Not a good morning...

So this is what has happened to me so far this morning:

- A couple officers knocked on my door; fortunately, they were looking for the previous tenant (this isn't the first time cops have come by, looking for these people).
- My USPS carrier has already dropped by, meaning I will not receive my cell phone charger that I ordered from an eBay store three days ago until Wednesday, thanks to the observance on Tuesday for President Ford.
- Sometimes I like taking my 19" LCD monitor into my room and hooking it up to my laptop. This morning, I went to disconnect the power and vga cables from the monitor, which was connected to the laptop, and carried the monitor out of my room. I heard a snap as I nearly tripped on a wire; it seems I had connected the laptop's line out port to the line in port on the monitor (the monitor has built in speakers, which actually sound a tad better than the speakers on my laptop). From the trip, I stumbled to about a 4 inches off the floor, which is when the monitor slipped out of my hands :(. Total damage: a busted line-out port on the laptop (which, amazingly, still works), a dinged LCD (hopefully that's all that's wrong with it), and a sense of hurt pride.

How was your morning?

Where have I been???

Wow...it's certainly been a while since I last posted an entry here. Between the holidays, my general laziness, being sick (yet again!), and a few other things, I hadn't had the urge to make a post. So I'll probably split up everything I want to talk about over multiple posts...

- So for almost a year, I've had a Voicestick.com account for the free incoming calls, which I'm using for the intermcom in my condominium complex. I had $5 in the account, but could not figure out how to work my Linksys PAP2 to make outgoing calls on my Voicestick account (I would keep getting a "we cannot process this call at this time" error).

After a bit of Googling, and some changes to my configuration, I was finally able to make outgoing calls! This has become necessary this week because my cell phone charger is in Monterey Park, and I am not :P.

- Barry Zito for seven years and $126 million from the San Francisco Giants, eh? Nice signing! I'm actually very happy that the Giants made this ridiculous signing; it makes me feel a heck of a lot better about the Dodgers' signing of Juan Pierre. Never mind how good the Jason Schmidt deal looks, in comparison. $18 million a year for a 28 year old who has been on the decline, and whose fastball has slowed down a bit lately? That's pretty bad. Seven years for said player? That's REALLY bad. Said player signed by the hated Giants? That's really really good!

More to come...

AI for Miller, Smith, and 2 #1s

So AI has finally been traded, to the Denver Nuggets for PG Andre Miller, F Joe Smith, and 2 #1s in 2007. I'm glad the trade has finally happened; I gotta get AI off my fantasy bench :-P

My thoughts on the deal:

For Denver: I'm not sure I like this deal, from Denver's standpoint. For the short-term, the trade works; Denver needed someone to fill in the scoring void left by the suspensions to 'Melo and JR Smith. However, does anyone think 'Melo and AI can share one ball when they're both on the court? As Charles Barkley said on the Jim Rome Show a couple days ago, Denver would need the old leather ball and the new microfiber ball for that to work. Not to mention, they gave up 2 #1s in what might be one of the deepest NBA drafts in years? Never mind that they also gave away an expiring contract (Joe Smith). From a fantasy standpoint, I hope the reduced number of shots AI will likely take will lead to an increase in FG%; I don't mind trading a few PPG for a little spike in FG%. I don't mind a lower TO rate, either.
For Philly: This deal isn't that bad, from Philly's standpoint. I'm not sure that a better deal--not counting the non-deal to Minnesota, involving Randy Foye--was out there. I don't see how Andre Miller is a good fit in Philly, though, and it would have been nice if Miller's contract was an expiring one. Who knows? Maybe Andre Miller might make CWebb a respectable NBAer again (ok ok, he's no miracle worker, after all). However, consider the 2 #1s, and the fact that AI needed to go--the sooner, the better--and the trade doesn't look too bad. From a fantasy standpoint, I would imagine that Miller's APG has to drop. Hopefully he's not forced to shoot more, which may decrease his APG and, possibly, his FG% as well.

Random thoughts:
- I really hate Fantasy Football.
- I love Amazon.com. I ordered a TV for my mom, for $1089, and found it was now selling for $1029. I called Amazon about getting a price adjustment, and the CSR I spoke to said the new price was $989! He credited my Discover card a cool $100, even though I was expecting $60!
- I still haven't bought myself a Christmas present yet...

