For the past few years I've been stomping my feet hard on the floor protesting how much I hate Mike Dantoni's "Seven Seconds or Less" offensive system and finally someone else has come to notice what a farce it is. My boy Bill Simmons today posted a very insightful article pointing out how any player can have his numbers inflated while playing under Dantoni. Why am I so excited about this, because STEVE NASH SHOULD HAVE NEVER WON THOSE MVP'S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NEVERRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!
As Bill goes on to point out in his article, take a look at Nash's pre Dantoni numbers and his post Dantoni numbers and you'll cleary notice that they look eerily similar. I say we go to his house in Phoenix and take those MVP's away from him and give one to Shaq for 05' and one for Kobe in 06' and call it square. All you voters out there you should be ashamed of yourselfs for voting for him!!!! Shame on you all.
I won't elaborate too much on this, Bill does a great job of doing that, if you want to check out his article just head on down my blog and a link to his site will be there waiting for you.
later.
ps. YOU DO REALIZE THAT NASH WILL GO DOWN AS THE ONLY MVP TO NEVER BE IN THE NBA FINALS. JUST THOUGHT I WOULD POINT THAT OUT.
WHAT A JOKE!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
I had to get this in, Dennis Rodman we need you!!!
After watching last nights horrible game, in which LA almost lost to the Knicks, I've decided that something needs to be done about my team. For the past few weeks, my early Laker juggernaugts have slowly become a horrible excuse for a championship caliber team. Sure they have a nice record and all, but that matters little when titles come calling in June. There's only 3 teams in my mind that LA should measure themselves to, Boston, Cleveland and San Antonio, the rest are easy killings. So when games like last night arrive or like the one last week in Sacramento, I'm quick to start in on "what the fuck?", that should not happen. Ever!!!
No disrespect to New York or Sacramento, they are both quality teams moving in the right directions, but for LA to move forward and become the leagues best, sloppy games and easy losses to teams on the balance of mediorcrity should never happen. However, I do realize that from time to time games like this will arise for any team, no matter how talented, but come on 3 games in 2 weeks (the Indiana loss), somethings gotta give. So then, here's my solution.
LA needs to make a trade for a veteran, rebounding, defending big man, they need another precense who can do some dirty work and be a force in the locker room. Outside of Fish and Kobe this team is young, and at times too young. Young teams never win in the NBA, and this team certainly hasn't shown me that this season will be any different. If the finals were to replay today, Boston would woop these boys in 4, quick and easy. There's no swagger, no hustle, no "we're going to kill you guys tonight" attitude. I see it from Kobe, he looked mighty pissed last night going into the locker room at halftime, but outside of him the rest of the team seemed okay with their poor start and the 15 point deficit, as if they knew they could turn it on in the second half. Luckily they won the game, but barely. I do commend them for that, they could have easily sat back and taken this game on the chin, but they didn't, so kudos to them for that, but to be honest it should never have been this close. I say trade Odom for a player or two who can come in and do some dirty work, they have enough scoring and such. To be honest the players I would rid the team of would be Odom, Radmanovic and to some extent Walton. All three are pansies when the games get close. They need a David Lee type player, a Udonis Haslem, a Linas Kleiza or Andres Nocioni or Jeff Foster. They need some frontline help, fuck go get Marcus Camby. Their best lineup I believe is:
Fish, Kobe, Ariza, Gasol and Bynum
with a bench of
Farmar, Vujacic, and two other guys to replace Odom and Radmanovic.
Bynum is too young and soft to be their savior on defense, he needs help. Mitch has done a great job with this team, I just hope he realizes that ridding Odom soon for a defensive minded player will greatly help this team, offense they have, defense is what they need.
later
No disrespect to New York or Sacramento, they are both quality teams moving in the right directions, but for LA to move forward and become the leagues best, sloppy games and easy losses to teams on the balance of mediorcrity should never happen. However, I do realize that from time to time games like this will arise for any team, no matter how talented, but come on 3 games in 2 weeks (the Indiana loss), somethings gotta give. So then, here's my solution.
LA needs to make a trade for a veteran, rebounding, defending big man, they need another precense who can do some dirty work and be a force in the locker room. Outside of Fish and Kobe this team is young, and at times too young. Young teams never win in the NBA, and this team certainly hasn't shown me that this season will be any different. If the finals were to replay today, Boston would woop these boys in 4, quick and easy. There's no swagger, no hustle, no "we're going to kill you guys tonight" attitude. I see it from Kobe, he looked mighty pissed last night going into the locker room at halftime, but outside of him the rest of the team seemed okay with their poor start and the 15 point deficit, as if they knew they could turn it on in the second half. Luckily they won the game, but barely. I do commend them for that, they could have easily sat back and taken this game on the chin, but they didn't, so kudos to them for that, but to be honest it should never have been this close. I say trade Odom for a player or two who can come in and do some dirty work, they have enough scoring and such. To be honest the players I would rid the team of would be Odom, Radmanovic and to some extent Walton. All three are pansies when the games get close. They need a David Lee type player, a Udonis Haslem, a Linas Kleiza or Andres Nocioni or Jeff Foster. They need some frontline help, fuck go get Marcus Camby. Their best lineup I believe is:
Fish, Kobe, Ariza, Gasol and Bynum
with a bench of
Farmar, Vujacic, and two other guys to replace Odom and Radmanovic.
Bynum is too young and soft to be their savior on defense, he needs help. Mitch has done a great job with this team, I just hope he realizes that ridding Odom soon for a defensive minded player will greatly help this team, offense they have, defense is what they need.
later
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Just a few thoughts today...
Twenty games into the season and here we have it, Boston, Cleveland and LA all vying for the best record in the league. In my mind things couldn't have turned out any better. Kobe and LeBron are clearly the two best players in the league, so naturally having them on top shouldn't be any surprise to no one. As for Boston, well they are the defending champs and the leagues best defensive team, so winning shouldn't be too difficult for them, Garnett's too nuts to let them lose. However, as for the rest of the league, well shame on you, outside of a few key injuries (Utah, San Antonio) this season has seen way too many underachieving teams, a trend I hope changes soon or the league will be in some awful trouble.
For starters I remember clearly so many columnists and media folk blabbering away at how Philly would be such a force this season with the acquisition of Elton Brand. Well as you can see by their record, I knew they would be average at best. Elton isn't a game changing player, he's good but not a leader, at best he should only be your second option, never your franchise cornerstone. Plus the guy was coming off a serious injury that limited him most of last season, expecting him to bring glory was a bit far fetched in my mind. With this point, I'm always reminded of how numbers happy people are when it comes to this NBA game. Amare Stoudemire goes out and has a 20/20 game and people are quick to anoint him the games next best player, but if you look closely he's not the leader of that team, Nash is and Nash will always be while he's there. Amare's a great player no doubt but he'll never win you a championship, he's not smart enough and clever enough to inspire his teammates. Yet the crippling thing with this point is that Amare will be given Franchise player money, something he should never receive and that is where the NBA has gone wrong. So to tie in this point with Elton and so many other underachieving teams is that by giving him this money and key to the franchise, you unfairly hamper a team and its fans. He gets it in his head that he's this player he's not, while the fans also begin to believe as well and that's where the underachieving comes in, they've been given expectations. But you see if Philly had just signed Elton and made little fuss about it, the expectations would have stayed far away and the team may have flourished without this added weight and expectation. Did anyone expect much from Philly and Atlanta last season? No, and that's why they exceeded, they just played ball. However, this season they both are struggling and the people are wondering why. Well I'll tell you, they were never that good to begin with. Anywho, enough with that.
Here's a few other thoughts.
- LA is playing well, but I hesitate to put them atop of Boston right now, their defense has become somewhat suspect. Christmas day should be a good test, however, I predict it here they will lose that day, Boston is better now, but LA has a higher ceiling, I don't for see a rematch in June, Cleveland vs LA looks to be headed for a collision course.
- Devin Harris is getting way too many props of late, he's good and improved but until he's done something when it matters (ie the playoffs) then anointing him the East's best Point is getting somewhat silly don't you think.
-Donnie Walsh please buyout Steph soon! you gotta bite the bullet on this one now, having this over your head much longer will cripple your team.
- Is it me or has AI become poison to any locker room he enters of late. First Philly, then Denver and now Detroit. I think it's time to drop the scoring total a bit Allen and involve your teammates a little more, there's more to shooting 20 shots per and scoring 30 to the game. I know you're tough, but are you smart?
-Does anyone feel stupid now for giving Nash those two MVP's when he clearly did not deserve them? I say give them to Dantoni for his majestry of inflating players numbers with his 7 seconds or less offense. I say throw Kobe or LeBron on his team and we'll really see what numbers look like. Fucking bullshit!!! Nash got two before Kobe even got one!!! What the fuck? You tell me any GM who would have taken Nash over Kobe in any of those two seasons and I'll show you an idiot. Who's going to go down as one of the top 5 best ever and who's going to go down as a good player? I shouldn't have to answer this. You all realize that Nash has more MVP's than Shaq and the same as Duncan!!! Seriously?
- Oh and Dirk got one!!! I say throw the MVP away, it's tainted.
- Firing Sam Mitchell was retarded, his team sucked because his players suck, not because he did a crap job. When you have Jamario Moon in your starting lineup, you suck plain and simple. Sorry Sam.
- Franchise Players are : Kobe, LeBron, Duncan, KG, Wade, CP3 and to some degree Shaq
- Overrated Players who either think or want to be a Franchise Player are: Amare, Carmelo, CB4, Howard, Brand, Nash, Nowitzki, Pierce, Iverson, McGrady
- The NBA's most underrated players are: Ginobilli, Calderon, DFish, B Roy, D Lee, V Carter, L Alderidge.
later.
For starters I remember clearly so many columnists and media folk blabbering away at how Philly would be such a force this season with the acquisition of Elton Brand. Well as you can see by their record, I knew they would be average at best. Elton isn't a game changing player, he's good but not a leader, at best he should only be your second option, never your franchise cornerstone. Plus the guy was coming off a serious injury that limited him most of last season, expecting him to bring glory was a bit far fetched in my mind. With this point, I'm always reminded of how numbers happy people are when it comes to this NBA game. Amare Stoudemire goes out and has a 20/20 game and people are quick to anoint him the games next best player, but if you look closely he's not the leader of that team, Nash is and Nash will always be while he's there. Amare's a great player no doubt but he'll never win you a championship, he's not smart enough and clever enough to inspire his teammates. Yet the crippling thing with this point is that Amare will be given Franchise player money, something he should never receive and that is where the NBA has gone wrong. So to tie in this point with Elton and so many other underachieving teams is that by giving him this money and key to the franchise, you unfairly hamper a team and its fans. He gets it in his head that he's this player he's not, while the fans also begin to believe as well and that's where the underachieving comes in, they've been given expectations. But you see if Philly had just signed Elton and made little fuss about it, the expectations would have stayed far away and the team may have flourished without this added weight and expectation. Did anyone expect much from Philly and Atlanta last season? No, and that's why they exceeded, they just played ball. However, this season they both are struggling and the people are wondering why. Well I'll tell you, they were never that good to begin with. Anywho, enough with that.
Here's a few other thoughts.
- LA is playing well, but I hesitate to put them atop of Boston right now, their defense has become somewhat suspect. Christmas day should be a good test, however, I predict it here they will lose that day, Boston is better now, but LA has a higher ceiling, I don't for see a rematch in June, Cleveland vs LA looks to be headed for a collision course.
- Devin Harris is getting way too many props of late, he's good and improved but until he's done something when it matters (ie the playoffs) then anointing him the East's best Point is getting somewhat silly don't you think.
-Donnie Walsh please buyout Steph soon! you gotta bite the bullet on this one now, having this over your head much longer will cripple your team.
- Is it me or has AI become poison to any locker room he enters of late. First Philly, then Denver and now Detroit. I think it's time to drop the scoring total a bit Allen and involve your teammates a little more, there's more to shooting 20 shots per and scoring 30 to the game. I know you're tough, but are you smart?
-Does anyone feel stupid now for giving Nash those two MVP's when he clearly did not deserve them? I say give them to Dantoni for his majestry of inflating players numbers with his 7 seconds or less offense. I say throw Kobe or LeBron on his team and we'll really see what numbers look like. Fucking bullshit!!! Nash got two before Kobe even got one!!! What the fuck? You tell me any GM who would have taken Nash over Kobe in any of those two seasons and I'll show you an idiot. Who's going to go down as one of the top 5 best ever and who's going to go down as a good player? I shouldn't have to answer this. You all realize that Nash has more MVP's than Shaq and the same as Duncan!!! Seriously?
- Oh and Dirk got one!!! I say throw the MVP away, it's tainted.
- Firing Sam Mitchell was retarded, his team sucked because his players suck, not because he did a crap job. When you have Jamario Moon in your starting lineup, you suck plain and simple. Sorry Sam.
- Franchise Players are : Kobe, LeBron, Duncan, KG, Wade, CP3 and to some degree Shaq
- Overrated Players who either think or want to be a Franchise Player are: Amare, Carmelo, CB4, Howard, Brand, Nash, Nowitzki, Pierce, Iverson, McGrady
- The NBA's most underrated players are: Ginobilli, Calderon, DFish, B Roy, D Lee, V Carter, L Alderidge.
later.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Live music, great food and vomit, all staples of Amigos Cantina
If you've grown up in Saskatoon or been here even just a little then you've most likely experienced Amigos Cantina just off Broadway, and if for some reason you haven't...well, shame on you! Luckily for me I have the pleasure of escaping on over to Amigos quite often, for you see I live across the street, something I surely lucked out on.
Amigos is what I call the place to be in this rather closed minded city, it has a great location in the middle of the city, awesome Tex Mex food, (to which I'll elaborate in more detail further down) and a kick ass music scene where up and coming artists come to play here often. You see what Amigos has captured in my little home town is what I call "the hardest thing to do in the hospitality world" and that is be an established restaurant that serves great food while also being an established bar where people of all ages come to enjoy great music. Sound like I'm giving them too much praise? Think about it, go ahead, try and think of another venue in this city that can give you both ALL the time. Hard isn't it? Well let me help you some, there isn't any, none, nada, zilch. Amigos is the one and only in this city that can offer you both ALL the time. Earls can give you food but rarely any music, Lydia's and Louis' can give you music but crap for food all the while Bailey's pretends to do both. Amigos stands alone and they do it well. I realize this may sound over the top, but for anyone who's tried to do both and has failed, will certainly tell you it's a lot harder than it looks. What tends to make things difficult is peoples perceptions, they either see you as "my favorite date spot" like Sushiro or " I go there for dessert" like Calories or "I go there for drinks" like the Yard, etc... But how often do you hear anyone say "lets go to Amigos tonight for dinner, drinks and then stay for Black Mountain", often is what I say and that's what sets them apart. Just thought I would point this out right off the bat, for me this is the best part about Amigos, their versatility. Now on to the food and such.
When it comes to great Tex Mex fare, Amigos is second to none, they continually dole out exceptional simple food on a very consistent basis. My girl and I have been weekly lunchers for almost 2 years now and we have never been disappointed. What stands out for me on the menu is their exceptional veggie burger, never dry, full flavor and great treat. I tend to get it with a side casa salad with sun dried tomato dressing, another quality item. This salad by the way is by far my fav in the city, the dressing alone brings my mouth to sheer salivation. They also have a wonderful cumin dressing that stands out in my mind, something my girl tends to get. When it comes to the Mex side of things, the crab Chimichanqua stands high, nice and crisp with a tasty jalapeno cream sauce poured on top. I also tend to gravitate towards the Lila Mole Fajita, (again the Mole sauce being the one that brings me back, it has a subtle chocolate and nutty quality that I surely recommend) and the chicken enchilada, layered with cottage cheese, spinach and fresh chicken. The black bean burrito also stands out for me, as well as the Quesadilla, both crowd favorites that continue to surround me while I eat my meal. When it comes to specials, nothing compares to the Almond chicken fingers, crisp, lightly breaded and a nice treat. Now the menu is great and there are even more items I could go knee deep into describing but hey where would the surprise be for ya, I say check it out and enjoy for yourself.
As for the service and the layout of the place, both come friendly and simple. There's a bar, a rather large dining room, a private room, a patio and a room with a pool table, yet again another example of how versatile they are. The servers are friendly and always attentive, they've all been there some time so getting to know their names is not uncommon. You can tell there's a great family dynamic involved, you can immediately sense a staff that enjoys coming to work which is often a quick sign you've entered into an establishment that shines. The decor is nice, black almost everywhere, some art strewn about with great sun lights overhead. The bar could use a touch up but that's nothing to sweat about, and I tend to believe that this little bit of wear and tear has added to the nostalgia that is Amigos, it's what makes it real. There's an edge and a simplicity to the place, you get a sense that there's been a tonne of stories written within the walls to which you can't help but wonder upon. The bathrooms (the men's for me personally) up until recently told you many stories as to their years of parties, graffiti and vomit stains, surely something in my mind to brag about, it means you've become something more that just Amigos Cantina, you've become a staple, a brand in the city and getting to that point means you've done something right.
In conclusion I've danced, eaten, read, relaxed, done shot after shot, and much much more at Amigos and I hope to continue for quite some time. Whether you're a fresh faced 19 year old looking to get your whistle wet or you're a wise old vet whose aching for a good meal and a simple tune, Amigos has your number, believe you me, you will not be disappointed.
later.
Amigos is what I call the place to be in this rather closed minded city, it has a great location in the middle of the city, awesome Tex Mex food, (to which I'll elaborate in more detail further down) and a kick ass music scene where up and coming artists come to play here often. You see what Amigos has captured in my little home town is what I call "the hardest thing to do in the hospitality world" and that is be an established restaurant that serves great food while also being an established bar where people of all ages come to enjoy great music. Sound like I'm giving them too much praise? Think about it, go ahead, try and think of another venue in this city that can give you both ALL the time. Hard isn't it? Well let me help you some, there isn't any, none, nada, zilch. Amigos is the one and only in this city that can offer you both ALL the time. Earls can give you food but rarely any music, Lydia's and Louis' can give you music but crap for food all the while Bailey's pretends to do both. Amigos stands alone and they do it well. I realize this may sound over the top, but for anyone who's tried to do both and has failed, will certainly tell you it's a lot harder than it looks. What tends to make things difficult is peoples perceptions, they either see you as "my favorite date spot" like Sushiro or " I go there for dessert" like Calories or "I go there for drinks" like the Yard, etc... But how often do you hear anyone say "lets go to Amigos tonight for dinner, drinks and then stay for Black Mountain", often is what I say and that's what sets them apart. Just thought I would point this out right off the bat, for me this is the best part about Amigos, their versatility. Now on to the food and such.
When it comes to great Tex Mex fare, Amigos is second to none, they continually dole out exceptional simple food on a very consistent basis. My girl and I have been weekly lunchers for almost 2 years now and we have never been disappointed. What stands out for me on the menu is their exceptional veggie burger, never dry, full flavor and great treat. I tend to get it with a side casa salad with sun dried tomato dressing, another quality item. This salad by the way is by far my fav in the city, the dressing alone brings my mouth to sheer salivation. They also have a wonderful cumin dressing that stands out in my mind, something my girl tends to get. When it comes to the Mex side of things, the crab Chimichanqua stands high, nice and crisp with a tasty jalapeno cream sauce poured on top. I also tend to gravitate towards the Lila Mole Fajita, (again the Mole sauce being the one that brings me back, it has a subtle chocolate and nutty quality that I surely recommend) and the chicken enchilada, layered with cottage cheese, spinach and fresh chicken. The black bean burrito also stands out for me, as well as the Quesadilla, both crowd favorites that continue to surround me while I eat my meal. When it comes to specials, nothing compares to the Almond chicken fingers, crisp, lightly breaded and a nice treat. Now the menu is great and there are even more items I could go knee deep into describing but hey where would the surprise be for ya, I say check it out and enjoy for yourself.
As for the service and the layout of the place, both come friendly and simple. There's a bar, a rather large dining room, a private room, a patio and a room with a pool table, yet again another example of how versatile they are. The servers are friendly and always attentive, they've all been there some time so getting to know their names is not uncommon. You can tell there's a great family dynamic involved, you can immediately sense a staff that enjoys coming to work which is often a quick sign you've entered into an establishment that shines. The decor is nice, black almost everywhere, some art strewn about with great sun lights overhead. The bar could use a touch up but that's nothing to sweat about, and I tend to believe that this little bit of wear and tear has added to the nostalgia that is Amigos, it's what makes it real. There's an edge and a simplicity to the place, you get a sense that there's been a tonne of stories written within the walls to which you can't help but wonder upon. The bathrooms (the men's for me personally) up until recently told you many stories as to their years of parties, graffiti and vomit stains, surely something in my mind to brag about, it means you've become something more that just Amigos Cantina, you've become a staple, a brand in the city and getting to that point means you've done something right.
In conclusion I've danced, eaten, read, relaxed, done shot after shot, and much much more at Amigos and I hope to continue for quite some time. Whether you're a fresh faced 19 year old looking to get your whistle wet or you're a wise old vet whose aching for a good meal and a simple tune, Amigos has your number, believe you me, you will not be disappointed.
later.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
45 years and still no answers, amazing!
Okay so yesterday marked the 45th anniversary of JFK's death in Dallas, Texas; a death clouded with so much controversy one has to wonder how its true cause has never fully been found out. A few weeks ago my girl introduced me to the film JFK, Oliver Stone's acclaimed story of how District Attorney Jim Garrison fought to expose the government led conspiracy that led to the President's death. Being an avid fan of political dramas, I was grossly involved into the film from the onset, however, my feelings towards Stone's point of view have caused me to take a look into the history of JFK and why his assassination was set out and how it came to fruition. With that I have a few questions.
- Was JFK's assassination due in part to his reluctance to send in air support during the Cuban invasion in 1961?
- Was JFK's National Security Action Memorandum #263 the last straw in the hat before his death. A memorandum written on Oct 11th, 1963 that stated the withdrawal of over 1000 troops from Vietnam, a war in which he repeatedly did not approve of and was going to stop after his re-election in 1964, something his successor Vice President LBJ disapproved of.
- After using his father Joe Kennedy and his ties to mafia king Sam Giancana to seal him the presidency, did JFK's appointing of his brother RFK as his secretary of defence cause him to being murdered? It has long been known that Bobby Kennedy did not support the underworld of organized crime and was determined to eliminate the very men that helped his brother into office. Giancana and Jimmy Hoffa to name a few, were both against Bobby, so much so that much speculation has been linked to Hoffa wanting to rub out JFK first in order to getting to Bobby.
- Did LBJ have more of an involvement into the assassination than most tend to believe, he was there in Dallas the day of JFK's death, he had stated over and over again his distrust and anger towards President Kennedy's lack of warmongering, especially during the Bay of Pigs fiasco. Also he voiced his displeasure on numerous occasions on Kennedy's lack of zeal towards the Vietnam war, he hated that Kennedy wanted to pull troops out after his 1964 re-election.
- How does former CIA director Allen Dulles figure into things? He was duly criticized for his mishandling of the Bay of Pigs and forced to resign by Kennedy. Did he have any vendetta towards Kennedy on this matter? And why was he, a man obviously hated by Kennedy, appointed to lead the Warren Commission investigation? Why would LBJ appoint him of all people?
- Why were the two secret service agents following JFK's car down Dealey Plaza told to let go and walk away by their commander? Who had the power to do this?
- Where does George Walker Bush figure into things, his oil influences could be felt from Texas all the way down to Cuba. The fact that a ship containing some of the anti Cuban nationalist was named "Zappata" a reference to his Zappata Oil Company has to figure as not just a coincidence but something to look into. Also was he employed by the FBI as a Hoover ally? Where was he the day the shooting took place? his testimony that he was on the phone when the shooting took place has been labeled very suspicious for decades now.
- E Howard Hunt, one of the CIA's main men has to figure into things, he was involved in the Bay of Pigs as well as Watergate. Known as one of the CIA's "Plumbers" was he one of the shooters?
more on this later...
- Was JFK's assassination due in part to his reluctance to send in air support during the Cuban invasion in 1961?
- Was JFK's National Security Action Memorandum #263 the last straw in the hat before his death. A memorandum written on Oct 11th, 1963 that stated the withdrawal of over 1000 troops from Vietnam, a war in which he repeatedly did not approve of and was going to stop after his re-election in 1964, something his successor Vice President LBJ disapproved of.
- After using his father Joe Kennedy and his ties to mafia king Sam Giancana to seal him the presidency, did JFK's appointing of his brother RFK as his secretary of defence cause him to being murdered? It has long been known that Bobby Kennedy did not support the underworld of organized crime and was determined to eliminate the very men that helped his brother into office. Giancana and Jimmy Hoffa to name a few, were both against Bobby, so much so that much speculation has been linked to Hoffa wanting to rub out JFK first in order to getting to Bobby.
- Did LBJ have more of an involvement into the assassination than most tend to believe, he was there in Dallas the day of JFK's death, he had stated over and over again his distrust and anger towards President Kennedy's lack of warmongering, especially during the Bay of Pigs fiasco. Also he voiced his displeasure on numerous occasions on Kennedy's lack of zeal towards the Vietnam war, he hated that Kennedy wanted to pull troops out after his 1964 re-election.
- How does former CIA director Allen Dulles figure into things? He was duly criticized for his mishandling of the Bay of Pigs and forced to resign by Kennedy. Did he have any vendetta towards Kennedy on this matter? And why was he, a man obviously hated by Kennedy, appointed to lead the Warren Commission investigation? Why would LBJ appoint him of all people?
- Why were the two secret service agents following JFK's car down Dealey Plaza told to let go and walk away by their commander? Who had the power to do this?
- Where does George Walker Bush figure into things, his oil influences could be felt from Texas all the way down to Cuba. The fact that a ship containing some of the anti Cuban nationalist was named "Zappata" a reference to his Zappata Oil Company has to figure as not just a coincidence but something to look into. Also was he employed by the FBI as a Hoover ally? Where was he the day the shooting took place? his testimony that he was on the phone when the shooting took place has been labeled very suspicious for decades now.
- E Howard Hunt, one of the CIA's main men has to figure into things, he was involved in the Bay of Pigs as well as Watergate. Known as one of the CIA's "Plumbers" was he one of the shooters?
more on this later...
Monday, November 17, 2008
NBA Canada you suck!!!!
