11, Finished 7/5/11<br /></li><li>Startide Rising, David Brin, Started 7/17/11<br /></li><li>The Fountains of Paradise, Arthur C. Clarke</li><li>Dreamsnake, Vonda N. McIntyre</li><li>Gateway, Frederick Pohl</li><li>The Forever War, Joe Haldeman, Started 4/2/11, Finished 4/6/11</li><li>The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia, Ursula K. Le Guin</li><li>Rendezvous with Rama, Arthur C. Clarke</li><li>The Gods Themselves, Isaac Asimov</li><li>Ringworld, Larry Niven</li><li>The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin</li><li>Dune, Frank Herbert</li><li>Oryx and Crake, Margaret Atwood, Started 1/3/11, Finished 1/6/11</li><li>In Fifty Years We'll All Be Chicks, Adam Carolla</li><li>Where the Red Fern Grows, Wilson Rawls</li><li>A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L'Engle</li><li>The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka, Started 1/16/11, Finished 1/28/11</li><li>The Meowmorphosis, Franz Kafka and Cook Cooleridge</li><li>The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Zombie Jim, Mark Twain and W. Bill Czolgosz</li><li>The Rookie, Scott Sigler, Started 6/25/11, Finished 6/27/11<br /></li><li>Ancestor, Scott Sigler, Started 1/28/11, Finished 1/21/11</li><li>City of the Dead, Brian Keene</li><li>The Curse of Chalion, Lois McMaster Bujold, Started 1/29/11, Finished 2/13/11</li><li>The Living Dead 2, J.L. Bourne (Various Authors)</li><li>The King of Plagues, Jonathan Maberry, Started 3/28/11, 4/2/11<br /></li><li>Dust and Decay, Jonathan Maberry</li><li>The Night Eternal, Chuck Hogan and Guillermo Del Toro</li><li>The Power of Six, Pittacus Lore</li><li>Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Jane Austen and Seth Graham Smith, Started 1/6/11, Finished 1/14/11</li><li>Maus, Art Spiegelman, Started 1/26/11, Finished 1/27/11</li><li>The Hangman's Daughter, Oliver Potzsch, Started 1/31/11, Finished 2/6/11<br /></li><li>Darkly Dreaming Dexter, Jeff Lindsay, Started 2/8/11, Finished 2/16/11</li><li>Zombielicious, Timothy McGivney, Started 2/21/11, Finished 2/23/11</li><li>You Might be a Zombie And Other Bad News, Cracked.Com, Started 2/28/11, Finished 3/5/11<br /></li><li>The Year of the Flood, Margaret Atwood, Started 3/4/11, Finished 3/9/11</li><li>5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth, The Oatmeal, Started 3/9/11, Finished 3/13/11<br /></li><li>Ship Breaker, Paolo Bacigalupi, Started 3/13/11, Finished 3/16/11</li><li>Breaking News: An Autozombiography, N.J. Hallard, Started 3/14/11</li><li>Catalyst, Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, Started 3/18/11, Finished 3/28/11</li><li>The Fiche Room, Suzie Carr, Started 3/19/11, Finished 3/25/11</li><li>Dearly Devoted Dexter, Jeff Lindsay, Started 4/6/11, Finished 4/9/11</li><li>Death Note, Tsugumi Ohba, Started 3/14/11, Finished 4/12/11</li><li>Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk, David Sedaris, Started 4/5/11, Finished 4/5/11<br /></li><li>The Zombie Autopsies, Steven C. Schlozman, Started 4/11/11, Finished 4/13/11</li><li>Dead Spell, Belinda Frisch, Started 4/14/11, Finished 4/21/11</li><li>What You See In The Dark, Manuel Munoz, Started 5/1/11, Finished 5/14/11</li><li>Bossypants, Tina Fey, Started 5/6/11, Finished 5/8/11</li><li>Blood is Red, Scott Sigler, Started 5/8/11, Finished 5/8/11</li><li>Coraline, Neil Gaiman, Started 5/14/11, Finished 5/31/11</li><li>Pump Six, Paolo Bacigalupi, Started 5/31/11, Finished 6/5/11</li><li>Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro, Started 6/12/11, Finished 6/15/11</li><li>Sundiver, David Brin, Started 7/6/11, Finished 7/16/11</li></ol></div>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663773591281664871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1539755862828354426.post-40359418906329804922010-11-28T10:40:00.000-08:002010-11-28T10:57:05.084-08:00Chargers Starting Lineup Against the Colts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm20cm-Qb_Bt8MXq0yrCOVMQLoMBYtQBSHgU5xGs39o5Dnj1zMcjoHfHVDhyphenhyphenPZt7Y-d2TV2zglbGYaVoKtZ9tuFf53cgu819vejaMASfR75Dtk5rwvRW8g8rgRvWiU3gijCW_4hDbLPHA/s1600/qualcomm.