Fifty pages into the book and Malcom Gladwell had already become my favorite contemporary writer. His faultless writing style is always engaging, and the his constant examples sustain his arguments well. I aspire to convey myself in such a magnetic and immaculate fashion. The book on the other hand was not without its flaws.
On the whole, what I drew from the book was entertainment more than anything else. The Tipping Point is about the different elements and people that contribute to social epidemics. Gladwell paints a picture over nearly 400 pages that inevitably lures you in. Fashion trends, television shows, and viral pandemics are all subject to similar factors which cause them to be "tipped."
Three hundred and fifty pages into the book and I was still enjoying myself but was less convinced than I had been at two hundred pages in. This work is divided into chapters that use case studies to validate Gladwell's claims that the Law of the Few, Stickiness Factor, and Powers of Context govern the "tipping" of social epidemics.
As I continued to read, I felt more and more that the book and its examples were a bit too convenient. In the Law of the Few, Gladwell imparts that there are three special persons who contribute greatly to tip the circumstances: the Connector, Maven, and Salesman. I won't go into the details, but as I read I found myself wondering, "Do I fit under any of these labels?...Do any of us fit under these labels?" Malcom Gladwell went out and found the quintissential people who worked well in his theory and spoke about them at great length. I understand that these people can exist, and that they naturally play a large social role. However, what is there to gain from this book if I'm not a Salesman or I don't know any Connectors?
It isn't until the seven page long conclusion that Gladwell finally makes his point: anybody has the power to take on the above roles and tilt the scales. They just need to keep in mind the Power of Context and Stickiness Factor. Both of which I found fairly convincing. I doubt that I will apply his Rule of 150 which states that humans are the most socially efficient in groups of 150 or less; however, all the lessons from the book are valuable and backed up by credible examples. The original conclusion tails off leaving the reader confused about the purpose of the book. The 2002 edition includes an afterword that contains examples which should have been in the original conclusion and also adequately wraps up the book's objective and motivates the reader to apply The Tipping Point to his own life.
Overall, The Tipping Point is a great read purely for its convenient yet exceedingly educational case studies. I learned how they cleaned up the New York subway system by cleaning up the graffiti. I learned why I loved Sesame Street as a child and why my friends with cable loved Blue's Clues even more. I highly recommend Gladwell's 2000 book to anyone if for nothing other than pure entertainment and lovely morsels of eclectic knowledge.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Prosecco Review
I took my wife to trendy Italian spot, Prosecco, for her birthday. The plan was to have a late light dinner, but I'm not sure how I thought that Italian comfort food would be light. In any case, when we walked in for our 9:00 PM reservation, it was immediately clear how trendy Prosecco was. It was filled with a foodie crowd; and even with our late reservation, it took over half an hour to be seated. By that time we were desperately hoping to be blown away by the food.
The first thing you notice about Prosecco is how impeccably Italian it is. You're not served family size portions, but the place is bustling and gourmet Italian food is prepared by real Italians and served by real Italians. Typically when we order, I relay both our choices to our server; however, in this instance, I was cut off right after I ordered my dish when my server immediately turned to my wife. Apparently, he had been put off that I had not allowed her to order first...if he had waited a moment he would have realized how we work. I rectified this by placing my wife's order first for dessert.
We began the meal with drinks at the bar, and bread was served as soon as we were seated. The bread came with an unidentifiable savory sauce with a bit of tang and a enjoyable freshness from celery elements. It was both unique and remarkably enjoyable. The two types of bread were both certainly good enough to keep me busy until our appetizer arrived. Of course, by this time we were starving, and I was having difficulty keeping myself from dipping further into the bread basket.
It was a little while before our Bufala Mozarella antipasti arrived. By this time, we had been unimpressed by the wait and hoped to be amazed by the appetizer everyone seemed to be having. The fresh mozarella was served atop heirloom tomatoes with bits of what they called balsamic viniagrette caviar. The best way to describe this dish is to tell you what I told my wife: "This is some good cheese." The viniagrette caviar is simply gelatinous balls of viniagrette which add a nice sweet finish to the freshness of the overall dish. The antipasti was probably my favorite part of the meal. I want some now.
My second favorite part of the meal was probably the wines. While awaiting our cocktails we were served the house prosecco. This clean bubbly started sweet and finished neat. My rosso was a well rounded syrah that wasn't dry or fruity and complex enough to be everything in between. I will be emailing the restaurant to track down both of these. On the other hand, when I ordered my wife a Bellini, we were told the bar had ran out of peach nectar, and she ended up with a pedestrian mimosa instead.
Our main course led to further disappointment when I was told that I couldn't have my risotto because they ran out of rice... How was that even possible? The Orecchiette Tartufette I went with instead turned out to be a great decision. Pasta in black truffle cream and white truffle oil is about as decadent as it sounds. Bits of fresh asparagus and sundried tomato were a nice touch. I thought it was really good, but my wife went as far as to say that she would return to Prosecco just for this dish. Needless to say, I let her have most of it.
Her dish in comparison, the Cavatelli con Gamberi e Zafferano, was simply too light. The riccota dumplings and shrimp were prepared well, but we were both underwhelmed by the saffron broth. This dish certainly fell short of our expectations. Both dishes however have firmly ingrained in me the opinion that all pastas should have some form of asparagus involved.
From carbs to more carbs, we ordered a hazelnut semifreddo and ricotta mascarpone cheesecake for dessert. Alas, no semifreddo. That's right, a third dish that was unavailable. The torta ricotta was again as extraordinarily fresh as the rest of our dishes. A touch of lemon helped the combination of cheeses keep it light. This almost fluffy cheesecake mirrored our overall experience at Prosecco: really good but hardly life altering.
The overall freshness and comfort feel of Prosecco will have us giving them another chance. Our server was very gracious about all the shortcomings and did provide us with a complimentary dessert wine; although, for all our troubles, I expected a little bit more. In the end, no bellini, no rice, and no semifreddo is pretty tough to swallow. Prosecco is probably much better than it was to us, and what we had was just good enough to warrant another chance. Eventually.
The first thing you notice about Prosecco is how impeccably Italian it is. You're not served family size portions, but the place is bustling and gourmet Italian food is prepared by real Italians and served by real Italians. Typically when we order, I relay both our choices to our server; however, in this instance, I was cut off right after I ordered my dish when my server immediately turned to my wife. Apparently, he had been put off that I had not allowed her to order first...if he had waited a moment he would have realized how we work. I rectified this by placing my wife's order first for dessert.
We began the meal with drinks at the bar, and bread was served as soon as we were seated. The bread came with an unidentifiable savory sauce with a bit of tang and a enjoyable freshness from celery elements. It was both unique and remarkably enjoyable. The two types of bread were both certainly good enough to keep me busy until our appetizer arrived. Of course, by this time we were starving, and I was having difficulty keeping myself from dipping further into the bread basket.
It was a little while before our Bufala Mozarella antipasti arrived. By this time, we had been unimpressed by the wait and hoped to be amazed by the appetizer everyone seemed to be having. The fresh mozarella was served atop heirloom tomatoes with bits of what they called balsamic viniagrette caviar. The best way to describe this dish is to tell you what I told my wife: "This is some good cheese." The viniagrette caviar is simply gelatinous balls of viniagrette which add a nice sweet finish to the freshness of the overall dish. The antipasti was probably my favorite part of the meal. I want some now.
My second favorite part of the meal was probably the wines. While awaiting our cocktails we were served the house prosecco. This clean bubbly started sweet and finished neat. My rosso was a well rounded syrah that wasn't dry or fruity and complex enough to be everything in between. I will be emailing the restaurant to track down both of these. On the other hand, when I ordered my wife a Bellini, we were told the bar had ran out of peach nectar, and she ended up with a pedestrian mimosa instead.
Our main course led to further disappointment when I was told that I couldn't have my risotto because they ran out of rice... How was that even possible? The Orecchiette Tartufette I went with instead turned out to be a great decision. Pasta in black truffle cream and white truffle oil is about as decadent as it sounds. Bits of fresh asparagus and sundried tomato were a nice touch. I thought it was really good, but my wife went as far as to say that she would return to Prosecco just for this dish. Needless to say, I let her have most of it.
Her dish in comparison, the Cavatelli con Gamberi e Zafferano, was simply too light. The riccota dumplings and shrimp were prepared well, but we were both underwhelmed by the saffron broth. This dish certainly fell short of our expectations. Both dishes however have firmly ingrained in me the opinion that all pastas should have some form of asparagus involved.
From carbs to more carbs, we ordered a hazelnut semifreddo and ricotta mascarpone cheesecake for dessert. Alas, no semifreddo. That's right, a third dish that was unavailable. The torta ricotta was again as extraordinarily fresh as the rest of our dishes. A touch of lemon helped the combination of cheeses keep it light. This almost fluffy cheesecake mirrored our overall experience at Prosecco: really good but hardly life altering.
The overall freshness and comfort feel of Prosecco will have us giving them another chance. Our server was very gracious about all the shortcomings and did provide us with a complimentary dessert wine; although, for all our troubles, I expected a little bit more. In the end, no bellini, no rice, and no semifreddo is pretty tough to swallow. Prosecco is probably much better than it was to us, and what we had was just good enough to warrant another chance. Eventually.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Thank You Nappy
Nappy passed away this morning at 6:35 AM. He was four years old. The first thing that I ask is you don't judge him since he was a bunny rather than a cat or a dog. He was just as full of emotion, and those that have met him know just how awesome he is. I am at somewhat of a loss as to what to say in this space.
We named him Nappy on the drive back from the pet store, because while all the other bunnies played, Nappy just continued to nap. But the second we took him home, he become a bundle of energy. His misnomer was a joke, and his rambunctious attitude was his defining characteristic. But now, you can finally take a nice long nap, Nappy.
While my wife and I were living apart, I never really saw that much of Nappy. I was there for the first couple of days after we bought him and then returned to school. Later that year, I took care of Nappy for about a month or so, while my wife was away, and while we grew a little closer, it was more like two dudes sharing a bachelorpad.
It was when my wife and I moved to Chicago that we really became a family, and Nappy was there from the very beginning. When we moved into our condo, you could immediately tell how natural the new place was for him. We laid out our furniture in a Nappy proof fashion, so that he could roam where he wished.
Without his little footsteps, the house is so empty. I've already stopped waiting for him to appear when I walk out the door and looking to see where he might be hiding when I wake up in the morning; but, I don't think I will ever truly forget. I will look at the fireplace where he would chill after a petting session. I will walk through the foyer where he so often was waiting for us to return. I will look at our tables, where he liked to reside under the tree of chair legs. I will look at our couch armrest, his resident petting location.
Nappy loved being clean. He would groom himself nonstop and licked me and my wife whenever he felt like we were too dirty. At the vet, he was unable to groom properly, and last night, he stayed perfectly still as I picked the deposits from his oral medications off his face.
I am still at a loss as to how to deal with my pain. All of my research suggests that for whatever reason, kidney failure at a young age is rare. I have a million regrets, but continually try to convince myself that we gave him the best life he could have had and he is at peace. He was so young and always healthy. Was it really just his time?
My wife and I agree that we never expected Nappy to affect our lives in this way. We never expected him to display so much emotion day in and day out. Nappy couldn't talk and that made his actions so meaningful. He expressed his joy by binkying all over the place. When he was mad, he would turn his back to you, stomp loudly, and then peek back out of the corner of his eye. Rarely, he would flop onto his side and lie completely relaxed.
Nappy was the most creative sitter in the world. He had a multitude of sitting poses, most of which we named. The "duck" was when he tucked his feet and head in becoming a ball-like shape similar to a duck. The "chill" was when he sat and then stuck his rear legs out to the side. Often he would lay his head completely on the ground in a lazy manner. He would always put his head on the ground as you squatted and approached in preparation for a petting.
Nappy really influenced us in an unpredictable way. Neither my wife nor I had really ever had a pet, and we were truly blessed to have Nappy. I had been considering using this post to discuss his condition medically, but now all I want is to write about how much we loved Nappy. I want this here, so I never forget how awesome he was. There are still a million more things I can say about Nappy.
But most importantly I want to say, "Thank you Nappy for loving us. Thank you for making our family whole. Without you, we are so empty, but we'd like to think that part of you will be with us forever. There's an irreplaceable hole in our family, but when we finally move on, it will be because of how much you mean to us and how you'll always be with us. Thank you for four amazing years. We love you."
P.S. Nappy was soo soft, it's no wonder he was vain.
We named him Nappy on the drive back from the pet store, because while all the other bunnies played, Nappy just continued to nap. But the second we took him home, he become a bundle of energy. His misnomer was a joke, and his rambunctious attitude was his defining characteristic. But now, you can finally take a nice long nap, Nappy.
While my wife and I were living apart, I never really saw that much of Nappy. I was there for the first couple of days after we bought him and then returned to school. Later that year, I took care of Nappy for about a month or so, while my wife was away, and while we grew a little closer, it was more like two dudes sharing a bachelorpad.
It was when my wife and I moved to Chicago that we really became a family, and Nappy was there from the very beginning. When we moved into our condo, you could immediately tell how natural the new place was for him. We laid out our furniture in a Nappy proof fashion, so that he could roam where he wished.
Without his little footsteps, the house is so empty. I've already stopped waiting for him to appear when I walk out the door and looking to see where he might be hiding when I wake up in the morning; but, I don't think I will ever truly forget. I will look at the fireplace where he would chill after a petting session. I will walk through the foyer where he so often was waiting for us to return. I will look at our tables, where he liked to reside under the tree of chair legs. I will look at our couch armrest, his resident petting location.
Nappy loved being clean. He would groom himself nonstop and licked me and my wife whenever he felt like we were too dirty. At the vet, he was unable to groom properly, and last night, he stayed perfectly still as I picked the deposits from his oral medications off his face.
I am still at a loss as to how to deal with my pain. All of my research suggests that for whatever reason, kidney failure at a young age is rare. I have a million regrets, but continually try to convince myself that we gave him the best life he could have had and he is at peace. He was so young and always healthy. Was it really just his time?
My wife and I agree that we never expected Nappy to affect our lives in this way. We never expected him to display so much emotion day in and day out. Nappy couldn't talk and that made his actions so meaningful. He expressed his joy by binkying all over the place. When he was mad, he would turn his back to you, stomp loudly, and then peek back out of the corner of his eye. Rarely, he would flop onto his side and lie completely relaxed.
Nappy was the most creative sitter in the world. He had a multitude of sitting poses, most of which we named. The "duck" was when he tucked his feet and head in becoming a ball-like shape similar to a duck. The "chill" was when he sat and then stuck his rear legs out to the side. Often he would lay his head completely on the ground in a lazy manner. He would always put his head on the ground as you squatted and approached in preparation for a petting.
Nappy really influenced us in an unpredictable way. Neither my wife nor I had really ever had a pet, and we were truly blessed to have Nappy. I had been considering using this post to discuss his condition medically, but now all I want is to write about how much we loved Nappy. I want this here, so I never forget how awesome he was. There are still a million more things I can say about Nappy.
But most importantly I want to say, "Thank you Nappy for loving us. Thank you for making our family whole. Without you, we are so empty, but we'd like to think that part of you will be with us forever. There's an irreplaceable hole in our family, but when we finally move on, it will be because of how much you mean to us and how you'll always be with us. Thank you for four amazing years. We love you."
P.S. Nappy was soo soft, it's no wonder he was vain.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
The Truth About Charging Li-Ion Batteries
I recently purchased a new cell phone, and the retail agent advised me to charge it for 3-4 hours, then allow it to drain, and then give it a full charge overnight. I was relatively aware of this procedure, but I had always thought the proper protocol was to give the battery a full discharge followed by a full charge to maximize performance. Clearly some research about the current state of battery technology was in order.
Nowadays, all portable electronics use Li-Ion batteries. The current state of Li-Ion technology has made Nickel batteries fairly obsolete. There are some circumstances where Nickel batteries are appropriate, but in general the weight and performance if Li-Ion batteries make them superior for use in portable electronics.
My new cell phone is no exception. So the question is: what is the proper way to first charge a Li-Ion battery and then prolong its life. Fortunately for us, Li-Ion design today is fairly foolproof. Li-Ion is a clean charging system and does not require any priming; therefore, any instructions to charge, discharge, etc are relics from when Ni-Cd batteries were the norm. The only real advantage to giving your battery a full discharge and recharge is that it will reset the 'state of battery' estimation for a smart battery. So, if your battery begins to read empty yet continues for function for a long time or vice versa, giving it a full discharge and recharge will reset the meter properly.
