Tyreke Evans

Tyreke Evans is on pace to join LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson as the only NBA players to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in their rookie seasons...

Christmas Party

Rushing home after Jack's basketball game, Sharon and I went to a Christmas Party at the home of my boss. Totaling about 40 people, the group was comprised of people that I work with and their spouses and significant others. Donna and Kevin were there.

At the end of the evening, they held a white elephant gift exchange. Like last year, we took a copy of Drew's Paradise Sessions CD. Unlike last year, it ended up getting selected and taken home. For some odd reason, during the gift exchange, Randy (the IS CFO) and I ended having our gifts stolen the most times...

Sharon finished the evening having her caricature drawn. We are just about the last to leave and it was after 11 p.m. by the time we got home.

2010 PAL JV Comp Basketball Tournament #1 Day #1

Jack is playing JV Competitive basketball this year for the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (SEAs) Eagles. Last year, he played in the JV Rec Division. The team plays in the Parochial Athletic League (PAL).

Like last year, Jack has been playing the 2 or shooting guard in practice. The Eagles have a very deep team. They have 11 players with a nice combination of taller boys and some solid ball handlers. The Eagles have added one nice ball handler (Jacob) and one capable small forward (Malcolm) to a group that had 9 wins and 1 loss last year.

The Eagles played their first game of the season at St. Ignatius against St. Albans. This is the first game of a double elimination tournament this weekend. The tournament games have 6 minute quarters.

Looking a little ragged, the Eagles led by the score of 17 to 8 at halftime. St. Albans then scored 7 straight points to make the score 17 to 15 at the end of the third quarter. With their larger players controlling the boards, the Eagles then rattled off 10 straight points to win the game by the score of 27 to 15.

Jack played about 19 minutes of the 24 minute game. After making the first basket of the game on a nicely designed play, he struggled with his shot. Jack ended up with 4 points on 2 for 10 shooting. Almost all of his shots were open looks that rimmed out or bounced off the back iron. Jack also had 4 assists, 2 rebounds and a blocked shot. Surprisingly, the coaches played Jack at the point guard the last three minutes of the game. I am not sure what motivated this line-up. I don't remember a time last year when Jack ran the point with Joe and the other starters on the floor.

2009 Christmas Tree

California Historical Landmark #165

Weber Point
California State Historical Landmark #165
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This landmark is located on Center Street between Channel and Miner Streets, Stockton, California. There are 24 other California State Historical Landmarks in San Joaquin County. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 37° 57.325 W 121° 17.533.

You can log your visit to this landmark at waymark.com.


Site of a two-story adobe-and-redwood house built in 1850 by Charles M. Weber, founder and pioneer developer of Stockton. One of the first elaborate residences and landscaped gardens in the San Joaquin Valley, it remained Captain Weber's home until his death in 1881.

ESPN 30 for 30 - The Band That Wouldn't Die

I rewatched The Band That Wouldn't Die. This is actually the second film in ESPN's 30 for 30 series. It tells the story of the Baltimore Colts leaving town in 1984 for Indianapolis through the eyes of the members of the Baltimore Colts marching band.

For years, I have also heard stories about how the Colts snuck out of town in the middle of the night. The film opens with old news footage of the moving vans pulling of the Colts complex in the middle of the night. Combined with old news footage, this sequence is pretty powerful.

I also amazed by footage of the Colts owner Robert Irsay giving press conferences when he was clearly drunk. I have never since anything like it. It is almost impossible to believe that something like that could happen in sports today. I would watch a pay-for-view telecast of one of the Maloofs, Mark Cuban or Jerry Buss giving a drunk press conference.

After the Colts left Baltimore, the band continued to perform at parades and other NFL stadiums. They played a role in continuing efforts to get another NFL team back in Baltimore. Ironically, Baltimore eventually lured the Art Modell's Browns from Cleveland in 1996 and renamed them the Ravens. Technically, the NFL considered the Ravens an expansion team and reactivated the Browns team in Cleveland.

Bill Simmons did a short podcast with the director Barry Levinson about the film and a variety of other topics.

Big Tree: Making Nests in the Heights

Kaila and Morgan's Band, Big Tree, was featured on Daytrotter.com. There is a write-up on the band and some songs available to play on-line and download.

