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The One Where I Lose my Cool

I just saw this story and I am, let's say, perturbed.  The double standard that many "Christians" cling to is really disgusting, "you cannot infringe on my right to be a Christian, but when you say something I don't like, I am going to steal your sign then call my Congressman to make sure you CAN'T say it."

"We will ask our millions of supporters to call the city of Washington, D.C., and Congress to stop this un-Godly campaign."

Translation, "we are right, you are wrong, no 1st Amendment protection for you!"  Where is the Christian trait of loving your neighbor, or turning the other cheek?  Instead, these people are so frightened by the thought of an alternate point of view that they literally want to make a federal case out of it and, as the article points out, break one of their own commandments.  Nevermind that the nativity scene itself is probably a violation of church and state, but a non-threatening message promoting reason?  BLASPHEMY!  WE WON'T STAND FOR IT!

I'm sure there are people that cheered when it was stolen, sad it was returned, and are trying to make a stink about the sign being in existence at all.  Those people are hypocritical idiots who probably aren't even willing to admit that the Earth is billions of years old.  People that know me would say that I am an easy-going guy who rarely gets upset, but this shit pisses me off.

Samwich

According to my roommate, this is the greatest sandwich ever conceived by man:

Good Call

Dear ESPN, just wanted to say how glad I am that I didn't take your advice.

Love, Me.

Can you believe what we just did!?

That was the last text I sent to my sister on Election Night last week as I was leaving Grant Park. Obviously I meant it in a good way, as if to say, "this is amazing!" And it truly was. I don't post about politics very often and everyone and their dog is bloviating on it nonstop, but having BEEN at Grant Park on Election Night and hearing PRESIDENT-elect Obama speak, I had to post my thoughts and pictures. I also want to preface this this the fact that I was essentially a republican when I got to law school. I went to see Sean Hannity, I listened to his radio show, I watched Bill O'Reilly and I couldn't get enough of Fox News. That has all since stopped.

A year ago I remember saying that there was NO WAY I would ever vote for Obama simply because of his lack of experience. At that time he was still in his first term as Senator and had only served in the Illinois state legislature. I felt this was NOT the credentials we need for the nation's highest office. Even during the summer I wasn't sure who I wanted to vote for (after Ron Paul was essentially eliminated). It was the "Reverend Wright" speech that really made me think. I didn't see it live, or even that same week, but when I did see in on CSPAN I remember thinking that this guy really has his act together. I certainly hadn't decided at that point to vote for him, but it started to seem more plausible.

I was sorta rooting for Mitt Romney in the Republican race (I guess it was a hometown thing) but I didn't really plan on voting for him. I truly was a swing voter. But hearing Obama speak, and having to compare him to McCain, the choice not only became clearer, but imperative. My view of McCain was that of the "old way" of doing things, he was the dial-up internet candidate, the standard definition TV candidate, the VHS candidate. Whether it was sincere or not, Obama sold me (and millions of others) on the idea that he is not part of the old guard. He is not a Washington insider and isn't beholden to the same lobbyist-run government. McCain, to me, just seemed widly out of touch with people like me.

Then came the economic meltdown. I don't blame any person or party for this, it was a combination of many factors. But the responses to it from both candidates was very telling. McCain wanted to give MORE tax cuts to the top of the top income bracket whereas Obama wanted to cut taxes for 95% of the working class. Don't get me wrong, I am aware that the rich pay the majority of the taxes, but the fact that they can AFFORD to makes it easier for me to swallow. That certainly isn't a reason to simply raise taxes, but this quote from Oliver Wendell Holmes sums up how I feel about it, "taxes are what we pay for a civilized society." I'm OK with paying a larger share (especially because it means I'm making more!) if it means that there is more police protection, more programs for getting the homeless off the streets, and nicer and safer parks and open areas.

I became very pro-Obama after the debates. I imagined a worldwide summit and I pictured who I would want to represent the USA, it was Obama by leaps and bounds. The "America as an imperial force" attitude was embarassing at this point, I wanted an "America as a force for peace" attitude. I don't believe that America can be the leader by example with McCain as President, just as it hasn't under Bush (whom I voted for both times).

So when I got my ticket for the Grant Park party (at 2 PM on Election Day) I felt legitimately excited to be a part of history. Now I know that that sounds cliche, but it really is the truth. America was about to elect not only a black man, but a man who had the vision and ability to get America out of this political rut of picking the lesser of 2 evils. The writing was on the wall for Obama, he had leads in states that hadn't voted Democrat in 40 years like Indiana, Virginia and North Carolina (sadly, not Utah). It was like a tidal wave, slowly building momentum then finally overtaking the whole country, it was a true mandate and electoral blowout.

So here are the best of my pictures. It was pandemonium but it was amazing, historic, and unforgettable.

It Really Does Work

Seth Rogen was on Kimmel tonight and when he came out I thought to myself, "man, he looks THIN!"  Kimmel brought it up immediately and Rogen mentioned that he lost the weight by simply eating right and exercising.  This hit home with me because I actually lost about 25 lbs this summer doing the same thing.  I had 6 weeks between the end of the semester and when my job started so I created a routine where I was either playing basketball or going to the gym 6 days a week.  I also stopped eating fast food, which was probably the biggest factor since it is LOADED with saturated fat and calories.

I've put a couple of those lbs back on since school started, but I'm still lighter than I've been in about 6 or 7 years.  I noticed that the biggest motivator to keep up the regiment was RESULTS.  The first 2 or 3 weeks were the hardest, but once you see the lbs coming off it's like a dopamine shot.  I also noticed how much more endurance I have, especially when playing basketball.  I used to be totally gassed after about 3 games, but now I can play 4 or 5 and be fine.  There is a park nearby where I run and last month I did a full lap (3/4 mile) non-stop, which is a big step for me and was one of my top goals.  I know it doesn't sound like a lot, but setting realistic goals, and MEETING them, is one of the most satisfying things we can do.  It has changed how I feel about myself and has given me much more confidence.  It really does work and can be done!

Information Overload!

Why I Love Firefox

If you don't have/use Firefox, YOU SHOULD. Aside from the speed and memory advantages, the library of add-ons that you can add is quite extensive, which is what really makes Firefox the coolest internet tool EVER.

Adblock Plus - one of the most popular and effective add-ons. It's one of those things that you don't know how well it's working until you go back and look at how it WOULD be.



FoxMarks - This syncs my favorites across computers, so if I update my favorites on my laptop it will automatically update on my desktop.

1-Click Weather - Just look for yourself...


Each button will take you right to the Weather.com page, very handy!

Fire.fm - This one is TRULY awesome. For those of you who know and love Last.fm, this add on turns your browser into a Last.fm player.



Scribefire - An awesome tool for bloggers, just click the little button and BOOM, easy blogging:


There really are a ton of cool add-ons, and I didn't list all of the ones I have installed. Go take a gander at the big list and maximize your interwebbing experience!

Good Start

I hope to see this headline at least 3 more times and potentially 7 times. Here's to wishing.

Should this Surprise Me or Not?

Exposing Myself, part 2

I buy all my clothes at Target and I'm not ashamed to admit it.  I just bought a polo, button up, and some nice slacks for a grand total of $58.  I don't even remember the last item of clothing I bought that wasn't from Target.  They fit great, look great, and are cheap...not unlike myself!

Getting closer to the end

OK, so I removed my last post in an effort to protect the innocent. But rest assured that, if you didn't see it, you didn't miss anything too exciting.

In other news, my 3L year is 3 1/2 weeks in and it's fun and boring and annoying all at the same time. The clinic is awesome because it makes me feel like an actual lawyer; and, since I am provisionally licensed, technically I am a lawyer...for now. My earliest class starts at 1:40 so my mornings (like today) are filled with The Price is Right and scrambled eggs.

