Larissa Riquelme Paraguay Biggest Fan
Larissa Riquelme Paraguay Model
Larissa Riquelme Paraguay No 1 Fan
Larissa Riquelme Hot Paraguay Model
Larissa Riquelme Paraguay Biggest Fan
Larissa Riquelme Paraguay Biggest Fan
Larissa Riquelme Paraguay Biggest Fan
Larissa Riquelme Paraguay Model
Larissa Riquelme Paraguay No 1 Fan
Larissa Riquelme Hot Paraguay Model
Bobby Kennedy and UFOs
It turns out that Senator Kennedy sometimes received letters from constituents about ufos and he responded with polite form letters. Also he may not have been a card-carrying member of the Almagamated Flying Saucers Association after all.
It turns out that Senator Kennedy sometimes received letters from constituents about ufos and he responded with polite form letters. Also he may not have been a card-carrying member of the Almagamated Flying Saucers Association after all.
John Wooden is Rolling Over In His Grave
One thing that I do know about Jeopardy contestants is that they are some pretty smart people.
However, the below video might be indicator that they might need to read a college basketball book once in awhile.
In a recent Jeopardy show, there was a category called, "College Basketball Coaches", where three female contestants couldn't figure out where the legendary John Wooden coached.
*Face Palm*
(Courtesy of Ballin' is a Habit)
However, the below video might be indicator that they might need to read a college basketball book once in awhile.
In a recent Jeopardy show, there was a category called, "College Basketball Coaches", where three female contestants couldn't figure out where the legendary John Wooden coached.
*Face Palm*
(Courtesy of Ballin' is a Habit)
Landon Donovan Does the Talk Show Circuit
For the past 24 hours, USA soccer star Landon Donovan has been doing his best to keep the USA loss to Ghana behind him by appearing on numerous talk shows.
The first was "The Late Show with David Letterman" last night:
Today, he made an appearance on Regis & Kelly:
The first was "The Late Show with David Letterman" last night:
Today, he made an appearance on Regis & Kelly:
The other side of the eclipse
How was the weekend for you? What did you have to rise above? What did you observe? What did you say? What did you not say? What did you feel in your gut?
whast did you feel about your roots?
I was cooking on all burners over here and it was not easy.
I felt like I was processing so much information that my head was spinning and
I had to find my inner yogi every day and then of course try like heck not to run him over with the car.
A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That
Cool dryer weather today--HOORAY!!!! We should have nice, summer weather for a few days--and then it will warm up. And by warm up, I mean temps at and over the 80* mark. Blah. Thank goodness for air conditioners.
**********
While watching the Tigers game last night, we saw one of the pitchers break his elbow when he threw a pitch. I have never seen anything like that before and never want to see it again. He was in so much pain, I thought I could feel it! I STILL shudder to think about what I saw. He is done for the season, but did no damage to any tendons, ligaments, or muscles. He actually was lucky that it only was a broken elbow. It still is unbelievable that ANYONE could break an elbow just by throwing a baseball.
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The Red Wings signed my Baby Boy's older brother to a one year contract. For the most part, he will be playing in Grand Rapids, but will be called up to Detroit during the season. It would be nice to see the two of them play together--I'm sure there is a great deal of chemistry there, as they grew up playing together. It will be interesting to see if he can make it in the NHL.
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The Youngest's neurotic cat--the one on anti-anxiety drugs--has been doing quite well lately. And then they went and bought a new couch this past weekend. He is NOT amused, but getting better every day. It's not a wonder he isn't happy about the couch--cats HATE change in a big way. Our cat gets very upset for a few days whenever I move the furniture around in the living room. The joys of pet ownership.
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We're still battling the yellow jackets in the soffit. While K was able to close up most of the entry holes, they still are finding their way in. So, K did a little bit of spraying, which killed MOST of the buggers--but not all. There are two or three that continue to find ways to get into the soffit, so there will need to be more spraying done. This HAS to be taken care of quickly. From everything I've read, they get more and more aggressive as the month of August approaches--something about new queens, I believe--and they don't want anything around the nest. Like I need to worry about THAT!
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I don't know if the weather has had anything to do with it or not, but the police logs just haven't been too interesting lately. There have been quite a few alcohol-related calls, but with this weather, ANYONE would want to drink the depression away! Hot weather seems to bring out the wackos and this weekend is supposed to be hot. High temps and a holiday weekend just might give some interesting police calls. Stay tuned.
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Our oldest has always had some strange reactions to certain medications. If something is supposed to cause drowsiness, she would get hyper. We found this out when she was given Tylenol with codeine for an ear infection. She stayed up all night talking to herself after getting a dose, so we stayed away from that afterwards. She also couldn't handle Dimetapp or several other meds because of the same result. Last night, she found out her boy takes after her. She gave him some Benadryl for his newly diagnosed allergies and he stayed up till at least 3:00 AM, bouncing off the walls. But, when he fell asleep, he slept very well and woke up extremely refreshed. At least something good came out of it. ;)
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Despite the fact that nothing came of K's visit to the sleep center, I STILL think his sleep isn't right. (He went to be tested for sleep apnea and was told he doesn't have it. I disagree. I also think he has a bit of 'sleep eating,' too. But I digress...) Many times this next scenario has been played out in our house.
I went into the bedroom last night to put away the last of the laundry that I had just folded. K had already been sleeping for an hour or two. A lot of the time, he isn't disturbed when I go into the bedroom, but sometimes he is. As I was putting my night gowns away, he got up out of bed, looked at me and began saying "I heard on the news..." and he proceeded to talk as if we had been conversing for an hour or so. And he does this quite often--he just starts as if he never was sleeping. It is the strangest, eeriest thing. Maybe he DREAMS we are talking and he just continues what he was dreaming about. I don't know.
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My favorite day of the year came and went over the weekend. That day would be the first day of summer. It is my favorite day because every day from now on gets shorter and shorter--and we are one day closer to winter with each day. ;) And the hockey season will be starting on 7 October--just 99 days away! Time is moving way too slowly...
Devin Thomas, Washington Redskins Wide Receiver and Music Video Boy-Toy
Washington Redskins wide receiver Devin Thomas is a man of many talents on the field but he also has some notable talents off the field as well.
Recently, he appeared in former American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino's new video called, "Bittersweet" as her love interest.
Essentially, they nuzzle and get into a little heavy-petting during the video, so I guess you can say Devin Thomas got to use his hands in the backfield.
(Courtesy of the D.C. Sports Bog)
LeBron James & Chris Bosh Are A Waste of Time for the New York Knicks
In the aftermath of the 2010 NBA Draft, it should be painfully clear to fans of the New York Knicks that the organization’s chances of landing LeBron James in this summer’s free agent market are virtually non-existent.
Not only were the Knick contingent forced to watch the Utah Jazz select Butler’s Gordon Hayward with the ninth overall pick in the Draft, a pick Utah acquired when New York traded for Stephon Marbury in 2004, they could only stand by helplessly as the Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat finalized trades to clear enough salary cap space to potentially sign two elite free agents within the next several weeks; particularly James and Chris Bosh.
To add insult to injury, these multiple death knells for New York, as far as their plans to persuade James to ply his trade in the Big Apple, all took place in Madison Square Garden.
If that weren't enough to prompt New York to put their contingency plans into motion, the rumors that have been running rampant over the past several days should be a collective slap in the face to the Knick front office.
