CheezWizHed

It is easy to cheer for your time when they win, but what does it take to transform that team into a team you like? A team that transcends winning and losing, but just makes the game of baseball a joy to watch? The last four MLB seasons have brought unprecedented post-season success for the Milwaukee Brewers. Four straight years of October baseball has helped soothe the soul of any fan that survived the 90s…and the early 70s… oh, and not to forget 2002. Hey, let’s be real. Brewer fans have been long-suffering with a single World Series appearance and zero rings. Now, I’ve been a fan through thick and thin. But some of those teams have been easier to cheer for than others. Team streak (1987) was the first year that I considered myself a real “fan” and was filled with many memorable streaks. Mike Cameron and the Untuckem’ Crew having fun and annoying the Cardinals all at the same time – double bonus! This year’s Crew looks to continue last year’s winning ways, while also simply being fun to watch. Let’s take a look at a few individuals that bring more to the field than just a bat and glove. I’ll start with the million-dollar smile of Lorenzo Cain. Lorenzo was a favorite of mine back in the minors (remember the draft-and-follow process?). Unfortunately, just as he hit the bigs, he was traded to Kansas City in the Zach Greinke trade. LoCain is no longer the player he was offensively but he still brings high energy, excellent defense, and the potential to bring many HR balls back into the ballpark. Entering the last year of his contract, this might be the last year with the Brewers (and potentially in the MLB), but is still a joy to see him bounce around the outfield and celebrate with his fellow outfielders. Christian Yelich’s injuries and offensive struggles have gotten a lot of pre-season, mid-season, and post-season ink as people theorize on what he has to do to return to his MVP ways. But during feast or famine, Yelich has been as even-keeled as anyone could. Yelich remains the same approachable, humble guy whether he is rubbing elbows with all-stars or high-fiving a young Pittsburgh fan for making an excellent catch. His demeanor during his MVP years was the same as it was early in his career and the same during his last two years of struggles. Brent Suter…. Even writing his name, I have to laugh. Jim Carey impersonations, mock commercials, speed pitching, and a guy that just loves the game and being a Brewer. If Brent drives by in the bullpen car and offers a ride, I recommend taking it. But I think the thing that pulls the team together more than any other was an unexpected, early-season 2021 trade that brought Willy Adames to the team. Early last year, the team was muddling about out on the field and lacking an identity off of it. Willy’s impact came both on the field and in the clubhouse. A shortstop hitting 285/366/521 is clearly a huge addition to the team. But it is his energy with his teammates that elevates that impact so much. Everyone knew that their biggest fan was cheering them on from their own dugout (or SS when on defense). Willy was the first person to greet you after a home run and you better have the ups to reach that high-five! With Willy joining the team last year, it was almost as if our very own Benny Rodriquez was leading the team out on the sandlot. Baseball was fun, the summer was worry-free, and you almost expected the Beast to try to grab a home run ball away from Lorenzo Cain at the fence. Maybe this year will be the one that sees that elusive World Series pennant flying high and proud at American Family Field. But win or lose, this is a team you can cheer for! Comment and let us know… Which was your favorite Brewers team or player of all time to watch? View full article

I have somehow missed this! Good to know. I will certainly be listening to Bob every chance I get. He isn't what he was, but still excellent. He was a treasure in my childhood...we were as far away in the state as you can get, so we never got them on TV. But I listened to hundreds of games on the radio. Thank you George Owens!

I have somehow missed this! Good to know. I will certainly be listening to Bob every chance I get. He isn't what he was, but still excellent. He was a treasure in my childhood...we were as far away in the state as you can get, so we never got them on TV. But I listened to hundreds of games on the radio. Thank you George Owens!

I have somehow missed this! Good to know. I will certainly be listening to Bob every chance I get. He isn't what he was, but still excellent. He was a treasure in my childhood...we were as far away in the state as you can get, so we never got them on TV. But I listened to hundreds of games on the radio. Thank you George Owens!

