Mike D.

As the weather begins to chill my bones and the dual monsters of winter heating costs and purchasing holiday gifts lighten my wallet, I am reminded that this is the perfect time of year to stretch the food budget with a batch of "hamburger soup."

In this article, we'll learn how to make a healthy, hearty soup that's perfect for a cold fall night. It is made with fresh fall vegetables and fruit like butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and apples.

300 career wins is one of baseball's golden numbers, a major milestone that takes both superior skill and longevity to attain. Which, if any, of today's pitchers seem poised to reach the milestone?

A look at the players who will be eligible for election to the Baseball Hall of Fame for the first time in 2011. Who is a no-doubt inductee? Who has a chance? Who will be "one and done?"

In early May of 2008, Julio Franco retired after 23 years in the major leagues, ending one of the most unique careers in major league history.

2007 was a banner season for the hitting of milestone home runs. In this article we take a look at five of the biggest.

A look a the players who have between 300 and 400 career home runs, and which ones have a shot at reaching the milestone of 500 or more career home runs.

Three players entered the "500 Home Run" club in 2007. Who is poised to join them in 2008? What about down the road?

A look at the 2010 Baseball Hall of Fame election. Who's eligible for the first time? Who will be elected? Who will come close? Who will be "one and done"?

One fan's look at the players eligible for the Hall of Fame class of 2009. Who will be elected? who will fall off the ballot? Who'll come close?

A recipe for a great winter dish that's low in fat and tastes great, and is made in the crock pot.

This article explores how relative humidity affects the temperature in your house in the winter, and what you can do to make it work for you. You can save money, feel warmer, and stay healthier.

As the colder weather of fall and winter descend upon us, it becomes a good time to adjust your food preparation to somewhat heartier fare, and the use of cold weather seasonings.

In this video, we learn how to make Magnifying Marble Magnets, a fun, easy project for the whole family. With simple, inexpensive items you can find at most craft stores, you can make these small magnets to dress up the fridge, or any other magnetic surface.

Today we'll learn how to grill a hot dog. Hot Dogs come in many different varieties. They range in quality, size, ingredients, and seasonings. One thing is for sure, though...they all taste better when they're grilled.

Today we'll learn how to make a spicy and hearty chili with two delicious "secret" ingredients...beer and bacon. Grab your crock pot and followi these step-by-step instructions.

Today, we're going to make butternut squash with sliced apples. This is a great holiday meal side dish, and combines two great fall foods...butternut squash and fresh apples, with fall seasonings like cinnamon and nutmeg. It's a real crowd pleaser, plus it's easy to make!

On a cold day, there's nothing like a nice hot bowl of soup. Contrary to popular belief, making a healthy, hearty homemade soup is not particularly difficult. And if you make a large pot of soup, say, on a Sunday afternoon, you can package it up into Tupperware containers and have some quick, healthy lunches and dinners for the week. One of the fastest (and easiest) soups to make is Minestrone. As an added bonus, it's healthy and delicious!

With winter fast approaching, what is a better cold day meal than a big pot of soup? In my opinion, pretty much nothing fills you up and makes you feel warm and cozy like a big, hearty meal like these.

Today we're going to learn how to make cubed sweet potatoes with fall seasonings. Combining a great fall vegetable with great fall seasonings we get a tasty side dish that's perfect for a cold fall day, and is quick and easy to make, to boot.

Today we'll learn how to make pasta with sauce and veggies. By combining your favorite pasta and sauce with zuchinni and onion, we make a tasty, hearty dinner that's quick and delicious.

In this video, we'll learn how to make mashed sweet potatoes with cinamon. Heartier and more flavorful that a regular potato, sweet potatoes are a great fall flavor, especially when mixed with cinnamon, perhaps the ultimate flavor of fall.

With winter fast approaching, what is a better cold day meal than a big pot of soup? In my opinion, pretty much nothing fills you up and makes you feel warm and cozy like a big, hearty meal like this. Contrary to popular opinion, it's not nearly as difficult or time consuming to make enough soup for dinner for an average sized family, plus plenty of leftovers for great lunches.
This soup takes a bit longer to prepare than some because it involves making the broth from scratch. Because of this, it's a perfect soup to make on a rainy or snowy weekend afternoon. This soup starts with a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken that can be bought at most supermarkets and bulk goods stores such as Sam's Club.

An egg and cheese sandwich on a bagel is a great breakfasttime, or anytime, meal. It's a great way to have a hot breakfast when you're pressed for time.

In this article, we'll talk about how to make pictures from your digital camera web or email ready using Adobe Photoshop.We'll crop an image, resize it, and save it in a format optimized for the web and email.