According to the New York Times, an unidentified NBA executive of one of the five teams (Bulls, Heat, Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, New Jersey Nets) who plan on meeting with LeBron James in his hometown of Akron, Ohio on July 1 said he gathered from fellow executives that James was strongly leaning toward signing with Chicago in tandem with Chris Bosh.
“I think it’s a done deal,” the executive said.
The executive, speaking on the condition of anonymity, further added that he thought James was going ahead with the meetings in Ohio “to be respectful to all these teams who jumped through these hoops,” an obvious reference to clubs, like the Knicks, who traded reasonably talented players like Jamal Crawford the last two seasons in an effort to open up as much salary cap space as possible.
However, according to “reliable” sources in Cleveland and New York for FOX Sports Radio’s Stephen A. Smith, LeBron James and Chris Bosh are planning to head to South Beach to play with Dwyane Wade on the Miami Heat.
So, depending on who you want to believe these days, it certainly appears that either Chicago or Miami will be the likely landing spots for James and Bosh when the dust finally settles.
If this is indeed the case and both James and Bosh have already made up their minds about where they’re going to sign or, at the very least, narrowed down their options to two specific teams, they should really spare organizations like New York the insult of a ‘pity meeting’.
And for their part, the Knicks should find more constructive ways to spend their time than by making impassioned pitches to players who have absolutely no intention on coming to the Big Apple; because, at this stage of the game, New York has invested enough energy, money and time on wooing LeBron James.
There are plenty of other quality fish in this year’s free agent market, including Joe Johnson, Carlos Boozer, Amar’e Stoudemire and Dirk Nowitzki; and it’s time for New York to place more of its focus on the attainable reality as opposed to the unattainable dream.
The acceptance of this ‘pity meeting’ from James is simply an opportunity for Knick brass to do more begging and groveling at the feet of a man who has been placed on much too high of a pedestal.
If New York refuses to accept this hard truth then LeBron James, and Chris Bosh, should open up their respective mouths and tell Donnie Walsh not to bother with making any recruiting excursions.
That would be the honorable thing to do; wouldn’t it?
Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and video updates on 2010 NBA free agency.
Oh Man, Evan Longoria/BJ Upton Screaming Match!
During the period of time that is the 162-game Major League Baseball regular season, it's not surprising to see some players take plays off.
Well, Tampa Bay Rays outfielder BJ Upton in a recent game against the Arizona Diamondbacks didn't fully hustle after a batted ball hit by Arizona's Rusty Ryal.
Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria didn't appreciate the non-hustle from Upton which lead to a confrontation between the two in the Tampa Bay Ray dugout after the play had transpired.
(Courtesy of Rayhawk Review)
Well, Tampa Bay Rays outfielder BJ Upton in a recent game against the Arizona Diamondbacks didn't fully hustle after a batted ball hit by Arizona's Rusty Ryal.
Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria didn't appreciate the non-hustle from Upton which lead to a confrontation between the two in the Tampa Bay Ray dugout after the play had transpired.
(Courtesy of Rayhawk Review)
Fantasy Drafthelp: Hot Dog Eating Fantasy Draft???
We at FDH believe strongly that the concept of fantasy sports applies well to competitions at almost every level of life. No niche competition is too marginal to fit into our worldview of competitive fantasy sports.
As such, we make it a point to cover the annual Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest and to draft these weapons of mass digestion for our competitive purposes.
Such a draft works best with four or five owners drafting for three rounds. We recommend a modified serpentine draft, with the third round following the same order as the second round to compensate somewhat for the dominance of the top tier on the draft board.
Here are some recent past results from the great Independence Day tradition.
Here is the home page for the sanctioning body, Major League Eating.
Here are the profiles of these “champion athletes” – and we have linked to these profiles for each competitor on our draft board.
Here is our draft board, delivered in standard FDH style:
TOP TIER
1 Joey Chestnut
2 Takeru Kobayashi
SECOND TIER
3 Patrick “Deep Dish” Bertoletti
4 Tim “Eater X” Janus
5 Sonya “Black Widow” Thomas
6 Ben Monson
7 Bob Shoudt
8 Hall Hunt
THIRD TIER
9 Erik “The Red” Denmark
10 Eric Booker
11 Juliet Lee
12 Tim Brown
13 Pat Philbin
14 Micah Collins
15 Crazy Legs Conti
As such, we make it a point to cover the annual Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest and to draft these weapons of mass digestion for our competitive purposes.
Such a draft works best with four or five owners drafting for three rounds. We recommend a modified serpentine draft, with the third round following the same order as the second round to compensate somewhat for the dominance of the top tier on the draft board.
Here are some recent past results from the great Independence Day tradition.
Here is the home page for the sanctioning body, Major League Eating.
Here are the profiles of these “champion athletes” – and we have linked to these profiles for each competitor on our draft board.
Here is our draft board, delivered in standard FDH style:
TOP TIER
1 Joey Chestnut
2 Takeru Kobayashi
SECOND TIER
3 Patrick “Deep Dish” Bertoletti
4 Tim “Eater X” Janus
5 Sonya “Black Widow” Thomas
6 Ben Monson
7 Bob Shoudt
8 Hall Hunt
THIRD TIER
9 Erik “The Red” Denmark
10 Eric Booker
11 Juliet Lee
12 Tim Brown
13 Pat Philbin
14 Micah Collins
15 Crazy Legs Conti
Maalla
Hey.
Lataan kuvat nyt ekaa kertaa Flickrin kautta, kun niin moni on valitellu ettei TinyPicin kautta ladatut kuvat näy. Ilmottakaa jos kuvat ei näy, niin lataan ne sitten TinyPicin kautta kun taidan vihata tota Flicriä.
Mun kesä on edelleen jatkunu rentona ja suurimmaks osaks tylsänä. Siksipä vähän kuvailin viime viikolla.
Mömmö halus käpyjä. :D
Torstaina menin kaupunkiin, ja käytiin taas Allun kanssa kahella eri rannalla. Oli ihanan lämmin. ♥ Allu otti musta asukuvat, mutta en tajua miten ne ei ollukaan kamerassa kun aloin niitä myöhemmin kattomaan, joten ette nyt nää mun koko asua. :--(
♥ paita: Killah (Jim&Jill)
♥ arskat: H&M
♥ korvikset: Vilulta
♥ laukku: second hand
♥ kengät: kirppis
Äiti teki mulle joskus monta vuotta sitten vetoketjusta rannekorun, mutta en sitä koskaan käyttäny vaan se joutu laatikon pohjalle. Nyt sen kuitenkin löysin, ja se sopi täydellisesti mun paitaan kun siinäkin oli neliapiloita.
Toisella rannalla meidän seuraks tuli pullasorsa, ja mulla oli sattumoisin Marie-keksejä mukana, joista sorsa näytti olevan aika innoissaan. :)
Mulla oli suunnitelmissa mennä juhannukseks Hanna-serkun luo, mutta suunnitelmat peruuntu ja jouduin menemään porukoiden ja toisien serkkujen kanssa Hannan lapsuudenkotiin maalle juhannusta viettämään. Oli vähän tylsää, kun ois ollu kiva vähän bilettää, mutta ehkäpä sitten ens vuonna kun oon 18.
