I hate being sick. I hate going to work, after a day off, with 90 plus emails waiting for me. Argh. Anyhow, all I've been doing is watching sportscenter and reading politics and sports blogs in bed all day. I found an interesting prediction for how the GS Warriors will finish their season, so I thought I'd share it here on the blog. I wrote about the Warriors fans bandwagon phenomenon here. I'm glad a "pro" caught it too. Bill Simmons is by FAR the funniest, most unique sports narrative out there right now. Enjoy.
How the West might be won by Bill Simmons
Scouting report: A 50-win season would happen for two reasons: Baron Davis playing 82 games for the first time in six years (you're not gonna believe this, but it's a contract year); and Monta Ellis' improbable transformation into Dwyane Wade 2.0. ... We've also seen Davis evolve into one of the NBA's true end-of-the-game killers, the real reason the Warriors have to be taken seriously in any playoff series. ... If you had to pick one guy to take the final shot in a down-one-with-fifteen-seconds-to-play scenario, Kobe would be first, LeBron would be second and Davis and Manu Ginobili would be tied for third. ... Most important, Kelenna Azubuike might have the single most fun sports name for Marv Albert to say since "John 'The Beast' Mugabi."
Biggest strength: The corruptive power of Nellieball. Eventually, nearly every opponent bends and decides to go small against the Warriors; it's like they just can't help themselves. (See: Johnson, Avery.)
Biggest weakness: When Lamar Odom comes within one point of back-to-back 20-20 games against you within a 24-hour span, it's safe to say you have some rebounding problems. Could somebody tell Andris Biedrins that the All-Star break ended five weeks ago? You're in a contract year, Andris!
Biggest X factor: Their home crowds haven't been as good this season. Maybe the Warriors fans are saving themselves for the playoffs (glass half-full theory) or maybe there's too many pseudo-fans on the bandwagon and some of their loyal fans have been priced out (glass half-empty theory). I'm leaning towards the latter. Come on, Warriors fans -- don't let those pseudo-fans ruin your "Best NBA Crowd In The League" gimmick. Throw a glass of chardonnay at them and tell them to leave.
Biggest mistake: Not using their $10 million exception from the Richardson trade to acquire one more reliable veteran for their rotation. They're one rebounder short unless Brandan Wright can make The Leap.
Unsung hero: How 'bout Captain Jack ... that's right, Mr. Stephen Jackson! Do you realize he's averaging a 21-4-4 for the season? Even better, "Captain Jack" is now a name that makes you think of Billy Joel, a bottle of whiskey or Stephen Jackson. Three of the greats. If I ever buy a boat, I'm naming it Captain Jack.
Best-case opponents: Phoenix or San Antonio.
Worst-case opponent: Utah.
Prediction: The seventh seed and a life-altering series against the Lakers in round one. If their seven-game series ends up being anything like the back-to-backer we just witnessed on Sunday and Monday night, I might need to take sedatives for the last two weeks of April.
Eventual 2007-08 legacy: They take their rightful place among the most entertaining/lovable/charismatic nonchamps of the past 25 years, right up there with the '93 Suns, the '84 Knicks, the TMC teams in G-State, the early Kemp-GP teams in Seattle, the Dominique-Spud teams in Atlanta, the C-Webb/White Chocolate era in Sacramento and the early Nash-Nowitzki teams in Dallas.
1. I had a childhood throwback moment at the Exloratorium last weekend. It was great, my cousins 4 year old seemed eager to try out all of the exhibits. I didn't realize what an oasis this pond is until now, now that I'm an adult.
2. Union Square during my lunch. I gotta find out what that statue is in the middle. I heard that double decker tour bus guide saying that it was donated from the Philippines.
3. I think the matching white walls tires are what sets this off. Although the car isn't mint, and for some reason is parked on the street, its still a pretty fly ride, parked near the house.
4. I had my monthly Mediterranean fix going pretty strong, so I decided this time I was going to cook it myself. The chicken kabobs are really simple and the store-bought pita bread really comes to life if you throw it on the coals for a few minutes. As a matter of fact I like my pita bread a lil crispy - that goes for naan also. I can't wait until I can purchase my propane bbq grill - its over after that. I'm BBQ'ing breakfast on that thing.
5. Almost homemade - OK so I didn't blend the Hummus or whip up the dough for the pita myself, but everything else on this plate is from scratch. Couscous (KK made that, and it was delicious), cucumber/yogurt salad w/ feta, chicken kabobs marinated in paprika, tumeric, lime and lemon with onions and bell peppers.