Moreover, Li-Ion systems protect themselves from overcharge, so leaving them plugged in should have no detrimental effect. The battery will automatically give itself a topping charge once every 20 days or so. Unlike nickel systems, Li-Ion batteries have no trickle charge and keeping them plugged in is relatively safe.
So what exactly can you do to prolong battery life? Li-Ion batteries actual perform better under a partial charge, and charging to 3.92V rather than the rated 4.2V can double your cycle life. On the other hand, you will inevitably lose some capacity, and who really has the time to unplug their cell phone shortly before it's fully charged. Current battery technology has advanced to the point that typical Li-Ion cells can last 300-500 full cycles. Estimates equate this to about two years of normal usage.
That being said, you can improve on these numbers by following specific charging protocol. The simple rule is to charge where and when you can. Li-Ion batteries are designed to to perform the best with a partial charge, so the less time they spend discharging the better. This simple study compared charging overnight, charging when empty, and charging whenever possible:
http://blogn95.blogspot.com/2007/07/gentlemen-charge-your-batteries.html
The results: Charging overnight and whenever possible far outperformed the charged on empty battery. That really is the simple rule. Don't worry about priming your battery. The first time you charge your battery is no different from every other time for Li-Ion batteries. Just try to charge it whenever you can, and that will effectively maximize battery capacity and life.
Additional Sources:
http://www.batteryuniversity.com/partone-12.htm
http://www.batteryuniversity.com/partone-21.htm
http://www.batteryuniversity.com/parttwo-34.htm
http://vidmar.net/weblog/archive/2004/06/11/308.aspx
Nowadays, all portable electronics use Li-Ion batteries. The current state of Li-Ion technology has made Nickel batteries fairly obsolete. There are some circumstances where Nickel batteries are appropriate, but in general the weight and performance if Li-Ion batteries make them superior for use in portable electronics.
My new cell phone is no exception. So the question is: what is the proper way to first charge a Li-Ion battery and then prolong its life. Fortunately for us, Li-Ion design today is fairly foolproof. Li-Ion is a clean charging system and does not require any priming; therefore, any instructions to charge, discharge, etc are relics from when Ni-Cd batteries were the norm. The only real advantage to giving your battery a full discharge and recharge is that it will reset the 'state of battery' estimation for a smart battery. So, if your battery begins to read empty yet continues for function for a long time or vice versa, giving it a full discharge and recharge will reset the meter properly.
Moreover, Li-Ion systems protect themselves from overcharge, so leaving them plugged in should have no detrimental effect. The battery will automatically give itself a topping charge once every 20 days or so. Unlike nickel systems, Li-Ion batteries have no trickle charge and keeping them plugged in is relatively safe.
So what exactly can you do to prolong battery life? Li-Ion batteries actual perform better under a partial charge, and charging to 3.92V rather than the rated 4.2V can double your cycle life. On the other hand, you will inevitably lose some capacity, and who really has the time to unplug their cell phone shortly before it's fully charged. Current battery technology has advanced to the point that typical Li-Ion cells can last 300-500 full cycles. Estimates equate this to about two years of normal usage.
That being said, you can improve on these numbers by following specific charging protocol. The simple rule is to charge where and when you can. Li-Ion batteries are designed to to perform the best with a partial charge, so the less time they spend discharging the better. This simple study compared charging overnight, charging when empty, and charging whenever possible:
http://blogn95.blogspot.com/2007/07/gentlemen-charge-your-batteries.html
The results: Charging overnight and whenever possible far outperformed the charged on empty battery. That really is the simple rule. Don't worry about priming your battery. The first time you charge your battery is no different from every other time for Li-Ion batteries. Just try to charge it whenever you can, and that will effectively maximize battery capacity and life.
Additional Sources:
http://www.batteryuniversity.com/partone-12.htm
http://www.batteryuniversity.com/partone-21.htm
http://www.batteryuniversity.com/parttwo-34.htm
http://vidmar.net/weblog/archive/2004/06/11/308.aspx
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Federer in Perspective
It's 10 AM CDT, and Fed is on the verge of finally completing his career grand slam and matching Sampras in total Majors. He controlled 23 seed Soderling in a momentous but albeit unsatisfying performance. Federer's fourth straight French Open Final was a bit of a let down since his rival and recent obstacle, Rafael Nadal, wasn't on the other side of the court. Nadal's bid for a record five straight French titles was stopped short by the big hitting Soderling.
10:08, and Federer just fell to the ground as I suspected. Unfortunately, he didn't cry as much as I though he would, donning a tearful smile and mostly holding back a breakdown. There has been more footage of Federer's mother than I've ever seen in this telecast. Where is she normally? More discussion on where this puts Federer historically.
Soderling's big serve and forehand proved to be trouble for a relatively fatigued Nadal. Rafa insisted fatigue wasn't a huge issue, but he was controlled from the start. Soderling broke Nadal five times in six chances and was broken twice. One of Nadal's breaks came early in the fifth set when it seemed Rafa could recover. Soderling broke him back and took the tie break easily to complete his upset.
10:27, and my wife shed a tear with Fed as he received his trophy. She had just woken up to catch championship point. Federer's acceptance speech displays his impressive command of French.
Soderling's next task was winning the French title over the 2 seed Federer. Beating both Nadal and Federer en route to a title is a feat that has only been accomplished three times, twice by Djokovic. The underdog began the match with significantly less energy than he had displayed all tournament long. His first set was riddled with first serve faults and misses. His placement was a bit off all match long as he was often on the run and frequently pushed his forehand just out. He displayed more pace on the ball in the ensuing sets only to continue to be controlled in rallies.
Federer on the other hand played very solid tennis. He wasn't in quite the invincibile form he's capable of, but his crosscourt forehands continually stretched the opposing Swede and he succesfully used his drop shot from both sides to win the point. The second set tiebreak was probably his most dominating effort of the match, winning 7-1 and amazingly acing all four of his service points. This match seemed more like one that would have occurred in the third or fourth round with the 2 seed controlling the entire match.
The French title gives Federer 14 overall, tying with Sampras and Tiger, and the career grand slam. The win blows open the debate for the best tennis player of all time and adds fuel to the friendly cross-sport rivalry between Roger and Tiger.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdWtpbuUEy4
In regards to the Roger/Tiger rivalry, Roger is actually arguably ahead. Not only has he matched Tiger, but he currently holds the record for his sport. That being said, Tiger has far more potential in his sport. He's already considered the overwhelming greatest of all time and has a long time left to match the 18 Major wins of Nicklaus. Federer in comparison is in the latter years of his career. When everything is said and done, I suspect Tiger to be considered in higher regard.
As for the discussion on the greatest tennis player of all time, unfortunately, I have to begin by eliminating the likes of Tilden and Gonzalez. It's tough to disqualify players based on the period they competed, but it's too difficult to compare players with major wins when the tournaments only allowed amateurs. The Open Era began in 1968, and as such, our discussion includes Rod Laver, Pete Sampras, and Bjorn Borg and of course Roger Federer.
Bjorn Borg was winner of 11 majors when he retired at the early age of 26. Six of his titles came in the French Open, and the other five were at Wimbledon. He reached the finals of the US Open four times without a win, and only competed in the Australian Open once making it to the third round. Borg was the best of his era beating out Jimmy Connors and could have accomplished more in his career. His lack of success at the US Open could be demonstrative of what would have happened had he played more Australians, but frankly it's impossible to know. That pretty much sums up his career. He was great, but you can't say how great he could have been as his late comeback was ineffective. With his resume, he falls a bit short.
Pete Sampras holds the record for major titles with 14, but lacks the career grand slam. His fast paced attacking game was not built for clay, and his lack of clay success is probably his biggest detriment. However, he played in arguably the most competitive era of professional tennis and his success at Wimbledon makes him regarded as the greatest grass player of all time. Sampras' long and stable career allowed him to fill out his resume, and most experts place him just short of Rod Laver due to his clay record.
Rod Laver was the undisputed number one from 1965 to 1969. As mentioned, most experts consider him to be the greatest player of all time. He claimed 11 major titles of which five were in the Open Era and also won two calendar grand slams, one in the Open Era. He largely dominated fellow all-time great Roy Emerson, and also hosted winning records against the aging Gonzalez and Rosewall. All these elements justify his entitlement as the greatest of all time: his major success, grand slams, and dominance over competition.
Compared to Laver, Federer probably falls a bit short. Even with the French Open win, some may place him behind Sampras. Possibly the biggest knock on him is that he had very little competition in the early to mid 2000's when he had most of his success. He won his first major in 2003 at the relatively late age of 22. From 2003 to 2006 he had little competition. Lleyton Hewitt's success in 2001-2002 tapered off and fellow contemporaries Roddick and Ferrero have done little since their high rankings in the early 2000's. The likes of Kuerten, Safin, Agassi, and Sampras were aged by the time Federer broke onto the scene, and his fiercest competition has come recently from 23 year old Nadal and 22 year old Djokovic.
Federer's nine titles between 2003-2006 came against a relatively weak talent pool in tennis, but the emergence of Nadal has been both a blessing and a curse. Nadal thrived on clay early in his career and hosts the longest clay and single surface winning streak in the Open Era. Already considered the greatest clay court player of all time, he successfully kept Federer from a French title in three consecutive Finals from 2006 to 2008 in fairly dominating performances. Nadal's epic five set wins in the Australian and Wimbledon finals have shown he's no fluke, and he now owns the Number 1 ranking. The second most common factor discussed by Federer detractors is his success against Nadal. Nadal owns the head-to-head record winning 13 of 20 matches. However, 11 of these matches came on clay, and Roger hosts records of 3-3 on hard court and 2-1 on grass over Rafa.
It remains clear that to be considered the greatest of all time, Federer needs to prove he can beat his competition of today. Claiming a sixth Wimbledon title over Nadal could prove paramount in Federer's assertion as the greatest. So Federer's recent French win is a little muted, as it didn't come over Nadal. But prior to the French, Federer beat Nadal convincingly in the clay court tune-up, Madrid Open.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X674xVoMF0E
The last match between these two after the Australian was telling of strategies. Nadal continued his anti-Federer strategy of targeting Fed's backhand, and Federer retaliated by going on the aggressive and hitting deep heavy rallies to dictate pace. Roger successfully ran around his forehand to hit inside out drives and often hit cross court repeatedly stretching Nadal on the baseline. Off serve, he blocked serves deep to Nadal's backhand and often avoided hitting to the forehand. He frequently stretched Nadal on rallies and sliced effectively to end points. It'll be exciting to see what adjustments both make for their next match.
Fed still has a great chance to cement his status in tennis history. In addition to his record tying 14 major wins, he has made a record tying 19 major finals including ten consecutive. The rivalry between Federer and Nadal has made tennis exciting and every major final between the top ranked players a must watch. It'll be remarkable to see how far Rafa can go when Roger, six years his senior, eventually leaves the scene. He's probably the most physically fit player in history. I can't wait for Wimbledon.
http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/scores/stats/day20/1127ms.html
http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/scores/stats/day13/1113ms.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Slam_(tennis)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_French_Open_Men%27s_Singles_champions_and_finalists
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Federer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bjorn_Borg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sampras
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/39645/the_five_best_mens_tennis_players_of.html?cat=14
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/article452696.ece
http://www.tennisweek.com/news/fullstory.sps?inewsid=503656
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/14489546/
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=tennis&id=4172788
http://www.tennischannel.com/game/history/rankings.aspx
10:08, and Federer just fell to the ground as I suspected. Unfortunately, he didn't cry as much as I though he would, donning a tearful smile and mostly holding back a breakdown. There has been more footage of Federer's mother than I've ever seen in this telecast. Where is she normally? More discussion on where this puts Federer historically.
Soderling's big serve and forehand proved to be trouble for a relatively fatigued Nadal. Rafa insisted fatigue wasn't a huge issue, but he was controlled from the start. Soderling broke Nadal five times in six chances and was broken twice. One of Nadal's breaks came early in the fifth set when it seemed Rafa could recover. Soderling broke him back and took the tie break easily to complete his upset.
10:27, and my wife shed a tear with Fed as he received his trophy. She had just woken up to catch championship point. Federer's acceptance speech displays his impressive command of French.
Soderling's next task was winning the French title over the 2 seed Federer. Beating both Nadal and Federer en route to a title is a feat that has only been accomplished three times, twice by Djokovic. The underdog began the match with significantly less energy than he had displayed all tournament long. His first set was riddled with first serve faults and misses. His placement was a bit off all match long as he was often on the run and frequently pushed his forehand just out. He displayed more pace on the ball in the ensuing sets only to continue to be controlled in rallies.
Federer on the other hand played very solid tennis. He wasn't in quite the invincibile form he's capable of, but his crosscourt forehands continually stretched the opposing Swede and he succesfully used his drop shot from both sides to win the point. The second set tiebreak was probably his most dominating effort of the match, winning 7-1 and amazingly acing all four of his service points. This match seemed more like one that would have occurred in the third or fourth round with the 2 seed controlling the entire match.
The French title gives Federer 14 overall, tying with Sampras and Tiger, and the career grand slam. The win blows open the debate for the best tennis player of all time and adds fuel to the friendly cross-sport rivalry between Roger and Tiger.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdWtpbuUEy4
In regards to the Roger/Tiger rivalry, Roger is actually arguably ahead. Not only has he matched Tiger, but he currently holds the record for his sport. That being said, Tiger has far more potential in his sport. He's already considered the overwhelming greatest of all time and has a long time left to match the 18 Major wins of Nicklaus. Federer in comparison is in the latter years of his career. When everything is said and done, I suspect Tiger to be considered in higher regard.
As for the discussion on the greatest tennis player of all time, unfortunately, I have to begin by eliminating the likes of Tilden and Gonzalez. It's tough to disqualify players based on the period they competed, but it's too difficult to compare players with major wins when the tournaments only allowed amateurs. The Open Era began in 1968, and as such, our discussion includes Rod Laver, Pete Sampras, and Bjorn Borg and of course Roger Federer.
Bjorn Borg was winner of 11 majors when he retired at the early age of 26. Six of his titles came in the French Open, and the other five were at Wimbledon. He reached the finals of the US Open four times without a win, and only competed in the Australian Open once making it to the third round. Borg was the best of his era beating out Jimmy Connors and could have accomplished more in his career. His lack of success at the US Open could be demonstrative of what would have happened had he played more Australians, but frankly it's impossible to know. That pretty much sums up his career. He was great, but you can't say how great he could have been as his late comeback was ineffective. With his resume, he falls a bit short.
Pete Sampras holds the record for major titles with 14, but lacks the career grand slam. His fast paced attacking game was not built for clay, and his lack of clay success is probably his biggest detriment. However, he played in arguably the most competitive era of professional tennis and his success at Wimbledon makes him regarded as the greatest grass player of all time. Sampras' long and stable career allowed him to fill out his resume, and most experts place him just short of Rod Laver due to his clay record.
Rod Laver was the undisputed number one from 1965 to 1969. As mentioned, most experts consider him to be the greatest player of all time. He claimed 11 major titles of which five were in the Open Era and also won two calendar grand slams, one in the Open Era. He largely dominated fellow all-time great Roy Emerson, and also hosted winning records against the aging Gonzalez and Rosewall. All these elements justify his entitlement as the greatest of all time: his major success, grand slams, and dominance over competition.
Compared to Laver, Federer probably falls a bit short. Even with the French Open win, some may place him behind Sampras. Possibly the biggest knock on him is that he had very little competition in the early to mid 2000's when he had most of his success. He won his first major in 2003 at the relatively late age of 22. From 2003 to 2006 he had little competition. Lleyton Hewitt's success in 2001-2002 tapered off and fellow contemporaries Roddick and Ferrero have done little since their high rankings in the early 2000's. The likes of Kuerten, Safin, Agassi, and Sampras were aged by the time Federer broke onto the scene, and his fiercest competition has come recently from 23 year old Nadal and 22 year old Djokovic.
Federer's nine titles between 2003-2006 came against a relatively weak talent pool in tennis, but the emergence of Nadal has been both a blessing and a curse. Nadal thrived on clay early in his career and hosts the longest clay and single surface winning streak in the Open Era. Already considered the greatest clay court player of all time, he successfully kept Federer from a French title in three consecutive Finals from 2006 to 2008 in fairly dominating performances. Nadal's epic five set wins in the Australian and Wimbledon finals have shown he's no fluke, and he now owns the Number 1 ranking. The second most common factor discussed by Federer detractors is his success against Nadal. Nadal owns the head-to-head record winning 13 of 20 matches. However, 11 of these matches came on clay, and Roger hosts records of 3-3 on hard court and 2-1 on grass over Rafa.
