"Amber light of death!"

"Amber light of death." That is how one frustrated "blogger" described the very same problem I was dealing with when my work laptop crashed before I was able to back up my hard drive. Sure, I have had computer problems before. And some of the ways I recovered from them would even impress Johnny 5 himself!

It was 6:45am on a SATURDAY morning and I went into the office to prepare for a conference call with the owner of my company and one of our Project Managers. I set up my laptop as I had done literally a thousand times before and NOTHING would come on. Sure I had my theories, and I was oddly calm about my chances for full power and most importantly full data recovery.

Upon arriving home, I went straight to GOOGLE and searched using keywords, DELL Laptop, Orange Light. I then found a message board for which I will always be grateful. My heroes at www.randomfix.com specifically at http://www.randomfix.com/2007/04/19/dell-dimension-%E2%80%93-flashing-orange-power-light/ had a thread that described my very problem. I was reading at the speed of Will Hunting and Johnny 5 combined , absorbing all of the "input." My heart then sank to the center of the earth when somebody actually called the problem the "Amber light of death." There it was, nearly two years of posts on this message board with people claiming 538 different possible solutions for the same problem, the "Amber light of death!" I don't know why I kept reading, but something told my the answer for me was out there. And sure enough, one of the most simple of remedies, remove the lithium battery, led to the end of four hours of flashing from the amber light of death. A few steps later, I was able to reinsert the battery and power on the laptop for the first tme that day.

I quickly backed up all my data and followed the additional steps to safely charge the battery back up and safely turn off and then power back on the laptop. Seven days later, I am amber light free!

The Sweetest Victory

Deepest cut that can be healed

By the gun...or by the sword:

It's hope that you can turn yourself

Outside at the end of the war

The cold sweat sticks...to your heart.

Your mouth gets drier and drier.

The battle inside rages on.

Your pulse races higher and higher.

Sweetest victory;

I love you more than life itself.

Sweetest victory; you give me strength to know myself.

Oh, sweet victory; my soul is yours and the glory is mine.

Sweetest victory; the far-off stars will always shine.

I Wish Everybody Agreed With Me, But At Least Make Sure That You..

My Blackberry Pearl is NOT a New York Yankee fan..

I was trying to text the word YANKEES today, and instead , my Blackberry Pearl suggested TANKERS.

"I'll have a grande mocha java and a rubber please..."

Ethiopians claim they hate condoms because the smell of latex sickens them. To combat the odor, DKT International, a United Sates nonprofit, created coffee condoms.
These dark brown condoms allegedly (I'm not testing the products) taste and smell like the favorite coffee of Ethiopia -- the macchiato, an espresso with cream and sugar.
One college student claimed the smell reminded him of the beauty of Ethiopian women (it's not clear if that's a compliment). These condoms bolster national identity because
Ethiopians claim to have invented coffee. DKT International also created flavored and scented condoms for Indonesia (durian fruit) and China (sweet corn). - {Credit CNN.com}

Alfred E. Smith Dinner, Granada Hills High, Fantasy Football, and In-N-Out Burger

I am way behind on things I have wanted to post, so here are some quick blogtoids (I may have just made that word up!!)

Alfred E. Smith Dinner - The Alfred E. Smith Dinner was awesome this year. I HIGHLY....no I INSIST that you go to YouTube and check out the funny that both McCain AND Obama brought to the festivities. Some great writing indeed! Laugh OUT LOUD funny!

Granada Hills High School (Granada Hills, CA) - Yeah I know it is Granada Hills Charter now, but you know the quote, "Mama called him Clay, I call him Clay..." so GHHS it will always be! Anyways, some yahoos got a hold of the SAT and almost got away with it. DAMN, I thought it was risky when some unnamed individuals would sneak a peak at Mr. White's old history tests. Of course, I loved history, so i actually studied and got my 'A' on my own.......

Fantasy Football - Oops, I did it again. Picked up Brian Westbrook on the cheap and now my Superfast Macaroni look to steamroll to the playoffs!