6. I love my griddle pan. This and my cast iron skillete really add a depth of flavors to the things I've been cooking lately. My new cook book by Alice Waters (which I've been readying like its a friggin novel) really puts an emphasis on using minimal ingredients, with bold, balanced flavors, executed with proper heat and technique. I'm not sure about my technique, and while I can't say that I buy ALL my food at the local farmers market, I have definitely seen the value of cooking with the heavy duty pans. Seasonal local vegetables, salt, pepper, garlic, fresh herbs and some olive oil.
From here on out I will address everything that happens within the 2008 Election period as - Post Speech.
Barack Obama's speech was historical. It was the greatest speech delivered by any politician in my lifetime... perhaps with the exception of Nelson Mandela's speech after being freed - remember this ""Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God."
But Barack's was up there. In terms of United States history it was the most important speech on race since the great Dr. King. Like I've been saying for over the past year on this blog, I'm not sure that America is ready for Barack. I'm not sure that their political IQ is high enough, especially after having been "dumbed down" by the W. presidency. I'm not sure that America is ready to be spoken to in this manner, to face the realities of race and the acceptance of a minority, a black president. We can only wait to see what this speech did in terms of political ramifications. By all accounts and by all parties (even Dick Cheney?!?!), this speech was historically important, perfect in its eloquence and an over all slam dunk. Lets see then, if that transfers over to acceptance instead of divisiveness.
1. Muhammad Ali - The greatest of all time. He's a profit, really. We could all learn a lesson from his position to the Vietnam war, and now - how he serves as an ambassador to his religion during the current war.
2. Manny Pacquiao - He holds the weight of a country on his shoulders and still maintains as arguably the best pound for pound fighter on the planet. I can't really say what his importance is to the Philippines. I can only see the impact that he's had on my community, my friends and the pride that Filipinos exude when talking about him. The thing that I enjoy about Manny is his raw talent. A rare south-paw champ whose strength is unmatched in his weight class. He's a special athlete, possibly even more special to his people considering how few athletes they have. He's all heart with brick hands and endless determination.
He's at the top of his game, representing a country that really has no other superstar. In sports terms: he is to the Philippines, what Soccer is to the country of Brazil. EVERYTHING.
3. Jose Canseco - My childhood hero. I hated when people wrote him off as a clown during the end of his career. Sports bloopers kept showing that highlight of the ball bouncing off his head for a homerun. How about when he used to hit 500 foot home runs like he was swattin' flies. And now that we know that everything he wrote about in "Juiced" was TRUE, I don't have to have those mixed feelings about enjoying those Bash Brother days. Yes, the pitchers were juicing also.
Jose came out with the truth nearly a decade ago and here we are just now getting to the bottom of Roger Clemens story - the greatest pitcher of the modern era, also took roids. Jose did more to help baseball than Bonds or Clemens' records will ever do - he cleaned up the sport. All those managers, team owners, trainers and members of the media who tried to claim that Jose was only writing a book for money and publicity should be ashamed of themselves. They knew baseball's dark secret and tried to paint Jose off as a bafoon in order to maintain the Mcguire/Bonds/Clemens roid head era. While Mcguire saved baseball and Bonds took baseball to the next level, Jose cleaned up the game. More than can be said of the commissioner.
4. Baron Davis - He's brought basketball back to the Bay Area. His game is so West Coast, I couldn't think of a better face to represent the Bay. Even the fact that he was snubbed from this years All-Star game is representative of the often over-looked Bay Area. The basketball fans in the Bay have such a high Hoops IQ, it doesn't really matter what acalades are given to Baron, we just care that he's about to bring 50 wins to Oakland.
5. Bill Bradley - He supports Obama's new style of Politics. I just like him because unlike a lot of corny ass athletes who fall into opportunistic political spots (Jesse Ventura, Arnold, Kevin Johnson?!?!), Bill Bradley was probably born to be in politics, but ended up playing hoops along the way. I really feel like he is in tune with the who he represents and the democratic voters. Did I mention that he is in the Basketball Hall of Fame, went to Princeton, was a Rhodes Scholar and won an Olympic metal? Yeah, these are the kind of well rounded, intelligent folks who endorse Obama.
I found an article that best sums up how I feel about Hilary's campaign. Please read. If you're a Hilary supporter, a Republican or an Independent, I'd love to hear your thoughts. It is time to start this dialogue.
- A Clinton Civil War by
Markos Moulitsas (Daily Kos, Monday ,March 17 2008)
" Clinton didn't just vote for the Iraq war and refuse to apologize for it, she voted to give Bush the same authority on Iran.
And if we want to talk about which party is the most grassroots-oriented, it's no contest. We've seen it in the caucuses, we've seen it in the netroots, and we saw it in the Iowa county convention this Saturday. The party's activists are busting their butts for Obama, while Clinton's campaign is counting on low-information Democratic voters selecting Clinton based on little more than name ID.
