Woke up around 9 am. Got some good sleep. Not great, but good enough to feel rested. Tried to get Marty out of bed, which proved a tougher task than I had anticipated.
Sofie and Gerd (our gracious hosts) prepared a nice breakfast for us that included rolls, all kinds of fruit spreads and preserves, coffee, juice, pretzels, and cheeses. Delicious way to start our day.
After eating, I FINALLY showered…and it felt great. Ahh, so fresh and so clean clean!
Shopped at a local store in Burladingen, then came back for some lunch: Kaiserschmarren. It was like breakfast for lunch. Yum.
Drove to Reutlingen. Did some window shopping. Also walked on the world’s narrowest street. No kidding, it’s ONE FOOT wide. Check it out:
Yes, this is a real street, with addresses and everything. Told you it was narrow, even for skinny guys like me.
Then drove to Tubingen. Got some souvenirs and had Tellerschnitzel and some beer for dinner. Again: YUM.
Drove back to Burladingen to host family’s friend’s house and spent the next 4.5 hours getting WASTED on beer, schnapps, grapa, and liqueur. And I mean WASTED. I have the two failed Facebook status updates to prove it.
Just one of MANY shots on the night.
Then Marty spent the next 1.5 hours grilling me and teasing me about Xan. Fun times.
Arrived in Reykavik early, at 6:05 a.m. local time. Switched planes.
Departed Reykjavik on time, at 7:25 a.m.
Arrived Frankfurt a bit early, at 12:30 p.m. Luggage took a few minutes to get to us, but otherwise, all good.
Ate some McDonald’s in the airport as a quick snack. Marty and I were quite hungry and tired, but this gave us enough energy to get to the car, in which…
We drove from Frankfurt to Stuttgart. Marty and I promptly passed out during the 2.5-hour ride.
In Stuttgart, we walked around a bit and enjoyed a beer (mmm, Hoffbrau) and some sunshine.
Drove to Burladingen. Passed out on the way…again.
I had some Kas-Spatzle (missing some umlauts, I know) for dinner. Cheesy and heavy (surprise), but quite delicious.
Got home a little before 9 p.m. Enjoyed a beer and some conversation. I listened mostly. 🙂
Finally went to bed around midnight. Ahh, sweet sleep.
It’s about two hours before Marty I leave for the airport to fly to Germany via Iceland (hey, Björk!). This after I returned Monday from an excurison to San Diego to present at a conference. As I’m waiting to leave, I can’t help but reflect on the past year and how much has happened and how much is going to happen in the next few months. It has been and will be a whirlwind that shows no sign of slowing until possibly mid-August. But the way I see it, the school year was tough, much more of a struggle than I anticipated and much more of a struggle than I initially wanted to admit, so I deserved some time off to travel and see new places and meet new people.
I should have fairly regular internet access, so I’ll be sure to post some pics from Germany, and I hope to have some really good ones for the upcoming 12 of 12. Stay tuned!
J. J. Abrams...you've been upgraded to first-class.
I saw Star Trek today. The way I see it, I could go on about the casting, the special effects, the story, the action sequences, etc. But I won’t. I’ll just say this:
I apologize in advance if you fall asleep before making it through my day. Boring doesn’t even begin to describe it.
8:42am - I don't teach on Tuesdays, so it's my chance to sleep in. At this time yesterday, I was wrapping up my first class.8:43am - Good morning, Oreo!8:53am - Oreo watches intently as one of my neighbors brings her dog, Diesel, out for his morning business.9:09am - Fueling up for the gym.10:11am - The entrance to the UML Campus Recreation Center (CRC).1:52pm - A view of my desk at school, as I write my Theory 1 final and chat with Marty.2:45pm - A shot of the Merrimack River as seen between two buildings on campus, shot on my way to drop off receipts for a reimbursement.3:57pm - Going over an error-detection exercise that will be used as part of my review in Theory 2 tomorrow.4:44pm - Makin' copies. Apparently, I forgot how to use the zoom on my camera.5:17pm - A little Chopin and Mozart to end my day at school.6:31pm - Enjoying a beer with dinner.9:09pm - Watching the Cubs beat the Padres.
