Started Using iGoogle

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Posted on 9th February 2010 by Ben Krasner in Day to Day Goodies

There’s probably countless ways to create your own ‘home page’, these days.  Heck, in this regard “My Yahoo” was really ahead of its time.  For a long time I didn’t want to deal with what I assumed was a set up process and any time required to get used to the page itself.  However, when you take a moment to realize that you are visiting the same sites over and over to find the same information you have many times before… and possibly in the same sequence, even… you start to appreciate what something like iGoogle can do for you.

So far, so good!  Now, I have my email, calendar, task list, weather, news, maps and even my horoscope all right in front of me and right under the google search that I hit so many times during the day.  I’m just getting started with it and it only took me about a minute to set up.  I have too many items on my task list that are of high importance to spend extra time looking into the other things iGoogle can organize for me or to look into all the various applications you can supposedly use but I plan on doing so in the near future.

Michael Jackson’s Doctor Charged – Manslaughter

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Posted on 8th February 2010 by Ben Krasner in In The News

Los Angeles, California (CNN) — Dr. Conrad Murray, personal physician to Michael Jackson, was charged Monday with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the pop star’s death last summer.

A criminal complaint filed earlier in the day alleged that Murray “did unlawfully, and without malice, kill Michael Joseph Jackson.”

Murray turned himself in shortly before 4 p.m. at a branch courthouse near Los Angeles International Airport. He pleaded not guilty during a brief hearing before Judge Keith L. Schwartz.

Read More, Here:  http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/02/08/michael.jackson.charges/index.html?hpt=T1

DIY Network – My New Favorite Channel

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Posted on 5th February 2010 by Ben Krasner in Day to Day Goodies | Home Improvement

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I am completely hooked on watching DIY Network all of a sudden.  I’m sure this has a lot to do with the fact I have been working around the house and getting into tasks that at one time I would have never tried – if for no other reason than simply not wanting to step out of a comfort zone.  Life has a funny way of changing that, however, as I again found out when I stepped through my ceiling following a bizarre turn of events in the attic while up there to investigate potential causes of ice damming.  No worries, though, between my area hardware or home centers and DIY Network, I’m feeling more and more comfortable taking on more daunting tasks.

The best part of DIY is the demystification process I go through while watching others dig in and either succeed or screw up.  When I look at an area of my house I want to fix or improve, I can easily find many reasons to put that task off or even walk away from it altogether.  But when I watch others take on the task, even in an example like watching DIY Network on TV where you’re only going to pick up bits and pieces in each show or segment, I start to easily find many reasons why I should dive right in.

Great TV shows that the DIY Network puts out there, include: Ask This Old House, Kitchen Impossible, Sweat Equity and 10 Grand In Your Hand.  These are shows where I can pick up tips and techniques throughout the episodes that I can apply to the tasks I’m either in need of completing or might want to take on.  I’ve already learned why I need certain tools (and why I don’t need other tools) and how to use tools I didn’t even know were out there.  Not to mention all kinds of projects that once seemed impossible without the help from a contractor or an army of friends that now seem like great weekend warrior items for me to tackle.  All I need now is the house that we’re going to live in for the bulk of the rest of our lives so I can get to these items and get maximum enjoyment out of the investment.

Thanks DIY Network, and keep pumping out the great projects.  I’ll keep watching.

Ben’s Appletini Recipe – Natalie Approved!

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Posted on 4th February 2010 by Ben Krasner in Recipes - Drinks

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Ok, so Natalie comes to me and says… I want an appletini and here’s the recipe!  Naturally I read the recipe, make one, and offer her to try it – alas, she doesn’t really like it.  “Tastes funny”, I believe was the exact response.  I work by smell, in the kitchen, so I smell her drink and agree that it might taste funny because it smells a little off from what I have smelled an appletini smell like before.  So, I get crackin on a new recipe and Voila!  Natalie approved goodness.

Appletini Recipe: Ben’s Appletini #1

(typically makes 2 drinks or one large drink)

Take a shaker and fill it just past half-way with crushed ice (okay, use cubes if you must).  Pour in ingredients – in a perfect world, add the sugar first.  Cover and shake vigorously for 30-40-50 shakes – if you’re using a metal shaker you’re looking to shake until your hands just can’t bare the cold any longer.  Pop the top and strain into the glass – I typically just use the strainer built-in to the shaker I own, but you could use a hawthorne strainer as well.  You’re looking for only minute pieces of ice to make it into the appletini.

Enjoy!

Michigan Football Signs 27 Student Athletes For The 2010 Class

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Posted on 3rd February 2010 by Ben Krasner in Sports Commentary | University of Michigan Sports

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The Wolverines have signed a speedy and deep 2010 recruiting class of student athletes to be added to the roster for the upcoming 2010 football season.  Several of the recruits have already enrolled after graduating early from their respective high schools and will be eligible to participate in spring practice, with the remaining recruits set to join the program in the late summer.