The most important thing right now, though, is that football is back. I just love it so much! And pretty soon the Jazz will be back on, and that is basically what my life revolves around. So much so that I am getting League Pass so that I can watch every second of every game :)

And thanks to Ma for sending the zucchini bread, it is the BEST!

ur doin' it rong

From today's USA vs Cuba baseball game...


Pretty sure the cameras need to be IN FRONT of the backstop or at least to the side.

MSNBC = FAIL.

I Weep for the Future

From a poll on CNN.com's front page.

Granted it is unscientific, but still...43%!?

Cheaters

So, the age limit for Olympic gymnastics is 16, you can't be younger than that. Someone please explain how this girl made it to the arena...

Why my Mom ROCKS

Mom sends me packages about once a month which normally include some kind of delicious concoction like choc chip cookies or Mormon magic (as the roommate calls it). This last package was different though...

First, the Costco Brownie Bites (cheaper and easier than real brownies, and, while not quite as good as real brownies, they're likely packed with preservatives which help it survive through the mail).

Next is the chocolate frosting in a ziploc bag.


And finally, the pièce de résistance, the chocolate sprinkles.

A bite of chocolate goodness...

Thanks Ma!

This is Where my Brain Goes

So there I am, right? Running at the park, minding my own business, rocking out to some Kanye. My mind is wandering and i start focusing on my feet. I was trying to run to the beat and I thought, "I can either increase my pace or my stride." You know what I thought of next? That's kinda how radio waves work. AM vs FM. AM is amplitude modulation, like lengthening your stride. FM is frequency modulation, like increasing your pace. Should I be worried that my mind immediately went to the nerdiest thing possible?

Shift

[article]

Dear Dad...

Remember when I was talking about cooking country style ribs in the crock-pot, and I mentioned that it needs something? Well, your suggestion of a dry rub then a quick sear first was pretty much the greatest BBQ advice I've ever gotten! They are better tasting and more tender!

Love
Your Son

Annoyance

Underdogs

After watching the ESPYS you have to wonder what some of the nominees are feeling. For example, the nominees for best team were: the New York Giants, the Boston Red Sox, the Boston Celtics, the Detroit Red Wings, the Kansas Jayhawks, and....the Tennessee LADY VOLUNTEERS! I wonder what the Vegas odds were for a women's college bball team to win "best team," 10,000-1? 100,000-1? I bet the odds weren't very good for the men's college team, the Jayhawks, either. How about being a "minor" sport? A female skiier was nominated for best female athlete, a female tennis player was up against Adrian Peterson in Best Breakthrough Athlete, a track and field athlete was up against Brett Favre for best record breaking performance, and the 2 most anticipated categories: Best Male/Female Action-Sports Athlete, and Best Bowler. (Just for the record, Norm Duke won for best bowler...so there you go.) Don't get me wrong, I love all sports (except soccer...BORING!) but to put some of these people in these categories, it's like nominating Michael Bay with Scorsese and Coppola.

I was pleastantly surprised at how good a job Timberlake did hosting, although the Memphis/Kansas thing got a little tired. The best moment was probably Will Ferrell and John C Reilly making demands requests in order to be the hosts of the show ("I want to play 18 holes of golf with Tiger Woods...on the moon.") All in all it was a great way to spend my Sunday evening, especially in HD.

Oddly Enough

Weird stories from Reuters:

Lucky the Koala
Expensive Self-Medication
Warning: Contains Small Parts

Enjoy!

Yay Mississippi

Saw this on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives...


I guess it's OK since their BBQ looks amazingly delicious.

Nerd Xmas

Gizmodo
Engadget
Kotaku
XBox 360 Fanboy

I suppose this is like when the car manufacturers detail their new models and features. I can't say I'm not interested though. This, especially, looks pretty awesome!

Who's on First?