I promise that my next 12 of 12 will be much more exciting. I’ll be in Germany; so the way I see it, at the very least, it should be scenic!
As Oreo and I got in elevator this morning, there were two elderly women already in the car. Oreo got excited, as usual, but did her best not to go crazy and dutifully sat when I asked her to. One of the women in the elevator then remarked that Oreo “looks vicious.” Oreo vicious? Really? Seriously?? The way I see it, Oreo couldn’t be less vicious-looking if she tried. You be the judge:
I’m consider myself a pretty middle-of-the-road kind of guy. There are some things about which I consider myself fairly progressive (or liberal or non-traditionalist…whatever the label): gay marriage (absolutely for) and marriage for Catholic priests (that’s a whole other blog entry), for example; and there are other issues about which I consider myself a purist: English grammar and classroom education (online education lacks the essential teacher-student interaction). Another issue about which I consider myself a purist is baseball, particularly the designatied hitter (DH). Phil Rogers’ column in today’s Chicago Tribune got me thinking about the DH again. Here’s how I really feel about it: I HATE THE DH. There it is. I said it. I know I’m not alone in this sentiment, but it feels really good to say that and get it out in the open. I agree with Rogers’ assertion that both the American League (AL) and the National League (NL) should adopt universal rules, much like the two conferences in both the NFL and NBA. However, I wholeheartedly disagree his notion that NL should adopt the DH rule. To the contrary, the AL should abolish the DH. Here’s why:
The DH was instituted in the early 1970’s to increase the number of runs scored per game and make the game more exciting for the casual fan. Now, I don’t know about the rest of the baseball fans out there, but for my money, I’d much rather see a 2-1 pitcher’s duel than a 9-7 slugfest. Don’t get me wrong: few sights are more beautiful that watching a towering home run clear the fences. But part of what makes the home run so special is that it’s ridiculously hard to do. And this post-steroid era, when athletes are naturally bigger, stronger, and faster than their counterparts of 35 years ago, there’s no need for the offensive boost provided by the DH. Players are hitting homers and teams are scoring runs just fine.
Roger’s makes a point that pitchers’ batting averages, on the whole, are pathetic. And it’s true. But that’s because of several reasons. First, they only bat once every five games, so naturally they don’t get a chance to establish any kind of rhythm at the plate. Second, pitchers are treated like such prima donnas that most of them don’t feel the need to practice batting. Hey, fellas, here’s a something you may have forgotten: you’re a professional athlete. Sorry if it cramps your style, but hitting and running are *GASP* are part of the game. In fact, they essential parts of the game. Take some BP every once in a while, talk to the hitting coach once or twice a week and perhaps your average would crack the .100 barrier.
Baseball is a sport that requires its players to have basic athletic skills, regardless of their position. Professional athletes who get paid millions of dollars should be required to thrown, catch, run, and hit in each game they play, regardless of their position. That’s the essence of baseball: throwing, fielding, and hitting. It’s not a pick-one-or-two-of-these-components type of game. Kids in little league don’t play much (if at all) if they can’t do all of these things. Why should it be any different at the professional level?
Rogers’ mentions the need for an NL DH because the Cubs’ Carlos Zambrano strained his hamstring running to first base during Sunday’s game and is now on the DL for a couple of weeks. And you know what? I’m OK with that. Z was hustling down the line like he’s supposed to, like we’re all taught in little league. Player’s get criticized for not running out ground balls, but when a pitcher (my God, a pitcher!!!) runs and hurts himself, people get up in arms about it. Hank Steinbrenner, in his infinite “wisdom,” went on a simliar rant last year when one of his star pitchers strained his knee rounding third base in an interleague game. After the game, he criticized the NL for being behind the times and old-fashioned. Hey, Hank, hate to break it to you, but running is part of the game.