Fight Night at MSG

So apparently there was an unscheduled championship fight at MSG a couple nights ago, involving lightweight Carmelo Anthony and heavyweight Mardy Collins. Here's what I thought I thought about the fight:

- What the heck was Nate Robinson doing??? Yeah, the Carmelo sucker-punch was way out of line, but did you see Nate Robinson's actiions during the entire fracas (by the way, I love the word "fracas")? When he put his hands up to go after a backpedaling 'Melo, I couldn't help but laugh.
- Nice job, 'Melo...nice job, throwing away all goodwill you earned in the past year. By the way, Jermaine O'Neal...Mardy Collins...Ron Artest...'Melo...Nate Robinson...Steven Jackson off the bench...pretty scary lineup, no? (scary in the sense that you wouldn't want these five together anywhere near Detroit)
- Isiah Thomas got off about as easily as he could have. As some have remarked, however, perhaps staying as coach of the Knicks is punishment enough.
- Gee, George Karl, tell me what you really think about Isiah Thomas.

By the way, why the heck is it so cold??? I can't believe I actually have to have the heater turned on!

Random thoughts:
- Sick stat I just saw on ESPN: LaDainian Tomlinson, by himself, has scored more points this season than two teams (Tampa Bay and Oakland).
- That cut on Jeff Garcia's hand was NASTY!
- Quick fantasy football update: I'm up 24 points, with CJ and TJ left, versus Peyton and Wayne (gulp!) The Cinderella team in our league has won already, and is awaiting an opponent for the championship.

Just some random thoughts

- What the heck was Carmelo Anthony thinking???
- If Isiah Thomas really ordered that flagrant foul on JR Smith (and how would the NBA prove it???), he shouldn't be suspended more than a couple games. He should be fired on the spot. And I'm not saying that because I believe that is a fireable offense; I just think Knicks' owner James Dolan needs to get rid of Isiah NOW.
- The Office episode on Thursday...that was awesome!
- What the heck was Terrell Owens thinking? Oh wait, he doesn't...
- How is it possible that there are ~ 2 weeks left in 2006?
- Fantasy football update: Tony Romo + Frank Gore = 29 points. Nice way to start building my Peyton Manning buffer...by the way, Marion Barber III had 15 points today. If I make it to the championships, I might have to root in favor of our division champ to face me in the finals.

That's all I got for today!

Are you ready for some (Fantasy) football (playoffs)?

Hooray! It's time for my Fantasy Football league's playoffs! I finshed third, and I drew a team headlined by Peyton Manning . More importantly, I get to avoid the team with Tom Brady + Corey Dillon (v Houston) and Marques Colston and Devery Henderson (v Washington), as well as Maurice Jones-Drew (v Tennessee). I'll leave it up to our regular season champ to deal with that team :-P

I can't believe the team with LaDainian Tomlinson finished second to last in this league! LT, on behalf of that manager, I do apologize.

Random thoughts:
- So apparently the Boston Red Sox are not interested in paying ~ $150 million for the services of Daisuke Matsuzaka. I can't say I'm that surprised by the decision. $15 million+ a year for a guy who has pitched exactly 0 innings in the major leagues? Come on, Mr. Boras...even you have to think your demands are a bit ridiculous!
- I can't wait to update this blog with a note pointing out that Boras was right and I was wrong :P
- I still can't figure out why a single antenna on my Linksys WRT54G works better than two (better signal strength, better wireless coverage, etc.)
- The Question Mark nixed a trade to the Charlotte Bobcats, so I hear. Setting aside the fact that they are the Charlotte Bobcats, I don't see why he would nix the deal. He gets to play for a team ridiculously under the salary cap = the team can add star players to assist AI. He gets to stay on the East Coast, in the (L)Eastern Conference. He also gets to work under MJ, though I'm not sure if that's really that great. I can imagine Charlotte's thinking, though: why stunt the growth of Felton, May, and Morrison, by bringing in a guy that thinks passing means running faster than the guy trying to defend you?
- An ESPN Insider article linked on the front page is entitled "[Gil] Meche not worth what the Royals paid." A couple weeks ago, there was an article entitled "Gwynn deserves to be in Hall of Fame." I'm paying $30 a year for THAT?!?!? I can't wait for next week's article, "Barry Bonds hits a lot of home runs."