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm20cm-Qb_Bt8MXq0yrCOVMQLoMBYtQBSHgU5xGs39o5Dnj1zMcjoHfHVDhyphenhyphenPZt7Y-d2TV2zglbGYaVoKtZ9tuFf53cgu819vejaMASfR75Dtk5rwvRW8g8rgRvWiU3gijCW_4hDbLPHA/s320/qualcomm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544675467527446946" /></a><br /><br />It's been a while since I did a post about the San Diego Chargers starting lineup. The first posts were speculation on who would be starting, and boy has it changed since the beginning of the season. The Chargers have gone through more players this season than they did all of last season.<br /><br />Most of the starters are the guys we've come to expect, but there are some significant changes since the beginning of the season:<br /><br />Offense:<br />QB - Philip Rivers<br />RB - Mike Tolbert (With Ryan Mathews still injured, Tolbert will be the guy)<br />FB - Jacob Hester<br />TE - Randy McMichael (If Antonio Gates can't go, then McMichael will get the start)<br />WR - Vincent Jackson (His first game eligible after serving his suspensions couldn't come at a better time. Patrick Crayton has stepped up, but injured his wrist last week against Denver)<br />WR - Malcolm Floyd<br />LT - Marcus McNeill<br />LG - Kris Dielman<br />C - Nick Hardwick<br />RG - Tyronne Green (If Luis Vasquez can't go, then Green will get the start)<br />RT - Jeromy Clary<br /><br />Defense:<br />CB - Quentin Jammer<br />CB - Antoine Cason<br />SS - Paul Oliver (Steve Gregory is listed as Questionable, so it looks like Oliver might start)<br />FS - Eric Weddle<br />OLB - Shaun Philips<br />MLB - Stephen Cooper<br />MLB - Kevin Burnett<br />OLB - Antwan Applewhite (Shawne Merriman is gone, and Larry English has been hurt, but he'll see time on the field)<br />DE - Luis Castillo<br />DT - Antonio Garay<br />DE - Jacques Cesaire<br /><br />Special Teams<br />P - Mike Scifres<br />K - Nate Kaeding<br />LS - Mike Windt (I've lost track of how many Long Snappers this team has used this season, but it's got to be a record!)<br /><br />Enjoy the game, and good luck identifying all those guys, especially on Special Teams, who weren't there a few weeks. I don't know how many times during a game I got "Who the hell is number __?"<br /><br />Go Bolts!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26x%3D0%26ref_%3Dnb_sb_noss%26y%3D0%26field-keywords%3Dsan%2520diego%2520chargers%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Daps&tag=jaimwrit-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Looking for San Diego Chargers Gear?</a><img src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jaimwrit-20&l=ur2&o=1" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /></span></div><br /><br />*Please note, this lineup is based of of my guesses and information taken from www.Chargers.com and www.SignOnSanDiego.com/news/sports/chargersJaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663773591281664871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1539755862828354426.post-73359836623088616492010-11-26T21:00:00.000-08:002010-11-26T21:08:03.839-08:00Some New Diseases<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxFPuN9K21GUP4eUt27UvkKsMfBR82cRsZ7nChpHz8oXVfclcdIDnYBgBXANY9zN-lQdlfsNHhPKC_3FZDwuNUUyOoSGdGyY9hR4sRWosGTgw9CJufKw94i4GWOhkHCO7BTFtR2aL21UA/s1600/diseases.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxFPuN9K21GUP4eUt27UvkKsMfBR82cRsZ7nChpHz8oXVfclcdIDnYBgBXANY9zN-lQdlfsNHhPKC_3FZDwuNUUyOoSGdGyY9hR4sRWosGTgw9CJufKw94i4GWOhkHCO7BTFtR2aL21UA/s320/diseases.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544090296318823666" /></a><br /><br />I saw my cousins for Thanksgiving, and as part the Christmas gift exchange (since we won't all be together again this year), this is what I ended up with. From left to right, I got herpes, crabs, HIV, chlamydia and giardia. Thanks, cousins!<br /><br />Want to learn more about the giant microbes? Check out <a href="http://www.giantmicrobes.com/">http://www.giantmicrobes.com</a> or check out <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26x%3D0%26ref_%3Dnb_sb_noss%26y%3D0%26field-keywords%3Dgiant%2520microbes%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Daps&tag=jaimwrit-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Giant Microbes</a><img src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jaimwrit-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> here.Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663773591281664871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1539755862828354426.post-55189107939683227052010-11-19T10:16:00.000-08:002010-11-19T10:29:41.005-08:00Was Michael Vick's MNF Game the Best Fantasy Performance Ever?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.findzombiegear.com/img/ff.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 291px; height: 291px;" src="http://www.findzombiegear.com/img/ff.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I've been pondering this question since Michael Vick put up a ridiculous 333-yard passing, 80-yard rushing, 6 touchdown (4 passing and two rushing) performance. So I've been wondering if this was the best fantasy performance of all time, or at least the last 10 years (which is about how long I've been doing fantasy football).<br /><br />I was going to limit my search to the last 10 years because I unfortunately don't have the time to scour the internet and historical NFL stats to find out. But fortunately for me, there are people on the internet with more time than me!<br /><br />One of the top results for "best fantasy performances" was this article from Total Pro Sports: <a href="http://www.totalprosports.com/2010/11/16/was-michael-vicks-monday-night-performance-the-best-fantasy-football-performance-ever/" target="_blank">http://www.totalprosports.com/2010/11/16/was-michael-vicks-monday-night-performance-the-best-fantasy-football-performance-ever/</a><br /><br />Since fantasy football rules vary from league to league, they used a fairly standard set of rules and found that Michael Vick's performance was....the top fantasy football performance of all time! Well, sort of.<br /><br />Billy Cannon put up more points than Vick, but it was a year before there really was "fantasy football." But I say that Cannon is still number 1, just for accumulating 300+ yards of rushing and receiving plus 5 touchdowns.<br /><br />Performances of note: Clinton Portis at #4 with 218 yards rushing, 36 yards receiving and 5 touchdowns. This was an important performance because I had him on my team that year, so I remember this distinctly. Yay me!Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663773591281664871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1539755862828354426.post-27083947192224438122010-09-23T20:59:00.000-07:002010-09-23T21:22:18.735-07:00How Long Should You Wait To Discuss TV Shows?I had a terrible time coming up with a title for this post, but I think it sums up everything I'm curious about.<br /><br />It's premier week on TV, and I haven't had time to watch any of the shows I love. A friend asked me if I'd caught the premier of "Glee," and when I said that I hadn't, she didn't go into anything about the show, but said that I needed to hurry up and watch it so she could get someone else's opinion on it. And this got me thinking...<br /><br />Technology has changed the game. In the past, you could watch something on TV, then the next day you would go to work and talk about it. Now, you tweet while you're watching the show, and everyone around the world can see it. This is a great way to discuss what's going on with other people, as it happens, but it can also sting if the wrong person sees it.<br /><br />Living on the west coast, I'm part of the group that gets burned. I remember a few years ago logging onto Yahoo, and finding out that Carrie Underwood had won American Idol....2 hours before the show aired where I lived.<br /><br />Yahoo has since learned their lesson, and they (like most other sites) won't post anything crucial on their main page. You have to click through to see it. I think I even saw that MSN wouldn't put Olympic medal news on their main page until after it had aired.