KroBlog

A Cold Summer's Weekend of Movie Watching

2011-08-07T22:18:00.003-07:00

It’s summer in Belmont, California, which is kind of like winter in Eastern Washington. During slow summer weekends here in Belmont, the Krozek family makes a fire, pulls the bed out of the sofa, curls- up and watches movies.

This weekend I saw three movies, two adult movies and one family movie. I would recommend all of the movies for certain, but most significantly, and strangely, the movies featured characters who lost an arm. I didn’t know there were so many recent movies made about lost appendages.

127 Hours is about the guy who got his arm stuck between an 800 pound boulder and the side of rock-wall for 5 days before chopping it off. Soul Surfer is about the 14 girl who got her arm bit off by a Tiger Shark while surfing one day. True Grit is about a 14 year old girl who seeks revenge for her father’s murder by hiring a US Marshall to track down her father’s killer and ends up losing her arm after getting bit by a rattler snake.

I like all these movies – perhaps there’s something about arm-losing-movies that I like more than regular movies. Maybe I am more sympathetic to arm-losing-movies. I rank the arm losing movies I saw this weekend in the following order: 1. True Grit 2. 127 Hours 3. Soul Surfer.

All worth watching.

National Doughnut Day Trivia

2011-06-10T16:41:00.001-07:00

1. Although controversial, the Dutch settlers are traditionally known for importing doughnuts to America, around 1847.
2. Dunkin Donuts is the world's largest coffee and baked goods chain.
3. Krispy Kreme, founded in 1937 proudly boasts the slogan, "Hot Original Glazed"
4. Entenmann's rich frosted chocolate dipped doughnut was the company's top seller in 2005.
5. Coconut Crunch was NOT one of Dunkin' Donuts top selling donuts as of 2005.
6. Paczki is the name given to the popular Polish doughnut, which is now being marketed in many U.S. grocery stores today.
7. According to an article published by Restaurant.org in 2002, Americans consume 10 billion doughnuts annually.
8. According to a 2004 report by USA Today, doughnut sales increased 9% in 2003. According to the same article, how much is the U.S. doughnut industry is worth $3.6 billion.
9. The first year that National Donut Day was celebrated was 1938.
10. John Haight holds the original Guiness Record for most donuts eaten at one sitting in just over six minutes. He consumed 26 doughnuts.
11. President Obama prefers Dunkin’ Donuts.
12. The largest Dunkin' Donuts shop on the planet is located on Siam Square in Bangkok, Thailand which can accommodate 130 guests.

Exquisite Corpse

2011-03-16T21:30:00.002-07:00

I saw this exercise done the other day. It's used in school art classes, but would be a great family game night activity. If you read the link you can do this with poetry/words/prose.

Looks fun.

Alpine Meadows Avalanche of 1982

2011-01-31T11:24:00.004-08:00

For those of you who are from the Bay Area and were born prior to or in the 60's or early 70's you may remember the big avalanche at Alpine Meadows in 1982.

We're big Alpine skiers now and love the resort. Our kids are in a weekly program there and we're all season pass holders.

For some reason this past weekend, we were talking about the massive avalanche that killed 7 people and covered the base of the resort and most of the parking lot. It's not a great bed-time story, but if you remember the event, you'll find these links super interesting - both about the disaster and the story of Anna Conrad who survived the avalanche and was buried alive for five days. This is a great video rememberance of the story which is about 8 minutes long, but well worth it.

All you need to know about Spring Training in Arizona

2011-01-31T10:47:00.002-08:00

My son and I are big Spring Training fans and we're headed there in a few weeks when it kicks off in Arizona. Obviously, our Giants are the big draw for us, but this trip, we're going to see five games in three days at five different stadiums.

Here's a great map of the area with the ball parks high-lighted.

And here's the calendar for this Spring's 2011 games in AZ.

Enjoy!

TV

2011-01-13T16:36:00.002-08:00

There's some good TV out there right now and it seems that the major networks aren't quite clear what's good and what's not...

Dexter
Southland
The Big C

But the best show on TV right now is Modern Family.

I know a lame post, but a post nonetheless.

The Pacific Atlantic

2010-10-22T09:49:00.002-07:00

I stayed at the Royal Pacific Hotel in Orlando, Florida, last night and hotel employees are constantly greeting guests with "Aloha." Strange for lots of reasons...

Grout Jokes

2010-08-31T21:33:00.002-07:00

My friend Duisy reminded me today of this expansive bathroom stall on the second floor of the library at UCSB that had dozens of great "Grout Jokes" filling the small lines of grout in between the large light green subway tiles. The beauty of the grout joke is not just the joke or the simple saying, it's that it's written in teeny tiny letters in the grout itself.

Ain't no grout about it
Let me grout!
Twist and grout
The Grout, the Bad and the Ugly
Grout, Grout get it outloud, these are the things that we grout about, come on, I'm talking to you...
Oscar the Grout
The Grout Wall of China

You get the idea...simple yet classy.

Dirty Cars

2010-03-31T11:51:00.003-07:00

While we here at the KroBlog take great pride in creating content for readers and consumers of all ages, this next blurb, may not be for everyone. It could create confusion, perhaps, for kids, forcing an unwilling parent to explain the humor in the following story. But, so be it.

My wife and I were in Tahoe last weekend (just the two of us!) and were driving behind a filthy SUV, coated with dirt, especially on the back window.

On the window, someone had written: "I wish my girlfriend was as dirty as this car."

Funny.

One of the World's Greatest Hikes

2010-03-24T09:56:00.004-07:00

One of the world's greatest treks is shrinking. In February of 1992, I hiked the Annapurna Circuit - a 150 mile trek around the four Annapurna Mountains in the Himalayas.

I had planned to do the journey by myself, but on the eve of my departure, while I was waiting in seemingly endless lines to get my permit in the treking office in Thamel in Kathmandu, I connected with three Brits: Iain, Pete and Claire. After a 10 minute conversation, we decided to spend the next 17 days together on this adventure.

It turns out that the 150 mile circuit shrunk a bit in 1994, when the gov't extended the road a bit, turning the 17 day hike into an 11 day hike. Now the "foot only" path is shrinking even more, to 4 days, as the gov't plans to extend the road even more. My mother-in-law, sent me this interesting article from the NY Times that you should read.

While this is bad for hikers, it's a good thing for the thousands of people who live in this region of the Himalayas. Modern products will be more readily available and the roads will allow easy passage for the mountain people traveling from town to town.

And as my friend John said, "Would you rather travel across the US in a covered wagon, risk your life, and have it take four months, or would you rather drive across the country in a car or even fly in an airplane?"

Taxi Company in NYC

2010-02-10T14:18:00.002-08:00

I was getting a ride to JFK from Manhattan last week and struck up a conversation with the cab driver about his business. He told me that his company was comprised of three drivers, including himself, and he had two cabs.

Cabs in New York need to be licensed through the City Commissions office. You need a medallion, which you have to pay for. There's also a secondary market for these medallions, because there are a limited number of medallions available. The asset value of the medallion can be very, very valuable.

So the interesting thing about this conversation is that this cabby has been offered $1.5 million for his cab business - two cars and three people. He owes about $1.2 to $1.3 million in loans on the business, so the sale isn't that interesting to him, but the real interesting thing is that a couple of licensed cabs in NYC are worth so much money!

As a side note, he says a Crown Vic will get you 300,000 to 400,000 miles per engine/drive train. Not too shabby, Ford.

What is the Bay Area?

2010-01-15T10:44:00.002-08:00

My wife and I talk about this every once in a while, usually on a family trip, traveling outside the Bay Area. The question is simple: Where does the Bay Area begin and end?

The easiest definitive boarder is to the West. The Pacific Ocean gives us a clear Western edge to the region.

To the East, most folks would agree that Livermore, Walnut Creek, and Concord are the edge of the Bay Region and as you move towards Granite Bay and places like Tracy, you're really talking about the Central Valley.

Perhaps the most confusing parts of the question is the area to the North and the area to the South.

Let's start with the North. What's the Northern most city in the Bay Area? I would say Petaluma. My wife, Kim, would say Novato. She thinks that the small hills between Novato and Petaluma are a natural boarder to the Bay Area. I say it's Petaluma, because many people commute from Petaluma to San Francisco to work. San Francisco seems uniformally recognized as the epicenter of the Bay Area.

To the South: I would say Gilroy is still in the Bay Area, while others suggest that the Bay Area ends with the Southern most point of San Jose. Those same people would say that Morgan Hill is outside the Bay Area.

I think we really need to figure this out as a society. How can you call yourself a Bay Arean if you live in Santa Rosa? Or San Juan Bautista?

Rushing closer to your heart

2009-10-29T13:51:00.003-08:00

I have been listening to quite a bit of Rush lately...my favorite songs in this latest groove I am in are:

I submit to you the genius of Closer to the Heart, a gem which was released in 1977:

And the men who hold high places

Must be the ones who start
To mold a new reality
Closer to the heart, closer to the heart

The blacksmith and the artist
Reflect it in their art
They forge their creativity
Closer to the heart, yes closer to the heart

Philosophers and ploughmen
Each must know his part
To sow a new mentality
Closer to the heart, well closer to the heart

You can be the captain
And I will draw the chart
Sailing into destiny
Closer to the heart, yes closer to the heart

I said closer to the heart, yeah closer to the heart
Closer to your heart, I said closer to your heart

Any lyricist that can use "ploughmen" in his lyrics in the post industrial revolution world, is a magician.

I also really like how the first line is "and the men who hold high places." Why does Geddy Lee start it with "and" as if the first line was adding on to something that predicated it? And "men who hold high places"...so much mystery: Who are these men? How high are these places? What are these places he's talking about?

If you listen to the song, it's a roller coaster...slow, fast, lyrics, guitar solos with heavy bass...but the best part has got to be the hand bells. Part of the song actually sounds like something you would hear during the holidays while shopping at Macy's.

I think per capita Canada produces more entertainers than any other country on the planet. Here's to you Geddy Lee...

just a couple of movie quotes

2009-10-25T21:03:00.003-08:00

Just a couple of movie quotes for you:

From Dazed and Confused: "Let me tell you what Melba Toast is packin' right here, all right. We got 4:11 Positrac outback, 750 double pumper, Edelbrock intake, bored over 30, 11 to 1 pop-up pistons, turbo-jet 390 horsepower. We're talkin' some f#ckin' muscle."

And from Say Anything: "I don't want to sell anything, buy anything or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought or processed. Or repair anything sold, bought or processed, y'know? As a career I don't want to do that."

If you haven't seen Dazed and Confused or Say Anything in a while, you've been put on notice...

Star Trek Movie Review

2009-09-24T22:30:00.003-07:00

I am on plane from London to SFO and have a pretty good line up of movies in front of me, starting with Star Trek.

The film opened strong with mystery, intrigue, action, Klingons, and the birth of our hero, James Tiberius Kirk.

After Star Trek, look for me to enjoy The Hangover and Tyson.

So far I really like the introduction of McCoy, and his character, into the story on the shuttle as they venture off to Star Fleet. 1 minute after McCoy's introduction, and he has already uttered the words: “I am a Doctor, Jim.” Solid.

BTW, am I missing any nudity here with Uhuru? Or green this green gal? Because I am watching this movie on the plane and so far no green naked women...you always wondered on the TV version what they would have done if nudity was permited on TV. Jim was always getting busy with alien women. I heard an interview once with William Shatner and he claims that he was actually the first person to participate in an inter-racial kiss on TV because of his scenes with green alien ladies.

More on the movie:
- They are off on their adventure, presumably into battle, and have just boarded the Enterprise and the sound effects are reminiscent of the popular TV show. The inoculations and vaccines from McCoy to Kirk, the doors opening and closing.
- Not sure about Chekov..a little much with the accent.
- I like the humor.
- Winona Ryder is a bit much too.
- Red alert…looks good, feels right.
- Uhuru and Spock? Really? Interesting, very interesting.

