Showing posts with label Wiki. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wiki. Show all posts

Thursday, February 05, 2009

Buffalo Bills, Howard University, and Eritrean Food


Notice anything interesting about this mural, my loyal readers? It's a DC Ward 1 (the Official Homeward of the Wiki Karmel (is that two words, USOWK?)) mural. Let's go through the features:

The image on the left is the Buffalo Bills logo, the Official NFL football team of the Wiki Karmel. It's also the team logo of the Howard University Bison.

Howard University is where I discovered Five Guys*. I guess it's becoming something of a national sensation these days. But back in the day** a gaggle of geeks I rolls with used to go to the Five Guys near the Howard University Hospital. That is until they closed it. Leaving us very hungry one night. And forcing us to scour the area for a meal that five people would all agree to. In the end, we chose Eritrean. Very tasty. Good choice.

*I think it's horrible now. The first time I went, I told them to "go nuts"*** with barbecue sauce and jalapenos. And they did. But every time I go there now, they never "go nuts". It saddens me.**** Also, I get indigestion every time I eat it.

**I actually hate the expression "back in the day".*****

***Recently I was at the new Shawarma place in Adams Morgan and I told the woman behind the counter to "go nuts" with the hot sauce. She did. I cried. But it was still tasty.

****Speaking of being saddened by early toppings overload, the Great Wiki Karmel used to live on the Upper East Side (for a month) with FGS (Fort Worth, TX) and Mers-Nads. We went one time to a Coldstone Creamery. Twas my first time. And the dude behind the counter obviously didn't care about his job because he gave me something like 8 Reese's Cups. It was toppings overload (and awesome). Everytime I went back, I got a "normal" employee who gave me one or 2 Cups. So sad. Now I don't eat Coldstone. But perhaps that's because I'm lactarded ...

*****Back in the day, I used to say "back in the day" all the time. Now I don't.

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Fact. Bears eat beets.

Question: What is the only state capital named after a Vice President.

Answer: False. Black bears.

But seriously. The BOTU posed this question to me earlier today (it was a Jeopardy final question).

My first thought was Jackson(1), MS (which coincidentally was the BOTU's first thought as well).

Then I thought Montgomery(2), AL.

Consulting Wikipedia, I came across a third option: Madison(3), WI. Was he a Veep too?

Turns out both of us were wrong (the answer later).

Jackson gave us the great Fred Smoot, of dubious fame(NSFW). The first successful (?) lung transplant occurred at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. And the USA International Ballet Competition is located at the Thalia Mara Hall. Weird.

Montgomery is home to the Alabama Shakespeare Festival (too easy...(4)) and the Montgomery Biscuits. Really? The Biscuits (5)? Also, Zelda(6) (no, not that Zelda(7)) Fitzgerald(8) is from there.

Madison is home of The University of Wisconsin-Madison. The Great Wiki Karmel has never been, but apparently the Halloween Party is out of this world. The band Garbage is from Madison. I'm a fan(9). It's also a sister city to Vilnius, Lithuania, which is currently the European Capital of Culture.

So....All of those are wrong. The answer is..... (djembe roll......)

Jefferson City, MO. Raise your hand if you got that.

Of course, out of my loyal readers, only FGS (Fort Worth, TX) has his hand in the air.

(1) 7th President
(2) Continental Army General during American Revolution
(3) 4th President
(4) Haha. People from Alabama can't read! (10)
(5) Actually, the name Biscuits came from a fan contest. The owner (who must be related to Andrew Elliott, Esquire) is quite the fan of puns. "Hey, Butter, Butter, Butter" or the team's souvenir store, the "Biscuit Basket". They actually shoot biscuits at fans during games instead of t shirts.
(6) The creator of Zelda actually did name his damsel in distress after Z Fitz.
(7) A damn fine game, however. It gets two thumbs up from the Great Wiki Karmel.
(8) Thoughts on Gatsby, my loyal readers? I'm very meh.
(9) Though only of the self titled album. I didn't like 2.0.
(10)It is the official policy of the Wiki Karmel (the blog, not the person), to not mock any loyal readers. If I have offended anyone, I apologize.

Monday, May 21, 2007

They're Wonder-ful!

Oh, the Great Wiki Karmel enjoys a bad pun! As does loyal reader Andrew Elliott, (soon to be) esq.

I may have emailed various loyal readers about this a few months ago (I know I sent it to my coworker, the 1-2-3*), but I certainly have some new loyal readers (everyday I get more), and they should vote too.

