Sunday, February 24, 2008

Random Thoughts

Greetings and welcome back to The Un-Zone, the only known site on the Internet that I know of devoted to all things related to Un. If you haven't gotten it by now, this site is all about me and the random thoughts and things that I find interesting. So if you don't want to find out what I find fascinating, then try another site.

First up, I saw the KU-Oklahoma State basketball game on TV yesterday. Which makes me wonder, to use the title of a book, what's the matter with Kansas?
For some reason, when KU is on the road, the men's basketball team just collapses. They play the crappiest basketball. They forget how to make simple layups. A ball screen turns from a simple task to something akin to figuring out the meaning of life and explaining it in 50 words or less. Dribbling without traveling or double dribbling or palming or getting it stolen becomes near impossible. Turnovers are more common than assists. It's like they can't remember who is on their team. They forget how to play basketball.
It's painful, like watching a white guy from Johnson Country Kansas trying to bust a move on the dance floor when he's surrounded by a breakdancing crew.
I guess I'm used to seeing KU whip opponents like a dominatrix clad in leather. On a good day, KU basketball is a sight to see. They alley-oop. They launch from downtown and you hear the swish. They steal and pick pockets. It's poetry in motion or something similar to it. A basketball ballet.
They're a talented team. They have great big guys like Kaun and Jackson and Arthur. They have a nice combination of guards like Rush, Robinson, and Chalmers. Toss in Collins when he is healthy and you have at least four guards. Everyone on the team can run up and down the court. They have hustle and ball handling skills. The defense is good. They're a balanced team. Most of the players have played in the NCAA tournament. They have some experience playing in important games. You would expect them to win most, if not all of their games. Well, you would expect them to play consistently. But they don't.
For some odd reason, the team expects to win when they play badly, when they play like shit, when they play stupid. Which, oddly enough, rarely happens as they lose. KU was supposed to beat the Cowboys, though not by much, but they pulled defeat out of the supposed jaws of victory.

A funny story.
So I'm driving down Mass Street. This is after the ice/snow storm and the roads haven't been cleared yet. So I'm driving a little slower since I don't want to skid and end up wrapped around a phone pole or something similarly expensive and painful.
There's this jackass behind me. He wants me to drive faster. Which is kind of crazy since the roads, as I mentioned before, are still icy. And I know that the Lawrence Police Department has several police cars monitoring the traffic. And they're kind of anal about speeders. On Mass Street, there's at least two speed traps where the police are in hiding with their radar guns. He starts flashing his headlights and honking his horn thinking I'm going to go faster.
Since I don't move any faster, he decides to gun it and change lanes. So he puts the pedal to the metal and gets the accelerator going.
Did I mention that the Lawrence Police Department sets up speed traps? And there's one just a block ahead? And he's the only guy in the right lane at that moment? And he's doing about forty or fifty?
Let's just say that Mr. Police Officer didn't have to work very hard to get a speeder. Didn't have to drive more than a hundred feet to pull Mr. Impatient over.
I had a good laugh.
That was until I saw the KU basketball game (see above).


That's all for now.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Salt or Sand

Greetings and welcome back to The Un-Zone, the only known site (that I know of) on the Internet devoted to all things related to Un. Basically, this site is all about the random things floating in my head that I find interesting.

In the past several weeks, it's been freezing cold in Rock Chalk Jayhawk land. And I'm not talking about the KU men's basketball team in the second half. Hell did freeze over when K-State finally won in Manhattan. Apparently, the weather in Hell spilled over into Lawrence for some reason. All of that snow and ice and sleet is not making for a nice day.
And I'm not a fan of driving in the winter weather. I don't like scraping ice off the windshield and sitting inside a cold car, waiting for the heater to get going. Nope, I hate driving in the winter. I don't like losing traction. I like clean roads, free of ice and snow and slush. That's just me.
Which brings me closer to the point of this post.
Lately, on the news, there have been stories about how communities are running out of salt. Especially in places where winter weather can cause havoc. Places like the Northeast, the Mountain West, the Midwest.
Which makes me wonder. How can you run out of salt?
Of course, most communities preordered their salt and there's a shortage. But really, if you know that winter brings snow to your area, shouldn't you buy lots of salt earlier. You know, stock up on the salt. Like when it was cheaper or when the winter was warmer? Don't they plan ahead?
Yes, salt causes problems. It eats up the concrete and asphalt faster. It causes damage to metal surfaces and makes rust a problem. It hurts when you get hit by the salt spewing out of the salt spreader and it chaps skin like nothing else. But it gets the damn ice and snow off the road.
So use more sand...which the city of Lawrence has done with a vengeance. I've never seen so much sand spread out on the roadways of Lawrence before.
It's everywhere. Spreading like a horrible plague. Sidewalks are turning tan and beige. Streets are gritty, covered in sand. The snow is brown. Everything is brown. I think I've collected enough sand on the front yard to fill a sandbox. It's gotten into my shoes and socks and jeans. I have a fine layer of sand on the garage floor and quite possibly, into the carpets. I'd hate to think what all that sand would do on wood floors. Even worse, the sand makes driving worse. At least the salt "disappears" when the snow is melted. The sand, it's still there, covering everything in grit.
Is there anything good about the sand? Not really. I'm hard pressed to find something even remotely good about the sand.
Now that I've thought about it for a few minutes, I must admit that the sand does make for an excellent filler for all the potholes. Maybe the City of Lawrence can collect all the sand on the streets and dump them into the potholes. They'll be putting the sand to good use.


That's all for now.

Monday, February 11, 2008

What's In My Food? The Valentine's Day Edition

Greetings and welcome back to The Un-Zone, the only known site (that I know of) on the Internet devoted to all things related to Un. Basically, this site is all about the things that I find interesting or floating in my head at the moment. It's all about me. If this is not your cup of tea or you came to this site because you were expecting something different, then try another site. The Internet is an amazing thing. I digress...
Several disclaimers. I am not bashing Valentine's Day. I am not that paranoid about food, though I can get nervous about food safety. Eat, knowing that the United States has food safety laws and you can be sure what is in the box or bag is what is on the label for the most part, like 99.9999%. But then again, sometimes, things fall through the cracks.
Considering I have bought rice and discovered moths and God knows what else in the bag, it might be a good thing. It's my way of telling you about food safety and what might be inside your food. It's a good thing to know what is considered "sanitary" by the United States government. In addition, it might make you think twice about what you are eating. Especially if you diet contains a large amount of processed food. If you are weak of stomach...then this post is not for you. Same if you want to eat something later. Do not read this post with a full stomach...unless there is a convenietly placed bathroom nearby.

Your night of passion may begin with a seafood appetizer. Some raw oysters, some shrimp, some clams. As you may know, seafood is reminiscent of sexual organs. And Venus herself, according to myth, came from a scallop shell. Hence the connection. However, the raw oysters...they're not all that safe. You might get ill and the symptoms are not nice. And the fish might contain mercury (a real downer since mercury causes mental illness) or worms or poisoning. Tabasco sauce will not kill the bacteria. And the peppers used in the sauce could have been moldy, insect infested, or covered in rodent excreta. But not that much...only 3% insect infested. And less than a milligram of rodent excreta per pound. Let's just say that raw or undercooked seafood should be off the menu, no matter where you get it. Expensive restaurants included.
Anyways, let's get to the main course. What do you want? Fish? Probably not. How about some beef? Like the fish, it might have beef tapeworms, which is not so great to have. Sure, you lose weight, but you die of starvation. And it is disgusting. You do have to deal with prions that can cause CJD--the human version of Mad Cow Disease. Nothing like having your brain getting destroyed cell by cell. I almost forgot E-coli, the well-known bacteria that caused death at the Jack in the Box hamburger outlets. And all because you wanted a rare steak. Pork will get you worms as well if you are not careful. Lamb, did I mention suffer from a disease similar to Mad Cow? Chicken, well, salmonella and campylobacter.
OK, let's assume you are a vegetarian. Well, you're no safer than the meat-eating carnivore humans. You all have the same dangers as the rest of the world. Even more so.
E-coli will still get you. Remember the tainted spinach? One of my professors from law school told us a story about salad mixes that made my stomach turn. Apparently, one of his friends went to Mexico, to a farm (supposedly organic), to see if they were following certain sanitary measures. Let's just say that the farm wasn't. They were using the same water that the cows were bathed in to wash and water the lettuce. On top of that, a baby in a diaper full of feces and urine, was sitting on top of the supposedly "clean and organic" lettuce. To make a long story short, he swore never to eat salad again.
And there are other nasty diseases that can strike. All due to unsanitary conditions. Hepatitis. Salmonella. Cross-contamination of bateria that generally affect meat and poultry. Poisonous mushrooms (so be wary of wild mushrooms that didn't come from the supermarket) and aflatoxins (caused by mold). And even the red kidney bean can bring about troubles. Even the canned and frozen foods are not so...edible. Insect parts, dead maggots and larva, aphids, rotten pieces, and other unsavory delights can be found in canned and frozen fruits and vegetables. But in approved amounts.
And I cannot leave without talking about chocolate. This also goes for most processed and prepackaged food as well. If you ever need inspiration to keep away from junk food, this might be helpful. This is from the FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition manual called The Food Defect Action Levels.
WHEAT FLOUR cannot contain 75 or more insect fragments per 50 grams. In addition, it cannot contain an average of 1 or more rodent hairs per 50 grams.

CHOCOLATE cannot contain an average is 60 or more insect fragments per 100 grams when 6 100-gram subsamples are examined OR Any 1 subsample contains 90 or more insect fragments. In addition, it cannot contain an average is 1 or more rodent hairs per 100 grams in 6 100-gram subsamples examined ORAny 1 subsample contains 3 or more rodent hairs. And where does this come from? Insect fragments - post harvest and/or processing insect infestation. Rodent hair - post harvest and/or processing contamination with animal hair or excreta. Yup, unsanitary harvest conditions and unsanitary processing condtions. Never mind that these products are nutritionally unsound due to the chemicals, the excess amount of fat, the salt and sugar, the lack of vitamins. But you also get rodent hair, feces, AND insect parts as well. And to think people eat this every day!

In closing, let me reiterate several things. I'm not against Valentine's Day. I'm not exhorting people to be paranoid about what they eat. Instead, I'm telling people to be more aware of what they eat and what might be inside that can or box. If you realize what might be in there--insect parts, larva, maggots, rodent hair and feces, etc.--you might reconsider buying that. Or you might reconsider how you prepare and clean it. Or you might reconsider where you eat. Even the best places can be unsanitary.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!


That's all for now.

Monday, February 04, 2008

The Super Bowl

Greetings and welcome to The Un-Zone, the only known site on the Internet devoted to all things realted to Un. This site is all about me and the random things that I find interesting. If you don't find this to be your cup of tea, try another site. Unless of course, it's China and you might be somewhat limited in your choices and your content. Anyways, it's time for an update to this site.

I saw the Super Bowl yesterday. The first three quarters, it was meh. No real scoring. Lots of failed opportunities. The Patriot offensive line was offensively bad, allowing Brady to get sacked more than a Sprint layoff. He ate a whole lot of turf. And they could not convert when the had the opportunity because the Giants defense was getting physical with him. Kind of like a pitbull that won't let go. Or Bill Clinton at a beauty pageant. Or a heat seeking missile locked on a target.
The Giants had more offensive rhythm, but they fell way short. The stupid penalties like the pass interference and the dumb 12 men on the field one. Kind of like a guy who's wanting to score with a supermodel, but goes limp at the last second. At least their defense played like champions.
The halftime show was OK. As much as I like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, the halftime show was lacking. Like Tom Petty actually singing. If he was singing, I must give him props for sounding like the MTV music video. If he was lip-synching, which I suspect he was doing, he did an excellent job in moving his lips to the music. The guitar playing was severely lacking. You could tell he wasn't playing at all.
The fourth quarter. That was the craziest fourth quarter ever. OK, so it wasn't the freaky offensive battle that everyone was expecting, but it was much better than the first three. It made a fine effort in redeeming the ugliness that was the first three quarters.
Eli Manning making a brilliant TD pass that almost was intercepted. Tom Brady leading the charge to the end zone with less than three minutes left. It looked like another New England victory. Then Eli Manning, the QB that everyone thought would wilt under pressure made plays. And got lucky. The long reception. The escape from a certain sack by three Patriots defensive players, the spin move, and the throw. The impossible catch made by a rookie. If you saw the game, you would know what I'm talking about. The final TD pass with less than a minute left due to blown coverage. New England had the chance to win, to seal the deal, but they just could not do it.

Was it me or did the commercials this year seem mediocre overall? The game was great in the last quarter, but surely, one would think that the commercials would fare better. "I...I...I...am...the....NFL...NFL....I AM the NFL." Those commercials stink. Stop with this crap. It is beyond old. Although, it was funny to see some of the football players try to pronounce "resiliency," let alone any words that had more than two or three syllables in them. The Doritos commercial with the girl singing an awful folk song, I wanted to beat the TV. She sucked at singing. It was dreadful. Positively dreadful. Tone deaf at best, tone deaf at worst. She would have made for a great "Best of the Worst" American Idol spot. The Planters commercial with the unibrow girl...I could have done without. It's stomach churning to see a food product rubbed against a thoroughly repulsive looking person's body. Thank God the woman wasn't any more hideous looking than she already was. I was freaked out by the Amp drink ad. I don't want to see a fat guy with alligator clips on his nipples. That does not make me think, "I'm thirsty. Let's get an Amp drink for energy." The SalesGenie commercials...man...those hit a new low for cheap racial stereotypes. Career Builder sucked. I don't want to see a woman's heart pop out their chest or anything similar to that. After these commercials, one must wonder if anyone can make mental bleach to remove the repulsiveness from one's eyes.
The good commercials were OK at best. Fed Ex had the giant pigeon ad which was funny. Bud Light does some good commercials, though they were kind of lacking this year. I liked the caveman one, but only barely. The fire breathing and flying commercials, not so much. And the "Rocky" horse one, they're done so many times before, it's kind of cliche. I've always watned to see Justin Timberlake take a few shots to the groin, but that got tiring and confusing after a while. Pepsi needs to get better advertising people. Their commercials made little sense until the end. Coke was much better. Bridgestone tires allowed a driver to avoid a screaming, panic-stricken squirrel--and later a screaming, panic-stricken Richard Simmons That was funny. Though I kind of wish Richard Simmons got hit. If JT can take it to the nads, RS can get hit by a car.

That's all for now.