Well, I may as well weigh in on the Nnamdi saga: I want him to play for the 49ers!
It's reminiscent of the nail-biting days we waited on Jim Harbaugh to make his decision on where he was going to be head coach. Each Twitter update went every which way: he's going to Miami was the biggest scare I remember before he made the choice to stay home in the Bay Area. I can only hope that Nnamdi makes the same decision. He's made his home in the Bay Area ever since his college playing days and has done so many things for the local community. How could he leave that?
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Panda-monium
My eldest niece has worked as a teacher on the SF Peninsula. She found the cutest Panda hat to wear on the site Etsy because she likes Panda bears. But she's not a fan of baseball, even of the World Champion Giants just up a ways from wear she resides.
She's told us of wearing her Panda hat and how it automatically generated responses from her students like: "Pablo!" and "Go Giants!" And she used to wonder to herself: "Why are people calling me Pablo?" and "Why do people think I'm a Giants fan?"
And for those of you also in need of an explanation, there is a very popular player on the San Francisco Giants named Pablo Sandovol. At some point in his young baseball career, his teammate Barry Zito dubbed him the 'Kung Fu Panda,' which is an on-the-nose nickname for Pablo - he does resemble the movie character Kung Fu Panda. And being the perfect nickname for him, it stuck. Now fans from all over wear Panda hats in support of Pablo.
My niece's hat is different, more delicate looking than the popular hats/plush pets that fans wear at the ballpark, but in Giants territory it still evokes the same reaction. After learning about the Kung Fu Panda of the Giants, at least my niece now knows why she gets the reactions she does!
She's told us of wearing her Panda hat and how it automatically generated responses from her students like: "Pablo!" and "Go Giants!" And she used to wonder to herself: "Why are people calling me Pablo?" and "Why do people think I'm a Giants fan?"
And for those of you also in need of an explanation, there is a very popular player on the San Francisco Giants named Pablo Sandovol. At some point in his young baseball career, his teammate Barry Zito dubbed him the 'Kung Fu Panda,' which is an on-the-nose nickname for Pablo - he does resemble the movie character Kung Fu Panda. And being the perfect nickname for him, it stuck. Now fans from all over wear Panda hats in support of Pablo.
My niece's hat is different, more delicate looking than the popular hats/plush pets that fans wear at the ballpark, but in Giants territory it still evokes the same reaction. After learning about the Kung Fu Panda of the Giants, at least my niece now knows why she gets the reactions she does!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
voices
I've been stuck listening to my own voice lately... my current aspiration is to become a Personal Historian - recording people's memories and writing them into a narrative for posterity's sake - and in listening and transcribing my first interview with a helpful cousin, I had to listen to me talking in addition to her. I realize that I'm not the first to say this, but I don't like the sound of my voice!
It's always surprising to me which other people don't like listening to their voices; two recent celebrities that I've learned feel this way are actress Charlize Theron and R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck. I think Charlize's voice sounds intelligent and sexy and there is nothing wrong with Peter's voice. They have no reason not to like their voices!
But mine, on the other hand...
It's always surprising to me which other people don't like listening to their voices; two recent celebrities that I've learned feel this way are actress Charlize Theron and R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck. I think Charlize's voice sounds intelligent and sexy and there is nothing wrong with Peter's voice. They have no reason not to like their voices!
But mine, on the other hand...
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
cereal alchemy
Yes, I like eating breakfast cereal in the mornings. Not every morning, but maybe every few days when I have a taste for it. There were many years when I couldn't because of my lactose intolerance, which started sometime in my mid-teens. I'd be so jealous of people that could enjoy cereal, such as when I was in the dining hall in college and other students could choose cereal whereas I couldn't.
I posted on this blog sometime ago a product that has allowed me to enjoy cereal again called 'Rice Dream.' Being completely non-dairy, it works for me! It tastes good and substitutes for milk very well.
What I've noticed as I've gotten older is my inability to eat sweets as much as when I was younger. Not so much in a dietary sense, but I just don't like the taste of food that is too sweet. So when it comes to cereal, for example, I don't like a bowl full of straight frosted flakes, but rather I prefer frosted flakes 'cut' with regular corn flakes, something like half and half.
