Pop Culture Happenings: World War Z Gets A Trailer and more buzzworthy dumps
Colorado just became a bit more green
Believe it or not, this election held more than just a race between good and evil (yes, I said it, and I do believe Mitt and his running mate are evil). In fact, along with a presidential race, many states had a lot of polarizing issues on the agenda.
While a few states voted and passed laws allowing gay marriage, Colorado continued its push to become the greenest state in the nation. Though no solar panels or wind mills will be added to our already green state, the passing of amendment 64 saw Colorado become the first (with Washington following in stride) state to legalize recreational use of marijuana.
Amendment 64 didn’t pass with flying colors. In fact, it only gained a little over half of the voting population. With that being said, though, within a few months, or a year, the sale of marijuana will be legal for those over the age of 21.
While Amsterdam is only allowed to sell around 1/6th of an ounce, the law in Colorado will also be kept to small amounts, but will also allow growth in homes and retail stores. Marijuana or “cheeba,” as the cool kids are calling it, will be taxed and regulated similar to alcohol, with projected revenue 5 and 22 million per year.
Governor Hickenlooper has been a strong opponent of the measure, but has come to terms with the voters want. He has told the associated press that, “The voters have spoken and we have to respect their will. This will be a complicated process, but we intend to follow through. That said, federal law still says marijuana is an illegal drug so don’t break out the Cheetos or gold fish too quickly.” Hickenlooper will write the amendment changes in law within 30 days of the vote.
Fast tips to a healthy glow
Yes, you are in a rush. Yes, every single minute of your day counts. We all live busy lives. Yet, we all should take at least 15 minutes to look good. Here is how we can do this.
Start with a quick manicure. You can do this by applying one of those several shades of fast drying blends. This writer loves the brand Sally Hansen and she loves the quick dry formulas. Yes, they will really dry in five minutes or less.
The trick is to try not to bump your nails for the next half hour or so. Yes, you can use your hands and fingers. You just don’t want to bump against them on things. This means you must use the padding of your fingers when you write or put on the rest of your makeup.
After your nails are dried, you can start on your face makeup. All you need to do is apply the basics. This can include: primer, foundation (if needed) and concealer. Once the basics are applied, go straight to the eyes. Yes, the eyes are where you need to put in the most attention.
Remember the eyes are the window to the soul. They are also the part of the face that will get the most attention. First, apply your favorite shade or shades of eye shadow, eye liner and mascara. Yes, those liners and mascara are important to emphasize your eyes. Now add a little bit of blush to the apples of your cheeks and up toward your temple area.
Finally, add a bit of color to your lips, spritz on some perfume and you are ready to go. Check your time. Did it really take you that long? Plus, the more you practice this routine, the less time it will take you to perfect.
Lookin' for Some Back and Forth
You may say: Your system would place Miller ahead of Franklin, Catricala ahead of Romero, and Ard ahead of Kivlehan. What's up with that?
Short Answer #1.
Going into 2012, the system placed Jaso (144 OPS+), Saunders (110), and Seager (110) ahead of Wells (99), Thames (95), Robinson (78) or Peguero (54). What's up with THAT?
Short (less triumphant) Answer #2
We don't pretend to have the approach to baseball. We just offer an approach. I'm not a scout and I'm not going to try to impersonate one. I developed the numerical analysis not knowing which prospects it would single out. It seems to be doing pretty well at singling out the right ones.
Short Answer #3
Maybe ... just maybe ... my guys really do have a better chance of MLB success than the other guys.
Longer Answer #1
The plan is to zero in on all three of these "matched pairs" with separate articles. And the goal is not to undermine the conventional wisdom, but to put it to the test.
Nor do I mean to dampen the enthusiasm for Franklin and Romero, or imply that they are not first-rate prospects. To the contrary, the enthusiasm should be for the totality, and for guys who might have "sneaky" value.
Witness: John Jaso, as far as I can tell, never appeared on a Baseball America top-prospect chart or anywhere much else for that matter. But when I run my numbers, he leaps off the page (or THE GRID). He shows up as a Person of Interest at age 19, then had Golden Years at 21 and 23.
Not Billy Butler, but all signs in the PRODUCTION + PLATE SKILLS + AGE-ARC mantra pointed to Jaso as a future successful MLB hitter.
And that's what we're looking for here: guys who look like they'll be successful MLB hitters.