I hate and love the NBA at times, mostly love comes to mind being that it is the best sport and league in the world. However, over the years my anguish with being a super fan and living in Canada has almost driven me mad. You see when it comes to television and Internet rights for NBA broadcasting in Canada the governing body is a total and separated entity from what the rest of the NBA has, it is called NBA Canada. In the world of David Stern and the league office, when dealing with Canada and such they decided to create a separate authority on what was to take place in Canada (ie. the Raptors, merchandise, TV/Internet stuff, etc... the whole works), so they called it NBA Canada. In theory they had to go this route due to differing Canadian laws and such. Hence forth the idea as a whole is great for Canadians to a point, what the whole thing is about is to promote the game abroad in Canada, while maintaining a stance of Canadian basketball. When this new governing body arrived in 1995, TSN, Raptors TV, The Score and the CBC all jumped on board asking for a piece of the pie. Well in the process NBA Canada decided to give its power and rights to theses entities so they all could harness and develop the Raptors and Canadian basketball together. The whole we want everyone involved came to fruition within NBA Canada. Therefore, each entity gains a certain number of Raptors and NBA games thus enabling them each to having a say as to what is viewed up here in Canada. As an example TSN will get say 25 Raptors games and say 30 other NBA games, which in turn shows the rest of Canada that hey "we at TSN care about the NBA and The Raptors, we have this many games and such". Now with that, lets say you are like me and you like the Raptors but your favorite team lies in Los Angeles. So when the season starts you are excited and want to watch every Laker game, however, alas you come to see that TSN, the Score, CBC and Raptors TV are only broadcasting 18 Laker games all season. Well that sucks! So you see, as a fan of the Lakers up here in Canada my rights at viewing all the Lakers games are put into the hands of these TV Stations. How is that fair? What if you liked Memphis, you'd be fucked, you might get one game if you were lucky. So then how do you follow your team/player? How do you stay involved? The most likely scenario is that you wouldn't, you'd lose hope and give up, is this what the NBA wants, its fans giving up? I don't think so. So then why not offer a package that can be purchased so where you can watch all the games and pick which ones you want to watch? Oh but wait, IT FUCKING DOES EXIST, IT HAS FOR OVER 10 YEARS NOW!!!
Now for the longest time, at least 10 years running, the NBA has offered to it fans the choice of subscribing to NBA League Pass, a great package at a reasonable price that gives fans the ultimate prize, full access to every game of every team. Much like the NFL's, NHL's and MlB's packages, League Pass is a great option for fans who want to watch more than what they can get regionally from their local cable subscriber. Smart huh? Now since this little package has been available to US citizens for over 10 years, you would think that NBA Canada would jump in and offer this prize for its fans and viewers. You would think???????????
Instead NBA Canada chose not to offer League Pass in Canada because they were afraid of damaging their alliances with the aforementioned group above. Their view was and still is "give them all the Raptors games, a few other games and that should be good enough". Really? Is that fair, I mean what about all the money they could make, I mean how hard is it to offer League Pass?, isn't it in their best interest as a corporation? Think about it, for 10 years now I've known about League Pass but have yet to have it offered to me, for 10 YEARS!!!
Now fortunately for fans in Ontario, this season will mark the first time EVER that league Pass will be offered in Canada, thru Rogers Cable. FUCK FINALLY!! Great their finally listening, but then here's another problem, what about the rest of us? Why only Ontario? Why not all of Canada? And why no Broadband? You see, this year also marks the first in which League Pass Broadband is offered as a stand alone product, meaning that if you have access to a computer and the Internet, you can subscribe to League Pass Broadband. You can now access it in Australia, Israel, Germany, France, England, but NOT IN FUCKING CANADA, WE HAVE A TEAM IN THE LEAGUE FOR FUCKS SAKES, HOW CAN THESE FAR AWAY COUNTRIES HAVE MORE ACCESS THEN WE DO!!!!!! WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!!! UHHH THIS IS SO INFURIATING!!!! I HATE NBA CANADA, YOU COWARDLY STUPID FUCKERS!!!!
Okay so I lost my cool there for a moment but you should be able to see my point, this is so stupid. How can Israel have more access to the NBA than me, a Canadian? You know what I love Canada, but it's times like these that I wish I was an Israeli, at least then I could watch Kobe play.
Whatever, I'm out
Fuck!
Now for the longest time, at least 10 years running, the NBA has offered to it fans the choice of subscribing to NBA League Pass, a great package at a reasonable price that gives fans the ultimate prize, full access to every game of every team. Much like the NFL's, NHL's and MlB's packages, League Pass is a great option for fans who want to watch more than what they can get regionally from their local cable subscriber. Smart huh? Now since this little package has been available to US citizens for over 10 years, you would think that NBA Canada would jump in and offer this prize for its fans and viewers. You would think???????????
Instead NBA Canada chose not to offer League Pass in Canada because they were afraid of damaging their alliances with the aforementioned group above. Their view was and still is "give them all the Raptors games, a few other games and that should be good enough". Really? Is that fair, I mean what about all the money they could make, I mean how hard is it to offer League Pass?, isn't it in their best interest as a corporation? Think about it, for 10 years now I've known about League Pass but have yet to have it offered to me, for 10 YEARS!!!
Now fortunately for fans in Ontario, this season will mark the first time EVER that league Pass will be offered in Canada, thru Rogers Cable. FUCK FINALLY!! Great their finally listening, but then here's another problem, what about the rest of us? Why only Ontario? Why not all of Canada? And why no Broadband? You see, this year also marks the first in which League Pass Broadband is offered as a stand alone product, meaning that if you have access to a computer and the Internet, you can subscribe to League Pass Broadband. You can now access it in Australia, Israel, Germany, France, England, but NOT IN FUCKING CANADA, WE HAVE A TEAM IN THE LEAGUE FOR FUCKS SAKES, HOW CAN THESE FAR AWAY COUNTRIES HAVE MORE ACCESS THEN WE DO!!!!!! WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!!! UHHH THIS IS SO INFURIATING!!!! I HATE NBA CANADA, YOU COWARDLY STUPID FUCKERS!!!!
Okay so I lost my cool there for a moment but you should be able to see my point, this is so stupid. How can Israel have more access to the NBA than me, a Canadian? You know what I love Canada, but it's times like these that I wish I was an Israeli, at least then I could watch Kobe play.
Whatever, I'm out
Fuck!
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Earls, the land of good food, an asshole boss and much much more
So fuck! Being that I'm in a good mood today, I thought it would be a good time to write an honest review on one of Saskatoon's many dining establishments. As my inaugural review I've chosen to start with the city's most popular, Earls. I'll try to keep this short and sweet.
When thinking of Earls the first thing that comes to mind has to be the food, it's good and consistent, with a menu that has an emphasis on Cali/Asian cuisine. I give them credit on this, the menu changes often and they do create and bring in food that is interesting and tasty while staying away from being lavish and over complicated. To put it bluntly I understand why, Saskatoon isn't filled with too many "smart" diners; we're a city that craves its shitty asian buffets, its burgers and nachos and caesar salads and cheesecake. We love meat and potatoes and all the simple stuff, and with Earls you have it all, done reasonably well and simple. I may not agree with a lot of their practices (like only hiring girls whose hips generally fall between the space of your hands put out in a "w" format. I've helped in the hiring process this way and it isn't fun to watch. My old boss who shall remain nameless used to be forced into hiring girls this way to meet the owner's perverse and youthful image. You have no idea how hard it was taking in resumes from girls who you knew immediately wouldn't stand a chance at being hired due to these requirements. At the time you wanted to say something to them, but I mean what do you say, "hey, you seem great and you are way more qualified than half of the girls I work with but unless you lose that gut you ain't getting into the club". Trust me I had issues with this from the start) but hey they do make good food. I especially enjoy the Earls bigger better burger, by far the best in the city (Weczeria does have one that comes a close second).
However, I do have an issue with their new fondness to go "slightly" asian with their appetizers. Anybody who tries to get some apps kid who forgets to wash his hands, who smokes more weed than a girl I work with and who is on his way to being an alcoholic in two months to make me a tuna sushi roll has got another thing coming. I've seen this shit they put out and try to serve, anyone with any sense has to know that if you are in a joint that serves you Leroy's dry ribs and 1lb wings should not be fooled into believing can also serve you good sushi. Morons!!
Hint** Avoid the sushi.
Okay enough about food, now the booze. The wine menu is average, totally created with a corporate vision, with obvious deals struck with various wineries, Jackson Triggs and Inniskillan to name a few. At least they got away from their late 90's Australian obsession, if I hear another server claiming that Wolf Blass Yellow Label is "so good" I'm going to puke. They do offer a good sampling from the glass with maybe a little too much emphasis on Shiraz and not enough on Pinot Noir but hey I'm just being picky. You should find something that fits your palate quite easily. As for their cocktails, well their martinis are elaborate and full of juice, great for that group of girls hitting the town on a friday night, but mostly they're your run of the mill drinks. Can anybody say Smirnoff? Great choice for house vodka guys, excellent choice. mmm quality :) I'm kidding. Not much else to report on the bar side of things, just like their food, they offer any and everything, nuf said.
As for my view of Earls as a whole, well lets see, their owner is a pig and and asshole (he almost fired me for having long hair, why he had a problem with my hair is beyond me). The service is hit and miss, when you hire young kids as your servers you will more often than none suffer with bad service. I don't blame them so much as I blame the management, the leaders at Earls tend to watch and patrol rather than help and run for their staff. The esthetic is somewhat confused, the dining room is awful and in dire need of a makeover. The old bar is nice, a bit tacky with horrible ostrich heads strewn about. Bacchus is way over the top, if I were the owner I would totally redo it or at least reshape it, the massive bar separates and distorts the room from having any sense of energy and cohesion. But aside from a few blips, I rate Earls as a good restaurant for Saskatoon. They've taken the WalMart model of "we'll offer you everything" then wrapped it up and put it in a large setting full of young people and scenesters. If this is what you are looking for then I say head on over and enjoy, but if you want a quiet evening out then stay away and find another option.
later.
When thinking of Earls the first thing that comes to mind has to be the food, it's good and consistent, with a menu that has an emphasis on Cali/Asian cuisine. I give them credit on this, the menu changes often and they do create and bring in food that is interesting and tasty while staying away from being lavish and over complicated. To put it bluntly I understand why, Saskatoon isn't filled with too many "smart" diners; we're a city that craves its shitty asian buffets, its burgers and nachos and caesar salads and cheesecake. We love meat and potatoes and all the simple stuff, and with Earls you have it all, done reasonably well and simple. I may not agree with a lot of their practices (like only hiring girls whose hips generally fall between the space of your hands put out in a "w" format. I've helped in the hiring process this way and it isn't fun to watch. My old boss who shall remain nameless used to be forced into hiring girls this way to meet the owner's perverse and youthful image. You have no idea how hard it was taking in resumes from girls who you knew immediately wouldn't stand a chance at being hired due to these requirements. At the time you wanted to say something to them, but I mean what do you say, "hey, you seem great and you are way more qualified than half of the girls I work with but unless you lose that gut you ain't getting into the club". Trust me I had issues with this from the start) but hey they do make good food. I especially enjoy the Earls bigger better burger, by far the best in the city (Weczeria does have one that comes a close second).
However, I do have an issue with their new fondness to go "slightly" asian with their appetizers. Anybody who tries to get some apps kid who forgets to wash his hands, who smokes more weed than a girl I work with and who is on his way to being an alcoholic in two months to make me a tuna sushi roll has got another thing coming. I've seen this shit they put out and try to serve, anyone with any sense has to know that if you are in a joint that serves you Leroy's dry ribs and 1lb wings should not be fooled into believing can also serve you good sushi. Morons!!
Hint** Avoid the sushi.
Okay enough about food, now the booze. The wine menu is average, totally created with a corporate vision, with obvious deals struck with various wineries, Jackson Triggs and Inniskillan to name a few. At least they got away from their late 90's Australian obsession, if I hear another server claiming that Wolf Blass Yellow Label is "so good" I'm going to puke. They do offer a good sampling from the glass with maybe a little too much emphasis on Shiraz and not enough on Pinot Noir but hey I'm just being picky. You should find something that fits your palate quite easily. As for their cocktails, well their martinis are elaborate and full of juice, great for that group of girls hitting the town on a friday night, but mostly they're your run of the mill drinks. Can anybody say Smirnoff? Great choice for house vodka guys, excellent choice. mmm quality :) I'm kidding. Not much else to report on the bar side of things, just like their food, they offer any and everything, nuf said.
As for my view of Earls as a whole, well lets see, their owner is a pig and and asshole (he almost fired me for having long hair, why he had a problem with my hair is beyond me). The service is hit and miss, when you hire young kids as your servers you will more often than none suffer with bad service. I don't blame them so much as I blame the management, the leaders at Earls tend to watch and patrol rather than help and run for their staff. The esthetic is somewhat confused, the dining room is awful and in dire need of a makeover. The old bar is nice, a bit tacky with horrible ostrich heads strewn about. Bacchus is way over the top, if I were the owner I would totally redo it or at least reshape it, the massive bar separates and distorts the room from having any sense of energy and cohesion. But aside from a few blips, I rate Earls as a good restaurant for Saskatoon. They've taken the WalMart model of "we'll offer you everything" then wrapped it up and put it in a large setting full of young people and scenesters. If this is what you are looking for then I say head on over and enjoy, but if you want a quiet evening out then stay away and find another option.
later.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
The games look good, too bad I can't see them :( Fuck!
As my Halloween hangover lingers, I thought it might be a good time to spin off a few thoughts.
- NBA league pass broadband is now available by itself without the TV subscription. Yeah!!! But oh wait you can only buy it in the US, China, Norway, Mexico, Germany, etc....oh and not in Canada. WTF?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
???????????????????????????????????????????????????
- Obama, McCain, Obama, McCain, Obama, McCain, Obama, McCain....and the winner is Obama by a hair. I see it being closer than most think. Could be scary.
