Why!?!?...Because I can

I needed a new computer as the last one I had was at least 10 years old.  That's pretty old these days with how fast computer technology goes.  It was so old it still had a floppy disk drive.

So I asked a tech-savy friend, Chad, what do I need in a computer.  But nothing off the shelf had specifically what I wanted. 

"So why don't you build a computer?" he says.

"Why, not?" I thought.  All sorts of people build their own computers. 

So I go about building my own computer, shopping on-line for all the parts.  Then I get to my limit that I want to spend and I forgot to buy a stupid case. 

"Can't I use the old case?" I asked

"Probably not as compter cases and parts are generally proprietarily build to fit one another.  I doubt your parts will fit the case," He says

Well this sucks.  I have my parts:  And by the way, check out that freakin heat sink! I think it may have been used to cool car engines.

Nothing to put it in.  

Oh wait a min, I have tools:

Ok we can do this.  First the hard part.

No problem for a router





And a drill press

Lets pause for a safety moment...

This program is brought you you by Newcastle, the one and only.

And who says power tools, fast moving saw blades, router bits, and beer dont mix???  Just look at that fit!! "Like...a...glove"



Ok so here's how the next conversation goes:

"Wait! Wha-What are you doing??" Chad says.

"What? I'm screwing the computer to the case." I reply with a confused look of  "whats his problem"

"With that???" He says.

"yeah" I reply and proceed with what I was doing

Ok I have to admit that looks a little scary.  One slip and bye-bye computer.  But I didn't buy power tools to screw things in by hand.
Besides the results look pretty good so far:

and the routed out back

But how do we turn on a computer in a wooden case? 

Duh...a wooden button

A little finish and we're done

And check out the ease of access

And there you have a fully functional (very fast I might add), completely unique, wooden computer.

I get two different reactions when I explain this project.  For those that are generally tech savy I get the "Cool" reaction.
From the normal people the "Why?" reaction

Why?!?!...Because I can.

Wine Rack updated:

Update for the wine rack in progress:

Here's the original shelf we're trying to duplicate.  Without the right router bit I might add



Routing the molding

Clamp it

Finish it with child labor

Voila!  The duplicated molding 





Wine Rack

And so it begins...

These bottles

On these boards





Cut to length.  Notice the minor ad piece to bp :o~~~~

 Cut to width, fingers and all.  They do grow back you know



Cut sluts, no I mean slots, for biscuits.  Mmmmm...biscuits...ahhhhh

Mmmmm...glued biscuits...ahhhhhh

"No dinner until you finish Elsa's wine rack!!"

Clamp it and wait until tomorrow



HOF - Not for some

After seeing the latest round of baseball Hall of Fame voting one thing is blatantly obvious: if you have been associated, implicated or flat out proven to have taken steriods you are not getting into the HOF.  Is it fair?  I'm not sure.  Below I explore the fairness of the issue

Baseball is a sport for the ages.  No other major sport in America can realistically compare the players of today with players over 50 years ago.  You can't argue a football team of the 40s, 50s , or 60s can beat the teams of today.  Today's players are just too big and too fast or  have major changes in rules and/or style of play.  If you don't believe athletes of today are better than ever before just look at a purely athletic sport  that has not changed at all, like track and field.  The oldest track and field record is in the 25,000 and 30,000 meters in 1981.  Only 3 others date back to the 80s.  Almost half the records date after 2000. When you compare the greatest players of all time in other sports you compare them with their greatness of their time, not baseball.  Baseball is special in this way because its not a sport dominated by the fastest or the strongest.  Or at least so one thought.  Steroids changed that.  It is not only fair to exclude these players from the HOF but also from the bar room conversations of who's the greatest player of all-time discussion altogether. 

Statistics is everything in baseball.  This is a sport for the analytical, the nerds, the kids who tried out for the team in high school to avoid P.E. but couldn't make it so they became the team's statistician instead as much as for the jocks.  This is the sport where the box score was created...by a writer. Other sports you may be able to name the record holder but baseball you know the actual number.  And not just for the record itself but for the record that was broken.  We know 56, most consecutive game hit streak.  We know 60-61, most homeruns in a season.  We know 714, 755, most career homeruns.  300 wins by a pitcher may not be a record but its a sure thing for HOF (unless a steroid user).  I once argued it didn't matter whether players take steroids or not, it wouldn't help them hit the ball.  I was wrong!  It may not have helped them hit the ball but it did help them hit it further.  And we love the HR.  Cecil Fielder hit 51 homeruns in 1990.  The last time someone hit 50 homeruns in a season before that was Willie Mayes in 1965.  As we now know steroids came into baseball in the late 80s.  By the mid-90s, baseball saw Maris's record of 61 come into range. By the late 90s the record was not just broken but obliterated...by several.  In a 4-year period 60 homeruns in a season was achieve 5 times and 70 twice (only 2 players before hit 60 or more, Ruth and Maris).  And they used drugs to do this.  In this sport, players are judged more by their individual numbers than their world series rings.  Stats are used so much in baseball to the point of over-analysis.  I mean WAR? What is it good for? Absolutely nothing!  But WAR (or Wins Above Replacement) are what writers are starting to use more and more to help judge a player's worthiness into the HOF.  Sorry, got off on a tangent there.  The point is WE LOVE STATS!!  And we love the players of yesteryear.  So in recognition of baseball players of the past and for the fans who coveted these numbers, legendized their heroes with these numbers, and passed the knowledge of the numbers to their sons and in some cases daughters this is absolutely fair to exclude them. Maris should still be holding the record. 