As you can see, a Swiss company is organizing a new Seven Wonders of the World. There are many worthy candidates for such a great honor. As a young lad (and as recently as about a year ago- I'm not ashamed to admit I love video games, as FGS (Fort Worth, TX) is), I played the computer game, Civilization (I own all four of them). The point of the game is that you start out as a fledgling tribe and found cities, discover technology, engage is diplomacy with neighbors, and among other things, build wonders of the world over the course of 6000 years. So, from this game, I am familiar with a number of great works of humanity (ie, the Pyramids of Giza, Colosus of Rhodes, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, etc.).

So I'm sure my loyal readers are wondering what the Great Wiki Karmel chose. I am ashamed to admit that I did not do the proper research on my choices. I read up on a few candidates, and then chose seven based on preconceived notions. As new loyal reader J (of PB and J fame) pointed out, it would be irresponsible to vote without doing the proper due diligence. So do not fret, my loyal readers: I will vote again. Soon.

In the mean time, these were my choices:

The Great Wall of China
Ankgor Wat
Chichen Itza
Easter Island Moais
Stonehenge
Petra
Taj Mahal

*The 1-2-3 is my coworker with 2 kids that each speak 3 languages fluently (English, Polish, and Chinese).

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Mernel

I’m speechless (well, not really- could the Great Wiki Karmel ever be speechless? Scientists universally concur: no).

As a young lad, the Great Wiki Karmel played sports with all of the kids in the neighborhood. Living just down the street, there were (in order closest to my house): Sujan, Geoff, Mike, Brad, Todd, and brothers Nick* and Jon. That was the core group that played, soccer, football, hockey, four square, “Night Games” (capture the flag, manhunt), made up athletic games (ie. full contact street tennis with a dodgeball type ball), etc. Typically, Jon, or Mernel (I’m not sure where the nickname came from), was the first or second picked, depending on the sport (unfortunately, the neighborhood kids did not recognize the awesomeness of the Great Wiki Karmel, and tended to pick me last…), even though he was two years younger than Nick, Sujan, and myself. So even at an early age (10 ish), Mernel was quite an athlete.

As many of my loyal readers know, I grew up in the same town that the Buffalo Bills stadium is in. Many Bills lived in our neighborhood: Shane Conlan, Daryll Talley, JD Williams, Chris Spielman***, Antoine Winfield**** (and his pink Escalade*****). Jim Kelly lived in the next neighborhood over. Anyway…it appears that while all of those Bills lived in our neighborhood, Mernel has a chance to be the first Bill to be from our neighborhood. As an undrafted rookie, Jon is practicing with the Bills. Though he may be a long shot to make the team, he will be a professional football player (he has an offer from the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL). **

*Nick, and I believe Brad (though I'm not positive), live in New York. Nick is also a member of the NYCBBB (actually, I'm not sure- I'll assume) and I've seen him a few times at McFadden's on 42nd street. During the season, you can watch all the Bills games there.

**Editor's note: Jon signed with the Bills. Here is his player profile.

***Editor's note: Orginally said Bryce Paup. Corrected by loyal reader Pa.

****Editor's note: Originally said Nate Clemens. Corrected by loyal reader Pa.

Saturday, May 12, 2007

A rare treat for my loyal readers: A Weekend Post

People should listen to me more often. Roy Halladay, the star pitcher of the Toronto Blue Jays, will miss the next few weeks because of an appendectomy. This is just further proof that the Great Wiki Karmel is the smartest person alive!

Just a reminder to all of my loyal readers: Toronto is in Canada, the greatest country ever! The one knock on Canada though: even though they love hockey, it isn't the national sport. And one more thing: what's with the colons? I should ask the USOWK if I am using them correctly....

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Cream cheese is good. Oh, wait, blenders. What?

Blenders. The Great Wiki Karmel does not own one, for two reasons:

  • As many of my loyal readers know, I don't cook. This week alone, I've gone to Subway*, Tortilla Plus, Red Pepper, and Montague Street Bagels. (In case you were wondering, 12 inch meatball on Italian Herbs and Cheese, with extra American Cheese**, toasted, with oregano and parmesan cheese; guacamole nachos (which comes with delicious refried beans) and a chicken quesadilla; General Tso's (check out the link- interesting discussion on the origin or the dish) Combo platter (which comes with broccoli, an egg roll, and white rice); and an everything bagel, extra toasted with extra cream cheese***). I have no need for any cooking utensils other than a pot (to make hard boiled eggs and pasta), a toaster oven (to make delicious sandwiches (1. toast two pieces of 7 grain bread. 2. put on provolone or brie cheese (if you are interested, I know a great baked brie recipe) and toast again. 3. put on salami or turkey, respectively and toast again. 4. cut**** diagonally. 5. enjoy.), or a grill (I am officially the greatest hot dog chef in the world). FGS (Fort Worth, TX) likes to get all fancy and cook things I've never heard of. I like to order in.