Pretty interesting post over at the Sports Law Blog. I like the resolution from the first comment. I don't know the intricacies of baseball rules, but I initially thought that the batter couldn't switch from lefty to righty after stepping into the batter's box. I'm actually surprised there isn't/wasn't a rule in place to address this considering all the other weird rules.

Getting my Work on

As of 8:30 AM on Monday I will be officially employed. I'm working for a local public defender but I don't know whether to be excited or bummed. It will be nice to have a little more structure in my life and a feeling that I am accomplishing something, but it was REALLY nice to do the things I wanted on my own terms. I had a great little schedule worked out and I was doing the things that I wanted to do. Now recess is over. After my stint with the New Orleans public defender, I have a vague idea of what to expect, lots of motions to exclude and habeas corpus petitions. That's fine with me, I don't hate that kind of writing and research. But, again, part of me is a little uneasy with defending people (not ALL, obviously) who have committed crimes. I suppose it really comes down to the fact that EVERYONE gets a fair trial, whether they have money or not. By challenging evidence or conduct that we feel is egregious or downright unlawful we are giving the system legitimacy, because if we challenge everything and it all holds up, there can be no accusations of an unfair trial. I liken it to the magician who lets the audience test the sword he's about to use to cut his assistant in half. If the sword is real and the box is real, then those items cannot be the source of the "trick," as it were. What's funny about all this is that I hope to be a prosecutor once I graduate. I hope that when I go up against a public defender that he/she will be sure to keep me honest, so to speak, and not let any violation of rights go unchallenged.

[*note: after reading some interpretations of this post, I think I should clarify something. The quote: "What's funny about all this is that I hope to be a prosecutor once I graduate" really should read like this: "What's funny about all this is that I might get a job offer for a prosecutor, which I would gladly accept."]

On a lighter note, I spent pretty much all afternoon cleaning my apartment. You know that saying from high school, "it's easier to stay caught up than to play catch up"? That also applies to cleaning and laundry.

The Way to a Man's Heart

The Food Network is running a marathon of "The Next Food Network Star." I hadn't seen it before today and all I can say is: Nipa, you can cook for me any day of the week!

Happy Birthday America

Nothing like emotion inducing patriotism to celebrate the day!

Exposing Myself

My first draft of this blog was about how George Lucas is a fantastic movie killer. I was listing his recent disasters but the only movies he's been involved with over the past 25 years are Indiana Jones and Star Wars. I think it's safe to say that Star Wars "belongs" to Lucas, while Indy really "belongs" to Harrison Ford, and, between the original 1977 Star Wars and 1999's Phantom Menace, he did ZERO directing. So I won't look at ALL the movies he's destroyed (and he DID destroy the new Indiana Jones movie) I'll just focus on his deliberate and unending dismantling of the Star Wars universe. So, for those of you who don't know me, I am officially exposing myself as a Star Wars geek.

*note: the lengths to which I will go to prove my unparalleled geekiness should no longer be in question*

I don't need to explain how cool the original Star Wars trilogy is and I don't know how to measure its effect on pop-culture or 2 generations of wide-eyed adolescents, other than to say it was immense. Needless to say, the bar was set pretty high by the original movies. What's interesting is that after the first movie in 1977, Lucas didn't direct again until 1999; he co-wrote and was executive producer, but Irvin Kershner directed Empire Strikes Back (widely considered the best of the 6 movies) and Richard Marquand directed Return of the Jedi. Lucas has said that he doesn't like directing, and, after the lastest 3 movies, I don't like him directing either. His reliance on special effects and cheesy or complicated plots (see: Ep. 1. the trade federation's blockade of Naboo as a strategy for...I don't even remember, but it was important) is especially madening. Without all the cool explosions and CGI, he had to focus the story on the characters (imagine that!) I can imagine how hard it is to act out EVERY scene in front of a green screen. Also, the stories in the first TWO movies are really really bad, when they aren't 100% confusing. Episode III wasn't bad, it is easily the best of the new movies, but still falls WAY short of where the original movies are.