It remains clear that to be considered the greatest of all time, Federer needs to prove he can beat his competition of today. Claiming a sixth Wimbledon title over Nadal could prove paramount in Federer's assertion as the greatest. So Federer's recent French win is a little muted, as it didn't come over Nadal. But prior to the French, Federer beat Nadal convincingly in the clay court tune-up, Madrid Open.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X674xVoMF0E
The last match between these two after the Australian was telling of strategies. Nadal continued his anti-Federer strategy of targeting Fed's backhand, and Federer retaliated by going on the aggressive and hitting deep heavy rallies to dictate pace. Roger successfully ran around his forehand to hit inside out drives and often hit cross court repeatedly stretching Nadal on the baseline. Off serve, he blocked serves deep to Nadal's backhand and often avoided hitting to the forehand. He frequently stretched Nadal on rallies and sliced effectively to end points. It'll be exciting to see what adjustments both make for their next match.
Fed still has a great chance to cement his status in tennis history. In addition to his record tying 14 major wins, he has made a record tying 19 major finals including ten consecutive. The rivalry between Federer and Nadal has made tennis exciting and every major final between the top ranked players a must watch. It'll be remarkable to see how far Rafa can go when Roger, six years his senior, eventually leaves the scene. He's probably the most physically fit player in history. I can't wait for Wimbledon.
http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/scores/stats/day20/1127ms.html
http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/scores/stats/day13/1113ms.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Slam_(tennis)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_French_Open_Men%27s_Singles_champions_and_finalists
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Federer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bjorn_Borg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sampras
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/39645/the_five_best_mens_tennis_players_of.html?cat=14
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/article452696.ece
http://www.tennisweek.com/news/fullstory.sps?inewsid=503656
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/14489546/
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=tennis&id=4172788
http://www.tennischannel.com/game/history/rankings.aspx
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Wheat Ale
Wheat ale's are probably my favorite type of beer, since several of my favorite beers are of this variety. These beers can have a multitude of profiles other than the obvious wheaty flavor. Often, they retain a citrusy-ness or acidity that goes well with lemons or oranges. Almost all wheat beers are ales as top fermenting yeasts are used, and some breweries use specially developed yeast for high wheat content. Today there are several different varieties of wheat beers, but the two traditional types of wheat ales are the Hefeweizen from Germany and the Witbier from Belgium.
Hefeweizen specifically refers to unfiltered wheat ale and is composed of 50% wheat and 50% barley by tradition. When it is filtered it is called "kristallweizen." Hefeweizens offer a bright almost spicy flavor with low hoppiness. They are highly carbonated to accompany the beer's bright and fruity flavor and to complement the malty sweetness that results from the wheat. The refreshing nature of hefeweizen typically dictates brewers to market the beer as a spring or summer ale.
Witbier literally means "white beer" and is named so due to the hazy white suspensions that result from wheat and yeast. In the past, witbier was brewed with no hops, and spices such as coriander or bitter orange were added to add flavor resulting in the evident citrus zest. Today, some but usually little hops is added retaining the same malty yet slightly sour taste.
American wheat ales stick less to the rules, and while they do keep a high wheat content, the majority also up the hops. The additional hoppiness adds complexity to the beer by both complementing and lowering the impact of the acidity. They follow more closely to the German weizen tradition than the Belgian and are often a little dryer.
There's much more to know about wheat ale, but this is more than enough information to put to use in a taste test. Below are my 5 favorite wheat beers.
Amadeus Biere Blanche - Biere Blanche means "white beer" in French and is akin to the Belgian witbier. Amadeus has a light but bright flavor and finishes so clean. It can be enjoyed with a slice of lemon, but I prefer it alone. This beer definitely won't hit you over the top with flavor and is elegantly simple.
Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat - They call this an Urban Wheat, but I have no idea what that means. In any case this is an american wheat ale with a crisp and spicy hops flavor. Layers of flavor keep this beer rolling on the palate so don't add anything. 312 is the kind of beer that goes well with anything anytime. A lot of afficionados rate 312 poorly saying it's a light beer that lacks flavor; but let's face it, it sells extremely well.
Summit Hefeweizen - Another light but elegant wheat beer. The citrus really comes through. Add a slice of lemon to this one to make it even more refreshing.
Blue Moon - Brewed in the style of Belgian witbier, Blue Moon is very mellow and malty. Add a slice of orange to bring out both the acidity and malty sweetness. It's one of those beers that you just find yourself craving every now and then.
Hoegaarden - This is probably the most accessible classic witbier. Hoegaarden apparently suffers from some of the travel skunking problems that Heineken has. That being said, this beer is a very complex and rich. It has a fuller flavor than the beers above, and after an initial hit of hops, it has a great sweet and spicy finish.
This list is hardly exhaustive, and many are sure to disagree with me about both the flavor and quality of the beers. The only way to find out is to go out and have some. Blue Moon is an easy place to start, and although Amadeus is a bit expensive, you need to give it a try.
Some other wheat ales you may or may not have had:
Samuel Adams Winter Ale
Samuel Adams Summer Ale
Sierra Nevada Kellerweis
Sources:
http://www.tastings.com/beer/wheat_beers.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat_beer
http://www.brasseurs-gayant.com/anglais/htm/bieres/amadeus.htm
http://www.gooseisland.com/pages/312_urban_wheat/16.php
http://www.summitbrewing.com/home.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Moon_(beer)
http://beer.about.com/od/beerandbreweryreviews/gr/Hoegaardenwhite.htm
http://beer.about.com/od/wheatbeer/a/WheatGuide.htm
http://beeradvocate.com/articles/351
Hefeweizen specifically refers to unfiltered wheat ale and is composed of 50% wheat and 50% barley by tradition. When it is filtered it is called "kristallweizen." Hefeweizens offer a bright almost spicy flavor with low hoppiness. They are highly carbonated to accompany the beer's bright and fruity flavor and to complement the malty sweetness that results from the wheat. The refreshing nature of hefeweizen typically dictates brewers to market the beer as a spring or summer ale.
Witbier literally means "white beer" and is named so due to the hazy white suspensions that result from wheat and yeast. In the past, witbier was brewed with no hops, and spices such as coriander or bitter orange were added to add flavor resulting in the evident citrus zest. Today, some but usually little hops is added retaining the same malty yet slightly sour taste.
American wheat ales stick less to the rules, and while they do keep a high wheat content, the majority also up the hops. The additional hoppiness adds complexity to the beer by both complementing and lowering the impact of the acidity. They follow more closely to the German weizen tradition than the Belgian and are often a little dryer.
There's much more to know about wheat ale, but this is more than enough information to put to use in a taste test. Below are my 5 favorite wheat beers.
Amadeus Biere Blanche - Biere Blanche means "white beer" in French and is akin to the Belgian witbier. Amadeus has a light but bright flavor and finishes so clean. It can be enjoyed with a slice of lemon, but I prefer it alone. This beer definitely won't hit you over the top with flavor and is elegantly simple.
Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat - They call this an Urban Wheat, but I have no idea what that means. In any case this is an american wheat ale with a crisp and spicy hops flavor. Layers of flavor keep this beer rolling on the palate so don't add anything. 312 is the kind of beer that goes well with anything anytime. A lot of afficionados rate 312 poorly saying it's a light beer that lacks flavor; but let's face it, it sells extremely well.
Summit Hefeweizen - Another light but elegant wheat beer. The citrus really comes through. Add a slice of lemon to this one to make it even more refreshing.
Blue Moon - Brewed in the style of Belgian witbier, Blue Moon is very mellow and malty. Add a slice of orange to bring out both the acidity and malty sweetness. It's one of those beers that you just find yourself craving every now and then.
Hoegaarden - This is probably the most accessible classic witbier. Hoegaarden apparently suffers from some of the travel skunking problems that Heineken has. That being said, this beer is a very complex and rich. It has a fuller flavor than the beers above, and after an initial hit of hops, it has a great sweet and spicy finish.
This list is hardly exhaustive, and many are sure to disagree with me about both the flavor and quality of the beers. The only way to find out is to go out and have some. Blue Moon is an easy place to start, and although Amadeus is a bit expensive, you need to give it a try.
Some other wheat ales you may or may not have had:
Samuel Adams Winter Ale
Samuel Adams Summer Ale
Sierra Nevada Kellerweis
Sources:
http://www.tastings.com/beer/wheat_beers.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat_beer
http://www.brasseurs-gayant.com/anglais/htm/bieres/amadeus.htm
http://www.gooseisland.com/pages/312_urban_wheat/16.php
http://www.summitbrewing.com/home.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Moon_(beer)
http://beer.about.com/od/beerandbreweryreviews/gr/Hoegaardenwhite.htm
http://beer.about.com/od/wheatbeer/a/WheatGuide.htm
http://beeradvocate.com/articles/351
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Lincoln Park Whole Foods Market
Our closest Whole Foods recently moved a block away from its location on North Ave. Clearly, sharing a parking lot with Best Buy was not the optimal situation and perhaps affected business. The new location is not incredibly convenient, but we were in the area decided to indulge our curiosity. Whole Foods has a tendency to be a bit elitist, but you can't argue with the quality they carry. The parking lot remains small with a section for alternative fuel vehicles directly in front of the store. However, we quickly discovered that there was plenty of parking as the second floor of the building acts as a parking garage.
Escalate down towards the front of the store and you get a bird's eye view of the produce section, the flowers to the left, and surprisingly enough a bar to the right. That's right...a bar. They carry an interesting selection of unique beers for about $4-5 a pint. It's amazing this store closes at 10 pm. The flowers seem to be of good quality and are relatively high priced. My wife was not overly impressed with the selection despite the overall quality.
We skipped past the produce section, but noted that they had some great deals including 1 lb boxes of strawberries for 2/$3. Immediately after the produce, the store opens up into two sections. To the left is a cereal and grain aisle which also had a great selection of nuts. The right side sports a selection of amazing looking cuts of fish. I could go on and describe the layout of the store, but it's not much different what you would imagine. A dairy section, meats, and aisles of frozen and boxed goods.
Past the cereal and grain aisle, the store continues to be surprise with an extensive wine section complete with its own sommelier. You won't find the grocery store variety of Yellow Tail and whatnot. To make matters worse, if you purchase six bottles you receive 10% off. I was also informed that the store will soon sport a sake section. It doesn't stop there. In between wines and the gratuitous cheeses is a wine and cheese bar with a lazy lounge area. About this time is when we noticed that shoppers were perusing the aisles while carrying a glass of beer or wine. Shopping while drinking?! I'll be trying that soon.
Eventually, we got the section we had originally come for, the pastries. Unfortunately we were immediately distracted by the existence of a gelato bar. Then distracted again by a neon diner sign. Whole Foods has a diner inside.
The selection of pastries has been expanded a bit to include some local favorites. That's right, Whole Foods carries the Sophia from our favorite pattisserie, Vanille. We grabbed a fruit tart and an eclaire and continued on to the gelatos.
The robust selection of gelatos include peach, hazelnut, and of course pistachio. We went with a small pistachio which was good but not that good. What was that good was the hazelnut. Of course you can take a pint or quart to go, and on Wednesdays you can take 12 oz. for $3.99. I think we'll be back on Wednesday.
The rest was pretty typical. There were some premade foods, a salad bar, and a sushi bar. At the end of the store there was a barbeque station. Whole Foods has become a tailgating option. I took a side trip to take a look at the coffee beans. No Starbucks here. What they do have is the most extensive selection of local Intelligentsia's I've ever seen. After a couple sniffs, I ended up with Quetzal Breakfast Blend.
Whole Foods isn't a grocery store. It's a tourist destination. It's a retail nightmare. I don't know how we managed to get through there without spending a hundred bucks. I was eyeing the wines...my wife was eyeing the fresh pistachios. Oh that's right, they were closing. We'll be back for sure, but I want to stress that even Whole Foods has a lot of high end items, that doesn't mean you'll be overpaying. The wine selection is very reasonable, and almost everything throughout the store is worth what you pay. That being said, we won't be too interested in the organic selection as we're already loyal to the Wild Harvest brand at Jewel. But there are more than enough enticements to keep us coming back.
Escalate down towards the front of the store and you get a bird's eye view of the produce section, the flowers to the left, and surprisingly enough a bar to the right. That's right...a bar. They carry an interesting selection of unique beers for about $4-5 a pint. It's amazing this store closes at 10 pm. The flowers seem to be of good quality and are relatively high priced. My wife was not overly impressed with the selection despite the overall quality.
We skipped past the produce section, but noted that they had some great deals including 1 lb boxes of strawberries for 2/$3. Immediately after the produce, the store opens up into two sections. To the left is a cereal and grain aisle which also had a great selection of nuts. The right side sports a selection of amazing looking cuts of fish. I could go on and describe the layout of the store, but it's not much different what you would imagine. A dairy section, meats, and aisles of frozen and boxed goods.
Past the cereal and grain aisle, the store continues to be surprise with an extensive wine section complete with its own sommelier. You won't find the grocery store variety of Yellow Tail and whatnot. To make matters worse, if you purchase six bottles you receive 10% off. I was also informed that the store will soon sport a sake section. It doesn't stop there. In between wines and the gratuitous cheeses is a wine and cheese bar with a lazy lounge area. About this time is when we noticed that shoppers were perusing the aisles while carrying a glass of beer or wine. Shopping while drinking?! I'll be trying that soon.
Eventually, we got the section we had originally come for, the pastries. Unfortunately we were immediately distracted by the existence of a gelato bar. Then distracted again by a neon diner sign. Whole Foods has a diner inside.
The selection of pastries has been expanded a bit to include some local favorites. That's right, Whole Foods carries the Sophia from our favorite pattisserie, Vanille. We grabbed a fruit tart and an eclaire and continued on to the gelatos.
The robust selection of gelatos include peach, hazelnut, and of course pistachio. We went with a small pistachio which was good but not that good. What was that good was the hazelnut. Of course you can take a pint or quart to go, and on Wednesdays you can take 12 oz. for $3.99. I think we'll be back on Wednesday.
The rest was pretty typical. There were some premade foods, a salad bar, and a sushi bar. At the end of the store there was a barbeque station. Whole Foods has become a tailgating option. I took a side trip to take a look at the coffee beans. No Starbucks here. What they do have is the most extensive selection of local Intelligentsia's I've ever seen. After a couple sniffs, I ended up with Quetzal Breakfast Blend.
Whole Foods isn't a grocery store. It's a tourist destination. It's a retail nightmare. I don't know how we managed to get through there without spending a hundred bucks. I was eyeing the wines...my wife was eyeing the fresh pistachios. Oh that's right, they were closing. We'll be back for sure, but I want to stress that even Whole Foods has a lot of high end items, that doesn't mean you'll be overpaying. The wine selection is very reasonable, and almost everything throughout the store is worth what you pay. That being said, we won't be too interested in the organic selection as we're already loyal to the Wild Harvest brand at Jewel. But there are more than enough enticements to keep us coming back.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Fulton's on the River Review
A year after our wedding we returned to Fulton's for our anniversary dinner. This was an event we had been looking forward to mostly because we had been anticipating their maine lobster tails. Their menu had changed a bit, and for the most part the change was an upgrade. In any case, this latest visit recemented Fulton's into our top 5.
Fulton's is known for their great steaks, seafood, and oysters. They have the most robust oyster bar in the city. I've never been that partial to oysters as it's a taste I never quite acquired. But I've decided that if you want to learn to eat oysters you should start by eating good ones. Fulton's oysters are flown in from the East and West coasts daily and are incredibly fresh. We decided to indulge in a few. Our oyster sampler platter was a half dozen of kumamoto, kushi, and eastpoint oysters. It's hard to determine which were which since apparently our first platter was a bit messed up. We received seven oysters and couldn't figure out what we were eating. The server was gracious enough to offer a new platter, but we didn't want to be too weighed down by oysters so instead we got a complimentary second order of just the kumamoto and kushi oysters. I don't think we actually had any of the kushi on the first platter, but they were distinctly flavored and finished clean. The kumamoto were our favorite with a light saltiness and a slightly sweet finish.
Our other appetizer was the firecracker shrimp. This seems to have replaced the coconut shrimp and are similarly fried but smothered in a sweet and spicy firecracker sauce. I daresay this is actually an upgrade over the original coconut shrimp.
