Where I'm At....

I realize posting has been sporadic, I will try and improve. Why I continue to write as if I have a substantial audience, I'm not sure. Anyhow...

Finals went very well, as did the winter quarter. Ended up with a 3.55 GPA, which if it isn't my highest, has to be damn close, so way to go me. Spring Break was rather abrupt, and we're back to the grind. I have to concede that I'm already a little burnt for this quarter. Maybe it's just leftover from last quarter - hopefully it will go well, and my stamina will return.

It's been a weird first week though...

It's Here... Part II

The other day that I spend all winter waiting for is the arrival of my Baseball-Prospectus. It's an awesome book, but for those who aren't into baseball, you'll just think it's stupid... It's mostly translated statistics, meaning they're put into complex formulas to try and level the playing field. Example: Player A hits .300 playing for the Rockies - 81 games at Coors Field (notorious hitter's park). Player B hits.290 for the Padres at PETCO park (strong pitcher's park). Who's the better hitter? Well, if these batting averages were put into the translation formulas, you'd get an EqA (Equivalent Average), and would know what they did in a neutral hitting environment. For the record, Player B would have a higher EqA. Again, for most of you, you don't care...

Ooooooo, I'm PISSED

While taking a study break from Biochemistry, good ol' wikipedia informed me that "24" won't be back on TV until 2009. In an article I found here, we're told that:

"Even though eight episodes for this season had already been filmed before the beginning of the writers strike, producers would have had to ramp up production soon to complete the season. So "24" represents this television season's most prominent casualty due to the writers strike. "

And that

"A January 2009 start seemed the best way to comply with viewers' wishes that a season's episodes run without interruption to conclusion, Fox said on Thursday."

Delay it a whole year? Comply with viewers' wishes? Yeah, I was totally wishing for that. Just because I'm a FAN of the show, doesn't mean I actually have a desire to watch it, or that I anticipate the start of a new season. No, no, no, no, that's crazy talk (just want to point out that hint of sarcasm there, in case you missed it).

I always looked forward to the start of the "24" season, just as I looked for other ways to make it through the winter until Spring Training started. So, the real reason they're delaying the season premiere (from that same article):

"If [FOX] had started airing new episodes soon, the season finale would not have taken place until the summer, when TV networks rarely show their high-profile programs."

I mean, honestly, does everything always have to be about money? I know it's FOX, so I shouldn't really be that surprised, but it still irks me. I have no problem with the writers strike itself; everybody is entitled to as much as they can get, and I think it's the networks fault for prolonging it. But what irks me more is that I know I'm gonna end up watching it next year, not because I have any sort of loyalty to the network or give a crap about their advertising revenues (which I certainly don't) or care for their political views (which I certainly despise), but simply because I'm a huge fan of the show, and I'd rather be entertained than miss out on something I enjoy simply to prove a point, especially when TV ratings are in millions of viewers.

It's Here...

Oh yes boys and girls, it's that time of the year again. The long cold nights are over, and we finally have that magical something to look forward to. In two weeks, we'll get to hear the voices of Jon Miller, Dave Flemming, Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper filling the airwaves. My Baseball-Prospectus is in the mail, the local batting cages open this weekend, and I can't wait to get my glove out and see what kind of shape my Sinker is in, and if my Slider still has that nasty break.

Thank God for Baseball: Pitchers and Catchers have reported.

And remember, TINSTAAPP, but there is Timmy.

Keep to the Code Part II

Not that I'm really into sequels, but this will be fast.

So, last year, I touched on keeping to the code in men's bathrooms here. For the record, that post was also way before that Senator got arrested for doing something ELSE in the bathroom, but I digress. To continue the theme of male social awkwardness, I bring up the topic of a phone number exchange.

It's just really weird to ask another dude for his phone number.There might be a perfectly legitimate reason for it; getting together of UFC fight night, study sessions for our disorganized and heavily biased Vine Physiology class, playing some Racquetball, etc. But you can't just outright ask for the number. There has to be some kind of reasoning behind it.

So, here are some examples of how it might work:

"Hey, do I have your number?"

That would never work on a woman. They know exactly to whom and when they give their number out - you'd be shot down in a glorious blaze of smoke and shrapnel. But us, we're stupid enough or so scattered with our memories that, "Oh, crap, I thought I did." Well of course we thought we did; we can't remember what we had for lunch three days ago, let alone the details of a conversation that was last year?

"Alright, so I'll call you about the ___________. Let me get your number."

Obviously this scenario would imply some social familiarity with the guy. Maybe you were gonna help him out ... fixing his car or brewing some beer over the weekend. Maybe you were proximal friends - your spouse is friends with his girlfriend or something - and it's suggested that you hang out. Chances are you'll end up getting along fine, but again, the number thing is weird.

"Hey, let me get your number, we'll hang out."

This one's probably the worst. Obviously the guy who is asking is enthusiastic about grabbing a beer or something. But what about the other guy? He can't exactly say "No thanks man", because that would be brutally impolite (though I know a couple of guys who wouldn't care about the manners and would say it anyway). So then, he's stuck with a guy who has his number but he has no desire to socialize with.

And then it ends up like that Seinfeld episode where Jerry can't get rid of the guy, and after he attempts to "break up" with him, ends up getting guilt tripped out of his Knicks tickets.


And for the above reasons, Business Cards were invented...