October 2003 Archives

I could read this book all over again, starting tonight, when I just finished it. An insightful look into Billy Beane's madness with the Oakland A's. Bill James' theory of baseball, taking luck out of the pitching stats equation (Voros McCracken). Scott Hatteburg's lack of holes and incredible plate discipline, Chad Bradford's unhittable underhand pitching. The tension between the front office and Art Howe, tension over allowing Ray Durham to steal bases (unnecessary risk which doesn't lead to much of a reward). The supremacy of on base percentage and the rise of OPS. The valuing of 'defective' players by the A's in order to get bargains. The 20 game winning streak of 2002. The insight into the Rincon trade, Billy playing other owners off each other. The future of baseball shaping up to include more teams that model themselves on the A's strategy of more with less money (BoSox & Blue Jays). Most of all, the force of Billy Beane.

I want to read more books like this.

Mildly interesting tract on Mormonism and the history of the faith, interwoven with a murderous tale of Mormon fundamentalists killing their sister-in-law and niece. Needed a bit of an editor; I found the intro quotes to each new chapter tedious and admit to skimming toward the end.

Krakauer should stick to nature topics.

Yeah yeah yeah, the black market in marijuana should be legalized so that the gov't would benefit from the taxes paid, etc. Schlosser's book Fast Food Nation was informative without being boring; I can't say the same for this book.

Good old Ross comes forth with a mystery that leaves you in suspense until the last few pages. Not sure if I really am enjoying his stuff, but this was quality if you're looking for a quick read.

Thankfully, Claire Tomalin translates Pepys' shorthand into distinct words for us and provides a glimpse into life in the 1660's. Pepys public speaking training as a child helped him in his career; he would mock the king for his inability to speak publicly. Had to skim the last few chapters of post-diary section. Pepys recorded the dialog of his life, including "wind-fucker" for someone who pissed off his friend.

http://www.pepysdiary.com/

1/2 cup oatmeal (the long cooking kind)
1 tbsp peanut butter
3/4 to 1 cup skim milk (haven't tried soy milk yet)
cinnamon
nutmeg

Cook in micro at half power for 6 minutes!

1 bag (10 oz) fresh spinach, cooked per package directions
1 Tbsp dried whole wheat bread crumbs (leave off for Phase I)
1 cup reduced fat ricotta cheese
3 lg eggs
1/2 cup fat-free half and half
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
3/4 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
pinch of grated fresh nutmeg (or dried type)

Cuban Black Bean soup

1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 rib celery, trimmed and finely chopped
1 medium-size green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
4 medium-size cloves garlic, peeled and pressed or finely minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
4 cups cooked or canned (drained and rinsed) black beans
4 cups defatted chicken broth
1 cup cold water
Salt & Pepper

Simplicity in writing style, Hecht publishes her story of chasing Andy for 2 years trying to determine what happened to turn him from high school jerk into genius comedian. Answer: meditation, fruit juices, and discovering how to be the person he wanted to be and enjoy going to work each day. Lessons for all of us, I believe. Om.