Longer Answer #2
Will constitute "The Legend of Next Usain Bolt." Forthcoming.
Forcing animals to smoke is pretty sicko stuff
Did you know that in order for something to qualify as a “low risk” item, the USDA asks manufacturers to verify said risk by animal testing? Given the number of studies conducted on animals that have yielded false positives (or negatives) and even resulted in death, I think we can all conclude that something’s reaction to a mouse or rabbit just isn’t the same as it is to a human. Yet, we keep testing.
Here’s a pretty sick test that’s being used by some testers right now: Tobacco companies want to force mice and rats to inhale smoke while stuck in small tubes for hours at a time—or even for the duration of their lives. Given how most of us know that smoking’s not healthy, shouldn’t we recognize that forcing animals to smoke is pretty unhealthy of us, too?
Perhaps it reveals just what kind of sick weirdoes we are. After all, a kid blows up a frog and we worry that he’ll be a serial killer; a kid grows up to blow up animals in a lab and it’s considered the scientific way.
I really think we can do better than this, people. There are so many more reliable and accurate alternatives to animal testing that it just makes us look stupid today. To ask the FDA to prevent these sick experiments, please click here.
Fall and Winter League Update
Vintage Vinnie?
We keep searching for Vintage Vinnie (Catricala, that is) ... the guy who put together three first-rate seasons in a row before reaching AAA and ... doing what is charitably known as a "face-plant."
So he was sent to the Arizona Fall League, and ... promptly started 0-for-11.
Since then, however, we have begun to see a bit of Vintage Vinnie after all. He got five hits in his next four games after the 0-for-11 start, and now he has seven hits in his last four games. All told, in the 10 games since his turnaround began:
12-for-35, 2 doubles, 1 HR, 3 BB, 7 K, 1 SB
.343/.395/.486
Usually, a 10-game hot streak in Arizona wouldn't mean much, but this is a guy who's been struggling to find his way after putting up superior numbers in the past. It may be another false start, but it's still good to see. Better to have more bats than fewer.
***
Farquhar Making a Case?
Danny Farquhar was one of the guys who came over from the Yankee organization in exchange for Ichiro. Initially derided as a "warm body" -- with some justification, since he had been released by two different organizations previously in 2012 -- Farquhar showed some interesting stuff in Tacoma, delivering a 0.54 ERA and 16 K (vs. 5 BB) in 16.2 relief innings.
Farquhar is now at Lara in the Venezuelan Winter League, and he's picked up right where he left off:
11 G, 11.1 IP, 1.59 ERA, 5 BB, 13 K
There's nothing wrong with servicable bullpen depth, especially if we have to move some of the guys out via trade.
***
And Speaking of Bullpen Depth ...
I was right there with everyone else crowing about Carter Capps and Stephen Pryor, and they deserved all the props they got, but we're close to having a bullpen version of the "Big Three," and the third member is Carson Smith.
The Carson Show was absolutely untouchable after June 15, giving up only 2 earned runs in his final 28 games (both in the same game) ... so 27 of his last 28 appearances resulted in 0 ER. During that same stretch he had 51 strikeouts and just 11 walks. All this in the ridiculously hitter-friendly Cal League. The game log is here.
So Mr. Smith goes to Arizona, and he hasn't let up either:
8 G, 11.2 IP, 2.31 ERA (pretty much all attributable to one 2-run homer), 2 BB, 12 K
***
And the e-RAM Electric Supercharger in Venezuela ...
We've been hanging on each of James Paxton's starts in Arizona, but down in Lara, Erasmo Ramirez has been getting in work as well:
10/24 -- 3.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
10/31 -- 4.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
11/6 -- 3.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
So:
10.0 IP, 4.50 ERA, 2 BB, 7 K
***
Finally: I know that everyone is wanting to find a utility infielder, but I will continue to assert that Luis Rodriguez is capable of hitting as well as any scrub free agent we bring in, and that Muneori Kawasaki took away what was probably his best shot.
When you look at his numbers, it's pretty much a guarantee that if L-Rod gets a BABIP close to .300 that he will have an OPS around .700 and OPS+ around 90. He's even done that -- in the major leagues -- twice. It's just that every time he's gotten an extended shot, he's had a BABIP of .255 or lower. Given the plate skills that he's shown with absolute consistency his entire career, there's no way he would be a "black hole" at the plate absent some degree of random misfortune.
