The last time I posted on here was March 25, 2011.
That said, I wanted to find a place to put all of the FOUR BRAND NEW VIDEOS I made while home for Christmas. Here are the links to them:
The Christmas Mystery
Space Emergency
Healing A Broken Heart
Basketball 2
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
2011 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers
And now for the first annual JHFBS (John Haskell's Fantasy Baseball Sleepers). I'll go position by position to list those players whom I think are flying "under the radar".
C: Joe Mauer (Min) - Before you start yelling, remember that this is a list of fantasy sleepers. You may be down on Mauer because of his horrible year last year where we watched his BA drop to .327 and his OBP fall to a miserable .402, but before you write him off as a bust, consider him as a possible person to target (Target Field?) in the 14-15th rounds of your draft.
1B: Casey Kotchman (TB) - Heeerrreee's Casey! He's back, but this time as a Ray. Currently the 849th ranked player according to Yahoo! and with his status listed as NA (not available), you should have no problem getting Kotchman in the early rounds of your draft. Need some stats to convince you of his potential dominance? Consider the fact that last year, his .217 average was the second worst of his career and that he offers very little power as a first basemen, never hitting more than 14 HRs in a season.
2B: Chase Utley (Phi) - How can he be a sleeper? According to many sources, Utley has been faking his recent bouts with injuries in order to be considered a fantasy sleeper. He felt that would take some of the pressure off of him to perform. He's 100% healthy and he and the Phillies organization are just lying to the public. Look to nab him in the 10-11th rounds.
3B: Eduardo Nunez (NYY) - E-Rod is set to back up Ramiro Pena who is set to back up Alex Rodriguez. Look for A-Rod, who's never played less that 124 games in a season for the last 15 years, to deviate from that norm and get injured. Then look for Ramiro Pena to get hurt or have family problems. If those two things happen - and it's very likely - E-Rod should assume control of the "hot corner" in the "Big Apple".
4B: [not a position]
SS: Hanley Ramirez (FLA) - While most people in your league may be looking at Tulo, Reyes, and Aviles, Han-Ram will be sitting there waiting to be drafted. This guy, despite conventional wisdom and his career statistics, is a stud. Don't let his numbers fool you. Draft him and reap the rewards. Possible steal in rounds 3 or 4.
OF: Mark DeRosa (SF) - DeRosa used to be a fantasy stud because of his ability to play multiple positions. Now, however, he's only OF eligible which significantly decreases his worth and puts him on our list of 2011 sleepers. The fact that he's not even slated to start for the Giants further solidifies his sleeper value. And if you're a stats person, take a look at the fact that in 93 ABs with the Giants last year, he batted .194 with 1 HR, 0 SBs, and was caught stealing twice. That small sample size should show you that this young 36-year-old has got some potential for this season and years to come.
SP: Adam Wainwright (StL) - No one is going to draft Wainwright because he is expected to miss the entire 2011 season. This means that you could take a flyer on him and draft him in the last round. If not, he'll be available in your league's FA pool.
RP: Brett Sinkbeil (FLA) - While conventional wisdom says, "Take a closer in the first or second rounds," you should probably wait until the third or fourth. That said, one guy to keep an eye on is Brett Sinkbeil of the Marlins. His last name sounds like "sink ball", which could be considered a type of pitch. If you believe in fate, this is your guy. But if you believe in stats, this is also your guy. In three games with the Marlins last year, Sinkbeil poasted a 5:1 BB/K ration and a 13.50 ERA. Not to shabby, huh? He's no Mariano "Mo" Rivera, but look to get Sinkbeil in the fourth or fifth rounds.
C: Joe Mauer (Min) - Before you start yelling, remember that this is a list of fantasy sleepers. You may be down on Mauer because of his horrible year last year where we watched his BA drop to .327 and his OBP fall to a miserable .402, but before you write him off as a bust, consider him as a possible person to target (Target Field?) in the 14-15th rounds of your draft.
1B: Casey Kotchman (TB) - Heeerrreee's Casey! He's back, but this time as a Ray. Currently the 849th ranked player according to Yahoo! and with his status listed as NA (not available), you should have no problem getting Kotchman in the early rounds of your draft. Need some stats to convince you of his potential dominance? Consider the fact that last year, his .217 average was the second worst of his career and that he offers very little power as a first basemen, never hitting more than 14 HRs in a season.
2B: Chase Utley (Phi) - How can he be a sleeper? According to many sources, Utley has been faking his recent bouts with injuries in order to be considered a fantasy sleeper. He felt that would take some of the pressure off of him to perform. He's 100% healthy and he and the Phillies organization are just lying to the public. Look to nab him in the 10-11th rounds.
3B: Eduardo Nunez (NYY) - E-Rod is set to back up Ramiro Pena who is set to back up Alex Rodriguez. Look for A-Rod, who's never played less that 124 games in a season for the last 15 years, to deviate from that norm and get injured. Then look for Ramiro Pena to get hurt or have family problems. If those two things happen - and it's very likely - E-Rod should assume control of the "hot corner" in the "Big Apple".
4B: [not a position]
SS: Hanley Ramirez (FLA) - While most people in your league may be looking at Tulo, Reyes, and Aviles, Han-Ram will be sitting there waiting to be drafted. This guy, despite conventional wisdom and his career statistics, is a stud. Don't let his numbers fool you. Draft him and reap the rewards. Possible steal in rounds 3 or 4.
OF: Mark DeRosa (SF) - DeRosa used to be a fantasy stud because of his ability to play multiple positions. Now, however, he's only OF eligible which significantly decreases his worth and puts him on our list of 2011 sleepers. The fact that he's not even slated to start for the Giants further solidifies his sleeper value. And if you're a stats person, take a look at the fact that in 93 ABs with the Giants last year, he batted .194 with 1 HR, 0 SBs, and was caught stealing twice. That small sample size should show you that this young 36-year-old has got some potential for this season and years to come.
SP: Adam Wainwright (StL) - No one is going to draft Wainwright because he is expected to miss the entire 2011 season. This means that you could take a flyer on him and draft him in the last round. If not, he'll be available in your league's FA pool.
RP: Brett Sinkbeil (FLA) - While conventional wisdom says, "Take a closer in the first or second rounds," you should probably wait until the third or fourth. That said, one guy to keep an eye on is Brett Sinkbeil of the Marlins. His last name sounds like "sink ball", which could be considered a type of pitch. If you believe in fate, this is your guy. But if you believe in stats, this is also your guy. In three games with the Marlins last year, Sinkbeil poasted a 5:1 BB/K ration and a 13.50 ERA. Not to shabby, huh? He's no Mariano "Mo" Rivera, but look to get Sinkbeil in the fourth or fifth rounds.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Annual Holiday Tradition (AHT)
In celebration of the Christmas/Holiday season, here's a reading of Charles Dickens' famous 'Twas The Night Before Christmas. I feel that my already-mediocre filmmaking skills are deteriorating and, oddly enough, I get more nervous with each subsequent video I make public. But, if one person finds some joy in this and other things that I do then I am happy - or at least that is how I rationalize it. I am a little lost in life right now. Enjoy!
Friday, December 17, 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
My new pants
For those of you who don't know, yesterday I bought a pair of pants. More specifically, I bought a pair of black Dockers straight fit pants.
Why?
In short, I have to wear black pants at work. I normally leave my pants at work overnight and put them on the following day. However, my pants were missing yesterday. I don't know if someone stole them intentionally, accidentally, or if they were just thrown out - but that doesn't matter. What matters is that I needed to get a new pair, so I did.
After asking around about where I should buy new pants, I concluded that JC Penney was my best bet. It seemed to offer the best quality for the best price.
After work, I went to JC Penney and browsed the pants in the Men's department. I figured I'd go with Dockers.
Why?
First of all, Dockers are a well-known brand. Whether or not you think they are cheap or cheesy, they are well-known.
One thing I did NOT want to do was buy a pair of pants that didn't fit well. I am so sick of doing that. I feel like for my entire life, I have just worn clothes that didn't fit well. Either they have been too big or too small. A lot of the reason for this is because I've neglected to put any time into trying clothes on before buying them. I've learned, however, that it's worth the extra 5-10 minutes.
With this in mind (i.e., that I wanted to buy pants that fit well), I took two pairs of black Dockers into the dressing room. One was a slim fit pair while the other was straight fit. I had a girlfriend (though we were not official) who had me buy skinny jeans in 2008. I tried to get into them but never felt quite comfortable wearing them. I didn't feel like they were "me". Whenever wearing them, I'd always be aware that I was wearing them and wondering if other people noticed as well. Perhaps this is because I have an external locus of control, but I just never felt comfortable in skinny jeans. I've finally come to the conclusion that I'm a straight-fit-man. I think pants that aren't baggy but don't squeeze your legs are the way to go.