In-N-Out Burger - Brief history lesson, I have been going to In-N-Out Burger for almost twenty years and I thought I have done it all including in 1996 when I ate four 4x4's IN ONE SITTING! Anyways, I recently heard some folks talking about getting the french fries Animal Style, which I couldn't believe I never tried. Sadly, I thought it was a bit much and I would tell you to try it once and move on. Of course this comes from a guy that ate 16 patties and 32 slices of cheese in one sitting.

Inspiring Words for Troubled Times

Try to be best
Cause you’re only a man
And a man’s gotta learn to take it
Try to believe
Though the going gets rough
That you gotta hang tough to make it

History repeats itself
Try and you’ll succeed
Never doubt that you’re the one
And you can have your dreams!
-Joe E. (Thank you Eric S. for reminding me!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Qae_TUTeGo

And then a Hiro comes along...

For the record, lovable little Hiro is one of my LEAST favorite HEROES, but it made for a great title. NBC's 3rd season of HEROES has been nothing short of AWESOME so far. Heroes, along with LOST, and The Office are the only MUST SEE Scripted Shows left on network television. Simply put, Heroes just scratches me where I itch. The funny thing is that aside from Superman (which in a later , in depth blog, I would like to discuss), I never really hooked onto any other super heroes. As I have aged and experienced life, I have learned to appreciate the vulnerability of more human heroes like Batman and Spiderman, which is why I think Peter Petrelli is my second favorite only to Superman on my list of such characters. Superman is who I guess I wish I could be, while Petrelli is who I would most likely become if given such power. Much like Petrelli, my real life is a quest to "save everybody" and make those around feel special, but I occasionally fall prey to my own selfish needs. Kind of like that mentality of "I dont mind if everybody else is doing well, as long as I am too"....Wow that turned into a tangent and a Psycho self evaluation. Guess I just saved myself an hour on the couch and $100 from my account.

Scott Berger: Jedi Knight - Fantasy Sports General Manager Chapter

+

=

ME!

"It ain't braggin' if it's true...." Well, guess what, it's true. Year after Year, Sport after Sport, I find a way of getting players via trades that I want without giving up anything I covet. Whether it be Baseball (5 years in the money league - Two Championships and Three Silver Medals), Basketball (One Championship and One second place finish in two years of money league play), Hockey(One ESPN.com fun league years ago, but made a few trades and won the banner), and of course FOOTBALL (Money League Champ two of the last three years), I just have a knack for evaluating the situation and making the best decisions. Find what you want and pursue it until its yours! Simple mantra, I suppose.

Now before you assume I am some 30-something playing fantasy sports against a bunch of 12 year olds (Like Cosmo Kramer in his karate class), let me tell you I am just another has been playing against other has beens and never were(s?). Anyhow, injuries or bad beats aside, I tend to dominate this form of entertainment that walks the fine line of gambling and dungeon and dragons. My most recent Jedi Mind trick unleashed was back to back trades that ended with me receiving Stud WR Larry Fitzgerald, while only parting with depth from my bench. I now have the best roster in the league as I try to win my 3rd Money League Championship in 4 years. Good luck to me!

Voodoo, Witchcraft, The Knuckle Ball, and Wii Bowling

Any person who has dabbled in any of the items mentioned in the title of this blog entry unknowingly have something in common. All of these people can tell you that the above mentioned abilities take a great deal of "feel" in order to execute. After half a dozen games of Wii Bowling I am now convinced it is the toughest of them all. Just when it seems I have figured out exactly where to stand, figured out the exact spin/rotation to put on the ball, and then roll a turkey (3 Strikes in a row!) , I follow that up with what seems like sudden mental and muscle memory loss resulting in a 1978 Boston Red Sox like collapse (Not the only famous collapse, but as a native New Yorker, I required by law to backhand the Sox at any opportunity.). And I am not the only mental midget participating in this game. I have seen plenty of people on the road to the magical 300 only to request gutter bumpers by the 7th frame. It's true witchcraft I tell you!

