The Nerdiest Team in the League

It's no secret that the Giants are fighting for a spot in the playoffs and I'll admit that I'm recent to join the throngs, but I've come to the conclusion that if there's any team that a nerd like myself should be cheering for it's the Giants. Here's a few reasons why.

1. Tim Lincecum is a freaky dude

Everyone knows he has two Cy Youngs, he also has a dog named Cy, long hair, and apparently a freaky pitch style (though I couldn't tell the difference), but lets get down to it, this pitcher more reminds me of the guy in the back of class etching crazy drawings into the desk rather than hucking scorching fastballs. I mean, the long hair, the cooky smile, the overall gangliness. I'll admit there's a bit of a nerd crush there but it doesn't change the fact that he's got a lot going for him in regards to being an awesome pitcher. Everyone loves the unexpectedly talented freaky looking nerds.

2. "What's it to ya??"- The 'curse' of the nerdy name

It's like the Johnny Cash song laments, life ain't easy for a boy named Sue, but in this case, life may not be easy for a boy named Aubrey. Or Buster. So here's another reason to be a fan of the Giants or to be fearing for your life if you happen to be on the opposing team. It's probably safe to assume that somewhere in their childhood both Aubrey Huff and Buster Posey decided that they weren't going to let unusual names keep them down. What better way to make your mark on the playground or silence your bullies than to become really, really good at something. And in their case it was baseball. Buster being probably (at least what they say) the best rookie this year and Aubrey looks like a bull waiting to be let loose. No seriously, I once saw him punching another player from sheer happiness after a play.

3. Panda Hats are Freaking Awesome

Third baseman, Pablo Sandoval is nicknamed "The Panda", and some genius decided that it would be awesome to sell panda hats at the games. When I say genius, I genuinely mean genius. These panda hats are hillarious, especially when seen gracing the domes of everyone from tiny tots to big, burly, manly men. No one looks bad in the panda hat. No one.

Ar-teez-in-ul: So you made it by hand, eh?

Over a cup of coffee, plate of crepes, and an apple this morning I was really wishing that I had the talent to take really artsy pictures of my food to post on my blog. It seems like all the other food and lifestyle blogs have really great photos of handmade food or similarly crafty items. They always have perfect mood lighting and shot in close detail so you can see the time and effort it took to produce the items. But then I realized, in an epiphany of sorts, that really it's about whether or not you actually had to use your hands in the process, whether or not some modicum of skill was necessary.

You almost never see pictures of manufactured stuff. It's never, "Check out this box of wheat thins I picked up at the store. They're so good!" It's always, "Rolling out the cracker dough by hand using my antique rolling pin I cut them into squares, mismatched due to my lack of experience, and baked in my own oven only to smother them in hummus afterwards."

Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of making stuff by hand. A big fan, even. It's not for nothing that I spend hours pouring my efforts into loaves of bread, practicing making pasta on my new machine, or other such endeavors in the kitchen. It's more satisfying to me to have something that I've made myself and I know exactly what's in it. But it can get out of hand.

It seems we've become so used to machine production of everything in our lives that when it's made by hand, it automatically becomes better and highly prized. This is the world of artisan production, in simpler terms, making stuff by hand. Here in Sonoma County people are crazy for artisan stuff. Wine, cheese, food, clothing: if it's made by hand and can claim that artisan stamp, then it's good stuff to Sonomians (not a real moniker, I just made that word up).

It confuses me though, that on one hand some artisan products (like food) are highly prized while others are looked down on. What about all those artisan meth dealers? The guys who cook the stuff in their backyard sheds? They made those drugs by hand, can't we call that artisanal drug making? Or how about those guys who were mailing out pipe bombs a few years ago. Sure, they were dangerous and caused a lot of harm, but they were artisanal! With the fervor that some are devoted to only buying handmade, you'd think they'd have a broader sense of the word. I'm not saying I do, I just don't buy into the hype.

Sometimes when I'm successful in coaxing a loaf of bread out of my bowl of flour and yeast I remember that people have been this for thousands of years and the fact that I'm semi-able is not remarkable. Making stuff by hand is not new, and maybe we shouldn't treat it like a subculture of defiance against "The Man", we should just keep in mind that everyone used to know how to do this stuff. It's not so special as we think, just unusual in these times.