Ollaan vietetty melkeinpä joka juhannus tuolla samassa paikassa sukulaisten luona. Saunottiin, uitiin, syötiin, pelattiin sulkapalloo ja käytiin soutelemassa. Aika perus settiä. Onneks kävi tuuri ja alko satamaan vasta kolmelta kun oltiin menty jo nukkumaan!
Sukulaisilla on maitotila, ja siitä syystä siellä oli mm. kaks söpöö vasikkaa. ♥ Niillä on kauheen pitkät kielet. :D
Koska oon tosiaan viettäny paljon aikaa kotona, oon kattonu Hannah Montanan kolmannen kauden (XD), ja ihan uuden tuttavuuden eli Gleen ekan kauden. Glee tulee varmaan joskus näkymään Suomessakin telkkarissa, ja suosittelen sen sitten katsomaan. :) En siis tienny tuosta ohjelmasta mitään etukäteen, enkä ollu alussa oikein varma että tykkäänkö siitä vai en, mutta loppujen lopuks se oli kyllä kattomisen arvonen. :) Kyseessä on siis amerikkalainen draama/komedia/musikaali-ohjelma. Eilen illalla kuuntelin YouTubesta siinä laulettuja kappaleita ja rääyin mukana kun olin yksin kotona.. :--D Kurt on ihana!
En oo muuten vieläkään käyny ees alennusmyynneissä, nyyh, ois pitäny ees uudet biksut löytää kun omistan vaan kahet joista oikeestaan vaan toisia käytän. :| Toivottavasti pääsis shoppaamaan ennen kun alet loppuu.
PS. Tutustuin tässä joku päivä aivan ihanaan sivustoon nimeltä weheartit.com. ♥ Pitää joskus tehä postaus joistain sieltä löytyneistä kuvista. :3
Lataan kuvat nyt ekaa kertaa Flickrin kautta, kun niin moni on valitellu ettei TinyPicin kautta ladatut kuvat näy. Ilmottakaa jos kuvat ei näy, niin lataan ne sitten TinyPicin kautta kun taidan vihata tota Flicriä.
Mun kesä on edelleen jatkunu rentona ja suurimmaks osaks tylsänä. Siksipä vähän kuvailin viime viikolla.
♥ arskat: H&M
♥ korvikset: Vilulta
♥ laukku: second hand
♥ kengät: kirppis
Sukulaisilla on maitotila, ja siitä syystä siellä oli mm. kaks söpöö vasikkaa. ♥ Niillä on kauheen pitkät kielet. :D
Jee, huomenna lähetään Hannan kanssa mökille, ja ollaan siellä kaks yötä, jos Hannalla ei oo töitä. :) Jos sillä on keskiviikkona töitä, mennään Allun kanssa kattomaan ti-ke välisenä yönä Epäilys. :--) Varkaudessa ei oo varmaan aiemmin pidetty mitään yönäytöksiä, ja toi ois Epäilyksen ensi"ilta". Jos tullaan mökiltä vasta keskiviikkona, mennään kattomaan se ehkä joku toinen päivä.
Keskiviikkona on muuten 30.6, mikä tarkottaa sitä että oon ollu neljä vuotta karkki/sipsilakossa. Oon nyt jo kauan suunnitellu että lopettaisin lakon sillon, joten pystyisin syömään ekat karkit joko leffan yönäytöksessä, tai sitten mökillä. :D Jännää! Huomenna kaupassa oon suurien valintojen eessä, kun pitää päättää ekat karkit mitä syön. =D Tekee kyllä varmasti mieli syyä ne jo mökillä.
En oo muuten vieläkään käyny ees alennusmyynneissä, nyyh, ois pitäny ees uudet biksut löytää kun omistan vaan kahet joista oikeestaan vaan toisia käytän. :| Toivottavasti pääsis shoppaamaan ennen kun alet loppuu.
PS. Tutustuin tässä joku päivä aivan ihanaan sivustoon nimeltä weheartit.com. ♥ Pitää joskus tehä postaus joistain sieltä löytyneistä kuvista. :3
Yuck, Yuck, Yuckity, Yuck
This is getting absolutely ridiculous. Once again, as has been the case for days and days and days, the humidity is hovering around the 90% mark. And the temp is hanging in at just under 70*. This makes for cool, clammy, uncomfortable weather. And I am about to lose it--big time.
I'm not one to want the hot, dry days of summer--hell, I don't wait for summer at all. But what is going on here cannot continue. While the temp is at the highest where I feel comfortable, I cannot handle the humidity. Everything that I touch, is limp and damp. I put on clothes every day that feel as if they weren't in the dryer quite long enough. My dishtowels/rags are getting 'that smell' to them--the smell that comes from being too wet for too long--after using them just once. (In the winter, I can go for three or four days before 'the smell' sets in, if it ever does.) I can't put my hair in braids before I go to sleep--I do this because it gets in my way when I turn over--as it is still wet when I wake up. And there is nothing more disturbing than smelling a mustiness in your hair--as if it will mildew and have to be cut off completely. This humidity knocks every bit of 'get up and go' from me--I just feel like I'm moving in slow motion all of the time. And my head and eyes hurt--the allergies/sinus problems are working overtime. I just feel like shit. (Pardon my French.) I do believe I'm turning into a sloth--green hair and all.
I know in six months I will be pissing and moaning over the fact that this house is too dry, but right now I can't wait for the dryness to set in. Last month we were worrying about the possibility of uncontrollable wildfires and now we have standing water or swamp-like conditions everywhere. Our basement has always been 'damp,' but we have as much water down there right now as we get in the spring during the thaw. Our dehumidifier is working overtime and I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will last for the entire summer. Still, it just isn't getting rid of the water/dampness that is hanging around the basement. And thus ends my ranty piss and moan session. ;)
I'm not one to want the hot, dry days of summer--hell, I don't wait for summer at all. But what is going on here cannot continue. While the temp is at the highest where I feel comfortable, I cannot handle the humidity. Everything that I touch, is limp and damp. I put on clothes every day that feel as if they weren't in the dryer quite long enough. My dishtowels/rags are getting 'that smell' to them--the smell that comes from being too wet for too long--after using them just once. (In the winter, I can go for three or four days before 'the smell' sets in, if it ever does.) I can't put my hair in braids before I go to sleep--I do this because it gets in my way when I turn over--as it is still wet when I wake up. And there is nothing more disturbing than smelling a mustiness in your hair--as if it will mildew and have to be cut off completely. This humidity knocks every bit of 'get up and go' from me--I just feel like I'm moving in slow motion all of the time. And my head and eyes hurt--the allergies/sinus problems are working overtime. I just feel like shit. (Pardon my French.) I do believe I'm turning into a sloth--green hair and all.
I know in six months I will be pissing and moaning over the fact that this house is too dry, but right now I can't wait for the dryness to set in. Last month we were worrying about the possibility of uncontrollable wildfires and now we have standing water or swamp-like conditions everywhere. Our basement has always been 'damp,' but we have as much water down there right now as we get in the spring during the thaw. Our dehumidifier is working overtime and I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will last for the entire summer. Still, it just isn't getting rid of the water/dampness that is hanging around the basement. And thus ends my ranty piss and moan session. ;)
Q & A with NY Knicks Prime Free Agent Target Chris Bosh – Part 2
As reported here, Toronto Raptors prospective free agent power forward Chris Bosh co-hosted ‘Mike and Mike in the Morning’ on 1050 ESPN Radio on the day of the 2010 NBA Draft.
