Hot Dogs and Lager

I stayed up to watch this whole fucking game! 19 innings. And I...

Wed, 25 May 2011 01:30:00 -0400

I stayed up to watch this whole fucking game! 19 innings. And I had a pitch the next day for a huge project at 10am. The pitch went well. We got the gig. Valdez for the win!

Bin Laden dies. Philly rejoices. Phillies lose… in extras....

Mon, 02 May 2011 14:30:00 -0400

Bin Laden dies. Philly rejoices. Phillies lose… in extras. I was there. It was cold.

RIP LRG - 9/11/10

Sat, 11 Sep 2010 09:00:00 -0400

RIP LRG - 9/11/10

Pizza Face

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 15:00:00 -0400

Pizza Face

Pop… backyard… Lansdale.

Sun, 27 Jun 2010 16:00:00 -0400

Pop… backyard… Lansdale.

“My Boy” - Playing with Vignette on my Droid. So far...

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 09:27:00 -0400

“My Boy” - Playing with Vignette on my Droid. So far it’s a pretty slick little app. Great filters… definitely on par with what I’ve seen from the Hipstamatic on the iPhone.

Beer Review: Light Beer + Exercise = Still Fat

Sat, 08 May 2010 20:50:00 -0400

I’m getting fat. That’s a factual statement… not a hyper-sensitive, metro-sexual complaint. If I didn’t spend half my life in gyms and weight rooms, this probably wouldn’t bother me so much. But, alas, it does. Recently, with Spring here and vacation plans looming, I’ve attempted to make the move to light beer in an attempt to prepare myself for a bathing suit… here’s what I’ve found:

Light beer blows…
I’m not really losing any weight… and…
It’s not worth sacrificing flavor and my dignity for a few calories.

All that said… I put together my *list* of light beers. As you’ll see… I fell off the wagon pretty quickly and more or less broke the calorie rules with all of these.

Yuengling Light: not bad. Tasted like Yuengling’s wussy little brother. You know the little brother I’m talking about. The guy that kind of looks like his older brother… only he’s less attractive and really needs to hit the gym a couple times a week so he can put on a few pounds. In the end though, he never gets laid… and the girls he dates tend to always be a little on the “robust” side.

Amstel Light: I do like Amstel quite a bit. I always felt that their tag line “the beer drinker’s light beer” was dead on. I find myself drinking it when other people are downing glasses of wine among the socially elite at business events.

Stella Artois: Okay… so it’s not *technically* a light beer. But it’s 135 calories and in my book… if it’s a gold hue, and I can see through it, it’s a light beer. Bottom line, I love Stella. Much like Amstel Light, I usually pair it with people in black cocktail attire.

Kenzinger: Definitely NOT a light beer… it’s technically a lager. But again, it sports a golden hue and a translucent quality. Not that it matters really… b/c this guy is not a fan. I have been told by several friends that the ‘Zinger is their go-to… they must be hard of taste or something… b/c no thank you!

So bottom line… like I said… I’m off the wagon. Back to hearty Pilsners and hoppy spring lagers.

West Coast Road Trips - No Thank You

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 10:18:00 -0400

As the Phillies limped their way from Arizona to San Francisco last night it dawned on me… West Coast road trips blow! I mean, I’ll find a way to watch the Phillies in a Vietnamese death camp with bamboo reeds sticking out of my fingers… but it doesn’t make the experience pleasant. Never mind who wins or loses… the God damned game doesn’t start until 10:15… who the hell is watching that? I mean, I know it’s more convenient for West Coast viewership… but you completely lose half your audience that way… and how does that help anyone? I’d love to believe that there are Phillies fans from coast to coast… but let’s face it… there aren’t that many. I believe Red Sox Nation has the “I love baseball and I wished I lived on the East Coast so I could be part of a more exciting fan base” constituency all wrapped up. Lame.

Further, the players always look so spent. By the time I nod off - usually around the 4th or 5th inning - I swear, they are all yawning more than I am. I mean, is it a stretch to ask West Coast networks to start games at 5pm or 6pm when an East Coast team is in town? …or, God forbid, play 3pm day games? I realize this would not accommodate advertisers… but it sure would make fans happier. Well… East Coast fans anyhow.

And for all of those cynics who might say that this a “purely East Coast - ist” view of baseball morals and standards, I say look at the Cubs. They didn’t even play night games until the late 80’s. Hell, I remember when it was a big deal that they were adding lights to Wrigley. I was like 10… and WGN had this big promotion going all Spring promoting it. (side note: I was born in Colorado in ‘78… we didn’t have a Major League baseball team at the time… so I rooted for the Cubs and - *gasp* - the Braves since they both had nationally accessible stations and games. My family moved to Philly in ‘89… I became a Phillies fan in ‘93… I liked Mitch Williams… until of course Joe Carter took him deep and broke my heart.)

