Dynamic Ceramics

September 6th, 2009

Interested in high-quality, hand-made ceramics for your home or office?  Check out www.paulschneiderceramics.com.  Or, if you’re in Dallas, go take a look at his stuff in person.  Every one of this guy’s pieces that I’ve seen is distinct and would be aesthetically pleasing for years on end.

I will warn you, though, he does have one quirk that I’ve noticed.  Don’t go over there smelling like cigs.  Now, I happen to agree with him – I hate cigarettes – but I couldn’t believe the way he chastised a customer one morning for smelling like them.  He pulled no punches in shaming the guy for his decision to light up in the car on the way over, practically alerting the whole store that this man had a displeasing cigarette odor about him.

Who knows?  Maybe he had a bad experience as a child or something.  But if you and your lungs can handle this foible, I’m telling you, go let him fire something else up for you.  You won’t be disappointed.

Tags:
Posted in Links, Other Media/Art | Comments Closed

August ’09 Pic(s)/Quote of the Month

August 31st, 2009

August 2009

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.” – Jimi Hendrix

The Colosseum in Rome

Posted in Quotes | Comments Closed

Fantasy Football Tiers

August 30th, 2009

Yet to Draft? Take a look at the exclusive ChillGrill.biz fantasy football tiers list. I know a lot of leagues drafted this weekend, but I couldn’t post these until now or else my friends would always know who I was going to take! These tiers are geared toward non-PPR leagues, so adjust accordingly if receptions earn you extra points. They are meant to balance all circumstances, however. Brandon Marshall, for example, is a Tier 2 or 3 player with a Tier 17 maturity level, so this list takes the risk of him missing the season for some reason into consideration. Regardless, this list should serve as an interesting time capsule to review for accuracy after the season. Enjoy.

QB

Tier One: Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady
Tier Two: Kurt Warner, Aaron Rodgers, Tony Romo, Matt Schaub, Philip Rivers
Tier Three: Donovan McNabb, Jay Cutler, Carson Palmer
Tier Four: David Garrard, Matt Ryan, Trent Edwards, Matt Hasselbeck, Matt Cassel
Tier Five: Brett Favre, Jason Campbell, Ben Roethlisberger, Kyle Orton, Eli Manning, Shaun Hill, Jake Delhomme, Kerry Collins, Joe Flacco, Byron Leftwich
Tier Six: Mark Sanchez, Chad Pennington, Matthew Stafford, Brady Quinn, Marc Bulger, JaMarcus Russell

RB

Tier One: Adrian Peterson, Maurice Jones-Drew, Matt Forte
Tier Two: LaDainian Tomlinson, Michael Turner, DeAngelo Williams, Steve Slaton, Brian Westbrook, Marion Barber, Frank Gore, Ronnie Brown, Brandon Jacobs, Steven Jackson
Tier Three: Pierre Thomas, Chris Johnson, Clinton Portis, Ryan Grant, Darren McFadden, Kevin Smith
Tier Four: Marshawn Lynch, Cedric Benson, Ray Rice, Willie Parker, Larry Johnson
Tier Five: Reggie Bush, LenDale White, Beanie Wells, Johnathan Stewart, Jamal Lewis, Felix Jones, Knowshon Moreno, Joseph Addai, Thomas Jones, Julius Jones, Derrick Ward
Tier Six: Darren Sproles, Leon Washington, Fred Jackson, Donald Brown, LeSean McCoy, Jamaal Charles, Edgerrin James
Tier Seven: Earnest Graham/Cadillac Williams, Ladell Betts, Chester Taylor, Le’Ron McClain, Rashard Mendenhall, Laurence Maroney/Fred Taylor/Sammy Morris, James Davis, Michael Bush, Tim Hightower, Jerious Norwood, Glen Coffee, Tashard Choice, Shonn Greene, Ricky Williams, Willis McGahee

WR

Tier One: Randy Moss, Andre Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson
Tier Two: Reggie Wayne, Anquan Boldin, Marques Colston, Steve Smith (CAR), Greg Jennings, Roddy White
Tier Three: Chad Ochocinco, Terrell Owens, Vincent Jackson, Dwayne Bowe, Wes Welker, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Roy E. Williams
Tier Four: Lee Evans, DeSean Jackson, Eddie Royal, Antonio Bryant, Santana Moss, Bernard Berrian, Brandon Marshall, Braylon Edwards, Chris Henry (CIN), Santonio Holmes, Jerricho Cotchery, Donnie Avery
Tier Five: Hines Ward, Donald Driver, Anthony Gonzalez, Torry Holt, Derrick Mason, Kevin Walter, Lance Moore, Steve Breaston, Chaz Schilens, Laveranues Coles
Tier Six: Josh Morgan, Earl Bennett/Devin Hester, Ted Ginn, Jr., Hakeem Nicks, Percy Harvin, Patrick Crayton, Steve Smith (NYG), Justin Gage/Kenny Britt/Nate Washington, Muhsin Muhammad, Domenik Hixon, Robert Meachem

TE

Tier One: Jason Witten, Antonio Gates, Dallas Clark
Tier Two: Tony Gonzalez, Owen Daniels, Greg Olsen
Tier Three: Jeremy Shockey, Kellen Winslow, Chris Cooley, Visanthe Shiancoe, Dustin Keller, Vernon Davis
Tier Four: John Carlson, Anthony Fasano, Tony Scheffler, Kevin Boss, Martellus Bennett, Zach Miller
Tier Five: Heath Miller, Bo Scaife, Brandon Pettigrew