Wait, I have an idea......

Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice

Beetlej...............Nah, I will conquer it myself

Fantasy Football

I would like to introduce you to the 2008 opening day roster of the defending money league fantasy football champions (actually champs in 2 of the last 3 seasons) known this year as SUPERFAST MACARONI.




At quarterback, #12, the captain STAN GABLE!!

Okay, there is no Stan Gable, T.D. Parker, or any other "fantasy" player, but here are the players you WILL root for on a weekly basis!

Steven Jackson, StL
Braylon Edwards, Cle
Reggie Bush, NO
Jason Witten, Dal
Brandon Marshall*, Den
Earnest Graham, TB
Jerricho Cotchery, NYJ
Eli Manning, NYG
Jonathan Stewart, Car
Chris Johnson, Ten
David Garrard, Jac
Aaron Rodgers, GB
Stephen Gostkowski, NE
Ravens D/ST, Bal
Steve Slaton, Hou

Goodbye Trotter (Trotter, Trotter Boy, T-Bone, Trotter Buddy, Ooda-Bada-Bida-Bada, He Who Trots a Lot)

Rest In Peace.

Stop Baby Whats That Sound Everybody Look What's Going Down

As a student of history, it is exciting to witness history, without it being a tragedy. Blue or Red, this is going to be some historic 60+ days....

From the desk of Chili's Guest Relations

August 19, 2008
Dear Mr. Berger,
Thank you for your feedback regarding Chili's.We are sorry to hear of your displeasure when we removed the Fried Cheese from the menu. It is never an easy decision to delete any item from our menu as we always run the risk of an unsatisfied guest. It is only after extensive testing that our test kitchen and our culinary team makes the decision to remove any item from the menu. We will forward your comments to the culinary team for their review and consideration.
Guest feedback is vital to our success and your comments are important. We appreciate your loyalty as our guest and hope you will continue to frequent Chili's.

Sincerely,
K. Michie
Guest Relations

Ama8zing!

Chili's, I want my......

Everyone has that moment. The shock, the disappointment. Like the time you turned on your favorite radio program and the host was gone without a trace. Or the time you drove all the way from Chicago only to find out that Wally World was closed. Well, after nearly 20 years of eating at Chili's , they did it to me when on 8/4/08 I went there for dinner and when I looked for my favorite appetizer in the world, it was gone....The "cheese fries"/fried mozzarella sticks were off the menu.......I still can't talk about it....Goodbye old friend. Thanks for the memories!

General Manager Berger on Line 1

I was thinking about baseball trades today and the ability for teams to rebuild on the run. Last year I advocated the Yankees to try to trade a guy like Mussina who, though valuable, could help the Yankees restock the "farm" without dismantling the team. Of course they turned around the season and still made the playoffs and now Mussina is helping lead the drive to the playoffs this year.

So, if you dont want to trade a veteran from a team that contends every year, then what about trading youth from a team in the middle of a rebuild. Now before you scratch your head to the point of scalp removal, please read my case study...The San Francisco Giants. Right now the Giants are a bad team in a worse division. They just traded Ray Durham and are cleary in Post-Bonds rebuild. I think they should make one more trade...trade TIM LINCECUM! Now, if you were scratching your head before, I can only imagine what you are thinking now. I say, that Lincecum's value has never been higher nor will it as you have the rare window of opportunity to trade a guy who is EXCELLENT now AND still has pontential to spare. Some people would say that is a reason to lock him up like the Cleveland Indians would do in the past with young players. But I look at the Okaland A's and the Indians themselves (C.C. Sabbathia trade this year for example) as two great reasons to trade Timmy. The A's have showed how you can trade a Haren, Hudson, Mulder, etc. and get solid (if not better) major league ( near major league) ready talent. The Indians have shown that locking up young talent works, but you can end up in a CC Sabbathia situation as well.
I say trade Lincecum and get 3-4 prospects that could all be playing at the major league level within the next 12 months and that wil give you a chance to win a weak National League West quicker than one Tim Lincecum can do by himself.

