That Is Something...

I mean, wow.

I watched 7th Heaven way back when. I thought she was hot then too. And still...

Thank you IMDB.

Moron Football

I swear, sometimes it's just mond-boggling how stupid a coach, or set of coaches, can be.

I don't care how great you are at stopping the run, but if you can't stop the pass, it doesn't matter. Football analysts always talk about how the teams that rush the ball well usually win the game. But that's just horse-speak.

If my team gets 10 yards rushing per game, but they average 500 yards passing, I don't care if your defense is focused on the run. I'm happier if it is.

You can only stay in the 4-3 defense for so long. You get burned deep. Your corners get exposed. You rely on your safeties one too many times.

You can't get a touchdown on 1st and Goal at the 1-yard line. It takes you 4 tries. And in the procecss, you get your Heisman-caliber quarterback injured.

The defense allows 45 points. The offensive line can't block when you need that one punt. The running backs can't hold into the ball.

If were a coach and I had to create a gameplan to beat Texas, it would consist of passing the ball down the field at all times. If it's man-coverage, you win. If it's a zone, you win.

And you don't have to worry about halftime changes. It doesn't happen. Just throw the ball.

I hate this. I hate people.

Mavs 0 - 1

Timeouts don't carry over to the next game, Avery. Use them if your team is stinking up the place in the 4th quarter. You need to score points to win the game!

And stop acting like you don't know how to shoot the ball.

Unnecessary Promo

Wheel of Fortune. Tomorrow, Nov 1st. Watch it.

History Ends

I'm not the most die-hard basketball fan. There is plenty that I do not know about the history of the game. But I did know the legend of Red Auerbach.

I'm not an emotional person, nor do I have any reason to be. But certain things give me a spark inside.

When Emmitt Smith broke the rushing record, I felt the importance of what I was watching.

When Emmitt retired, I knew I was watching the end of a man's career.

When the Texas Longhorns won the national championship, I knew that I was not only a witness, I was a student at the time. I knew it was something big.

I heard the news late at night. I didn't believe it at first, but I knew that it was near his time. He had been ill for most of 2005. And they didn't think he would make it to 2006.

He dominated with the Boston Celtics. Whether he was coaching some of the game's best talent, or assembling one the game's best teams, he won.

The championships. The roles he filled. That's success.

UT Libraries vs. FBombAndy IV

I went ahead and filed for an appeal on the charges against me.

Until this reaches an appeals committee, the charges will be waived. I'm ok with this. As long as I can register and what-not, I don't feel stressed.

And it's been nearly two months since I've checked out a book. This is something that's going to stick with me for a long time.

Waiting For November

So, my parents are in town until tomorrown night. As a result, I am going to skip all of my classes.

I went shopping and picked up a new shirt and some new jeans. I also made a trip to Best Buy. To my surprise, they had a Guitar Hero 2 setup with 6 extra songs that I've never played before. I threw it on expert and went crazy on songs. I just started sight-reading and I was doing really well. I think that means I've played Guitar Hero too much. It's such a great game though.

I'm friggin' tired of this World Series crap. I was treated to reruns this evening. When I spend time on homework, my motivation is the fact that I'll get to watch new episodes of my favorite shows. Nope, not today. No reward.

I don't have to wake up until 9AM. I don't know whether to stay up and just go for 8 hours, or to just go to sleep now and get nearly 9 hours. Haha...Oh! The tough decisions I have to make!

Sorry. I know most people out there are happy to get 6 hours of sleep.

Oh, and Lucy Liu is still hot. She's on Conan right now. Greatness.

Merkin.

The Truth Hurts

"Ugly people don't get STDs because ugly people don't get laid."

-Kevin Pereira

Oh wow. He just called his mom. He's reaching.

Oh, and the number of chics that checked me out today was around 4 or 5. I forget. One chic checked me out hard, but she totally looked like one of my ex's. Really freaked me out.

Chics Checking Me Out

So far, since arriving on campus at 9AM:

1

It's a start. I have to dress up for a presentation. Slacks and a tie. Oh yea.

It's gonna grow. Exponentially.

Say It Again

Watching the news, and something funny happened.

There was a report on a ball for police officers. Erin Ochoa, a reporter for KVUE news here in Austin, was giving the lead-in when she said "balls" instead of "ball." She hesitated for just a half-second. She pushed through and gave the rest of the intro before looking down and smirking.

That's right. Balls.

I wish I could have been there when it happened. A girl who has balls on her mind. Easy.

OK, she's probably not that way. She probably made a joke before they cut to her, and she didn't get it out of her mind.

Fake Gambling

I just got home from a night of Texas Hold 'Em. The apartment complex was hosting a small tournament, so I thought I would test myself.

I finished in 2nd place. The other guy and I had been there since 6:30PM, and we really were getting tired of going back and forth. We started to go all in on each hand, and he got the best hand when it counted Still, 2nd place wasn't too bad. I had my highs and my lows, but I took out some people and I was the most consistent player. I feel good about it.

Only one of my teammates showed up to Software Engineering today. And we had a team quiz. Afterwards, we went to a lab and worked on the project. Something was due tonight by midnight, but I already said that I was going to be busy. I still have to study for another test. Oh, and do some homework that's due on Friday. Crap, and some more homework.

I hate Software Engineering.

The cold front finally got here. It feels really nice outside. I'm tempted to sit on the patio and write on this. With my wireless internet and all, I should really make good use out of it. Oh, and it's raining. I've been waiting for so long. Still, it'll warm up again before it stays cold for a few months.

Getting Good

Tomorrow will be an interesting day.

I do have to go to Software Engineering for a change. Then I'll skip my math class and meet up with my group. Probably go to lunch afterwards. And then my "25% of my final grade" midterm in Info Assurance and Security.

Later tomorrow night, a cold front is going to pass through. And that means that Thursday night is going to be awesome. I also have a test Thursday night. I'll get to go to campus, at night, and wear my favorite jacket. I'm always at my happiest when it's cold. And when it's dark.

Make Some Trouble

So, it's getting close to Halloween time. Maybe I can finally get that red devil costume...