Big Tree: Making Nests in the Heights

You can just go right ahead and throw out the very real fact that this Brooklyn band have the name Big Tree. It's so close to the bone that it must be talked about anytime they are. Band names are just band names most of the time. The Arctic Monkeys aren't from anywhere near the Arctic and they aren't monkeys - just one example of millions. It's almost always gibberish gunk, serving the purpose of recognition and nothing else. Well, not so in the case of this mood-inducing, mood-furthering band led by vocalist Kaila McIntyre-Bader. Each of the five members of this ensemble harbor tree houses and nests in their heads, places that they shy away to when they need to feel things in their lives getting easier, even just for a second, for a half hour. They have these places of solitude that they can just scamper away to for a much-needed retreat, getting to where the out of control expansion of the frightening hecticness cannot get at them directly. The songs on the band's self-titled debut are scattered with hints and references to big, thick trees, their boughs and the kind of safety and escape that they can offer to those seeking a disappearance, for whatever reason that may be. Really, who needs a reason to disappear? It's okay to just leave today and Big Tree gives us that out, that ability to just swiftly leave here, to tear up the trunk of a huge maple or spruce and just get lost in the green leaves and the heights. It's not even just the urge to scale up a hunk of bark and leave the ground and all of the pestering and irritating people and problems below, it's getting lost in the piping and duct work of the trees that McIntyre-Bader and band are suggesting. She sings on "Woods," a breezy and slightly rowdy (for them) newer, non-album track about how all she wants to do is climb through the roots of a tree to the ocean, where they must lead, she figures. The songs are slow cookers, letting all of the instruments move at an easy-going pace, stretching and silently groaning in delight - the cymbals shimmering a clanging shower and the pitter-patter of tom feel outdoorsy, as if we're all being made aware that we might need to find real shelter if the skies turn evil and unreasonable. There are nests being made in heads of hair and McIntyre-Bader is left thinking such vulnerable thoughts as, "I'd like to see a time-lapse of daylight/I'd like to see a time-lapse of the spring to summer/I'd like to see a time-lapse of the change of hearts," and leaving us to recognize that somehow in the time from when the song started to when it finished, we'd moved into the tree too, keeping close to as many parts of it to hold onto, but really relishing that we're now in the same space - out of the way and feeling relatively safe.

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Brandi Carlile - Dying Day

The complete list of Starbucks iTunes picks of the week is here!

Back from Bremerton

After a morning cup of coffee with Jill, I spent the day winding my back to Sacramento. I drove from Bremerton back to Sea-Tac and caught a very full late morning Southwest flight. I was home by 1:30 p.m.

NBA Power Rankings 2009-2010 Week 6

Sharon and Jack went to the Kings versus Miami game on Sunday night.

The Kings remain at 16th in Marc Stein's weekly power rankings of NBA teams.

NBA Basketball Power Rankings

Can't quibble with the 14-3 record posted by Alvin Gentry in November, but you could easily say Paul Westphal's 8-8 mark was also worthy of the season's first Western Conference coach of the month award.

2009 49ers versus Seahawks

Wallen and I got a late start on the morning. We had a quick breakfast at Hi-Lo's 15th Street Cafe in Bremerton. From there, we caught the ferry to Seattle and headed to Qwest Field. We saw the San Francisco 49ers play the Seattle Seahawks.

Fearing what the weather might be like in December in Seattle, I bought a pair of club level tickets (section 209, row c, seats 16 and 17). These tickets gave us access to nice set of bars, restaurants and lounges behind the lower level of boxes. I figured that if it was snowing or miserably cold then we retreat into the lounges. Although it was cold, we actually saw some blue sky and the sun during the game.

I was very impressed with the seats and the stadium.


The 49ers made a number of mistakes including a botched reverse on a punt that resulted in a Seahawks touchdown. The 49ers lost the game by the score of 17 to 14 on a field goal as time expired.

Wallen and I wandered back to the ferry building after the game and continued trying to solve all the world's problems. We eventually caught the ferry back to Bremerton. The only tactical error that we made was failing to bring a cribbage board and deck of cards with us.

Jill met at us in downtown Bremerton. We finished the night with dinner at Anthony's.

It was a very nice day. I enjoy Wallen's company a great deal.

Seahawks versus 49ers

Seahawks versus 49ers, originally uploaded by heringermr.

To Bremerton

When Southwest ran a cheap fares promotion in October, I decided to grab a ticket to come up and see the Wallens. Up early, I caught an empty 7 a.m. flight from Sacramento to Seattle-Tacoma. I rented a car and after a brief period of wrestling with the GPS (it wanted to take me into to downtown Seattle to catch the ferry to Bremerton) I drove to Wallen's beautiful place on Phinney Bay.

John, Jill and I had a long leisurely lunch at the Boatshed in Bremerton. There was a grey whale swimming back and forth between the Manette Bridge and the Turner Joy. It was an amazing sight.



In the early evening, the three of us headed to a Christmas party thrown by the CEO of Harrison Medical Center. John is currently serving as the Chairman of the Board. I met the CEO and his wife before at Jill's 50th birthday party. I had a nice evening tagging along with John and Jill as they mingled in a crowd of more than 100 people.

Joyce Heringer

My Mother passed away yesterday. She was 77 years old. She is on the far end of the table.