I have somehow missed this! Good to know. I will certainly be listening to Bob every chance I get. He isn't what he was, but still excellent. He was a treasure in my childhood...we were as far away in the state as you can get, so we never got them on TV. But I listened to hundreds of games on the radio. Thank you George Owens!

Fernando Vina squints in the spring sun as he faces down Texas’ Ken Hill. Vina chops his bat twice, then readies for Hill’s pitch…fastball…just a bit outside. The 1997 season was the last time the Brewers had a regular DH. Dave Nilsson started that April 1st game and led the team with 54 games at DH that season. Now 25 years later as the Brewers prepare to re-enter the Baseball world where pitchers pitch and hitters hit, how prepared are we to maximize our offense? What will be the Brewers’ approach to filling this spot in the batting order? And how will Ben Sheets explain this to his kids? In welcoming back, the regular DH role, Brewer fans have been hoping that the Brewers would add a big bopper to fill that role; not to mention a homecoming for Nelson Cruz. However, the Brewer brass seems to be taking the same approach to roster building that achieved playoff appearances the last 4 years – less expensive, versatile, rotational players filling out the roster around the regular core. Players that might struggle in a daily role, but bring value playing in the right situations. Craig Counsel was asked about his preference for one player being the DH or utilizing several players and he responded, "It’s what’s available. Being able to go in the field and play positions, it helps everybody else out. More than anything, if there are positions that you can contribute at it helps the rest of the team out as much as anything. And then it helps the group stay healthier." So, while signing Andrew McCutchen doesn’t fit most people’s hopes of a 900 OPS regular designated hitter, it does fit the Brewers’ modus operandi for finding rotational quality while competing with the big budgets of the MLB world. A true “the whole being greater than the sum of the parts” philosophy. But isn’t having a regular DH the norm? In 2021, there were only seven players that had enough at-bats at DH to qualify; one of them being the incomparable two-way player, Shohei Ohtani. Thus, fewer American Teams had a dedicated DH than those that took the variety approach. Even back in the 1990s, the Brewers tended to use multiple players in the role - often finding ways to get a bat in the line-up for a player fighting injuries like Dave Nilsson, Greg Vaughn, or the consummate pro bat, Paul Molitor. You have to go back to 1990 to find the Brewers signing Dave Parker specifically to be their regular DH. What should we expect from the Brewers DH this year? Andrew McCutchen is clearly one of the options. His value mostly resides against left-handed pitchers, but can also be utilized as a backup in left or right field. With his recent knee and back injuries, Christian Yelich also presents a Molitor-like option at DH. Would minimizing the stress on his body by removing defense from his daily activities maximize his bat potential again? With Christian’s waning defensive capabilities, this might be his best long-term option anyway. DH also presents a way to maximize Omar Narvaez’s bat when he is getting a rest from the tools of ignorance. Omar’s bat faded late last season, so perhaps getting fewer days behind the plate might be part of the plan this season. Could the bat-in-search-of-a-position Keston Hiura find a home at DH? Keston needs to fix the holes in his swing first, but could eliminating his worries on defense ease his mind and help him bounce back to his 2019-esque levels? Of course, there will be times when other players fill in or take a defensive rest day at DH but it is unlikely (aside from injury) that they will log many ABs at DH. Getting ABs to players like Tyrone Taylor or a hot Jace Peterson will probably push the Brewers to shift lesser defensive players to the DH role instead rather than taking a regular role at DH. But whoever fills this new offensive position, the DH changes the focus of the senior circuit forever. Like or love it, it is here to stay. And with thoughts of Jimmy Nelson still fresh in our minds, it’s about time. Or as Ben Sheets said, "Who likes to hit? That's still what I'm still trying to figure out."

I saw this come out and was stunned they were rebooting the series already. I've watched them all since Michael Kean days and thought they peaked with The Dark Knight trilogy (good action, excellent supporting casts, nice plot twists, cool toys). I'm not sure I'm ready for another series... Of course, this seems like the only hero DC comics does well.

https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/family/should-i-include-a-dependents-income-on-my-tax-return/L60Hf4Rsg Dependents who have unearned income, such as interest, dividends or capital gains, will generally have to file their own tax return if that income is more than $1,100 for 2021 (income levels are higher for dependents 65 or older or blind). A parent can elect to claim the child's unearned income on the parent's return if certain criteria are met. Generally, the unearned income over the annual threshold ($2,200 in 2021) is taxed at the parent tax rate.