  • I don't like mixed drinks. Especially certain drinks with tequila that typically require a blender. I hate tequila. Strong word, I know, but it's true.

Why do I mention all of this? Loyal reader "Yakkity Yak, Don't talk back" sent me this.

*When I first moved to New York, I thought, "Subway. Stupid chain restaurant. I'm going to eat authentic, New York subs." You know what, my loyal readers, they aren't as good. Consistency is the big issue. Subways are damn tasty.

**American cheese. I know. Gross, processed, "can you even call it cheese" cheese. But, again, damn tasty (in certain situations. Scrambled eggs being another).

***Cream cheese is the official favorite food of the Great Wiki Karmel. It's the tastiest thing ever.

****That's for you, BOTU.

Call me skeptical

I don't buy it.



The Great Wiki Karmel is all about video games, as my loyal readers (and especially FGS (Fort Worth, TX), who, even though he would never admit it, really gets into it when I play. He asks questions, legitimately knows what is going on, yadda yadda*) know. And if this kid did do this, well, that's great (I guess). But, while we see him sitting there, pushing buttons on the controller, what we can't see is a friend in the background playing the game with another controller. Conspiracy theorist? Me?** Never.

*Which, by the way, is the 153rd episode of Seinfeld. 153=17*9.

**I'm referencing the fact that I thought JFK was a great movie.

Mmmmm....Keyboard.....

Sorry, my loyal readers, I was out of town for a bit last week and lost my groove. But the Great Wiki Karmel is back. With a vengeance.*

Continuing with my high tech culinary theme from last week, this is just fantastic.






It's for all of those computer geeks out there (I'm raising my hand) who just can't get enough. I should probably get one.... (by the way, when the Great Wiki Karmel suggests that he wants something, it would not be at all inappropriate to give it to him as a gift. It's a great way for my loyal readers to show some appreciation for all of the hard work I do).



They are making a sequel. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but it'll definitely be a Netflix... I mean, seriously, Internet terrorists? John McClane? In the words of Bill Simmons, the Sports Guy: "I will now light myself on fire."

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Buffalo 51

One of the newest Buffalo Bills, Paul Posluszny, will be wearing a different jersey number than in college. As many of my loyal readers know, the Great Wiki Karmel's favorite number is 17 (some might say I'm obsessed with the number). (I am). Will Posluszny be wearing 17? No. But as you can guess from the title (like I've said, my loyal readers are more observant than most), his number will be 51. 17X3.

Posluszny went to Penn State. As did the official dad of Wiki Karmel (for grad school). Penn State is thus my official college football team (I'm not that into college football though). Penn State has been called "Linebacker U" and head coach Joe Paterno even tried to recruit some kid from Western Pennsylvania to play linebacker there. He probably made a good choice spurning Joe Pa'. Anyway...

Shane Conlan was a great Penn State linebacker. He was also a great Buffalo Bills linebacker (and my former neighbor in good ol' Orchard Park). Posluszny has been compared to him throughout his career so him being drafted by the Bills is quite the coincidence. Many assumed that he would choose the number 58 (as Conlan wore) but he instead went with 51. I'm assuming I had a little something to do with it. Once word of my greatness spread to Paul, he probably picked it out of respect for me. Good choice, Paul. Good choice.

Another great sportsman in Buffalo, Brian Campbell of the Buffalo Sabres, wears number 51. Brian is involved with a great charity. I will be purchasing the t-shirt shortly.

Monday, April 30, 2007

90's: Age of the Fax

The Brother of the USOWK (otherwise known as my brother-in-law) sent me this email:

I was having a conversation the other day with an ex coworker about business technology, after he asked if he could fax me something. I laughed and said something like "I don't even own a land line, much less a fax machine. I don't think I've faxed anything in like 3years."

It got me thinking: we went from the letter (the only game in town),to the telephone (a revolutionary advance). Then, the telephone was the gold standard for a long time, until we discovered the ability to fax. However, fairly quickly after faxing started, we discovered scanning and e-mail attachments and the Internet and cell phones and stuff.

It seems like faxing sort of got the shaft, right? Will people look back on the 90's as the age of the fax?

Think about it, my loyal readers, when do you ever use a fax* machine? The Senior VP of my group questioned a few weeks ago why we still had a fax machine as no one ever actually uses it (though a week later, we got a fax**). He's right though. Who doesn't have a scanner?** It's much easier to use (I'm never sure if the paper needs to be upside down or not) and, as many of my loyal readers know, the Great Wiki Karmel loves email. Honestly, I've used a fax machine only a few times.

Maybe the BOTU was right. The fax could be technology of the 90's. But I think its advanced technology of the Baby Boom generation. Many Baby Boomers have been slow to embrace the Internet (my parents, especially). Sure, they email and look up the weather, but that's pretty much it. They don't use Feed Readers, Myspace (though neither do I), etc and they don't know what to do with routers, external hard drives, and scanners. Faxing was pretty much where they ended learning new technology. It's like that generation and music: They listened to Elvis, then the Beatles, then maybe Led Zeppelin, but at some point, they just stopped listening to new music. They certainly never made it to Neutral Milk Hotel (though I burned Arcade Fire's Funeral for my dad, and he liked it). Maybe the fax is their technological Beatles. Thoughts?

*Fax is a great Scrabble word. However the official father of Wiki Karmel, or Homer Simpson as he is known in certain circles, disagrees. According to HS, fax is not a word. Facsimile is. Fax is an abbreviation. Well HS, you are wrong. According to dictionary.com, fax is a synonym for facsimile machine or facsimile or the act of sending a facsimile. Fax is considered a SOWPOD.

**The Kansas City office does not own a scanner. Why? Who knows. Is scanning too advanced of a technology for Kansas City? Perhaps.*** So for them, we justify keeping a fax machine.

***The Great Wiki Karmel does not mean to imply that**** Kansas City is not the technological equivalent of New York (well, I kind of do, but it's just a joke).

****This sentance orginially read, "imply to Kansas City". Loyal reader Isabel (formerly de Sevilla, EspaƱa) pointed out the typo. Thanks Ees.

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

This kind of seems illegal

A man in Germany was out drinking one night and got too drunk to go home. So what did he do? He, and his HORSE, slept in a bank ATM vestibule. No charges were filed...

The Great Wiki Karmel is not a fan of horses, though there are many practical uses for them, including glue!

Why, my loyal readers, do I have such animosity towards our equine* friends? When I was 10 to 15 or so (I know. It's hard to imagine the Great Wiki Karmel as a child. What, with my amazing intellect and keen observational skills. I assure you, I was just as Great back then) I went to Camp Weona every summer. One of the activities there was horseback trail riding. At the end of a ride, the horse girls would tie your horse up and you would get off. Well, my horse was sick from eating bad hay. So he collapsed on his stomach while I was waiting for it to be tied up and started to roll onto its side. If I hadn't jumped out of the saddle, the stupid horse would have crushed my leg, thus prematurely ending my great running career.

So, I hate horses.

*Equine is a great Scrabble word. Easy to get the other letters, easy to bingo (equines).

Monday, April 23, 2007

IMOGEN!

FGS (Fort Worth, TX) and I randomly were watching Saturday Night Live a few weeks ago. I say randomly, because, as many of my loyal readers know, the Great Wiki Karmel does not watch SNL. Not because I don't like it, but more because I never think to watch it (either I'm busy or watching something else). Anyway... a great digital short came on and FGS and I were instant fans.

Fast forward a week or two. Cato, our favorite vagabond, is currently in town before becoming an illegal alien. He was playing some music for us and put on some Imogen Heap. The song is playing for a minute or so and then the chorus came on. FGS and I instantly look at each other and start laughing: the song from the digital short. This was Friday night.

Much to the annoyance of several of my loyal readers, Cato, FGS, "Yakkity Yak, Don't Talk Back" and I have been singing the chorus for the last two days. I encourage all of my loyal readers to watch the video so we don't sound crazy (explaining the video and why it's funny is difficult).

Because this is Wiki Karmel, and I like to delve a little deeper into all topics, "Dear Sister" is a parody of the Season 2 finale of "The O.C." Apparently there is a slow motion murder scene at the end of the episode where they play the song from Dear Sister. The song is called Hide and Seek. It's great. But it will get stuck in your head. You've been warned.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Vonnegut

As all of my loyal readers probably know, Kurt Vonnegut died last night. He was 84. I know loyal readers FGS (Fort Worth, TX) and "Yakkity Yak, Don't Talk Back" are Vonnegut fans, however, the Great Wiki Karmel is not. Though not due to disliking Vonnegut; I just haven't read enough to form an opinion. I read Slaughterhouse-Five years ago (perhaps close to 10) and remember enjoying it (though I can't tell you anything about the plot anymore). I recently read Breakfast of Champions and I was not a fan. At all. But I keep hearing over and over again Cat's Cradle, Cat's Cradle, Cat's Cradle (among others). So I will give Vonnegut another chance. After all, he apparently agrees with me about Breakfast of Champions.

Monday, April 09, 2007

Vanilla Ice Hockey

The Great Wiki Karmel is usually quite a humble person. But I feel like, just this once, I need to make an exception and brag a little. I won my fantasy hockey league!


Vanilla Ice Hockey was a fantastic team, and I want to go through and give recognition to all the hard work the team members did throughout the year.
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The star of my team was, of course, Sidney Crosby. It is quite refreshing to have a superstar actually preform like he was supposed to. Sidney was rated #5 to start the season. I picked him in the 7th spot in the draft and he finished #1 overall. He is the youngest player to league the league in points- he's just 19! Congrats Sidney.
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Vanilla Ice Hockey was quite top heavy at the Center position. In addition to Sidney, there was Jason Spezza, Marc Savard, and Chris Drury (a Buffalo Sabre). Spezza was rated 10 in the preseason. He finished rated 17, which isn't bad. But he missed some games (I want to say 20 or so). When he was in there, he rated 6th overall (in average production per game). Savard was 49th in the preseason and ended 14th. Savard was near the top of the league in assists. And Drury was rated 116th and finished 89th. He scored 37 goals playing against the other teams top lines. Solid Chris, solid indeed. Crosby, Savard and Spezza were the #1, #7, and #8 centers overall.
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Left Wing was where Vanilla Ice Hockey won the league. Thomas Vanek (the Great Wiki Karmel's favorite Buffalo Sabre), was rated in the preseason 74th. He finished 9th. Vanek led the league in +/- and was the first Sabre in a few years to score 40 goals (he had 43). Evgeni Malkin (the greatest Jewish Athlete today) was rated 90th. He finished 15th overall and will win the Rookie of the Year award. And Daniel Sedin, playing on a line with his twin brother Henrik, finished 21st overall. He was rated 77th in the preseason. These three players were the #2, #3, and #4 left wingers overall.
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Right Wing was another power position for the Great Wiki Karmel. Jerome Iginla, a former 50 goal scorer, was rated 24th and finished 18th. Martin St. Louis, a former Hart Trophy winner, was 79th and finished 22nd. He scored 43 goals. I did not draft St. Louis- he was a free agent pick up. They were the #6 and #7 right wingers overall.
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The defense was decent for Vanilla Ice Hockey. Sheldon Souray, another free agent pickup, led the way. He was rated 30th. He was one of the top defensemen on the power play. Dion Phaneuf, while somewhat of a disappointment, finished 50th (he was rated 31st preseason). Phaneuf is a hard hitting up-and-coming star. They rated #3 and #7 among defensemen. Buffalo Sabre Brian Campbell (of RJ Umberger fame) and Sami Salo were the other two defensemen- both rated in the high 100's.
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The goaltending for Vanilla Ice Hockey was solid (though the skaters were my strength). Ray Emery finished 8th among goaltenders, Thomas Vokoun 12th, and Marc-Andre Fluery 14th. Fluery was maddeningly inconsistent all season. For a stretch he would be unbeatable and give me a lot of shutouts. Then he would be benched due to poor play. Oh Marc-Andre! (By the way, Fluery, in my humble opinion, has the best looking pads of any goalie in the league- bright yellow). Vokoun was injured for much of the season but was stellar when he was there, finishing in the top five in goals against average and save percentage.
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There were 8 teams in the league. I drafted/picked up 9 of the top 27 skaters. While the goaltending situation let me down often, my skaters dominated the league. Good job guys.
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The Great Wiki Karmel, my loyal readers, will now go back to being your humble servant.

Thursday, April 05, 2007

BUFF-A-LO!

The Great Wiki Karmel, as many of my loyal readers know, grew up in Buffalo, and thus is a proud Sabres and Bills fan. The official family of the Wiki Karmel had season tickets to both teams for various periods of time. Unfortunately, the Bills have fallen on hard times in recent years, but, as with all New York City Buffalo Bills Backers (NYCBBB), I have faith. Despite my faith, however, ESPN decided that the Buffalo Bills fans are the most tortured fans in all of (American) sports. We have Wide Right and Music City Miracle... so sad.