There's some festival going on later this week. "The Power of the Cross Festival." Some christian music thing.

It's always been a desire of mine to wear a devil costume and jump on stage. Once there, I would speak gibberish and jump around. How freaked out would people get? Oh, and what if I had a pitchfork? Oh, and my horns could have flames coming out of the tips!

I'm christian and all. I just believe in having fun.

Just Dreaming

If I ruled the world...

Professors who read off of slides that are available online would not be allowed to teach. I don't like being read to, and I'm not going to pay someone to read to me. Get off of your ass and teach something useful.

ESPN would be run by Bill Simmons. He tells it like it is and he doesn't care what management thinks.

Speaking of ESPN, Chris Berman would be fired for making ridiculous sounds. Act like a man!

And as far as baseball goes, all series will be best of 1. That's right, one game, one winner. And the season will only be 35 games long.

Women's shirts that are sizes small or medium will be tighter. I don't want to imagine anything. I need visuals. And tight shirts are to be worn year-round. Just because it's cold outside doesn't mean you should deprive men of seeing your curves.

If you have ugly feet, you can't wear flip-flops. It's not hard to take care of your feet, and it isn't too much to ask for you to put on some shoes.

MTV and MTV2 would not be allowed to show any programs that do not have music videos. I don't care about some high schoolers that do pranks. The only exceptions to this rule are Jackass and Wildboyz.

And if it rains, class should be cancelled.

Well, I'll follow that last one even though I don't rule anything. Seriously, if it's raining tomorrow morning when I wake up, I'm not going. Besides, my first class is Software Engineering and the prof reads from slides. Oh, and accuses students of 'surfing' instead of paying attention. I guess it's kind of true. If you want the class to be more interactive, make it interesting!

Someday...

I'm bored again.

Not with school. Just with being online. I visit the same web pages, log into the same social web sites, and then I just sit there.

There's two different things I can do. One, I can entertain myself. I can write more interesting blog posts, even if I only have a handful of readers. I can write more about current issues. I could be a little more uncensored. That would lead to being more offensive. Everyone loves that

Two, I can just stop. And I mean everything. I've already stopped logging into AIM. Next would be Facebook. And then MySpace. And then here. Things are dead, and I don't think anything is going to get better for a while.

I dunno.

UT Libraries vs. FBombAndy III

So, Steve* sent me an email earlier this week telling me that he did not find the missing book, and that I would have to take this issue up with an appeals committee.

And that's what I'm going to do. I'm not paying for a book that I didn't lose. Don't train your staff at the beginning of the semester. Train them before the first day of class. If I'm responsible for the book from the time it is in the librarian's hands to the time it is checked back in, let me do it then. Let me sign a form, scan my ID, anything that records the book being handed in.

When you let morons run a library, bad things are going to happen. Well, that's true for almost everything.

I hate books so much now. It's not possible for me to describe my hatred right now. It would take too long.

*Name was changed.

Campus Stuff

Some stuff about other campus happenings...

I found out last Wednesday that I'm a sucker for nice lips. Plenty of chics today have thin lips, or the collagen lip thing, or just pouty lips. But perfect shape and perfect form is something to see. Didn't hurt that she had really nice eyes.

I really hate group projects. It's not about the people, it's just about the work. I mean, in the last few group projects that I've worked on, I got along fine with each member. But there's always that person that does the least amount of work. And no matter how much I do in the beginning, I become that person in the end.

I have a test a week from Wednesday and another test the following day.

I'm very tired.

UT Libraries vs. FBombAndy II

On Wednesday I went to the library to talk with one of the supervisors.

I ended up talking to Steve* and everything was very respectful. He didn't raise his voice and he listened to every word I said. About 5 minutes into the conversation, Claudia, who was rude the first time I tried to solve the issue, started to make things not so nice.

Steve was nice enough to say that he would personally search for the book in his library and other libraries on campus. Claudia decides to open her mouth and suggest that looking for the book is my responsibility. Luckily, Steve really didn't pay any attention to her.

I did tell him my version of what happened, and he said that if things aren't resolved, there will be a compromise in place. Honestly, if nothing turns up and we go to an appeals committee, I'm fine with whatever decision they make. If they say that I have to get a replacement, I'll just take care of it and never check out books from a library again. If the ruling goes in my favor, then I'll believe that the system actually works.

I'm supposed to talk to Steve tomorrow to see if anything was found. From there, I'll decide what the next step is.

*name changed.

UT Libraries vs. FBombAndy

If they think I won't fight, they better think again.

So, in early September, I checked out a book on reserve. These books can be checked out for 2 hours, and then must be rechecked out if necessary. I'm not the type to use up 2 hours, especially in a library. I like to make copies of the pages I need, turn it in, and get out, which is exactly what I did.

The girl working at the counter was new to the job, so when it was checked out to me, one of the experienced librarians helped her out. I took the book to the copier machines, which are 50 feet away from the counter. I made my copies, went back to the desk, and handed it to the same girl. I said, "Thank you" and walked out of the door.

2 days later, I see that I have a late fine. I go back to the library that day and ask why. They tell me that it was never turned in. I explain what happened, and what I hear is, "It's not that we don't believe you, it's just what we do whenever a book is missing." What they do is fill out a small piece of green paper and file it away.

Yesterday, I received some mail from the UT Library System. They're trying to charge me $166 for the missing book and late fees.

I didn't lose the book. I turned it in. It's not my fault that they hired someone incompetent and didn't train her until classes started. So, when I go back to campus, I'm going to take this to the library supervisor. And then an appeals committee. And higher if need be. I'm not paying for a book I didn't lose.

You can be sure I'll be writing each day's details on the situation. And you can bet that I'll never use a library again.

Dreams Suck

Well, I know for sure that it's only going to get worse.

Dreams are supposed to be the one place where you can escape reality. You can fly, get in fights, and meet people you've never seen before. But no, not for me. Not last night, at least.

Even in my dream, I experience pain. I was sitting down, and then I leaned forward. Pain went through my back in two vertical lines. And it was one of those dreams that feels realistic.