Recently, the Phillies have had a few 3pm starts. It’s been great. I listen to the game from desk… and I manage to catch the last couple innings after work. All in all, a win / win! And if they started games at 3pm on the West Coast, then we get a 7pm, normally scheduled start… and everyone wins. I will be submitting my proposal to Selig this week.

Reporting from Clearwater... It's Too Cold to be Florida

Sun, 21 Mar 2010 20:00:00 -0400

This was my first year going down to Clearwater for Spring Training. The stadium was packed, my kid was sick and I forgot to bring my camera to the ballpark… twice. So all those memorable moments watching the game with my dad… they were left in a hotel room 10 minutes from the ballpark.

But all in all, the “game experience” was pretty sweet. There is something incredibly intimate about Minor League ballparks. They generally seat less than 10,000 people… and foul balls hit cars. Frequently. By the 5th inning, your favorite players are already hitting the showers, and guys with names you’ve never heard of hit the field wearing numbers that look more like basketball scores.

The thing that really caught my attention though was how freaking cold it was! I mean… I know it’s March… but 60° in Florida is unacceptable. I mean, the team could have stayed in Philly, I could have saved a few bucks on room and travel, and - as I discovered upon my return - the weather would have actually been nicer. Not that that’s any great insight on how well the team is going to do this season… but when you’re freezing your ass off in what some Floridians might consider sub-arctic temperatures, it’s virtually impossible to enjoy the game.

So that was the first night… we left early… and the Phils lost.

Our second game was met with equally interesting weather conditions. While the temperature soared to 67°, a typhoon burst came in from the Gulf and passed through Clearwater for a solid 3 hours. So our 12pm start turned into a 3pm start. My father and I sat patiently on a bench in front of our hotel for 2 of those 3 hours. We chatted about everything from childhood anicdotes to tricks and tips in fatherhood to the all-important “is James going to be an all-star pitcher… or a rock star”. It was awesome. It reminded me that sometimes baseball has nothing to do with… well… baseball. Sometimes its about the company you keep… not the score of the game. Sometimes.

Sure Saint Patrick was a Saint... but Man Could He Party!

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:00:00 -0400

I love Saint Patrick’s Day. It’s a terrible excuse for people to throw on the only green thing they own, drink way too much Guinness and end up face down in a pile of emerald trinkets. I’m a little Irish - which basically means nothing - so I take a little pride in rolling out for every March 17th hell raising. Shit… I used to take off from work every year for the festivities. I don’t know… there’s something about knocking back a Guinness at 9am that *feels* Irish… and a little wrong… and yet, so very right. And the fact that you’re usually in bed by dinner time is a Win! Win!

These days I don’t participate so much… because you know, I’m responsible and what-not. I usually get to knock back a single Guinness on my way home from work… and I try to wear something green… which is kind of lame. So as I dipped into the white, foamy head of my single glass of velvety black goodness… I got to thinking… I’ll bet that Saint Patrick could party!

So I hit up Wikipedia to learn more about him. I bounced around the known and supposed facts of his tumultuous life (to be fair, it was the 5th century… I’ll bet life in general was pretty damn “tumultuous”). I came across this quote (completely used out of context):

Across the sea will come Adze-head, crazed in the head,
his cloak with hole for the head, his stick bent in the head.
He will chant impieties from a table in the front of his house;
all his people will answer: “so be it, so be it.”

…and the guy banished snakes. All of them. If you ask me… it sounds like that guy could party!

Then, I started poking around the history and traditions of Saint Patrick’s Day. Evidently, it’s a big deal in Argentina. Who knew? And did you know, there’s an Irish Association of South Korea. Yeah. That’s funny all by itself.

And of course it’s a huge drunk-fest here in the States. We even dye rivers green. I know they say it’s safe, but that can’t be good for the water supply. I wonder why other saint-specific, day-long-drunk-fests haven’t caught on. I mean, the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints is a mile a long. There is Saint Stan’s Day on April 11. The guy was Polish. We could grill up kielbasa and drink Zywiec. That’s right, Zywiec.

"We received 5 stars in 17 out of 20 reviews on Yelp. The other guys were dicks."

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 09:53:34 -0400

“We received 5 stars in 17 out of 20 reviews on Yelp. The other guys were dicks.”

