September 29, 2007 at 11:17 am · Filed under Uncategorized
I believe that it may happen that one will succeed, and one must not begin to despair, even though defeated here and there; and even though one sometimes feels a kind of decay, though things go differently from the expected, it is necessary to take heart again and find new courage.
For the great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together. And great things are not something accidental, but must certainly be willed. What is drawing? How does one learn it? It is working through an invisible iron wall that seems to stand between what one feels and what one can do.”
When I told my mom and dad this week that I had been laid off they turned to me and simply said “Well, keep moving forward and don’t slump your shoulders. There’s always something better ahead“
It seemed like an overly simplistic answer to something that has affected my livelihood so intensely.
In retrospect (only a week later) I can see what they’re saying; I can’t change the outcome so why dwell in a desperate moment?
When I would break up with a girl my parents would always say “Well, when you miss a bus there’s always another one behind it that is roomier and more comfortable.” and “there’s plenty of fish in the sea.“
The analogy of comparing women to modes of transportation or seafood aside, this made so much sense to me at the time as well. And I suppose the same quote can be said about jobs (and most of life’s other obstacles) too.
Time waits for no man and life moves on. You either move with it or you get left behind.
I’m still not over some of the bad things that have happened to me so far in life; and losing this last job has been very hard on my self confidence. But I’ll forge ahead, find the bigger, better deal and I’ll cope with my emotions when I get the time.
No one wants to ride a cramped bus. And no one ever wants to feel unwanted.
I’ve got this song categorized in my music folder under “Old School” and why not?
When this LP hit, back in 1996, it was new and fresh and cool.
11 years later it can only be classified as old school. The beats, lyrics and flow are definitely not outdated though. I’d say that this 11 year old joint is better than 75% of the garbage that’s filling the radio waves right now. And these guys never got any real promo, never made it big time.
They faded back into obscurity before the turn of the millennium, but those with a penchant for good rap music will always know that when the East is in the house, it can only mean danger.
“Ernest P. Worrell becomes a basketball star after an angel bearing an uncanny resemblance to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar gives him a pair of magic sneakers”
I mean, when this is the synopsis of your movie you just KNOW it’s gotta be bad. I mean … it has no other choice BUT to be bad ….
I’ve never seen this movie. And I don’t think that’ll change. Also, I recommend that no one else see it as it may encourage some sequel involving soccer, baseball or some other sport.
And really, one Ernest movie is still one too many, let alone all the Ernest sequels that have been done to date.
A lot of people, including me, have voiced their discontent that a thriving school was merged with a failing one and that the name and location had changed (for the worse, I may add). A lot of the alumni that I’ve spoken with felt that Silver Heights had worked hard to gain its positive reputation in our small city, both academically and athletically, and that it was not right that it should be lost in order for the school division to save a few dollars.
A few of the names that were tossed around were Hillcrest, Sturgeon Heights (an amalgamation name of Silver Heights and the Other school; Sturgeon Creek), Valour High and a couple of other ones. An advisory board was named and took suggestions from the public on names. In the end, the division went with its own agenda and named the school as it saw fit.
Personally, I wanted the name of Silver Heights to live on. However, Hillcrest sounded regal enough, tough enough and fou-fou enough to be taken legitimately as a school. As it stands now, Sturgeon Heights sounds lame and kind of Charlie Brown as far as I’m concerned.
I’ve been mourning the loss of my high school silently, making sure to not say anything until I could say something devoid of insults towards those in charge of the decisions at the school division.
Silver Heights, athletically, had some of its best showings in the last 7 or 8 years – especially in basketball, where it used to be a bit of a joke. And it’s always been one of the top schools in the city, academically speaking. So to see it close down as it begins to gain steam was a bit of a blow to the community of SHCI alumni. Fortunately, they kept the “Husky” team name, so that was good. Definitely better than being a “Schooner”.
No matter how much time goes by, I will always remember the small, cramped gymnasium, those winding halls and musty change rooms. I’ll remember the friends I made, the fights I got into and the sports I played. If you have a positive memory of the old building , or if it’s a memory of how Silver Heights positively affected your life, I’d invite you to share it.
In the meantime, please join me in pouring out a little mental liquor for our dead homey.
September 27, 2007 at 8:57 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
How do I know this?
The SUDDEN lack of any note worthy NBA news of late; the Isiah Thomas case notwithstanding, of course, if for no other reason than comic relief.
This is the point in the year which I find dreadfully boring as all teams (pro and high school) are in the swing of making rosters and training camps right now.
I just keep telling myself …. one month to go … one month to go ….. one month to go ……
September 23, 2007 at 6:31 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
I went to Duckworth to pay the League fees that were due. The deadline was set for Monday, September 24, 2007 so I cut it a bit close. In any case, our team is officially registered for the 2007-2008 basketball season.
Thanks to all the guys who have committed themselves to another year of play under the team name of Shaka Dula.