But I could deal with all of that, really, if Clinton was headed toward victory. I see this as a long-term movement, and I've always expected setbacks along the way. Clinton isn't the most horrible person in the world. She's actually quite nice, despite all her flaws, and would make a fine enough president.
If she was winning.
But she's not, and that's the rub.
First of all, the only path to victory for Clinton is via coup by super delegate.
She knows this. That's why there's all the talk about poaching pledged delegates and spinning uncertainty around Michigan and Florida, and laying the case for super delegates to discard the popular will and stage a coup.
Yet a coup by super delegate would sunder the party in civil war.
Clinton knows this, it's her only path to victory, and she doesn't care. She is willing -- nay, eager to split the party apart in her mad pursuit of power.
If the situations were reversed, and Obama was lagging in the delegates, popular vote, states won, money raised, and every other reasonable measure, then I'd feel the same way about Obama. (I pulled the plug early on Dean in 2004.) But that's not the case.
It is Clinton, with no reasonable chance of victory, who is fomenting civil war in order to overturn the will of the Democratic electorate. As such, as far as I'm concerned, she doesn't deserve "fairness" on this site. All sexist attacks will be dealt with -- those will never be acceptable. But otherwise, Clinton has set an inevitably divisive course and must be dealt with appropriately.
To reiterate, she cannot win without overturning the will of the national Democratic electorate and fomenting civil war, and she doesn't care.
That's why she has earned my enmity and that of so many others. That's why she is bleeding super delegates. That's why she's even bleeding her own caucus delegates (remember, she lost a delegate in Iowa on Saturday). That's why Keith Olbermann finally broke his neutrality. That's why Nancy Pelosi essentially cast her lot with Obama. That's why Democrats outside of the Beltway are hoping for the unifying Obama at the top of the ticket, and not a Clinton so divisive, she is actually working to split her own party.
Meanwhile, Clinton and her shrinking band of paranoid holdouts wail and scream about all those evil people who have "turned" on Clinton and are no longer "honest power brokers" or "respectable voices" or whatnot, wearing blinders to reality, talking about silly little "strikes" when in reality, Clinton is planning a far more drastic, destructive and dehabilitating civil war.
People like me have two choices -- look the other way while Clinton attempts to ignite her civil war, or fight back now, before we cross that dangerous line. Honestly, it wasn't a difficult choice. And it's clear, looking at where the super delegates, most bloggers, and people like Olbermann are lining up, that the mainstream of the progressive movement is making the same choice.
And the more super delegates see what is happening, and what Clinton has in store, the more imperative it is that they line up behind Obama and put an end to it before it's too late."
Been meaning to post recently but works been taxin that arse. I've had a few things on my mind, but I'll have to expand at a later time. For now...
- www.newmixes.com - This is how radio should be. Seriously, how come the UK gets the whole neo-soul, jazz, soulful broken beat thing so much better than the US of A? Actually, does any non-college radio dj even know what real soul music is? Cause it sure ain't that Beyonce yelling crap on the radio. A lot of the streams on this site come directly from Radio 1's - Gilles Peterson and Benji B's Deviation. Still a relevant place to post those streams though... loving this site.
- Anyone else getting a bad feeling about Hilary's campaign? The "over-ambitious" and "polarizing" titles have never been so relevant. She'll really do anything, really. She'll have anyone say anything on her behalf to win. It's not even about Obama... Its about the semi-racist shit that her camp is throwing out there to portray Obama. The sad part is that the uneducated voters (aka the majority of America, but particularly Hilary supporting democrats) are soaking it all up and (in my estimation) this will hurt not only Obama's chance at the presidency, but will also cast an ugly shadow on the Democratic party. If this, this, that and this equals Hilary in the white house... then maybe I don't really want to be associated with that party. Hello Ralph Nader.
- Prediction: America is not ready for a black president. The subtle and not so subtle racism is rising to the surface. It's relevant, way more so than Hilary being a woman. She cried on her campaign trail. Twice for Heavens sake. What President or candidate has ever cried? And only in the 2nd month of your campaign trail? What happens when the shit really hits the fan? But no... this sparked a fond reaction from the media. Women around the world were touched. "Look she's crying on TV - Finally, someone who understands us!". But put Barack in that traditional African garments and we get a friggin urban myth phenomenon that sways the outcomes of the Texas and Ohio primaries. Lets say for a hypothetical that he was Muslim. Who the hell cares? Why is that relevant. Why would that detract from the decisions, words and actions that Obama has displayed through out his carrer? Throughout his life! This is about the powers of the establishment (and yes, the Clinton machine is certainly part of that) versus a better minority candidate. This is a political machine versus grass roots. This is progressive versus status quo. This is the best, most over-qualified minority that we have seen in United States history, getting ready to be ousted at the hands of a racist attack. This will show us how far America has come. Mark my words.