My meal just came…signing off for a bit…

OK, I'm back...

- “Dammit Man, I’m a Doctor, not a physicist!”
- Some midget sleestack seem to be present on the Ice Planet that is just too damn similar to the opening scene on Empire Strikes Back.
- Spock from the future? Hmmm. The jury is still out.
- Mr. Scot is now stuck in some giant pipe like thing the fat German kid in Willie Wonka…
- I like how James T Kirk gets his ass kicked every once in a while…just like the show.
- Scotty just gave the “I’m giving it all she’s got, Captain!” Good stuff.

Over Iceland now…I never been there. I need to check out Reykjavik some day.

- Older Spock sounds like he has some thick soup stuck in his throat.
- And now the end is like the end of the Star Wars of our youth.
- They still don’t explain the colors of the shirts…gold for some, blue for some, red for others.
- Why didn’t Shatner do the “boldly gone where no one has gone before” voice over at the end? Nemoy did it instead and it didn’t sound right.

Still, a strong effort…

If you've ever worked for a VC funded company

2009-07-30T12:14:00.001-07:00

Just a real quick funny one for any of you who have ever worked for a VC funded company. This link and accompanying slide show is worth the 3 minutes.

Remember that strange money they had in Europe

2009-07-08T14:27:00.003-07:00

I just went to Europe. I travel there a few times per year for work. I am blown away by the conversion rate from dollars to euros. The current exchange rate is $1 to .72 euros.

If you haven't been to Europe, in a while it's expensive to travel there. It used to be cheap to travel in Spain, for example, but now with this damn euro, prices have gone up (relatively) like 2x.

Anyway enough of my griping. What really bums me out about this whole euro thing is that you don't get all the cool money and coins when you go to a new country. No more Spanish peseta, French franc (they still have the Swiss franc, though), German deutschmark, Dutch guilder, Italian lira, or Greek drachma.

It's sad...although I hear the whole euro thing is really catching on...it's the second most common currency in the world with almost $1 trillion in circulation!

The Oxford Project

2009-05-29T15:33:00.003-07:00

This is one of those things you wish you had time to do. You wish you had the foresight to do.

Anyhow, this is really neat. In 1984, a man named Peter Feldstein set up a sign outside of a store on Main Street in Oxford, Iowa, which read, "Free Pictures." Oxford had just under 700 residents at the time and Feldstein took photos of nearly all of them.

In 2004 he went back and did it again, and this time he got their stories too.

Really interesting. Take some time and flip through the slide show on that link.

Memories of the John Muir Trail

2009-04-26T20:52:00.004-07:00

In the summer of 1991, my dad, Chris Rodde, Steve Daughters and I hiked the John Muir Trail, 220 miles down the spine of the Sierras. You start in Yosemite Valley and end three weeks later at the summit of Mt. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the continental United States.

My dad is prepping for another hike this summer and was reviewing his journal from the trip and sent me the following notes from the last three days of that 20 day jaunt.

"Folded up soaking wet tents and clothes and damp sleeping bags. Kids want to get to the end of trail, kiss Whitney and go home. I'm happy to hurry along also in what is now cold, wet, freezing and overcast skies - mountains are beautiful. We climbed up dramatic Glen Pass - a beautiful overlook of Ray Lakes. Steep up and down. We stopped at noon for lunch overlooking Charlotte Lake because the sun poked its face out - got most everything dried out - wrote and read a little and hope to reach mile 184 by the end of the day. Clouds in direction we travel look like certain rain, so we're crossing our fingers that it blows over before we reach our destination. Tim's jacket doesn't work well for rain, so he is wearing garbage bags. After lunch, easy hike down to Vidette Meadow, then up (mostly), medium effort to mile 184. After some lukewarm sun, it's freezing again and spitting rain. Got tent up before rain/snow. It's going to be a cold night. All bundled up for dinner."

Then, the next day, "It was 20 degrees last night. Tent works real good. Everyone is strong. One and a half hours to Forester Pass. 1,900 feet up - great trail - cold at top. Thunder clouds to the north, clear to the south. Left pass to head south at 11:00 am. Wonderful sun! We are all ready to finsh so we are pushing on to Guitar Lake - BIG DAY. Walked from mile 183 1/2 to mile 203 1/2 - all of it between 10,000 and 13,000 feet. Everyone is tired, with sore feet."

Then, that evening, "Guitar Lake - 38 degrees at sunset. Pink and gray sky and very, very cold. Good tired feeling. Legs tired, feet tired. As we went to bed in the open, about 9:00 pm, we noticed lightening flashes to the northeast. The sky was ablaze with stars - the Milky Way and a number of shooting stars. We all said it was really important that we reached Guitar Lake."

And, on the next day, "At 5:00 am on Day 20, we woke to very frequent flashes of lightening in the western sky. We said, "LETS GET GOING" - so by 6:30 am we were on our way - temperature about 25 degrees and a 3,000 foot climb ahead. Took three hours to reach the top - temperature dropped to 20 degrees with 30 mph winds and wind chill factor of minus 18 degrees - snowing - really, really cold - hands very numb - happy to reach the top. Took victory pix and ate our lunch in the hut. Then headed down, down, down for the 6,000 foot descent, ending at Whitney Portal at about 3:00 pm. Got ride with fellow walker into Lone Pine, had a real meal, got pictures developed and waited for the bus which left at 10:30 pm and dropped us off in Lee Vining at about 3:00 am."

Let's "penny" our way through this

2009-04-17T14:20:00.002-07:00

As we all know by now, Obama will putting 1 trillion dollars back into the economy through various means, but the gist of this thing is that we're creating money out of thin air. We're firing up the printing presses and giving money away to various companies and organizations to pay off bad debt or to fund various projects which could spur jobs, etc, etc...

With any luck this whole thing might get us out of this mess, but I have a plan which could get us out of the mess, after the mess.

We need to simply get the trillion dollars back out of the market. (One of the big concerns about the magic trillion is stagflation. Some folks say inflation, but trust me, stagflation is the real issue). So, the laws of supply and demand still hold true with monetary policies, so let's do something with the currency to keep up the demand for the US dollar. Here's the answer:

Coin collecting.

Let's say there are 300 million people in the US and let's say that 200 million of those people are of coin collecting age. (Adults 18 - 55 have no interest in coin collection, so let's focus on the kids and the senior citizens). If 200 million people would simply collect $5000.00 worth of coins we could negate any possible negative effects of the influx of US dollars into the system. $5000 per coin collecting individual would be only 500,000 pennies per person (for a total of 100 trillion) or a nominal 20,000 quarters per person (for a grand total of 4 trillion quarter). Obama could bring back the Eisenhower dollar (how cool were those?) with his very own image on the coin, and each person in the 200,000,000 would only have to collect 5000 one dollar coins.

To make the coins more attractive from a collectors standpoint, you could put other, less "states-men-sy" images on the coins: Superman (there's like 5 movies, he must be popular), Aquaman (with a co-branding/advertising thing with the new movie that's coming out, or so I hear), Ironman (the movie did really well), The Hulk (the second Hulk did well) or images from any of the Wii games (that thing sells like hotcakes).

Start collection coins today! Get one of those coin collecting books with the holes in 'em. Start doing your part! Only 100 trillion pennies to go!

Let's coin collect our way out of this mess!

Sporting things to do as you live your life

2009-03-05T16:54:00.003-08:00

I have been to a number of sporting events in my life and I am here to espouse that you, loyal Kroblog readers, should do what you can to attend these venues yourself:

Chicago Blackhawks game: The best national anthem ever. The consistently-sold-out-arena screams and cheers for the entire song, rooting on the good ‘ol US of A. The game is good too, but the National Anthem is the highlight. Additionally a great celebration song after the ‘Hawks score.
Chicago Bears game in the cold: Do it just to show how tough you are.
Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley: Second best stadium baseball stadium in the country and the best seventh inning stretch in the nation.
At this point, you would believe that this is a statement only about Chicago. And yes, I am advocating that Chicago is the best sports town in the USA, but don’t despair, I have more advice.
Boston Red Sox game: Fenway is the best stadium in the country, hands down. The fans are brutal which is great. I recommend bringing your kids so you can teach them to swear properly from people who really know what they’re doing.
Toledo Mudhens game: best AAA baseball stadium in the country. Great gear too.
Visalia Oaks game: worst AA baseball stadium in the country with quirky and unique in-between-inning traditions. I remember something with cheese.
San Jose Giants game: the venue is good and the game is great. Go for the best, freshest churros you’ll ever have.
Rams Game in St. Louis: I usually wouldn’t support seeing a football match in an indoor venue, but it’s so loud you just have to experience it. The fan support is louder than any concert I have ever attended, let alone a football game.
Chelsea Soccer Match in London: Loud, yes. The comedy, here, comes from the fanatics in the stands screaming at the players. Those Brits say the strangest things.
Buffalo Bills game at Ralph Wilson Stadium: The pre-game tail gate before the competition is pure comedy. Passion and stupid drunkenness. Not for the faint of heart. If you don’t drink, don’t go, you’ll get called out and beaten up.
Thai Boxing in Bang Kok: Blood and broken bones won’t stop the opponents from fighting. When I watched the contest they brought in the medics to attend to an unconscious fighter. They took another fighter off the mat, and out of the cage, only after the challenger taking out his knee and bending it backwards…gruesome.
Baseball in Korea or Japan: great tradition, great noise, great chants, amazing supporters.
Cornell Hockey game: Great venue. Great fans. Great tradition. Great Song. If you’re there when we play Harvard, you’ll also get squid.

OK. More recommendations later. But to show you that my recommendations come from a place of expertise, here’s a list of the other venues that I have been too: 9ers, Raiders, A’s, Stanford, UCSB, Cal, USF, Mariners, Eugene Emeralds, Twins, White Sox, Duneedun Blue Jays, Toronto Blue Jays, KC Royals, Texas Rangers, Yankees, Mets, Dodgers…I could go on…

Just go. Live life. Even if you’re not a sport fan you need to experience things that millions of people are passionate about. Life will make a little bit more sense.

More on British Vernacular

2009-02-18T03:29:00.002-08:00

One of the KroBlog's most popular article in recent memory cited the differences between British and American vernacular. I am in London for the week and thought I would expand upon the original article and give you world travelers some additional insights on how to communicate in the UK on your next trip.

UK Word or Phrase = American Word or Phrase

You all right? = How's it going?
"zed" = the letter "z"
mum = mom
chips = french fries
crisps = chips (potato or otherwise)
biscuits = cookies and sometimes crackers
mobile = cell phone
fortnight = two weeks
shop = store
petrol = gasoline
boot = trunk
call box = phone booth
trousers = pants
pants = underwear
lorry = truck
over the road = across the street
the tube = subway

In addition to the above vernacular differences, the Brits use the words like excellent, special and delicious quite freely. Delicious is often used in non-food related circumstances which is fun. I also like when they call you cheeky when you're being a smart-ass (which I am quite frequently).

The Dutch Goose (Updated with breaking news)

2009-02-10T14:48:00.004-08:00

For Kroblog readers outside the Bay Area, you will find this posting only 50% thought-provoking. I will start with the general comments and then you non-Bay Area people can drop off:

Why is it that restaurants and bars are always, and I mean always, out of their branded t-shirts? Every time, and I mean every time, I try to buy a t-shirt from my favorite local watering hole or burger place, they are always out of their logo gear. "Sorry, but we only have pink tank tops in either small or XXL right now." How can this be? The margins have to be great on the clothing - most places sell their shirts for $20 and they buy them for like $5 - $8. Fascinating.