So, then I wake up this morning and go through the normal routine. About 20 minutes into it, I feel pain. It can only be described as needles piercing various spots across my abdomen. I couldn't tell if it was my muscles or a really bad stomach ache. So, when I finally arrived on campus, I went straight to the pharmacy for Pepto and Tylenol.

Oh, and then we met with our client today for my Software Engineering class. Up to that point, I had only eaten two meals in the past two days. So, I was very uncomfortable and very hungry. (My teammates gave me a nickname. "T.O." Why? Because I was on painkillers. Funny.)

I went back to campus because I still had one class left. And to eat something solid. Around 3PM or so, I met up with my bro and we started our trip to Dallas. I remember passing out for an hour or so, but everything else is hazy.

So it's around 1AM, which means I've been up for 18 hours. Kinda tired. I'm gonna sleep.

Bill Simmons Knows

Talking about FIBA and international basketball...

"We should send the AND1 All-Stars to the 2008 Olympics in protest."
-Bill Simmons, ESPN Page 2

Abso-friggin'-lutely. I'd watch and I'd never stop laughing. Just imagine it.

Whew...

I feel just a bit better.

If he said that it wasn't a suicide attempt, I believe him.

On to better stuff...

Greggo laid down $100 on the table for Big Dumb Danny to motorboat Ty Walker. Danny did it. 20 seconds.

If you don't know what a motorboat is, I'll try to explain it as best as possible. And I'll use the example of male on female motorboating.

First, to get an idea, make the sound of a motorboat by pressing your lips together gently and exhaling with force. Now, imagine a man doing this between the breasts of a female. This is a motorboat.

So, out of nowhere, Greggo makes the bet. Hilarious. I love The Ticket.

Umm...What?!

Terry Glenn cuts his hand, and no one knows how.

Now this...

"Report: T.O. taken to Dallas ER to induce vomiting."

This really has me worried. Either he consumed something by mistake, or he messed with something he shouldn't have.

I'm going to be optimistic and hope that it's just an accident. I hope it's nothing that will involve the police. T.O. is known for taking care of his body and staying in shape.

But the last line of the article is what stresses me out.

" KTVT said a Dallas police spokesperson was en route to the hospital to talk about a 'high profile case.'"

A "high profile case." Crap.

Buy Stuff

I knew it was a while. I didn't know it was this long.

So, when I get all stressed out, or worried, or just bored, I tend to shop. I like shopping, but only the way I shop. I don't like walking into a store without knowing what I want.

I bought a laptop. From Dell.

For you tech nerds out there, here are the basic specs:

1.7 GHz Intel Pentium M
512 DDR2 RAM
40 GB hard drive (5400 rpm)
XP Home (will be upgraded to Pro tomorrow)
15.4" WXGA widescreen

Yea, I'm happy.

Oh, because I bought it last Friday and it just got here. That's why I'm happy.

Summer Showers

This is one of the things I love about being on campus.

"Wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing and lots of sunscreen before you enjoy time outside." - News8Austin Weather.

At 10:30AM or so, the rain started. It came out of nowhere. One minute, it was sunny and bright. The next, it's like there's a flood coming.

So, because this wasn't predicted, there were plenty of wet t-shirts to be seen. And the only ones I care about were the shirts on females.

So, so great.

Somewhat paraphrased, "If she doesn't like it, just get a spoonful of whipped cream and flick it onto her face. See if she likes that." - K-Per.

F! F! F! F! F!

September 9th, 2006

Mark it on your calendars.

That is when I lost it.

Slowly

Another day of class and then a big weekend starts.

I'm very anxious about this week's big matchup. UT against OSU. I don't know what's going to happen, but I better be happy at the end of the game.

The Cowboys kick off their season against the Jags. I believe in the Cowboy's defense, but I want to see more from the running backs. The line is doing fine. Barber and Jones just need to react faster.

As you can tell, I've given up on talking about the rest of my top 25 songs. Maybe some other day, but I'd rather it not be tonight.

Bought the new Audioslave CD. It's not bad. Some of the songs are amazing. I need to listen to the entire thing a few more times before I give my final opinion.

I just read some ridiculous article. I did find something interesting though. When does a passion become an obsession? And when does that obsession become an addiction?

I love basketball. If I was set for life financially, I would spend most of my day shooting around. However, I haven't played basketball in 3 months or so. Maybe longer. That's not an obsession.

I can honestly say that I have no addictions. I don't have any obsessions either. If I don't play basketball for another 3 months, I'll probably lose my passion for it.

Great. Now I feel empty.

A Slight Delay

I know it's been a week.

Pat came down to visit. Was lots o' fun. Showed up Friday night and just left this afternoon.

Now the parents are here. Not for more than 20 hours though. They want to be with my sis-in-law for the sonogram that reveal whether the next kid is a boy or girl. Did I mention that? I forget.

And now my 4-day weekend is over. Oh, I only have class on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. It's not too bad. 10AM to 3PM isn't as hard as I imagined. Then again, and I know I've said this dozens of times, my first semester at UT had a Monday from Hell.

Engineering Physics I: 8 - 9
Intro to Electrical Engineering: 9 - 10
Literature and Composition: 11 - 12
Advanced Calculus II: 1 - 2
Intro to Computing Systems: 3 - 4
TA Session for Physics: 6 - 7
Lab for Intro to EE: 7:30 - 9:30

Either way, I'll continue the music thing next time.

Music and Explanations

This is my last night to stay up late. But not really.

I figure I'll go over the first 10 of my TOP 25 tonight and save my complaining for later in the week. I know I'm going to be angry and what-not when I find out which of my profs suck.

I Might Be Wrong led me to buying my first Radiohead CD. I liked their previous songs, but I never bought their CDs. I heard this song on the radio and that was it. I like all of Amnesiac, so it was a good buy. I know I was in high school at the time. If you know me right now, but you didn't know me in high school, you missed out. Imagine myself turned up to 11. Either way, Amnesiac stayed in my CD player for a long time.

Orestes is just one of those songs that I could listen to for an hour straight. The song feels like a play with 3 acts. The setting is established, the mood is set, and the climax solves it all. Even if the lyrics suggest one thing, the tone presents a different idea. This was also played a ton during my high school years.