- Prediction: Obama will win the popular vote, the number of states, and the number of delegates and still lose the Democratic candidacy. This candidacy will be brokered in a back room and something shady is in the works. I feel it. Mark my words! - There is no mathematical way that Clinton can quantify her being the candidate. You can already view her notioning of Barack being her vice president, on a "Dream Ticket' as part of the Shady Brokered Deal movement. It's a ploy for votes in her favor, thats all. She really has no mathemitcal nor momentum shift to back this reasoning. It will take a racist attack OR a shady back room - brokered deal by the Superdelegates to hand Clinton this win. Mark my words. Racist Attack OR Shady Back Room Deal.
- On a lighter note - ATTENTION TARGET SHOPPERS... I'm elated at the deals that Target has for work clothes these days. I've officially become a believer in only shopping for work clothes at Target. I'm done with Nordstrom Rack, Macy's clearance, Ross. They don't even come close. The sales at Target are ridiculous. I just bought a pack of 6 dress socks for $4.98!!!! I just picked up a couple of wrinkle-free, button-up, stripped shirts (in Spring colors) for $19.99!!!! And if you've got a really weird shaped body, more savings for you. I can't fit into size 28 wide, 34 long pants... but if I could - $6.50 Chino Pants!!!! Ridiculous. I shouldn't even share this find with anybody. This is the biggest unnoticed deal since signing up for my Harrah's card got me free rooms at the Paris Hotel in Vegas.
Not to get ahead of ourselves here, but clearly the momentum is Barack's favor. 11 primaries in a row, shifting of the super-delegate count and head to head polls vs Mccain favoring only the O. This Tuesday should (in my opinion) solidify his front runner-ship. Especially if he wins Texas out right. Based on recent polls, its near mathematically impossible for Hilary to take a delagae-count lead.
With that said, I've also noticed some pretty nasty stuff coming out of his opponents camps. Stuff now directed to Obama because of his front running. A lot of real ignorant stuff. Pictures of him wearing traditional Somali garb during a visit to Africa. Internet lies about his religion. Dirty stuff...
I recently shared a conversation with two good friends regarding our feelings on how these dirty games would play out versus the O camp. Could these Rove-like tactics work in shifting a doubt on Obama's character? Could the Republicans stoop so low as to tap into the faux Muslim fear that the Bush administration has craftly mastered? If the Republicans turned the American public against a Vietnam war veteren, John Kerry - in 2004. Remember the term "swift boating". Could they do so against a Democratic hopeful named Barack Hussein Obama? Is the average American critical enough to differentiate the facts from the scare tactics on their own? What roll will the media play? The conservative talk shows and Fox versus the Obama favoring media... These are questions that my friends and I pondered and I think its important to get this dialogue going NOW, so that Americans can be prepared once the games start. Americans can't afford to be swepts off their feet by the war mongoring, fear driven repubs and the propoganda that fuels them. Not with this election. Not with the lives of my Marine buddies still on the frontlines. Not with the potential for change that Barack Obama can bring. We can't be complacent this time. Thats what got us into the war. Barack can get us out.
Check out the SF Chronicles Mark Mulford's take on this phenomenon: "Nevertheless, one thing seems certain: We have yet to see the worst — and most deviously racist — of the attacks on Obama. The sad news is, there are simmering pockets of racist hate in this nation that have never really been tested, pockets of such vehement intolerance and power that it's impossible to know what demons lurk, what sort of outrage will erupt. After all, there is simply no historical precedent for what we are about to get into. No one with Obama's uniquely appealing makeup has ever made it this close to the White House."
But even more scary check out Time's Mark Halperin's 14 strategies that Mccain can use to beat Obama that Hilary could not. See strategy #11 for those of you who still don't know what I'm talking about: "11. Emphasize Barack Hussein Obama’s unusual name and exotic background through a Manchurian Candidate prism."
At first the cousins were buddies.
But then they sized each other up.
And then young cousin said "you want some of this sweet jump shot?".
And then young cousin went up for a shot...
And then older cousin went up for the swat, all ball.
And then someone got the Dikembe Mutumbo denial hand gesture.
But after all was done, they shared birthday cake, as older cousin was turning 23.
And Baskin Robbins was out of candles, so gramma suggested nothing short of a Christmas candles.
And we all ate ice cream cake. But some also took pictures. The end.