- Kobe drops 33, Lakers win number 3. Team looks good, excellent rebounding, too many turnovers, good defense. I like how Phil is playing Kobe 32 min per, I say keep it low until the all star break and then move him up to 38 come playoffs. Lets cross our fingers that there'll be no major injuries this season.
- Can I apply for Stephon Marbury's job? 22 mil to sit on the bench, sign me up!
- Is it just me or is this the worst year ever for movies? Outside of The Dark Knight has there been anything else worth seeing? I guess all those years of people paying money to see crappy movies is catching up to us. You see if you pay to see crap, the studio execs make more crap, which in turn brings us to this dilemma. I think I hear another "and the award goes to Crash" moments coming up. What a joke. Seriously Saw V, was the first one that good it merited 4 sequels? Morons!
- Iron Man was overrated!
- Just finished reading Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"; quite a good read, very personal and moving. Should turn out to be a good flick, Viggo is a great choice to helm the main character. The ending is sad but very good, I highly recommend.
hmmm....not much else today.
later
- NBA league pass broadband is now available by itself without the TV subscription. Yeah!!! But oh wait you can only buy it in the US, China, Norway, Mexico, Germany, etc....oh and not in Canada. WTF?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
???????????????????????????????????????????????????
- Obama, McCain, Obama, McCain, Obama, McCain, Obama, McCain....and the winner is Obama by a hair. I see it being closer than most think. Could be scary.
- Kobe drops 33, Lakers win number 3. Team looks good, excellent rebounding, too many turnovers, good defense. I like how Phil is playing Kobe 32 min per, I say keep it low until the all star break and then move him up to 38 come playoffs. Lets cross our fingers that there'll be no major injuries this season.
- Can I apply for Stephon Marbury's job? 22 mil to sit on the bench, sign me up!
- Is it just me or is this the worst year ever for movies? Outside of The Dark Knight has there been anything else worth seeing? I guess all those years of people paying money to see crappy movies is catching up to us. You see if you pay to see crap, the studio execs make more crap, which in turn brings us to this dilemma. I think I hear another "and the award goes to Crash" moments coming up. What a joke. Seriously Saw V, was the first one that good it merited 4 sequels? Morons!
- Iron Man was overrated!
- Just finished reading Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"; quite a good read, very personal and moving. Should turn out to be a good flick, Viggo is a great choice to helm the main character. The ending is sad but very good, I highly recommend.
hmmm....not much else today.
later
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Can you taste this for me?
How many times have I asked myself that question while dining in one of Saskatoon's many restaurants. Thirty, forty, maybe fifty times. And knowing full well that this trend will continue, I want to talk about how this has affected me, how dining in this city whether it be for lunch, dinner or even just for dessert and wine can be such a depressing ordeal, one that I can't stand for much longer. Therefore, before I continue, I would like to paint a familiar picture for you, one I'm sure we all have experienced countless times before.
Hey sweetie you hungry? You want to go for lunch?
Sure. Where to?
Oh I don't know, you pick?
No, I don't care, you pick?
Okay, okay I'll do it. How about that new place Bliss, wanna go there?
Sure, that sounds good.
Then you're off, you both trek down to Bliss.
You arrive and find that it looks nice, and I say that with caution. I mean it's clean, very open and very boring. If you're 80 you might enjoy it, but for me having my chef stare at me while I eat my food kind of got to me... Seemed a little creepy I might say. Any who, back to the food.
So we order, can't remember exactly what it was because it was that forgetable, however, I do remember getting some sort of pasta and chicken sandwich. Now here we are, my girl and I eating our lunch and I'm thinking "What the fuck!!!!, this is terrible, extremely bland, tasteless and something I could make ten times better".
I was so irritated. I wanted to walk up to the chef while holding my plate of food and ask him, "Hey retard, eat this! This is awful, why would you serve me this? Do you not have any pride? Seriously you can't be happy with this, I mean come on, when you were making the menu did you step back and go "hey this is great" or did you not give a fuck?"
I was so mad. I mean this is a BRAND NEW restaurant that the Planet S gave glowing reviews too, how could they be so clueless? By the end of it I walked out $40.00 poorer and much more disappointed and this wasn't even the first time something like this has happened to me, my girl or someone I know. Take for instance friends of mine who dined at The Barking Fish last night, a place they hadn't been to in months. Excited and hoping for something great, they quickly realized when their dinners arrived why they had stopped their patronage. The food was awful and sub par, end point.
Am I asking for a lot? Is it that hard to take pride in what you do? Fuck I don't know, as it stands I trust only a few places in this city. Sushiro, Amigos, Earls and Calories and that's about it. Everything else to me is either crap or dog shit. The food at Bliss seemed more catered to the taste of babies rather than adults. And to take this even further, my girl and I visited yet another Planet S recommendation a few day later called Octane. In short the food was atrocious, humongous food portions, food that had looked as if it came from a can or had been through a microwave, . This place Octane had such a huge menu it scared me. I mean how can a place stand to say they can make a great club sandwich, a ginger beef stir fry and have fresh LOBSTER? There was no direction in this place, no format, just a massive menu with items on it and the list goes on and on. I could destroy so many places it scares me, and I'm no food critic with a massive ego. I'm just a man who expects quality and I see no problem in declaring that, and neither should any of you.
Okay so maybe I'm ranting a little, but seriously should I settle for less just because it is being given to me? Saskatoon, we deserve better. We deserve a dining scene that can rival the big citys. We need to stand up and say "Hey we need to be better". We need establishments that take pride in what they do, that care, places that want to be better and strive for it. We have enough dry ribs, nachos and caesar salads restaurants to kill a fat kid, we need better, more creative and quality. And if they don't want to do it, fuck em' is what I say.
Any who, sorry for the language, I get emotional just thinking of this stuff, take this article for what you want, but I'm sure you all can agree with me that I'm not alone in thinking this, we need to stand up and say something.
Later.
Hey sweetie you hungry? You want to go for lunch?
Sure. Where to?
Oh I don't know, you pick?
No, I don't care, you pick?
Okay, okay I'll do it. How about that new place Bliss, wanna go there?
Sure, that sounds good.
Then you're off, you both trek down to Bliss.
You arrive and find that it looks nice, and I say that with caution. I mean it's clean, very open and very boring. If you're 80 you might enjoy it, but for me having my chef stare at me while I eat my food kind of got to me... Seemed a little creepy I might say. Any who, back to the food.
So we order, can't remember exactly what it was because it was that forgetable, however, I do remember getting some sort of pasta and chicken sandwich. Now here we are, my girl and I eating our lunch and I'm thinking "What the fuck!!!!, this is terrible, extremely bland, tasteless and something I could make ten times better".
I was so irritated. I wanted to walk up to the chef while holding my plate of food and ask him, "Hey retard, eat this! This is awful, why would you serve me this? Do you not have any pride? Seriously you can't be happy with this, I mean come on, when you were making the menu did you step back and go "hey this is great" or did you not give a fuck?"
I was so mad. I mean this is a BRAND NEW restaurant that the Planet S gave glowing reviews too, how could they be so clueless? By the end of it I walked out $40.00 poorer and much more disappointed and this wasn't even the first time something like this has happened to me, my girl or someone I know. Take for instance friends of mine who dined at The Barking Fish last night, a place they hadn't been to in months. Excited and hoping for something great, they quickly realized when their dinners arrived why they had stopped their patronage. The food was awful and sub par, end point.
Am I asking for a lot? Is it that hard to take pride in what you do? Fuck I don't know, as it stands I trust only a few places in this city. Sushiro, Amigos, Earls and Calories and that's about it. Everything else to me is either crap or dog shit. The food at Bliss seemed more catered to the taste of babies rather than adults. And to take this even further, my girl and I visited yet another Planet S recommendation a few day later called Octane. In short the food was atrocious, humongous food portions, food that had looked as if it came from a can or had been through a microwave, . This place Octane had such a huge menu it scared me. I mean how can a place stand to say they can make a great club sandwich, a ginger beef stir fry and have fresh LOBSTER? There was no direction in this place, no format, just a massive menu with items on it and the list goes on and on. I could destroy so many places it scares me, and I'm no food critic with a massive ego. I'm just a man who expects quality and I see no problem in declaring that, and neither should any of you.
Okay so maybe I'm ranting a little, but seriously should I settle for less just because it is being given to me? Saskatoon, we deserve better. We deserve a dining scene that can rival the big citys. We need to stand up and say "Hey we need to be better". We need establishments that take pride in what they do, that care, places that want to be better and strive for it. We have enough dry ribs, nachos and caesar salads restaurants to kill a fat kid, we need better, more creative and quality. And if they don't want to do it, fuck em' is what I say.
Any who, sorry for the language, I get emotional just thinking of this stuff, take this article for what you want, but I'm sure you all can agree with me that I'm not alone in thinking this, we need to stand up and say something.
Later.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
My Predictions
East:
1. Boston
2. Cleveland
3. Orlando
4. Detroit
5. Philadelphia
6. Toronto
7. Milwaukee
8. Atlanta
West:
1. LA. Lakers
2. New Orleans
3. Utah
4. Houston
5. San Antonio
6. Phoenix
7. Dallas
8. Portland
Playoffs:
Cleveland over Boston in 7
LA Lakers over New Orleans in 7
Finals:
LA Lakers over Cleveland in 6
Awards:
MVP: Kobe
Coach: Phil Jackson
MIP: Al Thornton
Sixth: Lamar Odom
Exective: Billy King
Defensive: Kevin Garnett
Rookie: Michael Beasley
1. Boston
2. Cleveland
3. Orlando
4. Detroit
5. Philadelphia
6. Toronto
7. Milwaukee
8. Atlanta
West:
1. LA. Lakers
2. New Orleans
3. Utah
4. Houston
5. San Antonio
6. Phoenix
7. Dallas
8. Portland
Playoffs:
Cleveland over Boston in 7
LA Lakers over New Orleans in 7
Finals:
LA Lakers over Cleveland in 6
Awards:
MVP: Kobe
Coach: Phil Jackson
MIP: Al Thornton
Sixth: Lamar Odom
Exective: Billy King
Defensive: Kevin Garnett
Rookie: Michael Beasley
Monday, October 13, 2008
Let the games begin!
The 2008/09 NBA season is fast approaching, and well with that I felt compelled to quib and discuss a few things that have gotten me thinking.
I'll start with the Atlantic:
Boston: Should win 60 games if they remain healthy. I'd rest Allen more this season and play the rookies more. Garnett should take some tips from Duncan and save himself for the playoffs. This team should roll like last year. This division is theirs for the taking, they should have no issues getting back to the Conference Finals. I do predict Cleveland taking them out in 7 in the Conference Finals. I see one trick pony in their sails, last season will be their only title.
New York: The Knicks will be better under D'antoni, I see a 35-40 win total, they have talent it's whether they have the drive or wherewithal to use it. I'd rid Starbury as soon as possible, with Curry and Randolph closely followed. This team needs a complete overhaul. Playing a lineup of Lee, Crawford, Randolph, Duhon and Marbury could be entertaining, but this team will find itself looking on from the outside come playoff time, they'll be close but just a bit off.
Toronto: This team has potential, they have a star forward who can command a double team, they have a talented and underrated point guard, they have shooters and for the first time in 5 seasons they have an inside presence in O'Neal. If he can play 70+ games this team could be dangerous, 2nd round dangerous. They still have too many weaknesses and while expecting O'Neal to hold up for the long haul is asking a lot, this team is going to be better than last season. Trading Bargnani is a mush, he's a soft piece of nothing, packaging him and Parker for an athletic 2 would be a great upgrade. This team also has no bench, they should get the 5th or 6th seed. This is a good team that can shoot, but one big question still remains, can the defend? Only time will tell I guess.
Philadelphia: If you had to pick one team in the league to have a major breakout season, it would have to be this one. The sky is the limit for this young core of guys. Locking in Brand to a new contract was huge, having him positioned down in the low block for the next 6 years should greatly stabilize this team, they have a huge upside and very well could end up challenging the Cavs for the title of young team on the rise in the East.
New Jersey: With J Kidd and RJ gone, this team is in full rebuild mode. Not much to say, except that they will lose a lot of games, VC will be forced to hold the team afloat. They will miss the playoffs and hope LeBron is convinced that Brooklyn sounds nicer than Cleveland in 2010 when he has the option to re-up or bolt.
Central:
Cleveland: The days of Detroit running the show in this division are over, LeBron's crew should be poised to win away quite easily, that is if they can somehow stay healthy. Getting Mo Williams this summer should prove quite formidable, having someone who can distribute the ball outside of LBJ should give this team some new options. However, they still lack a true dominant inside presence which could hamper their chances to overthrow the Celtics.
Detroit: As much as I hate this team, Joe D. has them poised to transition quite well into a young and upstart team. With the likes of Rasheed, Chauncey and Rip on the downward slopes of their careers, Joe has brought in a nice nucleus of young players to help ease their burden during the long grind of the NBA season. With players like Stuckey, Afflalo, Herrmann and Amir Johnson vastly improving, this team does have a bright future. I don't see any titles in the near future, but this team will compete for a long time, while maintaining a top 4 seed in the conference.
Chicago: This team is a mess, Deng is overrated, Gordon is a one trick pony and a backup at best, Hinrich is too slow for the new NBA, Nocioni has talent but can't seem to stay on the floor long enough to show it, Hughes is soft and useless and with Rose coming in I don't see this team challenging for some time now. I find it for shame how Reinsdorf would let this team, the most popular team in the 90's fall so hard for so long. For shame, for shame, Chicago deserves better.
