Life In The Weeds

QR Codes

Do these things piss you off?  Do you even know what they are?  Do you know what they are used for? What you see here is a QR Code.

Wikipedia defines a QR code: A QR code (abbreviated from Quick Response code) is a type of matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code) first designed for the automotive industry. More recently, the system has become popular outside of the industry due to its fast readability and comparatively large storage capacity.

Whatever that means?

You see these things in stores and in magazines as part of advertisements.  You need to download a QR Reader on your smart phone to "read" the QR Code.  When you take a picture of the QR Code you immediately get product information or, better yet, a coupon for the product.

I think these things are ugly...and I can not imagine that an Ad-Man wants to stick this QR Code on their beautiful advertisement campaign for say, Ralph Lauren.  And, who really wants to deal with taking a picture of the QR Code?  Why not just offer a coupon to the every customer?  IMHO, I do not think these things have really caught on, and I really do not see them catching on...in a chage the marketplace sense!

No question that they are making a big push...but I hope they fall by the way of the Pet Rock!

mj

Beer Pong

I am definitely going to date myself with this post...and it frustrates me to think that I am SO old.  But, when I was in college (OWU '91), I fancied my self as a kick-ass Beer Pong player.  I played Beer Pong all the time...I mean, all-the-time!

Our Beer Pong consisted of:  a real ping-pong table, real ping-pong paddles, cups.

Our Rules:  cups were a paddle length from the back of the table and centered on the table, in doubles; both cups had to be touching.  If the ping-pong ball touched the cup, you drank...if it went in the cup, game over (and chug)...cups were worth 5 drinks...you had to take a drink on each hit.  Hitting your own cup with the ping-pong ball was self abuse, one drink penalty.

Today's Beer Pong is nothing like what I describe above...and today's Beer Pong has it's own World Series of Beer Pong in Vegas, tournaments all over the country, their own movie (The Last Cup), their own website and accessories galore.

Modern Beer Pong consists of: a table (the official ones are long and skinny), your hands and cups.

Modern Beer Pong rules:  cups are set up like bowling pins and you throw it in the cups. Honestly, I think their are more rules, but I feign ignorance out of disgust for the game!

Even Morgan Spurlock talks about how he played "modern" Beer Pong in college...am I really older than Morgan Spurlock?

Call me old school...or old fashioned...but I like my version of Beer-Pong much better than this modern, new fangled way the "kids" are playing today!

mj

Bluestone Farms

When driving from Hopewell Borough towards Pennington, one can not help but notice the sprawling farm on the right side of the road named, Bluestone Farms.  Over the past couple of years, this farm has spared no expense on their grounds...from their out buildings, to the gorgeous fencing and stone work, to the massive additions to the main house.  I have never been quite sure what Bluestone Farms was all about...but I always figured, whatever they "did", they sure did "it" well.

So, I came across an article, about a year old, that descibed their business...the owners were outspoken about issues surrounding horse racing in New Jersey leading up to a summit on the state’s horse racing and gaming industries. 

Located on 300 rolling acres, Bluestone Farms is a Standardbred horse farm...home to nearly 100 horses.  They focus specifically on breeding horses who, hopefully, will go on to harness racing, the tradition of the Standardbred horse.

The farm breeds and in some cases, co-owns, horses like Bar Slide, a 3-year-old filly who recently trotted to victory in the $750,000 Hambletonian Oaks at the Meadowlands. Yearlings there regularly fetch anywhere from $30,000 to, rarely, over $100,000.

It's easy to forget just how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful area of New Jersey...so much open space, farming and, let's not forget, horse breeding.

Check out this property.

mj

The how-to of Fire-pitting

This is how you enjoy a Firepit during the cool, fall season.  Big, roaring flames bring hours of enjoyable warmth to the the fire-pitting crowd.