I didn't hear How To Disappear Completely until I was a freshman in college. I was very late on this song. It's calm, it's quiet, and it's straightforward. That's me. My freshman year was full of pressure and stress. I wanted to disappear. That's how I became attached to this song. Not to mention the various intruments working together to build a landscape. I imagine being in the center of a snow-covered forest.

Oh, this song is definitely about the woman I'll marry, should that happen. Breña is the 2nd to last track on Mer De Noms. This placing meant that if the CD kept me awake at night, this is the last song that would be stuck in my head. I fell asleep so many times to the last minute or so of this song. The main parts and the chorus mirror each other, and the song fades out with a gentle guitar solo. Greatness.

Lucky describes me too well. "Pull me out of the air crash...'Cause I'm your superhero..." I guess this is another song that talks about that one person you would do anything for. You know, the whole martyr complex thing.

Street Spirit (Fade Out) was another song I didn't hear until college. Again, my freshman year. It actually goes hand in hand with How To Disappear Completely. "Fade out again." And I like the guitar melody.

Just another song that describes me. Go With the Flow. I do what it takes to not cause a scene. I avoid arguments all of the time. I'd rather concede and move on. My group wants to go somewhere? Cool. I'll go.

Listen to this song, and you'll understand. How I Made My Millions isn't about money. It's about the person who completes you. The piano is smooth and the vocals are sincere. You can't do any better than that. Would be at the top if the recording were better.

I don't know if enough people understand just how creative A Perfect Circle is. Weak and Powerless is often interpreted as a drug addicts' problem. I hear the problems of being addicted to anything, drug or other. It can be addicted to a person, place, or and idea. I guess for me it would be an idea.

If you listen to the Amnesiac version, and then the live version, it's like hearing 2 completely different songs. The words are the same, but everything else is changed. Like Spinning Plates is great both ways. And hearing the crowd roar behind the song only makes it better.

Up next, 11 - 25.

Top 25 List: Music

I don't know why I did it, I just know that I did it.

It's a list of my 25 favorite songs. These songs were judged on style, musical originality, emotional attachment, and other intangibles. It took 4 days just to come up with the 25 songs. Then I had to put them in order. That was the hard part.

1. Radiohead - I Might Be Wrong
2. A Perfect Circle - Orestes
3. Radiohead - How To Disappear Completely
4. A Perfect Circle - Breña
5. Radiohead - Lucky
6. Radiohead - Street Spirit (Fade Out)
7. Queens of the Stone Age - Go With the Flow
8. Radiohead - How I Made My Millions
9. A Perfect Circle - Weak And Powerless
10. Radiohead - Like Spinning Plates (Live)
11. Audioslave - #1 Zero
12. Queens of the Stone Age - Little Sister
13. Deftones - Knife Prty
14. Tool - 10,000 Days (Wings Pt. 2)
15. Audioslave - The Last Remaining Light
16. A Perfect Circle - Gravity
17. Audioslave - Cochise
18. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps
19. Clifford Brown - A Night In Tunisia
20. John Coltrane - A Love Supreme: Part 1 - Acknowledgement
21. Radiohead - Hunting Bears
22. Blue Öyster Cult - (Don't Fear ) The Reaper
23. Tool - Parabol
24. Tool - Parabola
25. Nine Inch Nails - Right Where It Belongs

I'll analyze each of the songs and their rank on the next post. It's 5AM, and I really need sleep.

Asstronomy

So, a bunch of scientists can walk around with their lab coats and pocket protectors, suddenly decide that something needs to change, and then tell you that what you've known for 22 years is wrong?

For some, it's longer than 22 years. No matter how long you've considered Pluto as a planet, it still sucks.

What does it matter, really? Will this change the laws of physics? Are we going to have to find another planet to live on? And Mickey Mouse's dog. What about that?

If an asteroid or whatever crashed into Earth tomorrow, at least those stupid astronomers could say, "Well, at least we got it right with Pluto."

Trivial, at best.

Just Thinking

That really didn't work out the way it was meant to.

I decided that it was time to fix my sleeping habits. So, I jumped into bed at 3AM. Small steps is the way to go. I figured that if I woke up at 11AM, I could go to campus and get things sorted out on campus.

I laid in bed for 45 minutes before giving up. I'm not going to fall asleep right now. There's too much going on inside my head.

I don't know what to do. I really want to get things done. I may just try again on Thursday. If I can call the instrument room and actually talk to somebody, that may get fixed. But I still need to talk to my advisor to see what math courses count towards my degree. There's a list, and I had one, but I don't know where it is. And I only need one more math course.

I have this project that I'm working on. Kind of. I started it last month, and I was going to work on it while I was home. That didn't happen. So, I'm trying to get back into it. The only thing is that there is someone I need to get info from. And I don't want to.

I feel motivated about the upcoming semester, but I'm doubting my motivation. It always comes and goes. It sparks from nothing, and by the time I acknowledge it, it's gone. I guess I need to get one of those motivational posters or something. All it needs to say is "18 hours."

This is what I get for procrastinating.

Eh, I guess it doesn't help when you take a 30 minute nap at midnight.

What's Next?!

"'It's clear that the broadcast networks have a long way to go before they accurately reflect the diversity of their audience and our society,' said GLAAD president Neil G. Giuliano."

Seriously? Is it necessary?

I have nothing against gay people. And this following statement isn't towards the gay community.

Aren't there more important issues than air time? Things like whether or not the lead character is gay or bi?

If you don't like what's on TV, change it to Oxygen, Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network, Bravo, or WE. No offense to anyone who likes any of these channels, but, come on.

You got enough attention with the whole gay marriage thing. Why not be content? Why do you keep pushing your lifestyle into the view of people? If you're accepted by the majority, be happy.

I don't mean to compare religion to homosexuality, but whenever a large group gets together and forms an agenda, it's always about oppression. Religious groups force their beliefs on people who do not think the same way. Gay groups force their lifestyle on people who do not feel the same way.

And maybe it's just me. The shows I watch aren't about sexual relationships. I like The Office and House. While a storyline in 1 episode may revolve around 2 co-workers sleeping together, the entire series doesn't.

