NBA Finals Preview: Terminator Salvation

Its that time again. NBA Finals...you know who I got. Who do YOU got?

Crazy Dream

I have to write down this CRAZY dream I just had. So I'm riding in one of those duck tour type things in a coastal city. Felt like a foreign territory...like Costa Rica or maybe Bahamas-ish. The driver is this crazy trip of a white lady who barely seems to be eyeing the road while driving and just spitting all kinds of mainly useless facts about wherever it is that I am. A short while later, we see what looks like a kind of tandem motorcycle contraption coming up on us. It looks like a motorcycle with a sidecar..but instead of a sidecar, another motorcycle is attached. The second thing I notice about this is how fast this thing is going for the weather (its raining but not hard). We reach this area that is all curves. Think Highway 1 b/w Monterey and LA. Practically a squiggly line. These guys are taking these curves at like 60 mph...just slaloming through. So I'm in awe of the fact they havent crashed yet...but finally, at the LAST curve, one of em crashes. I crack up.

Let me tell you why this was hilarious in the dream. Because like I said earlier, ONE of them crashed. Whatever was connecting the 2 bikes broke off and sent one of them sliding into the rail while his friend zoomed off. Of course, we keep driving past. Dude is down and his bike is like split in 2. We can hear him kinda call out to the other driver to come back and finish him off. (I know this all sounds really gruesome but I swear its happening in a 3 Stooges goofball way that you know he isnt as hurt as it looks.) The friend just keeps on going and, for some reason, we follow the friend.

Dude takes his bike to some Mom & Pop bike shop and we stop next door to get something to eat at what seems like one of those Rubio's-type fake mexican food joints and I wind up talking to this cute white coed. (Even in my dreams, white girls like talking to me..smh) Not really interested I look around and see that we're by a huge body of water. And the craziness of all craziness happens. This Lochness Monster looking thing pops out of the water for a second...then comes to shore...and makes a beeline for us. Hole. E. Shit. It looks like one of those huge Chinese dragons from Chinese New Year parades but HUGE like the Transformers. I mean not really scary just huge and goofy looking. This thing starts interrogating people in some kinda broken English/Patois language that makes me giggle anytime it says something. He's asking everyone what happened to the biker that fell. (Who the fuck is this biker, Harry Potter?)

Anyway, we find the bikes in the aforementioned Mom & Pop shop...they're both being worked on. I never saw either biker again but while asking for the biker, this monster/dragon notices me laughing everytimg he speaks. I can only describe the feeling you get when that happens as "I'm fucked" mixed with shit in your pants fantastic. So I try to break camp (that means runaway for the ebonically challenged) but this thing is on me like a police car chase and I only make it to the Mom & Pop shop next door. I'm somehow able to convince the dragon/sea monster that Potter must be ok since his bike is hearing being worked on. Thats pretty much how it ends.

So what am I supposed to walk away with from this huge ridiculous dream? Well...for one, I really miss being able to ride my motorcycle. Two, I MAY need to reconsider eating bowls of Cap'n Crunch so late at night. Three, the Bahamas cruise I was considering for this summer is DEFINITELY off. Four, its been a while since I had sushi.

Fin.

Battle of the Soaps

In bathrooms all around America, the battle rages on. Bar soaps versus Soap gels. Soap gels have been storming the market since the 90s and their popularity has them now dominating store shelves. The Bar soap hangs on but seems to be something of a dying breed. BUT I SAY TO THEE, NAY!

I rocks with the bar soap. You can keep your dishwashing liquid in its fancy bottle in your bathroom if you want, but give me a bar that say Irish Spring or Zest and I'm good to go! Old School, baby. Thats how I do it.

So bar soap, I see you, playah.

Happy Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day to all and a special thanks to all of our soldiers, past, present, and future.

"We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm." -- George Orwell

Bar scene from Good Will Hunting

Would you believe I still havent seen this entire movie? Unforgivable.

Doggystyle

Michael Vick is finally out of jail, where he spent the better part of 2 years after being convicted for dogfighting. Whatever your beliefs on the criminality of dogfighting may be, Vick got a raw deal. The prosecutors didnt even ask for him to be put in jail for as long as he served. In fact, they recommended half the time. U.S. District Court Judge Henry E. Hudson decided to make an example of Vick...for whatever reason. Personally, I believe those reasons happen to be the fact that he was young, black, rich, & famous...but you're all welcome to believe what you want.