Some random thoughts...*

* - Ha! These thoughts aren't random at all! =-P

- The iPod nano is a really neat device! Yeah, I know...I should welcome myself to 2005.
- The Dodgers better not trade for Vernon Wells (Toronto Blue Jays' CF), unless they could get him to sign an extension before the season begins. By the way, despite the successful, if not expensive, offseason the Dodgers have had so far, I'm cautiously optimistic about next season. The fact that Jason Repko still projects to be on our 25 man roster scares me.
- It seems that both Oakland and Detroit are 2-10 so far this season. Looks like they're both in good shape for the Brady Quinn sweepstakes. Troy Smith isn't a bad consolation prize, though...
- Some Fantasy Basketball news: one of my fantasy teams, currently residing in fourth-place, will be AI-less for a while (sigh). Speaking of the Question Mark...did you hear this pathetic statement he released?

"As hard as it is to admit, a change may be the best thing for everyone," Iverson said. "I hate admitting that because I love the guys on the team and the city of Philadelphia. I truly wanted to retire a 76er."

I wonder if star athletes pull these statements out of a book, Mad Libs style, and just fill in the blanks. Never mind that NBA teams that trade their superstar tank for the few years afterwards (Vince Carter and Shaq quickly come to mind, and KG and Paul Pierce are also possibilities this year). I truly wanted to retire a 76er? I love the guys on the team? If AI added "I love the guys...but they stink, and I'm not winning a thing with them," I would respect that a whole lot more than this garbage. BTW, pairing the Question Mark with the Most Overrated Player of the Last Ten Years (C-Webb) was quite entertaining while it lasted. These two guys belong together in the "Hall of Non-Championship-Winners." I am very interested, though, in where he ends up. Minnesota would be an interesting option, if Minny had the expiring contracts Philly would want in any deal. Dallas is insane if they trade for AI, much less include Devin Harris in any deal. Boston? I don't see how that deal makes sense, unless Boston plans on parlaying an AI trade into a Paul Pierce deal as well. I hear Denver is rumored as well, but they already have Carmelo Anthony.

If the Question Mark shows up anywhere this season, it has to be with the Knicks!!! The Knicks have some expiring contracts, and I'm sure the Knicks don't mind giving up picks as well (snicker...). AI going to the Knicks, being paired with Starbury...that might be good for 2 extra victories a year! More importantly, the Knicks might set a record for the most number of shoot-first "point guards" with self-appointed nicknames! If I didn't get Manny Ramirez in a Dodger uniform, this would be a nice consolation!

LA Dodger/Hot Stove Thoughts, part deux

As promised, my thoughts and feelings about the players that were, or will be, gone next year, including some guy whose name eludes me at the moment. Grades indicate, again, how I feel about the move (A: great move, F: horrible move).

- Losing Greg Maddux (SP) to the Padres: 1 year, $10 million contract, with an option in 2008 for up to $10 million more. Yet I'm supposed to believe it wasn't about the money. Terrible signing for the Padres, but only because I'm a Dodger fan. Maddux has to be credited somewhat for the way Lowe and Billingsley improved so much in the second half of the season, and realizing that Maddux could now work with the likes of Jake Peavy and Chris Young pains me. Still, a potential $20 million deal for two years for a guy who couldn't throw a fastball through a window does seem like overpaying just a bit. If I can be persuaded into believing that Maddux's departure opened the door for Jason Schmidt, then I'll sleep better tonight. Grade: B/B+
- Losing Julio Lugo (SS) to the Boston Red Sox: 4 year, $36 million contract. Based solely on what Lugo provided us after the trade from Tampa Bay, I could care less about him. What angers me is that we gave away Joel Guzman to rent this guy and his barely-over-.200 average in the time he was with us. I do take solace, though, in the fact that Boston outbid themselves to pay this guy $9 million a year. Still, that offer makes way more sense than the Gary Matthews to Anaheim deal, or the Juan Pierre (sigh) deal. Grade: eh, whatever...B?
- Losing that guy (RF) to the Boston Red Sox: 5 year, $70 million contract. Count me in among those rooting for this guy to fail miserably in BoSox gear, even if that means watching Boston choke to the Yankees! I hope the Dodgers schedule Boston in Dodger Stadium this year. BoSox fan, enjoy your 20 HR, 90 RBI, .280 average, high OPS, and total lack of emotion. I remember when this guy began his Dodger career, nearly going 0-for-April. The fact that this is a distinct possibility in BoSox gear makes me giddy. I can imagine all New England sports writers lining up their bombs, waiting to blast this guy. Good riddance! Grade: A+++++.
- Losing Eric Gagne (RP) to ??????. I'm sorry to see the guy go, but the fact that Scott Boras wants $6 million+ for a guy who hasn't thrown much at all in recent memory speaks about as much as Boras'/Gagne's greediness as it does the ridiculous pitching market these days. The 84-save streak will not soon be forgotten, though. Good luck elsewhere, unless you end up in Boston. If you do, hopefully you hang a change that is lined off that RF's head. Ok ok, that was mean; hopefully you hang a change that is hammered into deep right, and that RF twists a knee chasing it down. Grade: C

Some quick LA Dodger/Hot Stove Thoughts

So after day 3 of the MLB Winter Meetings, my Dodgers have been quite busy. Here are my thoughts on each move, gain or loss. Each move will be given a letter grade, which is not necessarily a prediction of future returns on the move. Moves are listed in no particular order If I forgot anything, I do apologize.