I just interviewed two people in person this week. I honestly couldn't tell you what either one was wearing (except for the mask). I know it wasn't a suit and tie. But this position is for someone that works in the lab most of the time, so there are no expectations s/he would be doing presentations or customer interactions where a bit more formality is expected. Certainly, the expectations have dropped a bit, but if I were interviewing (management positions), I'd still do suit and tie or dress shirt and tie in the winter (I hate wearing a coat on top of the suit coat). But that is also me... I like ties.

Grammarly, Grammarly, Grammarly! As an engineer I'm bad at grammar. Which is why I have Grammarly installed on my personal PC (can't use it at work unfortunately). The basic (free) part will even grammar check your BF.net posts! *hint*, *hint*...

As a hiring manager, I'll give a few bits of advice as I've seen it (from a software engineering perspective - other industries might be different): 1) Cover letters: Few people use them anymore. The few that do rarely do it well or add value to the resume. If you do it, make sure you write one for the job you are applying for and it should detail succinctly why you are a fit for THIS job. It should show me that you did some research on my company and/or my position/product and connect it to your experiences. Don't give me a summary of your resume or a generic cover letter. 2) Focused Search: The fact that Indeed, Monster, and other hiring tools allow you to spread a BROAD net of applications out there does not mean you will have success finding a job you like. Quantity does not equal quality. Examples of how to do a focused search: - Read and understand the position you are looking for and know it is a position you want. - Read up on the company and know if this is a company you want to work for. - If you lack of experience in something they want, do some research on it and have a plan for how you would address it (i.e. need training, willing to take classes, request a mentor). I never expect a new hire to fit perfectly for what I'm looking for (I'm a little suspicious if they do). I love seeing someone that can evaluate themselves and has thought through how they will meet my needs as an employer. - yes, it is easy to broadcast 1000 resumes and hope someone bites (and someone probably will), but there is a good chance you will be walking into a bad situation or one you simply don't fit well. Bad examples: - Someone mentioned to me as I was interviewing him, "Which job was this one again?". We talked longer, but the interview ended there. - Another applied for an "Embedded Software Engineering" position with a resume that did embedded 10 years ago, but more IT work since. When my recruiter asked him if he wanted to do Embedded Software Engineering again, like he did 10 years ago, he responded, "No". 3) Know what type of job you want to do. I realize this might be hard for some of you thinking about changing careers, but you have to know yourself and how your strengths. If you have an interview, you should have a good idea that you actually want the job. Certainly, not all information is available initially - don't be afraid to say this job probably isn't a fit for me. I gave someone an offer recently, but was very open as to the expectations of how I would use him. I told him that I was confident he could do my job, but unsure if he'd be happy doing it. I let him make the decision on if he'd be happy...he declined the offer. And that was probably best for both of us.

of course that depends on whether you are already in an itemized deduction for other reasons (charity, taxes, school $$, etc..). The new levels for std deductions nearly eliminated my itemization, but I still itemize.

First rule of investing is start early. Second rule is start now.

What sort of real estate? Flipping? Rentals?