This picture was taken at Thanksgiving, probably in 1963 or 1964. My dad is on the near end of the table; he passed away in 1986. My mother's parents are on either side of near end of the table. Her younger brother and his wife are on the left side, while her older brother's wife is on the right side. Her older brother is taking the picture.

IS Leadership Team Dinner and Team Building

Ahead of an all day planning meeting on Friday, our Information Systems Leadership team had dinner at Scott's on the River. Afterwards as a team building exercise, we went bowling at Strikes in Elk Grove. I started off terrible, but improved slightly over the course of three games. I bowled an 82, 107 and 127 for a combined three game score of 316.

 

Fall 2009 Outlaws Tournament Game Log

11-22-2009 - Bay Valley Bombers 4, Outlaws 1 - [Box Score]
11-21-2009 - Reno Blue Devils 4, Outlaws 3 - [Box Score]
11-21-2009 - Outlaws 12, Nevada Outlaws 2 - [Box Score]
11-01-2009 - Nevada Dust Devils 5, Outlaws 4 - [Box Score]
10-30-2009 - Nevada Dust Devils 3, Outlaws 2 - [Box Score]
10-30-2009 - Outlaws 9, Bay Valley Bombers 6 - [Box Score]
10-19-2009 - Bay Valley Bombers 4, Outlaws 1 - [Box Score]
10-18-2009 - All Out Acorns 8, Outlaws 2 - [Box Score]
10-18-2009 - Outlaws 14, Warriors 4 - [Box Score]
10-18-2009 - Club All Star Blue 7, Outlaws 4 - [Box Score]
10-04-2009 - Monterey Bay 6, Outlaws 4 - [Box Score]
10-03-2009 - Hard 90 6, Outlaws 4 - [Box Score]
10-03-2009 - Outlaws 7, Monterey Bay 2 [Box Score]
09-20-2009 - Hard 90 12, Outlaws 3 [Box Score]
09-20-2009 - Outlaws 9, Warriors 2 [Box Score]
09-19-2009 - Outlaws 10, Bulldogs 6 [Box Score]
09-19-2009 - Hard 90 11, Outlaws 3 [Box Score]
09-06-2009 - Blue Devils 9, Outlaws 0 [Box Score]
09-05-2009 - Amigos 10, Outlaws 4 [Box Score]
09-05-2009 - Outlaws 14, River Bandits 2 [Box Score]
09-05-2009 - Outlaws 15, Demons 3 [Box Score]

The Elk Grove Outlaws played 6 tournaments in the fall of 2009.  They had 8 wins and 13 losses.

The Outlaws had 4 wins and 4 losses in the first two tournaments in September.  The average differential in the 4 losses was 8.0 runs.

The Outlaws had 2 wins and 5 losses in the second two tournaments in October.  The average differential in the 5 losses was 3.2 runs.

The Outlaws had 2 wins and 4 losses in the last two tournaments.  The average differential in the 4 losses was 1.5 runs.

California Historical Landmark #2

Portolá Journey's End
California State Historical Landmark #2
See this location on Yahoo Maps in Flickr
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This landmark is located at the intersection of East Creek Drive and Alma Street, Menlo Park, California. There are 33 other California State Historical Landmarks in San Mateo County. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 37° 26.869 W 122° 10.253.

You can log your site to this site at waymarking.com!


In 1769 the Portolá expedition of 63 men and 200 horses and mules camped near El Palo Alto, the tall tree. They had traveled from San Diego in search of Monterey but discovered instead the Bay of San Francisco. Finding the bay too large to go around, and deciding that Monterey had been bypassed, they ended the search and returned to San Diego.

Kings Tyreke Evans named Western Conference Rookie of the Month

KINGS TYREKE EVANS NAMED WESTERN CONFERENCE ROOKIE OF THE MONTH FOR OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for games played from the start of the season (Oct. 27) through November. Evans is averaging 18.8 points (44.6 FG%, 32.3 3pt%, 79.0 FT%), 5.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.33 steals, and 36.1 minutes per game in starting all 15 games he has played in this season. He leads the Kings in assists and is second in scoring. Evans becomes only the third Kings player to be named Rookie of the Month, joining Brian Grant (January 1995) and Lionel Simmons (December 1990 and February 1991).

Star Trek

Saturday night, we watched Star Trek, the 2009 film that essentially reboots the series, in HD on the AppleTV. We enjoyed the movie.

Nevertheless, I have a huge problem with the use of time travel as a plot point. Both the old television series and the movies have used time travel on a number of occasions. I understand why they did it; they wanted to cast Leonard Nimoy in the movie as the old Spook. As used in this film, it would seem that a number of things that we knew from the series and the other films have been changed substantially. During the movie, I kept thinking how the hell does that work? It makes my head hurt.

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Andrea Bocelli - Silent Night

The complete list of Starbucks iTunes picks of the week is here!