They want fairness, but they still don't accept the fact that life isn't fair. Get over it.

ESPN Sucks

ESPN is quickly losing its credibility.

After watching my Dallas Cowboys beat down on the New Orleans Saints, I decided to watch Sportscenter. It would give me an opportunity to watch all of the highlights of the game. Ah, but the people behind the scenes of Sportscenter wanted to talk about something else.

So, everyone who watched the first minutes of Sportscenter got to see Reggie Bush and his big bag of nothin'. If you had the TV muted and only saw the video, you would think, "Wow! He really blew today!" If you had the video covered up and only listened to the audio, you would swear that Reggie Bush is the best running back of all time. It absolutely sucked.

"Reggie Bush spiced things up with a nine-yard run and an 11-yard gain on a third-and-2 screen, both on the final drive of the first half. He finished with seven yards on four carries, 14 yards on two receptions -- and disappointment that the starters didn't do better."

If he had a 9-yard run, and he finished the game with 4 rushes for 7 yards, something seems off. Oh, it means he had 3 rushes for -2 yards. -2 yards! He also had 11 yards receiving on one play. That means his only other reception went for 3 yards. 3 yards! 1.75 yards per rush and 7 yards per catch. That's not impressive. That should be considered as a poor performance. And how can he be disappointed by the other starters? He didn't do anything! And those 2 plays on the same drive lead to nothing. 0 points. Scoreboard.

Stuart Scott talked as if Reggie Bush changed the game of football with the 6 plays he was actually a part of. 6 plays. 21 yards total. That's not a leadoff story for Sportscenter. Even if Stuart Scott did backflips during the entire story, it still wouldn't be worthy of leading off.

And then there's the whole issue with T.O. Right now on ESPN.com, they have a poll up asking "Who should shut up? Terrell Owens or Bill Parcells?" Bogus question! T.O. is a story because the media is desperate. "When will he explode? Will he help or hurt the Cowboys?" T.O. isn't going around slapping people or anything. He isn't getting arrested. He hasn't done anything since he arrived in Dallas.

And why the hate for Parcells? What did he do? He simply said, "T.O. hasn't practiced enough, so he isn't going to play Monday night." That's it. 1 complete sentence. And any other coach would agree with his decision.

I'm getting sick of ESPN.

You can't spell "penis" without ESPN. As in, Employees Suck Penis Nightly.

Yea, I went there.

Just Another Day

Really.

Sometimes, Kevin Pereira can write something so profoundly deep. Usually his posts are about the comical things in life. Not this time.

I started to think about all of the things that bring a smile to my face. Happiness. There's a list. It's not short, but it's not long. And then I thought about what brings me joy. Right now, I can't think of anything.

I think I'm having a hard time distinguishing happiness from joy.

You know how in Office Space, Peter says that if he had a million dollars, he would do nothing? That's me. I would sit around the house all day long and do nothing. Maybe I would visit friends that lived in a different city, but I don't think that counts as traveling, as in, I would travel. I would only do it once in a while. A long while.

So, as far as I can tell, the one thing that would bring me joy is the freedom to do nothing. In order to have this freedom, I need to have a lifestyle which does not require money, or a large bank account. The latter sounds more realistic. So, in order to experience joy, I need to be rich.

Does that mean money can buy me both happiness and joy?

I'm talking about joy for the present. Maybe 6 years from now, I won't be able to experience joy without a woman by my side. Currently though, having a girlfriend or wife is not a priority. I'm perfectly fine being by myself.

If I lived in one of the fancy apartment complexes in downtown Austin, with nice furniture and a killer wardrobe, I would have nothing but joy. Even if I worked from 9 - 5 for it, I would be joyous. Of course, if I somehow won a huge lottery, that could work too.

I think that's why I believe I would become addicted to gambling if I tried it. Getting some minute detail right can earn you so much money. It's little to no work for the possibility of doubling your money. Or by a larger factor. And it would lead to my doing nothing.

I just need to graduate, get a job, and then get a nice home. That's all I want right now. Any of these 3 things would bring me happiness. All 3 combined would bring me joy.

I guess that's just one of my frustrating characteristics. For the past 5 or so years, I've thought about my desire to have an impact on the world. Yet, if I were rich, I would do absolutely nothing. My life goals would change, all because of money.

Of course, if I were "Bill Gates" rich, I would be involved with so many charities. I would still sit around and do nothing, but I'd donate like mad.

Stick that in the face of those who say "Money is the root of all evil." Show them charities. Ask them what they want, and then ask them, "If I gave you the money to buy one, would you? And would it make you happy?"

And just for clarification, by "doing nothing" I mean doing nothing productive. Listening to music, playing basketball, and eating all fit under "doing nothing."

Eulogy

Oh, the sadness!

Long and slender, I would hold you in my right hand. Wiggle you just a bit to get that perfect feel. It was great whether it was alone in my room, or in front of guests. I never knew such happiness. Pure elation.

Alas, I come here not to praise my Guitar Hero controller's whammy bar, but to bury it. And praise it.

So, I put it back in the case, preparing it for the long winter ahead. No more "rocking out."

...

I'll just buy a new one.

Halfway Solved

Hey, dill!

I called the instrument room. And no one answered. I had to leave a message which I had not prepared. So, I sound like a complete moron and an authentic jerk. Nice.

Woo! Had another Frappucino with Irish Cream. I can feel my liver! But, I think that's a sign to slow down. Every night is not something I should be doing. So, time to take a few weeks off.

Eh, I'll write more later. I'm going to get some sleep.

Sign In Duplicate

Yea. Going to see Snakes on a Plane later today.

So, the guy who manages the instruments for UT screwed up. Again. I have a bar. That means I can't order transcripts. And that's about it. But it's annoying and I'm going to get it straightened out. This means that I either get to call or go over there. I don't like being on the phone. But I don't want to take a 50 minute trip just to get there. Yes, the bus is slow.

Then again, I could use the trip. I stay in the apartment most of the day. And it would force me to wake up at a decent hour. Oh, but the sun sucks. I'll step off the bus and immediately begin to sweat.

I think I'll just call. If they need me to visit, then I'll make the trip to campus.