I went by the Dutch Goose today to get a few shirts for prizes for a kick-off meeting that I am hosting at work and the Goose supported my assertion above. Only XXL long sleeve shirt in stock and hooded sweat shirts. I don't get it. UPDATE: I went to the Oasis too, and they only had about 1/3 of their shirts in stock. And I just called the Canyon Inn in Redwood City and they are also out of their t-shirts. WHAT IS THE FREAKING DEAL WITH THE T-SHIRT SHORTAGE???

For Bay Area readers, the second thing to alert you of, is that the Goose now serve fries. Yup. No more stale chips, unless you want stale chips, 'cause they still have 'em. And don't worry, they still have steamed clams and deviled eggs.

More on this breaking news later....

Legos and New York City

2009-02-03T10:32:00.002-08:00

If you like Legos and you've been to New York enough times to "know" a bit about the City, you'll find this link a good use of 2 or 3 minutes.

Enjoy!

(brought to the Kroblog readers by Kristine).

Swim More!

2009-01-26T13:27:00.001-08:00

I have been swimming lately at the swim club I belong to. I have been swimming with the Masters groups as well as swimming on my own a bit. It’s going OK.

A lot of people would like to swim but don’t know where to start. I did some market research within the regular KroBlog readers via a fairly extensive survey, and there were quite a few of you who selected “interested in swimming,” “would like to swim,” or “used to swim and really liked it” on the survey, so I thought would provide a down and dirty “How To” in regards to lap swimming in a pool.

What you’ll need: a swim suit. Not the trunks or a bikini, but a proper swim suit like a Speedo. You’ll also need some goggles. You’ll also need a kick-board, a float for between your legs, and paddles for “pulling.”

So here’s the workout with a more aggressive flavor and a more entry level flavor. These should take you between 40 and 60 minutes depending on your ability.

* 400 yards (16 laps) warm-up (free style)
* 200 yards (8 laps) kick with the kick board (IM, meaning, free style kick, dolphin kick, breast kick, free style kick)
* 400 yards pull with the paddles and the float/buoy.
* 5 X 100 yard free style with 10 – 15 seconds rest in between each 100. (You could do IM’s on the evens or odds if you like).
* 10 X 50 yard free style with 10 seconds rest in between each 50. (You can build/get faster with each 50 if you want to make it harder).
* 100 yard warm down – super slow.

Here’s a work out for a more entry level type of work out:
* 200 yards (8 laps) warm-up (free style)
* 100 yards (8 laps) kick with the kick board (IM, meaning, free style kick, dolphin kick, breast kick, free style kick)
* 200 yards pull with the paddles and the float/buoy.
* 5 X 100 yard free style with 10 – 15 seconds rest in between each 100. (You could do IM’s on the evens or odds if you like).
* 5 X 50 yard free style with 10 seconds rest in between each 50. (You can build/get faster with each 50 if you want to make it harder).
* 100 yard warm down – super slow.

Have fun! Swim more!

Kin

2009-01-05T14:36:00.002-08:00

On Christmas Eve day I met a new member of my family. Not a new-born, but a 30 something year old "cousin," named Rebecca. She is my dad's cousin's daughter, which we figured made her my cousin, but we couldn't figure out whether she was my second cousin or my first cousin once removed or something completely different.

So, my step-mom did a bit of research and found this definition of cousin on Wikipedia:

"In kinship terminology, a cousin is a relative with whom one shares a common ancestor, but in modern usage the term is rarely used when referring to a relative in one's own line of descent, or where there is a more specific term to describe the relationship, e.g., brother, sister, aunt, uncle.

A system of degrees and removes is used to describe the relationship between the two cousins and the ancestor they have in common. The degree (first, second, third cousin, etc.) indicates the minimum number of generations between either cousin and the nearest common ancestor; the remove (once removed, twice removed, etc.) indicates the number of generations, if any, separating the two cousins from each other.

For example, a person with whom you share a grandparent (but not a parent) is a first cousin; someone with whom you share a great-grandparent (but not a grandparent) is a second cousin; and someone with whom you share a great-great-grandparent (but not a great-grandparent) is a third cousin; and so on. The child of your first cousin is your first cousin once removed because the one generation separating you and the child represents one remove. You and the child are still considered first cousins, as your own grandparent (this child's great-grandparent), as the most recent common ancestor, represents one degree.

Non-genealogical usage often eliminates the degrees and removes, and refers to people with common ancestors merely as cousins or distant cousins. Alternatively, the terms 'second cousin' and 'first cousin once removed' are often used interchangeably."

So, as I now understand it, Rebecca, this person who I met on Christmas Eve, and I are second cousins. My Dad and Rebecca are cousins once removed, since Rebecca is dad’s first cousin, but one generation removed from him.. My kids and Rebecca's kids are third cousins. My kids and Rebecca are second cousins, once removed.

As my step-mom says, "If you’re hungry for more, you can, of course, go to the Wikipedia entry for Cousin at where you will find enough discussion to make your eyes glaze over (in case this has not yet done so). The part of the article that we liked best is the part which reads, “If one goes back far enough, at some point all human beings will be found to be related according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, part of the American National Institutes of Health .” So in accordance with that statement, we can all claim each other as kin -- which is what we’ve always done anyway."

How to deal with bad DNA

2008-12-17T17:04:00.003-08:00

My wife's cousin, Dosie, and her husband Sonny, have four kids. (A quick side note: Dosie is a nick name for Dorothy and Sonny is a nick name for Sigmund). We really like them - all of them in fact - the parents and the kids.

As you can imagine, managing four kids is challenging. This is made even more of a test because one of their sons, Jack, has Down Syndrome. So, as with any challenge in life, they have come up with a variety of ways to deal with managing the kids and managing the stress surrounding life with a big family.

My favorite thing they do is this: if one of their kids is acting up, misbehaving, or otherwise being unpleasant and Dosie or Sonny can identify and attribute the trait directly to the DNA of one of them, that's the parent that has to deal with the issue/behavior.

For example, if Ethan is acting up, hitting Emma let's say, and Dosie can say, "Hey Sonny, you're the one who used to get in fights as a kid, I used to stay inside and read and was a geek," then Sonny is the one that has to deal with it. If Sydney is lagging while getting ready for school and Sonny can say, "Hey Dosie, you're the one who can't get out of the house without an hour of preparation, it takes me 30 seconds to shower, dress and get in the car," then Dosie deals with it (and takes this opportunity to tell Sonny, that the reason it only takes him 30 seconds to get ready is because he's bald and has no taste in clothes).

A good way to divide and delegate some of the harder things to deal with as a parent and just plain funny.

Red Tricycle

2008-12-14T20:38:00.002-08:00

As most of you loyal KroBlog readers have discovered, the KroBlog is quite possibly THE preeminent source for life insights and insights on what to see and do across this great planet of ours.

This week I will pimp a friend of mine's site called Red Tricycle. Red Tricycle started in Seattle in 2006 and is a twice weekly email newsletter with, in my friend Chris' words: "Pint sized news for savvy grown ups."

The newsletter features events, lifestyle, shopping and things to do with kids on the weekend - "a must read for any parent," says Chris. In addition to the newsletter, there's a good amount of updated suggestions on the web site itself.

Their newest market is in San Francisco.

Check it out and subscribe here.

Please come back, John Hughes

2008-12-04T01:11:00.002-08:00

If I was on a deserted island and could take only one director/writer's movies with me, I would most likely take Steven Spielberg's collected works.

But, if I could take two director/writer's anthologies, the second set would the movies by the great John Hughes. Let's take a minute and digest some of his master pieces in order of my favorites, starting at the bottom (which is silly because all his movies are pure genius) and ending with my favorite of favorites:

Home Alone - a bit violent for certain, but a strong effort from Joe Pesci.
Uncle Buck - John Candy in good form.
Pretty In Pink - Molly Ringwald as a poor girl who has a chance with richer, popular guy.
Christmas Vacation - any scene with Randy Quaid is worth watching.
Vacation - Anthony Michael Hall gives a solid performance in his first appearance in a John Hughes film.
Some Kind of Wonderful - just like Pretty In Pink but this time the guy is poor and an unknown and the girl is popular.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles - really good, funny movie, especially during the holidays. John Candy delivers.
Weird Science - so many quotable scenes. The acting is impeccable.
Sixteen Candles - I could watch this every day and find more layers with every viewing.
The Breakfast Club - this movie spoke to me as a junior in high school...I could relate to every character. It's as if John Hughes was inside my head.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off - every scene is like a stand alone movie.

John Hughes was a loyalist as well - he made stars of Anthony Michael Hall, Molly Ringwald, Eric Stoltz, Robert Downey Jr., and helped out the careers of John Candy and Chevy Chase. Hughes has been a bit of a hermit since 1994, and I wish he would come out of hiding.

So few people

2008-12-03T02:24:00.003-08:00

I am one of those people who worries. One of the things I worry about is overpopulation. Overpopulation in the Bay Area. Overpopulation in California. Overpopulation in the US. In China. In India. The whole world! It's too damn crowded!

But one place that isn't overpopulated is Greenland. I don't have to worry about overpopulation in Greenland. Guess how many people live in Greenland?

BTW, according to The Economist and Wikipedia, it's the world's largest island. I had always thought Australia was the world's largest island, but apparently by definition of land masses Australia is part of the larger continent of Australasia??? Alas I digress...

Guess - how many people? 10 million? 1 million? Not even close...56,000 inhabitants. It's a country for goodness sakes! (Or is it a country? Or is it part of Denmark's monarchy? Or a province or something...?)

For certain, Greenland is NOT overpopulated...

How old is our great civilization, the US of A?

2008-12-01T15:08:00.003-08:00

My friend, Chris, sent me this tid-bit this morning...Chris is a right thinking chap, and I think sent this to me as some type of blast on Obama, but all of the free money craziness that is going on today is under Bushie. But no matter which way you lean, you'll find this quote appropriate in light of what's going on in Washington...

"When the original thirteen states adopted the US Constitution in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh, made the following comments about the fall of the Athenian Republic:

a democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government
a democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury
from that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship
the average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years"

So when did the US start getting great? In 1787? After the Civil War? After WWII?

A Holiday Reminder

2008-11-21T23:06:00.003-08:00

I just wanted to give all of you Bay Area KroBlog readers a reminder of the perfect family holiday weekend in San Francisco. For starters, book a room using Hotwire. Select a 4 star hotel in the Embarcadero Area, so you're near the Embarcadero and Justin Herman Plaza. It'll only cost you about $100/night. If that option is not available to you, then chose the 4.5 star option in either Union Square West or East and you'll get something nice like The Palace for only $129/night.

Day 1:

Arrive in the a.m.
Get on a street car on the Embarcadero and head towards Fisherman's Wharf. Take the street car to the end.
Head up the hill to Ghiradelli Square for a sundae...hot fudge or caramel. There's usually a guitarist in the Square and if you're with the kids they can run around the fountain after the sundae snack.
On the way back down the hill to Fisherman's Wharf and the street car, stop and get a charicature done of you, the kids, the family, whomever.
If there's time, back to the hotel for a quick rest, otherwise head to the Ferry Building for a stroll and some dinner/food.
By now it's dark, so it's time to head to Union Square for a good look at the tree. Take a cab or if you have time and the energy, you could take a cable car up California Street and transfer to the Powell line which will take you directly to the Square.
Head back to the hotel and enjoy a good night sleep.

Day 2

Wake-up and order room service.
If you're staying in the Hyatt Embarcadero, walk around the lobby and enjoy the holiday toy train display.
Head out to Justin Herman Plaza and enjoy an hour or two of ice skating. If you're staying closer to Union Square, the City set up a rink there too this year.
If you have more time, head over to the Metreon...more ice-skating, a bowling alley and the carousel!

Sound good?

Enjoy!