In case anybody out there cares, I mentioned my fantasy drafts took place this weekend. Here are my draft-day rosters heading into the season:

– 10-team $30 buy-in league:
Start: 2 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 RB/WR, 1 WR/TE, 1 K, 1 DEF, 1 DL, 1 LB, 1 DB

QB: Kurt Warner, Matt Schaub, Byron Leftwich
RB: Adrian Peterson, Frank Gore, Ray Rice, Julius Jones, Laurence Maroney
WR: Calvin Johnson, Vincent Jackson, Bernard Berrian, Chris Henry, Torry Holt, Josh Morgan, Robert Meachem
TE: Antonio Gates, Kellen Winslow
K: Ryan Longwell (Minnesota)
DEF: MIN
DL: Mario Williams
LB: Patrick Willis
DB: Oshiomogho Atogwe

– 10-team $20 buy-in league (bonus points for each completion, reception, and rushing attempt):
Start: 2 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 RB/WR, 1 WR/TE, 1 K, 1 DEF

QB: Drew Brees, Trent Edwards, Brett Favre
RB: Clinton Portis, Larry Johnson, Cedric Benson, Knowshon Moreno, LenDale White, Ladell Betts, James Davis
WR: Reggie Wayne, Terrell Owens, Dwayne Bowe, Chris Henry, Torry Holt
TE: Martellus Bennett
K: Nick Folk (Dallas)
DEF: NYJ

And finally, for what it’s worth, the three players I didn’t get in either league that I find myself coming out of draft weekend really wishing I had? Anquan Boldin, Kevin Smith, and Vernon Davis.

Tags:
Posted in Fantasy, Sports | Comments Closed

Tourists Game

August 26th, 2009

Last night I took in my first minor league baseball game and it provided an enjoyable contrast to a Major League Baseball contest.

In a match-up of vicious team mascots, the Asheville Tourists welcomed the visiting Greensboro Grasshoppers.  There were plenty of lead changes to keep the action fresh: Asheville got on the board first, Greensboro put up a six-run 3rd inning to make it 6-1, next Asheville charged back to take a 8-7 lead, and finally in the top of the ninth Greensboro scratched one more run across against the Tourists’ closer before their final man was sent down swinging with the score standing at 11-9 in favor of the home team.

As for the quality of play, there were three or four mammoth home runs and there were multiple pitchers throwing in the mid-90s according to the guns.  Baseball really is a game of inches, though, and I suppose putting a 94-mph fastball down the middle of the plate may be why some of those balls traveled to another stratosphere and the pitchers who threw them are still playing in single-A.  Two Colorado Rockies’ (Asheville is one of their affiliates) scouts sat across the aisle from me during the second half of the game and made notes after every pitch.

There was plenty of history to soak in at McCormick Field as well.  Willie Stargell and Eddie Murray both played for the Tourists, and legend has it the layout of the ballpark is what first inspired Murray to transform himself into a switch-hitter.  Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb, and Jackie Robinson have all played as visitors (although some of the games may have been of the barnstorming/exhibition variety) at this ballpark, and in 1972 Cal Ripken, Jr. was a batboy while his father (the elder Cal) was manager of the team.  Sparky Anderson also managed the team to a 1968 championship before landing a gig in the bigs.  Current major leaguers who cut their teeth as Tourists include Todd Helton and current Texas Ranger Jason Jennings.  Even Bull Durham showcases the team as the club Crash Davis joins to finish his career and break the minor-league home run record.

Enough with the glitter.  The estimated attendance was 2,596.  We got to the box office five minutes before the first pitch and scored sixth row seats behind home plate for $10 each.    They didn’t even stop selling beer after the seventh inning like many of the wussy Major League teams do now.  The atmosphere was much more like a high school game than anything I’ve ever experienced at big league digs.  Well, except for the fact that there was a billboard for the premier local head shop above the seats behind third base.  All in all, though, it was a great time and I would go again.  As I said, tix were only $10 a piece for the best seats in the house.  It is possible to spend $40 a pop, but that comes with the experience of taking BP with the team before the game.  Unfortunately, we arrived too late to partake, and besides, I wouldn’t want to embarrass my parents’ new hometown team.

Best of all, I got to see recent South Atlantic League Hall of Fame inductee and current Tourists’ manager Joe Mikulik up close and personal.  He even charged out of the dugout to argue a call for us.  Alas it didn’t come close to his most famous tirade.  Nor could it compete with my favorite minor league managerial explosion of all time.  But for $10 it was more than satisfactory.

Tags:
Posted in PLife, Sports | Comments Closed

Twitter Transmitter

August 22nd, 2009

Yo! Twat up tweeps? ChillGrill is taking it to the twitosphere. Follow us at twitter.com/chillgrillbiz. At the very least, we plan on using this as a vehicle to alert our followers every time a new entry is posted on the blog. Who knows what else it could become if it is indeed twitterrific. If, however, after trying it for awhile we decide it’s not all that sweet to tweet, then we reserve the right to fall off at any time. And if you think that makes us a twitter quitter, then, as J.R. Smith will tell you, we just “don’t kare.”

Tags:
Posted in ChillGrill, Technology | Comments Closed

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »