We're Back!

The Whole Clan
Originally uploaded by SDClark5.

We returned yesterday from our most excellent trip to Florida and a visit with the Lapham side of the family.


I've posted some pictures here: Chipotle's Pictures

Sweet Table

You gotta check this table out.

Christmas 1954

Memories of Christmas past.

The Christmas Newsletter

I'm pretty bad at the whole Christmas card slash family newsletter tradition. Most years I have good intentions, but by St Patrick's day I've realized that laziness and apathy have once again triumphed. Well, much to my surprise I was able to pound out a newsletter last night. Of course the question will be, will I get them printed, put in envelopes, and mailed?

Anyway, here's the electronic version:



I think the last time we published one of these things was during the Clinton administration. I’m a little rusty but here goes…

I’ll begin with the solemn. In February a year after being diagnosed with cancer my dad completed his journey. He died, as he lived, with quiet dignity. He is missed every day.

On to the joyous. 2006 had many highlights. Our major travel adventure was a trip to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico with a side trip to the little town of Xilitla to check out Edward James’s site Las Pozas – it was awesome.

Travel in 2006 also included the 5th annual Seamhead Tour (guys drinking beer, eating tube steaks, and going to ballgames). I just set the itinerary for our ‘07 trip (Minnesota, Miller Park, Wrigley, Comerica, the Jake, and PNC) on which I will meet my goal of attending games at all 30 ballparks. I’ll also be granted a life time membership in the Council of Baseball Nerds.

Ethel took the job this year of head counselor at an alternative high school that gives kids a last chance to graduate. The title of head counselor is bit misleading as she wears multiple hats. As far as I can tell the job entails being part principal, security officer, store proprietor, counselor, custodian, and chief bottle washer.

Annie graduated (in only 3.5 years!) this month from San Francisco State with a degree in graphics. She’s hip, happening, and already a working designer with a firm in The City.

David spent a significant part of the year recovering from shoulder surgery (an old baseball injury). He has recently started swinging a golf club, so I guess his recovery is almost complete. He is scheduled to graduate from SDSU in June with a BA in beer drinking with a minor in coed chasing (although it might be the other way around). He’s still working for the Padres. The pay sucks but he’s convinced a promotion to general manager is in the near future.

Carly, our only child who inherited the math gene, is considering a career in engineering. November was a bit stressful, but the college application process is now complete. (Last I heard UC Davis, Cal Poly Slo, Berkeley, and Northwestern were in the mix.) She’ll find out her future in March.

I’ve really been enjoying mid-life crisis. Not too long ago I realized that there is a lot of music being made today that could have been coming out of my stereo in 1973. So, once or twice a month I find myself in a local venue bobbing my head to live music. Concert highlights from this year include Ryan Adams (a couple times), M Ward, Amos Lee, and Joseph Arthur. If anybody’s interested, I have an extra ticket to My Morning Jacket on January 2.

Christmas Vacation!

School's out and the Clark family is headed to Florida. Stuart our destination got 8 inches of rain yesterday. At least that'll be a change of pace.

What Happens To Your Body If You Drink A Coke Right Now?

If you enjoy drinking sodas, skip this article.

Drink a Coke

Wii Have a Problem

Evidently, Wii controlers are (literally) flying out of video gamers hands and doing some impressive damage.



Stories of wii gamer woe are being collected here:Wii Have a Problem

Time Sponge

Will It Blend II

As great as the original Will It Blend videos are, this spoof is even better.

Worth a Buck

Here are a few more songs for your iPods:

New School

Jolene *** Ray Lamontagne
Gray or Blue *** Jaymay
Lazy Eye *** Silversun Pickups

Ol' School

Hold On *** Tom Waits

A Tip

Here's something we should all do today.

From Andrew Tobias

Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place.

Also, carry a photocopy of your passport when traveling either here or abroad.

Padres Sign Maddux (yawn)

Well, the Padres with $25M or so burning a hole in their pocket signed Greg Maddux. I guess in comparison to the insanity of some of the contracts being handed out (Lilly 4/$44, Meche 4/$40, Padilla 3/$34, Eaton 3/$24 etc) signing Maddux for 2/$20 seems like a smart move. It just seems to me that they paid a premium for a brand name, but in the end they didn't improve themselves very much.

Maddux hasn't been an elite pitcher for several years. There aren't many starters who succeed with a K-rate below 5.0 and an XBH rate above 3.5.

Maddux in 2006 K/9 = 5.0 XBH/9 = 4.1

It's been a very frustrating off-season for Padre fans. They haven't done anything stupid (give Carlos Lee $100M), but they haven't exactly improved the team either. Ray Durham and Jason Schmidt were 2 guys sitting out there who would have significantly improved the team, and they are now gone. The off-season isn't over but their options are dwindling quickly.

The Dodgers did do something stupid (signed Juan Pierre 5/$44) but they signed Schmidt today. They now have a rotation of Penny, Schmidt, Lowe, Wolf, and Billingsley. I like their chances in '07.

Field Trip: Amos Lee

Monday evening I headed up to the Belly Up to catch an Amos Lee set. The place was packed and the crowd was enthusiastic for the very good reason that Amos can sing, play, and write.

Also of interest, his drummer looks like a Muppet.

The iPhone

Gadgetheads are geeking about this one. Here's a clip from Diggnation (a couple dudes drinking beer and talking technology) with some inside dope. It takes awhile for the guy with the scoop to come clean but he eventually does. 4 and 8 gig models. $249 and $449. Flash drives with a slide out keyboard.

You know the commercials will be cool.

Go Chargers

The Chargers at 10 - 2 have had a very successful season, but it hasn't been easy. Somehow or someway they have managed to make every game close. It's been a bit nerve-racking because I watch most of the games with a bunch of 50 somethings, and the menus haven't been approved by the American Heart Association. If the Chargers continue their habit of heart stopping endings we will probably have to invest in a portable defibrillator.

Field Trip: My Morning Jacket

I read Fred Wilson's Blog regularly. By day he's a venture capitalist, but by night he's a music head with great (very similar to my own) taste in music.

He went to see My Morning Jacket last night. Here's his report.

"If I was 20 years old right now and indulging my hippy tendencies to their fullest, I would not be following the Dead as my friends and I did when we were that age.

I'd be getting a case of good Kentucky Bourbon, and all the other hippy things you need, and getting in a VW microbus and following My Morning Jacket around. These guys are absolutely incredible to see live. Jim James' voice and the raucous wailing guitars with the trippy sounds they create just have to be seen and heard live.

The Gotham Gal and I did just that last night at Roseland and while we did not have a great view (got their late and MMJ has serious fans), we did get to see something truly special.

If you want to see what a great hippy jam band looks like in 2006, just google My Morning Jacket and find a show near you and go. You won't regret it.

I didn't video any of the show last night due to our poor view but here's a short clip (1 min) of the solo during Off The Record, recorded a couple weeks ago in"



My Morning Jacket will be at the San Diego House of Blues on January 2. I'll be the old guy standing on the stairs at the back.