<br /><br />But major websites aren't the real problem. It's the individual on Facebook or Twitter. And when I say "problem," I don't mean to imply that most people do it intentionally (like the assholes who went around to Harry Potter midnight release parties shouting "Dumbledore Dies!"). I just mean that individuals tend to say what's on their mind, without an editor saying, "Wait, we can't post this just yet."<br /><br />Recently on Facebook, Chef Kevin Gillespie, a former contestant on Top Chef posted something about this season's winner. He quickly took it down and apologized to the west coast viewers who hadn't seen the show yet.<br /><br />So when is too soon to spoil something? I think we can all agree that if you're on the east coast, maybe give the west coast their 3 hours to catch up. But most people don't seem to follow that. You can hop on twitter and your east coast friends are tweeting away about what just happened.<br /><br />OK, so you can avoid social media for a few hours if your on the west coast. It doesn't seem fair, but it's probably the best way to avoid spoilers.<br /><br />But then we get to the next dilemma: DVRs. Lots of people have busy lives, and I know I'm one who tends to let shows accumulate, then catch up on the weekend, or maybe on a weeknight later in the week if there's time.<br /><br />I've spoken to several people who seem to agree that most shows deserve at least a day or 2, because of the DVR situation. Let your friends catch up before you start dropping spoilers.<br /><br />But what's an acceptable time frame? Do we give people 2 days before we drop any spoilers? Give them through the weekend? That might be basically a full week if the show is on Monday. What do you think is a fair amount?Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663773591281664871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1539755862828354426.post-18616897161624036232010-09-23T19:41:00.000-07:002010-09-23T19:47:55.547-07:00NFL Picks - Week 3Ouch, not so hot last week. Only got 6 games right. Time to make up for it! I'm going to be out of town this weekend, so I'm posting my picks a little bit early.<br /><br />Here are my pick's for week 3 of the 2010 NFL season. Remember, I'm an unabashed San Diego Chargers fan, so I'm not going to pick their games for this weekly column. Home team in caps:<br /><br />GIANTS over Titans<br />Bengals over PANTHERS<br />BUCS over Steelers<br />PATRIOTS over Bills<br />RAVENS over Browns<br />CHIEFS over 49ers (I had a tough time with this one. I'm not 100% sure I picked right)<br />TEXANS over Cowboys (I've been going against the Texans all year, and I've been wrong. And the Cowboys don't look good)<br />Lions over VIKINGS (It has to happen eventually, right?)<br />SAINTS over Falcons<br />Redskins over RAMS<br />Eagles over JAGUARS<br />Colts over BRONCOS<br />CARDINALS over Raiders<br />DOLPHINS over Jets (Remember what Brandon Marshall has done to Antonio Cromartie in the past?)<br />PACKERS over Bears<br /><br />Last week: 6-9<br />Overall: 18-12Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663773591281664871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1539755862828354426.post-9472444229066458292010-09-20T20:13:00.000-07:002010-09-20T20:23:33.300-07:00The Next Day - Jaguars at ChargersMy week 2 thoughts the day after the Chargers game.<br /><br />Wow, what is there to say? The team played well in all aspects of the game. There were way too many turnovers, and that wasn't cool, but the defense got plenty of takeaways.<br /><br />So here's my summary:<br /><br />THE GOOD<br /><br />*Philip Rivers - What can I say? He's always good!<br /><br />*The defense was aggressive. Sacks, QB hits, turnovers, I liked it all. At least one of the pick's came because Garrard was getting hit as he tried to throw and the ball just popped up.<br /><br />*Mike Tolbert could be our starter. I would like to see him get his carries, kind of mix it up with Ryan Mathews. Keep both of them fresh.<br /><br />*Antoine Cason is proving that the Chargers were right in trusting him to take over Antonio Cromartie's CB spot.