And more so than when I was growing up, I enjoy mixing and matching different cereals into the same bowl. I'm getting more like my late mom, who would mix all kinds of different cereals together. I'm not yet to the level in which she would do it, but I sense that I am getting closer and closer. For now, different kinds of flakes mixed together works pretty well, but I can see myself enjoying a real mixture of flavors and textures as time goes on, i.e. flakes mixed with chex mixed with puffs, etc.
I posted on this blog sometime ago a product that has allowed me to enjoy cereal again called 'Rice Dream.' Being completely non-dairy, it works for me! It tastes good and substitutes for milk very well.
What I've noticed as I've gotten older is my inability to eat sweets as much as when I was younger. Not so much in a dietary sense, but I just don't like the taste of food that is too sweet. So when it comes to cereal, for example, I don't like a bowl full of straight frosted flakes, but rather I prefer frosted flakes 'cut' with regular corn flakes, something like half and half.
And more so than when I was growing up, I enjoy mixing and matching different cereals into the same bowl. I'm getting more like my late mom, who would mix all kinds of different cereals together. I'm not yet to the level in which she would do it, but I sense that I am getting closer and closer. For now, different kinds of flakes mixed together works pretty well, but I can see myself enjoying a real mixture of flavors and textures as time goes on, i.e. flakes mixed with chex mixed with puffs, etc.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Tim Lincecum lookalike
There was a nice segment on the local cable sports channel about a cab driver from Brazil who seriously looks a LOT like Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum. He's a tad bit shorter, speaks with a rather strong accent, and I guess his nose is a little different as well – but at quick glance and even after some time spent studying him, he really looks like he could be 'The Freak'!
The segment showed this guy, Luiz Lins, walking around San Francisco wearing a Giants cap and a Giants jersey, getting all kinds of looks from fans and non-fans alike. I don't know how much of it was for this particular show, but people on the street were asked who he was and they replied unilaterally, "That's Tim Lincecum." Many folks were taking pictures with him as well.
Now this Luiz guy says that he never lies to people claiming to be the baseball star, but he still causes a stir with his appearance. And he also states that he's been wearing his hair long ever since he was in high school; his flowing locks make him look even more like the real Tim Lincecum as well. Still, one must ask: 'Would the real baseball star walk around in public wearing a Giants baseball cap and jersey?' I don't think so.
Which leads me to an idea: wouldn't it be fun if the real Tim Lincecum worked on appropriating a Brazilian (Portuguese?) accent and insisted to fans that his name is really Luiz and that he's not Tim Lincecum? He could even don a store-bought Giants cap and jersey to look even more like he's not the actual baseball player. I imagine that once he's insisted to someone that his name isn't Tim/Timmy but rather Luiz, that someone would point out that the real Timmy wouldn't walk around with that silly cap and shirt advertising his presence, and that they've heard about a lookalike anyway. If Tim were able to ace the accent, then this sort of ruse just might work!
And more than that, wouldn't it be even more fun to imagine Tim trying to fool his teammates?
The segment showed this guy, Luiz Lins, walking around San Francisco wearing a Giants cap and a Giants jersey, getting all kinds of looks from fans and non-fans alike. I don't know how much of it was for this particular show, but people on the street were asked who he was and they replied unilaterally, "That's Tim Lincecum." Many folks were taking pictures with him as well.
Now this Luiz guy says that he never lies to people claiming to be the baseball star, but he still causes a stir with his appearance. And he also states that he's been wearing his hair long ever since he was in high school; his flowing locks make him look even more like the real Tim Lincecum as well. Still, one must ask: 'Would the real baseball star walk around in public wearing a Giants baseball cap and jersey?' I don't think so.
Which leads me to an idea: wouldn't it be fun if the real Tim Lincecum worked on appropriating a Brazilian (Portuguese?) accent and insisted to fans that his name is really Luiz and that he's not Tim Lincecum? He could even don a store-bought Giants cap and jersey to look even more like he's not the actual baseball player. I imagine that once he's insisted to someone that his name isn't Tim/Timmy but rather Luiz, that someone would point out that the real Timmy wouldn't walk around with that silly cap and shirt advertising his presence, and that they've heard about a lookalike anyway. If Tim were able to ace the accent, then this sort of ruse just might work!
And more than that, wouldn't it be even more fun to imagine Tim trying to fool his teammates?