We always know what we're going to have when we go to Fulton's. I waited for the meats to make their rotation and was predisposed to the filet before I had taken a look at it. My wife had been craving the twin lobster tails for at least a solid week. I added a wild mushroom truffle crust to my bone in filet and ordered it rare knowing Fulton's tends to overcook a bit. When it came, my steak was thick and almost well done on one end and very rare next to the bone. I don't think there were any mistakes in cooking it, I just think the way the bone covers one side of the meat leads to uneven redness. I've had sirloins and strip steaks in the past, and I think I actually prefer their sirloins and porterhouse to the filets. That being said the crust was fantastic. I'm not incredibly partial to crusts, but I will always be adding this crust to my steaks at Fulton's. I don't actually recall the wild mushroom truffle crust existing in our previous visits. The lobster tails met my wife's expectations. 'Nuff said.
Fulton's classic steakhouse sides are family sized. A couple sides usually lead to leftovers, but this time they had a new option of a flight of sides. For about the same price, you can choose three sides to sample. We went with the garlic sauteed spinach, wild mushrooms, and truffle fries. The spinach was infused with so much lemon that became overpowered and almost difficult to eat. Their creamed spinach has been pretty good in the past and is probably a better option. The wild mushrooms are fantastic, but the star of our flight were the truffle fries. It's hard to describe what makes these fries so good. Let's just say, normally if you start getting full, you leave the fries for last. This time my wife had to tell me to stop eating the fries so I could finish the lobster, but I ate them anyway.
We went with the flight so we could also order an additional side of the maine lobster mac n cheese. We were a bit apprehensive about this dish. The server told us it was as good as it sounded. I decided we had to try it. When it came we found that it was more creamy than cheesy and the generous chucks of lobster blended in perfectly. The lobster mac n cheese is seriously good. You can't not have it.
Now for the bad part. The blondie at Fulton's is so good that we have never not had it. A year ago, we had a blondie station at our wedding that we unfortunately missed due to wedding responsibilities. A year later, this goddamn blondie was overdue. Alas, the server informed us it had been taken off the menu. We asked him to inquire to the chef if it'll ever be back...it won't. This is where my wife mimicked me blogging, "I saw a tiny tear at the corner of my wife's eye." You have to understand, this blondie is ridiculous.
We replaced our blondie desires with their chocolate paradise, a chocolate cake that manages to be decadent without being too rich. Order it a la mode and it's coupled with amazing vanilla bean ice cream. The chocolate paradise is really really good. It has a caramel Heath crust and filling that fits in perfectly with the chocolate cake.
But it's no blondie. Seriously we need to figure out a way to bring the blondie back. I can start a petition or maybe order fifty from their catering service. Our lack of blondie is too unsatisfying. If we never have the blondie again, we'll be on our deathbeds just muttering, "blondie...blondie..." I'm going to get some friends together and ask Fulton's to make a load of blondies at a price they can't refuse.
Blondies aside, Fulton's is a Chicago staple. It probably lacks some hype since it's a bit out of the way, but the riverside seating is classy and the food is remarkable. We'll be sure to return to Fulton's at least once a year for our anniversary dinner. I just hope the menu changes don't interfere with our lifelong desires in the future. Sure win choices we've made in the past: lobster bisque, rack of lamb, and vanilla bean crusted tilapia.
Fulton's is known for their great steaks, seafood, and oysters. They have the most robust oyster bar in the city. I've never been that partial to oysters as it's a taste I never quite acquired. But I've decided that if you want to learn to eat oysters you should start by eating good ones. Fulton's oysters are flown in from the East and West coasts daily and are incredibly fresh. We decided to indulge in a few. Our oyster sampler platter was a half dozen of kumamoto, kushi, and eastpoint oysters. It's hard to determine which were which since apparently our first platter was a bit messed up. We received seven oysters and couldn't figure out what we were eating. The server was gracious enough to offer a new platter, but we didn't want to be too weighed down by oysters so instead we got a complimentary second order of just the kumamoto and kushi oysters. I don't think we actually had any of the kushi on the first platter, but they were distinctly flavored and finished clean. The kumamoto were our favorite with a light saltiness and a slightly sweet finish.
Our other appetizer was the firecracker shrimp. This seems to have replaced the coconut shrimp and are similarly fried but smothered in a sweet and spicy firecracker sauce. I daresay this is actually an upgrade over the original coconut shrimp.
We always know what we're going to have when we go to Fulton's. I waited for the meats to make their rotation and was predisposed to the filet before I had taken a look at it. My wife had been craving the twin lobster tails for at least a solid week. I added a wild mushroom truffle crust to my bone in filet and ordered it rare knowing Fulton's tends to overcook a bit. When it came, my steak was thick and almost well done on one end and very rare next to the bone. I don't think there were any mistakes in cooking it, I just think the way the bone covers one side of the meat leads to uneven redness. I've had sirloins and strip steaks in the past, and I think I actually prefer their sirloins and porterhouse to the filets. That being said the crust was fantastic. I'm not incredibly partial to crusts, but I will always be adding this crust to my steaks at Fulton's. I don't actually recall the wild mushroom truffle crust existing in our previous visits. The lobster tails met my wife's expectations. 'Nuff said.
Fulton's classic steakhouse sides are family sized. A couple sides usually lead to leftovers, but this time they had a new option of a flight of sides. For about the same price, you can choose three sides to sample. We went with the garlic sauteed spinach, wild mushrooms, and truffle fries. The spinach was infused with so much lemon that became overpowered and almost difficult to eat. Their creamed spinach has been pretty good in the past and is probably a better option. The wild mushrooms are fantastic, but the star of our flight were the truffle fries. It's hard to describe what makes these fries so good. Let's just say, normally if you start getting full, you leave the fries for last. This time my wife had to tell me to stop eating the fries so I could finish the lobster, but I ate them anyway.
We went with the flight so we could also order an additional side of the maine lobster mac n cheese. We were a bit apprehensive about this dish. The server told us it was as good as it sounded. I decided we had to try it. When it came we found that it was more creamy than cheesy and the generous chucks of lobster blended in perfectly. The lobster mac n cheese is seriously good. You can't not have it.
Now for the bad part. The blondie at Fulton's is so good that we have never not had it. A year ago, we had a blondie station at our wedding that we unfortunately missed due to wedding responsibilities. A year later, this goddamn blondie was overdue. Alas, the server informed us it had been taken off the menu. We asked him to inquire to the chef if it'll ever be back...it won't. This is where my wife mimicked me blogging, "I saw a tiny tear at the corner of my wife's eye." You have to understand, this blondie is ridiculous.
We replaced our blondie desires with their chocolate paradise, a chocolate cake that manages to be decadent without being too rich. Order it a la mode and it's coupled with amazing vanilla bean ice cream. The chocolate paradise is really really good. It has a caramel Heath crust and filling that fits in perfectly with the chocolate cake.
But it's no blondie. Seriously we need to figure out a way to bring the blondie back. I can start a petition or maybe order fifty from their catering service. Our lack of blondie is too unsatisfying. If we never have the blondie again, we'll be on our deathbeds just muttering, "blondie...blondie..." I'm going to get some friends together and ask Fulton's to make a load of blondies at a price they can't refuse.
Blondies aside, Fulton's is a Chicago staple. It probably lacks some hype since it's a bit out of the way, but the riverside seating is classy and the food is remarkable. We'll be sure to return to Fulton's at least once a year for our anniversary dinner. I just hope the menu changes don't interfere with our lifelong desires in the future. Sure win choices we've made in the past: lobster bisque, rack of lamb, and vanilla bean crusted tilapia.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Sixteen Review
I hadn't previously heard of Sixteen, but apparently it was the hyped restaurant of chef Frank Brunacci on the 16th floor of the Trump Tower. I booked it for our anniversary dinner as a new hot spot that was good for special occasions. I would agree the place is decked out for a special event. Unfortunately the clientele is clearly businessy. Still the restaurant is extremely nice. You exit the elevator to a lounge type area, and the seating is through a hall of wine racks. Once you enter the main dining area, you are greeted by thirty foot ceilings and a giant chandelier. The entire outer wall is made up of windows giving you an excellent view of the River North skyline from any angle. The best view is that of the clock tower atop the Tribune Buidling.
I went in not knowing what to expect from the food, and it turned out to be fairly akin to our experience at Trotter's. Both a six and ten course tasting menu were available for $95 and $135 respectively; but seeing that most of the tasting items were available on the regular menu, we decided to forgo the tasting menu and ordered two appetizers and two entrees. The portions we received were fairly small, and I was slightly regretting not going with the tasting menu. However, by the time the meal was over I was more than full.
This is probably due to their fantastic bread. They offer a selection of french rosemary, black olive, multigrain, and orange blossom breads. We tried the french rosemary and orange blossom at first. The french rosemary bread was very good, but just not nearly as good as the orange blossom. There is a hint of white chocolate in the dough, and the crusts are very sweet. This bread is amazing.
For our drinks, we went with two glasses of the Marguet rose. This champagne was slightly fruity and very playful, perfect for my wife who prefers lighter champagnes. I will definitely be looking for a bottle of this.
I ordered the pork belly and pork taco appetizer followed by the duo of beef. My wife had the rock lobster salad and the hazelnut crusted scallops. It's a good thing we ordered two appetizers as they were portioned more like tasting courses. If possible even another appetizer or entree would have been ok, but is there any good way to order three appetizers or three entrees for two people?
The pork belly was one moderately sized piece, and it was fat. So juicy and fat. I don't really have a big problem with eating pure fat, and it was well seasoned and quite good. The pork taco on the other hand was tiny and generally subpar. There were small chopped pieces of pork marinated and laid on a crispy piece of tortilla about twice the diameter of a quarter. The pork was seasoned to taste almost like ground beef.
My wife's appetizer was also small but very tasty. A small portion of lobster was topped by a ring of fried phyllo with some lobster salad inside. The lobster was all cooked perfectly. The salad part was some deconstructed micro greens with servings of avocado mousse and a lemon gel. Everything was very good, but it's similar to other dishes with deconstructed salads.
My duo of beef was probably the best thing we had. It was a pairing of a filet and prime rib. The prime rib was incredibly flavorful and just melted in your mouth, simply fantastic. The filet ended up a little tough as I ordered it medium, but it ended up fairly well done. Still it was simple and crusted beautifully. I've had better steak but never better prime rib. Both were laid on a slice of potato surrounded by pieces of sauteed oyster mushrooms and potato.
The hazelnut crusted scallops were perfectly cooked. Not quite melt in your mouth as the ones we had at Trotter's but almost there. However, the hazelnut crust actually overpowered the scallops somewhat. They were topped by some nicely seasoned fennel and surrounded by juicy bits of rhubarb.
We finished with their strawberry trio. It actually had a very complicated name, but I can't quite recall. Something like: A small tour through the land of strawberry. Ok, the name wasn't that lame, but you get my point. This entire dessert put strawberries together with mint and basil, and did it surprisingly well. There were fresh strawberries with mint and basil floating in a jus. This dish was actually the least appreciable as the fresh basil was a little overpowering. There was also a strawberry, mint, and basil sorbet. The sorbet actually turned out to be quite delicious. There was just a hint of mint and basil and it added a freshness that went well with the cold of the sorbet. A lobster dessert ravioli was unusual, but the infusion of strawberry made it pretty enjoyable. The final piece was a bar of pistachio cake topped by strawberry gelee and then fresh strawberries and a basil mousse. Pistachio crumbles were sprinkled over the assembly. This dessert was great; the basil mousse was very light, and my wife who typically turns away from basil in dessert and things like gelee gladly took my offer of the last bite.
Overall, Sixteen is another one of those restaurants that make you think as you eat. Not quite as creative as Trotter's but very very good and perhaps executed better. Bold flavors were on display in every dish, and for the most part the chef does a good job not overthinking himself. The second best part of Sixteen, the first being the duo of beef, is the fact that there are countless little surprises. Every now and then the server will slide by and present a little gift from the chef. Before our appetizers it was a mushroom puff topped with some chive creme fraiche. Before dessert was a small candy of chocolate cookie topped with a banana and passion fruit mousse. After dessert was a sampling of cookies and desserts, the likes of which included a chocolate macaroon, a small rum cake, a lemon jelly, a piece of chocolate, a coconut crisp, a caramel with peanuts, and a cherry pastry.
Will I be back for seconds? Not for a while; there are a million other places on our list, and it wasn't inexpensive enough for us to become regulars. But I'm sure we'll be back sometime, albeit not sometime soon. The view, the service, and the food all make for a great evening. If you're not too hungry and want to eat something interesting, I would definitely recommend doing an appetizer and main course or even the six course menu at Sixteen. Just know that you'll be surrounded by parties in the middle of business dinners.
I went in not knowing what to expect from the food, and it turned out to be fairly akin to our experience at Trotter's. Both a six and ten course tasting menu were available for $95 and $135 respectively; but seeing that most of the tasting items were available on the regular menu, we decided to forgo the tasting menu and ordered two appetizers and two entrees. The portions we received were fairly small, and I was slightly regretting not going with the tasting menu. However, by the time the meal was over I was more than full.
This is probably due to their fantastic bread. They offer a selection of french rosemary, black olive, multigrain, and orange blossom breads. We tried the french rosemary and orange blossom at first. The french rosemary bread was very good, but just not nearly as good as the orange blossom. There is a hint of white chocolate in the dough, and the crusts are very sweet. This bread is amazing.
For our drinks, we went with two glasses of the Marguet rose. This champagne was slightly fruity and very playful, perfect for my wife who prefers lighter champagnes. I will definitely be looking for a bottle of this.
I ordered the pork belly and pork taco appetizer followed by the duo of beef. My wife had the rock lobster salad and the hazelnut crusted scallops. It's a good thing we ordered two appetizers as they were portioned more like tasting courses. If possible even another appetizer or entree would have been ok, but is there any good way to order three appetizers or three entrees for two people?
The pork belly was one moderately sized piece, and it was fat. So juicy and fat. I don't really have a big problem with eating pure fat, and it was well seasoned and quite good. The pork taco on the other hand was tiny and generally subpar. There were small chopped pieces of pork marinated and laid on a crispy piece of tortilla about twice the diameter of a quarter. The pork was seasoned to taste almost like ground beef.
My wife's appetizer was also small but very tasty. A small portion of lobster was topped by a ring of fried phyllo with some lobster salad inside. The lobster was all cooked perfectly. The salad part was some deconstructed micro greens with servings of avocado mousse and a lemon gel. Everything was very good, but it's similar to other dishes with deconstructed salads.
My duo of beef was probably the best thing we had. It was a pairing of a filet and prime rib. The prime rib was incredibly flavorful and just melted in your mouth, simply fantastic. The filet ended up a little tough as I ordered it medium, but it ended up fairly well done. Still it was simple and crusted beautifully. I've had better steak but never better prime rib. Both were laid on a slice of potato surrounded by pieces of sauteed oyster mushrooms and potato.
The hazelnut crusted scallops were perfectly cooked. Not quite melt in your mouth as the ones we had at Trotter's but almost there. However, the hazelnut crust actually overpowered the scallops somewhat. They were topped by some nicely seasoned fennel and surrounded by juicy bits of rhubarb.
We finished with their strawberry trio. It actually had a very complicated name, but I can't quite recall. Something like: A small tour through the land of strawberry. Ok, the name wasn't that lame, but you get my point. This entire dessert put strawberries together with mint and basil, and did it surprisingly well. There were fresh strawberries with mint and basil floating in a jus. This dish was actually the least appreciable as the fresh basil was a little overpowering. There was also a strawberry, mint, and basil sorbet. The sorbet actually turned out to be quite delicious. There was just a hint of mint and basil and it added a freshness that went well with the cold of the sorbet. A lobster dessert ravioli was unusual, but the infusion of strawberry made it pretty enjoyable. The final piece was a bar of pistachio cake topped by strawberry gelee and then fresh strawberries and a basil mousse. Pistachio crumbles were sprinkled over the assembly. This dessert was great; the basil mousse was very light, and my wife who typically turns away from basil in dessert and things like gelee gladly took my offer of the last bite.
Overall, Sixteen is another one of those restaurants that make you think as you eat. Not quite as creative as Trotter's but very very good and perhaps executed better. Bold flavors were on display in every dish, and for the most part the chef does a good job not overthinking himself. The second best part of Sixteen, the first being the duo of beef, is the fact that there are countless little surprises. Every now and then the server will slide by and present a little gift from the chef. Before our appetizers it was a mushroom puff topped with some chive creme fraiche. Before dessert was a small candy of chocolate cookie topped with a banana and passion fruit mousse. After dessert was a sampling of cookies and desserts, the likes of which included a chocolate macaroon, a small rum cake, a lemon jelly, a piece of chocolate, a coconut crisp, a caramel with peanuts, and a cherry pastry.