Paid off my college debt after 3 years of working after college (didn't have much). Carried over a CC balance for one month my entire life. Paid off my last car loan in 1997 (my car payment goes into my pocket now). I try to buy cars that are 2-3 years old and sell them around 10 years old. Though technically I have a 10 year old and 16 year old cars right now because they run fine and this current COVID market is making used car sales crazy. So I'm waiting. Been maxing out my employer contribution to 401k since I started my professional career (7-8% min. Doing 10% now). I'm 47 and plan to retire at 60. Will still have a mortgage, but at 2.25%. Will have raised 6 kids at that point too. My advice: - Mortgage debt and college debt (assuming it leads to an improvement on your career) are the only debt worth carrying. - Start saving for retirement early. If it is too late for "early" start now. Max out your employer contributions as they are the highest possible ROI you will ever make. - Live within your budget, not your credit. - Don't be paralyzed by investment options. If you don't like investment lingo, hit the easy button and do the 401k "retire in year XXXX" mutual funds. Then learn more as you go. I didn't understand much about the retirement rules until just this past year. My approach when younger was simply to save as much as I could (targeting 10%) and dealing with the details later. Things change in 40 years anyway. - I'll have put 3 of my 6 kids (college isn't for everyone) through college and paying at least half of it for them (it is important that they earn it also and not just given to them). I started investing in a 529b account for them when they were pretty young. About half of what we are getting out of the account is earnings on the money put in... Starting early is important. So they are getting half of their college covered, while I'm only paying for 1/4 of it out of pocket.

If you do that, pay your mortgage every 2 weeks (half your monthly mortgage each payment). That essentially will add 1 monthly payment per year, plus save some interest as it won't compound as fast. Plus, most people are paid every two weeks, so there is good alignment to the paycheck.

The easiest way IMO is to project out what your income needs would be. Most places I've seen say that you need 80-90% of your current income in retirement (based on whether you have a mortgage or want to travel, etc..) Then your income times 25 would be your retirement need to last approx 30 years. https://www.fool.com/retirement/how-much-do-i-need/ If you are X years from retirement, you can project your current 80-90% income by the typical 2-3% average inflation and use that as your target. Of course, there are many special circumstances that may factor in. Your retirement income needs might drop considerably from current if you have kids that move out of the house. Or pay off your mortgage. Or you may have kids still living with you... The idea is to project out your potential future annual income needs. Do a best case and worst case scenario and see what variations might be there. I did this for myself a year ago and feel much better about my plan to retire at 59.5. Plus, I know what my variables are and can work on them to mitigate the "worst case" scenarios (e.g. pay off my mortgage sooner).

Back in December, my company gave me a compensation adjustment based on the market rate changes. It amounted to a 6% raise. And I'm still eligible for my merit raise in a month.

I consider the sauce as equal to any single topping on the pizza. Keep it light so it doesn't drip everywhere then pair the flavor balanced with the toppings. Pizza is not spaghetti drowning in sauce. The dough is as much about the texture as it is flavor. No rock-hard carboard, no doughy-goo (looking at you, Rocky Rococo) with crispy (not crunchy) crust edges or preferably no solo crust "edge" at all (toppings go to the edge). I mean, it is pizza, so I'll eat just about anything...but those are my preferences.

I like good pepperoni, but prefer sausage myself. A good SMOG pizza is my favorite. The Motor City pizza I mentioned earlier had two types of pepperoni (both flavor and cut different) and it had a really good flavor.

Given the amount of bread it in, you are probably right. But it was certainly surprisingly good for frozen pizza. I think I tried Jet's pizza a while back... Can't remember exactly what it was like though. We eat frozen pizza weekly (a quick meal for one night that we need to eat and run), so this was pretty good. We eat out far less frequently (maybe once monthly or less).

I came across Motor City frozen Detroit-style pizza at Costco. Two pizzas for $13. Great pizza and a great price. The sauce is a bit sweet like Pizza Hut. Obviously, a thick bready crust, but not doughy like Rocky Rococo's. Nice crispy edges.

I'm just not crazy about having a device that is pretty much just a single use item like that. Of course, last night I spent a bunch of time reading on amazingribs.com about grilling pizzas. Looks like I'll be making some dough during my holiday break.

Loki was really interesting because it was a very unique story. Hawkeye is fun, but predictable. Frankly, for Marvel, I like the individual character movies because they have a bit of depth (like learning more about Hawkeye's struggles and humanity; love of family, etc..) The Avengers just felt like you were bouncing from hero to hero to make sure everyone got their scene in. Big flash and special effects and less substance with endgame being the worst of it.

Hawkeye is good, but pretty standard Disney fair. Good action, but semi-predictable story-line and an obvious hand-off from the "old heros" to the "new heros" for the next-gen of movies.