Indiana: This team, very much like Chicago is on the road to nowhere. Ridding themselves of O'Neal and his massive salary is a start in the right direction, but receiving Ford and Nesterovic in return isn't a step in the right direction. This team has but only one bright spot in Granger, who could blossom into a promising star given the right direction. Another year at the bottom is all I can see.
Milwaukee: Where Chicago and Indiana fail, Milwaukee could move in a different light. With a new coach in Skiles and the addition of RJ, this team could steal a 7th or 8th seed. A starting 5 of Ridnour, Redd, RJ, Villanueva and Bogut should compete with most teams, along with Skiles benchant for defence this team could surprise some. I see upside here.
Southeast:
Orlando: The magic have some tools to grow upon last season's success', they have the best big man in the game in Howard, a player who is still very raw, but one who should only get better. If he can just become a dominant defensive force and let his offence rest, this team could grow tremendously. Turkoglu is the motor to their offence, his penchant for big game plays and strong shooting is their best asset, along with Lewis (the most overpaid player in the league, followed closely by Arenas) and this team does have some weapons. What they lack is a true point guard, a player who can ignite this team and break down defences, and I mean no disrespect to Nelson, he's a fine player, however, he's too small and slow to compete as a starter. They should package a player or two and find themselves someone new to run their show, because if they don't they will only be a 2nd round team for the foreseeable future. They need veterans and they need them bad, a deal for Billups or Iverson would do them wonders.
Miami: This team will be better without even doing much, having Wade back and healthy will do wonders for the entire organization. Also getting lucky and drafting Beasley is nothing short of great luck, his upside is enormous, the kid can ball and should win rookie of the year quite handily. Marion is a punk and a me first player, but his talent is undeniable even if he has lost a step over the past few seasons. As for the rest, well there isn't much, they will be better and the 8th spot isn't out of reach, with a bit of luck this team will be back in the hunt sooner than most would expect. At least they better hope so or Wade can jump ship in 2010.
Washington: Signing Arenas the a ridiculous deal after he played so little the year before is ludicrous and now that he's out until Christmas should have the Wizards execs sweating and regretting signing him to that deal. He's not a leader and should never have been given that title, the true leader of this team is Butler, he's fierce, great on both ends and vastly underrated. Jamieson's injury shouldn't slow them too much, but this team is still in no where's land, their not bad enough to miss the playoffs and their not good enough to do anything once they are there.
Atlanta: The team with a lot to prove is this bunch, they made the Celtics sweat and should grow from that experience. Getting Smith back was huge and having Bibby for the whole season should come in handy down the stretch. If this team can continue to grow, the could do some damage, however, as NBA history suggests, young teams never win in the NBA and well I don't see that trend changing anytime soon. With that I see this team a few years away from challenging for the conference championship.
Charlotte: Hiring Larry Brown for this team is quite the gamble, with his penchant for not liking young players, his role with this team could be short lived. This team is not very good and likely not to change anytime soon. They need to draft well and hope Emeka and Wallace can stay healthy for any chance at making the playoffs. Not much to say really, this should be the worst team in the conference.
Now the West...
I'll start with the Atlantic:
Boston: Should win 60 games if they remain healthy. I'd rest Allen more this season and play the rookies more. Garnett should take some tips from Duncan and save himself for the playoffs. This team should roll like last year. This division is theirs for the taking, they should have no issues getting back to the Conference Finals. I do predict Cleveland taking them out in 7 in the Conference Finals. I see one trick pony in their sails, last season will be their only title.
New York: The Knicks will be better under D'antoni, I see a 35-40 win total, they have talent it's whether they have the drive or wherewithal to use it. I'd rid Starbury as soon as possible, with Curry and Randolph closely followed. This team needs a complete overhaul. Playing a lineup of Lee, Crawford, Randolph, Duhon and Marbury could be entertaining, but this team will find itself looking on from the outside come playoff time, they'll be close but just a bit off.
Toronto: This team has potential, they have a star forward who can command a double team, they have a talented and underrated point guard, they have shooters and for the first time in 5 seasons they have an inside presence in O'Neal. If he can play 70+ games this team could be dangerous, 2nd round dangerous. They still have too many weaknesses and while expecting O'Neal to hold up for the long haul is asking a lot, this team is going to be better than last season. Trading Bargnani is a mush, he's a soft piece of nothing, packaging him and Parker for an athletic 2 would be a great upgrade. This team also has no bench, they should get the 5th or 6th seed. This is a good team that can shoot, but one big question still remains, can the defend? Only time will tell I guess.
Philadelphia: If you had to pick one team in the league to have a major breakout season, it would have to be this one. The sky is the limit for this young core of guys. Locking in Brand to a new contract was huge, having him positioned down in the low block for the next 6 years should greatly stabilize this team, they have a huge upside and very well could end up challenging the Cavs for the title of young team on the rise in the East.
New Jersey: With J Kidd and RJ gone, this team is in full rebuild mode. Not much to say, except that they will lose a lot of games, VC will be forced to hold the team afloat. They will miss the playoffs and hope LeBron is convinced that Brooklyn sounds nicer than Cleveland in 2010 when he has the option to re-up or bolt.
Central:
Cleveland: The days of Detroit running the show in this division are over, LeBron's crew should be poised to win away quite easily, that is if they can somehow stay healthy. Getting Mo Williams this summer should prove quite formidable, having someone who can distribute the ball outside of LBJ should give this team some new options. However, they still lack a true dominant inside presence which could hamper their chances to overthrow the Celtics.
Detroit: As much as I hate this team, Joe D. has them poised to transition quite well into a young and upstart team. With the likes of Rasheed, Chauncey and Rip on the downward slopes of their careers, Joe has brought in a nice nucleus of young players to help ease their burden during the long grind of the NBA season. With players like Stuckey, Afflalo, Herrmann and Amir Johnson vastly improving, this team does have a bright future. I don't see any titles in the near future, but this team will compete for a long time, while maintaining a top 4 seed in the conference.
Chicago: This team is a mess, Deng is overrated, Gordon is a one trick pony and a backup at best, Hinrich is too slow for the new NBA, Nocioni has talent but can't seem to stay on the floor long enough to show it, Hughes is soft and useless and with Rose coming in I don't see this team challenging for some time now. I find it for shame how Reinsdorf would let this team, the most popular team in the 90's fall so hard for so long. For shame, for shame, Chicago deserves better.
Indiana: This team, very much like Chicago is on the road to nowhere. Ridding themselves of O'Neal and his massive salary is a start in the right direction, but receiving Ford and Nesterovic in return isn't a step in the right direction. This team has but only one bright spot in Granger, who could blossom into a promising star given the right direction. Another year at the bottom is all I can see.
Milwaukee: Where Chicago and Indiana fail, Milwaukee could move in a different light. With a new coach in Skiles and the addition of RJ, this team could steal a 7th or 8th seed. A starting 5 of Ridnour, Redd, RJ, Villanueva and Bogut should compete with most teams, along with Skiles benchant for defence this team could surprise some. I see upside here.
Southeast:
Orlando: The magic have some tools to grow upon last season's success', they have the best big man in the game in Howard, a player who is still very raw, but one who should only get better. If he can just become a dominant defensive force and let his offence rest, this team could grow tremendously. Turkoglu is the motor to their offence, his penchant for big game plays and strong shooting is their best asset, along with Lewis (the most overpaid player in the league, followed closely by Arenas) and this team does have some weapons. What they lack is a true point guard, a player who can ignite this team and break down defences, and I mean no disrespect to Nelson, he's a fine player, however, he's too small and slow to compete as a starter. They should package a player or two and find themselves someone new to run their show, because if they don't they will only be a 2nd round team for the foreseeable future. They need veterans and they need them bad, a deal for Billups or Iverson would do them wonders.
Miami: This team will be better without even doing much, having Wade back and healthy will do wonders for the entire organization. Also getting lucky and drafting Beasley is nothing short of great luck, his upside is enormous, the kid can ball and should win rookie of the year quite handily. Marion is a punk and a me first player, but his talent is undeniable even if he has lost a step over the past few seasons. As for the rest, well there isn't much, they will be better and the 8th spot isn't out of reach, with a bit of luck this team will be back in the hunt sooner than most would expect. At least they better hope so or Wade can jump ship in 2010.
Washington: Signing Arenas the a ridiculous deal after he played so little the year before is ludicrous and now that he's out until Christmas should have the Wizards execs sweating and regretting signing him to that deal. He's not a leader and should never have been given that title, the true leader of this team is Butler, he's fierce, great on both ends and vastly underrated. Jamieson's injury shouldn't slow them too much, but this team is still in no where's land, their not bad enough to miss the playoffs and their not good enough to do anything once they are there.
Atlanta: The team with a lot to prove is this bunch, they made the Celtics sweat and should grow from that experience. Getting Smith back was huge and having Bibby for the whole season should come in handy down the stretch. If this team can continue to grow, the could do some damage, however, as NBA history suggests, young teams never win in the NBA and well I don't see that trend changing anytime soon. With that I see this team a few years away from challenging for the conference championship.
Charlotte: Hiring Larry Brown for this team is quite the gamble, with his penchant for not liking young players, his role with this team could be short lived. This team is not very good and likely not to change anytime soon. They need to draft well and hope Emeka and Wallace can stay healthy for any chance at making the playoffs. Not much to say really, this should be the worst team in the conference.
Now the West...
Northwest:
Portland: The Blazers are for me the team with one promising future, next to the Lakers and Hornets however, this team should be on the rise for the next decade. With a young and athletic core of Roy, Aldridge, Webster, Outlaw and Oden this team could take huge strides into making it into the elite 8 in the west. However, there is bad news for these young pups and that being that, they are young, very young. Youth never bleeds success in the NBA so as great a young core they might become, they need to influx some vets into the mix for any real and strong playoff aspirations for the foreseeable future. The sky is the limit for this team, a good 45 win season shouldn't be hard for them.
Minnesota: The remnants of KG have now been gone for over a year now and well they may be gone, his shadow will be hard to forget. This team is a mess and nowhere near respectability, Kevin McHale needs to go now, he's done nothing but crap for this team for over the past 15 years. The team does have some young talent in Al Jefferson, Mike Miller, Randy Foye, Ryan Gomes and possibly Kevin Love. The team does have a future, but so long as McHale and his un-magic wand stay this team will forever be haunted with failure. They might win 20 or so games but don't expect much from this team now or anytime in the future.
Denver: What a waste of talent, AI and Melo on the same team and all they have to show for it is mediocrity. There is no denying that this team can score with the best of them, but will they ever care to defend. Combat that with the recent defections of Camby and Najera and well this team hasn't set themselves up properly to move forward into the next decade. Trading Iverson soon has to become a possibility before his skills begin to erode. Trading him for a big or a promising young player needs to happen. This team should compete on most nights, however, I find it very unlikely that they will repeat last years 50 win performance. The 8th seed is the best I can see them achieving, but most likely a spot in the lottery is where they probably will end up.
Oklahoma City: Oh Seattle, how could you let your team go? For shame. First Vancouver, now you, the pacific northwest needs to wake up. Any who, Oklahoma City welcome to the NBA, you are now the proud owners of the worst team in the league. But with that you do have promise, Kevin Durant is a star and will be for a long time, the kid can play and should become a TMac type player soon, let's just hope he has KG's durability rather than TMac's with that slight frame of his. Outside of KD, well...there isn't much, Jeff Green might become a good role player one day, Chris Wilcox is a decent power forward and Joe Smith still has some game along with Earl Watson, but outside of that this team is building for the future. Not much else to say on that, 15 wins could be within reach.
Utah: By far the best team in this division, Utah will have a cake walk to the number 3 seed in the conference. With the promising duo of Deron and Carlos emerging and a great supporting cast in Kirilenko, Okur, Harpring, Korver and young players Millsap and Brewer this team has what it takes to compete and win. Head coach Jerry Sloan has taught them well, they run a strong pick and roll system, they're extremely physical and they play great defence. However, this team does lack that x factor player who can get them over the top. They will be great, but they need a player who can save them when the offence goes dry, a player who can go for 50 if need be, a guy who will not let them lose and unfortunately from what I can see this team does not possess such a player. Boston has Pierce, Cleveland has LBJ, LA has Kobe, San Antonio has Duncan, you need that guy. My prediction for this team is they will do well, they'll win the 3rd seed, play into the 2nd or even third rounds of the playoffs and that's about that. Unless Carlos Boozer or Deron Williams explodes into franchise game breaking players this season, this team will always remain one step short of their goal. Trading Kirilenko would be a great start at overhauling this team.
Southwest:
Memphis: Even though they got fleeced in the Pau trade last season, this team does have some bright spots. Having Rudy Gay, Hakim Warrick and O.J. Mayo is a great start at developing a strong and athletic nucleus and if Pau's little bro, Marc can overcome the rookie euro transition and become a dependable big, this team could surprise a few and win 20 games. However, that's all the good I can give these guys, having a team with Darko Milicic, Antoine Walker and Marko Jaric on it ain't a good start, especially if these three crap players are your three highest. Give Ivaroni credit for trying to install a new regime with this franchise, they need to develop with the draft and hope they can land a good young stud over the next few years. They'll suck for awhile, but hey at least they're not in Vancouver.