We Need to Change the Law

2008-11-16T11:01:00.002-08:00

I was driving down El Camino yesterday and there was this guy getting a sobriety test by three or four cops on the sidewalk. It was a beautiful day, two o'clock in the afternoon on a Saturday. So I started thinking...

There should be different levels of punishment for drunk driving depending on the time of day you get busted for DUI.

The base-line DUI is the level of punishment you receive today for drunk driving. You should receive whatever punishment this is for drunk driving any day of the week from 10pm to like 4am.

But if you get busted for drunk driving during the day time...say 2pm to 10pm, your punishment should be like 2X the regular punishment. 4am to 2pm should be like 1.5X.

Now that I think about this more, if you get busted during a week day then the punishment should be like 2X the punishment listed above.

Moreover, the weather should be factored into this as well. The nicer the weather, the worse the punishment should be.

More on this subject later, but you get the point...

The Good Book

2008-11-13T23:28:00.002-08:00

I just finished a good book by AJ Jacobs. The book is called "The Year of Living Biblically." It's an attempt by the author to live an entire year through the moral lens and written rules of the bible.

It's real and it's funny. It's funny because Jacobs is self-deprecating. It's real because he exposes himself and the reader to perhaps every religious denomination across the country and and goes into each of these interactions with an open mind and learns from every person and every experience.

Here's the overview Wikipedia: "He relates a year he spent trying to follow all the rules and guidelines he could find in the Bible, which turned out to be more than 700. For the first nine months, from August to May, he followed the rules in the Old Testament and immersed himself in Jewish culture before focusing on Christianity and the New Testament in the final three months. In the book, Jacobs confronts a majority of the biblical rules, both the obscure and the well-known, and tries to follow them as literally as possible."

I also recently checked out Jacob's Wikipedia page and realized that he was the guy who wrote a funny article for Esquire (he's the editor at large) on outsourcing his life to India.

Check out the book, it's a good one, and while you're at it, read his other stuff.

Life Is Deep, Big

2008-10-30T10:15:00.002-08:00

I watched a movie called “Swing State” on the plane (upgraded to business class!) from Beijing to San Francisco over the weekend. The collection of movies looked fairly dire, so I went into the experience with the attitude of, “it’s the best thing there is, within a selection of crap.”

I remember this movie marketed as a light comedy about some guy, played by Kevin Costner, whose vote ends up deciding who will be the next President because of some electoral vote anomaly: a-la Florida in 2000.

On the surface the movie lives up to the promotion.

Really, though, the movie is about single parenting, alcoholism, unemployment, and apathy in America. Not just socio-political apathy, which is certainly pervasive throughout the film, but really a general laziness by Americans. The main character is as lazy in his parenting as he is with his knowledge about the importance of his civil duty as an American.

The main character’s 5th grade daughter takes care of him – makes his lunch, gets him up in the morning, and acts as his social and moral conscious. The main character is a metaphor for all Americans…or at least the average (mean) American.

Do American’s really understand the issues when they vote? Are the policies that our next President will set understood by the average American?

My meandering point here is that Americans are apathetic and we don’t understand the real issues in front of us. We don’t pay enough attention to the details of our leader’s policies to comprehend the long term implications.

Back to the movies… there are other films that on the surface look like one thing, but viewed through a different lens are something quite different.

Another example is “Fast Times at Ridgemont High;” superficially, a movie (a GREAT movie) about stoned teenagers in Valley during the 1980’s. But, “Fast Times” is a social commentary on divorce, abortion, and a world where teens are forced to grow up too fast. The term “Fast Times” doesn’t have to do with the partying in the movie, which is the obvious interpretation, it really has to do with the how fast kids have to grow up to survive in America today.

Anyhow, here’s my message for the day, look for a deeper meaning in everything. Life is big.

Bob's on Hiway 1

2008-10-22T00:56:00.002-07:00

We used to go to the Little Creek Ranch, south of Half Moon Bay on hiway 1 by about 5 miles, for our pumpkins, but alas, the family run operation has shut down. We drove up to the drive-way last weekend saddened to see the farm lands void of pumpkins, small farm animals, and the paddock of sunflowers which had signaled the official start to Halloween for our family for the past three years.

We made the best of an otherwise upsetting situation for the kids and headed a half mile west to Arata Farms. It was just ok, albeit it crowded and very expensive. Nick got lost in the hay labyrinth ($5.00) and the girls got soot on their faces during a very short tractor hay ride ($5.00/person).

Nick had it set in his mind that he wanted to cut his pumpkin from the vine and Arata didn't offer such a novelty, so we headed back north to Bob's directly on hiway 1. Bob's had a sign that led me to believe the pumpkins could still be on the vine: "Pick 'em where they're grown."

Indeed, Bob's was the spot. We got a huge pumpkin, with the biggest stem (it's all about stem these days) I've ever seen, for only 10 bucks.

We here at KroBlog give Bob's our "Number 1 Halloween Bargain and Great Family Fun" award.

Good Advice as We Enter Hard Times

2008-10-10T14:16:00.003-07:00

We here at the KroBlog would be labeled "out-of-touch," or "calloused" if we were to ignore the financially catastrophic events which have besieged the globe over the past two weeks.

I was on an email chain started by Chris Zaharias discussing the meltdown, and at some point on the chain, we received some good writing and a good outlook from Alexander Kawa who was also on the chain. Here's what Alexander has to say:

"I think it's going to be challenging to make "lemonade out of lemons" but what else can one do? I am concerned that while it is important for us to understand in better detail the problems of today's circumstances, it is also important to seek new and more meaningful opportunities. This may mean we need to reinvest in ourselves by first discovering our own personal inspirations, develop passions and then obtain the skills to get to this better place.

I don't think purely investing in one commodity or vehicle is necessarily the way out this mess. It's not that I think it's not a good investment decision. I just think circumventing a potential for malaise stemming from this crises can be achieved if we do some introspection and take thoughtful actions. Motivated by the work we do, not its fruit, and seek to innovate because it is how we deal with our own "inner fire," I think we can best handle what Kevin Phillips suggests is going to be a 20 year problem."

Munchen or Munich?

2008-09-24T17:32:00.002-07:00

I don't get it. There, I said it.

If you ask me, a name is a name is a name...in any language.

I get that the pronounciation of a name could be different from the perspective of the speaker. For example, my name, Tim, could be prounounced "Teem" by a native Spanish speaker. That makes sense to me. But, seriously, tell me this:

Why is London, the real name, the actual name of the City, called Londres by Spanish speakers? Why is Munchen, the real name of the City, called Munich by English speakers?

Hamburg is Hamburg to Germans, and it's Hamburg to English speakers. Madrid is Madrid across the globe. Barcelona is Barcelona to anyone and everyone, but Sevilla is Seville to English speakers. Lisbon, the capital city of Portugal? It's real name is Lisboa.

What gives?

I get that New York is Nueva York to Spanish speakers - the word "new" is translatable.

But, London? Londres?

Munchen? Munich?

I just don't get it.

A name is a name is a name.

Minute Mysteries

2008-08-24T22:01:00.003-07:00

I have been quite busy lately, with work, for certain, but I have been lucky enough to take some time off with the family over the last couple of weeks. We went to the Poconos and the Jersey Shore last week, and then I headed to Tahoe for a few days with just the kids.

Our high-light of the Poconos was spending time on the Hutchinson Family Farm and seeing Great Aunt Dorothy. The Farm isn't much of a farm anymore, but it sure is a great place to hang out for a couple of days - there's a crick running through it, a pond, a row boat, and a golf cart! Aunt Dorothy is a spry 96 and in Aunt Dorothy fashion, she made us dessert for every meal we enjoyed with her:

Lunch on day one: banana-orange pudding with meringue on top
Dinner on day one: apple pie
Breakfast on day two: blue berry muffins
Lunch on day two: oatmeal raisin cookies

Aunt Dorothy is famous out here in California as she made pies (10!) for Kim and my wedding and brought out the crusts from the East Coast before filling the homemade dough out here.

Anyhow, while in Tahoe, I reconnected with some friends, the Waxmans, and Bernadette, the matriarch of the Waxman clan, reminded me of "Minute Mysteries."

Minute Mysteries are a great way to get the kids thinking on a long road trip (and taking their minds off of the long road trip). You start out giving some basic information about a mystery (most often some type of accident) and then the participants can ask as many yes or no questions until they figure out the answer to the mystery. Good stuff. Here's a list of over 100 of them for your next road trip.

Hi/Low Poker for the Common Folk

2008-07-29T22:00:00.005-07:00

I played poker the other night at Chris Z's house and got caught up in an expensive game called Hi/Low.

If you're looking for a fun game with lots of risk, try this:

Deal 7 cards face down.
Each person passes 3 cards to the left.
After passing your cards you pick up the cards passed to you.
Repeat the process with 2 cards then repeat with 1 card.
Discard 2 cards and keep best 5 cards.
All roll top card simultaneously.
Bet after each roll.
Prior to last card being rolled each player puts 0, 1 or 2 coins in his/her hand.
All declare high, low or both.
Wheel is lowest hand. Must win both or you lose.

King of Kong is King of Movies

2008-07-10T15:16:00.003-07:00

I spent a few days traveling on a buses and trains and in cabs in Japan about a week ago with a friend of mine named Bill Lan.

While on our 48 hour adventure exploring the Mt Fuji area, Bill shared a movie with me called King of Kong. On the surface it's documentary about a mild mannered, laid-off engineer, married, father of two from the Northwest who sets out to break the Donkey Kong high-score world record which had stood for over 20 years.

But, I watched this movie twice and it's about much more - it's about a person trying to be the best at something during a rough patch in his life and an organization (Twin Galaxies, the current record holder, Billy Mitchell and Billy's cronies) doing everything in its power to delegitimize this man's efforts.

It's by far the best documentary I have seen in the last two years and maybe the best movie, of any type, that I have seen in over a year.

Go rent it. It's fantastic.

Rubber Bands and Betrayal

2008-05-29T21:38:00.003-07:00

As I get older I find myself sounding, well, older.

We have a pretty good kitchen drawer in our kitchen with everything in it you’ll never need, but alas, it lacks large quantities of rubber bands. When I was growing up, everyone I knew had large quantities of rubber bands in a drawer with lots of rubber bands of varying colors – red, blue, green, black, yellow, and beige. Red was the most common. Today, it seems that all rubber bands are beige.

I was talking with my friend and co-worker, David White, yesterday and he was telling me the story of a friend of his who is building a rubber band ball. You see, David and I were crossing the street in London, near Trafalgar Square, and David saw two rubber bands (red ones!) on the ground. He picked them up and told me that he was going to send these two rubber bands back to the U.S. to contribute to his friend’s rubber band ball.

You don’t see rubber band balls anymore. When I was growing up (here I go again, sounding older) rubber band balls were commonplace. You used to get rubber bands for all sorts of things, but mainly they were use to keep your newspaper together or hold a large bundle of mail together. Nowadays, newspapers are delivered in plastic bags. My sister used rubber bands to straighten out her teeth. The rubber bands she used inside her mouth looked like a spider web. She also used rubber bands for her head and neck gear.

Again, I know I am sounding old, but, like rubber band balls, you don’t see a good head or neck gear anymore. Maybe that’s for the best. Head and neck gear was a bit medieval. I had head gear during my first round of braces. Yes, first round, I was lucky enough to have braces twice.
In sixth grade I was dating Erin Callahan and she and I agreed in one of our nightly, marathon phone conversations to wear our head gear to school the next day. I followed through with the promise, but alas Erin did not. Head gear was pricey and a bit awkward to store in a cubby hole, so I ended up having to wearing it all day because I didn’t have anywhere proper to put it. Erin and I broke up a couple of weeks later. I was betrayed.

But, back to the rubber bands. Dan Fuller had the best rubber band ball in town. He belonged to one of those families who had all sorts of cool things – a soldering iron, turtles, terrariums, a trampoline, a bubble over his pool (a pool!) in the winter, and of course a rubber band ball.

It was as big as a tennis ball. I never did find out what was at the core in his rubber band ball. To stay true to the name, I think it’s supposed to be all rubber bands, but I think Dan cheated and had a super ball in the middle.

Anyway, this rubber band ball had been around for a while and one day we went outside to see how high we could bounce it. We bounced it on the ground and the old rubber bands snapped off with every hit to the pavement. Dan was upset by this as the years of work on his tennis ball sized rubber band ball seemed to be popping off with each bounce. I remember laughing. I thought the whole thing was funny, but the reality was I was just jealous of Dan and his rubber band ball.

Cleveland - A great rock n' roll town

2008-05-14T23:10:00.002-07:00

Last Saturday I was feeling achy. I was feeling tired.

I am sure you have felt like that too. A time when you have no energy to face simple daily tasks.

So, what did I do to shake this malaise and malcontent?

I took the red-eye to Cleveland for a quick 24 hour business trip.

Now, I feel good.

Pick Your Poison

2008-04-17T09:36:00.004-07:00

After surveys, polls and extensive analysis, we here at the KroBlog have determined that "Every Rose Has It's Thorn" is the most popular ballad from the 80's hit glam-rock band, Poison, led by no other than VH1 reality star, Bret Michaels.

For most of you, this should come as no surprise as "Every Rose" tasted the top 50 in 1988. Top 50? Nay! Try #1! To be certain, the song is solid, telling the story of lost love and lost opportunity. Each verse in the song carries depth, but here are my favorite lines:

"I know I could have saved a love that night
If I'd known what to say
Instead of makin love
We both made our separate ways"

But, to appreciate Poison, and the genius of Bret Michaels, I challenge KroBlog readers across the globe to consider the ballad "Something to Believe In." There's nothing I enjoy more than a song written about Viet Nam by someone who didn't fight in Viet Nam, nor was old enough to remember it. "Something to Believe In" scratched it's way to number 4 in 1990 - ostensibly one would think that "Something" wouldn't hold a candle to "Rose." But, before passing judgment, let's learn a bit from Bret:

"I tried all night not to break down and cry
As the tears rolled down my face
I felt so cold and empty
Like a lost soul out of place
And the mirror, mirror on the wall
Sees my smile it fades again"

You be the judge: Lost love? Or a war on a foreign shore in a time Bret don't remember?

Senile at age 39

2008-04-12T20:24:00.002-07:00

I used to be conversant at Spanish. Or at least almost conversant. I lived in Spain a couple of times for extended periods and studied enough to get by pretty well. I certainly wasn't fluent, but I was pretty good. Towards the end of both of my stints in Barcelona, I even had a dream or two in Catalan.

Alas, I am losing, my language skills. Every week I attempt to speak a bit here and there in Spanish and I can't figure out what anyone is talking about. I think this must be what it feels like to go senile.

I stare at the person I am talking with and I know I should understand what is being said. I recognize the words. The conversations are simple and seemingly familiar. Sometimes I even instigate the conversation, but after, two or three words in response, I am completely lost. I just smile, and nod my head.

I guess the only good thing that is coming out of this, is that when I do lose my mind in 40 years, I will know how to deal with it.

Kicking It Old School at the Drive-In

2008-03-21T22:18:00.003-08:00

I took my two older kids, Nicholas and Maddie to their first drive-in movie tonight in deep, deep 408. After getting a bit nostalgic about the drive-in movie, or two, I went to as a kid, I looked high and low and it turns out that there is still at least one drive-in theater in the Bay Area.

If you've even been to a drive-in movie, you know how great they are. I haven't been to one in perhaps 25 years and it did not disappoint. We saw the Dr. Seuss Horton movie which the kids loved.

Here's what I brought, which I recommend that you bring with you this summer when you go there with the whole family:

Beach chairs
Jackets
Blankets
Pillows
Food (I brought dinner for the kids - sandwiches - along with some major snacks and candy)
Portable radio with a manual tuner - as a kid they used to have this old metal boxes for the audio, but now you tune in your radio to some obscure station. To ensure you get clear reception, bring a boom-box with a dial tuner so you can fine tune it and avoid the static.

Get there at least 30 minutes prior to the start of the movie to get settled in. If you have time, there's a decent selection of video games in the food court area along with my favorite: Air Hockey.

Make a drive-in movie part of your summer plans. The best part: $6.75 for an adult and kids under 11 are free. Yup.

Medlar Red Pepper Spice

2008-03-18T17:00:00.002-08:00

I just got back from Hong Kong and thought I would share with you an English translation from a package of Medlar Red Pepper Spice used for cooking. This is on the package itself:

"Medlar unwarranted anxiety: Medlar the kind of unwarranted anxiety numerous, kind is each different, this article from Ning Xia Yinchuan south beam farm production, in it, contain sugar, is exquisite, red and gorgeous to want to drip, form similar ruby and the color of dry fruit are ruddy, leather thin meat is thick, seed few taste has even pellet willingly, divides into with size district: Medlar the king of unwarranted anxiety and special grade, a level Medlar unwarranted anxiety."

Sounds yummy.

What to Bring to Yosemite in the Fall

2008-02-27T11:26:00.002-08:00

A couple of times per year I take my family and sometimes a larger group and head to Yosemite for the weekend. We usually go in the early spring or fall to avoid the crowds.

It's surprising how many adults don't know what to bring to stay warm so I am including a list here for KroBlog readers to refer to when packing for a weekend adventure of tent camping at Curry Village:

- sleeping bag - bring a warm one as it will be in the low 40's at night. the tents have beds, sheets, pillows, and wool blankets, but it's my experience that you will need the extra warmth at night. we will have 6 tents and only 3 will have heating.
- flash lights - bring one per person in your family
- clothes - it's only a two day trip, but i would bring 3 or 4 sets for the kids. there's lots of dirt and there's a river. so here's the list: socks, sneakers (two pair if you have em), sandals, shorts, thongs, swim suit, pants, tshirts, sweat shirts, warm jacket, gloves, stocking hat, baseball hat, pajamas
- gear - toothbrush, tooth paste, soap, towel, hand towel, day pack or two, sun block, water bottle, sunglasses (if you wear them)
- other optional stuff/ideas - bikes, jogger, snacks (I will have PLENTY, but if you have something you like, then bring it!), hiking boots, bandana, pocket knife, books, toys, balls, bats, shovel, bucket

There is a big communal shower (bring thongs if you like) for brushing teeth and showers, etc...If you forget anything, there's a little store there with lots of supplies.

I hope this is helpful this spring when heading to Yosemite to see the water falls.

Sometimes It’s OK to Cry

2008-02-16T09:46:00.002-08:00

There are a whole host of movies out there that are real tear jerkers: Terms of Endearment, Fried Green Tomatoes, and Beaches just to name a few.

But, as a man, if you’re caught weeping, or even admit to crying during one of those movies, you’ll never live it down. Friendships have been lost over such confessions. Wives have sighted such disclosures as the beginning of the end when talking about the ultimate demise of marital bliss.

Nonetheless, there are movies that, as a man, it’s OK to shed a tear or two. I just got done watching Hoosiers for perhaps the 10th or 22nd time. Other than the “grossest-on-screen-kiss-ever” between Gene Hackman and Barbara Hershey, this movie is flawless, and offers up at least three separate occasions for even real men to well up.

1. The scene when Shooter’s (Dennis Hopper) son comes to visit him in the hospital while Shooter is trying to sober up and the son tells Shooter how proud he is of him and that he loves him. As a dad, you really do fight back the tears during this exchange.

2. During the pep-talk before the State Championships, is a real whopper and offers up at least two opportunities for the river to start flowing. The obvious times are when the Coach (Gene Hackman) tells the team that he loves them and then at the end of the prayer when the Preacher quotes the First Testament comparing the Hickory Huskers to David (as in David and Goliath).

3. The end of the State Finals when the Huskers win it with a last second shot by Jimmy Chitwood. I am almost welling-up just thinking about it.

The other movie that it’s OK for real men to cry is Saving Private Ryan. No real secret here. This is one the all time great movies. My friend Andy readily admits to blubbering at the end when the older Private James Patrick Ryan asks his wife if he’s been a good man, if he’s led a good life. That scene gets to me too.

Oh, but that’s not all with Saving Private Ryan: the scene when the Tom Hanks’ character gets shot, the scene when Vin Diesel’s character gets shot by the sniper and Vin is trying to give his bloodied goodbye letter written to his mom to Adam Goldberg's character, and then again when Adam Goldberg’s character is stabbed by that Nazi bastard on the second floor of that hotel towards the end of the movie. Hard to watch for certain, but there’s no shame in shedding a tear – don’t be ashamed to admit it to anyone.

There are other movies when it’s OK to cry, to be certain, but I can’t admit to too many in one entry in fear of losing my man-card privileges.

Find Chuck Norris

2008-02-01T12:41:00.000-08:00

My friend, Bill from work, just showed me a fun thing to do on Google. Go to Google and type in "find chuck norris" in the search bar and then click on "I'm Feeling Lucky." It's worth the 12 - 15 seconds for a good chuckle.

For more on the stud, that is, Chuck Norris click here or here.

Getting Educated on the Upcoming Elections

2008-01-23T09:27:00.000-08:00

We here at the KroBlog are woefully under-knowledged about the upcoming Presidential Elections. In an attempt to educate the KroBlog workers and our readers on what's happening, I am including some links for you to reference as you are determining who to vote for in the upcoming months. My step-mother, Kristine, sent me some links from the New York Times, which can act as your guide to the candidates and their positions on various issues.

Election Guide - Home

Election Guide - Candidates' Positions on Various Issues

Holiday Traditions

2007-12-26T11:59:00.000-08:00

We at the KroBlog take great pride and passion in the knowledge that we are in touch with our readers and members. One of our most popular posts in recent history was the the one letting everyone know about the Holiday Train in Santa Cruz. In the spirit of the Holidays, I thought I would write about another Holiday Tradition in the Krozek House.

For the last four years, the Krozeks have headed up to San Francisco the weekend before Christmas to spend the night in the City. The month of December, on the weekends, is perhaps the cheapest time to stay in a 4 or 4.5 star hotel. This year we reserved adjoining rooms at the Hyatt Embarcadero on Hotwire. The rooms were $100 each/night and were super nice. Our balconies overlooked Justin Herman Plaza and the outdoor ice-skating rink.

Part of the tradition is riding the street cars and/or the cable cars. For the last two years, we have boarded a street car on the Embarcadero and headed through Fisherman's Wharf to Ghiradelli Square for a sunday. Ghiradelli Square has the best sundays on the planet. It's documented, so I won't get into defending it.

We have three young kids, about whom I have written about before, so we don't do a fancy dinner or anything. We head over to the Ferry Building and run around before grabbing a burger and fries. After dinner there's usually time to head up to Union Square to look at the massive tree and snap a few photos.

This year, Maddie and Nick were up for ice-skating so we went on Sunday morning after getting room service (another big treat for the kids).

I think we figured the whole weekend costs a cool $350 which isn't bad for a family of five, staying in a nice hotel in the Big City.

Get on it. Build tradition in your family.

Is That Flight Going to Be Late?

2007-11-08T23:41:00.000-08:00

For you travelers who seemed to be cursed by booking flights that are seeemingly always late, this may not be just bad luck. It seem that some flights for each airlines are everyday losers, and, well, that makes you an everyday loser.

Go check out flightstats.com before you buy your next ticket to see how often the flight you're about to book is late. Maybe it will make your life a bit better.

Where Beer Does Flow and Men Chunder

2007-11-04T19:09:00.000-08:00

I am in Australia for the week for work.

Before I left, Mike Wey was arguing a point that Australia would be expensive for US travelers. If I lived in the world that Mike described, he would right. This world depicted a person who had been traveling regularly to Australia for the past 10-15 years. If that were the world I lived in, indeed, he would be correct. Incredibly, the exchange rate now actually favors the Australian dollar - $1.00 US buys a mere AU$.985 AU$. Ouch.

But, look here, there are still bargains to be had Down Under! This jacket is only AU $200 down here and a whopping $280 US in America.

As expected, food prices are about the same…in Sydney it’s about AU $8 – AU $15 for a basic meal…about the same in San Francisco. Prices in supermarkets and convenience stores also seem about the same.

Australia, and most other regions, has gotten WAY more expensive relative to the weakening US dollar. Of course, this is especially true with any imported goods. For example, an $80 US Timberland shoe is way more expensive in the Land Down Under, because they have to pay to import the product – including various taxes and shipping costs. This $80 US shoe costs around $250 AU at the Myers down the street from my hotel. Because many goods in Australia are imported from the US, the average American good, here in Australia, are absurdly pricey. Australians traveling to US, embark on some major shopping sprees.

Basic economic stuff, I know, but a real world consumer perspective on the weak US dollar.

Excitement

2007-10-08T17:32:00.000-07:00

From my step-mom, Kristine:

Last Thursday Nick (my son who is 6) was working on a birthday card for Hazel (my daughter who is 1, turning 2). Having written out the greeting unaided, he showed it to me to check on the spelling. I told him it was perfect and asked him if he wanted to add some punctuation.

"What's punctuation?" he asked. I told him it was like commas and periods.

"Oh yes!" he exclaimed, "I'm going to add an excitement mark."

Says, Kristine: I think "excitement mark" will forever supplant the term "exclamation point" in my mind.

$170,000 Tuna?

2007-10-03T18:20:00.000-07:00

Here’s an interesting article from Vanity Fair about Tokyo’s fish market. If you like sushi (or don’t like sushi), give it a read!

White versus Yellow

2007-10-02T17:23:00.000-07:00

You fans of American Cheese should know something: there's no difference between white and yellow American Cheese in terms of taste. Really, none at all.

So the next time you're at your favorite Dairy Bell and they serve you up a white American Cheese sandwich - don't dispair! It will taste the same as the yellow American Cheese sandwich you're so used to.

Fact: 94% of Americans prefer yellow American cheese to white American Cheese (Cooking Channel, October 1, 2007).

Two Great Songs

2007-09-30T20:49:00.000-07:00

Two great songs from the 1980's are "Take This Job and Shove It" and "Working 9 to 5." Listen to, or read, the lyrics from these gems to understand the pure genius of the song writers.

No matter how many people I have asked about which song is his/her favorite, everyone says..."9 to5."

And I would have to agree.

Pick Some Apples

2007-09-27T22:29:00.001-07:00

It's Fall!

For the last six years, as October approaches, I think of the weekend before my son Nick was born. We were living in Ithaca, New York and he was overdue. Rather than sit around staring at Kim's stomach, we went off to one of the most memorable days of my life with Kim and her parents.

If you're ever in Upstate NY, during the month of October make sure to carve out a full afternoon and head over to one of the myriad of apple farms for some picking and tasting. Most farms are "all you can eat" while you are there and you only pay for what you take away.

There are more varieties of apples than you ever knew...with more complex tastes than you ever knew.

While you're there make sure to catch one of the best college hockey teams in the nation. It makes for a fantastic weekend.

Go Big Red!

Good stuff!

It's been too long

2007-09-13T10:52:00.000-07:00

Any time there's a lull in a conversation, or writing in a blog, it's always a good policy to get things rolling again with a fart joke or at least some information on passing gas.

It's been a long while since I have made an entry in this extremely popular blog, so I dug this up to get all of my readers back engaged with my prose. Read about gas and global warming all in one article. What more could you ask?

How Long Do You Need to Save All of That Paper?

2007-08-16T14:21:00.000-07:00

I wish I could give credit where credit is due, but I don't know the source of this great information. My step mother sent me the following information on "How Long to Keep Your Records."

It's a question that plagues many of us while we toil away, slaving over file cabinets attempting to organize those 15 year old tax returns we haven't looked at in over a decade. Read below!

"Some documents and records need to be kept indefinitely but most can be discarded after a
prescribed period. Here are some general rules of thumb as to how long you should keep them.
Keep in mind that there may be individual circumstances in which legal considerations, for
instance, dictate that documents be kept longer. The basic rule is: When in doubt, don’t throw it
out. If you have any questions, check with your financial advisor.

KEEP INDEFINITELY
Birth certificates
Adoption papers
Custody agreements
Death certificates
Deeds to property
Divorce papers
List of assets (keep current)
List of previous employers
Loans that have been paid off (canceled notes or other evidence)
Marriage certificates
Passports
Photographic or video record of house and household contents
Record of any governmental employment (e.g., armed forces)
Income tax returns (supporting documentation may be discarded after six years)
Tax forms and supporting records relating to non-deductible IRA contributions
Tax forms and supporting records relating to sale of a home

KEEP FOR PRESCRIBED PERIOD
Bank statements—six years
Brokers’ confirmation slips for purchases—until security is sold plus six years
Canceled checks—six years
Contracts—seven years after expiration
Credit card statements—six years
Receipts for home improvements that can be added to tax basis of home—
six years after home is sold in a transaction that is not a “rollover” transaction
Insurance papers (all types of insurance)—four years after expiration
Mortgage records—three years after paid off
Owners’ manuals for appliances—until item is discarded
Receipts for major warranted purchases until item is discarded or sold
Records supporting income tax returns and deductions (W-2s, 1099s, receipts)—six years
Warranties and extended service agreements—until expiration

THROW OUT NOW
Owners’ manuals and warranties for appliances and cars you no longer own
Receipts for credit card purchases if not major or related to a tax deduction"

I hope this is helpful!

Hindi Band Takes Mountain View by Storm!

2007-07-12T13:49:00.000-07:00

I work with a good guy, named Rahul. He's originally from India. He's part of a Hindi band and they have released their first video. Check it out...

Here's some info about the band and the video:

Prithvi (Hindi for 'The Earth") is a Bay Area Hindi Rock band. They do covers of Bollywood and some western rock songs, as well as originals. They are a five-member band. Rahul writes the lyrics, plays rhythm guitar and keys, and sings in some of the songs. Theweb-site is www.prithvians.com.

The song in the video is called "Bequabu", which means 'out of control'. Hemanth (the drummer ) and Rahul did the music. In this song, Rahul is on rhythm guitar (with heavy use of the wah-wah pedal) and Hemanth is on vocals (he is usually the drummer). The video was shot in Oakland.

For those of you who don't understand Hindi, don't worry - the video will give you ideas.

Why Visit Redding, California

2007-06-29T14:07:00.000-07:00

My dad and step-mom are quite the drivers. Two or three times a year, they pack up the Volvo (safety first) and head for some seemingly boring place in California's Central Valley, the Northwest US, the desert, or the Midwest.

Their latest jaunt takes them through Redding, California. Redding is known for two things: 1. being really hot and 2. being close to Mt. Shasta and Lake Shasta (great for house-boating and water-skiing).

It turns out, though, that there is one other really cool thing there. Have you checked out the Sundial Bridge in Redding? It's a foot bridge designed by Santiago Calatrava, the Spanish architect who designed, among other things, the Milwaukee Art Museum -- which is also pretty cool, apparently.

Otherwise, what attracts my dad and step-mom to Redding is Mount Lassen , the lesser known of California's two big volcanos.

Those Warm English Beers

2007-06-13T12:14:00.000-07:00

I posed the following question to my British friend, Nick Morely:

What is the name of those warm English beers that you get in pubs in England? Hand pull? Hand pour?

And Nick replied with this thoughtful and thorough answer:

You are referring to a cask ale. These are typically beers that are kept at room temperature or very slightly chilled in casks.

Unlike the beer which appears from one your taps, those traditional British ales have no gas added between the time the ale leaves the cask and whence it appears from the tap. Therefore the bar maid has to pull down the pump to generate pressure to draw up the beer and into the glass or you would simply draw it straight off the cask via a tap. They probably represent less than 10% of the beers that get sold in UK, as most people drink lagers or ales which have gas added between cask and tap.

You would order these beers by name by seeing what was on offer rather than saying give me a “hand pull”. Honestly, if you asked someone in my local for a hand pull you would get your nose broken.

Anytime you can use "whence" in a sentence is alright by me.

Nessie, is it you?

2007-06-04T14:37:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, in the 70's, the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot were in their prime. Any kid with even a small imagination couldn't swim in a pond or a lake without thinking about getting gobbled up by Nessie and certainly could walk through a forest without finding Big Foot's prints.

The great news is that Nessie is back in the media! Great news for kids of the 2000's - now they can be scared like I was 30 years ago!

She's been spotted and filmed and this time it's for real!

Bomb Squad

2007-05-09T08:22:00.000-07:00

My daughter, Maddie, is a wonderful child. But, still, she can be tough to deal with at times.

Wednesday mornings are the worst for her. Wednesdays are the day that we have to get all three kids ready and out of the house by 7.45am. Maddie and Hazel go to day care on Wednesdays while Nick heads off to Kindergarden.

Dealing with Maddie when she is in one of her moods can only be accurately compared to the way a bomb squad deals with attempting to difuse a live bomb.

One wrong comment (you're cereal looks yummy!), one false suggestion (you should wear your sandals, it's going to be hot today), or one poorly crafted question (did you sleep well?), and BOOM - an explosion of tears and screaming which can only be compared to the Shock and Awe which took place in Iraq years ago.

This morning wasn't an Atom Bomb, but it was pretty darn big.

Supernumerary Teeth and a Fixed Retainer

2007-04-30T22:05:00.000-07:00

I was born with some extra teeth which blocked my incisors from coming in (and in turn kept my baby teeth from falling out) when I was a young buck. This rare condition is called hyperdotia. The result was that I had three oral surgeries and got to have braces twice.

I got my second set of braces off when I was 17 years old and my orthodontist used "2 year glue" to keep a fixed retainer across my bottom row of teeth. This retainer has kept my teeth straight for over two decades.

Twenty-one years later and the thing finally fell off. And the glue held tight. The metal broke on one side on Friday, so I ended up getting the rest of it removed this morning.

Twenty-one years. I guess my fixed positioner felt it was time to venture off on its own to get its own Coors Light. It didn't need me anymore.

Good bye, old friend.

Grandparents

2007-03-31T23:00:00.000-08:00

For those of you who are active KroBlog readers, you may believe that when I write about my kids, I write more about Nick that my girls. Well, for those of you keeping score, here's another one.

Nick couldn't sleep tonight. There was too much going on inside of his head, he claimed. When I checked up on him, he told me what he was thinking about.

"Dad? If a boy married his sister or a girl married her brother, and they had children, do you know what?" he asked.

"What Nick?" I said.

"Their kids would only have one grandpa and one grandma."

True, my boy. True.

The KroBlog Discovers a Great New Show

2007-01-30T21:19:00.000-08:00

Kim and I have discovered a great new TV show that I highly recommend. It's on the Oxygen channel which is the biggest chick channel ever, and admittedly, the show focuses on two middle aged women who have returned to college after failed marriages.

But, I am telling you, set your TIVO and give it a shot. It's incredibly funny. If you liked Spinal Tap, you would love this show. The name of the show is Campus Ladies.

This Is Where I Went to College

2007-01-26T15:38:00.000-08:00

I encourage you to enjoy this great short film on Isla Vista, California that my friend Aimee just discovered. I.V. is one of the most densely populated one square mile in the country. I.V. even holds its own against major metropolises like New York and Chicago.

I.V. is where practically the entire population of UCSB live, eat, and drink.

