Tuesday Tidbits...

Sorry for the hiatus. But Tuesday Tidbits is back....

• This had to be the worst final four ever. No good games.
• Noah can flat out play, but damn is he annoying.
• Tom Delay announces resignation. Says he acted ethically. FUNNY.
• Fan throws syringe on the field at Barry Bonds. FUNNY.
• Opening day: Arod grandslam. October: Arod does nothing.
• Cynthia McKinney is an absolute disgrace.
• NY Attorney General Elliott Spitzer files suit against Spyware company for pop up ads. Thank you.
• IBM box on 18th green at Bellsouth Classic was pretty sweet, especially during rain delay.
• Spring break in GA for schools. Not bad when you work with schools.
• I need to pick my big trip for the year.
• NYC with Nick, Tricia and Amanda. Now that will be fun.
• I need to get in better shape for spring and summer.

Introducing.... Big Baby Hughes

Do you know this man? After last night, he will now be referred to by his new nickname, "Big Baby" Hughes or just "Big Baby" for short. Why you might ask? Because it just fits.

While at the game last night watching Glen "Big Baby" Davis play for LSU, Elliott turned to Jeff and said "That would be a good nickname for you." Jeff replied, "I love it."

That might not really be what happened, but those are just small details. Today, the nickname council has approved his new nickname by a vote of 2-1. With Big Baby being the only vote of no. Which is more reason why it will hold.

From now on, you may refer to this man by only 3 names- Bushmaster, C Bomb or Big Baby. Jeff will not work and the usage of Jeff will result in constant ridicule.

Thank you for your adherence to this blog post. 

What a night at the dome...

Tickets to the NCAA basketball tournament Sweet 16 at the dome: $20

Popcorn and bottle of water: $7

Watching Duke lose, JJ Redick shoot 3 for 18 and cry in Coach K's arms: PRICELESS

Yesterday was an amazing night of college basketball at the GA Dome. We headed down there without any tickets hoping to score some for the games as Duke played Lsu and Texas played West Virginia. Thanks to Elliott and Jeff's ruthless negotiation tactics, we were able to score some tickets for the steep price of $20. Face value on the tickets was $65. We were fortunate to sit around midcourt about 25 rows up. Not bad. The first game was an absolute slugfest as LSU and Duke were beating the hell out of each other. It was actually a really poorly played game, but incredibly entertaining. The best part of it was watching LSU beat up on JJ Redick all game and watching him miss shot after shot. To make matters worse, he whined all night about the officiating. The officiating was horrible- but consistently horrible. They were bad on both sides. Being an official myself, I am normally a defender of officiating, but 2 of the 3 guys were awful. LSU pulled out a close game with some key shots and defensive stops late. Than it happened. JJ Redick crying in Coach K's arms. I would have paid an additional $20 had I known that was going to happen.

The second game was Texas- West Virginia. Elliott showed up to the dome wearing 23 pieces of Texas clothing for the game looking like he fought an Oklahoma fan in the parking lot. And not looking like he got the better half of that fight. At least he didn't have that nasty towel clipped to his belt. If you don't know what towel I am talking about, just picture a nasty, frayed golf towel from 1973 that has never seen the washing machine. Jeff than made the worst call of the night, by saying, "Hey. That's Mack Brown." and pointing at a guy who looked absolutely nothing like Mack Brown. He looked more like Vince Young than Mack Brown. However, he does score some points for successfully pointing out Erin Andrews. He must have the Playboy issue with her in it.

The game started and Texas looked dominating in the first half cruising to a 12 point lead at halftime. West Virginia than came out in the 2nd half hitting everything they threw up. And the game got close. Than it happened. Texas had a 3 point lead with 13.9 seconds left with West Virginia getting the ball. West Virginia came down and got a wild, off balanced, deep 3 pointer from Pittsnogle (best name in sports) who hit nothing but net to tie the game with 5 seconds to go. The place erupted. Than, Texas immediately inbounded the ball and pushed it up the court without taking a time out. The point guard took the ball all the way into the lane and had nowhere to go. He threw the ball out to Kenton Paulino, who made a great catch and shot from about 25 feet away and drained it at the buzzer for the win (Pictured). AWESOME. The place was so excited that people were high fiving each other even if they weren't a Texas fan. They were just excited to see such a memorable ending. We sat in front of a father and son who drove up from Florida just to watch the games. Not because they were fans of either team. They were pumped. As was everyone else. All in all, a great night of basketball at the GA Dome.

Have I ever mentioned how much I love the NCAA tournament?

Happy Birthday Beleza (Boss) and Special Tuesday Tidbits...

Today is a very special day. It is Beleza's 4th birthday. Despite some transgressions- urinating from excitement, bulldozing the trash and tearing up everything in it, running away after a squirrel that never gets caught, and going to the bathroom in Elliott's room after being yelled at, she has been a good girl and good dog. I can't believe it has been 4 years already. So, because of the special occassion, I will not turn over Tuesday Tidbits to the birthday girl:

• Why do I eat the same thing for breakfast and dinner every day? Variety please.
• Why does Elliott never take me for walks?
• Can you get me a new damn softball? I have been chasing the same one for months.
• Why does Ginger bark so much? Chill out.
• Why have I never caught a squirrel?
• Why does Aunt Laura suck?
• Do they eat my kind in Korea?
• Are jewish owners always too cheap to buy a new softball?
• Why did Elliott tackle me for an entire month and call me Reggie Bush?
• Why is Jeff so damn big?
• Why does Jennifer Caran never shut up?
• Why do I have webbed feet if I never go swimming?
• When will I shit in Elliott's room again?
• Why does Howard yell at me for begging? The sucker gives me food all the time.
• When is Grandma coming back? She is the only one who gives me great bones.
• Does anybody really read this stupid blog?
• Why does Howard run around the house yelling, "I am the godfather of blogs."
• Why doesn't Todd stay in Argentina?
• Is anybody else a fan of the San Antonio Spurs, Oakland Raiders, and All Blacks Rugby?
• When is Debbie coming to visit me?
• Why does Howard come home smelling like another dog and not think I will notice?
• Why do I just love everybody?
• Can I say Thank You to everyone for 4 great years?

It was a good weekend

Friday was a damn good day and so was the whole weekend. The celebration of Nancy's birthday started at Taverna Plaka and finished at Smith's Olde Bar. A good time was had by all. As for Saturday, it was Shane's surprise 30th birthday party. For obvious reasons, it was not posted on here previously. However, Kelly, Eddie and Jennifer did an excellent job pulling off the surprise without a hitch. Shane had no clue it was coming. Everybody got to Kelly's house between 6:00 and 6:30, with Shane's arrival coming at 7:00. We all parked at the clubhouse and walked to Kelly's house to prevent tipping off Shane.

And of course there was the NCAA basketball tournament all weekend. It was as enjoyable as ever with George Mason, Bradley and Wichita State providing extra excitement by reaching the Sweet Sixteen. As for Ohio State, they took one on the chin last night and lost to Georgetown, eliminating them from the tourney. It was a bad matchup for us and we just got beat by a better team yesterday. No excuses. While it is disappointing to see your team ousted from the tourney, it doesn't ruin what was a great season. A season in which OSU basketball returned to prominence. OSU finished the season 26-6 and outright Big Ten regular season champs (Jenny: I know Iowa won the Big Ten tourney.) This is a season that exceeded any realistic expectations we had. We have a great coach and great recruits coming in and we are a program on the rise. I am excited about the future of OSU basketball.

Thanks all for making it a great weekend.

Today's A Damn Good Day

Here are several reasons why today is a damn good day. For starters, it's Friday and going to be 70 degrees. That would be enough to make it a good day for sure. But it gets even better from there. The three images you see go a long way to explain what else makes this a good day. Also, my friend Dru is in town from Tampa. Who knows if that makes it a good day or not?

Today is St. Patty's day. Which is always a good reason to go out and have a good time. Drink a couple of Guinness with friends. On top of that, we get started early with OSU playing in the NCAA tourney at Noon. Did I mention I love the NCAA tourney before? OSU in the NCAA tourney makes it even better. They have not been in for several years, so I am excited to see them back. Should be fun.