T.W.I.B. Notes from Around the League

This week in Berger........

Josh Hamilton in the homerun derby at Yankee Stadium was awesome! Probably the most energetic non Yankees World Series moment I enjoyed watching, baseball related, in a LONG time.

The economy - Pretty scary. Oil and Housing Crisis are understandable, but IndyMac closed, Wachovia raided, and Citigroup posting a $2.5B loss and B-E-A-T-I-N-G the expectations on the Street....Thats got me scared.

Work - I am lucky to have the job and all the work we have, but DAMN!. I have never seen this many people working on multiple projects from multiple companies this stressed out. From the Director of Construction for the Owner all the way down to the final cleaners (and of course the flooring guys!).

Vegas - As of this writing, rumors of a last second 24 hour Vegas trip cannot be confirmed or denied.

American Dreams, Ninja Blacksox, and Japan Robins are back!!!

1989 will be remembered for MANY things, but perhaps none bigger than the introduction of the Nintendo game, "Baseball Stars." Whether making your own SUPER team or having 7 game series that featured 1968 like pitching duels and hitters who barely hit .220, we all got caught in the hysteria of the best video baseball game offering of its era. Well now, with no downloads, and no MONEY, you can play for free on your desktop!!! See the link below and enjoy Baseball Stars and EVERY Nintendo game of ALL TIME!!!

http://nintendo8.com/game/683/baseball_stars/

I Wish I Was A Little Bit Taller

As good as #8 on the Stress Relief list is, it was # 9 and a little magic from 1995 that made me laugh.....Hit it Skee-Lo!!!

Stress Relief

If you ever had a day at the office like I did today , maybe this list (found it while Google-ing) can help you too (especially # 8 !!). I always say lists like these are obvious solutions, but sometimes the brain is going 500 MPH that we need the info right in front of us.

1. Breathing Exercises
Deep breathing is an easy stress reliever that has numerous benefits for the body, including oxygenating the blood, which ‘wakes up’ the brain, relaxing muscles and quieting the mind. Breathing exercises are especially helpful because you can do them anywhere, and they work quickly so you can de-stress in a flash. The Karate Breathing Meditation is a great exercise to start with, and this basic breathing exercise can be done anywhere!


2. Meditation
Meditation builds on deep breathing, and takes it a step further. When you meditate, your brain enters an area of functioning that’s similar to sleep, but carries some added benefits you can’t achieve as well in any other state, including the release of certain hormones that promote health. Also, the mental focus on nothingness keeps your mind from working overtime and increasing your stress level. Here's an article on different types of meditation to help you get started.

3. Guided Imagery
It takes slightly more time to practice guided imagery, but this is a great way to leave your stress behind for a while and relax your body. Some find it easier to practice than meditation, as lots of us find it more doable to focus on ‘something’ than on ‘nothing’. You can play natural sounds in the background as you practice, to promote a more immersive experience.

4. Visualizations
Building on guided imagery, you can also imagine yourself achieving goals like becoming healthier and more relaxed, doing well at tasks, and handling conflict in better ways. Also, visualizing yourself doing well on tasks you’re trying to master actually functions like physical practice, so you can improve your performance through visualizations as well!

5. Self-hypnosis
Self-hypnosis incorporates some of the features of guided imagery and visualizations, with the added benefit of enabling you to communicate directly you’re your subconscious mind to enhance your abilities, more easily give up bad habits, feel less pain, more effectively develop healthier habits, and even find answers to questions that may not be clear to your waking mind! It takes some practice and training, but is well worth it. Learn more about using hypnosis to manage stress in your life.

6. Exercise
Many people exercise to control weight and get in better physical condition to become more healthy or physically attractive, but exercise and stress management are also closely linked. Exercise provides a distraction from stressful situations, as well as an outlet for frustrations, and gives you a lift via endorphins as well. This article can tell you more about the stress management benefits of exercise, and help you get more active in your daily life.