When you look at the short, think of Duisy as the guy on the skateboard with the lasso, and me as the guy on the skateboard with the keg on the front.

Enjoy!

Screw Top Caps

2007-01-06T22:39:00.000-08:00

There's a lot of hype right now about screw top caps for wine. It may be deserved; I hear it keeps the wine fresher than corks...or something like that.

And I am excited as the next person about this whole trend...but not because the new caps keeps wine fresher or whatever.

I am beer drinker and a wine drinker only. I have never been into to the hard booze thing. Sure, when I was in college I experimented with the occasional Southern Comfort and Coke (if this gives you the shivers, it should, it make me nauseous just thinking about it) and a vodka tonic here and there. But, really that was all just silly.

So for me, the screw top thing makes me feel like someone who is drinking hard booze. It's a cheap thrill. A few times a week I will have a glass of wine, and lately I have been sampling the screw caps. I like drinking wine in what most people would consider a medium size water glass, sans stem.

When I unscrew the cap on the wine and pour 5 ounces of Sangiovese into my glass in a dark kitchen, at 8.52pm after the kids are asleep...I feel like a kid sneaking gin from my mom's liquor locked cabinet.

Even though my mom didn't drink gin...or hard booze...or wine...or beer.

Maybe even better imagery is that last scene in "Unforgiven," when William Muney (Clint Eastwood), who hasn't taken sip of liquor in over a decade, takes a swig out of a whiskey bottle as he listens to "The Kid" tell him about how they decorated the town saloon with his buddy's (Morgan Freeman) dead body.

When I drink screw top wine, I feel like William Muney...that's it.

More of this and That

2006-12-28T15:30:00.000-08:00

Of the 70+ blog entries that I have penned, none have received the hype as my writing on fleece (you can never have too much fleece). As we kick off the new year here in a few days, I wanted to reflect on fleece and expand the "You Can Never Have Too Much" list.

Atlases - I received the world's heaviest and perhaps largest atlas for Christmas with images of cities and global terrain from space - very cool stuff and the photos are crystal clear. Topographically speaking, the world hasn't changed much in thousands of years, but man's ability to showcase the various facets of the earth certainly has. Go out and treat yourself a new atlas.
Maps - I will just say this: I have dozens of pictures (I have three very cute kids), paintings, carvings and other types of artwork in my house. NOTHING gets more interest than the $80 Costco replica map of the USA from the early 1900's. Everyone who enters my house checks it out and wants to talk about it. Did you know that around 1900, Oklahoma was know as “Indian Territory?” Not very P.C., but true nonetheless.

Flashlights - see previous posting.

Storage containers - you can never be TOO organized, and it always seems that every time you go to Target, some company has done some little thing to improve the lid on the plastic bins. Also, it seems like the colors keep getting more interesting (red and green for Christmas storage, orange and black for Halloween, etc).

Fleece - I received some more fleece for Christmas - another jacket. This brings my total of fleece items up to 14 and number of jackets to 9. I didn't even consider returning it - even though I have one that is the same color (gray), a full zip, and looks pretty much identical. The new fleece is just a bit softer, and what if I were to lose one of these treasures? I have a replacement.

More later...

My Favorite Story of 2006

2006-12-18T22:23:00.000-08:00

I was concerned that 2006 would come and go with a "KroBlog Favorite Story of 2006." I had considered various stories:

1. Google's acquisition of YouTube.
2. LaDanian Tomlinson's record breaking year in the NFL.
3. That weird dude who claimed to be Jon Benet's killer.
4. North Korea's underground nuclear testing.
5. The continued coverage of Barry Bond's steroid use.
6. Any story involving the war in Iraq.
7. Any story involving Terrell Owens.

But then I came across this: an Indian runner fails a gender test. Fascinating. This "woman" wins a silver medal in some international competition, someone requests some tests, and she fails these gender tests. Sure, that's interesting, but what's really interesting is to watch the video of some people defending "her," claiming that the tests are not only unfair themselves, but that it's unfair that the officials didn't give enough notice that these gender tests are going to take place. WHAT?!?!?

Holiday Music

2006-12-17T22:05:00.000-08:00

A little tip for those of you, here in the Bay Area, who just can't get enough Christmas music this time of year. I know, I can't. Both 94.5 (KBAY) and 96.5 (KOIT, lite rock, less talk)are playing holiday music all day and all night. Who says you need satellite radio?

Gau-chos! Gau-chos!

2006-12-05T21:19:00.000-08:00

The thing about being a Gaucho is you know what it's like to win it all. We're used to it. First in 1979 when the Men's Water Polo Team brought the NCAA title to Isla Vista, and now this...the Men's Soccer team beat UCLA to take home the school's second national title. Here's how we celebrate Gaucho style.

Cause I Said So

2006-12-03T15:08:00.000-08:00

When I became a Dad, and later when I started having to explain every little thing to my kids, older, wiser people than I would say to me: "You know, I bet you never thought you'd be saying "Cause I said so" to your kids."

Well, you know, I never really thought about it before I started saying it. I like explaining things. I like talking to my kids. I believe that every time I speak with them it's opportunity for education for all parties involved.

But sometimes, "Cause I said so," IS the explanation. Many times, it's the ultimate explanation. Before I had kids around to say, "Cause I said so," to, people would ask me the explanation for stuff and I would say, "I don't know" or "I am not sure." Now those are lame explanations.

I am going to start saying "Cause I said so" to everyone, not just my kids. I am going to say it at work when someone asks:

"Tim, why did we lose that deal?" "Cause I said so."
"Tim, how is it that we could double the sales force and have revenues decline by more than 50%?" "Cause I said so."
"Tim, why are there 9 zeros in the number 1 billion?" "Cause I said so."

Try it, you'll like it.

Another Thing You Can Never Have Too Much Of

2006-11-07T22:38:00.000-08:00

One of the KroBlog's first posts explained a simple fact: you can never have too much fleece. KroBlog readers from across the globe received this entry with comments like, "you're so right," and "wow, that's so true."

As it turns out, there's another simple truth out there: you can never have too many flashlights. This is especially true if you have kids. They are toys, they are protective weapons (keep a large Mag Light under your bed for an unexpected late night visitor), and it turns out they are used for looking at things in the dark.

Here are places you should keep a spare flashlight:

In your car
In a kitchen drawer
In the basement
Under your bed
In your dresser
In the coffee table drawer
On the front porch
In the bathroom

Our grandparents had candles, we have flashlights.

You can never have too many flashlights.

A Few Good Sales Men - Follow Up

2006-10-30T16:36:00.000-08:00

As a follow up to one of the most popular KroBlog entries in the KroBlog's storied history, I wanted to include a YouTube reinactment of "A Few Good Sales Men," which is a spoof of the popular closing scene from "A Few Good Men" with Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson. It's worth the three and a half minutes. Check it out.

Great Place for an Overnight

2006-10-06T23:19:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago, I took my son camping for his first hiking-overnight. It was a big deal because we hiked in - it wasn't just car camping.

We invited a couple of his friends to come with us, along with my dad and step mom and one of Nick's friend's mom. Everyone carried gear - the kids even chipped in and carried their own packs filled up with their clothes.

So, the place to go is Point Reyes - specifically Coast Camp. There's a couple of easy routes to go: one route is up and over a small hill and it's 1.8 miles and the other round is 2.9 miles on a flat lazy path. The sites are a 2 minute walk to the beach and you can hear the waves crashing on the beach at night. Point Reyes is about an hour drive from San Francisco.

I highly recommend you check this out, whether it's with the kids, with some friends, or for a quick escape from reality.

Hot for Teachers

2006-09-19T16:24:00.000-07:00

My close friend Erik "Duisy" Duisenberg is involved with a pretty neat event which raises money for teachers who, in turn, use the donations to fund various learning experiences for their students.

Here's the description of DonorsChoose.org: "DonorsChoose is a simple way to provide students in need with resources that our public schools often lack. At this not-for-profit web site, teachers submit project proposals for materials or experiences their students need to learn. These ideas become classroom reality when concerned individuals, whom we call Citizen Philanthropists, choose projects to fund."

To raise awareness and, well, funds for DonorsChoose there's an event called Hot for Teachers which is going to be a great party at Club Mezzanine in San Francisco on the evening of October 3rd.

Check it all out and give (or drink) 'til it hurts. Support our teachers!

Shawn?

2006-09-12T11:10:00.000-07:00

My friends, Brad, Emily and Gabby Tornabene spent last weekend with us at our house
in Belmont and we spent a hour or so playing and replaying one of the funniest
speaches ever in American cinematography.  Take a minute to read, and absorb,
the genius that is:  Dr. Evil.


"Very well, where should I begin?  My father was a relentlessly self-improving
boulangerie owner fromBelgium with low-grade narcolepsy and a penchant for
buggery.  My mother was a fifteen-year-old French prostitute named Chloe
with webbed feet.  My father would womanize, he would drink, he would make
outrageous claims, like he invented the question mark.

Sometimes he would accuse chestnuts of being lazy.  A
sort of general malaise that only the genius
possess and the insane lament.  My childhood was
typical. Summers in Rangoon, luge lessons.  In the
spring we'd make meat helmets.  If I was insolent, I
was placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds.
Pretty standard, really.

At the age of twelve I received my first scribe.  At the age of fifteen, a
Zoroastrian named Vilma ritualistically shaved my testicles.  There really is
nothing like a shawn scrotum.  At the age of eighteen, I went off to evil
medical school..."

What is a "shawn scrotum?"

Pearl's Crab Cakes

2006-09-06T14:48:00.000-07:00

During college, and for a while after college, I was a cook at the greatest restaurant ever: Pearl's Oyster Bar, on Ramona Street in Palo Alto, California.

While Pearl's is gone, the memories and recipes live on... Here's a special recipe for crab cakes - a Pearl's favorite.

This is for vast quantities (a la restaurants) so you'll have to shrink it down for personal use:
mayo: 10 cups
eggs: 12
whole grain mustard: 12oz
green onions: 4 bunches chopped
lemon juice: 1/4 cup
diced green chillies: 1/2 can
chilli powder: 1 Tbl spoon
jalepenos: 3 level Tbl spoons
red peppers: 1 level Tbl spoon
white pepper: 1 level Tbl spoon
5lb dungeness crab
bread crumbs

So good. Viva Pearl's!

Controversy Casts Shroud Over KroBlog

2006-08-31T11:28:00.000-07:00

After thousands of KroBlog readers and loyalists downloaded, and subsequently attempted to redeem, a free iced-coffee offer from Starbucks, the national chain removed the offer from the internet. The chain claims that the offer was never meant for national consumer consumption, but rather meant for friends and family in the Southeast region of our fine country.

The Kroblog vows to stay on top of this developing story.

Mohawk and a Friend on the Street Asking Questions

2006-08-29T18:13:00.000-07:00

Friends of the KroBlog, I bring you two more vids by two masters of cinematography.

My friend, Mark Larkin, produced this fine video featuring his kids lip syncing, dancing, and receiving haircuts...er mohawks to the tune of "Tribute" by Tenacious D. Very funny stuff.

Also, John Friend walks the streets of San Francisco, asking, "What would you legalize, if you could...?"

Check 'em both out - very strong efforts and they both receive the KroBlog seal of approval...and not just because I happen to like the directors/producers/stars.

Lastly, because we at the KroBlog value our customers, I would like you all to enjoy an iced coffee from Starbucks, on the house.

We care...really we do.

ReuniteD

2006-08-24T18:42:00.000-07:00

My friend, Nate Tuck, is a talented director, producer and actor. He has produced a very funny and very poignant 10 minute video/story on YouTube call ReuniteD.

Take some time to watch it. It's really well done and worth your time. I give you the KroBlog promise.

Bankus Ruptus

2006-08-08T20:01:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting tid bit...