Rogers mentions that pitchers are at risk every time they step on the field and at even more risk when they bat. Well, aren’t all the players on the field at risk of injury? Straining a hamstring running toward first is just as unpredictable as a blown ACL chasing down a flyball. Should Zambrano have been given preferential treatment just because he’s a pitcher? What about catchers? What about outfield who risk their bodies by diving to the turf or crashing into the wall to get an out or save a run? What if Reed Johnson had injured himself while making his amazing catch last year? Would “outfielder proponents” be in favor of wearing pads or changing the rules to protect the outfielders from scrapes, strained muscles, broken bones? I think not. There are inherent risks in any sport, which is part of the reason these athletes get paid so much.
The DH extends the careers of mediocre defensive players who have lost (or never really had) range in the field. The way I see it, if you can’t field a position adequately, get off the roster and make way for someone who can.
The DH also makes the game of baseball 10 vs. 10, when it’s a game of 9 vs. 9. There are nine players on the field, so those 9 should be the ones who come up to the plate. Simple as that.
The DH has glorified the power game. And while it’s exciting to see 50- and 60-homer seasons, other aspects of the game have suffered, such as the art of the stolen base, how to properly execute a (sacrifice) bunt, and situational hitting. Balance is a good thing, and I long for the day when the five-tool player is valued like he should be. A player who can hit for power, hit for average, steal bases, field his position well, and throw out some runners should be the centerpiece of any team.
The DH has created two different games of baseball. The AL is vastly different from the NL. Each league has its own intricacies, but the way I see it, the AL is a bastardization of the game of baseball. And of the big three sports in the United States, baseball is by far the most conservative, the one that values tradition the most, with an eye on its own history at all times. The DH essentially scoffs at baseball history, and in effect, disrespects many of the players who played in the AL before the rule was institutued.
Come on, Bud Selig. If you do one thing rigth in your tenure as MLB Commissioner, abolish the designated hitter. The DH “experiment” has run its course. Please get rid of it.
Here’s what I learned from the Bulls/Celtics first round playoff series:
Derrick Rose is going to be a phenomenal player in the NBA. He has the potential to be an all-time great. His penetrating ability will only afford him and his teammates countless scoring opportunities. If he develops a consistent mid-range jump shot, or even a decent three-point stroke, watch out everyone.
Rajon Rondo is turning into Isaiah Thomas or John Stockton, and not in the good way. That is, he’s almost as dirty as he is good. I saw his skills come through in last year’s playoffs, and he really blossomed this year, averaging a triple double in the series. But what irks me about Rondo is that he’s so good he doesn’t need to take cheap shots, such as the obviously flagrant foul on Brad Miller in Game 5 or his tossing Kirk Heinrich in Game 6. He doesn’t need to be a dirty player to succeed. I hope, for the Celtics’ sake, that he cleans up his act in the next series.
Kendrick Perkins is the real “Big Baby.” I can’t ever remember his facial expression having anything other than a scowl or a puzzled “Who, me?” look. He criticized the refs midway through the series, saying the refs don’t like the Celtics. Yeah, like that’s going to help your case come game time, Kendrick. I have an idea for you: grow up, shut up, and just play basketball. Quit your bitchin’, already. Fouls happen, especially in the paint.
Speaking of Big Baby, Glen “Big Baby” Davis is really good. He’s got good range for a big man, and moves very well without the ball. If he could improve his defense, he could be the integral player who helps transition the Celtics after Kevin Garnett leaves (I’m not saying that’s happening anytime soon, just that he’s got a lot of potential.)
I hate the last minute of an NBA game. Those final 60 seconds of game time could last 15 minutes, with all the timeouts and fouls. I think the NBA should look into rule changes, limiting the number of timeouts a team can call in a certain period of time or heavily penalizing a team for employing a “foul-right-away-so-we-can-get-the-ball-back” strategy. Perhaps they could treat those intentional, late-game fouls like they do flagrant fouls, and have the fouled team shoot two free throws and retain possession. Anything to speed up the closing moments of a game.