One of my biggest complaints is the use of American slang and, even more so, the use of aspects of American government in the new movies. In episode II, particularly, characters talk about amending constitutions, term limits, democracy, and really, the whole prequel trilogy relies on a body of senators. The closest thing to that we got in the original movies was basically a board room full of military bad-asses. Speaking of which, Empire Strikes Back made us really fear Vader, like, for REAL. But there's no enemy in all of these movies that is really eevieel, like the fru-its of the dev-eel. Darth Maul was pretty cool, but they killed him off too soon.

Granted, some of the shots in the originals seem a bit dated (i.e., stop motion AT-ATs and a disorienting space battle at the end of A New Hope) but to go back and change SO MUCH, it's really frustrating. There are whole characters added! It's like the movie I remember as a kid doesn't even exist anymore. I grew up with these movies, they were my whole life until I was about 15 years old! So I guess it's telling that I don't even OWN the new movies. What's sad, though, is that the unaltered original movies are in Lucas' vault and won't be released on DVD. This total waste of potential awesomeness is similar to The Matrix: Revolutions, every Shamalyasdf4^&Fefjjjsdfjlan movie since the Sixth Sense, and Godfather III.

I guess I'll have to live with a slightly flawed original trilogy and try to conjure up images of playing with my Star Wars toys with my brother and cousins and forget that these new movies were ever made.

Filling the void

I'm back in town after a month-long trip home and it only took 3 1/2 days for me to start talking to myself again. My roomie is back home working for his uncle this summer so I have been alone in this apartment since mid-May and will be until mid-August.

I really only repeat the funny lines from movies I'm watching (like that super annoying guy at the movie theaters) and curse like a drunken sailor when I try to stand up and walk around because my legs are still burning from this weekend's gym excursion. Important safety tip: if you haven't been to the gym in a month don't spend much time doing lunges...you'll feel it for a week.

I can only take so much...

I rented Knocked Up from Netflix and, while I liked the movie, I am REALLY annoyed at the audio commentary. You know when you sit around and laugh with your friends and you're telling all your inside jokes but NOBODY else understands it or thinks it's funny? Yeah...one of the guys is actually doing impressions, and they aren't good (his Al Pacino sounds black.)

For the first 30 minutes all they do is talk over each other and laugh at nothing. TALK ABOUT THE MOVIE! Nobody listens to the commentary to see how funny the actors are (and especially not the producer) we want to know about the filming and maybe a funny story about a scene.

You want a really good commentary? Fight Club has the best commentary I've ever heard, Ed Norton is some kind of super-genius.

Or so I've Heard...

You mean something not named tequila?

[link]

Prospects

I finally met with one of my contacts today. He is the former bishop at the church that my family attends and is the justice court judge of our recently incorporated city (1999.) He wrote one of my letters of recommendation during my law school application days and was VERY complimentary. I kind of surprised him when I showed up today but he was gracious enough to show me around and we sat and talked for about 40 minutes. The best part is that he asked me to come back on Thursday and meet with the guy who has the hiring contracts for prosecutors for about 5 cities; he also mentioned that he thought I would be very good in front of a jury. For any potential law students or job seekers, all I can say is that networking (as annoying and shallow as it sometimes is) can really work. I had 2 jobs last summer, one was acquired through previous work contacts and the other was through a friend who mentioned to her attorney that I was going to law school and was looking for summer work. I can imagine few jobs better than being a city prosecutor after graduation, especially back home. They don't handle the big murder cases or anything that is going to make the front page, but it would be fantastic courtroom experience and would allow me a chance to make a reputation among TONS of different attorneys. I neglected to bring home a suit...I hope Dad's fits

Tact

I was thinking this too, but I don't think I'd ever actually post it...