We have some new faces on the squad this year and we’ve got some interesting changes that have been made to the league this year. I think it’ll be a fun season regardless of whether we win a chip or not.
September 22, 2007 at 2:22 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
“The greatest battles of life are fought daily in the silent chambers of the soul.”
- David O. McKay –
A lot of the tough battles we face in life appear to be insurmountable or impossible to get through. I’m going through some myself right now.
But this quote lets me know that those battles can be overcome by the way we approach things (frame of mind) and our spiritual strength.
I remember the first few times I was thrown those proverbial lemons …..
Those obstacles felt like they were life, career or social life ending. I’ve learned to be stronger in my faith and more positive in my frame of mind (a daily battle). And as I’m going through my own current battles I have to constantly remind myself that I will be okay and that this is not the end of the world.
I was never a fan of Michael Jordan. Call me a hater. I just NEVER appreciated what this man did. I think it had mostly to do with the fact that he prevented some great NBA players from getting a ring: Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, J0hn Starks, Kevin Johnson, John Stockton ….
I watched this movie as a part of a basketball sleepover weekend with one of the teams I helped coach last year.
I have to say: I may not appreciate the way in which Jordan hogged the limelight and championships to himself but his drive to win and determination and work ethic were impressive.
I can definitely recommend this movie to everyone.
September 19, 2007 at 10:16 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
So I took my body for a night out at basketball after a long, rough day at work.
This was against my wife and my doctors’ suggestions. Everyone has told me to take it easy and that further activity without an appropriate rehab program could re-injure some of the already injured areas.
I didn’t care. You ever have one of THOSE days that you just needed to do your thing, regardless of anything else because your activity is the ONE thing that brings you back to focus? well, that was me on Monday. It felt great to be back, even for one night.
So I played. And I sucked. But I didn’t hurt as much as I imagined.
I got home and everything was great. I went to sleep and none worse for wear.
Then I woke up the next morning.
It was like I was hit by a bus. And in each of the ensuing days it’s only gotten worse.
You know the type of pain. When you work out and you wake up and your muscles are like: “What the hell did you DO last night?!”
Yeah.
If I lay down on my back, it takes about 5 minutes to get up off the ground. WITH help. Hahahaha.
I’m so horribly out of shape it isn’t even funny. Or maybe it is?
Regardless, it was great to be back on the court with my boys. And though I don’t intend on playing in the first half of this season, I AM looking forward to a great second half and playoffs with my team.
The format the last few years has been to log on to Sportingnews.com and play the fantasy basketball there (Smallworld Fantasy basketball).
This year, my buddy Nate, decided that he needed to find another way to NOT come in behind me so he took the initiative and created an NBA fantasy league on NBA.com. Now, I’ve been watching Fantasy Hoops with Rick Kamla on NBATV for a minute and that man knows his stuff!
Who knows, I might call in and ask his advice and, with his help, I might actually win even more handily than ever before!
Haha. I kid. I kid. Relax guys. I’m not serious.
I actually look forward to a GREAT fantasy basketball season.
And if any of YOU out there wanna get in on the action and play fantasy hoops with me, e-mail me and I’ll send you the password and league name.
***UPDATE***
The link tothe NBA.com Fantasy Page has been added to my blogroll. So if you need to find the league just look to the right and there it is!
With the new NBA season close at hand I figured I’d display some of the best talent the NBA has to offer. Psyche. I just left all the good basketball MP3s at home and needed some filler.
Take the EXACT same formula as Like Mike but add streetball and worse acting and you’ve got the flick.
Formulaic in nature and poorly acted, this movie is obviously nothing but a cash cow that is trying to capitalize on the current streetball craze and the fan base that enjoyed the original Like Mike.
I watched about 3/4 of this movie and kept switching between it and a Texas Hold ‘Em game because, quite honestly, it was a boring movie. The final basketball tournament was funny, though. These guys were such bad actors that the action in the court was beyond reality. I mean, when a 30 year old man clotheslines a 10 year old boy and the refs don’t call a foul AND no one in the stands gets offended …. I don’t know. Maybe it’s just me but I think at a time like that it’s best to grab a bag of microwave popcorn and watch Superstar Poker on ESPN instead.
Not a BAD movie per se …. but I can think of better ways to WASTE an afternoon. Pass.
So, okay. The story I’ve got here is nothing technically new to the Sports world. But that’s what happens when I unplug for a week. Oh well. Enjoy the different angles on the story.
September 14, 2007 at 11:47 am · Filed under Uncategorized
Have I REALLY posted only once in six days ?!?!?
Wow.
I just moved into my new house (September 1) and I’ve been playing catch up since then with moving, unpacking and organizing all sorts of address changes and bank meetings and contractor visits to install everything from cable to plumbing rough ins. It’s been an interesting week.
More than anything else, though, I’ve felt isolated again since I haven’t had an internet connection at home. Hahaha.
But as of last night, I am once again plugged in and look forward to blogging a bit more consistently again.