The Celtics run screen-and-rolls as well as anyone in the league. Those plays killed the Bulls, who had trouble switching or rotating after switches. It was especially effective when Paul Pierce or Ray Allen found their shooting touch early.
Ray Allen is better than Reggie Miller was.
It was obvious to me which team was the experienced, veteran team and which team was still wet behind the ears. The Celtics showed great poise down the stretch of every game, and played great team basketball. They didn’t panic whenever the Bulls would make runs or jump out to leads; they just kept their composure and weathered the storm by making good defensive stops or chipping away at the deficits one basket at a time. On the other side of the ball, the Bulls showed their inexperience by not being able to put away the Celtics on several occasions. You could tell the Bulls wanted to thrown down that dagger shot or that they tried to get fancy at critical junctures, when all that was necessary was to milk the clock and set up a good play that would result in an open look or a foul call. All that being said, the Bulls showed tremendous heart, courage, and potential in this series. A little patience and some polished execution and the Bulls could contend for titles for years to come.
Holy crap, can Tyrus Thomas get up.
Derrick Rose needs to use his athleticism even more. Since he hasn’t yet developed a consistent outside jumpshot, he needs to drive to the hoop more to force defense to collapse into the paint, thereby leaving someone open on the wings. Also, Derrick Rose needs to the handld the ball more. Too often, Ben Gordon or John Salmons would run the ball upcourt, with Rose off the side. Derrick, you’re the point guard and the future of the franchise. Take control and be the floor general. You can do this.
Ben Gordon needs to learn how to more better and more efficiently without the ball. Too many times I saw him standing around while Rose was at the top of the key, trying to find passing or driving lanes. Take notes from the great Ray Allen, Ben.
Vinny Del Negro earned his paycheck this year. Imagine being a rookie head coach, with a rookie point guard, and the youngest team in the NBA, and taking the defending champions to the limit, after starting the year 18-30. This playoff experience can do nothing but help him run the team even better next year, as well as establish some chemistry and rapport among the players and coaching staff.
What Joakim Noah lacks in pure physical skill is made up with his heart and intensity.
While I’m still a baseball and football guy, this series did a lot for my basketball fandom. In the late-1980’s and through the 1990’s, I was a huge Bulls fan, thanks in no small part to the one and only Michael Jordan. But, in recent years, I’d lost interest in the NBA, perhaps because the style of play changed slightly from when I watched it regularly. Perhaps it was because the Bulls didn’t do much in the decade following the Jordan era. Or maybe, it just wasn’t as compelling to watch in 2004, for example, as it was in for me in 1997. The way I see it, this playoff series was compelling, competitive, interesting, hard-fought, dramatic, and made even more exciting because it played between two of the NBA’s marquee franchises.
Welcome back to the big time, Chicago Bulls. It’s good to have you back.
9:23am Bundled up on to take out Oreo. It LOOKED like Easter outside, but it sure didn't FEEL like Easter.9:24am Yup, you're reading that correctly: Bright sunshine and 35 degrees, with a wind chill of 25 degrees. Like I said, it LOOKED spring outside, but it in no way FELT like spring.11:09am Just before going into the church for Easter morning mass. Notice the lovely Easter wreathes on the doors and the fresh haircut.12:24pm The beautiful Easter decorations in the church.2:48pm Giving Oreo a long overdue bath. She was great--very calm and relaxed in the tub.3:36pm Loaded up the dishwasher with a week's worth of dishes. I use a lot of dishes when I don't eat out. Plus, I'm lazy.6:25pm Grading some Theory 2 papers. Ah, the deceptive cadence: one of my favorites.8:20pm Oreo hanging out in front of the fire.8:30pm Watching the Brewers' Ryan Braun bat in the bottom of the first inning. God, I hate that guy.9:53pm Done with grading, I record the grades in the gradebook.10:36pm iShoot for the iPod Touch is made by "Naughty Bits." (Mike, that one's for you. BITS)11:34pm CUBS WIN!!