My Celebrity Playlist

About once every 6 weeks I open iTunes to update all my podcasts. While I am waiting for the downloads to finish I will browse through the popular music to see if anything is good. I happened upon Mike Meyer's celebrity playlist (which was filled with a lot of British bands.) After a little more perusing I found all of iTunes' celebrity playlists, which look like this:

(I chose Jason Bateman because I have been watching Arrested Development a lot lately. You can do the same thing here. I seriously love that website, but I digress...)

Now, seeing as I am a celebrity in my own mind, I thought I'd do iTunes a favor and submit to them my own Celebrity Playlist.

Mack the Knife - Bobby Darin. "Great lounge song from the late 50s. Also a great karaoke song!"
All at Sea - Jamie Cullum. "Very simple song about being alone with your thoughts."
Gimme Shelter - Rolling Stones. "I have so much more appreciation for this song after playing it on Rock Band. Great lead-in guitars."
Microphone Fiend - Rage Against the Machine. "Tom Morello and Zack de la Rocha, need I say more?"
Break it Down Again - Tears for Fears. "I don't know what it is about this song, but I usually listen to it 2 or 3 times in-a-row."
Waiting for my Real Life to Begin - Colin Hay. "I've been waiting for 8 years."
Pride and Joy - Stevie Ray Vaughn. "Great blues song, I can't help but tap my steering wheel when I listen to it."
Hey - Red Hot Chili Peppers. "Not what you'd expect from RHCP, surprisingly calming."
Hungarian Rhapsody - Franz Liszt. "I think I first heard this song on a Tom and Jerry cartoon 20 years ago."
#41 - Dave Matthews Band. "This goes into my top 5 all-time favorite songs."
Flashing Lights - Kanye West. "People who know me will be surprised to see rap/hip-hop here, but I freakin' love this album."
Viva la Vida - Coldplay. "This may be here because of it's newness (I haven't had a chance to get sick of it) but the first thing that comes to mind about it is that it is everything I love about music."
Take Five - Dave Brubeck Quartet. "It is everything I love about jazz music. So simple and catchy."
Kashmir - Led Zeppelin. "The version that I like the most is the live Page and Plant version from 'Page and Plant Unledded.' It truly rocks"
Horse - Live. "This is one of my all-time favorite albums and this is also the closest thing I have to country on my computer."
Hero of the Day - Metallica. "I prefer the 'S&M' version, the added strings give it a much better 'hero' feel."

Right on Cue

The football gods heard my cry

Doldrums

Now that the NBA season is essentially over, I have 1 simple question: WHEN DOES FANTASY FOOTBALL START!?

Nothing is more fun than examining mountains of data to find the one stellar draft pick that nobody will expect. I go into uber-dork mode and plug numbers into equations, dissect data, pore over game splits, study schedules, and basically become familiar with about 100 different players and their statistical averages from the last 3 years. Nothing brings me more joy...other than the Jazz, of course.


*as a sidenote, I have won 3 times (in 2 different leagues) and also come in last.

NEXT!

It's finally been done. This morning, in Rochester Minnesota, Chris Chike did something no one has been able to accomplish. He got 100% on "Through the Fire and Flames" on Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock on EXPERT. Here's the video (NSFW language at the very end)



He really is the best Guitar Hero player on the planet, he's even in the Guiness Book of World Records.

So that's it, GH III has been conquered, what's next?

[links]
kotaku.com
rockgamer.com

Barren

With my month-long trip home on the horizon, my most recent trip to the grocery store involved many frozen items or things I could eat in a week.

Today, the day before I leave, I managed to finish off all of the following:

• Chocolate milk
• Swiss cheese
• Tuna fish
• Tortillas
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 apples
• A jar of pickle spears
• Tomato
• Frosted mini-wheats

AND

• A 12-pack of Diet Pepsi

it was the worst shake I've ever made!

Moving on...

I finally took the Utah Jazz logo off my desktop. I replaced it with this pic I took while on vacation:

It was either this pic, or one of these (which I also took, because I am both really cool and a top-notch photographer)

Only 3 days...