The hypocrisy of this country when it comes to these type of charges and famous athletes is simply ridiculous. There are athletes that have done FAR worse that are still in the league and play to MUCH fanfare. But all you hear in the news and from sports pundits, is how DIFFICULT it'll be for ANY organization to even consider hiring Vick's services for their football team. Why? The guy OVERPAID for his crimes, didnt he? Isnt America supposed to be all about paying your debt to society, reinventing yourself, and second chances? You'd think the guy was a pedophile. The degree of America's apparent love affair with dogs is almost borderline lunacy. I mean, some Americans hunt animals. They have areas where they have animals live simply so they can be gunned down by wannabe hunter-types but thats no crime. Didnt they have to euthanize a racehorse ON the track after a race around a year ago? Not to mention, arent dogs euthanized on a daily basis in shelters? Where do our loyalties toward animal cruelty really lie? They seem to be nonsensical.

Let me be clear. I dont endorse dogfighting and if you want to call it a crime, fine. But 2 years? Plus, it literally cost the guy $100 mill at least. I think the guy's paid for the crime. In fact, he probably should be allowed at least 1 more felony with a get out of jail free card.

All of that said, I've always wondered about the charges themselves. The way the authorities would have you believe it, Vick masterminded an entire criminal dogfighting enterprise, complete with locations, schedules, funding and other conspirators and so on and so on. Really? He had the time to do ALL that? When I look for what the ACTUAL evidence against Vick was, I'm left wondering how much of the case was just a bunch of bullshit. There is NO doubt that there's evidence against the property as well as against the folks who lived there. There's evidence that Vick's money financed the property and business. But the reality of the situation is, the only evidence against Vick himself being intimate with the entire situation is that the guys they DID catch rolled on him in order to shorten their sentence. Given Vick's notoriety, I think people were FAR too willing to convict him without a second thought.

So Michael Vick was essentially convicted of running a criminal enterprise. Most of yall were convinced he couldnt run the offense of his football team...but a criminal enterprise, you have NO problem believing. That...is interesting. We hear stories all the time about how athletes/celebs put their money in things and have literally NOTHING to do with em. That was never even a consideration when it came to Vick. He was guilty until proven...less guilty. (Sidenote: The authorities never actually placed Vick at the house. The already convicted said he was there and/or at other dogfighting events. I did hear a rumor about video evidence but cant find anything to support its actual existence.)

Just for shits and giggles, lets have the AUDACITY to entertain a scenario where he was in fact telling the truth and had nothing to do with the dogfighting. I know this hurts the brain of a few so feel free to stop reading at this point. (I mean, how can the police/media be wrong?*cough* Duke LaCrosse team *cough*) So, we forced the guy to plead guilty, because he was dead in the water otherwise, in order to get a shorter sentence, which he didnt get anyways. While doing undeserved time, his family's life economically falls apart, and when he gets out, its assumed that not only will he struggle to reacclimate to professional football but that he'll struggle to even get the chance to do so. Thats a tough scenario to consider, right? Its a good thing we're all so sure we're right.

EDIT: Something I feel the need to add. I was talking with a friend and we talked about how some people get passes while others get absolutely hammered. We talked about how Andy Reid, in certain other positions, would have been asked to step down. In fact, other coaches might've been asked to step down in his situation. Lets examine it real quick. Andy's sons were found with possession of drugs in the Reid home and were sent to jail. Now, as far as I've been able to find out, his sons were not employed. Assuming thats true, I think its fair to say that Andy Reid was their source of income. So essentially, Andy Reid was the source of funds and owner of the house where they did their drug use and dealing. Do you notice the duality of that and what Vick is convicted of? But here's the huge difference...Reid's kids didnt roll on him. But what if they did? What if they were told that if they wanted a shorter sentence, or whatever, they need to say Andy was involved? And they did. Reid would probably be in jail. Even if he had nothing to do with it. Think about it.