Bosh’s one-day co-hosting assignment was essentially a four-hour Question & Answer session, with the five-time All-Star fielding questions regarding his pending free agency from daily show host Mike Greenberg, ESPN NBA Insider Chris Broussard, callers and even actor/comedian Adam Sandler.
From this particular point, what follows are continuing highlights from Bosh’s special appearance on ‘Mike and Mike in the Morning’. Click here to read Part 1 of this series.
‘Mike and Mike in the Morning’ – Thursday, June 24
Greenberg: Ever since the season ended and everything, we have all been talking about ‘The Summit’. Dwyane Wade really was the one who brought it up, who said you guys would all talk to each other.
Now the way I interpreted that from the outside is, you guys are friendly, you run in the same social circles, you all have a really big decision that you’re each making at the same time. It would only make sense that you would sort of feel each other out; “What are you thinking? What are you thinking?”, that kind of thing.
What has the communication been like between you pending free agents so far?
Bosh: Well, for me, it’s been non-existent. I just talk about it with my friends and family. Everybody’s just keeping their secrets close; and I think everybody’s doing that as well as the teams and the individuals.
To read about the ‘The Summit’ and stuff like that, I remember when somebody first told me they were like “Yeah, you know it’s the meeting and they’re calling it ‘The Summit’ now.” It’s ‘The Summit’? They gave it a name? It’s crazy. But it’s fun to watch that stuff because, you know, when things come out about you, it’s like alright I didn’t say that, but that’s funny.
Greenberg: So there is no ‘Summit’?
Bosh: No, there is no ‘Summit’.
Greenberg: You have not talked to LeBron at all?
Bosh: No.
Greenberg: Really?
Bosh: Nah.
Greenberg: Now see, I would find that strange. I would think if I were a guy in your situation I would be talking to LeBron and if I were in his situation I’d be talking to you; the way you each play the game it would seem you were such a nice fit together. Why wouldn’t you have some conversation?
Bosh: Well, I think it’s just all at a point in time it’s gonna come together. If we’re gonna have a conversation it’s not gonna be now, might not be before July 1st. But whenever it happens that’s when it’s supposed to happen. That’s the kind of mentality I’ve been taking into this, and I’ve just been rollin’ with it.
Broussard: Chris, the feeling around the league among a lot of people is that you and LeBron would like to play together. I talked to LeBron a few years ago when this free agency stuff just started coming up. It was after the Olympics in 2008; and I asked him of all the guys that realistically would be free agents in 2010, which one would he most want to play with, he said you. And so a lot of people feel like, not necessarily that it’s a package deal, but that you two would like to play together in one of these cities, even it could be Cleveland.
How true is that you guys would like to look at the possibility of playing together?
Bosh: I think that’s something you should look at. He’s going to be a Hall of Famer. Everybody knows he’s an incredible player; back-to-back MVP. And you’d be kind of crazy not to want to play with a guy like that, but I think that makes each situation attractive; to be able to play with another superstar is great.
Broussard: Now will you go visit teams, visit cities and go through the whole recruitment tour?
Bosh: I think so. I don’t know what’s goin’ on, man. I’m still waitin’ to see how it’s gonna happen.
Broussard: Is there any chance a couple of you guys would go together, like maybe you and LeBron would go visit together or anything?
Bosh: I doubt if we’ll schedule something like that, but I wouldn’t be surprised if teams really start pulling some tricks out of their sleeve. There’s no telling what’s gonna happen. People have been planning on these meetings for years now so there’s no telling what, we’ll see.
Greenberg: Why wouldn’t you go on the recruiting trips? There’s no rush in any of this. Why wouldn’t you go, let them wine and dine you like crazy, it’s sort of like college recruiting on steroids. Go to New York, go to Chicago, go to all these places where you know they’re gonna sell you like crazy.
Is there any reason you wouldn’t do that?
Bosh: Well, that’s one thing you have to consider, especially me, because this is something that is very important; this is the next biggest decision of my life. So to be able to take my time and actually feel out the process and see how things go, look at the guys in their face and really talk to the organizations and take my time; I think anybody in this position should do that.
Subsequent to the return from a commercial break, Bosh was posed the following set of questions:
Greenberg: If you’re looking for a max contract, that limits your options? If a max contract isn’t that high a priority, your options are basically unlimited.
Is a max contract a deal breaker for you come July 1st?
Bosh: That’s a good question. This is a business and there’s always a saying you don’t want to leave money on the table; but I never burn my bridges and I always keep my options open. Now is that an option I would really lean towards; that would have to be something discussed between (Sort of jokingly) me and myself, I guess.
There’s just so many different scenarios. Do you take max, do you not take max? Do you go here, do you go there? It’s kind of confusing at times. That would be something that guys would really have to look at but, at the same time, guys have to be on the same page. Everybody has to be on the same page.
Bosh was also referring to taking less than maximum money to play with two other free agent superstars in his response.
Broussard: Conceivably, you, LeBron, Dwyane Wade, you guys could team up in Miami if you agree to take about $13.7 million a year to start versus $16.5 million, which is the max you guys can get.
Is that something that would intrigue you guys, the possibility of you three coming together and taking a slight pay cut but not anything drastic like the mid-level exception?
Bosh: It’s funny, that’s the first time I’ve heard that one; so like I said there’s a bunch of different scenarios. I don’t know if that can happen. I highly doubt something like that…. That’s kind of like PlayStation.
Greenberg: But for the first time ever you could actually do it. This isn’t the Wii.
Broussard: I don’t know who would be around you.
Later on in the segment, Greenberg posed this question to Bosh, which resulted in an intriguing response from the highly sought after prospective free agent power forward.
Greenberg: How much is it your sense that LeBron is a key figure in what everyone else, including yourself, will wind up doing?
Bosh: He is THE figure, to be frank about it. You have to wait on what he does. He’s the biggest free agent in, probably, the history of sports. Quite frankly, you’re gonna have to wait on him and after he makes a decision, no pressure, LeBron, the rest of the league is gonna fall in order.
And Bosh’s response only further confirms that, like Brett Favre in the National Football League, LeBron James has been built up to be bigger than any player, any one individual team and the game of basketball itself.
That is just too much influence and power for any one man to have, even if he is, arguably, the best player in the NBA.
Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a special video presentation featuring Chris Bosh.
dual eclipses
About a week ago I had an extraordinary dream about two golden-haired twin youths suspended over the sea, extraordinary in visual content but also in emotion. There was more to it but I am only sharing this much because I think it relates to what has been happening in the skies of late. When I went looking for clarification a friend suggested I might find some answers in the Tarot images which I did, the implications of which I am unsure and therefore not able to share.