7. Progressive Muscle Relaxation
By tensing and relaxing all the muscle groups in your body, you can relieve tension and feel much more relaxed in minutes, with no special training or equipment. Start by tensing all the muscles in your face, holding a tight grimace ten seconds, then completely relaxing for ten seconds. Repeat this with your neck, followed by your shoulders, etc. You can do this anywhere, and as you practice, you will find you can relax more quickly and easily, reducing tension as quickly as it starts!

8. Sex
You probably already know that sex is a great tension reliever, but have you officially thought of it as a stress-relieving practice? Perhaps you should. The physical benefits of sex are numerous, and most of them work very well toward relieving stress. Sadly, many people have less sex when their stress levels are high. Learn how to avoid this trap!

9. Music
Music therapy has shown numerous health benefits for people with conditions ranging from mild (like stress) to severe (like cancer). When dealing with stress, the right music can actually lower your blood pressure, relax your body and calm your mind. Here are some suggestions of different types of music to listen to, and how to use music in your daily life for effective stress management.

10. Yoga
Yoga is one of the oldest self-improvement practices around, dating back over 5 thousand years! It combines the practices of several other stress management techniques such as breathing, meditation, imagery and movement, giving you a lot of benefit for the amount of time and energy required. Learn more about how to manage stress with yoga.

Donnie Baseball

With the Juice Era exposed, I think we can once again open up the HALL OF FAME chatter for Donald Arthur Mattingly. Take a look at some of the years he had... http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/mattido01.shtml

Fantasy Football in June

More proof that NFL is the true King of American Sports is the fact that ESPN.com is already pushing Fantasy Football and we haven't even seen the annual Will Smith 4th of July movie.

Having won 2 of the last 3 championships in the "Money League" I think I am qualified to comment that ESPN's preliminary Top Ten has some flaws already....

LaDainian Tomlinson
Adrian Peterson
Brian Westbrook
Joseph Addai
Steven Jackson
Tom Brady
Frank Gore
Clinton Portis
Marshawn Lynch
Randy Moss

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

When I was young I was obsessed with baseball and all its players. Baseball themed video games were just starting to be released, so we would make up baseball games with index finger sized bats and toothpaste caps, and grab our baseball cards and baseball encyclopedias in order to form our teams. Today's young people have more options than ever to fill their free time, so I was pleasantly surprised to see the video I have linked below, which shows an 8 year old boy who has memorized all current 750 major leaguers. Sure does remind me of the days of U.L. Washington and Daryl Sconiers.........

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/sports/2008/06/21/smith.eddie.richardson.cnn

Glory Days

Not trying to be Al Bundy, just want my son to see that daddy once had the skills.......

Cross this off my "To Do" List.

I always said I would start a blog. So here I am at 1:25 AM , trying to win a free entry (www.pokerstars.net - "This is not a gambling site...." - sure it isn't!) to the main event at the 2008 World Series of Poker, and I decide NOW is the time to do it. Although this is my first written entry, it is my second overall. The reason for that was simple. If I never even took the time to write this one, at least my one and only entry would have been a brief, but spectacular, tribute to what I call the Greatest Film Offering of All Time....LET IT RIDE !!!!!!

There's a fine line between winning and losing.

Jay Trotter: May I... buy you a drink?
Mrs. Davis: I don't see why not. I'm on the pill.

Marty: Eight's the one, I'd stake my life on it.
Jay Trotter: They've got a $2 minimum bet.

Mrs. Davis: There's a fine line between winning and losing.
Jay Trotter: Yeah. The finish line.

Jay Trotter: [after realizing he has just won a heap of money while watching the race among the social elite] Did I win? Did I WIN? SON-OF-A-BITCH! G-D LIKES ME! HE REALLY, REALLY, LIKES ME! WHAT A DAY! WHAT A FABULOUS DAY!