Because I care

Nothing new to report other than minor tweaks and edits to past blogposts. And why go through the trouble? For one thing, I have nothing better to do! But the other reason is because I care. I want the content of this site to be presentable. The time taken to construct these posts, even the most mundane, is rarely taken lightly.

So if you see changes or massive rewrites within a post or two, you will know that there was a lot of thought and care put into them.

Best meat

I hate asking for, what I call, "restaurant style meat" from Halal butchers. Obviously the clientele of these Halal butchers will be browns who want meats and bones ideal for stews and curries. So I get that meat preparation will tend to favor those customers.

However, there HAVE to be a decent number of meat eaters who would love to prepare a nice ribeye steak or New York strip. I am one of those browns! I would love buy Halal meat and feel guilt free (as I would be doing the right thing religiously).

The problem is two-fold. First problem is 95% of the butchers are so F.O.B. that they might as well still be back in Pakistan or whatever country they originally came from. Speaking English? Forget it! All you get are awkward one-word or two-word answers like "yes", "no", or "cut meat" when asked "Do you have INSERTCUT?"

If you are lucky enough to find an English speaking brown, then they will tell you about one cut and one cut only...t-bone steak. Not only do these guys wax poetic about t-bones, they follow that up with "best cut, very juicy!". You can ask about ANY cut of meat and they will follow-up with a t-bone. It's like timeshare salesman working on the hard sell to get you to buy their terrible timeshare.

One time my wife ordered meat from an Afghan butcher who PROMISED four sirloin steaks.  I was spinning like a top when she told me about this as we were preparing a massive brunch with the family.  I came to her place of work to pickup the meat (it was "hand-delivered" by the owner of the meat place).  I happily gave him the money for the meat and he confidentally hands me four t-bone steaks.  What?  So he promised one cut, gave me another, and made it seem like this was no big deal.  If I were more aggressive about things I would've asked for my money back and ripped a new one for fucking up our order.  But whatever, we took the meat and ate it up.

Maybe t-bone steaks are the absolute best cuts of meat ever. Whatever, I don't care! If I want a fucking ribeye steak, dammit I should be able to buy a ribeye steak!

It's about fucking time

Interesting article over at NFL.com about the Pro Bowl's future.  I'm all in favor of announcing the teams and just leaving it at that.  It's pointless, or at least it's become pointless.

Imagine how lame it is when many players opt not to play due to injury.  What are you left with, replacement players that were either left out and MEANT to be on a given year's roster (only to have been left-out due to politics or the "popularity contest" votes)?  How about those players who will participate in that oh so important game after the Pro Bowl?  What's that game called?  Oh right, the FUCKING SUPER BOWL! They are NOT eligible to play because they lose time in practice, risk injury, and have a much larger goal in mind.

Don't get me wrong, the more football that's available the better.  But this is a game that, again, is based either on player politics (sometimes players are sent to the Pro Bowl simply because of repuation) or the popularity vote.  Seriously, were there better tight ends in the AFC than Antonio Gates last season?  You bet there were.  Two of them play for New England and yet only one of those guys made it to the Pro Bowl.  It's also a game where, for the past 5 years or so, these players just don't try.  You want proof?  Check out the end of the 2010 Pro Bowl.  The linemen on offense and defense were just standing there!

Here's the recipe for success going forward (in bullet form):

• Select the team
• Have a brief celebration
• Over analyze the selections (and snubs) on NFL Network
• Get the hell on with Super Bowl coverage

You're welcome.

Wow

I have to admit, there is something creepy about this report.

This is getting me excited for the 2012 season

Alex Smith, this is REALLY the last chance to prove yourself to the faithful!

Here is Alex Smith wearing the new uniforms developed by Nike and the NFL.  Both Nike and the NFL have made a big stink about these uniforms and it's hard to see any improvements. (They are supposed to improve mobility for players and fit better, but I bet they are excited for new merchandising opportunities as well.)

The picture is getting me excited about the 2012 season.  I have not been this optimistic about a 49ers season in a VERY long time.  I hope it lasts!

GO 49ERS!