Physical Thera-pissed

I had my second session of Physical Therapy yesterday afternoon. I actually went in expecting my PT to just check my range of motion and how my leg muscles are doing since our last meeting. Well, I knew I had misjudged when she walked us past her office and into their physical therapy weight room. She did check my range of motion and said I can stop trying to bend my knee further and wait for the graft to really take hold. So that was good news. My leg strength is also pretty good so I dont NEED the huge brace they gave me. I'd jettisoned that thing since last weekend. I dont really think it does much for me beside make me walk funny b/c it forces me to keep my leg straight. That said, when I finally see the surgeon again in 2 weeks, she said I better have that thing on or he'll flip out. Fine.

So, to my surprise, she takes me through some exercises. I had expected her to just hand me a list of what to do next and I'd be on my way. She has me doing these leg lifts from the side and from on my stomach. These things are tough, at least for now, but the thing that got me was that they're all gluteal exercises. What? Why am I working my ass so hard? Why do I need this? So I'm figuring that even if I do wind up with a mean limp...I'll have even meaner buns of steel. I can live with that. You ladies better watch out!!

Public Enemy #1

Subject: Kobe Bryant
Alias: KB24, Black Mamba
Age: 30
Ht: 6'6" Wt: 205
Occupation: Captain of LA Lakers; Best Player in Basketball
Distinctive Marks: 3 NBA championships; 1 MVP award



There's a movie coming out in about 2 months called Public Enemies. Its supposed to be the story of John Dillinger and his crew and how the Public Enemy Era initiated the construction of the Federal Bureau of Investigations. In the Public Enemy era, the criminals were larger than life...oftentimes considered by the public to be daring and brave and so they actually became beloved, all around the country, by the public.

Those days are long behind us and such is NOT the case for one Kobe Bryant, the player most seem to love to hate. Granted, Kobe has a very devoted legion of fans, yours truly included, but FAR more detractors. Very odd for someone considered by many to be the best player in the game. In my opinion, the discussion of who is the best player ended last summer. ALL of the players that were considered to be the best in the world were on display for you to see in the Olympics. Simply put, when the USA team needed a bucket to preserve the gold medal, where did they go? Kobe Bryant. Case closed, lets move on.

So why do so many choose to hate on Kobe? Many have their reasons, some substantial, some absurd. Lets start with the ones that may have some substance to it. The Colorado case. People seem to hold more against Kobe the fact that he brought up Shaq more than the reason he was even in trouble. I guess groupie love is a common theme in sports and I really dont know anyone who actually believed Kobe raped that girl but whatever. People...get over it. Fine, he shouldnt have mentioned Shaq. But he did and he was shamed for it. Its over.

Some of you hate Kobe b/c you believe Shaq's leaving was his fault. Let me educate you. During preseason games of Shaq's last season, he was BERATING the owner, Jerry Buss. He would be yelling at Jerry to pay him, whatever the exorbitant amount was, DURING the game in order to embarass him in public. Shaq was begging to be traded. Kobe didnt push Shaq out the door, he dove out. Granted, Kobe did nothing to stop him but why should he? Shaq ALWAYS came to the season out of shape, usually had some injury, and coasted for much of the season until the playoffs began. Kobe ran that offense while watching Shaq receive damn near all of the praise. If you try to tell me you would be begging someone to stay in that situation, let me simply state this: You're a liar.

Here's my FAVORITE reason people throw shade on Kobe. He's arrogant about his skills. I find this laughable. An arrogant basketball player? WOW!! That is ENTIRELY a new phenomena to the league. Newsflash: Every NBA player is arrogant about his skillset. If this is your reason for hating on Kobe, you're fishing like the TNT crew when a series ends.

So let me move on to the point of this article. Its not to garner any sympathy for Kobe or win over any haters. No Kobe fan truly cares whether or not you like the guy. My point is simply this: I really hope you're not missing out on one of the true NBA greats b/c you choose to view him through your distorted lenses. Much like the NBA All Star Game will miss Shaq when he's gone, the NBA will miss Kobe when he's gone. Just like we still miss MJ, and Magic, and Larry Legend. Great players leave a void when they're gone. When his career ends, Kobe will sit among the pantheon of those considered the greatest to ever play. And some of you are missing it. Thats the real shame.

President Obama Notre Dame Commencement Speech 051709

President Obama speaks at Notre Dame Graduation Ceremony (4 parts)

I Knee'd You in My Life!!

Figure I'll do a knee update while I'm here.