<br /><br />THE BAD<br /><br />*The turnovers. The picks might have been dropped or off of receiver's hands, but Rivers wasn't always perfect on the throws. A better throw, an easier catch, and it's a completion.<br /><br />*The return game. Sproles averaged 18 yards per return yesterday. I'd like to see Sproles return to being that guy who was a major threat as a returner. Maybe it's the blocking, I'm not sure, but I do want to see better returns.<br /><br />And that's it for this week! Next week, the Chargers head up to Seattle!Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663773591281664871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1539755862828354426.post-47754657300087308492010-09-18T22:02:00.000-07:002010-09-18T22:08:46.560-07:002010 NFL Picks - Week 2Wow! What a great week 1! I picked 12 out of 15 games correctly. Must be early season luck! On to week 2.<br /><br />Here are my pick's for week 2 of the 2010 NFL season. Remember, I'm an unabashed San Diego Chargers fan, so I'm not going to pick their games for this weekly column. Home team in caps:<br /><br />PACKERS over Bills<br />VIKINGS over Dolphins<br />BROWNS over Chiefs<br />COWBOYS over Bears<br />FALCONS over Cardinals<br />PANTHERS over Bucs<br />Eagles over LIONS<br />Ravens over BENGALS<br />TITANS over Steelers<br />BRONCOS over Seahawks (We get to find out if the Seahawks are actually good, or if the 49ers are that terrible)<br />Rams over RAIDERS (The Rams have to win eventually, and the Raiders looked terrible last week)<br />REDSKINS over Texans (I think last week's win over the Colts was big for the Texans, but they definitely came to play for that one)<br />Patriots over JETS<br />COLTS over Giants (Peyton at home on a prime time game. I'm still not going against that)<br />Saints over 49ERS<br /><br /><br />Last Week's Picks: 12-3<br />Season Pick's: 12-3Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663773591281664871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1539755862828354426.post-25170983408180943182010-09-18T11:26:00.000-07:002010-09-18T11:34:50.787-07:00Supercooling WaterThis morning I decided to try out a simple experiment I had seen online: supercooling water. What is "supercooled" water? According to Wikipedia, "Supercooling, also known as undercooling, is the process of lowering the temperature of a liquid or a gas below its freezing point, without it becoming a solid." (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supercool" target=_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supercool</a>)<br /><br />Upon aggitation, the water will instantly freeze, as you can see in the video below:<br /><br /><center><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MpiAFViRdAI?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MpiAFViRdAI?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></center><br /><br />So how do you do this experiment at home? Very simply! You need some very pure water. I read that Fiji water works well, or also distilled water. I used Fiji water. <br /><br />1. To start, find a flat surface in your freezer and leave the water in there. I left it overnight to make sure everything got nice and cold.<br /><br />2. Once the water is below freezing, carefully remove it from the freezer (One way to gauge that it's cold enough is to leave another bottle of tap water next to it. Once that's nice and frozen, you know it's cold enough).<br /><br />3. Agitate the water and it will freeze! As you can see in my video, I attempted to shake the bottle, although that didn't quite do it. After I picked it up to shake it, I ended up putting some force into setting it back down, which did it.<br /><br />You will find that the water doesn't freeze into a solid block, but rather it's more of a hard slush. But it's a simple experiment, and pretty cool to do!Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663773591281664871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1539755862828354426.post-81505381706559801972010-09-16T20:15:00.001-07:002010-09-16T20:21:15.583-07:00What Was Your First Album?Lately I've been listening to lots of old CDs in my collection. For whatever reason, I've just been feeling like listening to old stuff from high school, and this morning I ended up pulling out one of the very first CDs I ever bought - "Garbage" from Garbage. It was actually the second CD I ever bought.