So you might ask, why is the Korean flag on here? Or some of you may ask, What the hell flag is that? Today is Nancy Ryoo's birthday. Nancy is korean, for those of you who don't know her. To celebrate Nancy's birthday on St. Patty's day, we are heading to Taverna Plaka (Greek Restaurant) for dinner. OK. Korean Girl + St. Patty's Day = Greek Restaurant. NOW THAT IS MULTICULTURAL. All in all, it should be a good day.

One other thing to note. It is pretty amazing that the US lost to Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. Mexico?????? So, here is my quick summary of US National Teams:

Baseball- SUCKS
Hockey- SUCKS
Basketball- REALLY FUCKING SUCKS
Curling- Pretty Damn Good

But, today is too damn good of a day to worry about that stuff.

March Madness.... Hell Yeah

I am so fired up today. The NCAA basketball tournament is the best sporting event of the year and the first round gets underway today at Noon. I love it. It is this time of year when teams like Valparaiso, Hampton, Bucknell and Vermont become forever etched in our memories as they bring down the big powerhouse schools. It is so exciting and you can't beat it. The first round is fast and furious with 16 games today and 16 more tomorrow. The close, last second finishes and the tourney pools. After rounds one and two, you move on to some classic matchups and great games. Win and move on. Lose and go home. It is a finish to a season that truly defines a champion. Everything that college football should be.

As you know, I will be rooting on my Buckeyes. They have had an incredible year. Winning the regular season Big Ten championship outright is quite an accomplishment. I have mild expecations for the Buckeyes as they have been really struggling shooting the ball recently. If Jekel Foster doesn't get his shot back, they may be in deep trouble. If he gets it back, we could be really tough. Should be interesting, but definitely will be entertaining.

Taxes and Pho 96.... An Annual Tradition

As has become an annual tradition, yesterday was the day I went to file my taxes like every other american must do before April 15th. So I headed over to my tax guy, Tony Bui, on Buford Highway to get them completed. Tony is an interested guy. He is Vietnamese and extremely funny. I have been going to see him for four years now. So the first year I ventured over to Buford Highway, I asked him when we were done what a good place to have some Vietnamese food was. Being close by all sorts of good ethnic restaurants, I might as well seize the opportunity while I am there. He suggested this Vietnamese noodle house, Pho 96. As many of you know, I am a huge fan of diverse and different ethnic foods. Love to try everything.

Pho 96 is a dive of a place with numerous immigrants outside looking for day jobs. It is not the most aesthetically pleasing restaurant you will see from the outside. But, once you get inside, you get delicious food. Pho is a traditional Vietnamese noodle dish made with rice noodles and your choice of beef, chicken or seafood. A medium bowl which will run you $5.50 is a large amount of food. Enough to leave you full and satisfied. I always wondered why the waiter never brought the check to the table. It isn't bad service, but a cultural thing. It is considered rude in Vietnamese culture to bring checks to the table as it would indicate rushing customers out of the door. Another interesting fact. After dinner, I was talking to the cashier/ owner, who for some reason decided to show me his gas bill for the month. $3700!!!!! You have to serve up a lot of $5.50 bowls of Pho to pay for that bad boy. For the fourth year in a row, a successful day as Tony got me a refund on my taxes and Pho 96 served up some great food.

Debbie will also be happy to find out that this put a little extra motivation in me looking at my possible trip to Thailand and Vietnam.


PS-
If anybody hasn't received the email for the tournament pool and would like to join, here is the info: The pool is $10


http://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/men

Group ID- 72737
Password- ibm

Tuesday Tidbits

Hey there everybody. Welcome back to this weeks edition of Tuesday Tidbits, in question format once again.

What did Julie and Michelle do the last 4 weekends when they stayed in to pack?

When are Julie and Michelle taking John, Jorge, Elliott and I to Fogo De Chao?

Why was Jeff in Vegas while I helped Julie and Michelle move?