Captain's Log: Knee Recovery - 3 weeks, 2 days
Knee is doing pretty good. I limp like a pro now. I'm completely off painkillers so thats a plus. Sadly, the best part of my day is when I get home and can elevate my knee again and put ice. How lame (pause) is that? People keep telling me that this is the worst time to have a cast on and all that. Nope. With the NBA Playoffs on, I'd be sitting on my butt anyways. Besides, its not like there's a best time. "Oh I'm getting a cast, let me aim for around winter time." Ridiculous.

Anyways, the swelling has continued to go down and my knee is now only about a third bigger than the other. *Stewie voice* Victory is mine!

Wait a minute...

Two weeks into May and I only have like one blogpost up? Oh no nono, that just aint gonna cut it. Let me channel my @iamdiddy....LETS GOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

First things first, the NBA Playoffs. Yes, yes, y-e-s...we HAVE to start here. By definition. Personally, I've been disappointed by a lot of what I've seen. As some of you know, I'm pulling for KB24 and the Los Angeles Lakers to take this thing. And honestly, what I've seen from them, for the most part, has been UNimpressive. They dont have the FEEL of a CHAMPION. The Cavs do. They look hungry. Lakers dont. They almost look entitled to the shit and I HATE people that feel they are entitled. If you deserve, prove it. Dont get blown out by a shorthanded Houston team. I dont care where they play. They coulda played at Shane Battier's house with only his family watching and they STILL should wax that team silly. I digress.

Even worse than the Lakers have looked, the Orlando Magic...MY GOODNESS. Yall are brainless as HELL. Actually, why even say more? Magic should've already won this series but I think they actually prefer losing. Its comfortable. People dont expect much from you when you lose. Maybe thats just where they live right now.

If yall werent watching TNT last night after the game, yall missed out. Charles Barkley had a push up contest with a female staffer on the set. It. Was. Highlarious. This lady came up and broke off 28 push ups. And I'm not talking girl push ups or cheating or anything. These were damn near the best looking push ups I've EVER seen. Military grade. I wasnt expecting that. I mean...28!!! So, you know Chuck had to cheat to not get absolutely blasted. Just...fantastic TV. Maybe youtube it some time.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to you and yours.

Surgery Center skit from SNL

This is just excellent television.

My Hiatus

Been a while since I've blogged anything. Trust me, there's a couple of excuses that I like to call "reasons" which I believe will not only prove my hiatus to have been legitimate...but necessary. Come along, let me tell you a story.

Approximately 2 weeks from yesterday, I had knee surgery. And no, not your typical run of the mill arthroscopic procedure or a cleaning of debris out of there...I'm talking ACL Reconstruction. The stuff of legend. So what do they do in an ACL Reconstruction? I'm glad you asked. What they do is take a little piece of tendon/ligament from another joint in your leg (patella or hamstring) and use it to replace the torn ligament that was your ACL or anterior cruciate ligament. You can also get one from a cadaver. I chose to have mine replaced using a patellar tendon b/c its supposed to the most stable/strongest option. I'll spare you the gruesome details but my entire procedure took upwards of 4 hours.

Honestly, the WORST part of this whole thing has been getting over the anesthesia. That stuff AINT PLAYIN. It took me forever to come out of the mini-coma this stuff had put me in. And when you finally do, you're crazy tired, dizzy, and nauseous. Ugh...I hate that. I manage pain pretty well so I can honestly say it hasnt been TOO bad for the most part. There were some moments were a slight movement may have elicited a blood curdling response but thankfully those were few and far between. Also, Doc hooked me up with some painkillers that would either put me right out like a tranquilizer gun or (as I got used to them) make me slightly delirious and prone to saying ridiculous things. I called them my "scooby snacks" b/c after I took one, I'd be ready to go find ghosts. For those that know me, I'm already prone to saying ridiculous things but I'm telling you it was diff this time b/c I didnt need to be in a silly frame of mind to conjure it up.

At this point, I am 2 weeks into the 9 - 12 month-long process of rehabbing my knee. For any of you that have rehabbed anything after an injury, you KNOW how much it sucks. This is gonna be a painful process for sure

Another reason is how much fun I have on twitter. Its very easy to write your thoughts, read others, and converse with friends. Also, I follow some news tweets to help stay up on certain things. I recommend it to all.