There's nothing worse than trying to find a 3"x5" piece of paper that you received May 11, 2006, and you don't know if you threw it away or not.

Maybe there's worse...

Bite The Hand That Feeds

So, there's this new Beta Blogger thing. It's pissing me off right now.

I tried to switch over, but then I get an email saying that there was an error. I figured it was my customized templates. I changed this one. It didn't solve anything. So I checked out my old blog, and it had a custom template also. I changed it and republished the whole thing. But, something went wrong.

Only one post shows up. I tried deleting that one post, but it still shows up. I tried publishing a new post, but it doesn't show up. No matter what I do, only one post shows up. From April 1st ironically. I'm faced with a small dilemma now.

I can delete the whole blog, but that was 623 posts. It went back to March of 2004. Some of my best work is from that year and the next.

All because I wanted to switch to the new Blogger.

Awesome.

[Edit]

I found out that someone has fbomber.blogspot.com. That pisses me off. The person only wrote 2 posts. I'm tempted to email the person and ask for that URL. I'll put it to better use.

All of the old stuff can be found at fbomb2.blogspot.com. It seems that there's something wrong with the URL 'fbomb.blogspot.com.' How do I know? Because I moved the old blog, created a new one in the location, and the same crap shows up.

I might be up late tonight.

Less Than One Week

I figure I shouldn't go a week without posting something.

I'm trying to find new blogs or sites to keep me amused. Facebook is boring, and MySpace sucks every now and then.

I don't know where I picked it up, but I started wearing a rubber band around my left hand. But it's not all day or anything. It's just a night and it's involuntary. Comes out of nowhere.

I'm drinking again, and that's not necessarily a good thing considering that it's Monday night. But it's not stress-related. I just enjoy a drink every now and then. I'm sure my liver could use the exercise.

Yea, I don't have much. Thought I did.

Not Much

So, so bored.

My mind slowed down for a while earlier today. I was so bored that I went to my bed to lay down. While staring at the wall, I realized that I'm going to be 22 soon. I should be graduating soon also. And I just want to start building momentum.

One last thing...

Jamie turns 21 today! Greatness! Hope it's everything you expect!

Study This

Sexual Lyrics Prompt Teens to Have Sex

I'm calling BS on this study.

Music does not tell 22% more teens to go out and have sex. Consider the possibility that the same teens who had sex earlier just so happen to like suggestive songs. It's not the music influencing the teens, rather their own frame of mind influencing the type of music they listen to. Some kids are going to want sex earlier, and it wouldn't surprise me that they like songs such as "Promiscuous."

Teens who are looking to be angry will listen to angry music. It's not angry music that causes kids to do violent things.

You want to know why the world is full of idiots? It's because researchers are looking for excuses and everyone loves a good one. Why did that kid bring a gun to school? Oh, it must have been the Marilyn Manson they were listening to. It must have been that gory video game Doom III.

There are millions of people who listen to Marilyn Manson. Millions more who play Doom III. You want to know why they don't do the same? It's because they choose not to. It's simple.

So those handful of kids who go ballistic at school do it because they choose to. They ultimately have to decide.

So, stop blaming everything but yourselves. Stop looking for excuses.

Movies: A Generalization

There are 3 types of movies.

The 1st type consists of the movies that are aiming for awards. Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress, such. They may not win the award, but there's a good chance that they will be nominated. (Good Night, and Good Luck, for example.)

There are bad movies that solely exist to make money on a target demographic. This is the 2nd type. (Glitter, Mean Girls, etc.)

Then, there are movies that aren't looking for awards, nor are they reaching out to a specific group of people. They are at the theater because someone wants it to be. (Talladega Nights, any movie with Will Ferrell or Steve Carell.)

Yes, I am looking forward to Snakes on a Plane. I am looking for nothing more than great entertainment. Unintentional comedy is my favorite. And maybe it isn't unintentional. It's still nice.

Sure, it's not going to be up for Best Screenplay. And you might be thinking, "Snakes on a Plane? Sounds stupid." But think about it. They aren't masking the agenda of the movie. The people behind the movie don't care about your first opinion. They just want something new out there, no matter how ridiculous it sounds.

By the way, there has been a buzz about this movie for quite some time. Way before summer started. I'm betting a majority of the people who watch it will have been waiting for months.

Samuel L. Jackson. Snakes. A plane. It's not going to make you question your existence. It's going to entertain you. If you want a critical assessment of humanity, go read a book.

And if it were up to me, I'd burn so many books...oh, the fun.

Moron Dog

Woo. Almost better.

Whenever I'm bored, I search for new music. I check top 20 lists and such. I also check out my favorite blogs and see if there's anything there for me to research. Since I see "Belle and Sebastian" everywhere I go, I figure that I would check it out.

It makes sense. I understand why people are jumping on that bandwagon.

There are 3 different types of fans. There are fans who buy every album, every poster, and believe that their favorite group can do no wrong. Then there are fans that buy most of the CDs, understand most of the songs, and ignore the 1 or 2 songs they do not like. Then there are the idiot fans. These idiot fans tell you they like a group because that's the cool thing to do. They do not understand the music, but that doesn't matter.

I'll point the finger at myself before I point at anyone else. Yes, I like Radiohead. However, I can name a handful of songs I don't like. I don't own all of the CDs. But I can tell you what I do like about each song. And I can tell you the lyrics as I listen to it. I am looking forward to their next release, but I'm not on pins and needles.

I chose Radiohead because their fans get criticized the most. Some of them deserve it, but not all.

Pick out any song. I can tell you what I like and what I don't like. And I won't use musical terms since not everyone has studied music. I'll just say, "This part."

I've never liked a band because someone else did. Or because a majority of the population does.

Either way, let me present something from iTunes and their top 10 downloaded songs.

#1 Fergie - London Bridge
Seriously? It gives me a headache. It's "Hollaback Girl" part two. But Gwen Stefani has a better speaking voice. We all know Fergie isn't singing. You know, just put a 'dope beat' in any song and it will top the charts, even if there's no creativity or originality.