Dallas: Is Jason Kidd this team's saviour? As much as I would love to say so but no, J Kidd has game no doubt about that but this team has issues. First and foremost a team built around Dirk will always lose, he's too soft and not the killer he should be as the team's franchise guy. I compare him to Gasol, Bosh, Amare or even Garnett (when he was in 'Sota), great big men who can play and put up numbers, but who are not effective enough to will they're entire teams to victory. A player of Dirk's skill needs a Kobe or a Pierce or Wade or LeBron to be effective when the games get dirty down in the playoffs. Don't get me wrong, Dallas is a good team, they do have weapons in J Howard, J Terry, J Stackhouse but just not enough to gain a seed higher than 6th. I predict they'll either win the 7th or 8th seed this season, they'll win 47- 52 games and they'll compete, but just like they did this summer in firing Avery, before they can move up and compete with the upper echelon teams in the west they need to do some firing on the roster as well. Trading J Howard and someone for a good shooting guard would be first on my list, and knowing Cuban I'm sure he's thinking about it already.
San Antonio: As many other have questioned before, father time will catch up to this team eventually. Duncan is still the best big in the game and with Popovich controlling his minutes during the season I expect him to continue that reign for a few years. Tony Parker is still as good as ever and should have an excellent season. It's Ginobilli that has me worried, being out until December or longer could hamper this team for a bit and force Duncan to work harder than he should. Losing vets Horry and Barry shouldn't hamper their bench too much so long as Roger Mason, Michael Finley and Ime Udoka step up. This team still is a top 4 contender in the West, they'll continue to find ways to win and well who know's maybe they'll shock the world and win again, but to be honest my prediction for this team is a good solid season, 55 wins and out in the first round.
New Orleans: This is season 4 for CP3 and boy it should be a doosy, this kid can ball and this team can play. I expect the Hornets to challenge the Lakers for the best team in the conference and the league. They have depth, athleticism, experience (especially with the newly aquired James Posey) and most of all the best point guard in the league. Nothing short of a trip to the finals shouldn't be expected from these guys. Last season was great for them, however, they were from my recolection one of a few teams who didn't suffer many major injuries so if they can still have that kind of luck this season I see them going far. A championship wouldn't surprise me at all, but I will go with this, they will win 63 games and a trip to the conference finals, however, I see them losing ultimately to the Lakers in 7. Young teams have promise, but this group needs some seasoning before they can go all the way. The future looks bright.
Pacific:
Golden State: Oh how things have fallen since ousting the Mavericks two seasons ago. Baron is gone, Ellis and they missed the playoffs once again. There's not much to say about this team, they will not make the playoffs, Ellis' injury will cost them dearly until his return in January, Maggette will help some, but he's no savior, Stephen Jackson is overrated and a headache, Biedrins is a good role player and Al Harrington show up one day and not the next. This team reminds me of Denver and Dallas, two clubs with talent to compete and maybe make the playoffs, but who are ultimately in need of major changes. This will be a tough season out in Oakland.
Sacramento: If Golden State is an average team, then Sacramento is an awful team. However, the best thing this franchise has done in years is rid themselves of malcontent Artest, his negative attitude and aggresive demeanor were nothing but a drain on this franchise, his exit should help the growth and chemistry of its remaining players. If their is one good thing to be excited about is that Kevin Martin is a star in the making, the kid can play and boy can he score and with Artest gone he should find himself with a green light whenever he chooses. However, outside of Martin this team lacks any other bonafide great players, they have a befy of role players in Brad Miller, Kenny Thomas, Francisco Garcia, Bobby Jackson and such. The retirement of Abdur-Rahim will cost them little in terms of wins, look for them to be in a rebuilding and dumping salary year. Welcome to the bottom of the Pacific boys!
Los Angeles Clippers: First you sign Baron Davis, then you lose Elton Brand and Corey Maggette, then you trade for Marcus Camby; no one said life in LA wasn't busy. Mike Dunleavy has his job set out for him this season, losing Brand was a devastating blow to the franchise and his teams frontcourt. Adding Baron Davis will help his team to compete in the very competitive Pacific, but outside of him and Al Thorton (a star in the making mind you) this team hasn't much else. Mobley is past his prime, Kaman is a decent Center but nothing to run home about, Tim Thomas is well...crap and Ricky Davis should provide a little. The way I see it, if I Dunleavy I would play Thorton a ton and run the offence through him and Baron Davis. A combo of Camby and Kaman should solidify somewhat their frontcourt, at least defensively. The best I see for this team is a good fight for the 8th seed until february, but ultimately come April they'll be looking for golfing lesson rather than playoff seeds.
Phoenix Suns: A team with Shaq, Nash and Amare has to do well right? Right? Five years ago yes, now maybe not. Amare should dominate this season while he continues to benifit from Shaq huge size in the middle with more shots and open dunks. He's the second best big in the game and that's without playing defence, imagine that. Nash reminds me of Stockton, they both have tremendous smarts, excellent shots and a knack for staying healthy late into their careers. I see Nash still competing for the league lead in assists while sporting a healthy 15 ppg. If Shaq can continue to provide 15ppg and at least 10 boards his job will be done. Now onto the rest, we have G Hill a man with a heart but no ankle, moving him to a sixth man role might giv him a few more games going down the stretch, his shooting and playmaking abilities are invaluable. Barbosa should move into Hill's position, his speed alone brings much needs offence to this team. Diaw and Bell are both still very much sevicable. This team has weapons and could surprise some, a spot in the 5th or 6th seed shouldn't be difficult. If they can play their cards right and stay healthy they could upset someone. They may be old, but experience counts and well the way things have bounce their way over the past few seasons maybe this year they'll get some luck and well who know's, I never underestimate Shaq, however, I see second round as their ceiling.
Los Angeles Lakers: And now finally my boys them Lakers. Coming off such an up and down season a year ago, the Lake show should have more stability as a franchise this coming year. Kobe is the boy and reigning MVP, he should dominate quite soundly this year, picking his spots and truly leading this team. His continued maturation should enable this team to grow and mature after last season's stumble in the finals. A season with averages of 29ppg, 6 dimes, 6 boards, 2 steals, 48% and 85% shouldn't be hard for number 24. I expect him to win another MVP and Finals MVP this season. This team will win it all, they have all the parts. They have bigs in Andrew and Pau who both should benifit from each other, they have Lamar as their new sixth man, a player who can do it all and fill up a stat sheet. They have shooters in Radmanovic, Vujacic and Bryant. They have two points in Fish and Farmar, one with a tremendous amount of experience and another with a tremendous amount of enery. And let's not forget Trevor Ariza and Luke Walton. If all goes well this team has the highest ceiling of any in the league, they could win upwards of 65+ games. However, will all the positives they do possess, this team does have a tendency to get injured, something that could hamper their development and cohesion. I see this team getting better as the season progress' and winning the west and fighting the Cavs in the finals.
And so there you have it, all 30 teams, my thoughts, my predictions and such.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Fuck me.....I need Cut Copy Tickets!!!!!!!!!!
I need Cut Copy Tickts BADLY!!!!
I JUST WANTED TO POST THIS BECAUSE IT IS KILLING ME, THE SHOW IS SOLD OUT AND I'M LOSING MY MIND.
HELP!!!!!
HELP!!!!!
HELP!!!!!
fUCK!
LATER.
I JUST WANTED TO POST THIS BECAUSE IT IS KILLING ME, THE SHOW IS SOLD OUT AND I'M LOSING MY MIND.
HELP!!!!!
HELP!!!!!
HELP!!!!!
fUCK!
LATER.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Ashcroft, McCabe, Jones and Salisbury...The Verve all together...FINALLY!
Back in 1998 I was a young kid of 18 years, a kid who at the time was just finishing high school, preparing myself for the university life, all the while loving the tunes of the verve. Their 1997 breakout CD "Urban Hymns" not only changed me forever with its pure beauty and sheer splendor, it also gave me hope that with this quartet I would forever (well at least for the next few decades) have a band that would continue to show me how awesome music can be. Well, that was then and this is now, and unless you've been living under a rock for the last decade, you all know that Richard and Nick got into a good spat during the 1998 summer tour and well said fuck this shit and went their separate ways. So then for the past 11 years I've been waiting for them to mend their differences and get this band back together. Well ladies and gents the wait is finally over. After last fall's dramatic and quite surprising announcement that the band had reformed, the wait, the drought, was finally over. Yeah!!!
"Forth", a title that doesn't need much of an explanation, quite easily shows the coming of age of this band. No longer young twenty somethings trying to prove themselves with lofty spiritual titles, with "Forth" we are presented with a group of men who just want to play music and nothing else. From the very first song on this album "Sit and Wonder" you come to notice very early on that they haven't missed a beat during the layoff and that this isn't bittersweet symphony. The song pulls me back to the early Storm in Heaven/A Northern Soul days, a complete return to the rock and instrumental verve. I will be the first to say that this is not a "Pop" album in the conventional sense, ala Coldplay. This is the verve; the verve the way they should be, brass, loud, harmonic and a little more rocky. Don't get me wrong, there are a few songs in which the old "Pop" verve do appear, the first single, track 2 "Love is Noise" is by far the closest thing to a "Lucky man" the verve can do at this time in their lives. The song is great and an appropriate choice as the first out of the blocks on this album, a great way to bring in the masses. But as a true die hard fan, I feel that the band really hit their stride from songs 3 on; "Rather Be is by far the standout track on the album, it has a soft eloquence and a happiness energy that gets you going. Their's a true flow to this song, it really shows their talent, especially since the title kind of gets you thinking that Richard is happy to back with his mates, as he sings "is their anywhere better than here", I get a sense the man is happy to be home.
"Judas" is full on early verve, instrumental, very little singing, long and very beautiful, the kind of song you could drive with and not miss a beat or a tune you could let you sing you to sleep; this one has Nick written all over it. Which brings me back to the point that this album, way more than Urban Hymns ever could, feels like a true verve album. After the band first broke up in 1995, Nick went his separate way, mostly due to mad Richards hyper controlling ways, this split invariably led Richard to writing for himself, which he did. By early 1997, he'd written close to all of Urban Hymns, alone. Later that year he would convince Simon and Pete back and a new mate Simon Tong to creating a new verve album. Nick would rejoin later and ad a little of his flavour, but not much seeing as most had been written. Late 1997 comes and Urban Hymns is received as a huge critical success, Bittersweet Symphony cements their status as the new it band of the year, however, by late 1998 they split once more, with many of us fans thinking that "it just wasn't meant to be". However, that was then and here we are now and once you hit song 4 "Numbness" you clearly see why that this verve, the oldish/newish verve are more verve than their previous record shows. I see no split after this one, "Numbness is fucking awesome, in the realm of "Already there and "Beautiful Mind", energetic and psychedelic, however, maybe with a little less drugs. "Noise Epic" is straight out of A Northern Soul territory, a rocky jam with an ending that pays homage to a light Queens of the Stone Age. My girl with laugh at me for that reference, but hey I say "light".
The final 3 tunes, "Valium Skies", "Columbo" and "Appalachian Springs" follow the same light as with "Numbness"and "Judas", a reach back to the past, however "Valium Skies" could be mistaken for a continuation to Urban's "Come On" so excuse me if I might be all over the place here. So as we end the album, I will inform you all that if you are looking for the Bittersweet Songs here, you might have to look elsewhere. This is no pop album, this is the verve as they used to be, and you can surely feel that they are happy with this. This album may not bring them the sales and critical number 1's of the past but it will make their diehards very happy, myself being one. I fucking love this album, it pulls you in the more you hear it. There are no letdowns here and well no major standouts either, but this album is great. It is a great new beginning for a band trying to bring its past with them while also trying to re-invent themselves in this new and very busy 21st century music scene. It's a great start and with much hope a sign of greater things to come...let's only hope they can get along this time around. Cross your fingers with me.
8/10
"Forth", a title that doesn't need much of an explanation, quite easily shows the coming of age of this band. No longer young twenty somethings trying to prove themselves with lofty spiritual titles, with "Forth" we are presented with a group of men who just want to play music and nothing else. From the very first song on this album "Sit and Wonder" you come to notice very early on that they haven't missed a beat during the layoff and that this isn't bittersweet symphony. The song pulls me back to the early Storm in Heaven/A Northern Soul days, a complete return to the rock and instrumental verve. I will be the first to say that this is not a "Pop" album in the conventional sense, ala Coldplay. This is the verve; the verve the way they should be, brass, loud, harmonic and a little more rocky. Don't get me wrong, there are a few songs in which the old "Pop" verve do appear, the first single, track 2 "Love is Noise" is by far the closest thing to a "Lucky man" the verve can do at this time in their lives. The song is great and an appropriate choice as the first out of the blocks on this album, a great way to bring in the masses. But as a true die hard fan, I feel that the band really hit their stride from songs 3 on; "Rather Be is by far the standout track on the album, it has a soft eloquence and a happiness energy that gets you going. Their's a true flow to this song, it really shows their talent, especially since the title kind of gets you thinking that Richard is happy to back with his mates, as he sings "is their anywhere better than here", I get a sense the man is happy to be home.
"Judas" is full on early verve, instrumental, very little singing, long and very beautiful, the kind of song you could drive with and not miss a beat or a tune you could let you sing you to sleep; this one has Nick written all over it. Which brings me back to the point that this album, way more than Urban Hymns ever could, feels like a true verve album. After the band first broke up in 1995, Nick went his separate way, mostly due to mad Richards hyper controlling ways, this split invariably led Richard to writing for himself, which he did. By early 1997, he'd written close to all of Urban Hymns, alone. Later that year he would convince Simon and Pete back and a new mate Simon Tong to creating a new verve album. Nick would rejoin later and ad a little of his flavour, but not much seeing as most had been written. Late 1997 comes and Urban Hymns is received as a huge critical success, Bittersweet Symphony cements their status as the new it band of the year, however, by late 1998 they split once more, with many of us fans thinking that "it just wasn't meant to be". However, that was then and here we are now and once you hit song 4 "Numbness" you clearly see why that this verve, the oldish/newish verve are more verve than their previous record shows. I see no split after this one, "Numbness is fucking awesome, in the realm of "Already there and "Beautiful Mind", energetic and psychedelic, however, maybe with a little less drugs. "Noise Epic" is straight out of A Northern Soul territory, a rocky jam with an ending that pays homage to a light Queens of the Stone Age. My girl with laugh at me for that reference, but hey I say "light".