So what has this got to do with the recent full moon? This latest moon seems to have been very powerful for some of us and when I discovered it was a partial eclipse I started to appreciate why. As a Cancerian my ruling ‘planet’ is the moon which of course puts me in a strange position because it isn’t even a real planet, just a celestial body of sorts. I went searching and discovered that this eclipse of the moon last occurred on June 15, 1992. I am rifling through my memory cells to try and remember what was happening about then, I think it was about the time I moved to the south coast, so it is obviously an influential moon.What is more significant for me though, and gets back to my dream, is that the next full solar eclipse occurs on July 11, just 2 days before my 50th birthday and is heavily influenced by the energies of Gemini and Mercury, duality and change. The astrology is very powerful for me as again it occurs in Cancer and this time very close to my birthday. The astrologers say that the eclipse:
‘….makes a sextile to Mars and is on the fixed star Castor, the good twin in the constellation of Gemini. This is very interesting as there are a number of Angel twin/Evil twin aspects going on at the same time. We have a Venus opposition Mean Lilith which brings to mind Innana and Ereshkigal the sisters in the original Babylonian myth of Persephone….’, a myth I am familiar with.
Another astrologer says that ‘….eclipses focus energy for the following six months, and Mars is raw energy, passion and desire. The sextile aspect is creative, expressive and energetic. This should translate as a very productive and energetic second half of this year’.There is a real double-duality going on here, some forecasting the negative aspects of the twins, some the positive, although the twins in my dream were definitely benign. That is the way of astrology, much depends on individual circumstances. Perhaps the dream was just telling me about the dual eclipses, but I think I will tread warily in any case. As is my habit I am following the image and now trying to draw the dream. We will see what unfolds.
images: random stolen from net. The Moon card (Rider-Waite pack), partial eclipse and full solar eclipse
Outside the Boxscore Reaches The 2,000 Post Milestone
It's been three years of classic posts here on Outside the Boxscore and we have finally reached the 2,000 post plateau.
We would like to thanks all you loyal fans and random visitors to the site who came from a link or accidentally trying to search for something else. We would also like to thank all of our staff writers and people who have kept this site moving, it couldn't have be done without you.
So, how would we celebrate this milestone? The only way I know how, Endless David Caruso One-Liners:
(Image Courtesy of The Werewolf Cafe)
Q & A with NY Knicks Prime Free Agent Target Chris Bosh – Part 1
In what can only be described as a ‘calculated coincidence’, on the day of the 2010 NBA Draft, Toronto Raptors prospective free agent power forward Chris Bosh co-hosted the ‘Mike and Mike in the Morning’ show on 1050 ESPN Radio with regular host Mike Greenberg and NBA Insider extraordinaire Chris Broussard.
However, to say that Bosh, a 5-time NBA All-Star, co-hosted the four-hour program would be a gross overstatement. Simply put, Bosh’s presence on the show was an opportunity to pick the brain of a prominent member of the most highly anticipated free agent class in professional sports history.
The 26-year-old Bosh, a 2002 McDonald’s All-American and the fourth overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, fielded questions from Greenberg and Broussard and calls from fans of teams that would be drastically improved by his addition to their respective rosters. Even actor/comedian Adam Sandler joined the fray to make a pitch on behalf of the New York Knicks.
The Dallas native, who averaged 24.0 points and 10.8 rebounds per game with the Raptors this past season, provided some poignant perspective on his thought processes as he prepares to be heavily recruited by a score of franchises, including New York, that are counting on him to be a significant piece of the foundation in the construction of a championship team.
From this particular point, what follows are highlights from Bosh’s special appearance on ‘Mike and Mike in the Morning’.
‘Mike and Mike in the Morning’ – Thursday, June 24
Greenberg: Let’s get right to it. After all this talk and all of this anticipation, the clock is going to strike midnight and it’s going to be July 1st. At that moment, where physically are you going to be?
Bosh: I’m a be home.
Greenberg: Is home Toronto or home is Dallas?
Bosh: Dallas; I’m a just be hangin’ out.
Greenberg: In your house?
Bosh: I’m a keep the situation as normal as possible, and just hang out at home and sit by the phone and wait for it to ring.
Greenberg: Are you anticipating a phone call or are you anticipating (Simulates knocking on a door) “Hi ya, Chris; it’s Donnie Walsh, I’m standing outside can I come in?”
(Laughter follows)
Bosh: Well, if that happen I don’t know whether I should let him in or call the police. (Additional laughter follows) It’s not easy to get to my front door.
Greenberg: So should we take it as a sign that if you call the police you’re not signing with that team?
(More laughter ensues)
Bosh: Probably after that, I don’t think they want me to talk to them anymore.
Greenberg: Are you kidding? Donnie Walsh would do 10 years in jail if it meant you signing with the Knicks. (Laughter) OK, so seriously, so you’ll be there in the house. What are you anticipating? What do you expect? Are you expecting in the first minute, stuff to happen?
Bosh: Yeah.
Greenberg: What?
Bosh: I don’t know. Just a lot of conversations with my agent, and I don’t know when I’m gonna go to sleep. I know we’ve been talking about this for a while and he was like yeah, you know, the offers are gonna come in right at 12:01; and he has to do his job and let me know the information that he’s received and relay it to me, and we’ll go from there. I mean pretty much he was like yo, you need to keep your whole first week open. So I cancelled a lot of things. I was trying to do some fun stuff but, you know, it’s business first.
Greenberg: Well, this could be fun.
Bosh: Well yeah, I make everything fun; my life is fun.
Greenberg: Chris Broussard, what you do expect? Do you expect people lined up at his door? Will there be people standing outside? Will they have to take a number like people waiting for the ‘Twilight’ premiere?
Broussard: It’s going to be interesting. I mean, typically, teams just make calls. And I wanted to ask Chris, how much does it matter to you who’s that first to make the call? Does that play a role in it? Or if a team did come to visit you at 12:01 versus a team that just made a phone call?
Bosh: Well, I don’t think the order of the calls are that important or the home visits or whatever. I think it’s just pretty much catered to what I want to do. I’m in a situation where I can control the situation, so I just want to be comfortable and make sure that we do things the way I want to do 'em.
Greenberg: What will be some of the deciding factors? In an NBA where essentially everyone knows how much money they can offer you and everyone, besides Toronto, can essentially offer you the same amount of money; what’s next, what is the next consideration for Chris Bosh?
Bosh: Well, I mean it’s winning first off; I just want to be in a situation where I can win basketball games. I want to win a championship. I think that’s the dream of every NBA player, and I know I’m gonna do it; it’s just picking out the right situation for me. That’s what it’s all about for me. I’ve struggled in the past and, you know, it’s been a growing process since I got to the league but I feel that I’ve worked hard enough to put myself in this position right now; and make sure I can win games next year. That’s all I want to do. I’m a winner, I believe heavily in competing hard every night and just giving it your all; so I can’t wait to see what happens.
Greenberg: Now in an interview that you did with SNY, SportsNet New York, one of the questions that was asked of you is how good are the Knicks’ chances of signing you and you said, “We’ll see after Draft Night.” Now that’s tonight. Why did you say that? What is the significance of Draft Night?
Bosh: Well, I think the significance is very important. Just like you said earlier, a lot of teams are gonna be putting themselves in better position to make some moves for next week and that makes for a lot of movement in the draft. And that kind of makes the draft exciting; you know people love trades in the draft. I think there’s gonna be a lot of movement tonight. There’s a lot of teams trying to move up, some teams trying to move down, trying to get more picks, trying to clear cap space, trying to build on their core that they have with their team in their city. So everybody’s trying to get better and be put in better positions.
Greenberg: Some people took that quote and interpreted it to mean the possibility of a sign-and-trade; that before the Draft tonight that you would potentially sign a contract with Toronto and then be traded somewhere. Is that a possibility? Is there a possibility of a sign-and-trade that could be worked out sooner than people are expecting?