#2 Gnarls Barkley - Crazy
I do like this song. A hip-hop beat mixed with old Motown-style singing. New with old. Fits so many different moods.

#3 Beyonce - Deja Vu
The beat overpowers her voice. This song is made for clubs. I'd much rather hear her sing with less going on in the background. I do like Jay-Z though.

#4 Nelly Furtado - Promiscuous
Another example of putting a 'dope beat' behind a song to enhance the chart rankings. This is the same girl who sang about being like a bird. C'mon. It's not a bad song, but it's not original. And what's up with the rapping?

#5 The Pussycat Dolls - Buttons
Snoop, why? Do I really need another example about beats? If you need a #1 hit, just make a dance song. It's easy. By the way, only one of them actually sings in this song. The others are just eye candy. I like the red-head...

#6 Jessica Simpson - A Public Affair
Oh...my...gosh. She totally ripped off some J-Pop artist. And she doesn't sing very well. Put some effort into it.

#7 Christina Aguilera - Ain't No Other Man
This is tough. It's clearly a dance song. A minus. But she can sing. She can really sing. And she doesn't let the background overpower her. If you needed someone to sing the national anthem without any background, would you choose Jessica Simpson, Brittany Spears, Ashlee Simpson, Nelly Furtado, or Aguilera? Of course Aguilera!

#8 Cassie - Me & U
Sorry, but it's 'You,' not 'U.' And are you using a pitch correction machine? I think you are. Who are you?

#9 Panic! At The Disco - I Write Sins Not Tragedies
His voice sucks. It's a cross between talking and singing. That's never good. Choose one.

#10 The Fray - Over My Head (Cable Car)
Where have I heard this before? The background works so well, but his voice needs some tonal change. I can see why people like this song.

Just to pick on a few other songs. "Snap Yo Fingers," but he says it like 'fAn-gahz.' What's that? People like it because Lil Jon is funny sounding. Paris Hilton? It's weird seeing her without a green tint. Oh, she can't sing, and she ripped the background from a Blondie song. Nickelback sounds the same on every song. John Mayer sucks so much. He spawned James Blunt and Daniel Powter.

I'm the inspiration behind Powter's song "Bad Day." And I'll give him another when I see him. Man that song is beat down.

I swear. Hey, all you music bands out there! If you want to be at the top of every chart and sign lucrative contracts, sing about an ex-girlfriend/ex-boyfriend or love in general, how you hate work, how no one understand you, hooking up with that special someone, or high school drama. Then put a 'dope beat' behind it, or yell the song for the emo crowd, or be physically attractive.

Remember Papa Roach? They did that song about suicidal thoughts called "Last Resort." Their latest single is called "...To Be Loved." I think that's hilarious.

Sick and Sinning

Have I mentioned that I'm sick?

I'm sick.

I always get sinusitis twice each year. Usually in the winter and summer. Well, it's summer if you haven't noticed. So, I've been blowing my nose every 5 minutes or so and sneezing every once in a while. I started taking medicine once I knew for sure I was going to be sick. That was Monday. Since I started way early, I shouldn't be sick too long. I better be 100% in 3 days or I'll be pissed.

Ideally, I want to start feeling better tomorrow morning. It's not impossible.

Mel Gibson sucks a fat one. I'm late with this, I know. Ever since he made that religious movie, I've hated him. Making a profit off of the Bible. Isn't that a sin or something? Eh, I'm not going to look it up. I haven't touched a bible in over 3 years. Why start now?

That doesn't mean I'm an atheist or something. I just don't believe that going to church is necessary. It's recycled material that only feels new if you fell asleep the first time. So, when I heard the same speech twice and recognized it, I stopped going. Seriously, you only need to tell me "Do not murder" once. And "Love thy neighbor" is the same story. I get it.

And while I have respect for those of my friends who are open about their love for God, I have the most respect for those who don't try to "convert" me. I really appreciate not having to discuss religion and such. I just think that if we all keep it to ourselves, everything would be better.

Besides, church started to feel more like a bureaucracy than anything else. People with power looking away if a popular member was doing something immoral. Being "holier than thou" and thumbing their nose at people who didn't preach as much as they did. Two-faced individuals who would give false testimony against you if it would increase their favor with the higher ups. I think that's a sin too.

Either way, I'm not going back there. I'm a good person. I do the right thing most of the time. That's the important part.

Although, I've always wanted to get a red devil costume and bust down the doors while speaking in tongues. That would scare them...

Yea, I'd go back to do that.

Back In Austin

I'm back in Austin, but the adjustment was pure hell.

When I go home for an extended amount of time, I find it hard to leave. It's easy to sleep all morning and afternoon. It's easy to have your parents drive you wherever you want to go. And you don't have to think about much.

So, when I finally arrived back in Austin, I had a miniature panic attack. I hid it well, so no one noticed. My stomach went crazy and I had a hard time sleeping. I couldn't eat anything because I never felt hungry. And when I did have food in my mouth, I felt like I was full. My mind kept going at night even while I watched TV. Sucks.

It took 2 nights, but I feel good. I feel better. While I'd like to go home again, I don't feel anxious or anything.

I don't know if I'll keep it up, but I've been logging into Yahoo! Messenger and MSN Messenger. It's not like I know anyone on either, but I figure someone might...I don't know.

MySpace is being unreliable. Right when I'm about to post a bulletin, the server crashes or something. Sure, it was just a survey, but it sucks.

Alright. It's nearly 5AM. I think I should go to bed.

Sports and Women

So, I was checking out the history of today, and I see that today is Kate Beckinsale's birthday.

If only...

(You really don't want to know what I'm thinking.)

Apparently there was a Miss Universe Pageant that I didn't watch. I did see pictures of most of the contestants. Honestly, yes, there were a few I "wouldn't."

In other news, Anthony Johnson is officially a Maverick. Also, there are ongoing contract negotiations with Devean George.

I'm still happy with all of these offseason moves. We brought in two veteran guards to play defense, a forward that's better than Van Horn, and we could bring in a player with a championship ring. We have built a playoff team.

Back to females.

I need more.

Badges?!?!

Just typing out of boredom.