Great. Awesome. Fantastic. Just when I think this country is making progress in the realm of the racial divide, Texas Representative Betty Brown opens her big, rich, white mouth and craps all over the progress made by the election of President Barack Obama. (Click here for the story) In a nutshell, Rep. Brown was hearing testimony regarding voter identification legislation and voters of Asian descent, testimony from Ramey Ko, a representative of the Organization of Chinese Americans. Essentially, some Asian-descent voters had trouble voting because of their transliterated names and their forms of identification. Rep. Brown proceeds to say the following to Ko: “Rather than everyone here having to learn Chinese — I understand it’s a rather difficult language — do you think that it would behoove you and your citizens to adopt a name that we could deal with more readily here?” Rep. Brown shoved her foot even farther down her mouth when she continued, saying, “I see a need here for young people like you, who are obviously very bright, to come up with something that would work for you and then let us see if we can’t make it work for us.”
(Now, before I go on my tirade, allow me set the record straight and say that I don’t believe in turning every little quote or statement into a racial issue. I’m not that sensitive. Further, I believe that racism is often a two-way street and that reverse racism is much more rampant that is openly acknowledged. Therefore, the only way to eliminate such insensitivity is for EVERYONE — regardless of skin color, political affiliation, ethnic heritage, sexual orientation, economic standing — to stop all this “us vs. them” nonsense. How about instead of “versus,” we change it to a “with” or an “and.” “Us and them;” “you with me.” It may sound trite and idealistic, but the way I see it, a little idealism, a little hope, is never a bad thing. Differences will abound, there’s no denying that. But part of what has made America great is that we have embraced our differences and made those individualities work for the common good, not against it.)
OK, back to the regularly scheduled rant. (Also check out Rachel Farris’ editorial about the story here.)
First of all, “you and your citizens?” Thanks for separating “you” from us. Translated: you = minorities, us = the white majority in position of political power. Ugh. Wake up, Mrs. Brown, it’s 2009!! Your “us” and “them” statement, no matter how it was meant, is soooo 1950’s. (Then again, so is your haircut…yup, it’s gettin’ personal.)
Secondly, last I checked, no one is “behooved” to changed their name in this country. EVER. If that were the case, Mrs. Brown, we’d all have Native American names, or have you forgotten the fact that European settlers weren’t the first ones here?
And then Brown’s spokesperson, Jordan Berry, had the gall to say that Democrats are blowing the statement out of proportion. Um, excuse me, Mr. Berry, I don’t really see how else to interpret Mrs. Brown’s statement other than as racially insensitive. And what’s even more disturbing is that your saying just the Democrats are blowing this out of proportion. What about other Republicans? Aren’t they upset about this? If not, they should be. But politicall party affiliation is clouding the real issue here; it has nothing to do with Republicans vs. Democrats. EVERYONE should be incensed by Mrs. Brown’s remarks. It’s unacceptable for someone in public office, someone who was elected by the very people she just insulted, to even think about saying what she did, much less openly suggest it on the floor of the Texas House. Brown’s remarks represent such a myopic, closed-minded view of how American society functions. Don’t like all the diversity, Mrs. Brown? Then America isn’t the place for you. I hear Iceland is nice and homogeneous (nothing against Iceland).
Granted, some Asian names are tough to pronounce. Then again, names like Neugebauer, Luetkemeyer, and Sensenbrenner (these are all real names of HoR members; look ’em up here) — clearly names of European descent (read: white) — don’t exactly roll off the tongue. Sorry, Mrs. Brown, was “Ko” a little to difficult to pronounce? I have an idea, ma’am. Since you are the representative, why don’t you change your name to something more familiar to your constituents. “Bigot” sounds about right.
Christopher Endrinal 