Bosh: No, there’s not much talking at all. It’s not anything you can do right now. That’s the toughest thing about being in this situation, everybody has their cards and they’re not showing them. So there’s always gonna be speculation and everything, you know, I just laugh at it. We just try to stick with what’s working right now and what we need to work on for preparation for July 1st.
Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a special video presentation featuring Chris Bosh.
Lunar Eclipse--Capricorn Full Moon
Capricorn Lunar Eclipse -June 26, 7:31am EDT
Are you feeling the eclipse yet? You should be or as my friend Carol said, “Gad the eclipse is hitting us already....can't believe an East Coast earthquake, the uncapping of the BP well and McChrystal all on the same day”. To Carol I said, “ No kidding!”
The pressure has been mounting all week and I anticipate the energy we experience this week and weekend will have long lasting effects. Accent on “long”. Remember we have been discussing the cardinal cross/crisis/climax all year and this weekend’s Lunar eclipse is part of it. The Full Moon is at 5 degrees Cancer (sun) and Capricorn (Moon). A full moon is when the sun is opposite the moon and of course the tensions of Full Moons are legendary. Talk to an E.R. staff about what goes on in their world during a full moon and you’ll hear a lot of drama with or without George Clooney. Now with an eclipse, the full moon goes on steroids because the Lunar Nodes are over shadowed by the Sun. The drive to be responsible, to be mature, to be prudent are out gunned by the emotional, moody and fluctuating desires.
I won’t bog us down too much on the North and South Nodes but ever since August of 2009 when the North Node moved out of Aquarius and into Capricorn we have been striving to be more mature and sober. We went from “Kumbaya, whatever the group wants” to, “wait a minute what is MY responsibility?” In one fell swoop we all knew, deep inside of us it was time to be our own CEO, our own boss our own Father. We basically, all grew up and said, “I’ve got to be an adult.” Curiously, as we process out our own responsibilities we also are asking bigger questions about government. What is government’s role? Can it be managed? And who is working for whom? We will continue to work on this energy until March 2011 when the nodes change signs. But in the mean time the north Node in Capricorn will not be without its challenges and one of them is this Lunar Eclipse.
The Sun in Cancer wants to be fluid, it wants to be emotional it thinks all answers lie it its feelings. I am the first person to tell a friend, “What does your gut tell you?” But there is a difference between gut and feelings and if you don’t know the difference ---now would be the weekend to discern between the two of them. Feelings have both fear and hope in them, the gut is actually “a knowing”. Can you find it?
Additionally, with this lunar eclipse we have the Moon on Pluto. By itself this puts emphasis on power and how we access it or how we run from it. Of course both responses are reliant on character.
As we know the squares taking place this summer are focused on the cardinal points---and with this eclipse, the Sun & Mercury & South Node in Cancer opposes Pluto & Moon and North Node in Capricorn. Then over in Aries we have the conjunction between Uranus and Jupiter squaring Moon & Pluto and ----squaring Sun & Mercury. Uranus and Jupiter are demanding breakthroughs and rebellion and they will do it THEIR way. Because it is in the sign Aries the accent is on rash behavior. Not particularly thought out. Of course, the square aspect is not subtle. It will bring out a concrete hurdle and or crisis. Some of that tension will probably manifest through Mercury which puts emphasis on communication or ‘miscommunication’. Prepare for someone to say something that pisses off others, many will not be able to rise above calling the offender on their poor comment. Who will probably hide behind “Truth” but what we know is truth is really relative and those who are “just telling the truth or stating the ‘obvious’ may not be either. Because like beauty, truth is in the beholder. And since these cardinal energies are perhaps our most primal signs, the truth we all seek is not outside but inside. Meaning, a person can say what is truth or not but in every one of us, ‘our gut knows what is real.”
Expect some people to reach out way beyond their comfort zone as they deal with stuff. There may be real actions based on other reactions. Some of us will access the power of Pluto and take the elevator way, way down and shift things on their core. Great. Others will take the elevator and get depressed. Whatever path you take is fine as long as it is different. Remember, Uranus and Jupiter is demanding a new path.
At the same time Saturn is in the last degrees of Virgo so it is not yet there in the Libra the other cardinal sign but it is still in the mix of the square. The Sun is a wide Square to Saturn but Mercury is a much closer square. Again, emotions will feel pressured and our tongues could be sharp especially as we see the negative actions around us. And of course, Saturn is opposing Jupiter and Uranus. Father (Saturn) is angry at what he considers his mouthy son a rebel without a cause (Uranus). What he doesn’t know is that there is a cause; there is a root to the problem and the reason for the behavior. It doesn’t make it right but still there is something there. This weekend ask where can find discipline in my daily life? How is my diet? How are my structures holding up? Where are the holes in my system? Where are the fault zones? Where do I need to find a breakthrough? Where can I expand? Where can I find a place in the greater world? Where can we find family? What is my relationship with big business? Is it working? Is it not? Watch for power plays. Is it your boss? Is it your country? Is it the patriarch in your family or family of choice? What can I learn from it? How am I looking for power? Where are you trying to find it? What are you willing to do for it?
I take pause that the Global 20 are meeting this weekend. Sigh.
Fight the good fight and breathe.
David Horowitz: Obama and the War Against the Jews
During the year and a half Obama has been in office so far, he has indeed brought change to America and to the world. He has transformed a nation that had been the world’s bulwark of democracy and freedom into an enabler of the very forces that are intent on destroying them. He has helped to isolate America’s only ally in the Middle East, its sole democracy and most vulnerable people. And he has brought the impending war of annihilation against the “crusaders” and the Jews, which the jihadists have promised, measurably closer to its nightmare fruition.
Send in the Links (6/25/2010)
-> YouTube Decided to Add a Vuvuzela Button (No Guts, No Glory)
-> The Los Angeles Clippers Draft...Steve Urkel?!? (That NBA Lottery Pick)
-> Drinking Brews With Bill Clinton After Beating Algeria, Priceless (Dirty Tackle)
-> An Octopus Takes Germany over England...Inky Ain't It(Sportress of Blogitude)
-> You're Using That Vuvuzela Wrong (With Leather)
Today's Moment of Zen: Jimmy Kimmel and Drake Twitter Song: "Tweet Tweet"
the power of painting 3: Spider Kalbybidi
I have long believed in the power of images. I can provide evidence of how they have facilitated certain alchemical processes within my own psyche. In fact, this is my art practice in a nutshell. Some images when created and/or viewed in a particular context can trigger certain responses and effect change on a deeply psychic and archetypal level. My conclusions are drawn from years of being an artist which has deepened my understanding of the spiritual power of images. The alchemical power of the image is also the basis of my doctorate but this esoteric philosophy is quietly embedded in the exegesis so as not to alarm the examiners.Of course this ‘alchemical’, or ‘magical’, practice is visible in the first recognisable forms of art-making (cave paintings as ritual) and lies at the heart of every culture, not the least significant of which still operates within some tribes of the traditional owners of our own country. The images of that culture we get to see as voyeurs and tourists carry some of the symbolism but none of the real power because those images are never seen by many Aboriginal people, let alone non-Aboriginal. The consequences of creating these images is real (to which I can attest from my personal experience within the parameters of my own Western culture) and transgressing the ‘law’ has real consequences. I believe there are many examples of this in European art history, some of which have been recognised by their creators and many that have not; the work of Max Ernst, Marcel Duchamp, Yves Klein and William Blake just to mention a few off the top of my head.