Will I be back for seconds? Not for a while; there are a million other places on our list, and it wasn't inexpensive enough for us to become regulars. But I'm sure we'll be back sometime, albeit not sometime soon. The view, the service, and the food all make for a great evening. If you're not too hungry and want to eat something interesting, I would definitely recommend doing an appetizer and main course or even the six course menu at Sixteen. Just know that you'll be surrounded by parties in the middle of business dinners.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Interval Training
Interval training or sometimes called high intensity interval training (HIIT) has been a trendy training method for a while now, and frankly it's a trend that refuses to die. The simple fact is that most people who train and work out are primarily concerned with fat loss, and interval training is the best way to accomplish that.
Fast twitch muscle fibers use more energy and burn more fat than slow twitch muscle fibers. Conversely, they tire more quickly and lack the efficiency and endurance to perform long term. So work out your slow twitch muscle fibers and last longer or work out your fast twitch muscle fibers and fatigue faster; in the end whichever way that burns more calories is better right?
Wrong. Even if you work out, you don't burn as many calories as you do during the rest of your day. Imagine that you burn 400 calories during a workout session, but 1600 calories while resting. There has to be a way to increase that 1600 right? That's where HIIT comes in. Working out has been shown increase your resting metabolic rate (RMR) by 20 to 25%. Everything from weight lifting to resistance training can improve your RMR, but intensity training puts a new twist on it.
Since fast twitch muscle fibers burn more calories, increasing their metabolism has a greater effect on your RMR. What interval training can do is give you the greatest returns in fat loss for the effort you put in. A combination of strength training, interval training, and low intensity training can increase all areas of your metabolism effectively, but nobody has that much time to devote to working out.
Interval training is generally advocated as a replacement for cardio. Low intensity cardio can be effective in burning calories, but it has minimal effect on your RMR. In interval training, you mix in high intensity exercises into your cardio. For example, after your warmup on a treadmill you perform a max sprint for thirty seconds. After the sprint cool down with light jogging for ninety seconds. Rinse. Repeat. The sprinting allows you to work your fast twitch fibers while the jogging allows you to recover and perform more repetitions.
Similarly performing explosive pushups or box jumps in addition to a bench press or leg press will effectively increase the RMR of your fast twitch muscle fibers. Does this work? Numerous studies confirm the effectiveness of interval training, but more convincing than that is its prevalence in personal training. No trainer wants you to spend an hour on the treadmill. They would much rather you cut that in half by performing intervals. Go try it and see for yourself.
P.S. I'm convinced that DDR is a sort of interval training. You basically perform sprints for two minutes with breaks in between.
http://www.mens-total-fitness.com/fast-twitch-muscle-fibers.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/514737/fast_twitch_muscle_fiber_treadmill_pg2.html?cat=50
http://www.articlesbase.com/weight-loss-articles/how-much-cardio-is-needed-to-burn-fat-801003.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basal_metabolic_rate
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0895.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/interval-training/SM00110
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_training
Fast twitch muscle fibers use more energy and burn more fat than slow twitch muscle fibers. Conversely, they tire more quickly and lack the efficiency and endurance to perform long term. So work out your slow twitch muscle fibers and last longer or work out your fast twitch muscle fibers and fatigue faster; in the end whichever way that burns more calories is better right?
Wrong. Even if you work out, you don't burn as many calories as you do during the rest of your day. Imagine that you burn 400 calories during a workout session, but 1600 calories while resting. There has to be a way to increase that 1600 right? That's where HIIT comes in. Working out has been shown increase your resting metabolic rate (RMR) by 20 to 25%. Everything from weight lifting to resistance training can improve your RMR, but intensity training puts a new twist on it.
Since fast twitch muscle fibers burn more calories, increasing their metabolism has a greater effect on your RMR. What interval training can do is give you the greatest returns in fat loss for the effort you put in. A combination of strength training, interval training, and low intensity training can increase all areas of your metabolism effectively, but nobody has that much time to devote to working out.
Interval training is generally advocated as a replacement for cardio. Low intensity cardio can be effective in burning calories, but it has minimal effect on your RMR. In interval training, you mix in high intensity exercises into your cardio. For example, after your warmup on a treadmill you perform a max sprint for thirty seconds. After the sprint cool down with light jogging for ninety seconds. Rinse. Repeat. The sprinting allows you to work your fast twitch fibers while the jogging allows you to recover and perform more repetitions.
Similarly performing explosive pushups or box jumps in addition to a bench press or leg press will effectively increase the RMR of your fast twitch muscle fibers. Does this work? Numerous studies confirm the effectiveness of interval training, but more convincing than that is its prevalence in personal training. No trainer wants you to spend an hour on the treadmill. They would much rather you cut that in half by performing intervals. Go try it and see for yourself.
P.S. I'm convinced that DDR is a sort of interval training. You basically perform sprints for two minutes with breaks in between.
http://www.mens-total-fitness.com/fast-twitch-muscle-fibers.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/514737/fast_twitch_muscle_fiber_treadmill_pg2.html?cat=50
http://www.articlesbase.com/weight-loss-articles/how-much-cardio-is-needed-to-burn-fat-801003.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basal_metabolic_rate
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0895.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/interval-training/SM00110
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_training
Mini Cooper vs Mini Cooper S
We recently took a Mini Cooper from the dealer as a loaner car for the weekend. It was an interesting experience, and I can wholeheartedly say I'm a advocate of the push button starter. That being said, there are some interesting differences between the Cooper and Cooper S that I will outline shortly.
2006 Mini Cooper S
168-hp, 1.6-liter I-4 Supercharged
25 mpg City – 32 mpg Highway
2008 Mini Cooper
118-hp, 1.6-liter I-4
28 mpg City – 37 mpg Highway
The biggest difference between the two models is that the base four cylinder engine has been supercharged in the Cooper S. Initially that difference isn't even noticeable. Acceleration out of the blocks is nice and responsive, and the difference at low throttle is noticeable but small. It's once you floor it that things change.
The Cooper S has a ridge in the pedal that requires additional pressure to push through. This basically means that you can floor the pedal and get a certain amount of acceleration, but if you apply a little more pressure, you can push the pedal through to its real floor and get peak acceleration. This is an interesting engineering feature, and one that I enjoy. On one hand it prevents additional wear on the engine by preventing it from maxing out in everyday use. And on the other hand, you feel like you have additional power when you do max it out. Roll up ramps and floor it on highways, and the difference between the base engine and supercharged one is evident.
The Mini Cooper is a fun car. It's tight through turns and very responsive. The Cooper S is a step up. It pretty much embodies the soul of the car. It has tight steering and a stiff suspension to grip the road. The suspension is so stiff that on long roadtrips with bad highways, I have gotten sick from the vibrations coming through. The Cooper S is built like a sports car. When I turn the wheel, I cannot leisurely turn it with one hand. The steering ratio is too low, and I need to grip the wheel with two hands to make it up our parking garage.
The Mini Cooper is a great car. It has ample horsepower for its size to zip around. It's incredibly maneuverable with a small turning radius. Everything a casual driver should expect in a Mini. The Cooper S is a marvel of engineering design. It sacrifices comfort for performance; and although it is a little underpowered compared to similar sporty cars, it packs more than enough punch to rule the city streets.
2006 Mini Cooper S
168-hp, 1.6-liter I-4 Supercharged
25 mpg City – 32 mpg Highway
2008 Mini Cooper
118-hp, 1.6-liter I-4
28 mpg City – 37 mpg Highway
The biggest difference between the two models is that the base four cylinder engine has been supercharged in the Cooper S. Initially that difference isn't even noticeable. Acceleration out of the blocks is nice and responsive, and the difference at low throttle is noticeable but small. It's once you floor it that things change.
The Cooper S has a ridge in the pedal that requires additional pressure to push through. This basically means that you can floor the pedal and get a certain amount of acceleration, but if you apply a little more pressure, you can push the pedal through to its real floor and get peak acceleration. This is an interesting engineering feature, and one that I enjoy. On one hand it prevents additional wear on the engine by preventing it from maxing out in everyday use. And on the other hand, you feel like you have additional power when you do max it out. Roll up ramps and floor it on highways, and the difference between the base engine and supercharged one is evident.
The Mini Cooper is a fun car. It's tight through turns and very responsive. The Cooper S is a step up. It pretty much embodies the soul of the car. It has tight steering and a stiff suspension to grip the road. The suspension is so stiff that on long roadtrips with bad highways, I have gotten sick from the vibrations coming through. The Cooper S is built like a sports car. When I turn the wheel, I cannot leisurely turn it with one hand. The steering ratio is too low, and I need to grip the wheel with two hands to make it up our parking garage.
The Mini Cooper is a great car. It has ample horsepower for its size to zip around. It's incredibly maneuverable with a small turning radius. Everything a casual driver should expect in a Mini. The Cooper S is a marvel of engineering design. It sacrifices comfort for performance; and although it is a little underpowered compared to similar sporty cars, it packs more than enough punch to rule the city streets.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
The Sake Handbook Review
John Guantner is regarded as one of the top sake experts in the US. His book, The Sake Handbook, does a great job introducing a novice to the world of sake, but curiously enough, his website below does just as good of a job if not better.
http://www.sake-world.com/index.html
The book does offer some more robust descriptions of the sake brewing process, but it lacks the descriptive diagrams that can be found on the website. The first hundred pages explain how sake is made, the differences in sake, and the flavors that characterize them. The rest of the book gives recommendations for specific sakes and sake pubs found in Tokyo.
The second half of the book is somewhat helpful, but the information I really wanted was all in the first half. He conveys all the necessary information and does well to keep the book from turning into a textbook. I got everything I wanted out of the book, but as I stated earlier, I could have similarly gotten it from his website. That being said, here’s what I will be looking for when I look into purchasing my first bottle of sake.
Sake is brewed from rice, where yeast breaks down a steamed rice mash into alcohol. Sake rice is different from table rice in that most of the starches (good stuff) are found in the center of the rice, and the fats and proteins are found on the outside. This allows sake brewery or kura to polish off the outer layers leaving the center. The amount of polishing is called seimaibuai and is a percentage of the remaining rice grain’s weight to its prepolished weight.
Sakes with low seimaibuai are more expensive to produce since more of the rice is discarded and in some the seimaibuai can be as low as 35%. In general at least 30% of the rice is polished off. A seimaibuai of less than 60% can classify a sake as a ginjoshu, and a sake with seimaibuai of less than 50% is a daiginjoshu. A low seimaibuai results in a lighter and cleaner flavor profile that is not necessarily desired.
Alternatively, after production, sake can have water and alcohol added to reduce strong flavors. In this case, it is called a honjozo. Sake that has not been diluted this way is called a junmaishu. Junmaishu and honjozo can be differentiated in the title that is given to the sake. If it is not a ginjoshu, they will be given one of the two names above. In the case a Junmaishu is a ginjoshu, it will be called a Junmai ginjoshu; otherwise, a honjozo ginjoshu is simply called a ginjoshu. The title is often the only way to determine what the sake might taste like but leaves questions unanswered.
Other than the name and seimaibuai, there is a measurement called nihonshudo which assigns numbers to the sake based on how sweet or dry it is with higher numbers being dry and lower numbers being sweet. The average is 3 and numbers range roughly from -3 to 12. This measure along with seimaibuai is not readily available.
If you have a sommelier available, you may be able to find out what a sake tastes like before you purchase it, but you won’t find one readily available in the states. I’m probably going to resort to going out and buying some to get a feel for the flavors and figure out what I like in a sake.
Also, sake isn’t supposed to last more than 6 months to a year without the flavors deteriorating. I have a 5 year old bottle of Mu Junmai Daiginjoshu on the shelf. I guess for my first taste test I’ll compare a new bottle with the older bottle and post a review.
Expect more amateurish beer, alchohol, sake, and wine reviews as well.
http://www.sake-world.com/index.html
The book does offer some more robust descriptions of the sake brewing process, but it lacks the descriptive diagrams that can be found on the website. The first hundred pages explain how sake is made, the differences in sake, and the flavors that characterize them. The rest of the book gives recommendations for specific sakes and sake pubs found in Tokyo.
The second half of the book is somewhat helpful, but the information I really wanted was all in the first half. He conveys all the necessary information and does well to keep the book from turning into a textbook. I got everything I wanted out of the book, but as I stated earlier, I could have similarly gotten it from his website. That being said, here’s what I will be looking for when I look into purchasing my first bottle of sake.
Sake is brewed from rice, where yeast breaks down a steamed rice mash into alcohol. Sake rice is different from table rice in that most of the starches (good stuff) are found in the center of the rice, and the fats and proteins are found on the outside. This allows sake brewery or kura to polish off the outer layers leaving the center. The amount of polishing is called seimaibuai and is a percentage of the remaining rice grain’s weight to its prepolished weight.
Sakes with low seimaibuai are more expensive to produce since more of the rice is discarded and in some the seimaibuai can be as low as 35%. In general at least 30% of the rice is polished off. A seimaibuai of less than 60% can classify a sake as a ginjoshu, and a sake with seimaibuai of less than 50% is a daiginjoshu. A low seimaibuai results in a lighter and cleaner flavor profile that is not necessarily desired.
Alternatively, after production, sake can have water and alcohol added to reduce strong flavors. In this case, it is called a honjozo. Sake that has not been diluted this way is called a junmaishu. Junmaishu and honjozo can be differentiated in the title that is given to the sake. If it is not a ginjoshu, they will be given one of the two names above. In the case a Junmaishu is a ginjoshu, it will be called a Junmai ginjoshu; otherwise, a honjozo ginjoshu is simply called a ginjoshu. The title is often the only way to determine what the sake might taste like but leaves questions unanswered.
Other than the name and seimaibuai, there is a measurement called nihonshudo which assigns numbers to the sake based on how sweet or dry it is with higher numbers being dry and lower numbers being sweet. The average is 3 and numbers range roughly from -3 to 12. This measure along with seimaibuai is not readily available.
If you have a sommelier available, you may be able to find out what a sake tastes like before you purchase it, but you won’t find one readily available in the states. I’m probably going to resort to going out and buying some to get a feel for the flavors and figure out what I like in a sake.
Also, sake isn’t supposed to last more than 6 months to a year without the flavors deteriorating. I have a 5 year old bottle of Mu Junmai Daiginjoshu on the shelf. I guess for my first taste test I’ll compare a new bottle with the older bottle and post a review.
Expect more amateurish beer, alchohol, sake, and wine reviews as well.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
How to pick a good watermelon
I like watermelons and have always endeavored to pick the best. There's also a Korean saying that if you can pick a good watermelon you can pick a good husband and lord knows I can pick a good husband. Problem is my watermelon picking has produced mixed results. In any case, it was about time I did some research to hone my watermelon picking skills. Here's what I found.
Sound:
This really works. Thump the watermelon and listen for a deep resonance. High water content equates to higher sugar content and ripeness. Researchers at the University of Delaware have found that responding frequencies from 100 to 200 Hertz correlate to the desired sugar content of 8 to 12 percent. Some describe the sound as hollow, but it's more of a rich resonance. A dull or unclean sound means that there is less water or perhaps air pockets in the watermelon.
Color:
There are differing opinions on color, but there is a general consensus that the dark green melons have absorbed more sun and are riper. Some say that the more uniform the color and less contrast between stripes the riper the watermelon is. However, one great tip is to check the bottom of the watermelon. As the watermelon ripens, the underside of the watermelon ages from a white or light green color to a cream or yellow. The larger and more aged this ground spot is, the longer it's sat on the ground and ripened.
Shape:
I'm not sure about this one, but a lot of sources say that the more symmetrical watermelons are the best. I can't find any justification for this, so I'm not completely buying it.
Size:
The sweetest watermelons aren't necessarily the biggest, but they are the heaviest. If it is heavy for its size, the melon is denser and has more water content.
Additional Tips:
Just eat it. Watermelons don't continue to ripen after they've been picked. They'll last for about week on your counter or up to three weeks in your fridge, but you can just eat it whenever you want to.
Sometimes you just get a bad batch. It's reasonable that if one watermelon is a batch is not quite ripe, the whole batch isn't ripe. If you pick poorly, don't give up and keep at it. Even if your watermelon isn't perfect, you want to be able to pick the best of the worst.
There are a bunch of other checks out there. Some sources say that if you scratch the rind off the watermelon, the layer underneath should be a greenish white color. Another tip is that the shell should be firm and without blemishes.