The final 3 tunes, "Valium Skies", "Columbo" and "Appalachian Springs" follow the same light as with "Numbness"and "Judas", a reach back to the past, however "Valium Skies" could be mistaken for a continuation to Urban's "Come On" so excuse me if I might be all over the place here. So as we end the album, I will inform you all that if you are looking for the Bittersweet Songs here, you might have to look elsewhere. This is no pop album, this is the verve as they used to be, and you can surely feel that they are happy with this. This album may not bring them the sales and critical number 1's of the past but it will make their diehards very happy, myself being one. I fucking love this album, it pulls you in the more you hear it. There are no letdowns here and well no major standouts either, but this album is great. It is a great new beginning for a band trying to bring its past with them while also trying to re-invent themselves in this new and very busy 21st century music scene. It's a great start and with much hope a sign of greater things to come...let's only hope they can get along this time around. Cross your fingers with me.
8/10
Friday, August 22, 2008
Okay so I've been lazy...
But hey it's summer, and well if George Bush can take the whole summer off, I certainly can; I've always been one to follow by example. He he he. What a lazy fucker! Anywho, thought I would post some crap today, not much has caught my attention in the realm of interest, except for how awful it must be for the fine folks over at Greyhound and their new ad slogan of "You've never heard of Bus Rage", OUCH!!! Talk about taking one to the chin. However, on a more respectful note, my thoughts and prayers go out to Tim's family, may your son RIP.
As for other summer stuff...hmm, not much to report. I've never been one to sit and write about my day to day activities on me blog, to me that seems a little pompous and arrogant. But I do however, enjoy pointing out the humor in life. Take for instance a little piece I witnessed at my good friend Kwesi's wedding this past weekend. I'll do my best to paint the picture for ya.
You have a large room.
You have 150 people in it, all dressed very well, all eating their faces off.
You have one long head table, with the bride and groom and all their bridesmaids and groomsmen, myself included.
You have two mc's, Christian Steingart (my buddy) and Stephanie Yeboah (Kwesi's sis)
You have Christian wayling away with many a joke, he's quite eccentric.
You have Steph introducing a sheet she found on the internet about the do's and dont's that you can say to your spouce.
You have Christian and Steph plugging away at the sheet, laughs galore.
You have Christian then saying "Honey you always smell moldy"
**** Let me say firstly that his statement in this quote was priceless, totally unfettered of any conciousness, it was one of those, "what did I just say moments" where you read something because it is in front of you, but don't realize what it means until you have everybody's else's reaction. Reaction!!!! Holy Fuck!!! The room was dead..............SILENT, I swear I almost pissed myself to it sheer pricelessness. This room, full of aunt's, uncle's, grandparents, children and the what not, were in pure awe. Lauralei, the bride was not pleased and Christian, trying so desperately to show his innocence to the situation, crept in ever so lightly "I didn't write this".
Anywho, I hope you can get what I'm trying to relay to you, this was one of those moments that will forever hold its grip on their wedding and the minds of those who were there, it was a pure Youtube moment. Uhhh... fuck I wish I have my video camera.
later.
As for other summer stuff...hmm, not much to report. I've never been one to sit and write about my day to day activities on me blog, to me that seems a little pompous and arrogant. But I do however, enjoy pointing out the humor in life. Take for instance a little piece I witnessed at my good friend Kwesi's wedding this past weekend. I'll do my best to paint the picture for ya.
You have a large room.
You have 150 people in it, all dressed very well, all eating their faces off.
You have one long head table, with the bride and groom and all their bridesmaids and groomsmen, myself included.
You have two mc's, Christian Steingart (my buddy) and Stephanie Yeboah (Kwesi's sis)
You have Christian wayling away with many a joke, he's quite eccentric.
You have Steph introducing a sheet she found on the internet about the do's and dont's that you can say to your spouce.
You have Christian and Steph plugging away at the sheet, laughs galore.
You have Christian then saying "Honey you always smell moldy"
**** Let me say firstly that his statement in this quote was priceless, totally unfettered of any conciousness, it was one of those, "what did I just say moments" where you read something because it is in front of you, but don't realize what it means until you have everybody's else's reaction. Reaction!!!! Holy Fuck!!! The room was dead..............SILENT, I swear I almost pissed myself to it sheer pricelessness. This room, full of aunt's, uncle's, grandparents, children and the what not, were in pure awe. Lauralei, the bride was not pleased and Christian, trying so desperately to show his innocence to the situation, crept in ever so lightly "I didn't write this".
Anywho, I hope you can get what I'm trying to relay to you, this was one of those moments that will forever hold its grip on their wedding and the minds of those who were there, it was a pure Youtube moment. Uhhh... fuck I wish I have my video camera.
later.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Why so serIOuS?
So I just came from watching The Dark Knight and as much as it was amazing, nothing truly comes to describe how amazing Heath was as the Joker. His portrayal of the maniacally comedic and very much insane villain was a performance for the ages. I was left nothing short of being in complete awe at how he transformed himself into this evil character. With that, I feel compelled to harken back into my memory bank and recall other such performances that have also left me speechless.
1. Johnny Depp in the Libertine - He blew me away with this very dark and disturbed character, portraying the Earl of Rochester. Simply his best work to date.
2. Christian Bale in American Psycho - Truly a career making role, he owned this role, you truly felt his evil.
3. Al Pacino in The Insider - His captivating role of CBS 60 minutes producer Lowell Bergman was so powerful, it had me on pins and needles from 10 minutes in to the end.
4. Leonardo DiCaprio in the Aviator - His intensity as an actor shone brightly as he became Howard Hughes effortlessly in this immensely complicated film. I believe I watched this movie everyday for a week after I bought it on DVD.
5. Gary Oldman in True Romance - The best villain role I've ever seen, I loved how he really disappeared in this role. It is however, unfortunate that his screen time was limited to a mere 10 minutes.
6. Johnny Depp in Ed Wood - My favorite movie and my sixth favorite performance. Depp was fucking funny in this role, pure comedic genius. The man can act.
7. Tom Cruise in Magnolia - For once in his illustrious career, Tom decided to throw away his greedy sense of making predictable movies with very predictable characters and play someone truly alive. This was Tom at his very best, a true career defining role.
8. Matt Damon in The Talented Mr. Ripley - Fucking creepy, Damon excelled in this beautifully shot film.
9. Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight - Amazing!!! He brought life and pureness to this lunatic character. Sadness can only be felt at the tragic loss we've all been dealt with his recent death.
10. Brad Pitt in Twelve Monkeys - My second favorite comedic role, Pitt was purely sensational and funny. Excellent character piece.
so many more, but I'll stop for now.
later
1. Johnny Depp in the Libertine - He blew me away with this very dark and disturbed character, portraying the Earl of Rochester. Simply his best work to date.
2. Christian Bale in American Psycho - Truly a career making role, he owned this role, you truly felt his evil.
3. Al Pacino in The Insider - His captivating role of CBS 60 minutes producer Lowell Bergman was so powerful, it had me on pins and needles from 10 minutes in to the end.
4. Leonardo DiCaprio in the Aviator - His intensity as an actor shone brightly as he became Howard Hughes effortlessly in this immensely complicated film. I believe I watched this movie everyday for a week after I bought it on DVD.
5. Gary Oldman in True Romance - The best villain role I've ever seen, I loved how he really disappeared in this role. It is however, unfortunate that his screen time was limited to a mere 10 minutes.
6. Johnny Depp in Ed Wood - My favorite movie and my sixth favorite performance. Depp was fucking funny in this role, pure comedic genius. The man can act.
7. Tom Cruise in Magnolia - For once in his illustrious career, Tom decided to throw away his greedy sense of making predictable movies with very predictable characters and play someone truly alive. This was Tom at his very best, a true career defining role.
8. Matt Damon in The Talented Mr. Ripley - Fucking creepy, Damon excelled in this beautifully shot film.
9. Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight - Amazing!!! He brought life and pureness to this lunatic character. Sadness can only be felt at the tragic loss we've all been dealt with his recent death.
10. Brad Pitt in Twelve Monkeys - My second favorite comedic role, Pitt was purely sensational and funny. Excellent character piece.
so many more, but I'll stop for now.
later
Thursday, July 17, 2008
do you ever just sit and wonder?
Do you ever find yourself just sitting there, fully relaxed, your mind off on some mythical journey as it takes you to places you never thought you would imagine where you encounter events that blow your mind?
If you say yes, then good because I sure do, my mind often times takes me on these journey's, ones that I can't help but to "sit and wonder" and ask myself "What the fuck?" or "Where did that come from". Like for instance, one day last week I found myself being attacked by a flap of skin on the bottom of my foot, this piece of skin was so perplexing, that if I even touched it slightly, it would send me off to someplace far away, I think in Europe somewhere, where I would be surrounded by a tribe of hudarites holding their wooden spoones in front of me as they pleaded with me to feed them. What the fuck?
Anywho. later
If you say yes, then good because I sure do, my mind often times takes me on these journey's, ones that I can't help but to "sit and wonder" and ask myself "What the fuck?" or "Where did that come from". Like for instance, one day last week I found myself being attacked by a flap of skin on the bottom of my foot, this piece of skin was so perplexing, that if I even touched it slightly, it would send me off to someplace far away, I think in Europe somewhere, where I would be surrounded by a tribe of hudarites holding their wooden spoones in front of me as they pleaded with me to feed them. What the fuck?
Anywho. later
Saturday, June 21, 2008
US Olympic Team...my thoughts and more
On Monday the US men's Olympic Bball team will be announced and with this I share my thoughts. For those of you like myself, the team isn't hard to figure out, the usual suspects will be there (Kobe, Lebron, Carmelo to name a few), but like so many past years, deciding on the final roster spots has led to much talk and controversies, and this years seems certain to follow suit. It seems with many leaks being available that the men's team will add Dwayne Wade and his surgically non tested knee and Tayshaun "I play defence but have a tough time scoring" Prince, over a few players who might be better choices. Okay so I'm not that against either of these picks, Wade is a stud and former Finals MVP and well Prince is very versatile and long with exceptional defence, and a player of whom if I were the Lakers GM Mitch Kupchack would certainly be going for so as to help rid your small forward dead weight Lamar Odom, but hey that another story all together, so I'll just leave it...for now. Anyways, there's really no purpose to this article except that I'm jonesing for some hoops, it's Friday night and I'm at home alone, my girl is in Europe having fun without me and well basically I'm bored. Anyways, here I go, the following are my thoughts on who is going to make the team and who shouldn't, plus each players roles and such.
Point Guard:
Jason Kidd - Still had got it, may be a step slower vs previous years, but has the necessary experience and smarts to quarterback this team. Plus his deficiencies will be hidden by his younger teammates.
Chris Paul - The future king of US point guard play, the man can do it all...effortlessly. He's a born leader and should learn a lot from this, plus playing with J Kidd can't hurt
Deron Williams - The other future US king, Williams can play fast and slow and runs the pick and roll to perfection. Will give size and strength to an already deep position. Let's just say the US team is in good hands.
Shooting Guard:
Kobe Bryant - The unquestionable leader of the team, Kobe will lead by playing ferocious defense and excellent shooting. His relentless competitive nature will feed the team, plus he's their closer. Having him truly solidifies their chances for gold, without him they'd lose a tonne. This should also give him a chance to quiet his critics after being swallowed alive by the Celtics amazing defense.
Dwayne Wade - If he's healthy he'll be the best sixth man ever. He's fast, evasive, a good penetrator, excellent finisher and probably the second best closer next to Kobe. Should thrive in his role, this Olympics will help him regain is status as one of the games best, something he needs after his brutal past season.
Michael Redd - The zone defense breaker, Redd should have a tonne of open shots coming his way. If he can play the way he did last summer, the US should kill everyone. Sweet stroke should be ready to fly.
Small Forward:
LeBron James - The King will be a force to be reckoned with, his size and sheer strength will dominate, plus he's the best open court player ever. Him playing well will undoubtedly give the US the gold. He and Kobe should be a brutal duo for any defense.
Tayshaun Prince - This 12th man will be used sparingly, but his defense and long arms will certainly come in handy. He has a lot of experience to bring, something he can rub off on the Bosh's and Howard's of the team.
Power Forward:
Carmelo Anthony - Even though he's totally playing out of position, Anthony for some reason thrives in International competition. In my opinion he's the second best pure scorer on the planet next to Kobe, has a fierce post up game and can bang with the best of em. Should get his points easily, will be used along with LeBron as the no 1 option. Look for him to thrive.
Carlos Boozer - Boozer's strength and low post game will be his best highlights for the team, might play limited minutes, but his rebounding will certainly come in handy. A good choice as backup
Center:
Dwight Howard - The man child will be used primarily for defense and rebounding, his size is his biggest asset. Will get many lob passes to thrive on, but will have to settle with that and a few put backs, don't look for him to dominate scoring wise.
Chris Bosh - Playing out of position will not diminish his effectiveness, has a fierce shooting game for his size, his mid range game will certainly come in handy. Might be used in late game situations to maximize free throw situations. Should play better than past international years where he struggled to get going.