During a recent conversation with a curator of Aboriginal art I was reminded of an excellent article in the Weekend Australian that sheds some light on this phenomena in traditional Aboriginal culture. Aboriginal elder ‘Spider’ Kalbybidi was a Maparnjarra a traditional doctor, a healer of great power’, lawman and 'man of high degree'. As an artist and ‘feather-foot’ Spider was held in awe by his community. His friend Moko, second in line as a magic man, said ‘that man can fly’. He was also a ‘master colourist’ of the Yulparija group of painters from the Great Sandy Desert. These roles and responsibilites were not discrete in Spider’s life.
In 2008 Spider walked off into the desert near his home in Bidyadanga with a small back-pack and his two dogs. Searchers found the tracks left in the sand but what was most extraordinary was that they ‘simply stopped’ - Spider and his dogs had just disappeared into the ether. ‘Strange things began happening the moment he vanished’.
‘There were brief sightings of him, at dusk, in the community, and in the country’. His ‘sister….. Weaver Jack, was sure that he was still alive….there was even….proof, for now he was appearing routinely, if fleetingly, in Yulparija dreams….. Word soon spread through the bush. Other men of power came and searched’ but it gradually became clear that ‘ancestor figures had lured Spider into the backlands and taken him away. But where to and for what reason? The picture clarified, and precise details emerged, when three members of the Balbal family, all desert born, all strongly endowed with maparn.... had a shared dream in which Spider's circumstances were spelled out, and this account soon became the standard version of the story….in the indigenous domain’.
Lydia Balbal relates that in their sleep she and her two brothers saw: 'a group of ancestors, led by the prominent figure of Maruwateye, coming to take Spider, and it was they….who had transported him, far, all the way to a cave in country south of Wangkatjunka, a central Kimberley Aboriginal community, hundreds of kilometres distant…. Once in that cave, he was painted up for law ceremonies, wrapped in cloth, looked after, and fed on a rich diet of wild cat….. he was close to the landscape of Tjukurrmaradji, on the fringes of the Sandy Desert, where his mother had raised him….If he was not fully dead, it was plain from this account that, as a living being, Spider was no more; he had passed over to the world of spirits'.
These accounts are not unfamiliar to anyone interested in Aboriginal culture, however, what is really interesting from my perspective (and getting back to my introductory blurb) are the events that unfolded some time after Spider’s disappearance, events that reveal the links between his life as an image-maker and as a law-man and the inherent power of the images he painted, that enabled or activated his transition to the spirit world.
(......to be continued)
image: 'Moko & Spider', not sure if this is one of Spider's paintings or one by his sister Weaver Jack about him.
Nicolas Rothwell, 'In the Shadow of Modernity', The Australian 'Review' , Dec. 13-14, 2008, 4-6
PUMA City NY: Brazilian Women's Soccer Sensation Marta Works Magic; USA vs. Ghana on tap
As spring transitioned into summer and rising temperatures proceeded to bake the Big Apple on a daily basis, PUMA City NY continued, and continues, to remain the place to be for the total World Cup experience.
PUMA’s invasion of New York began on the morning of June 11 and from that moment, South Street Seaport was destined to never be the same.
From the PUMA Football Pitch, a custom-built field open daily for pick-up games, victory dances, and more, to PUMA’s ‘Pop-Up’ Stores, which are shipping containers that have been transformed into shops to sell PUMA gear, fanwear, and footwear with not-to-be missed New York exclusives, to the PUMA Social Club, where post-sunset party hoppers can stop by for a variety of nightly events, PUMA City NY has quickly become the central locus to catch the fever of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
This is further evidenced by the additional attraction of being able to watch every live game of the international 32-team tournament on the big screens at the outdoor PUMA RED Beer Garden; including Saturday’s Round of 16 contest between the United States and Ghana.
The scheduled 2:30PM match between the United States and Ghana will be preceded by the first game in the Knockout Round between South Korea and Uruguay.
And after the Americans’ thrilling victory over Algeria to qualify for the Round of 16 and win their group (Group C) in the process, the anticipation for Saturday’s game against a tough Ghanaian team couldn’t be any higher.
A little over week ago, Brazilian Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) sensation Marta Vieira da Silva, a 4-time FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year Award winner (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009), graced the PUMA City NY grounds with an appearance at the PUMA Football Pitch for the "Can You Trick Your Inner Marta Out?" Contest.
Young soccer players watched Marta perform her favorite soccer tricks and then showed Marta some moves of their own. The player with the best tricks won the Marta's Best Trick Trophy.
Also worth noting is that PUMA will be continuing their Boot Demo program at PUMA City through the end of their time in New York on July 11.
Anyone who stops by the Football Pitch for a pick-up game or one of PUMA’s various programs, like ‘Suits in Boots’, is able to try on and try out a pair of PUMA soccer cleats, including the black/pink colorway of the women's PowerCat 2.10, which are the boots that Marta wore during her special appearance, as well as the PowerCat 1.10 and v1.10 for men.
For giving them a test run, visitors will receive a coupon good for 15% off all footwear, including the cleats, at the PUMA Footwear Store housed in one of the big, red shipping containers on site.
Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and amazing video of Brazilian women's soccer sensation, Marta.
Time Moves On
Can you miss someone who you haven't had contact with in over 25 years? I guess it's possible, because I am missing my cousin Ben. Ben died this past weekend and I have been a bit down ever since I heard the news.
Ben was The Mother's first cousin and he was only eight years older than me. He always was kind to me, but really didn't have all that much to do with me--after all, I was just a kid who was in awe of him. He was the first teenager that I spent any time around. I thought he was very, very cool and looked a bit like Elvis. (He DID have the dark hair and slightly curled lip when he smiled. And he was very good looking.)
I always thought Ben was quite smart--probably because he spent a year at the local university back home. I'm not sure why, but after a year he joined the Marines. He found himself in Vietnam for 13 months. I remember writing to him and have often wondered how much, if any, enjoyment he got from the ramblings of a pre-teen. I was tremendously proud to think I had a relative defending our country.
One thing that I always will remember about Ben was his rock collecting. He spent an enormous amount of time looking for agates on the shores of Lake Superior. He would polish the stones and then sell them to local tourist shops or jewelry makers. I have never been able to tell an agate from any other rock, so this was one talent that impressed me immensely--and I was very jealous.
When Ben got home from Vietnam, he, like so many, was 'not himself.' For quite a while he didn't seem able to get his life together and he foundered. There were several 'dark' years for him and we worried that he may not recover.
Finally, Ben got his life back on track. He married and he and his wife had two children. At one point, Ben went to the police academy and worked as a deputy sheriff for several years. Time went on, he moved on to other jobs, divorced, remarried, divorced again and got back together with his first wife. The two of them had a good life for many years, welcomed several grandchildren into their lives, and she was with him when he had the massive heart attack that killed him. I hope he finally was at peace in his later years. I wish I would have been in touch so that I could have known for sure. I miss you, Ben. RIP.