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTGp9C6W6OYaR3VUbQ3Q843AAFETC0tHpzYqstuA-h21wPRCFlLfTxNIzMWTNkeseJBjEI-lEwl832Z12hICG0632PBUbZgWqf0sD24bL0vLGoSI0qmRoNeCP5C9v6GZ8Y-LRiASvVR0c/s1600/garbage.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTGp9C6W6OYaR3VUbQ3Q843AAFETC0tHpzYqstuA-h21wPRCFlLfTxNIzMWTNkeseJBjEI-lEwl832Z12hICG0632PBUbZgWqf0sD24bL0vLGoSI0qmRoNeCP5C9v6GZ8Y-LRiASvVR0c/s320/garbage.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517716313703516034" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The first CD I ever bought? Another self-titled one. "The Presidents of the United State of America." Why? I don't really remember. I do recall my friend James introducing me to them, somewhere around 7th grade. And I really did like them a lot (and I do still enjoy listening to those first few albums.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSc-SOOtMoj2Lghb42HeiCjOdk_fuR_sGBPTVIUnZJghxDBVd-1x4Wb4pRSpN1tDAy0Z7Me8uxBdgXC2pizhQig4Zew0LSo3rD4Z-gDS_qm7K5gki7ULKqfLZQvubDbpsWUuden5IzUR0/s1600/potusa.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSc-SOOtMoj2Lghb42HeiCjOdk_fuR_sGBPTVIUnZJghxDBVd-1x4Wb4pRSpN1tDAy0Z7Me8uxBdgXC2pizhQig4Zew0LSo3rD4Z-gDS_qm7K5gki7ULKqfLZQvubDbpsWUuden5IzUR0/s320/potusa.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517716908105689970" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So what was the first album you ever bought? Leave a comment below with your first album!Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663773591281664871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1539755862828354426.post-40470949730599398602010-09-14T21:47:00.001-07:002010-09-14T22:01:28.556-07:00The Next Day - Chargers at ChiefsWeek 1<div>My weekly thoughts after having a day to think about the week's Charger game.<div><br /></div><div>Even though I've had time, my thoughts on last night's game are pretty much the same. San Diego should have won that game. Kansas City really had 3 big plays: the big run by Charles, the punt return by McCluster and the forced fumble. Outside of that, the Chiefs couldn't convert on 3rd down and couldn't drive the ball. San Diego had their times in the game where they couldn't move either, but also had times where they couldn't be stopped. So what are the good and bad things to take from this game?</div><div><br /></div><div>The Good</div><div>*The defense looked good. Other than the one big run, the Chiefs were held to 141 net yards. I'm sure part of this is on the Chiefs offense, but the Chargers defense was good.</div><div><br /></div><div>*Philip Rivers can lead a comeback. If my team is down by a touchdown with 2 minutes to go, he is one of the few quarterbacks I want leading my team.</div><div><br /></div><div>*Antonio Gates is a beast. The Chiefs had to double and triple team him to take him away.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Bad</div><div>*The punt coverage. Need I say more? I wish I could find stats on hangtime, but it seemed to me like the Scifres wasn't getting as much hangtime as he normally does. Maybe I'm wrong.</div><div><br /></div><div>*The receivers need to step up. They had their moments, but when Kansas City was attacking Gates, it seemed like there wasn't anyone picking up the slack, or maybe no one that Rivers felt comfortable/trusted enough to throw the ball to.</div><div><br /></div><div>Next week the Chargers return home to face the Jacksonville Jaguars. Kassim Osgood returns to San Diego, and he'll probably be fired up now after catching a touchdown last week. I think the return home will help the Chargers get the victory.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663773591281664871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1539755862828354426.post-32133160228755528412010-09-13T20:56:00.001-07:002010-09-13T20:56:34.459-07:00Chargers at Chiefs - Halftime ReportWow. This game is looking rough so far. The Chargers came out pretty strong before the rain started. <br/> <br/> So what's wrong? The Chargers were big favorites in this game, yet they're down 21-7. there is no single answer, but if I had to pick one, I would say "stop the big plays." 50+ yard TD run, 95+ yard punt return for a TD, and Ryan Mathews was stripped and the fumble was returned close to the goal. Kansas City has the momentum right now. <br/> <br/> The Chargers really need to get composed at the half and come back in the 2nd half and march down for a TD. Get momentum back and control the game. <br/> <br/> San Diego is down by 2 TDs, but they have a half, and we've got Philip Rivers, so I feel like we can do this.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.9</div>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663773591281664871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1539755862828354426.post-12975546286410341282010-09-12T09:52:00.000-07:002010-09-12T09:57:57.848-07:002010 NFL Picks - Week 1OK, I'm a little late getting this posted, but I'm going to try to pick all of the NFL games this year. Just win-loss, not against the spread. I already had picked the Saints over the Vikings (you'll have to trust me since I didn't get it posted). I'm late, so I can't get too much description going, so here are this week's picks (home team in caps). I won't be picking any Chargers games since I'll pretty much always pick them to win, and I refuse to pick against them. I'm a homer, I know.<div><br /></div><div>BUCS over Browns</div><div>Dolphins over BILLS</div><div>PATRIOTS over Bengals</div><div>Colts over TEXANS (sorry, Texans. Get it done and prove me wrong)</div><div>JAGUARS over Broncos</div><div>FALCONS over Steelers</div><div>TITANS over Raiders</div><div>GIANTS over Panthers</div><div>BEARS over Lions</div><div>Cardinals over RAMS</div><div>PACKERS over Eagles</div><div>49ers over SEAHAWKS</div><div>REDSKINS over Cowboys</div><div>Ravens over JETS</div><div><br /></div>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663773591281664871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1539755862828354426.post-40389581336762851522010-09-04T16:08:00.000-07:002010-09-04T16:16:51.793-07:00Rough Day for Former Fresno State Football Players<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3mYuPXtfNyoEFy9WC-4akmgGdyh7Z9IkEGUwR3-AN5jmJWcBplthd1Y_JBiVHuVHHuak8qEmbQMqTWs42He_HISy16xb3P28mERHYRZNtGidD51flAqncysNZx4fXu69EOaoKpnk5WyA/s1600/ryan+mathews.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 222px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3mYuPXtfNyoEFy9WC-4akmgGdyh7Z9IkEGUwR3-AN5jmJWcBplthd1Y_JBiVHuVHHuak8qEmbQMqTWs42He_HISy16xb3P28mERHYRZNtGidD51flAqncysNZx4fXu69EOaoKpnk5WyA/s320/ryan+mathews.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513201279699024930" /></a><br /><br /><br />Today was decision time. NFL teams had to cut down to their 53-man roster today, and the rookies from Fresno State did not fare well.<br /><br />Ryan Mathews was the only Bulldog drafted in the 2010 NFL Draft. He went 12th overall to the San Diego Chargers, so there was really no way he wasn't going to make the roster.<br /><br />No one else on the team was drafted, so they were long shots to make an NFL team.<br /><br />Also picked up by the Chargers, as an undrafted Free Agent, WR Seyi Ajirotutu was cut today. San Diego Union-Tribune writer Kevin Acee has speculated that Ajirotutu will make the practice squad, however.<br /><br />RB Lonyae Miller was cut by the Dallas Cowboys. He was a long shot to make it anyway, behind veterans Felix Jones, Marion Barber and Tashard Choice.<br /><br />On a positive note, CB A.J. Jefferson did not get cut by the Arizona Cardinals. Although I didn't see any of their preseason games, I imagine that Jefferson's abilities as a returner had to have helped him there.<br /><br />Rookie WR Chastin West was also cut by the Green Bay Packers.<br /><br />And finally, although he was not a rookie, former Fresno State QB Tom Brandstater was cut by the Indianapolis Colts.Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663773591281664871noreply@blogger.com2