- Joe the Barber

Quantitative Proof that You Probably Don’t Need an iPhone App... Yet

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:25:00 -0500

Quantitative Proof that You Probably Don’t Need an iPhone App... Yet:

It’s no secret that mobile browsing and smartphone platforms like the iPhone and Google’s Nexus One are having a significant impact on how we access the internet. As new browser technologies and platforms pop up frequently, we as strategists and developers are constantly challenged to adopt new approaches and development practices. Of course, as these new technologies become available, we also field all sorts of questions about interfacing with them. While we are always enthusiastic about developing new and exciting products for our clients, if your traffic indicates that your audience won’t care… then why waste the money?… Read More

Pitchers and Catchers: Hope Springs Eternal

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 15:57:00 -0500

So I kind of stole that title from the Sports Illustrated article I just read about small market teams getting ready to make good on their promise to “wait ‘til next year”. What can I say… it’s been a busy week… and if you’re reading this, that means I most likely know you… and you know better ways to spend your time than to sue my overly inflated ass.

Speaking of which, I’ve been thinking about working out a little more. The family and I are heading to Clearwater in March to watch the Fightins get ready for the 2010 campaign, and I’m just not going to look so great in my thong bikini unless I get crackin’ on those crunches. But that’s the thing about Spring… anything is possible.

To many… and myself… the start of Spring Training always symbolizes the hope for better things around the corner. My mind swings to thoughts of two 30 game winners… maybe a home run record broken… and an unbelievable Phillies season that will certainly end with 130 victories. My heart is bursting with anticipation.

Okay… so none of that will probably happen. But as I look at the grey slushy mess through the gaze of a Fishtown apartment, I can hope. I wonder if, when the clouds part and the snow melts, will Carlos Ruiz hit 30 homers? Will Cole Hamels and Brad Lidge get back to their 2008 forms? Will Roy Halladay live up to the hype and carry the city and the Phils’ pitching staff on his shoulders? Will my son eat his first hot dog? Will I give it back to him within five seconds of it hitting the ground? I can only hope… and it seems like a good time of year to do that.

Icon set I designed for St. Peter’s Church here in Philly....

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 19:58:32 -0500

Icon set I designed for St. Peter’s Church here in Philly. I used icons from my Droid for reference… then worked the corners, cross and texture for effect.

Touché

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:33:00 -0500

Me: This project was a total pain in the ass. I thought it was only going to take me a couple hours... it took me eight.
Wife: I feel like that's how all your projects are.

"Looking at the photos posted on your website I had to laugh. Please, these are images with 2 inches..."

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 10:25:00 -0500

“Looking at the photos posted on your website I had to laugh. Please, these are images with 2 inches of snow on the ground. When I was a kid, this was simply called “winter”.”

- Jane Akiba - Comment to NY Times Article

"Yeah, I was in the show. I was in the show for 21 days once - the 21 greatest days of my life. You..."

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:55:50 -0500

“Yeah, I was in the show. I was in the show for 21 days once - the 21 greatest days of my life. You know, you never handle your luggage in the show, somebody else carries your bags. It was great. You hit white balls for batting practice, the ballparks are like cathedrals, the hotels all have room service, and the women all have long legs and brains.”

- Crash Davis - Durham Bulls

Excited about the Bill “Spaceman” Lee documentary on...

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 19:19:57 -0500

Excited about the Bill “Spaceman” Lee documentary on the MLB Network tonight… I dug this up on the YouTube. Enjoy.

Beer Review: Franziskaner Dark Wheat... Like Imaginary Sex with Halle Berry

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 18:09:05 -0500

You will never have sex with Halle Berry… and neither will I. You will only have a roughly vague day-dream of an idea of what it might possibly be like. Only it’ll be the same foggy day-dream of winning the lottery or possibly the World Series. You will be sitting next to Derek Jeter as his carriage moves through the Canyon of Heroes… and inexplicably a unicorn will walk by.

If you happen to be a woman… and you are reading this… that means you saw the title and were immediately intrigued. And that’s awesome… but my point will be lost on you.

Anyways… back to Halle… that’s kind of what the Franziskaner Dark Wheat (German translation: Hefe-Weissbier Dunkel) tastes like. It’s a couple shades darker than a typical wheat… and I’m not sure if it was the light or the relaxing nature of the afternoon… but it was terrifically smooth. It looked amazing… and tasted just as good.

Much as I imagine an evening with Halle would be like. Comforting… relaxing… and everything you would expect it to be. Except, as I have mentioned above in great detail, that will never happen. Also, I was waiting for a hint of spice… but I forgot that it’s German… and they don’t believe in spice.

If you happen to be at For Pete’s Sake in the next month or so (not sure how long they’ll have it on tap)… stop in and have a pint.

Jeff Buckley: Hallelujah - I had to post the track… I was...

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 09:20:09 -0500

Jeff Buckley: Hallelujah - I had to post the track… I was waiting for the Help Haiti Now version… but it’s not on iTunes yet. So this will have to do.