Halloween is a great time to stretch your creative muscles and be a little "bad" in a harmless way. Follow the tips in this article to spice up a store-bought "priest" costume.

There are few comfort foods that are more satisfying, or easier and quicker to make, than a grill cheese sandwich. In this video, we'll learn how to make a grilled cheese sandwich step-by-step.

Beef Stew is the perfect cold weather meal. In this article, we'll look at how to make this hearty, healthy, easy favorite.

In this article, we'll talk about how to make pictures from your digital camera web or email ready using Adobe Photoshop.We'll crop an image, resize it, and save it in a format optimized for the web and email.

With Halloween right around the corner, I recently went searching for a good book to read to put me in the spirit of the holiday. What better to do that than a book about, well, spirits?! This is a review of "The New England Ghost Files".

There are few meals that provide the comfort and warmth as nice homemade lasagna. While a little time consuming, lasagna is not a difficult dish to make, and is sure to be a crowd pleaser at family dinners. It is also a great dish to make on the weekend for quick lunches and dinners during the week. If wrapped securely, you can also freeze lasagna to provide yourself a delicious, hearty meal on a day when you don't have a lot of time for food preparation.

"The Only Game in Town: Baseball Stars Of The 1930's And 1940's Talk About The Game They Loved" is a compilation of accounts from ten former major league ballplayers complied from in-person interviews.

On Friday, October 6, 2006, baseball lost a great ambassador, personality, and storyteller when John "Buck" O'Neil passed away a few weeks short of his 95th birthday.

Nothing beats sitting down with a good baseball book, and this article highlights 10 of my personal favorites, all of which I'd highly recommend.

This article contains several tips that have helped me make working from home an efficient and enjoyable experience. I hope these tips can do the same for you!

Toby Keith is one of the biggest draws in country music. He sings with equal skill and sincerity about love, drunken fun, and patriotism. Here's one writer's "top 10" list of Toby Keith songs.

Here's a quick, easy, and tasty meal that's perfect for impressing that special someone.

Here's an idea for a fun, easy to make Halloween costume sure to get some laughs at your party - go as a dinner table!

Pat Green is a country artist from Austin, Texas. While he's had a few hits, he's not as known nationally as some acts. Here's a rundown of ten of his best songs.

On a recent trip to Houston, I got the opportunity to head into Ryan's hometown of Alvin, which is a short drive from Houston, and visit the Nolan Ryan Center at Alvin Community College. What did I find there?

Chicken is one of the most versatile and grill friendly foods out there. In this article, we'll look at how to cook chicken on the grill, with plenty of tips and tricks.

One way to help stem the flow of money out of your pocket, and spend time with your friends while saving, is to set up an informal "bartering" system with your friends.

Fielding Percentage (FP) isone of the most well known fielding statistics. In this article we'll look at what it means, how it's calculated, and what it's uses and llimitations are when evaluating the fielding ability of a player.

Noted baseball author and analyst Bill James created a formula for estimating a team's winning percentage based on the number of runs it scores and allows. He named it the Pythagorean ical theorem.

Range Factor (or RF for short) is a fielding stat that attempts to define a player's "range". When compared to league averages and when considered with Fielding Percentage, it helps paint a picture of a players fielding abilities.

Grilling is a great way to cook food, and hot dogs and sausage are two favorites that are even better on the grill. Best of all, they're quick and easy to cook.

Before you grill, it's important to have a few important (and simple) things in mind. In this article, we'll look at a few basics.

Burgers are a classic cookout food, because they're easy to cook, taste great, and can be adapted to any taste. Read this article for the basics of cooking burgers and veggie burgers.

Power/Speed Number (or PowSpd for short) is a quirky statistic of little analytic value, but it still has it's place in the realm of baseball statistics. In this article we'll take a closer look at the number, what it means, and how it's calculated.

A team's Win-Loss Percentage (or Winning Percentage or WP%) is an indication of what percentage of it's games the team won. In this article, we'l look at what Winning Percentage means, how it's calculated, and much more.

Secondary Average, or SecA or SA for short, is a statistic that attempts to go beyond batting average to evaluate the value of a hitter's contrbution to his team's offense. In this article, we'll look at what Secondary Average means.

Strikeouts per Nine Innings (K/9) is a simple statistic to calculate, but it is very valuable when estimating the value and future success of pitchers. In this article,we'll look closer at K/9.

Batting average is one of the most useful and easy to calculate baseball statistics. In this article, we'll show you how to calculate a batting average, and look a bit closer at what a batting average represents.

A pitcher's Strikeout to Walk ratio (K/BB) is a good indication of how effective he will be. In this article, we'll look at K/BB, what it means, and what current pitchers are the best in the business at it.