There's something a little depressing about being 1400 miles from home on Memorial Day. We are a BBQing family and the Food Network keeps running BBQ shows today. Dad assures me that we'll hit up Famous Dave's and do our own BBQ in the backyard when I get home this weekend.


It was at Famous Dave's that I postulated that I could eat my weight in BBQ'd ribs and brisket.

Good Idea, Bad Idea

Good Idea: Using my free time to watch movies from Netflix.

Bad idea: Watching Red Dragon at night, alone, in the dark, in my underwear, with no weapons within an arm's length.

My balcony and me

I've had an interesting couple days...

Roomie left town on Thursday to go work for his uncle for the summer, which, coupled with the mass exodus of law students, has left me nearly all alone. I spent most of Thursday tidying up the apartment and installing the new wireless internet router (Roomie took his for his place at home). I went to the gym, then later went out, briefly, with some friends. I was home by 11:30 because I was feeling a little neglected and started feeling sorry for myself.

Yesterday was better. I played basketball for a little over an hour, then came home and read on my balcony with the sun shining on me. I won't speak of the Jazz game, as it has left me somewhat dead inside. Needless to say, their season is over. Which leads me to today...

I was up around 930 and had a light breakfast (this better eating habit, combined with my 7-straight days of activity, gym/basketball, is feeling REALLY good) and went to the gym. I got back around 3 and read, again, on the balcony in the sun. Around 5 I decided to check out the free OnDemand movies. I picked Legends of the Fall, don't ask me why. I've seen it before but something about it tonight really affected me.

First off, I have always loved camping and being outdoors, so the whole, "living on a ranch in Montana" always appealed to me. But tonight was a little different, afterwards I didn't even want any music or lights on, I wanted to feel like I was out there on the ranch, with no modern day contrivances. For the first time in a LONG time, I finally felt some attachment to world and that there was something that I actually long for. Without school or the Jazz or my roommate here to distract me, I feel like I really found a piece of who I am. After 3 days of getting my bearings it almost overwhelmed me.

I have always considered myself a city-boy, despite my love of the outdoors. I always wanted the penthouse suite on the 20th floor. I wanted the nice suits and the fancy cars. But in all honesty...I don't believe that's me. After the movie I sat out on my balcony again, in almost total darkness and light rain, just to listen to it. I was annoyed when cars drove by because they drown out the sound of the wind. I don't remember the last time I felt so calm. I didn't want to hear the TV, the radio, or turn on the Xbox. I just wanted to enjoy the silence. It really is the simple things in life that give the most pleasure. All of the superficial stuff we do to appear as if we are important or hip just left me like the wind blowing through the trees.

I'm writing this because I don't want to forget it. When I get the invite to the party at the club, or the bar where all the girls are, I want to be able to feel ok about saying, "no thanks." Of course, this doesn't mean I'm turning antisocial or anything, because I will always enjoy spending time with my friends, but when that turns into loud bars or hunting for action, it's then that I'll long for an evening on my balcony.

Re: Fisher

This goes out to all Jazz fans, Laker fans, Jazz players, Laker players, media, NBA fans, broadcasters, and anyone else who's listening. This message is in regards to Derek Fisher leaving the Jazz to join the Lakers and then getting booed at the ESA:

GET THE HELL OVER IT.

It's done, it's over, he's REALLY gone and he's not coming back. He was (and sorta still is) getting booed at the ESA, he got the message. He's over it: "It hurt him at the time, but he's fine with it now." Let's all do the same. It doesn't make you smart, clever, or a more passionate Jazz fan to boo him. Alternately, it doesn't make you smart, clever, or morally superior to criticize those that do boo him.

Right now I hate Fisher, but not because he left the Jazz. I hate him because he wears purple and yellow and is playing better than he did with the Jazz. Being a "nice guy" and a "class act" doesn't mean you can't be criticized for your actions or hated for leaving. I don't care any more about this guy than any other non-Jazz player. Call me callous or heartless, but, as the saying goes, basketball is a business. I don't have the energy to give a crap about the personal life of anyone not in a Jazz uniform. Let's all take a deep breath and relax.