Why are Jimmy Buffett tickets nearly impossible to get?

Why can't Arod get a clutch hit in October?

Is Dane Cook not hillarious?

Why was Opie Grandominico scared of the SKULLBURN?

When is Opie coming back?

Why does the household of Jenny and Nancy own me? (Penn St. over OSU in football, Iowa over OSU in basketball, Korea over USA in World Baseball Classic)

Is there a better sporting event than the NCAA basketball tournament?

Why doesn't college football have an ending like college basketball?

Will Jekel Foster regain his shooting touch (2-24 from 3 point land in Big Ten tourney)?

How can I stir up Debbie, John and Todd again?

Isn't Iran scarier than Iraq ever was? CHECK THIS LINK

Wasn't the Sopranos kick ass on Sunday?

Why does my sister still suck?

Why am I lucky to have such great friends?

Is the poker craze going to create an epidemic?

Have you done your taxes yet?

Why did the US screw up the Moussauoi trial?

Did you see Bush's approval rating has hit an all time low?

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Tuesday Tidbits

Hey everybody. Sorry for the late post. It was a real busy day on the road. So here is the late edition of Tuesday Tidbits:

• Jenny and Nancy (Number 1 Koreans) came through for us at the Korean BBQ. Always delicious and good company.
• Elliott didn't drink enough Soju.
• I really like Kimchi, but the store bought variety at Publix is awful.
• March Madness!!!!!! HELL YEAH. I love the NCAA tournament.
• Not as excited about the World Baseball Classic.
• Amanda's birthday party was fun. But more subdued than expected.
• Playing a round of golf with Eddie is a blast.
• Once the NCAA tourney ends, I will be ready to be playing golf on a regular basis.
• St. Patty's Day + Nancy's Birthday = Guaranteed Fun
• Big story in SI detailing Barry Bonds' steroid use. Not a huge shocker. Have I mentioned on here how much I dislike him?
• Bode Miller still sucks.
• Michigan still sucks.
• My sister sucks.
• Nuevo didn't disappoint.
• Childhood obesity is out of control. Less chat and video games. More athletics.
• 500,000 illegal immigrants enter the US each year. Increased security has had no impact on slowing that down.
• Poll of Most Popular Politicians: 1) Giuliani 2) Barack Obama 3) John McCain
• I can't believe Graybar made Jeff drive to Jackson, MS
• Spring is almost here. And I am excited about that.

The Personal Debt Crisis...

As I was riding the bike at the gym yesterday, a question flashed upon the TV screen in front of me. The question was in regards to whether or not today's 20 and 30 year olds have a sense of entitlement or are really cash poor. This struck a chord with what is a huge issue. For the first time since the Great Depression, the personal savings rate is less than zero. We are by no means in a depression, which makes the issue even scarier. At least a depression would help justify why people have to go to such lengths and absorb so much debt to live. We are a society that puts too much value on material wealth and "appearance of wealth." Here is how we have severly declined in terms of savings rates. Between 1974 and 1984, we were saving at a rate of 10%. By 1994, that had declined to 4.8%. As of January, the rate was - .7%. Unfortunately, for people in the 20's and 30's, these numbers are even worse.

What does this tell you? More value is put on appearance of wealth, than actually working hard to build financial stability. On the way out to get some coffee and breakfast this morning, I saw a sign for a new development of townhomes close by my house that will probably start in the $300-400K range. I don't know this for sure, but that seems to be the trend. My first thought was "Who is buying these things and where are they getting the money?" Granted, I am sure some of the people who are buying these places can afford it. But, on the other hand, I would venture to say that a good number of people are using these new creative financing programs to stretch into places they really can't afford. To back up my theory, Atlanta has the highest percentage of interest only loans in the country. They keep the payments lower. But, what were to happen if these places don't appreciate in value, which I fear they will not. You are going to have a large number of people with no equity and forced to sell at a significant loss. Scary. What funds will be used to move into the next place?

So looking around at all the BMW's, Mercedes, and huge SUV's in an era of extremely high gas prices, it is easy to understand where it is coming from. Debt, Debt, Debt. I have to say that I consider myself to be pretty frugal and modest. The sad part is that in today's era, that can often times be ridiculed as "Cheap." And happy to say "Debt Free."