WHIP, or Walks plus Hits per Inning Pitched, is a great statistical measure of a pitcher's effectiveness. In this article, we'll look a bit closer at how the stat is contemplated, and what it means.

Earned Run Average (ERA) is one of the oldest and still one of the most useful statistics for determining a pitcher's effectiveness. In this article, we'll look at what the statistic means, and how it's calculated.

Isolated Power (or ISO) measures a players ability to get extra base hits. It is a useful statistic when comparing a run-producting middle of the lineup hitter. In this article, we will explore the statistic, including looking at how it's calculated.

On Base Plus Slugging, or OPS, is a baseball statistic that combines several other statistics to provide a tool for examining a players overall offensive contribution. In this article, we learn how to calculate OPS and look at what it means.

Runs Created is a statistical measure that attempts to quantify a players contribution to his team scoring runs. In this article, we'll look at what RC is, how it is calculated, and who the big names are when you look at RC.

Slugging Percentage and Total Bases are two baseball statistics you see everywhere, but not all fans know what they mean or how they are calculated. In this article, we'll take a closer look at both numbers.

What is a boat drink? It's a tasty combination of booze and fruit juices that's both refreshing and relaxing. Invented during a long summer of canoe trips, boat trips across the bay, and tailgating, it's a great addition to any summer gathering.

On base percentage is one of the most important measures of a baseball players ability and value to his team. Learn how OBP is calculated and what it means in this article.

"The Glory of Their Times" is a group of autobiographical essays from players from the early days of baseball, from the turn of the century to the Second World War, told by the men who lived it.

Collecting autographs through the mail is a inexpensive and easy hobby that can really pay off, and lead to some great collectibles. Learn the basic of collecting autographs through the mail in this article.

Looking for a Halloween costume that's original, homemade, and fun, but not complicated? Go trick or treating as a Rubik's Cube this year!

On a cold day, there's nothing like a nice hot bowl of soup. Contrary to popular belief, making a healthy, hearty homemade soup is not particularly difficult.

A quick, easy recipe to make pulled pork at home....with your crock-pot!

If you're like me, you love Mexican-style food. If you're REALLY like me, you like EASY Mexican-style food. Thanks to the crock-pot, you can make a quick, easy, and delicious chicken fajita dish with next to no effort.

I recently attended my first ever meeting of SABR, the Society of American Baseball Research. Here's a run down of what happened at the meeting.

Foil Packet meals are great because they're quick and easy to prepare and clean up after, and the only limit to variety is your imagination. Mix and match ingredients to find your favorite combinations.

2006 marks the 25th anniversary of the playing of the longest game in professional baseball history. The game was played on April 18-19, and June 23rd, 1981 between the host Pawtucket Red Sox and the visiting Rochester Red Wings at McCoy Stadium.

A tasty chili recipe with three cuts of meat, including bacon...and beer!

Is Curt Schilling a future Hall of Famer? To find out, we'll look at Schilling's stats, compare them to objective metrics, current Hall of Fame pitchers, and some of his peers, and see what they tell us about his chances of being elected to Cooperstown.

In July of 2002, a few months after his death, the Boston Red Sox held a tribute to Ted Williams at Fenway Park. I was lucky enough to attend the event. I wrote about my experience, and would like to share them with you now.

Which of today's second basemen belong in the Hall of Fame? What, in fact, does a Hall of Fame second baseman look like? In this article we'll compare the cream of the crop of recent second baseman with those already enshired in Cooperstown.

In this Hall of Fame Case, we'll look at the qualifications of slugger Juan Gonzalez. Is he a Hall of Famer? How does he compare to other sluggers of his era? All this and more will be answered.

Bill Lee was one of the great characters of Red Sox, and baseball, history. In this review, we'll take a look at his book The Wrong Stuff, co written by Dick Lally. The book was originally published in 1984, and is being re-issued in May, 2006.

Reading industry trade magazines is a great way to further your education, keep up on the lastest trends in your chosen field, and get a head start on your internship or job hunt.

Partnerships between businesses and college's and universities can be mutually beneficial to both groups, and to the students and employees of each.

In this review, we will take a look at the book "Mind Game, How the Boston Red Sox Got Smart, Won a World Series, and Created a New Blueprint for Winning", written by the writers of Baseball Prospectus and edited by Steven Goldman.

In this Hall of Fame Case, we take a look at the hall worthiness of Tim Raines, a speedy on base machine has numbers that suggest he's in, but there is more to this story…drugs, a nearly deadly disease, family, and longevity are all parts of this story.

Barry Larkin retired after the 2004 season. What are his chances of making the baseball hall of fame?