As for me, these are the three I'm going to try:
1. Thump it and listen for a deep resonating sound.
2. Turn it over and check to see if the ground spot is large and yellow.
3. Pick it up and go for the melon that seems heavy for its size.
Next time: How to choose a husband
Sources:
http://hubpages.com/hub/How_to_Pick_a_Good_Watermelon
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extnews/newsrelease/1999/090299/09howdoy.htm
http://www.almanac.com/food/watermelonripe.php
http://www.hungrymonster.com/FoodFacts/Food_Facts.cfm?Phrase_vch=Watermelons&fid=6059
http://www.watermelonthump.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23&Itemid=1
Sound:
This really works. Thump the watermelon and listen for a deep resonance. High water content equates to higher sugar content and ripeness. Researchers at the University of Delaware have found that responding frequencies from 100 to 200 Hertz correlate to the desired sugar content of 8 to 12 percent. Some describe the sound as hollow, but it's more of a rich resonance. A dull or unclean sound means that there is less water or perhaps air pockets in the watermelon.
Color:
There are differing opinions on color, but there is a general consensus that the dark green melons have absorbed more sun and are riper. Some say that the more uniform the color and less contrast between stripes the riper the watermelon is. However, one great tip is to check the bottom of the watermelon. As the watermelon ripens, the underside of the watermelon ages from a white or light green color to a cream or yellow. The larger and more aged this ground spot is, the longer it's sat on the ground and ripened.
Shape:
I'm not sure about this one, but a lot of sources say that the more symmetrical watermelons are the best. I can't find any justification for this, so I'm not completely buying it.
Size:
The sweetest watermelons aren't necessarily the biggest, but they are the heaviest. If it is heavy for its size, the melon is denser and has more water content.
Additional Tips:
Just eat it. Watermelons don't continue to ripen after they've been picked. They'll last for about week on your counter or up to three weeks in your fridge, but you can just eat it whenever you want to.
Sometimes you just get a bad batch. It's reasonable that if one watermelon is a batch is not quite ripe, the whole batch isn't ripe. If you pick poorly, don't give up and keep at it. Even if your watermelon isn't perfect, you want to be able to pick the best of the worst.
There are a bunch of other checks out there. Some sources say that if you scratch the rind off the watermelon, the layer underneath should be a greenish white color. Another tip is that the shell should be firm and without blemishes.
As for me, these are the three I'm going to try:
1. Thump it and listen for a deep resonating sound.
2. Turn it over and check to see if the ground spot is large and yellow.
3. Pick it up and go for the melon that seems heavy for its size.
Next time: How to choose a husband
Sources:
http://hubpages.com/hub/How_to_Pick_a_Good_Watermelon
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extnews/newsrelease/1999/090299/09howdoy.htm
http://www.almanac.com/food/watermelonripe.php
http://www.hungrymonster.com/FoodFacts/Food_Facts.cfm?Phrase_vch=Watermelons&fid=6059
http://www.watermelonthump.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23&Itemid=1
Friday, May 1, 2009
Bulls: Game 7 Preview
Everyone understands that this series has become a must watch, and I felt an obligation to give my two cents. Everybody without a rooting interest in this series is enjoying it much more than Chicago Boston
Honorable Mention: Kevin Garnett: You can’t be in a suit for six games and expect to play a factor in Game 7. If he’s in uniform, he’ll give the crowd a lift, but it’s not like the crowd needed any more motivation. If he plays, I expect him to be a sideshow and not much more.
10. The Other Starters: Glen Davis. Tyrus Thomas. John Salmons. Their contribution is welcome but not completely necessary. Big Baby Davis is a surprisingly reliable shooter and routinely makes 12-16 footers. His matchup against Tyrus has been fun to watch, and supposedly they’re childhood friends. Tyrus always makes a few plays. He is easily the best shot-blocker in this series. He probably has less of an impact because there have been so many jumpshots overall, but he’s good for at least one momentum-shifting block a game and a couple more key swats. Since his huge shots in Game 1, he hasn’t had a great offensive effect on the games overall. He faces up the basket rather than backing down and has a tendency to either get stopped going to the rim or finish poorly. Does anyone else think that with Thomas’ vertical, a 10-foot turnaround jumper would be unstoppable?
Honorable Mention: Kevin Garnett: You can’t be in a suit for six games and expect to play a factor in Game 7. If he’s in uniform, he’ll give the crowd a lift, but it’s not like the crowd needed any more motivation. If he plays, I expect him to be a sideshow and not much more.
10. The Other Starters: Glen Davis. Tyrus Thomas. John Salmons. Their contribution is welcome but not completely necessary. Big Baby Davis is a surprisingly reliable shooter and routinely makes 12-16 footers. His matchup against Tyrus has been fun to watch, and supposedly they’re childhood friends. Tyrus always makes a few plays. He is easily the best shot-blocker in this series. He probably has less of an impact because there have been so many jumpshots overall, but he’s good for at least one momentum-shifting block a game and a couple more key swats. Since his huge shots in Game 1, he hasn’t had a great offensive effect on the games overall. He faces up the basket rather than backing down and has a tendency to either get stopped going to the rim or finish poorly. Does anyone else think that with Thomas’ vertical, a 10-foot turnaround jumper would be unstoppable?
John Salmons is an offensive necessity for the Bulls. When shot aren’t falling, the Bulls can get some valuable points by having Salmons attack the rim. He has a tendency to throw up inexplicable three pointers with Pierce in his face, but these same threes go in with a high enough percentage to make it hard to complain. When Gordon is out, Salmons becomes the go to scorer on the Bulls.
9. Young Poise: Game 7, on the road. The Bulls have shown that they don’t back down from a challenge, and every game in
8. Doc Rivers vs.
7. Joakim Noah vs. Kendrick Perkins: I was shocked that Ben Gordon kept the Bulls in Game 2, despite the Bulls horrific rebounding.
Perkins owns the offensive glass. He shoots a high percentage because most of his points come from tip-ins. With no KG, he is irreplaceable in this series. He’s not a great shot blocker, but when he pairs with Big Baby, they clog the lanes. This series has been played around the perimeter, and
6. The Bench: Most unbelievable stat of Game 6? Brad Miller: 4 Turnovers, + 26. With 23 points, that means that for every point he scored, the Celtics scored ZERO. Miller has come into games, made a couple errors, and then either helped the Bulls build a lead or start a comeback. In six games his +/- has been +9, +19, -14, +21, +1, +26. He easily leads the Bulls in this category. My theory is that he gives the Celtics a false sense of security and has the ability to slow down time. The
The
When Hinrich is effective offensively, he is incredibly valuable for the Bulls. And can you believe that he’s the best defender in this series? With Pierce tired, nobody has been more consistent on defense. He has been incredibly versatile, hounding Allen and facing up the bigger Pierce. Kirk Hinrich could start for half the teams in the league and often plays starter minutes.
5. Paul Pierce: He has to be exhausted. After carrying the Celtics for the past few months, he was a smaller factor than expected in this series. His scoring output has been pretty consistent, but the only game he really had an impact on was Game 5 when he proved unstoppable in the clutch. After playing a triple OT game less than 48 hours before Game 7’s tipoff, he needs to be feeling it. If Pierce is in his best shape for Game 7, he’ll demand the ball and take it straight to the Bulls. But I wouldn’t count on it.
4. The Refs: They’ve been consistent; I’ll give them that. Game 1, the Bulls won in spite of the referees, and in Game 2, the Refs overcame a huge Ben Gordon game to give the game to
3. Rajon Rondo vs. Derrick Rose: On any given possession, the ball starts in the hands of one of these two. Rondo has shown that he’s the craftier and more experienced of the two, and his fingerprints were all over the first five games. In all six games, he has only 11 turnovers; Rose has 32. He was taking confident jumpshots and was constant factor on the offensive boards. But after Doc chewed him out for his bonehead foul on Hinrich, Rondo disappeared. His confidence was shaken, and he wasn’t a factor for the rest of that game. Rose didn’t even guard him when he was out on the 3-point line. The box score says that he had 19 assists in Game 6, but it’s my personal opinion that he was hardly effective. It’s not hard to rack up assists when all you have to do is pass it to Ray Allen, and indeed, 11 of those assists were from Allen scores.
Rose has all the tools to be one of the best point guards in the league…next year. He clearly lacks a killer instinct, and although he has taken some big shots, he would rather defer to Salmons or Gordon. He has a tendency to overdribble and gets the ball stolen too often. He’s not defensively experienced, although his blocks have been the highlight of this series for me, and he gets caught going the wrong way too often. He lacks timing as a help defender.
For Game 7, I give Rose the edge since Rondo might still be a little shaken. The crowd can easily get Rondo going, but Rose has shown some real maturity in this series. Do the Bulls lose if Rose has a huge game? These next two guys might have something to say about that.
2. Ray Allen vs. Ben Gordon: Nobody talks about the Gordon hamstring injury. BG was supposed to be day to day after Game 4 but came out in Game 5 pretty healthy. Is this being disregarded because of how Gordon has looked? I’m not sure, but after a combined 10-35 effort in Games 5-6, it’s safe to say Gordon isn’t the same. I realized I’ve never seen that much of Ray Allen, and he has proved to me how good he is. He’s better than Ben Gordon simply because he’s less streaky and more disciplined. Gordon can score from anywhere; but when his shot’s not falling, Vinny Del Negro needs to be able to tell Gordon that he needs to keep shooting but to stop putting up garbage. That being said, BG guards Allen better. Clearly, Allen had trouble following the younger Gordon off screens in Game 5 and subsequently fouled out. I was actually glad when Gordon fouled out in Game 6 after his atrocious shooting. Either one can put up big numbers, but the magnitude of their shots has been the single biggest offensive factor in this series.
1. Home court advantage: This hasn't proven to be as important in this series as expected, but in a fairly even matchup, it’s the biggest disparity. The
Additional Game Notes: As a
Sunday, April 26, 2009
The State of the Bears: Part 1
Breaking down the draft
Draft Needs:
1. Wide Receiver
2. Free Safety
Draft Picks:
Round 2, Pick 17 (49 Overall): Traded to Seattle for 68th and 105th overall picks
The trade was a bit of a headscratcher since the consensus opinion was that the Bears would pick the best available 2nd tier wide receiver, the likes of which included Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi. Otherwise, they would consider taking a defensive back like Safety William Moore. Robiskie was gone with the 36th pick, but Massaquoi was there for the taking. This draft was regarded as a generally low talent one overall but one with a lot of good second round talent. And of course the Bears drafted out of the second. Consequently Massaquoi was taken with the 50th overall and Moore with the 55th overall. More on the WR debate later.
Round 3, Pick 4 (68 Overall): Jarron Gilbert, DT San Jose St.
Scout.com Ranking: 69 Overall / 9 DE / 4 Stars
CBS Sports Ranking: 49 Overall / 7 DE
ESPN Scouts Inc. Ranking: 60 Overall / 5 DT / Grade - 80
Jarron Gilbert is regarded as a physical freak. He became a youtube phenomenon when he jumped straight out of a swimming pool: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXDSPbZ_OUw
He's 6'5", 290 lbs, strong, and fast. He has experience at DT, but was regarded at being a good fit at DE in the NFL and possible Elephant LB in a 3-4. He was climbing up draft boards as a straight up physical talent. He could fit at DT considering the Bears' needs, and Jerry Angelo has said he likes him most as an under tackle. He doesn't have great technique yet, and his motivation has been questioned. It might not do him justice to call him a project, but he's likely not a starter. It's also notable that Mel Kiper Jr. picked Gilbert as his steal of the draft.
Round 3, Pick 35 (99 Overall): Juaquin Iglesias, WR Oklahoma
Scout.com Ranking: 54 Overall / 8 WR / 4 Stars
CBS Sports Ranking: 79 Overall / 10 WR
ESPN Scouts Inc. Ranking: 111 Overall / 14 WR / Grade - 66
To get a better feel for this pick, we'll compare him to Mohamed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie.
Brian Robiskie, WR Ohio State
Scout.com Ranking: 47 Overall / 7 WR / 4 Stars
CBS Sports Ranking: 30 Overall / 5 WR
ESPN Scouts Inc. Ranking: 72 Overall / 10 WR / Grade - 77
Mohamed Massaquoi, WR Goergia
Scout.com Ranking: 115 Overall / 19 WR / 3 Stars
CBS Sports Ranking: 71 Overall / 9 WR
ESPN Scouts Inc. Ranking: 53 Overall / 7 WR / Grade - 83
There's a great degree of disagreement between sources on the 2nd Tier WR's. It seems that Jerry Angelo was hoping for Robiskie to fall to 49, but when that didn't happen they passed on Massaquoi in hopes of getting value in the later rounds. I would say Iglesias with the 99th is indeed value, but Massaquoi was expected by many to be the Bears' choice for WR. The Bears have locked Hester in as the #1, and expect Earl Bennett to be the starter at #2. They were looking for a large possession receiver to lineup across from Hester, and all three prospects would have fit the needs of the Bears. We can see how Massaquoi and Iglesias ranked on team draft boards based on their respective draft positions, so it's hard to buy that Iglesias was a better prospect than Massaquoi.
That being said, Iglesias seems to have all the tools to be a starting receiver. He's a solid route runner who's known for his toughness. The only real knock on him is that he doesn't have a second gear, but he does have great speed out of the blocks with a 4.46 40 time. He can be a very good player and has all the tools to contribute right away but is unlikely to become anything more than that. At 6'1" 210 lbs, he has good size to matchup against NFL defenses. On paper, he does seem to fit all the requirements, and his production at Oklahoma does not show many weaknesses. However, no one expects him to become a great player. We won't see whether passing up on Massaquoi was a mistake for a while, but the jury's out on the Bears' WR choice until we see what happens even though Iglesias appears to have been great value for the compensatory pick. I wasn't watching the draft at the time, but if I had been I imagine I would have been hoping that the Bears would go for Iglesias.
Round 4, Pick 5 (105 Overall): Henry Melton, DE Texas
Scout.com Ranking: 261 Overall / 20 DE / 2 Stars
CBS Sports Ranking: 206 Overall / 17 DE
ESPN Scouts Inc. Ranking: 206 Overall / 17 DE / Grade - 44
Henry Who? This was the Bears' reach of the draft. The DE pool in this year's draft was considered weak, and so the Bears chose to pick based on potential. Melton is a big, quick, and strong talent who is still learning the position. He started at Texas as a fullback, and shows great speed for his size with a 4.65 40 time. Melton is a project at a position the Bears have no immediate need. There were a bunch of higher rated DE's still available, but the assumption is that the Bears think they have the time and depth to turn Melton into a pro-level player. It'll still be a long time before we find out if he was worth it.
Round 4, Pick 19 (119 Overall): D.J. Moore, CB Vanderbilt
Scout.com Ranking: 43 Overall / 6 CB / 4 Stars
CBS Sports Ranking: 56 Overall / 6 DE
ESPN Scouts Inc. Ranking: 38 Overall / 5 DE / Grade - 87
Chicago is quickly becoming Vanderbilt North, but D.J. Moore can play. At one time, he was considered a fringe 1st round pick. He has the tools to play safety, but seeing as how the Bears haven't had much luck converting corners to safeties, he'll likely challenge Vasher and Graham to start at corner. At 5'9", he's undersized but has shown that he has the tools to play the position with 12 interceptions and 17 pass defenses last year. He doesn't have great speed but was fast enough to be a return specialist in college. He was projected to be a good fit as a Cover-2 cornerback. Moore is just plain effective; he plays the position with great instinct and reacts quickly to routes. He does show good strength for his size as well as good ball-handling ability. He likely slipped so far because of his size, but the Bears have enough depth at CB to give a chance to a player who has proved he's effective. He's confident and will likely come into the season with a chip on his shoulder.
Round 5, Pick 4 (140 Overall): Johnny Knox, WR Abilene Christian
Scout.com Ranking: 249 Overall / 31 WR / 2 Stars
CBS Sports Ranking: 151 Overall / 20 WR
ESPN Scouts Inc. Ranking: 115 Overall / 15 DE / Grade - 65
Johnny Knox is the fastest receiver available in this year's draft. He was productive at a small school, and climbed draft boards after the combine. He has Devin Hester speed but needs to work on his route running. At 5'11" 185 lbs, he has below-average bulk, but that hasn't prevented him from playing physical. He also needs to improve his footwork getting in and out of breaks. Knox is another upside pick. His speed is highly coveted, and he does have decent hands. With the Bears' current pool of WR's, they have more than enough room to add another prospect, but it's hard to say if they did enough to complement their acquisition of Cutler.