Happy Birthdays.... Laura Kalin, Amanda Sapp, Greg Biggleman

Happy birthday to the three of you.

Preserve the Internet

There is a movement out there by a number of companies to create a new internet infrastructure and cost model- called the Infranet. In a nutshell, companies are trying to collaborate to create a model where you will be charged additional fees if you were to download large amounts of data. Another impact would be that there would be costs associated with voice over IP programs such as Skype. Today, if you use a Skype from computer to computer, it would be free. If they are successful in accomplishing the goal of the Infranet, you would have to pay fees. Not to Skype, but to the telecommunications conglomerates. These companies are losing significant revenues and this is their attempt to recoup some of the money lost.

The companies are basically saying the Infranet initiative is similar to creating a public network. Here is the key for them as they explain the New Type of Public Network: "An infranet is a way to give each business and user his own unique slice of a secure public infrastructure. And it is a way for businesses and consumers to select and be billed for the range of services and level of experience that is right for them."

It is attempt at charging heavy users and an attempt to impede freedom of information. It is a utility model that would be metered by the telco companies. My opinion is that independent businesses should have a right to charge for any premium content or services they provide. For example, if cnn.com wants to charge for video, as a private enterprise they have the right to do so and the consumer chooses if they see value and wants to pay. But, to have an intermediary collecting money bothers me greatly. Shouldn't we have open access once we gain internet access?

This is not something that is going to happen in the near term. But, I don't think it shoud ever be the internet model.

Spondivits

Since I enjoy going out to restaurants so much, I am going to post more restaurant reviews. I also invite you to post comments on some of your favorite restaurants because I am always looking for new ideas. Recently, Jorge has introduced us to Sweet Devil Moon (Peruvian) and Fuego (Spanish) which were both excellent. Jenny and Nancy brought us to an excellent Korean restaurant (which I don't know the name.) Elliott introduced us to Nancy's Pizza which was... not open yet. Debbie introduced me to Spice I Am in Sydney, which is the best Thai food I have ever had. Today's restaurant was recommended to me by Roy and Tywanna. Roy was my first manager at IBM and Tywanna is his lovely new fiance.

Spondivits has three locations in Atlanta now. One by the airport on Virginia Ave., one in Cumming and new location in Buckhead. So the last couple of days, I was working at the Hilton on Virginia Ave. right next to Spondivits, so it seemed like an opportunity to try it out. I grabbed a couple of my coworkers and we headed over for a late lunch. Spondivits is a seafood restaurant with a wide menu. They are well known for their "Seafood Buckets" where they take crab, shrimp, or other shellfish and boil it up and serve it in a bucket. For those of you who know Steamhouse Lounge, very similar in style to that. I was all prepared to order one of the buckets when one of my coworkers asked about the crab cakes. The waitress said they are absolutely delicious and are ALL CRAB MEAT. Than the lady sitting behind us chimed in, "They are amazing," she said. We all turned around and took a look at her plate and she told us again how delicious they were. I am a big fan of crab cakes, but the problem I have is that at most places you can't even find the crab meat. Just a lot of breading and a touch of crab.

So I ordered them and started with their famous New England Clam Chowder. It was funny. On the menu, in explaining the clam chowder it said, "About the only thing the Yankees are good for is clam chowder." It also said that they took 1st place three years in row at the Cape Cod Chowder Festival. Coming from a restaurant in Atlanta, that is shocking. I figured the bias of them not being from New England would prevent them from winning. And yes, the Chowdah was delicious. Not so sure it tasted award winning, but no doubt it was delicious. I guess I need to go to the Cape Cod Chowder Festival to compare. That would be fun. As for the crab cakes, they were amazing. They served them with rice and vegetables and two dipping sauces. The sauces were your standard cocktail sauce and an interesting jalapeno sauce, which had a nice kick, but wasn't too spicy.

All in all, Spondivits receives a thumbs up and would definitely get a return visit.