"Bankruptcy comes from ancient Rome. Merchants used to operate from a 'bankus' - a sortof workbench or counter. If they couldn't pay their bills, the local authorities would come over and break their bench - bankus ruptus. In England, they kept the bankruptcy procedures left behind by the Romans after the Romans left, even the part where they sold the bankrupt person into slavery. Only, it wasn't slavery anymore, it was indentured servitude. And many were sold into indentured servitude in the colonies."

Storming in the Rockies

2006-07-21T08:55:00.000-07:00

I am here in Keystone, Colorado attending a conference for work. Boy oh boy, this sure is a beautiful place.

I went for a quick hike after 6 hours of educational sessions and meetings. I ventured out to climb from Loveland Pass (11,500 feet) up a steep ridge to Loveland Mountain (13,100 feet). About two-thirds of the way up, I got caught in a torrential rain and hail storm. The temperature dropped about 15 degrees in 10 minutes. I was soaking wet and freezing when I got back to the car.

I turned on the radio once I was in the car and there was a weather reporter talking about lightening storms. The reporter sited that the states with the highest incidence of people struck by lightening are:

Florida
Texas
Colorado

Sounds about right.

Minor League Baseball

2006-07-18T14:33:00.000-07:00

My friend, Mike Husson, and I share a couple of common interests which will undoubtedly bond us together for decades to come: 80's music and baseball.

Mike just sent me a great link which maps out all of the minor league baseball teams across the nation. For those of you who haven't been to a minor league game, let me just say that you are missing out. The beer is cheap, the baseball is pretty good, the venues are always outstanding (in their own way), if you're lucky you'll taste the best churro you've ever had, and the people watching is unsurpassed. AND for those of you that have kids, the games are very family oriented, complete with goofy contests on the field in between innings.

For my bachelor party 8 years ago, my friends and I rented a camper and spent three days cruising around California's Central Valley going to some of the best minor league baseball venues this country has to offer.

I highly recommend going to a game this summer!

More on 80's music later...

It's me, Tim

2006-07-18T14:18:00.000-07:00

Billy Squire - the Forgotten Rocker

2006-07-11T13:15:00.000-07:00

No one can deny that the early 80's was a boon for rocking mullet bands. The casual 80's rock fan would siteJourney, Foreigner, Rod Stewart, Loverboy, Rush, Montrose and even Eddie Money as great examples of the best that the first half of the 80's had to offer.

I think, though, that we all can agree that Billy Squir is too often left off the list of bands that rocked the world 20+ years ago.

Here's just a taste of his musical prowess, his lyrical genius:

"The Stroke" (aka Stroke Me)

Now everybody, have you heard
If you're in the game, then the stroke's the word
Don't take no rhythm, don't take no style
Got a thirst for killin' - grab your vial...
Put your right hand out, give a firm handshake
Talk to me about that one big break
Spread your ear pollution both far and wide
Keep your contributions by your side and ...
Stroke me, stroke me
Could be a winner boy, you move quite well
Stroke me, stroke me
Stroke me, stroke me
You got your number down
Say you're a winner but man you're just a sinner now

and who can forget, "Everybody Wants You"

You see 'em comin' at you every night
Strung on pretension, they fall for you at first sight
You know their business, you think it's a bore
They make you restless, it's nothin' you ain't seen before
Get around town, spend your time on the run
You never let down, say you do it for fun
Never miss a play, though you make quite a few
You give it all away - everybody wants you
You crave attention, you can never say "no"
Throw your affections any way the wind blows
You always make it, you're on top of the scene
You sell the copy like the cover of a magazine
Puttin' on the eyes 'til there's nobody else
You never realize what you do to yourself
The things that they see make the daily reviews
You never get free - everybody wants you
Everybody knows you
Everybody snows you
Everybody needs you, leads you, bleeds you

And the late 80's hit, "Don't Say You Love Me"

You can't get up - you can't get down
You can't sit still - you never settle down
Don't say you love me - just say 'Huh!'
Your love runs hot - your love runs cold
You can't get loose until you get control
Don't say you love me - just say 'Huh!
'Don't say you love me - just say 'All right'
You're scared to win - you're scared to lose
You're scared to live with the life you choose
Don't say you love me - just say -
You can't say 'Yes' - you can't say 'No'
Your mind's made up - you don't know where to go

The guy could rock. Oh and by-the-by...he still is rocking.

This is for the Republicans Out There

2006-07-10T13:51:00.000-07:00

For the few close minded, Republican friends of mine out there, aka the Zaharias brothers, I thought I would pass along this funny, fake, news article:

Congress Considers "Americans With No Abilities Act"WASHINGTON, DC (AP) -

Congress is considering sweeping legislation, which provides new benefits for many Americans. The Americans With No Abilities Act (AWNAA) is being hailed as a major legislation by advocates of the millions of Americans who lack any real skills or ambition.
"Roughly 50 percent of Americans do not possess the competence and drive necessary to carve out a meaningful role for themselves in society," said Barbara Boxer (D) CA. "We can no longer stand by and allow these special People of Inability to be ridiculed and passed over. With this legislation, employers will no longer be able to grant special favors to a small group of workers, simply because they do a better job, or have some idea of what they are doing."

The President pointed to the success of the US House and Senate, which has a long-standing policy of providing opportunity without regard to performance or ability. Approximately 94 percent of legislators lack useful job skills, making this agency the single largest US employer of Persons of Inability.Private sector industries with good records of nondiscrimination against the inept include retail sales (72%), the airline industry (68%), and home improvement "warehouse" stores (65%) The DMV also has a great record of hiring Persons of Inability. (63%)

Under the Americans With No Abilities Act, more than 25 million "middle man" positions will be created, with important-sounding titles but little real responsibility, thus providing an illusory sense of purpose and performance.

Mandatory non-performance-based raises and promotions will be given, to guarantee upward mobility for even the most unremarkable employees. The legislation provides substantial tax breaks to corporations which maintain a significant level of Persons of Inability in middle positions, and gives a tax credit to small and medium businesses that agree to hire one clueless worker for every two talented hires.

Finally, the AWNA ACT contains tough new measures to make it more difficult to discriminate against the Non-abled, banning discriminatory interview questions such as "Do you have any goals for the future?" or "Do you have any skills or experience which relate to this job?"

"As a Non-abled person, I can't be expected to keep up with people who have something going for them," said Mary Lou Gertz, who lost her position as a lug-nut twister at the GM plant in Flint, MI due to her lack of notable job skills. "This new law should really help people like me." With the passage of this bill, Gertz and millions of other untalented citizens can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Said Senator Ted Kennedy, (D) MA, "It is our duty as lawmakers to provide each and every American citizen, regardless of his or her adequacy, with some sort of space to take up in this great nation."

A Journey to the Ship Yard

2006-06-26T16:22:00.000-07:00

Bill Simmons from ESPN, writes a funny column called "Page 2." It's extremely funny and insightful.

Mr. Simmons included the best Journey video of all time in his recent article. Watch the video right now - I guarentee it will be the best use of 5 minutes of your day.

"Journey -- "Separate Ways"
A recipe for bliss: Take one of the cheesiest-yet-enjoyable bands of that era (Journey), bring them to an empty shipyard, have them play invisible instruments and lip-synch the hell out of their best song, throw in some ridiculous slow-motion closeups and multi-picture edits, and have a hot girl with a bad haircut walking around for no reason whatsoever. And if that's not enough, lead singer Steve Perry gives one of the greatest performances of the last 35 years -- he throws himself into this thing like DeNiro or Pacino. It's incredible. Everything about this slays me. If somebody gave me five minutes to sum up the '80s, I would just show them this video and be done with it."

The Best Campfire Song Ever

2006-06-20T10:11:00.000-07:00

I took my son camping last weekend up at Huddart Park and we had a great time. There were five families with a total of 12 kids, ages 6 mos. to 8 years old, on the overnight. My great friend, John, came along with his guitar to sing some campfire songs.

We dusted off the classics that John and I used to sing when we were in Boy Scouts together. The best of the group is The Cat Came Back. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, take a minute to absorb the genius, which is The Cat Came Back:

The Cat Came Back

Old farmer Johnson had troubles of his own
He had a yellow cat that wouldn't leave him alone
He tried and he tried to give that cat away
Gave him to a man going very far away

But the cat came back, the very next day
Oh the cat came back, they thought he was a gonner
But the cat came back, he just couldn't stay away, away, away

Gave it to a man going way out west
Told him to give it to the one he loved the best
First the train jumped the track, then it slipped the rail
No one is alive today to tell the sad detail

Gave it to someone going up in a balloon
Told him to give it to the man in the moon
Balloon came down about 90 miles away
But where the pilot is today I cannot say

Gave it to a little boy with a dollar and a note
Told him to go up the river in a little boat
To tie a rope around its neck and a weight of 20 pounds
Now they tell the tale of the little boy that drowned

Man on the corner swore he'd shoot that cat on sight
He loaded up his shotgun with nails and dynamite
He waited and he waited for that cat to come around
Nine-seven pieces of that man is all they found

The bombs started dropping just the other day
The missles were fired in the very same way
Russia’s gone, China’s gone, and now the USA [Sobs]
The human race perished with hardly a chance to pray

50 Worst Bands Ever

2006-06-19T18:50:00.000-07:00

I would add The Fine Young Cannibals to the list of the 50 Worst Bands as listed by Blender.com.

I would take Asia off the list - fantastic band with epic ballads.

But, alas, I must agree with some of their views - most notably, Starship.

Global Warming Theory Stands Firm

2006-06-15T15:57:00.000-07:00

For those of you concerned about Global Warming, look no further to get the real story on what's going on.

Put the Lotion in the Basket

2006-06-14T16:57:00.000-07:00

For those of you who love Silence of the Lambs (aka the GREATEST comedy of ALL TIME), you will love this song/video called, "Put the Lotion in the Basket."

I encourage you to watch it/listen to it in its entirety. Classic.

Thanks Rolla for finding it for us.

It's All Greek to Me

2006-05-30T16:13:00.000-07:00

Greek is everywhere. Greece is called "the cradle of civilization." Just ask my friend, CZ.

CZ says, "Even the word ‘Krozek’ (my last name of Czech origin) comes from the Greek; ‘Kro’ from the Greek ‘Kronos’, or god of time, and ‘Zek’ from the Greek ‘Zeke’, or god of salesmen. Zeke has the hindquarters and legs of a frog, the horn of a rhinoceros, and the arms of a polar bear."

I note that, the parentage of Kronos Zeke (or Krozek) is unclear; in some legends he is the son of Hermes and in some he is the son of a god shaped like a Toad, the Greek god, Todus. His mother is said to be a nymph. His nature is quite alluring and his wit is sharp and quick. In some ways, other than his melange of body parts, Krozek seems to be identical to the Greek god Zahariosis, god of long legs with easy going demeanor.

Art and Science

2006-05-21T22:16:00.000-07:00

I think drinking is both an art and a science. Let's start with the science part. It's pretty obvious - it's a simple ratio of alcohol to body weight. The larger the numerator (alcohol) the more trouble you get into.

The art part is more of...well...an art. The art part is when your ratio is out of whack and you're somehow able to pull it off without the world knowing the awful chemistry experiment going on inside your body.

Some would believe that artistic ability comes with experience, but like other types of art, I believe it's something you're born with. There are those people that, no matter how experienced, still can't pull it off.

Darwin. Nature vs. Nurture.

A Real Quickie

2006-05-15T11:17:00.000-07:00

Thought for the day, There is more money spent on breast implants and Viagra than on Alzheimer's research. This means by 2040 there should be a large elderly population with perky boobs and huge erections and absolutely no idea what to do with them.

Drunk Pilots

2006-05-15T11:14:00.000-07:00

Here's a funny skit for you on some drunk pilots at your local airport.