Round 5, Pick 18 (154 Overall): Marcus Freeman, OLB Ohio State
Scout.com Ranking: 81 Overall / 6 OLB / 4 Stars
CBS Sports Ranking: 67 Overall / 8 OLB
ESPN Scouts Inc. Ranking: 85 Overall / 8 OLB / Grade - 72
Marcus Freeman is a talented athlete with good speed at the Linebacker position. He is maybe a bit undersized, but had great production paired with Laurinitus at OSU. He's a good tackler but has some difficulty shedding blocks. There are some questions about his durability, but in general he's a great talent with the tools, speed, and strength to play anywhere at LB. This was a straight up value pick. The Bears have no great need here, but since he was available they went ahead and built some depth. He'll likely be a special teamer as well.
Round 6, Pick 17 (190 Overall): Al Afalava, SS Oregon State
Scout.com Ranking: 290 Overall / 23 S / 2 Stars
CBS Sports Ranking: 257 Overall / 9 SS
ESPN Scouts Inc. Ranking: 28 S / Grade - 30
Afalava has good size for the safety position, but he's really built for Strong Safety. He has decent speed with a 4.48 40 time, but lacks the range to play the Free Safety position. 6 rounds so far and no Free Safety. Was there a better Free Safety available here? It's hard to say, but chances are the Bears won't be making an attempt to convert Afalava. So where does Afalava fit. He's also likely to be a special teamer, but he's being billed as a run stopping safety. He's a huge hitter and has a reputation for his knockout blows.
Round 7, Pick 37 (246 Overall): Lance Louis, OG San Diego State
Scout.com Ranking: 290 Overall / 23 S / 2 Stars
CBS Sports Ranking: 233 Overall / 12 OG
ESPN Scouts Inc. Ranking: 28 OG / Grade - 30
Lance Louis is a quick Offensive Guard. He's currently lacking in skills, but the Bears have plans to convert him to a run-blocking tight end due to his size and speed. He'll likely compete for a roster spot.
Round 7, Pick 42 (251 Overall): Derek Kinder, WR Pittsburgh
Kinder has good size and hands at the position, but is lacking in speed. Not sure what Angelo especially liked about him, but was higly endorsed by Pitt coach, Wannstedt.
Undrafted Signings
Eric Peterman, WR, Northwestern
Mike Rivera, LB, Kansas
Dahna Deleston, SS, UConn
Will Taufoou, FB, Cal
Dennis Conley, OG, Hampton
Johan Asiata, OG, UNLV
Kevin Malast, LB, Rutgers
Tyrell Fenroy, RB, Louisiana-Lafayette
Overview
The Bears did manage to replenish their receiving corps, but it's hard to say how effective this group of receivers will be. Angelo seems to think that with Cutler as the QB, the receivers are bound to get better; however, we'll have to see how things turn out to get a good reading on all the young players. Iglesias fits in with what they had in mind, and Knox was a talent expected to go much higher.
The Bears don't seem to have addressed their needs at Free Safety. The majority of the undrafted signees they brought on will be special teamers. Taufoou was a coveted Fullback prospect, and many teams were competing to sign him. There is some word that Afalava may work out at FS, and he has experience at both Safety positions. Afalava was expected to go undrafted, so this was biggest reach pick the Bears made.
The 2nd round pick turned into two defensive ends in Gilbert and Melton. Both will be projects, but with DE contracts expiring next year, they were needed for the future anyway. It's hard to tell if they will pan out and be ready in time.
It's difficult to say that the Bears met their needs, but they did get some great value for their picks. They seemed to have stressed athleticism this year and added a mix of experienced players, ready to contribute and projects with very high ceilings. Overall, I would give them a B, but the results of this draft won't bear fruit for a while to come.
Part 2 to come: Breaking Down the Roster
Draft Needs:
1. Wide Receiver
2. Free Safety
Draft Picks:
Round 2, Pick 17 (49 Overall): Traded to Seattle for 68th and 105th overall picks
The trade was a bit of a headscratcher since the consensus opinion was that the Bears would pick the best available 2nd tier wide receiver, the likes of which included Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi. Otherwise, they would consider taking a defensive back like Safety William Moore. Robiskie was gone with the 36th pick, but Massaquoi was there for the taking. This draft was regarded as a generally low talent one overall but one with a lot of good second round talent. And of course the Bears drafted out of the second. Consequently Massaquoi was taken with the 50th overall and Moore with the 55th overall. More on the WR debate later.
Round 3, Pick 4 (68 Overall): Jarron Gilbert, DT San Jose St.
Scout.com Ranking: 69 Overall / 9 DE / 4 Stars
CBS Sports Ranking: 49 Overall / 7 DE
ESPN Scouts Inc. Ranking: 60 Overall / 5 DT / Grade - 80
Jarron Gilbert is regarded as a physical freak. He became a youtube phenomenon when he jumped straight out of a swimming pool: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXDSPbZ_OUw
He's 6'5", 290 lbs, strong, and fast. He has experience at DT, but was regarded at being a good fit at DE in the NFL and possible Elephant LB in a 3-4. He was climbing up draft boards as a straight up physical talent. He could fit at DT considering the Bears' needs, and Jerry Angelo has said he likes him most as an under tackle. He doesn't have great technique yet, and his motivation has been questioned. It might not do him justice to call him a project, but he's likely not a starter. It's also notable that Mel Kiper Jr. picked Gilbert as his steal of the draft.
Round 3, Pick 35 (99 Overall): Juaquin Iglesias, WR Oklahoma
Scout.com Ranking: 54 Overall / 8 WR / 4 Stars
CBS Sports Ranking: 79 Overall / 10 WR
ESPN Scouts Inc. Ranking: 111 Overall / 14 WR / Grade - 66
To get a better feel for this pick, we'll compare him to Mohamed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie.
Brian Robiskie, WR Ohio State
Scout.com Ranking: 47 Overall / 7 WR / 4 Stars
CBS Sports Ranking: 30 Overall / 5 WR
ESPN Scouts Inc. Ranking: 72 Overall / 10 WR / Grade - 77
Mohamed Massaquoi, WR Goergia
Scout.com Ranking: 115 Overall / 19 WR / 3 Stars
CBS Sports Ranking: 71 Overall / 9 WR
ESPN Scouts Inc. Ranking: 53 Overall / 7 WR / Grade - 83
There's a great degree of disagreement between sources on the 2nd Tier WR's. It seems that Jerry Angelo was hoping for Robiskie to fall to 49, but when that didn't happen they passed on Massaquoi in hopes of getting value in the later rounds. I would say Iglesias with the 99th is indeed value, but Massaquoi was expected by many to be the Bears' choice for WR. The Bears have locked Hester in as the #1, and expect Earl Bennett to be the starter at #2. They were looking for a large possession receiver to lineup across from Hester, and all three prospects would have fit the needs of the Bears. We can see how Massaquoi and Iglesias ranked on team draft boards based on their respective draft positions, so it's hard to buy that Iglesias was a better prospect than Massaquoi.
That being said, Iglesias seems to have all the tools to be a starting receiver. He's a solid route runner who's known for his toughness. The only real knock on him is that he doesn't have a second gear, but he does have great speed out of the blocks with a 4.46 40 time. He can be a very good player and has all the tools to contribute right away but is unlikely to become anything more than that. At 6'1" 210 lbs, he has good size to matchup against NFL defenses. On paper, he does seem to fit all the requirements, and his production at Oklahoma does not show many weaknesses. However, no one expects him to become a great player. We won't see whether passing up on Massaquoi was a mistake for a while, but the jury's out on the Bears' WR choice until we see what happens even though Iglesias appears to have been great value for the compensatory pick. I wasn't watching the draft at the time, but if I had been I imagine I would have been hoping that the Bears would go for Iglesias.
Round 4, Pick 5 (105 Overall): Henry Melton, DE Texas
Scout.com Ranking: 261 Overall / 20 DE / 2 Stars
CBS Sports Ranking: 206 Overall / 17 DE
ESPN Scouts Inc. Ranking: 206 Overall / 17 DE / Grade - 44
Henry Who? This was the Bears' reach of the draft. The DE pool in this year's draft was considered weak, and so the Bears chose to pick based on potential. Melton is a big, quick, and strong talent who is still learning the position. He started at Texas as a fullback, and shows great speed for his size with a 4.65 40 time. Melton is a project at a position the Bears have no immediate need. There were a bunch of higher rated DE's still available, but the assumption is that the Bears think they have the time and depth to turn Melton into a pro-level player. It'll still be a long time before we find out if he was worth it.
Round 4, Pick 19 (119 Overall): D.J. Moore, CB Vanderbilt
Scout.com Ranking: 43 Overall / 6 CB / 4 Stars
CBS Sports Ranking: 56 Overall / 6 DE
ESPN Scouts Inc. Ranking: 38 Overall / 5 DE / Grade - 87
Chicago is quickly becoming Vanderbilt North, but D.J. Moore can play. At one time, he was considered a fringe 1st round pick. He has the tools to play safety, but seeing as how the Bears haven't had much luck converting corners to safeties, he'll likely challenge Vasher and Graham to start at corner. At 5'9", he's undersized but has shown that he has the tools to play the position with 12 interceptions and 17 pass defenses last year. He doesn't have great speed but was fast enough to be a return specialist in college. He was projected to be a good fit as a Cover-2 cornerback. Moore is just plain effective; he plays the position with great instinct and reacts quickly to routes. He does show good strength for his size as well as good ball-handling ability. He likely slipped so far because of his size, but the Bears have enough depth at CB to give a chance to a player who has proved he's effective. He's confident and will likely come into the season with a chip on his shoulder.
Round 5, Pick 4 (140 Overall): Johnny Knox, WR Abilene Christian
Scout.com Ranking: 249 Overall / 31 WR / 2 Stars
CBS Sports Ranking: 151 Overall / 20 WR
ESPN Scouts Inc. Ranking: 115 Overall / 15 DE / Grade - 65
Johnny Knox is the fastest receiver available in this year's draft. He was productive at a small school, and climbed draft boards after the combine. He has Devin Hester speed but needs to work on his route running. At 5'11" 185 lbs, he has below-average bulk, but that hasn't prevented him from playing physical. He also needs to improve his footwork getting in and out of breaks. Knox is another upside pick. His speed is highly coveted, and he does have decent hands. With the Bears' current pool of WR's, they have more than enough room to add another prospect, but it's hard to say if they did enough to complement their acquisition of Cutler.
Round 5, Pick 18 (154 Overall): Marcus Freeman, OLB Ohio State
Scout.com Ranking: 81 Overall / 6 OLB / 4 Stars
CBS Sports Ranking: 67 Overall / 8 OLB
ESPN Scouts Inc. Ranking: 85 Overall / 8 OLB / Grade - 72
Marcus Freeman is a talented athlete with good speed at the Linebacker position. He is maybe a bit undersized, but had great production paired with Laurinitus at OSU. He's a good tackler but has some difficulty shedding blocks. There are some questions about his durability, but in general he's a great talent with the tools, speed, and strength to play anywhere at LB. This was a straight up value pick. The Bears have no great need here, but since he was available they went ahead and built some depth. He'll likely be a special teamer as well.
Round 6, Pick 17 (190 Overall): Al Afalava, SS Oregon State
Scout.com Ranking: 290 Overall / 23 S / 2 Stars
CBS Sports Ranking: 257 Overall / 9 SS
ESPN Scouts Inc. Ranking: 28 S / Grade - 30
Afalava has good size for the safety position, but he's really built for Strong Safety. He has decent speed with a 4.48 40 time, but lacks the range to play the Free Safety position. 6 rounds so far and no Free Safety. Was there a better Free Safety available here? It's hard to say, but chances are the Bears won't be making an attempt to convert Afalava. So where does Afalava fit. He's also likely to be a special teamer, but he's being billed as a run stopping safety. He's a huge hitter and has a reputation for his knockout blows.
Round 7, Pick 37 (246 Overall): Lance Louis, OG San Diego State
Scout.com Ranking: 290 Overall / 23 S / 2 Stars
CBS Sports Ranking: 233 Overall / 12 OG
ESPN Scouts Inc. Ranking: 28 OG / Grade - 30
Lance Louis is a quick Offensive Guard. He's currently lacking in skills, but the Bears have plans to convert him to a run-blocking tight end due to his size and speed. He'll likely compete for a roster spot.
Round 7, Pick 42 (251 Overall): Derek Kinder, WR Pittsburgh
Kinder has good size and hands at the position, but is lacking in speed. Not sure what Angelo especially liked about him, but was higly endorsed by Pitt coach, Wannstedt.
Undrafted Signings
Eric Peterman, WR, Northwestern
Mike Rivera, LB, Kansas
Dahna Deleston, SS, UConn
Will Taufoou, FB, Cal
Dennis Conley, OG, Hampton
Johan Asiata, OG, UNLV
Kevin Malast, LB, Rutgers
Tyrell Fenroy, RB, Louisiana-Lafayette
Overview
The Bears did manage to replenish their receiving corps, but it's hard to say how effective this group of receivers will be. Angelo seems to think that with Cutler as the QB, the receivers are bound to get better; however, we'll have to see how things turn out to get a good reading on all the young players. Iglesias fits in with what they had in mind, and Knox was a talent expected to go much higher.
The Bears don't seem to have addressed their needs at Free Safety. The majority of the undrafted signees they brought on will be special teamers. Taufoou was a coveted Fullback prospect, and many teams were competing to sign him. There is some word that Afalava may work out at FS, and he has experience at both Safety positions. Afalava was expected to go undrafted, so this was biggest reach pick the Bears made.
The 2nd round pick turned into two defensive ends in Gilbert and Melton. Both will be projects, but with DE contracts expiring next year, they were needed for the future anyway. It's hard to tell if they will pan out and be ready in time.
It's difficult to say that the Bears met their needs, but they did get some great value for their picks. They seemed to have stressed athleticism this year and added a mix of experienced players, ready to contribute and projects with very high ceilings. Overall, I would give them a B, but the results of this draft won't bear fruit for a while to come.
Part 2 to come: Breaking Down the Roster
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
MSG
Nong Shim's Onion Flavored Rings have always been an enjoyable snack, and with only 130 calories per serving (50 calories from fat) and 3 servings per package, they're a lesser evil in the chips and snacks universe.
http://www.amazon.com/Nong-Shim-Onion-3-17-Ounce-Package/dp/B0024L3FDW
Yet, one look at the nutrition facts gives the consumer reason to stop gorging on them. That's right. One of the handful on ingredients that go into the Onion Rings is monosodium glutamate, better known as MSG.
MSG has a bad rap today, but that wasn't always the case. MSG has been associated with dozens of different food evils. Some say it's a preservative; others claim it's only a taste enhancer. It has been labeled as a carcinogen and blamed for causing "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome."
Here in the U.S., the MSG industry has suffered from a windfall of bad press; however, until recently, MSG was still being used in copious amounts in Asia. With the Asian consumer becoming increasingly concerned about the effects of MSG, food manufacturers have been reducing, eliminating, and masking the use of it.
It had been several months since I picked up a bag of Onion Rings, and they tasted the same as they always had. But something was distinctively different about the ingredients list; replacing MSG was a different ingredient going by the name of hydrolysed soy protein. The MSG enemy claims that hydrolyzed protein is simply another name for monosodium glutamate. So the questions are:
"What exactly am I eating?"
and
"Exactly how bad is it for me?"
Monosodium glutamate is a sodium salt of glutamic acid, also called glutamate. Glutamic acid is an amino acid naturally occuring in certain foods and is present in protein in its bound form. In its pure form it is a white crystalline powder looking and behaving similar to salt in food. The first and largest producer of MSG is Ajinomoto. Japanese researcher, Dr. Ikeda first isolated glutamate and identified it as being responsible for a fifth taste, which he labeled 'umami.' 'Umami' can be roughly translated to 'Yumminess' and is more commonly referred to as 'Savoury' in English. There is some disagreement as to whether umami really exists as a fifth taste, or glutamate simply enhances some of the other tastes like saltiness. It's identified as a brothy perhaps meaty flavor identified best in foods like cheese, mushrooms, and tomatoes.
Nobody really denies the fact that MSG makes things taste good, but the majority of consumers believe that there are enough negative side effects for one to avoid it at all costs. There is a lot of conflicting opinions out there, but the consensus is that MSG can be responsible for an allergy like syndrome. A 1995 independent study identified MSG as being responsible for 'MSG Symptom Complex' in an unknown percentage of individuals. The trigger amount was a dosage between 0.5g and 2.5g.