Danger

For the last little while, Facebook has been running ads like this:




It's targeted advertising (I'm listed as "single" in my relationship status) and that's fine. But look at this one that I saw today:


Now I'll be the first to admit that I am a terrible judge of age, but there's NO way that these 2 girls are over 18. It's wrong on so many levels.

Not Surprised

This is about what I expected. One thing to keep in mind, though, everyone who picked the Lakers in 6 must realize that game 6 is IN Utah. Are the Jazz going to lose an elimination game at home? Personally, I'll take the Jazz in 6. I think we can take game 1 simply because we played great yesterday, we won 2 games in Houston, and the Lakers haven't played in about a week. We'll have to win both home games after that but I think we can, because LA is not the defensive team that Houston was.

We all know that Kobe is going to score, that's a given. But the x-factor for BOTH teams will be the bench play. Vujacic, Walton and Farmar vs. Millsap, Harpring and Korver. You can guess where my money is.


Game on 21 1/2 hrs.

Welcome May

"A" Game

Is there any doubt who the best player has been in this playoff series so far? There are really only 2 candidates:

• Tracy McGrady
• 23.3 points per game
• 7.8 assists
• 8.5 rebounds
• 38.3% FG
• 15.4% 3-point
• 57.6% FT
• 3 points per 4th quarter
  

• Deron Williams
• 21.8 points per game
• 9 assists
• 1.8 rebounds
• 54.5% FG
• 58.3% 3-point
• 66.7% FT
• 6.8 points per 4th quarter
  

BUT...the most important stat: Deron - 3 wins, Tracy - 1 win.

What was nice about last night's win was that the scoring was balanced, all the starters were in double figures and shot fairly well (aside from Boozer's 3-13, but he made all his FTs.) If we shoot at least 25% on threes we win by 10.

I am still worried about game 5. We've won 3 of 4 overall and 3 in a row (in the playoffs) in Houston, but they've been playing well and we've had 3 close games in a row. I say the winner is the first to 90 points.

And in case you didn't see the game last night, here's one of the highlights...

Refresher Course

I saw this today on CNN.com and thought it would a good opportunity to remind people what the 1st Amendment means.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Seems simple enough, right? The story is about an atheist soldier who is claiming harassment from other soldiers and officers. This guy is out there putting his life on the line, religious beliefs couldn't be any less important. He should be able to worship how he wishes, even if it means not at all. If the tables were turned, if the atheist soldier was harassing Christians, you KNOW that he would be crucified in the media (pun intended.) The 1st Amendment guarantees that citizens can follow any faith they want without punishment and that no religion will be forced upon them; I'm fairly certain that it applies to the Federal Government.

26 years ago...

...I was born. Happy birthday to ME!

Special thanks to my sister who arranged a call from Carlos Boozer earlier. Seriously, I talked to Booz today (well, I use "talked" loosely, it was more like me stammering.) Thanks Booz, good luck on Thu.

[update: TrueHoop blogger Henry Abbott picked up on my story and posted on his blog. This is both awesome and embarrassing.]

Game On

Time for the playoffs! Jazz will start the post-season in Houston (again) tonight, but the biggest difference is that the Jazz are actually favored this time:



Of course, the Jazz won this series last year even though everyone picked the Rockets:


My previous predictions weren't exactly accurate, although I was 1 win from being right about the 3 seed. I'll pick the Jazz (obviously) to win in 6 games, but 5 games wouldn't be shocking at all either.

The Jazz have gotten a lot of love lately from ESPN,

In the second round, I see Utah and the Lakers meeting in what should be the true conference finals...I have Utah beating L.A. in a six-game barn burner that's about as close to a coin-flip as any pairing you can come up with. That sets up Chris Paul versus Deron Williams in the conference finals...so Utah rolls to the Finals in six.

Game on in 5 hours and 15 minutes!