Monday, July 4, 2011
NL All-Stars
Well, now the shoe is on the other foot... and it feels so good!
To my knowledge, it's the prior baseball season's world series managers that are given the choice of whom to select for the All-Star game, aside from the starting position players. So Giants manager Bruce Bochy was given the honor (and headache) of filling out the National League roster this year. Besides closer Brian Wilson, chosen by his peers I believe, Bochy went ahead and made three Giants starters All-Stars for this year's Summer Classic: Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Ryan Vogelsong.
In previous years, I've only looked at whether or not a player deserved to go based on their performance for the first half of the season leading up to the All-Star game. Leading up to this year's contest, however, I was finally made privy to the other school of thought that says that selection should be based on the second half of the previous season in addition to the first half of the current season.
Well, in that case, then, stellar post-season performances should weigh in too! I'm all in favor now of rewarding players that were part and parcel of a championship run. It makes sense now... I've seen the light. Lincecum and Cain are stars in the league and should be recognized by their manager for helping their team win the World Series last year. Go Giants! And as for Vogelsong, of all the San Francisco players, I wanted him to go most of all. One of the best stories in baseball.
Those who follow the Giants could even look back now and say that Barry Zito's injury that caused him to be placed on the disabled list in the first place was a most fortuitous event: it gave Vogelsong the opportunity to take his place in the rotation, solidify it, and accomplish all that he did. Plus, it gave Zito a chance to go back and recapture his 'stuff' to become a more effective pitcher himself. Win-win. If Jonathan Sanchez also comes back from the DL stronger than ever, well, I'd rather have too many good pitchers than not enough. A great problem to have.
Giants fans and players have gone through years and years of slights by World Series managers playing favorites in choosing their own players – now the Giants are in that position to have the choice, so go ahead and take it! Maybe in future years, I'll be more understanding of the obvious bias. And sad but true, managers do have to live with their own players after All-Star selections and snubs, so why make things difficult?
On another note, should the results of the All-Star game decide home-field advantage for the World Series? I prefer the idea I heard the other night that whichever league has the better win-loss record for interleague play during the season should be awarded home-field advantage. If that results in a tie, then perhaps they can go to the winner of the All-Star game, but hopefully it would never come to that.
To my knowledge, it's the prior baseball season's world series managers that are given the choice of whom to select for the All-Star game, aside from the starting position players. So Giants manager Bruce Bochy was given the honor (and headache) of filling out the National League roster this year. Besides closer Brian Wilson, chosen by his peers I believe, Bochy went ahead and made three Giants starters All-Stars for this year's Summer Classic: Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Ryan Vogelsong.
In previous years, I've only looked at whether or not a player deserved to go based on their performance for the first half of the season leading up to the All-Star game. Leading up to this year's contest, however, I was finally made privy to the other school of thought that says that selection should be based on the second half of the previous season in addition to the first half of the current season.
Well, in that case, then, stellar post-season performances should weigh in too! I'm all in favor now of rewarding players that were part and parcel of a championship run. It makes sense now... I've seen the light. Lincecum and Cain are stars in the league and should be recognized by their manager for helping their team win the World Series last year. Go Giants! And as for Vogelsong, of all the San Francisco players, I wanted him to go most of all. One of the best stories in baseball.
Those who follow the Giants could even look back now and say that Barry Zito's injury that caused him to be placed on the disabled list in the first place was a most fortuitous event: it gave Vogelsong the opportunity to take his place in the rotation, solidify it, and accomplish all that he did. Plus, it gave Zito a chance to go back and recapture his 'stuff' to become a more effective pitcher himself. Win-win. If Jonathan Sanchez also comes back from the DL stronger than ever, well, I'd rather have too many good pitchers than not enough. A great problem to have.
Giants fans and players have gone through years and years of slights by World Series managers playing favorites in choosing their own players – now the Giants are in that position to have the choice, so go ahead and take it! Maybe in future years, I'll be more understanding of the obvious bias. And sad but true, managers do have to live with their own players after All-Star selections and snubs, so why make things difficult?
On another note, should the results of the All-Star game decide home-field advantage for the World Series? I prefer the idea I heard the other night that whichever league has the better win-loss record for interleague play during the season should be awarded home-field advantage. If that results in a tie, then perhaps they can go to the winner of the All-Star game, but hopefully it would never come to that.
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