As for other effects of MSG, the research out there is very conflicting. A lot of pro-MSG finds have been funded by the glutamate industry, and a lot of anti-MSG finds have utilized questionable research methods. A 2002 study attempted to link MSG with retinal thinning in rats. It turns out they were putting in 20g of MSG for every 100g of rat food. A 1970 study by Dr. Olney found that MSG consumption of 1g/kg body weight was enough to produce brain lesions in baby monkeys. This study effectively eliminated MSG from baby food at the time. Glutamates are back in baby food today, but considering that human milk has ten times the glutamic acid as cow milk, baby food MSG quantities are relatively small. MSG critics today claim that the food industry has shut down funding for MSG research. Author of Excitotoxins, Dr. Blaylock stands out as an authority who seems to blame MSG for everything. Realistically, others believe that the scientific community has become bored with the subject.
MSG has not been effectively linked to cancer and is not a preservative. One source states that the production of hydrolyzed protein can introduce carginogenic propanols in unknown quantities, but nobody seems to claim that there is enough of a carcinogenic effect in whatever glutamate product to be concerned. Glutamic acid has been linked to overeating by way of hypoglycemia. Glutamic acid receptors in the pancreas instruct it to release insulin causing blood sugar levels to drop and in turn causing the person to become hungry. The levels to which this is true has not yet been quantified.
The one side effect of MSG that government and health organizations warn against is the 'MSG Symptom Complex.' So how prevalent is it? The enemies of MSG claim that as much as 25-30% of the population suffers from it. A 1970 independent study fed 11 humans 147 grams of it every day for 6 weeks and found no negative side effects.
It's easy enough to simply say that if you think you suffer from eating MSG, then just avoid it. In that case, you would have to avoid KFC, Burger King, Doritos and millions of other food that contain some amount of it. Most of the time you won't even realize you're eating it because if goes by a different name.
Remember my Onion Rings? The hydrolyzed soy protein is basically in there to replace MSG. Hydrolyzation of protein occurs when isolated protein is broken down into its free amino acids by boiling it in hydrochloric acid. Some claim that hydrolyzed protein is just another name for MSG, but in reality you have all those other amino acids as well, and MSG only accounts for 10-20% of the composition of hydrolyzed proteins. The FDA doesn't require manufacturers to label hydrolyzed protein as MSG because "the chemical breakdown of proteins may result in the formation of free glutamate that joins with free sodium to form MSG. " But when you take your highly acidic hydrolyzed solution and neutralize it with sodium hydroxide, those free sodium atoms happen to be there for the free glutamate to join with.
How many are willing to give up their favorite foods in an attempt to eliminate glutamates from their diet? They won't be very successful. Some people differentiate between free glutamates and bound glutamates, amino acids connected to each other in the form of protein, but much of the protein you eat is broken down into free glutamates via cooking or digestion. The International Food Information Council estimates that the average daily consumsuption of glutamate at 11g in the form of protein and less than 1g from MSG. Another source estimates MSG consumption at 4g per week.
The days of Chinese restaurants using packets of MSG are gone, and although you may eat a lot of it every once in a while, on a day to day basis there isn't much need for worry. It's hardly convincing that the relatively small amounts of MSG can cause people to overeat to the point of obesity. Even the critics have difficulty differentiating between manufactured glutamates and natural glutamates. And considering that 1.5 oz of Parmesan cheese is the equivalent of 1g of glutamate, you will be eating a decent amount of it regardless.
The Japanese in particular embrace cooking with umami, and there are enough natural sources of free glutamic acid to make it a tasty part of your diet. My take on MSG in general? Don't worry about it too much. I don't think my Onion Rings are going to trigger the negative side effects of MSG. If you're eating enough of the fast food and snack items that frequently contain more MSG, 'MSG Symptom Complex' and insulin production should be the least of your worries. You might need to be more concerned about things like heart failure. On the other hand, natural foods contain free glutamates in just enough quantities to make your food delicious. Now you know why your pizza tastes so good.
Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glutamic_acid_(flavor)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umami
MSG Critics:
http://www.truthinlabeling.org/index.html
http://www.healthdangers.com/drugs/MSG/msg-research.htm
http://westonaprice.org/msg/index.html
http://www.msgtruth.org/
Organizations:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Help/FAQs_Flavorings/index.asp
http://www.fda.gov/FDAC/features/2003/103_msg.html
http://www.ific.org/publications/brochures/msgbroch.cfm
Fairly Objective:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2005/jul/10/foodanddrink.features3
http://chinesefood.about.com/od/healthconcerns/p/MSG.htm
Ajinomoto:
http://www.msginfo.com/msg_faq_saf.asp?bhcd2=1240282756
Cooking with Umami:
http://www.justhungry.com/dashi-stock-granules-ajinomoto-msg-and-health-considerations
http://ilhamilyas.blogspot.com/2008/09/delicious-miso-soup.html
http://digitaltelevision.wetpaint.com/page/UMAMI+AND+GLUTAMATE+SPICES?t=anon
http://www.amazon.com/Nong-Shim-Onion-3-17-Ounce-Package/dp/B0024L3FDW
Yet, one look at the nutrition facts gives the consumer reason to stop gorging on them. That's right. One of the handful on ingredients that go into the Onion Rings is monosodium glutamate, better known as MSG.
MSG has a bad rap today, but that wasn't always the case. MSG has been associated with dozens of different food evils. Some say it's a preservative; others claim it's only a taste enhancer. It has been labeled as a carcinogen and blamed for causing "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome."
Here in the U.S., the MSG industry has suffered from a windfall of bad press; however, until recently, MSG was still being used in copious amounts in Asia. With the Asian consumer becoming increasingly concerned about the effects of MSG, food manufacturers have been reducing, eliminating, and masking the use of it.
It had been several months since I picked up a bag of Onion Rings, and they tasted the same as they always had. But something was distinctively different about the ingredients list; replacing MSG was a different ingredient going by the name of hydrolysed soy protein. The MSG enemy claims that hydrolyzed protein is simply another name for monosodium glutamate. So the questions are:
"What exactly am I eating?"
and
"Exactly how bad is it for me?"
Monosodium glutamate is a sodium salt of glutamic acid, also called glutamate. Glutamic acid is an amino acid naturally occuring in certain foods and is present in protein in its bound form. In its pure form it is a white crystalline powder looking and behaving similar to salt in food. The first and largest producer of MSG is Ajinomoto. Japanese researcher, Dr. Ikeda first isolated glutamate and identified it as being responsible for a fifth taste, which he labeled 'umami.' 'Umami' can be roughly translated to 'Yumminess' and is more commonly referred to as 'Savoury' in English. There is some disagreement as to whether umami really exists as a fifth taste, or glutamate simply enhances some of the other tastes like saltiness. It's identified as a brothy perhaps meaty flavor identified best in foods like cheese, mushrooms, and tomatoes.
Nobody really denies the fact that MSG makes things taste good, but the majority of consumers believe that there are enough negative side effects for one to avoid it at all costs. There is a lot of conflicting opinions out there, but the consensus is that MSG can be responsible for an allergy like syndrome. A 1995 independent study identified MSG as being responsible for 'MSG Symptom Complex' in an unknown percentage of individuals. The trigger amount was a dosage between 0.5g and 2.5g.
As for other effects of MSG, the research out there is very conflicting. A lot of pro-MSG finds have been funded by the glutamate industry, and a lot of anti-MSG finds have utilized questionable research methods. A 2002 study attempted to link MSG with retinal thinning in rats. It turns out they were putting in 20g of MSG for every 100g of rat food. A 1970 study by Dr. Olney found that MSG consumption of 1g/kg body weight was enough to produce brain lesions in baby monkeys. This study effectively eliminated MSG from baby food at the time. Glutamates are back in baby food today, but considering that human milk has ten times the glutamic acid as cow milk, baby food MSG quantities are relatively small. MSG critics today claim that the food industry has shut down funding for MSG research. Author of Excitotoxins, Dr. Blaylock stands out as an authority who seems to blame MSG for everything. Realistically, others believe that the scientific community has become bored with the subject.
MSG has not been effectively linked to cancer and is not a preservative. One source states that the production of hydrolyzed protein can introduce carginogenic propanols in unknown quantities, but nobody seems to claim that there is enough of a carcinogenic effect in whatever glutamate product to be concerned. Glutamic acid has been linked to overeating by way of hypoglycemia. Glutamic acid receptors in the pancreas instruct it to release insulin causing blood sugar levels to drop and in turn causing the person to become hungry. The levels to which this is true has not yet been quantified.
The one side effect of MSG that government and health organizations warn against is the 'MSG Symptom Complex.' So how prevalent is it? The enemies of MSG claim that as much as 25-30% of the population suffers from it. A 1970 independent study fed 11 humans 147 grams of it every day for 6 weeks and found no negative side effects.
It's easy enough to simply say that if you think you suffer from eating MSG, then just avoid it. In that case, you would have to avoid KFC, Burger King, Doritos and millions of other food that contain some amount of it. Most of the time you won't even realize you're eating it because if goes by a different name.
Remember my Onion Rings? The hydrolyzed soy protein is basically in there to replace MSG. Hydrolyzation of protein occurs when isolated protein is broken down into its free amino acids by boiling it in hydrochloric acid. Some claim that hydrolyzed protein is just another name for MSG, but in reality you have all those other amino acids as well, and MSG only accounts for 10-20% of the composition of hydrolyzed proteins. The FDA doesn't require manufacturers to label hydrolyzed protein as MSG because "the chemical breakdown of proteins may result in the formation of free glutamate that joins with free sodium to form MSG. " But when you take your highly acidic hydrolyzed solution and neutralize it with sodium hydroxide, those free sodium atoms happen to be there for the free glutamate to join with.
How many are willing to give up their favorite foods in an attempt to eliminate glutamates from their diet? They won't be very successful. Some people differentiate between free glutamates and bound glutamates, amino acids connected to each other in the form of protein, but much of the protein you eat is broken down into free glutamates via cooking or digestion. The International Food Information Council estimates that the average daily consumsuption of glutamate at 11g in the form of protein and less than 1g from MSG. Another source estimates MSG consumption at 4g per week.
The days of Chinese restaurants using packets of MSG are gone, and although you may eat a lot of it every once in a while, on a day to day basis there isn't much need for worry. It's hardly convincing that the relatively small amounts of MSG can cause people to overeat to the point of obesity. Even the critics have difficulty differentiating between manufactured glutamates and natural glutamates. And considering that 1.5 oz of Parmesan cheese is the equivalent of 1g of glutamate, you will be eating a decent amount of it regardless.
The Japanese in particular embrace cooking with umami, and there are enough natural sources of free glutamic acid to make it a tasty part of your diet. My take on MSG in general? Don't worry about it too much. I don't think my Onion Rings are going to trigger the negative side effects of MSG. If you're eating enough of the fast food and snack items that frequently contain more MSG, 'MSG Symptom Complex' and insulin production should be the least of your worries. You might need to be more concerned about things like heart failure. On the other hand, natural foods contain free glutamates in just enough quantities to make your food delicious. Now you know why your pizza tastes so good.
Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glutamic_acid_(flavor)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umami
MSG Critics:
http://www.truthinlabeling.org/index.html
http://www.healthdangers.com/drugs/MSG/msg-research.htm
http://westonaprice.org/msg/index.html
http://www.msgtruth.org/
Organizations:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Help/FAQs_Flavorings/index.asp
http://www.fda.gov/FDAC/features/2003/103_msg.html
http://www.ific.org/publications/brochures/msgbroch.cfm
Fairly Objective:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2005/jul/10/foodanddrink.features3
http://chinesefood.about.com/od/healthconcerns/p/MSG.htm
Ajinomoto:
http://www.msginfo.com/msg_faq_saf.asp?bhcd2=1240282756
Cooking with Umami:
http://www.justhungry.com/dashi-stock-granules-ajinomoto-msg-and-health-considerations
http://ilhamilyas.blogspot.com/2008/09/delicious-miso-soup.html
http://digitaltelevision.wetpaint.com/page/UMAMI+AND+GLUTAMATE+SPICES?t=anon
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Working for Obama
I have no justification for what I'm going to say, but doesn't it seem like there wouldn't be a more fun president to work for? I mean with the exception of Bill Clinton (bad joke). It's only been two months since President Obama took office, and his visibility is leaps and bounds greater than any previous president. Below is an article mentioning a handful of the places he's been and things he's been up to:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iOmBrSJce9WwmkDD2o9EU8KT0RxAD979VRU00
What is missing from this article are his appearance on The Tonight Show as well as his NCAA tournament picks on ESPN. It's clear that not only is he working at a torpid pace, but he has a team behind him working just as hard. Two items that can potentially be on the job description for the Obama's administrative support staff are NCAA Men's Basketball research and playlist selection for the Queen of England's iPod.
Obama himself is clearly knowledgable about basketball in general, but there is no doubt that someone behind the scenes did all the necessary research. Year after year, a large number of office workers pour over their brackets, trying to determine if Memphis is the same without Derrick Rose or if Ty Lawson will be able to get over his toe injury in time. Someone in Washington poured over a bracket but probably didn't end up making any picks. Instead he provided enough contextual evidence and notes with various recommendations to aid the President in forming a bracket and appear on television.
In the case of the Queen's iPod, I imagine the following events taking place. Obama talks to a small team briefly about how he needs to make an impression on the Queen of England and is thinking about giving her a unique gift. He has some other things to take care of but expects something by the end of the day. So the team sits down and throws a couple of things at each other. People pitch designer, vintage, and rare items to each other; however, the catch is that this gift really has to be something unique. After a little while the team determines that they need to settle on something that's hip yet cultured to match Obama's image. After more discussion and brainstorming, they somehow land on filling an iPod with various Broadway tunes. They decide that 40 would be an appropriate number of songs, and then spend the rest of the day researching and listening to whatever noteworthy song they can get their hands on. At day's close, they reassemble and pick out the 40 that'll make it onto this iPod.
I'm sure the average day for the Obama staff is more mundane and political, but I love the fact that the kinds of things someone might sit down and do for leisure make it onto another's job profile. These kinds of public displays have given Obama much more exposure than his predecessors and not all of it has been good. Notably his "Special Olympics" wisecrack brought criticism, and less notably supporters of women's basketball found fault in Obama's lack of a women's bracket. I take some enjoyment out of these antics, and I've undoubtedly fallen into the President's trap as I view him as less of a politician than the rest.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iOmBrSJce9WwmkDD2o9EU8KT0RxAD979VRU00
What is missing from this article are his appearance on The Tonight Show as well as his NCAA tournament picks on ESPN. It's clear that not only is he working at a torpid pace, but he has a team behind him working just as hard. Two items that can potentially be on the job description for the Obama's administrative support staff are NCAA Men's Basketball research and playlist selection for the Queen of England's iPod.
Obama himself is clearly knowledgable about basketball in general, but there is no doubt that someone behind the scenes did all the necessary research. Year after year, a large number of office workers pour over their brackets, trying to determine if Memphis is the same without Derrick Rose or if Ty Lawson will be able to get over his toe injury in time. Someone in Washington poured over a bracket but probably didn't end up making any picks. Instead he provided enough contextual evidence and notes with various recommendations to aid the President in forming a bracket and appear on television.
In the case of the Queen's iPod, I imagine the following events taking place. Obama talks to a small team briefly about how he needs to make an impression on the Queen of England and is thinking about giving her a unique gift. He has some other things to take care of but expects something by the end of the day. So the team sits down and throws a couple of things at each other. People pitch designer, vintage, and rare items to each other; however, the catch is that this gift really has to be something unique. After a little while the team determines that they need to settle on something that's hip yet cultured to match Obama's image. After more discussion and brainstorming, they somehow land on filling an iPod with various Broadway tunes. They decide that 40 would be an appropriate number of songs, and then spend the rest of the day researching and listening to whatever noteworthy song they can get their hands on. At day's close, they reassemble and pick out the 40 that'll make it onto this iPod.
I'm sure the average day for the Obama staff is more mundane and political, but I love the fact that the kinds of things someone might sit down and do for leisure make it onto another's job profile. These kinds of public displays have given Obama much more exposure than his predecessors and not all of it has been good. Notably his "Special Olympics" wisecrack brought criticism, and less notably supporters of women's basketball found fault in Obama's lack of a women's bracket. I take some enjoyment out of these antics, and I've undoubtedly fallen into the President's trap as I view him as less of a politician than the rest.
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