Here's his VWL line:
22 G, 24-for-75, 7 doubles, 1 triple, 13 BB, 10 K
.320/.452/.440
(At Tacoma, he was .296/.389/.452 with 50 BB and just 41 K in 102 games.)
Cambodia Riel
So wait. Is this piece of fruit 2000 Riel and 50 cents? 2000 Riel is 50 cents? Why is this so confusing? Oh wait, so 5 and 1 in Khmer is how you say 6? How do you say thousand?
Though backpacking isn’t the most difficult way of life (hints why we love doing it more than work, and in fact, you have to work for a long time to do it) there are certain aspects of the lifestyle that are difficult. One of the small roadblocks is figuring out the new currency and numbers in the local language of each country you visit.
With backpackers not being the wealthiest of folks, making sure you are getting the most bang for your buck is important to the duration of your trip. This is why Cambodia currency is a bit of a setback.
The official currency of Cambodia is the Riel, which runs about 4,000 to the dollar. Though this is the case, most prices are still set in U.S. dollar. On top of this, when you pull money from an ATM, it comes out in dollars, and Western Union encourages you not to exchange money, just to keep the dollars.
The kicker, though, is you can pay in a mix of dollar and riel, and since there is no small US change in Cambodia, if the price doesn’t land on a dollar, you get your change in riel. This is enough to make any visitor’s head spin. Regardless of the strange currency, Cambodia is a beautiful country to visit. Prices are affordable, which you definitely understand after figuring out the dollars and cents, and places to visit are in abundance.
Drunk Peter in Paradise
Koh Russei, also know as Bamboo Island, is a beautiful, secluded island in southern Cambodia. Though there are rumors of crazy traffic during the high season, visitors looking to find their own piece of paradise are in luck. With only one company running a single bar, and offering a mix of either bungalows or dorms on the beach, finding yourself on bamboo island feels like being invited to a secluded club.
The chalk menu in the single bar, along with prices for spirits, states, “One More Day.” Visitors to the island seem to live and die by this phrase. While I knew I had a set duration in paradise, a British traveler named Peter couldn’t seem to decide whether to stay or go. My second night on the island (his 16th maybe?) was supposed to be his going away party. This, of course, was not the case.
After closing the bar, sitting next to a fire on the beach, swimming and staying up until around 4 a.m., no one looked very good the next morning. While most people woke up around 10 a.m., Peter maybe slept for an hour…then started drinking. One beer turned into drinking games and before long, Peter was drunk, real drunk, by 4 p.m.
Though no one thought Peter would make it past the afternoon, come 11 p.m., he was dancing. He didn’t have the capacity to put one leg in front of next while walking, but seemed to find his rhythm when dancing. He continued his tear until around 4 a.m. once again, and to many people’s surprise, Peter caught the 10 a.m. boat the next day. One more day no more.
Working at an island bar and not becoming an alchy
While traveling in Asia, I’ve heard a lot of stories of people working in guest houses, restaurants and bars for room and board, as well as free booze. Most of the time, backpackers will find a place they like to stay, and to extend their trip while not wasting any cash, will exchange a few hours of work a day for the above salary. No money is exchanged, but both the business and the traveler profit from one another.
Though I’ve yet to actually exchange labor for room, board and booze, I’ve decided that when my funds run short, I want to work in a bar on a secluded island. I’ve found a few good places to work at, mostly in southern Cambodia, but my fear is that I’ll fall into the island daze.
To avoid the constant stream of intoxication, but still live and labor in paradise, I’ve come up with a few rules. First, late evening or sunset runs each night. I know that if I hold off on my daily run until the evening, the temptation to drink or ingest green fruit loops will be overcome by my addiction to exercise.
Secondly, fruity drinks only a few nights a week. When drinking beer, I know what I’m getting into. I fill up quick and I know my limits. Finally, I’m going to remember that I’m not a reggae singer and I’ve never been to Jamaica. Though the great state I was born in just legalized it, it has never been high (haha get it?) priority on my agenda.
Though island mentality is hard to stave off, these rules will help me to keep my life from turning into The Beach. Paradise ho!
Featured Artist: Andy Brase
Brase’s artwork reminds me of a sort of mix of Simone Bianchi and Travis Charest. He has an incredible amount of detail in his line work, but unlike Bianchi he actually has a much better eye for design and layout. His content tends to lean towards the fantasy/horror genres, giving off a nice macabre Lovecraftian vibe. Check out more at his blogspot page.