- Signing Jason Schmidt (SP) for 3 years and $47 million: ridiculous on paper, especially at > $15 million per, but I love this signing. It serves multiple purposes: 1) it takes a key piece out of an NL West foe, 2) it keeps Schmidt in the pitcher-friendly NL West, which can't be a bad thing, 3) even for the high annual salary, it was only a 3-year commitment. Ned Colletti's insistence on relatively short, high-$$$ contracts for vets worked last year, and I think this contract will pay for itself in many ways, one of which gives the Dodgers flexibility to trade a pitcher (Brad Penny) and a prospect (James Loney? Matt Kemp?) for a corner outfield bat we need. The only concerns I have involve his age (33) and his shoulder. Grade: A/A-
- Signing Luis Gonzalez (LF) for 1 year and around $7 million: another short-term, high-$$$ contract that I have no problem with. Similar positives as with the Schmidt signing (keeping Gonzo in the NL West, taking him away from an NL West foe, short-term commitment). Besides, with the projected OF of Ethier, Pierre, and Loney, we obviously needed another veteran bat in the OF. Loney can spend another year as a valuable 1B/OF utility man. If we can get 15-18 HR, and 75+ RBI with around a .270 average, I'll be OK with the signing. He's not Manny Ramirez (duh), but he's also not Manny (in that other sense). Grade: B
- Signing Mike Lieberthal (C) to a 1 year, $1.25 million contract: nice, cheap backup to Russell Martin, since current backup C Toby Hall wants to be traded. Not much to say about this contract signing, unless we pick up anything remotely decent for Hall. Grade: eh, B?
- Re-signing Takashi Saito (CP) to a 1 year, $1 million deal. This is a great deal. For what this guy did for us last year, he could miss the entire season, and the deal would still be worth it. Besides, he's clearly a stopgap until Johnathon Broxton is ready to assume the closer's role (if he ever does become ready). It doesn't suck that this is yet another short-term investment, though I would not have been annoyed if they gave Saito an extra year, or at least an option year. Grade: A
- Signing Randy Wolf (SP) to a 1 year, $8 million contract. I mentioned in an earlier blog posting that this was the best signing so far for the Dodgers, and although this signing was replaced by the Schmidt signing, this was still a good pickup. Wolf projects to be our SP4 (3 if Penny gets dealt), and the 1 year deal makes this signing a bad gamble, at worst, and a gem at best. Clearly, Wolf is nothing more than a stopgap for the likes of Billingsley and Scott Elbert to continue maturing. Never mind the fact that Wolf was, a few years back, quite the accomplished pitcher. I thought the dollars was a bit much, but the 1 year commitment makes me happy. Grade: A
- Signing Juan Pierre (CF) to a 5 year, $44 million contract. Somewhere on this list had to be a signing that didn't please me, and here it is. Why pay ~$9 million per year for a slap-hitting speedster on a team that has nobody to drive him in? By the way, don't we already have a guy like that playing shortstop? Never mind the fact that Pierre will be 35 when his contract ends, and he's pretty average defensively. A 1 year offer to Kenny Lofton, even at a price of ~$5-6 million, would have been a much better investment, despite the fact that Lofton pretty much disappeared in the postseason. Nothing about this signing makes me particularly happy. Pierre could make me happy if he continues to steal ~ 50 bases/year and continues to hit as he has in recent years. I'm not sure if I see that happening, though. Grade: C-/D+
- Re-signing Nomar Garciaparra (1B) to a 2 year, $18.5 million contract. I believed this signing would not have happened if that unnamed guy who used to play RF for the Dodgers didn't stab us in the back and chased more money (it's a shame he won't play LF in Boston...I would pay to see him run smack into the Green Monster, Wile E. Coyote style. His leaving practically forced us to re-sign Nomar. It's hard to argue against what Nomar produced last year (.300+, 20 HR, 93 RBI), and I'd expect a similar performance in 2007, due to the fact that he'll most likely remain at 1B. Yes, I would rather see James Loney at 1B in 2007, which is why I wished this was a 1 year deal instead of 2. However, it's still a pretty good deal, assuming Nomar plays at least 100 games this year. Who knows? Maybe he'll be lost in June, and Loney blossoms at 1B, the way Ethier did last year (until the end of the season). Grade: A/A-

Next blog: my thoughts on the players that will be, or are already, lost, including a certain RFer...