Anyways, I tried on the slim fit black pants. They were not bad - not bad at all. The waist was 32 and the inseam was 30. I was surprised because usually 30 inseam pants are a little too long, but these were a good length. They did not look too hipster-y or too tight, but I could certainly feel some level of constriction. I still had to try on the straight fit pants.
I tried on the straight fit pants expecting them to be baggier than I'd wanted. I mean, the slim fit pants were almost perfect - wouldn't stepping up to the straight fit significantly increase the bagginess? To my surprise, it did not. The pants fit great. The waist was fitting (I know now not to worry if it's a little tight at first because it will stretch out as you wear the pants more), the thighs were comfortable but not baggy, and the rest of the leg was straight and not baggy.
What about the length (i.e., inseam)?
The 30" inseam worked perfectly. It rested on my shoe without bunching up [too much] or going over my heel.
Wow - this was great. The pants cost $34.99 which was a little more than I was hoping for. But you know what? I am so tired of trying to save an extra minute or buck on pants that fit/are good quality. I'd rather pay that extra $15 or spend that extra 10 minutes just to make sure that I've got pants that look good, feel good, and should last.
I checked out of JC Penney feeling very good about my purchase. No buyer's remorse, no second thoughts -- just satisfaction. It just goes to show that if you put a little more effort into what you're doing, the results are much better.
###
Why?
In short, I have to wear black pants at work. I normally leave my pants at work overnight and put them on the following day. However, my pants were missing yesterday. I don't know if someone stole them intentionally, accidentally, or if they were just thrown out - but that doesn't matter. What matters is that I needed to get a new pair, so I did.
After asking around about where I should buy new pants, I concluded that JC Penney was my best bet. It seemed to offer the best quality for the best price.
After work, I went to JC Penney and browsed the pants in the Men's department. I figured I'd go with Dockers.
Why?
First of all, Dockers are a well-known brand. Whether or not you think they are cheap or cheesy, they are well-known.
One thing I did NOT want to do was buy a pair of pants that didn't fit well. I am so sick of doing that. I feel like for my entire life, I have just worn clothes that didn't fit well. Either they have been too big or too small. A lot of the reason for this is because I've neglected to put any time into trying clothes on before buying them. I've learned, however, that it's worth the extra 5-10 minutes.
With this in mind (i.e., that I wanted to buy pants that fit well), I took two pairs of black Dockers into the dressing room. One was a slim fit pair while the other was straight fit. I had a girlfriend (though we were not official) who had me buy skinny jeans in 2008. I tried to get into them but never felt quite comfortable wearing them. I didn't feel like they were "me". Whenever wearing them, I'd always be aware that I was wearing them and wondering if other people noticed as well. Perhaps this is because I have an external locus of control, but I just never felt comfortable in skinny jeans. I've finally come to the conclusion that I'm a straight-fit-man. I think pants that aren't baggy but don't squeeze your legs are the way to go.
Anyways, I tried on the slim fit black pants. They were not bad - not bad at all. The waist was 32 and the inseam was 30. I was surprised because usually 30 inseam pants are a little too long, but these were a good length. They did not look too hipster-y or too tight, but I could certainly feel some level of constriction. I still had to try on the straight fit pants.
I tried on the straight fit pants expecting them to be baggier than I'd wanted. I mean, the slim fit pants were almost perfect - wouldn't stepping up to the straight fit significantly increase the bagginess? To my surprise, it did not. The pants fit great. The waist was fitting (I know now not to worry if it's a little tight at first because it will stretch out as you wear the pants more), the thighs were comfortable but not baggy, and the rest of the leg was straight and not baggy.
What about the length (i.e., inseam)?
The 30" inseam worked perfectly. It rested on my shoe without bunching up [too much] or going over my heel.
Wow - this was great. The pants cost $34.99 which was a little more than I was hoping for. But you know what? I am so tired of trying to save an extra minute or buck on pants that fit/are good quality. I'd rather pay that extra $15 or spend that extra 10 minutes just to make sure that I've got pants that look good, feel good, and should last.
I checked out of JC Penney feeling very good about my purchase. No buyer's remorse, no second thoughts -- just satisfaction. It just goes to show that if you put a little more effort into what you're doing, the results are much better.
###
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Apartment Search (Part 6)
The sixth email in a series of emails I've sent to Eberhart Bros. regarding renting an apartment.
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