Random Musings

Up until very recently, I've treated this blog like a daily (or not-so-daily) journal, retraining myself to write... well, anything.  Seeing as how it's been over five years since I've had to produce actual content on a regular basis, you'll understand if I've had to shake off a bit of rust.

Back when I was in college, I used to send out mass e-mails filled with little rants and raves, all done in a style very similar to this blog - i.e. conversational, and very much like I'd actually speak to you.

The point, you ask?

Well, I finally feel like I'm finding my voice again.  So hopefully, I'll be able to make these posts more entertaining and perhaps a tiny bit informative.  A little bit like my Random Musings from college. 

Feedback, as always, is desired and greatly encouraged.  You might have noted that the humor tends to be a bit dry in these parts, so if you'd like to see some ha-ha-funny stuff, you'll have to ask for it.

As many of you already know, I have no shortage of strong opinions, so if you'd like me to address any topics in particular (or in general or in the buff), I'm more than happy to do so.  I've never had a problem inflicting my opinions on others.   :)

Damn malfunctioning smiley menu.  Now it really does look exactly like the emails I sent out in college.  Oh, well.

OK, on to the good stuff...

• The Steelers won last night, behind injury-sub Charlie Batch's three (3) TD passes.  I fully expect to see Jeremy Johnson's "Days Since A Steelers Loss" sign to be updated at work today.  Geez, how many days has it been (not counting preseason, of course)?


• I participated in my fantasy football draft last night, during the Steelers / Dophins game, actually.  I stand a very good chance of going winless.  That's what happens when you weigh the scouting reports, check injury lists, create a draft board, and then pick with your gut instead.  Will I never learn?*


• The Tigers won last night, behind a rookie-of-the-year-caliber performance from Justin Verlander.  The Tigers' magic number is now 18.  I'm a happy camper.


• Prepare for the geekiest thing you've ever seen in your life.  Part of the reason I'm a happy camper: I own Verlander in one of my fantasy baseball leagues.  But it's not just any league.  It's a league in which I participate with fraternity brothers from college (mostly).  That's not all.  It's a simulation league.  Which means that we take stats from the previous season (with some weight given to players' historical performance), and our teams actually "play" against each other.  Let that sink in for a second.  Yes, it's make-believe make-believe baseball.  And we play during MLB's off-season so that we have baseball ALL YEAR LONG.  To plumb the depths of our baseball-related dorkiness, feel free to visit the Sammyball Web site.  And yes, I was champion of the geeks one year.


• Popped open a bottle of Chardonnay last night (sue me, we were having bacon-wrapped scallops for dinner), and it turned out to be corked.  Not so much as to be undrinkable, but enough for me to notice.  Perhaps I'll try the Saran Wrap technique [if you submerge Saran Wrap in corked wine for a little while, it's supposed to attract the molecules of trichloroanisole (TCA) that cause "corkiness"**].  Someone really needs to come up with a better closure.  Attention, materials scientists.  Sterile cork substitute required.

* = Probably not.

** = Corky as in cork tainted, not Corky as in Life Goes On.