Two antennae...

If replacing one antenna on a Linksys WRT54G increases signal strength, is it unreasonble to expect a bigger boost in signal strength when replacing both antennae?

Apparently it is. For the past week, I've had two DLink antennae (see below) hooked up to my Linksys WRT54G, and it seems as if the connection to my wireless devices is worse than it was when I had the two stock antennae attached!

A Hot Stove League version of Random Thoughts:
- Greg Maddux is a San Diego Padre after signing a 1 year, $10 million contract with a team option that could be worth as much as $9 million. But it wasn't about the money...
- That former LA Dodger Right Fielder signed a 5 year, $70 million contract with the Boston Red Sox. I can't wait for him to start crying when Red Sox nation begins booing him. $70 million, though, will delude him into believing that the crowd is just chanting his last name. By the way, while Dodger fan was chanting his name, I was definitely booing.
- Julio Lugo is also a BoSox now, signing a $9 million/year deal. What's hilarious is that, apparently, Boston outbid itself for this guy's services.
- Barry Zito is supposedly "mulling" a 6 year, $90+ million contract offer from the Mets. What the hell is there to mull over???
- Manny Ramirez will not become a Dodger, even though nothing is official yet. I just know it's not going to happen.
- ESPN ranked all 32 NFL teams in a BCS-like format, and, as usual, the Colts just missed the championship game.
- I'm still bent over the results of last week's Fantasy Football matchup, so I've got nothing to say about Fantasy Football today.

I Freaking HATE Fantasy Football

My opponent this week got four points from Tom Brady, even though he faced the Detroit Lions.

My opponent got zeroes from Marques Colston (out) and Devery Henderson.

My opponent got a zero from Benjamin Watson.

My opponent did not play Corey Dillon, who scored three TDs against Detroit.

I had Larry Johnson against Cleveland, and Frank Gore against New Orleans, two pretty porous run defenses.

And I still found a way to lose, even though I had a ten point lead with Tony Romo and Jeremy Shockey left, against Maurice Jones-Drew and Marion Barber III. That lead was quickly extended to seventeen when Eli Manning tossed a TD to Shockey early in the Dallas/NYG game.

Thanks Jon Kitna, for all those turnovers to the NE defense.
Thanks Tony Romo, for those two early picks, and a 0 TD game.
Thanks Eli Manning, for throwing a horrible pass to an open Shockey in the end zone.
Thanks Trent Green, for throwing all those TD passes, instead of handing off to LJ in the red zone.
Thanks San Francisco's offense, for treating Frank Gore like a hood decoration.
Thanks refs, for calling back that Chad Johnson TD, as if receivers in the league don't get away with stuff like that all the time.

Five game win streak? Poof. Potential #1 seed (the league leader also lost this week)? Gonzo. What's in the future for me? A possible first-round playoff matchup against this same team. Oh by the way, the Saints play Washington (horrible pass defense) that week, and NE plays Houston (just plain horrible). I get Larry Johnson v San Diego, and Larry Fitzgerald v Denver.

I hate fantasy football. I really do.

By the way, losing to a last-second, sixty-yard field goal probably sucks too.

That is all. Happy blogging!

Random Thoughts...

Nothing much to blog about today; I'm back in MPK and freaking ill.

The laptop is a b!tch...blog will have to come another day.

Random thoughts:
- UCLA's victory over USC is about the best thing that could have happened this past weekend, as far as the B(S)CS is concerned. Either Florida or Michigan will get screwed over, and I love it! As you can tell, I'm no fan of the B(S)CS.
- How is Manny Ramirez not a Dodger yet?
- Not that I needed definitive proof that upgrading from 256MB of RAM to 512+ yields a huge performance boost, but I worked on a computer on Friday that used to take ~ 15 minutes to load Internet Exploder from boot. With an extra 512MB of RAM, that time was reduced to ~ 2 minutes. Why OEMs include only 256MB in their computers is beyond me...oh wait, it probably has something to do with being able to charge a ton for more RAM.