Highlighting the class are 3 top prospects in positions of great need – QB Devin Gardner, CB Cullen Christian and Safety Demar Dorsey.  Dorsey, from Boyd Anderson High in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, was a recruit that originally committed to Florida well before his senior season of football, but who grew apart from the Gators after the relationship became rocky.  He was a late signing day addition to the Wolverines, having only made up his mind on where he would attend college the night before.  He projects to be a player who could play multiple positions in the defensive secondary and even play some offense and kick returner due to his exceptional speed and athletic abilities.  Dorsey loves to throw his body into hits and make plays in the secondary, making him look like someone who could become the true impact safety that Michigan has lacked for so long.

QB Devin Gardner, from Inkster High School (MI), is a tall and still raw dual-threat QB talent who is already enrolled and hopes to impress coaches enough during spring practices to warrant giving him a shot at some playing time as a true Freshman.  The most striking assets Devin brings to the table are from the physical side, as he rises 6′-4″ from the turf and has plenty of room for development in the weight room for added durability and strength.  While improving markedly over his junior season, he is still very raw in mechanics and often resorts to throwing from the run or displaying unorthodox technique in the passing game.  Devin’s not the fastest runner from the QB position but should have plenty of speed to run a read-option offense.  Seemingly the in-between choice for Rich Rodriguez, Devin is faster than Tate Forcier though nowhere near as good a passer, while being a better passer than Denard Robinson albeit not nearly as fast or as gifted a runner.  Rich Rodriguez will now have some interesting decisions to make with his roster of QBs, now having 3; each of which offer something different and perhaps none of them being fully fledged enough to run his show completely, yet.

And Cullen Christian is a corner that has great size, quickness and fluidity … but who might need to work with a speed coach to gain the next level of speed required to keep up with the truly elite WRs that he’ll often face in college.  He could play safety, also, and there are some who believe that will be where he ultimately ends up.  However, with Michigan so thin at corner and with Cullen displaying all the tools necessary to be a good one, I expect him to find some early playing time at corner and stick in that position.  He will join a once thin and now young Wolverine secondary and likely be asked to contribute early.

Other noteworthy additions include Marvin Robinson, a safety/linebacker hybrid from Lake Region High School in Florida who I feel will ultimately end up at a linebacker position after starting out at safety, Jibreel Black, a versatile defensive line prospect who could wind up lining up at two or maybe three defensive line positions before it’s all said and done and who possesses a strong motor, Josh Furman, a running back/safety/linebacker who possesses great measureables and blazing speed, and Will Hagerup, a punter (yes a punter!) with a big leg, solid technique and a great shot at being the replacement for the departed Zoltan Mesko.

The remaining 2010 Michigan Wolverine recruits:

  • QB/ATH Conelius Jones – Spartanburg, SC (Spartanburg High School)
  • RB Austin White – Livonia, MI (Stephenson High School)
  • RB Stephen Hopkins – Flower Mound, TX (Marcus High School)
  • WR Ricardo Miller – Ann Arbor, MI (Pioneer High School)
  • WR Jerald Robinson – Canton, OH (Canton South High School)
  • WR Jeremy Jackson – Ann Arbor, MI (Huron High School)
  • WR Drew Dileo – Baton Rouge, LA (Parkview Baptist School)
  • WR DJ Williamson – Warren, OH (Warren G. Harding High School)
  • OC Christian Pace – Avon Lake, OH (Avon Lake High School)
  • DT Terry Talbott – Huber Heights, OH (Wayne High School)
  • DT Richard Ash – Pahokee, FL (Pahokee High School)
  • DE Kenny Wilkins – Washington, PA (Trinity High School)
  • DE Jordan Paskorz – Allison Park , PA (Hampton High School)
  • DE Antonio Kinard – Youngstown, OH (Liberty High School)
  • OLB Jake Ryan – Cleveland, OH (St. Ignatius High School)
  • OLB Davion Rogers – Warren, OH (Warren G. Harding High School)
  • S Carvin Johnson – Metairie, LA (Archbishop Rummel HS)
  • Ray Vinopal – Youngstown, OH (Cardinal Mooney High School)
  • CB Courtney Avery – Lexington, OH (Lexington High School)
  • CB Terrance Talbott – Huber Heights, OH (Wayne High School)

Overall this class has plenty of speed to upgrade the Wolverines roster all over the field, though at times being undersized and other times being somewhat unproven.  Plenty of WR and Slot WR prospects to try to increase production out of those key areas for Rich Rodriguez’s offense, and a nice haul of athletic defenders to replenish a defense searching for answers at almost all levels.  A solid B+ class for Rich Rodriguez and company.

Go Blue!

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