As for the team, I'm happy with it, I might question the selection of Prince seeing as I hardly see him playing, picking Chandler might bite them in the butt in later rounds, his size and rebounding might be missed, but hey I might be over thinking this a bit. Other than that the US should roll to the gold, with Kobe, LeBron, Paul, Carmelo and Wade they hardly seem poised to lose at all. Should be fun to watch.
However, here's a thought, if you could put any 12 man US team together who would you put on it? Here are my choice (active players only):
PG - Kidd, Paul, Williams
SG - Kobe, Wade, Allen
SF - LeBron, Pierce, Carmelo
PF - Garnett, Duncan
C - Howard, Shaq
How do you beat that team, having Garnett and Duncan really solidifies that defense, and yes Shaq is old, but hey he's still better than most and his experience and size always matter.
later
Point Guard:
Jason Kidd - Still had got it, may be a step slower vs previous years, but has the necessary experience and smarts to quarterback this team. Plus his deficiencies will be hidden by his younger teammates.
Chris Paul - The future king of US point guard play, the man can do it all...effortlessly. He's a born leader and should learn a lot from this, plus playing with J Kidd can't hurt
Deron Williams - The other future US king, Williams can play fast and slow and runs the pick and roll to perfection. Will give size and strength to an already deep position. Let's just say the US team is in good hands.
Shooting Guard:
Kobe Bryant - The unquestionable leader of the team, Kobe will lead by playing ferocious defense and excellent shooting. His relentless competitive nature will feed the team, plus he's their closer. Having him truly solidifies their chances for gold, without him they'd lose a tonne. This should also give him a chance to quiet his critics after being swallowed alive by the Celtics amazing defense.
Dwayne Wade - If he's healthy he'll be the best sixth man ever. He's fast, evasive, a good penetrator, excellent finisher and probably the second best closer next to Kobe. Should thrive in his role, this Olympics will help him regain is status as one of the games best, something he needs after his brutal past season.
Michael Redd - The zone defense breaker, Redd should have a tonne of open shots coming his way. If he can play the way he did last summer, the US should kill everyone. Sweet stroke should be ready to fly.
Small Forward:
LeBron James - The King will be a force to be reckoned with, his size and sheer strength will dominate, plus he's the best open court player ever. Him playing well will undoubtedly give the US the gold. He and Kobe should be a brutal duo for any defense.
Tayshaun Prince - This 12th man will be used sparingly, but his defense and long arms will certainly come in handy. He has a lot of experience to bring, something he can rub off on the Bosh's and Howard's of the team.
Power Forward:
Carmelo Anthony - Even though he's totally playing out of position, Anthony for some reason thrives in International competition. In my opinion he's the second best pure scorer on the planet next to Kobe, has a fierce post up game and can bang with the best of em. Should get his points easily, will be used along with LeBron as the no 1 option. Look for him to thrive.
Carlos Boozer - Boozer's strength and low post game will be his best highlights for the team, might play limited minutes, but his rebounding will certainly come in handy. A good choice as backup
Center:
Dwight Howard - The man child will be used primarily for defense and rebounding, his size is his biggest asset. Will get many lob passes to thrive on, but will have to settle with that and a few put backs, don't look for him to dominate scoring wise.
Chris Bosh - Playing out of position will not diminish his effectiveness, has a fierce shooting game for his size, his mid range game will certainly come in handy. Might be used in late game situations to maximize free throw situations. Should play better than past international years where he struggled to get going.
As for the team, I'm happy with it, I might question the selection of Prince seeing as I hardly see him playing, picking Chandler might bite them in the butt in later rounds, his size and rebounding might be missed, but hey I might be over thinking this a bit. Other than that the US should roll to the gold, with Kobe, LeBron, Paul, Carmelo and Wade they hardly seem poised to lose at all. Should be fun to watch.
However, here's a thought, if you could put any 12 man US team together who would you put on it? Here are my choice (active players only):
PG - Kidd, Paul, Williams
SG - Kobe, Wade, Allen
SF - LeBron, Pierce, Carmelo
PF - Garnett, Duncan
C - Howard, Shaq
How do you beat that team, having Garnett and Duncan really solidifies that defense, and yes Shaq is old, but hey he's still better than most and his experience and size always matter.
later
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Just a few things...
So the middle of june is finally closing upon us, and since I am very excited about this, it pains me to realize that our weather has yet to follow suit. As Ontario and the western US get blistering hot weather, we folk here in prairie land have yet to have a moments worth of hot weather. Why I bring this up is this, until this past winter, the weather never really affected me that much, I knew that come June, July and August it would be warm, and when January and February hit it would be cold. But for some reason this past winter and so far this spring, the lack of any consistent or remotely hot weather has really dampened my spirits. Anyways, this rant is quite useless, I know that hot weather is just around the corner, I guess I'm just frustrated at how long it's taking to come.
On a better note, watching Stephen Harper apologize to all Aboriginal Canadians today was nice to see. For a moment there it even seemed like he was truly sorry, I could sense his emotional stability, he showed true sincerity and for that I commend him. Today he acted like a true leader, he stepped up and faced his victims and said he was sorry. It may have come many years too late, but nevertheless, as late as it may have come, it still came. Congrats Canada, you acted like a just and moral country today. Now if we can only end the horrible disdain, seperation and racism Aboriginal Canadians take on a daily basis then all will be good. I guess one step at a time is something I should take here.
On another note, for the past 6 weeks I've been off work. My job Sushiro has been closed since May 3rd for renovations, and well let me tell you that being off work for that long sucks (financially) but is good (emotionally). Over the past few weeks, I've had all this time at night, time I never used to have, to delve into the fun world of cooking dinners. My girl Hayles bought me Gordon Ramsay's newest cookbook "Fast Food with Gordon" and well let's just say it has been awesome. I've made lemon sticky chicken with pan seared potatoes, pan seared mushroom pork chops, and the best mashed potatoes ever. Tonight I'm making lasagna, so wish me luck. Oh and I made this awesome pain perdu with mascarpone tossed rasperries, fucking good! Go buy his book if you wish to make a nice tasty treat.
As for my views on the Finals so far, well here they are:
- Kobe was awesome last night, he attacked, played fearless and led his team like a champion
- In games one and two, with the lack of fouls being called the Lakers way, I found Kobe to become very frustrated, to which I believe took him out of his game.
- Paul Pierce was awesome early on at home in Boston, his energy and sheer emotional fervor carried his Boston team
- KG has been himself, not to high, not too low...which means he needs to be better, this is the Finals
- The Lakers bench has been awful, except for Vujacic
- This is the first series where two points have come to mind: one, the lakers bench is very young, and two, they really need Bynum to come back healthy
- Leon Powe!!! enough said
- Odom, Odom, Odom, you need to play BETTER.
- Gasol needs to lift weights
My belief is this, the Lakers will lose this series in 6, and come back next year and win it all, with maybe more to come. I never expected them to come this far, I figured their inexperience would show way earlier, it's just unfortunate that their lack of experience had to show up on the biggest and final stage. This will be a good lesson for them and Kobe. Next year is their year.
Let's hope I'm wrong, but I doubt it.
later.
On a better note, watching Stephen Harper apologize to all Aboriginal Canadians today was nice to see. For a moment there it even seemed like he was truly sorry, I could sense his emotional stability, he showed true sincerity and for that I commend him. Today he acted like a true leader, he stepped up and faced his victims and said he was sorry. It may have come many years too late, but nevertheless, as late as it may have come, it still came. Congrats Canada, you acted like a just and moral country today. Now if we can only end the horrible disdain, seperation and racism Aboriginal Canadians take on a daily basis then all will be good. I guess one step at a time is something I should take here.
On another note, for the past 6 weeks I've been off work. My job Sushiro has been closed since May 3rd for renovations, and well let me tell you that being off work for that long sucks (financially) but is good (emotionally). Over the past few weeks, I've had all this time at night, time I never used to have, to delve into the fun world of cooking dinners. My girl Hayles bought me Gordon Ramsay's newest cookbook "Fast Food with Gordon" and well let's just say it has been awesome. I've made lemon sticky chicken with pan seared potatoes, pan seared mushroom pork chops, and the best mashed potatoes ever. Tonight I'm making lasagna, so wish me luck. Oh and I made this awesome pain perdu with mascarpone tossed rasperries, fucking good! Go buy his book if you wish to make a nice tasty treat.
As for my views on the Finals so far, well here they are:
- Kobe was awesome last night, he attacked, played fearless and led his team like a champion
- In games one and two, with the lack of fouls being called the Lakers way, I found Kobe to become very frustrated, to which I believe took him out of his game.
- Paul Pierce was awesome early on at home in Boston, his energy and sheer emotional fervor carried his Boston team
- KG has been himself, not to high, not too low...which means he needs to be better, this is the Finals
- The Lakers bench has been awful, except for Vujacic
- This is the first series where two points have come to mind: one, the lakers bench is very young, and two, they really need Bynum to come back healthy
- Leon Powe!!! enough said
- Odom, Odom, Odom, you need to play BETTER.
- Gasol needs to lift weights
My belief is this, the Lakers will lose this series in 6, and come back next year and win it all, with maybe more to come. I never expected them to come this far, I figured their inexperience would show way earlier, it's just unfortunate that their lack of experience had to show up on the biggest and final stage. This will be a good lesson for them and Kobe. Next year is their year.
Let's hope I'm wrong, but I doubt it.
later.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Wow!, just found this...a little bit naiive you might say
July 14, 2004
My name is Jamie Mah, and I am an up and coming Acting Talent in search of the best Agent in Toronto. I found your email address on the Actra Website and even though it says "by referral only" I figured that at this point I have nothing to loose in trying to interest you. You my dear can obviously ignore this email or by chance take a look at my headshot and resume and decide for yourself that I am nothing short of a sure bet.
I have been studying the craft and art of the performing arts now for only 8 months, which unfortunately deems me highly new and inexperienced to most agents. But what I do have going for me and hopefully for you is a great smile and a hard and determined work ethic. Currently I am being represented by an agency called "Stylus Model Management"; they have been amazing for me so far and have been nothing short of professional. But however, for me, my goals are larger than theirs. I want to pursue great film, learn from the best and work my way up to the top. And in order to do this I need the best, this is where you come in. I need and agent who has contacts all over Canada, the US and the World, someone who can send my face to those people I want to work for. In return this is good for you "more money" and for me, to become a better actor.
If you have read this, I thank you for you time and patience. All I'm looking for is the best, I guess my question is "Will you help me?" Obviously just for you I have attached my Resume and Headshot, hopefully you will like what you see and I will be hearing from you shortly. If not, yet again I thank you for your time and best of luck in the future.
Sincerely,
Jamie Mah
416 480 1574
** Just incase you were curious this letter was rejected, (very nicely I might add), and I wound up sticking with Stylus for the next few months only to leave them entirely in the fall. I would eventually find an agent and truck my way through all the menutia and crap auditions that lay in the TDot.
My name is Jamie Mah, and I am an up and coming Acting Talent in search of the best Agent in Toronto. I found your email address on the Actra Website and even though it says "by referral only" I figured that at this point I have nothing to loose in trying to interest you. You my dear can obviously ignore this email or by chance take a look at my headshot and resume and decide for yourself that I am nothing short of a sure bet.
I have been studying the craft and art of the performing arts now for only 8 months, which unfortunately deems me highly new and inexperienced to most agents. But what I do have going for me and hopefully for you is a great smile and a hard and determined work ethic. Currently I am being represented by an agency called "Stylus Model Management"; they have been amazing for me so far and have been nothing short of professional. But however, for me, my goals are larger than theirs. I want to pursue great film, learn from the best and work my way up to the top. And in order to do this I need the best, this is where you come in. I need and agent who has contacts all over Canada, the US and the World, someone who can send my face to those people I want to work for. In return this is good for you "more money" and for me, to become a better actor.
If you have read this, I thank you for you time and patience. All I'm looking for is the best, I guess my question is "Will you help me?" Obviously just for you I have attached my Resume and Headshot, hopefully you will like what you see and I will be hearing from you shortly. If not, yet again I thank you for your time and best of luck in the future.
Sincerely,
Jamie Mah
416 480 1574
** Just incase you were curious this letter was rejected, (very nicely I might add), and I wound up sticking with Stylus for the next few months only to leave them entirely in the fall. I would eventually find an agent and truck my way through all the menutia and crap auditions that lay in the TDot.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
LAKERS TO THE FINALS!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, yes, yes, I can't believe it, my Lakers are on their way to the Finals. Fuck Yeah!!!!! I'm on the best euphoric high right now, I can't believe it. What a game, Kobe you are the fucking man!!!! I remember last season, after the Lakers had been eliminated by the Suns telling my brother that Kobe and the Lakers would win the title within the next 3 years, well ladies and gentlemen I wasn't expecting to be right this soon. And don't get me wrong, they WILL win the ship, it will be against the Celtics in what will become one of the best and most anticipated, also most watched Finals in years, even decades. Bird, Magic, Russell, West the greats will be brought alive once again as this storied rivalry will renew itself with the figor of Kobe vs Garnett, Pierc and Allen vs Odom and Gasol, both young benches seeking to stand out, I can't fucking wait.
I smell the magic, the energy, the love. Oh yeah baby, its game time. The Finals are upon us.
Get set, relax and watch.
:) Lakers in 6
bye.
I smell the magic, the energy, the love. Oh yeah baby, its game time. The Finals are upon us.
Get set, relax and watch.
:) Lakers in 6
bye.
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