Now check out this poor, disgraced firepit.  Not only has this firepit remained unused since it's purchase, but the owner has deposited a Duraflame log in it's belly.  This firepit owner must be the devil. 

mj

600 Wins...that is a ton of wins!

Last Saturday afternoon I flew out to Ohio to catch an Ohio Wesleyan soccer match.  It wasn't just any match.  A victory over Denison would give Ohio Wesleyan men's soccer coach Jay Martin his 600th career win, good for second all-time in men's collegiate soccer. After a slow first half, OWU pounded Denison 5-1.  Win #600, in the books.

Martin is now trailing only the now-retired and equally legendary Joe Bean, a Division III coach as well who guided Wheaton (Ill.) for the last 38 of his 45 seasons on the sidelines.  #607 is the mark to beat.

Martin, has been at the helm in Delaware, Ohio for 35 straight years, a longevity only a few coaches ever attain and almost as impressive as his success.  His career record now stands at an impressive 600-114-49 (.818), but that is only the tip of the iceberg: 21 conference champions, 31 NCAA appearances, 15 times among the Elite 8, seven Final Fours, and a national championship in 1998.  

In the record books, he is among the top ten in every category including the fifth highest all-time career winning percentage among Division III coaches, good for ninth highest all-time across all men's divisions. He reached 500 career wins faster than the any of the other nine men's coaches who have eclipsed the mark. During the 1980's, Ohio Wesleyan posted the highest winning percentage in men's collegiate soccer, among all divisions.

Should OWU run the table in the NCAA tournament...and they just might...Jay might be looking at breaking the record this year.  

I'll be there...

mj

No More Cash Cab

No, no, no...I'm not bashing the Discovery Channel show "Cash Cab".

I am bashing any/all cabs in America that do not take credit cards!  We are, and have been, very spoiled here in the greatest city in the world (no, not Philly)...it could not be easier to pay for a cab in NYC. EVERY cab has a credit card swiper at the ready for their passengers.

Why isn't this the case everywhere?  It should be a requirement for all cabs.

I travel lots...and it is so frustrating to hop in a cab, in say Dallas, and have the pay cash for a cab ride to the hotel.  Even worse, are the cabby's that say they take credit cards and when you hand them your Amex, it takes them 15 minutes to find their "credit card machine".  And, this "machine" is no machine at all, rather, it is a antiquated, broken credit card "roller" to take an impression of your card.  I've had cabby's take out a pen and rub my credit card impression on a random piece of paper...unbelievable.

Even in Vegas, about half the cabs ARE NOT outfitted with card swipers...really?  C'mon now!

I just returned from Denver...all the airport cabs had swipers...perfect!

A trip this week to Long Island had me in a decrepit cab, dirty cab with no chance of credit card usage. But the driver was so hilarious...I mean so over-the-top strong island, that I barely noticed that my 10 minute cab ride was $35, cash!

Hell, they do not take your cash on airplanes anymore...airline attendents are swiping cards at 40,000 feet...but they can swip your card from LAX to Irvine?

Cash is no longer king...at least not for me, when I'm in a cab!

mj

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh Yes

Yesterday was a memorable day for those residents that lived in the vicinity Zanesville, Ohio.  Exotic animals were on the loose...forcing local schools to close and making for some interesting 911 calls. The owner of all these animals,Terry Thompson, apparently opened up all the gates on the animals pens, prior to fatally shooting himself.

The collection of animals Thompson set free included 18 extremely rare Bengal tigers, 17 lions, six black bears and one baboon...56 in all.

Muskingum County sheriff's deputies killed 49 of the animals over a 24-hour period. Authorities were able to tranquilize ONLY six animals — a grizzly bear, three leopards and two monkeys, which were taken to the Columbus Zoo. In other instances, however, the increasing risk posed to the public as darkness fell late Tuesday forced deputies to shoot to kill.

Really?  Did they have to kill all these animals?  Let's remember, all these animals have been out of the wild and in cages for many years...were they really running around trying to eat everything in their path?

Obviously, it's hard to judge form a distance.  I guess if I saw a Bengal Tiger in my back yard, maybe I would be inclined to want it killed...but some of the stories seem a little exaggerated...as if these animals were attempting to leap into open windows to get at people.

Interestingly, Ohio is one of eight states that have almost no restrictions on owning exotic animals.  It looks like our neighbor, Pennsylvania, does not have much restriction on owning exotic animals.

I wonder if I could report "wild" deer to the Hopewell Township Police...the ONE Albino Deer must be exotic.  Nothing would please me more than watching Andy and Barney firing of rounds into a heard of dear.

Be extra careful when you head over the river, and watch for charging elephants.

mj

 

The Carrier Classic

On 11/11/11, University of North Carolina will play Michigan State to open up the 2011-2012 college basketball season.  Neither team will be playing at home...in fact, neither team will be playing in a gymnasium.  No, not a arena either...well sort of...

It's a first in college basketball: The teams will play on the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson, the carrier used to deploy planes in the first attacks on Afghanistan and the same carrier used to transport the body of Osama bin Laden to sea after he was killed in Pakistan in May by U.S. Special Forces.

The carrier takes up 4½ acres. And players shouldn't worry about feeling movement; "it would take a tsunami to make it rock," according to Naval Forces public affairs officer Lt. Patrick Foughty.

If it rains there is an area below the flight deck where a court and seating could be set up. If the carrier is needed at sea — it is, after all, a working warship — the game will be moved on land.

Magic Johnson (MSU) and Michael Jordan (UNC) are planning on serving as honorary captains for the game...and, the President just announced that he will be attending as well. 

What a thrill for the players and, 7000, mostly military attendees. I love the idea and think we should continue to think outside the box for ways to excite the fans, no matter what the sport.

mj

NBA or NFL...would LeBron be a star?

Pete Carroll, the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, is no dummy.  When he heard that LeBron James was inquiring about NFL free agent eligibility, he started recruiting.

Carroll posted this image on Twitter, which LeBron liked...and then continued to with "I kinda think of you as a touchdown maker but is it true you think of yourself as a pass rusher?"

Makes you wonder...where would LeBron make the most impact on an NFL Football field? 

My vote would be for Tide End...hard to stop him off the line and would love to see how many yards he could generate after the catch.

What about other NBA stars?

Where would you put Dwight Howard?  Kobe?  Kevin Durant?  Could these guys really make an impact on the field?  How about a guy like Ginobili...6'6", 205, is he a receiver? Or, how about Blake Griffin...6'10, 250 with a 37 inch vertical...where would you stick him?

I hope the NBA never settles and we see a wave of free agents enter the NFL...now that would make for some interesting Sunday match-ups!

mj

AT&T "death zones"

I am a committed AT&T customer...and with four phones in play, I have no plans on switching my cell phone service.  

But, I gotta tell you, cell service in Princeton BLOWS.  Why is that?  Does anyone really know why cell service with AT&T is so bad in the Princeton area?  There are some local areas where it seems as though you are in a nuclear fallout bunker, 1000 feet below the earth's surface.

One of those areas is my own house!  Though, to solve this issue, I pulled the trigger on a Micro-Cell and it has made cell phone usage (only 3G or better, mind you) possible.

In my estimation, her are the "deadest" of all dead zones in the area.

• Beginning at the Hun School...heading down Rt.206...all the way until us reach the Lawrenceville School
• Turn in on Edgerstoune, and you might as well throw the phone out the window
• Heading away from Princeton on Rosedale Road...the entire way until you hit Carter.
• Carter Road...from Rt.206 all the way up to Cherry Valley
• Almost all of Cherry Valley until you reach Rt.206
• Great Road from Princeton, all the way up to Montgomery High School
• All of Elm Ridge Road - Old Elm Ridge Park is mostly a dead Zone, as is New Elm Ridge Park...perhaps a bit more coverage.

Dear AT&T...see above...take note of coordinates and do something about it!

mj