Ben was The Mother's first cousin and he was only eight years older than me. He always was kind to me, but really didn't have all that much to do with me--after all, I was just a kid who was in awe of him. He was the first teenager that I spent any time around. I thought he was very, very cool and looked a bit like Elvis. (He DID have the dark hair and slightly curled lip when he smiled. And he was very good looking.)
I always thought Ben was quite smart--probably because he spent a year at the local university back home. I'm not sure why, but after a year he joined the Marines. He found himself in Vietnam for 13 months. I remember writing to him and have often wondered how much, if any, enjoyment he got from the ramblings of a pre-teen. I was tremendously proud to think I had a relative defending our country.
One thing that I always will remember about Ben was his rock collecting. He spent an enormous amount of time looking for agates on the shores of Lake Superior. He would polish the stones and then sell them to local tourist shops or jewelry makers. I have never been able to tell an agate from any other rock, so this was one talent that impressed me immensely--and I was very jealous.
When Ben got home from Vietnam, he, like so many, was 'not himself.' For quite a while he didn't seem able to get his life together and he foundered. There were several 'dark' years for him and we worried that he may not recover.
Finally, Ben got his life back on track. He married and he and his wife had two children. At one point, Ben went to the police academy and worked as a deputy sheriff for several years. Time went on, he moved on to other jobs, divorced, remarried, divorced again and got back together with his first wife. The two of them had a good life for many years, welcomed several grandchildren into their lives, and she was with him when he had the massive heart attack that killed him. I hope he finally was at peace in his later years. I wish I would have been in touch so that I could have known for sure. I miss you, Ben. RIP.
Porky Pig says the Pledge of Allegiance. No "under God", which was added in 1954. Via Godless Liberal Homo
Send in the Links (6/24/2010)
Programming Note: We will be doing a 2010 NBA Draft Live-blog over at our partner site, That NBA Lottery Pick starting at 7:00pm est, if you want to join us for the event, click on this link.
-> The Never-Ending Tennis Match...Finally Ends (The News-Observer)
-> Italy Eliminated From the 2010 World Cup, IMMA SO SAD! (Goal.com)
-> Deacon Jones Dressed In A Tutu (NESW Sports)
-> That's How the Phillie Phanatic Courts (Sportress of Blogitude)
-> Invictus with Vuvuzelas (Out of Bounds)
Today's Moment of Awesome: The Fellowship of the Vuvuzela
Wrap It Up, Alexander Ovechkin!
For some stange reason, I have a sinking feeling that most of you did not tune in to see the 2010 NHL Awards from Las Vegas.
Well, *spoiler alert*
Washington Capitals Alexander Ovechkin won the Ted Lindsay award and got to his victory speech and started congraulating his friends, teammates and family. Then, the typical award show music started to play him off.
However, you never play off Alexander Ovechkin, NEVER!
(Courtesy of The Big Lead)
Well, *spoiler alert*
Washington Capitals Alexander Ovechkin won the Ted Lindsay award and got to his victory speech and started congraulating his friends, teammates and family. Then, the typical award show music started to play him off.
However, you never play off Alexander Ovechkin, NEVER!
(Courtesy of The Big Lead)
"Get off me, you big lummox!"
Al Gore gropes 54-year old female masseuse.
Update: More from The National Enquirer. Al Gore was charged $540 for the massage. For that price it damn well better include a happy ending. Al Gore is, of course, guilty but one can find a much younger and more attractive "masseuse" who will do anything you want for less than $540 or so I've heard.
Al Gore gropes 54-year old female masseuse.
Update: More from The National Enquirer. Al Gore was charged $540 for the massage. For that price it damn well better include a happy ending. Al Gore is, of course, guilty but one can find a much younger and more attractive "masseuse" who will do anything you want for less than $540 or so I've heard.
USA Soccer Fans Celebrate Win vs. Algeria
In case you missed it, the United States won this soccer game at the 2010 World Cup and moved onto the next round for the first time since 1930.
Well, let's just say many USA fans were deliriously happy and we got the video to prove it.
The first one is a live shot of a bar in Washington state and the other is of a USA super-fan who decides to high-five his mom in celebration.
(Courtesy of The Original Winger and Deadspin)
Well, let's just say many USA fans were deliriously happy and we got the video to prove it.
The first one is a live shot of a bar in Washington state and the other is of a USA super-fan who decides to high-five his mom in celebration.
(Courtesy of The Original Winger and Deadspin)
The Most Important Lesson NY Knicks Should Have Learned from NBA Finals
As Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals drew to a close and the Los Angeles Lakers celebrated a second consecutive NBA Championship, if the coaching staff and front office of the New York Knicks were paying close attention they would have been smacked in the face by the stark reality of the necessary components required to build a championship team.
In spite of dramatic changes to the way the game is played in this era, one of the oldest clichés in the National Basketball Association is as true today as it was fifty years ago; defense and rebounding do win championships.
So with the full court press being drawn up in the huddle to be put on LeBron James come July 1, the Knicks brain trust should be equally focused on ensuring the squad they plan on putting together is fully committed to playing hard-nosed, team-oriented defense as well as capable and willing to do battle underneath the boards.
And for any team this championship philosophy all begins and ends with the head coach; in this case, Mike D’Antoni.
After six years with the Phoenix Suns, in which he averaged 51 victories per season, D’Antoni was brought to the Big Apple, at the insistence of Knicks President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh, as the first step in the initiative to resurrect one of the marquee franchises in the league.
However, although this was widely viewed as a step in the right direction, D’Antoni’s success in the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ belied his shortcomings when it came to emphasizing the merits of rebounding combined with solid team defense. And this glaring oversight not only showed up statistically, it reared its ugly head in the playoffs as well.
For D’Antoni’s entire tenure with the team, although they were an offensive juggernaut, Phoenix consistently ranked in the bottom third of the NBA in opponent points per game and opponent rebounds per game; which ultimately resulted in repeated failures to make a single appearance in the Finals.
It has only gotten worse in his two seasons with New York, where the D’Antoni-led Knicks have finished in the bottom third of the NBA in opponent points per game, opponent field goal percentage per game and opponent rebounds per game.
So it goes without saying that D’Antoni absolutely must place more of an emphasis on defense and rebounding because the last time the Knicks were the toast of the town, particularly in the Pat Riley era, they happened to be one of the best defensive teams in the league.
But for this re-construction to come to fruition, Donnie Walsh must also put on his hard hat and get D’Antoni the pieces he needs to build a winning tradition in New York again.
Acquiring a wing player of LeBron James’ caliber is a terrific start, but without a front line to do the dirty work signing James won’t mean a thing in the long run.
With 6’9” All-Star David Lee, the Knicks’ starting center last season, probably headed to seemingly greener pastures, Walsh must also be prepared to make strong offers to the likes of Miami Heat free agent power forward Udonis Haslem and Dallas Mavericks free agent center Brendan Haywood, who are the type of players who don’t need to score but will bring toughness and the other necessary intangibles on the defensive end of the floor to the table.
In Game 7 of the this year’s Finals, the Lakers held the Boston Celtics to 79 points, 40.8% shooting and outrebounded Gang Green 53-40; and that’s because Los Angeles was longer, stronger and tougher up front and fully committed to playing great team defense.
This is how the Knicks made it to the Finals in 1994 and this is how they will make it to the Finals again nearly twenty years later.
Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a special 'Defense Wins Championships' video presentation.