They started their training camp this last Wednesday – informally, of course, but it’s meant as a way to better improve team chemistry and last season’s results. We’ll see if it pays off this season. I have to say, though, that I am impressed by this. Good to see JJ actually flex his leadership muscle.
I wouldn’t have placed this story in here as I find Kobe stories to be so incredibly fake. But this little excerpt guaranteed it:
“In the basketball-loving Philippines, no one was going to ruffle a charismatic icon visiting to promote the sport, encourage kids to pursue their dreams and maybe sell a few pairs of his new line of shoes. …. The Nike store, in Manila’s Fort Bonifacio area, was festooned with a poster promoting Bryant’s new shoe, the Kobe II. At about $150, the shoes represent about sixweeks’ pay for the average Filipino.”
Poor, stupid Zeke. It’ll be interesting to see how this turns out. I think his future in New York (and maybe even the NBA for the next 3 or 4 years) rests on the outcome of this trial.
This is going to be very interesting because you won’t have any more instances like last year’s Suns-Spurs playoff controversy anymore. I wonder if teams will be allowed to throw a towel onto the court as it’s done in the NFL. Hahaha.
AS IF the NHL doesn’t have its own scandals to deal with.
*** UPDATE: The picture has been updated. This current picture was taken by a colleague who lives IN Dallas, so the resolution on the pic is MUCH better now. It’s the real deal. ***
Not a HUGE deal for the Spurs, but it may (maybe) affect the outcome of a few early season games and will definitely make the rotation in SA a little shorter. This means more PT for Oberto, though. So that’s always a good thing.
September 05, 2007. Yesterday evening Miami Heat center Shaquille O’Neal (35) filed to divorce his wife of nearly five years, Shaunie (32). The two seemed like the perfect couple to most outside observers.
This seemingly out-of-nowhere filing has people all over the sports world are wondering what could have happened. Well MediaTakeOut.com got the inside scoop on what really went down!!!
In an exclusive interview, MediaTakeOut.com spoke with one of Shaq’s employee’s who claims that Shaq suspects Shaunie of being unfaithful. According to the insider, Shaq is accusing his wife of carrying on an affair with her 27 year old personal trainer.
The trainer, who is of native Cuban descent, has been training Shaq’s wife for nearly a year.
According to our insider, Shaunie has been increasing the frequency of private training sessions ever since the spring. The insider tells MediaTakeOut.com, “Shaunie and [the trainer] started off having weekly sessions. But they increased the number of sessions until she was seeing him almost every day.” The insider added, “I’m not saying that there was anything inappropriate going on between them, but they were very close. So I can understand where Shaq is coming from … Whatever was going on between them, it just didn’t look right.”
Shaq’s employee isn’t convinced, however, that Shaq’s marriage is over. The insider explained, “Right now Shaq filed [for divorce] because he’s angry. But the way that those two love each other, I’m convinced the marriage can be saved.” Our source continued, “Besides, Shaq has a few skeletons in his closet himself – and there’s just too much [history] between them for either to walk away this easily.”
But if this divorce ever does get to court, it may get ugly. Shaq’s pit bull lawyers have made the first move. They’ve already requested that Shaunie O’Neal to provide a “correct accounting of all money, funds, stocks, bonds, and other securities” that she had access to or obtained during the marriage.
Shaq and Shaunie have four children together — Shareef, 7, Amirah, 5, Shaqir, 4, and Me’Arah, 1. Shaq has a daughter, Taahirah, and Shaunie has a son, Myles, from previous relationships.
Late last season, an assistant coach on a Lottery-bound NBA team approached said team’s superstar and asked if he’d be willing to take two fewer shots per game. The assistant explained that it’d help the team in the long run if the All-Star would give up some of his looks for the team’s youngsters to get some work in. “No,” was the star’s reply. The assistant reiterated that it wasn’t a big change, just a few plays per game being run for the youngsters. “No,” was the star’s answer again. And that, people, is why some teams stay in the Lottery
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And athletes wonder why they are labeled as greedy …
After losing a game to Greece, Darko ranted to the press after the game. Complaining about the refs isn’t that big of a deal except that his rant included this jewel:
“I will find the referees, murder them and then [expletive] their daughters”
“I’m telling you, Darko is a Serbian gangster,” Rasheed Wallace said. “Darko’s got some bodies back there (in Serbia-Montenegro). He can go psycho on guys.”
I’m surprised that Darko would choose to voice his discontent at things now and in this fashion. He’s always been a quiet cat. Never been one to say much to anyone. He’s tough, sure, but I never imagined he had blodlust.
How will all this affect Darko’s bid for a European Championship or his status in the NBA and with his Serbia-Montenegro team?
It’s still too early to say but it’s being strongly speculated that he’ll be fined by FIBA and suspended for a year. Which means that this little off the cuff rant might have cost him (and his team and country) much more than originally expected as his absence may be felt all the way to the Olympics next year.