The good news is that ESPN also decided that the "Buffalo Sabres rank No. 1 among 122 pro sports teams based on what they give back to fans who invest their time and money in the organization. " GO SABRES! Makes me proud to be a Buffalonian.

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Oh Avogadro

Avocado? No Avogadro (though avocados are quite delicious). The Great Wiki Karmel ran three times since my last post. On Friday, I ran 4.05 miles and Sunday 4.0 miles. But the previous Thursday, I was feeling really good. Why? Well probably because I slowed it down a bit. I had been running at 8 miles per hour. That's the speed that I would like to run the marathon at (a bit ambitious, but I think I can get there). That'll get me a 3:15 marathon. However, I'm not quite in shape enough to do that just yet. So I slowed my run down to 7 miles an hour. And what a difference it made! I was cruising along last Thursday when I looked down at the display on the treadmill. I had run 6.02 miles. So I stopped (my training program doesn't call for such a long run yet). It wasn't until I got home that I realized it was the same number as a great mathematical constant (divided by 10^23): the Mole!

This October, the Great Wiki Karmel will lead a Mole Day Celebration! Join me, my loyal readers.

Official Symbol

You will notice, my loyal readers, a new symbol added to the right hand side of the page. This is the official symbol of Wiki Karmel. As a young man, I was sitting in Mr. Fasenmayer's 7th grade social studies class and doodled on a piece of paper. I knew at once that what resulted would become the Great Wiki Karmel's name if I were ever to change my name to an unpronounceable symbol like Prince did.

Thoughts/comments/concerns.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Something terrible, yet delicious

As my loyal readers know, The Great Wiki Karmel is quite a fan of sweets. My favorite being just a plain Hershey's Bar (the half pound variety, which goes down in less than 10 minutes). Well this morning when I got to work, I was delivered a little surprise (surprise because I forgot I ordered them): Girl Scout Cookies.

I am partial to the Samoas- they are delectable. Thin Mints are the number one selling Girl Scout Cookie according to Wikipedia (which is infallible). It is the official position of the Great Wiki Karmel that mint is disgusting (among other things, such as anything that comes from the sea- another entry for another day). Long live the Somoas (which, by the way, is the only individual cookie to have its own page- take that Thin Mints!)!

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

The World's Greatest...Matzo Oven?

Apparently Rabbi Aaron Winternitz, leader of Congregation Mivtzar Hatorah in Spring Valley, N.Y, has been using an old school bus as a matzo oven for Passover. For the past three years, he cranked out over 100 pounds of matzo for the holiday.

Interestingly enough, loyal reader Royal Tanenbaum (formerly of Eugene, Oregon) (who sent me the link to the story*) and the brother of the USOWK both went to Spring Valley High School. I'd talk about Spring Valley High School, but there is no Wikipedia article (but there is for Orchard Park High School). So here is the latest challenge, my loyal readers: create the Wiki page for SVHS. It would be best if you actually went to SVHS, but feel free to do your own independent research (which may or may not include a trip out to Spring Valley, NY (where you could eat some matzo with Rabbi Winternitz)).

(I was going to end with "GO QUAKERS!", but then I realized that I had absolutely no school spirit....)

*Note to loyal readers: It is the official policy of the Great Wiki Karmel to cite all articles referred to me by third party sources. Feel free to send me a link. If it lives up to the stringent standards of the Great Wiki Karmel, I may talk about it.

Five is good, right?

I had decided on Saturday that I would take the day off and run 7 miles on Sunday. My schedule had called for 3 on Saturday and 4 on Sunday. Should the Great Wiki Karmel have openly defied the wisdom of marathon training experts? Well, as it turns out, the running gods said I shouldn't have. Sunday morning, on my way back from the grocery store, I tripped and fell up my stairs (damn you, running gods, damn you indeed!). (and yes, I fell up my stairs). Do not fret, my loyal readers: I am OK. But I did bruise my knee ever so slightly and thus did not run.

So I had decided to run 7 miles yesterday. However, I am sad to inform you, my loyal readers, that I did not run the full 7 miles. I only ran 5 (PTI went to commercial and an interview with Billy Donovan was up next- I didn't want to stick around...). But it was a good 5 miles. So I am OK with that. And you should be too.

(By the way, I was just reading about PTI on Wiki. The intro/outro music played on the show is based on the song "Cut Your Hair", by our good friends Pavement. Wilbon and Kornheiser, the two hosts of the show, are bald.)