Not everyone is guilty.  And this argument is not just unfair for the players but for the fans.  This is the height of my baseball era.  I struggle to come to grips that for 15 or so years I watched many of my favorite players play as cheaters.  I rooted for McGwire when he made his run.  I taped every at-bat in hopes of him hitting 62.  So who gets in anyway?  Nobody?  You mean to say I will not be able to go to the HOF and see the best of my era?  And if you don't vote them in, what of the memorabilia?  Isn't Bonds' 73 homerun ball just as tainted as he?  Are we erasing an entire decade, decade and a half of baseball history?  Look at the best of this era:  Juan Gonzalez, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Alex Rodriguez, Manny Rodriguez.  All associated with steroids.  But not all were.  We may never know who "truly" was guilty (unless of course they admit it) with all the rampant allegations of former trainers/assistants trying to get their moment of fame and lame-ass excuses of why these players tested positive.  Come on Rafael, you really think we buy your excuse that you tested positive by brushing elbows with a user?  So, players should be innocent until, at least, implicated guilty.  So vote for Bagwell, Griffey, Larry Walker and Barry Larkin.  No one has ever mentioned them in steroids.  This guilt by association is not fair for anyone.

The HOF has its share of cheaters.  Baseball owners complained of player's throwing games well before the Black Sox's scandal as players used the pay-offs to supplement their income.  Gaylord Perry was known more for his spitball than his stats.  Who can forget Reggie Jackson going ballistic over striking out on his famous spitball.  Like there wasn't a good chance of him striking out anyway.  But did the steroids users actually cheat or did they just take advantage of a rule that just didn't exist?  Baseball didn't have any performance enhancing rules in place at this time.  The question would be "Did the players themselves feel they were cheating?"  I recall when Mark McGwire was making his run at 61.  Allegations were spreading that he was using performance enhancing drugs.  He didn't come out and say "Yea, I am using steroids.  There's no rule against it."  He simply claimed he was taking an over-the-counter supplement you can buy in any nutrition store.  Why hide it then if its not against the rules and you don't think you are cheating?  Why go the the lengths these guys went to hide it if they didn't think they were cheating.  They knew that in the court of public opinion that they would be considered cheaters.  However, if you think you are keeping them out of the HOF because it's pure of all cheaters, bullshit.

The HOF is not a MLB institution, its a fan institution.  However, only writers get to vote players in.  I commend their stance they have taken as we need to protect the integrity of the history of the game and the former players' place in history.  We'll see what happens when Bonds, ARod, and Manny become eligible.  I have a feeling there will be some hypocrisy there.  Just make sure we don't vote against clean guys because of a select few.

Bowls!? We don't need no stinkin Bowls!

While reviewing the college football Bowl schedule this year I have come realize what a sorry state college football is in.  What ever happened to the traditional Bowls like the Peach Bowl and the Citrus Bowl???  Now we have the Chick-fil-a Bowl, Outback Bowl and my all time favorite...the Beef O'Brady Bowl!  What the hell is that?? 

Ok ok, the corporate sponsorship take-over complaint is old hat.  I get that.  However, what was once a New Year's Day tradition has become a month long season of Bowls, from Dec 18-Jan 10.  This week alone we have a game everyday except Wednesday.  They must have thought to themselves Wednesday is not a football day.  Just about any team can get into a Bowl game now.  There's 35 freakin games!!!  There's games with a .500 team playing a 7-5 team, and there's 5 sub-.500 teams playing in a bowl.  They let anyone play in a bowl game now.  Any Division I head coach that doesn't make a Bowl game should just be automatically fired.  Who want to see Troy play Ohio anyway?

The BSC just made things worse.  We wanted a playoff system, but they just screwed up our order like going through a fast-food drive through.  I said No mustard, No mustard!  Only the top 2 "rated" teams from a major conference get to play for a championship.  Thats like saying the Patriots and the Falcons can only play for the Super Bowl because they have the best record and they are in tougher conferences.  No one else has a shot.  Sorry 2009 NFC champion AZ Cardinals, you wouldn't even had a chance if the BCS ran things.  So teams like TCU can only settle for the consolation prize.  Sorry great season, here's your rose.  The sad part is TCU used to be in the same conference as Texas, Texas A&M, and Arkansas.  SMU screwed that up for everyone.

I'm not watching another college football game until some kind of playoff system is in place.  Funny thing is I always had an argument with my friends over which is better: college vs pro football.  Their argument was college sports is more pure, not tainted by money.  No, college football is all about money just as much as the pros.  The difference is the pros don't try to hide the fact its about money.