Avoiding people like the plague. Well, more like hiding myself before anyone starts looking. I'm not one to announce my arrival back in my home town. I'd rather sit at home and relax. I get my hair cut, I do some small shopping, and then I go back home to eat/drink/sleep.

By the which, I got some new jeans and some new shoes today. Real nice.

I also feel like there's a secret being hidden from me. Everywhere I go, some girl is checking me out. Cingular store, Wal-Mart, Walgreen's, Best Buy, you name it. It must be the haircut. The reason I think there's something up is because this didn't happen as often when I lived here full-time. So, when I come home for a little while, it's like I'm fresh meat in a lion's den. Guess it's nice, in a way.

Ok, I'll throw this out there. Personally, I believe that if you have to ask a girl about her age, she's too young. If it's not obvious, don't mess. But is there a rule about asking for age? I mean, if she looks 20, but there's that small possibility that she's 16, you have to ask. And if she says "16," I'd say, "I'm out of here." Then there's those girls who look 16, but are 20. How does that factor come into play? Do you never ask since she looks illegal? If I even think they may be too young, I don't even bother.

This is why I keep saying that I'm not going to get married until I'm 28. It's easier to spot females your age.

I swear, college freshman keep looking younger, and it causes a ripple effect. Next year's sophomores are going to look younger. Then juniors in 2 years are going to look younger. Argh.

People should have ID badges on at all time. That way, while you're talking, you can glance at their badge and either keep it going or get out. "Oh, you look nice! Wait...you're 17. Sorry." Oh, and the badges could be color-coded. White for 17 and under, pink for 18 to 20, and red for 21 and up.

I'm a genius.

Personal Ad

So, I'm a few days late, but I hear Carmen Electra is single again.

In case she should ever randomly find this blog...

My name is FBombAndy. I am 6'5, around 230 lbs, and that's with 3% body fat. My hopes of playing in the NFL diminished when I discovered my passion for astrophysics.

I won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001 for saving 1,000 small children from a burning orphanage. I have adopted 20 of the children so far.

I am fluent in 4 languages, including Italian and Spanish. Not many people know it, but I give Emeril advice on what recipes he should use for each show. Everytime he says "Bam," he is secretly thanking me.

I can play nearly every musical instrument in existance today, but I specialize in performing Classical Guitar pieces. In candlelight.

Most importantly, I listen to every word as if it's the last I'll ever hear.

Ok, so most of it is a lie. Except for the last thing. Isn't that the most important thing? Call me.

Surprising Myself

I looked at the course schedule for the upcoming Fall semester. That's when it hit me.

I miss going to class. I miss waking up in the morning with a purpose. I miss walking to the bus stop.

It's stuck in my head. The cool morning wind. Half of the sky lit up by the sun, and the other still dark from the night. The sound of cars on the road as people travel to their workplace. But I don't miss the sounds of the birds. I hate birds.

This is the first semester that I've felt this way. Usually I think about how my vacation has flown by. I count the days left and dread that first morning. But then again, that's probably because I haven't had a break this long since the summer between my freshman and sophomore years. At that point, I didn't look forward to class. I looked forward to living in the dorm and eating a danish for breakfast.

Eh, most of those mornings were spent eating Krispy Kreme donuts and/or croissant sandwiches. And I usually came right back and slept more.

I still have nearly a month-and-a-half before school starts. I didn't realize that until today. I know I shouldn't, but I wish it was closer than that.

Oh, and I'm only 6 classes away from graduating. 18 hours.

Neither

Today didn't have too much and not enough.

Woke up, watch some Iron Chef America. I'm about 3 steps away from really learning how to cook. I don't mean reading instructions. I mean grabbing random things and making tasty food. And I like grabbing random things.

Went to some Super Wal-Mart. I'm not a big fan of Wal-Mart, so I was beat down. Did find some nice mechanical pencils, but even that is kinda sad.

Don't remember much after that. At some point, I watched the original 1978 Superman. I didn't realize how many lines are the same as those in Superman Returns. Almost too many. I laughed at the special effects, but I guess they were good enough for back then.

Before I go on, I have to quote my dad on something. My dad, my mom, Pat, and I were all coming back from Fry's Electronics. I mentioned something about buying a 'crotch rocket.' My dad replied with, "You better get a model." At this point, I wasn't sure what he meant, but Pat and I just started laughing. Apparently he meant the thing you put together with model paints and glue. We thought he was talking about a female model. Ha, 'crotch rocket.'

The highlight of today was something I heard while watching Nip/Tuck.

"I'm just looking for a woman who's company I can stand once her mouth is free from obstruction."

-Christian Troy on Nip/Tuck

Amazing.

Fight It Out

I was wrong about the deal that Buckner received yesterday.

The first 3 years are guaranteed for $10.5 million. The next two would provide $8.5 million if certain conditions are met. Not a bad deal really.

Ate lunch with both of my parents. Then Brandon met with my dad and I for a 2nd lunch. Brandon is about to go to Germany, and I may not be here when he gets back.

Afterwards, my dad and I went to a Cingular store to look around, and then to Best Buy. They had a Guitar Hero setup there, so after a little pushing from my dad, I played a song in the middle of the store. Went after Cream's Crossroads on Expert. I nailed most of it, but I screwed up some parts of the solo. Just got nervous I guess.

I went to 1310AM The Ticket's Fight Night 2006. We got there about 10 minutes before the first fight started. Greggo was knocked around. Real funny. But things became crowded real fast and it was ridiculous by the 4th fight. The one thing that surprised me was how tall all of the radio personalities are. I think Corby was the closest to my height, but he was probably 3 inches taller than me.

Packed day. About time I did something.

But now I'm worn out. Going to get some sleep. Maybe 10 hours worth. Eh, hopefully not.

First Free Agent Signing

Reports from Dallas say that the Dallas Mavericks have signed Greg Buckner to a 5-year deal starting at the mid-level exception. ($5.125 million)

Good defender. Has the right size. Will probably guard Kobe and Wade. Not a bad pick up, but it seems like a little too much on the bank.

Word is that they are trying to re-sign Adrian Griffin. I don't know about that. I'd much rather get another power forward as a precaution. Or a forward in general.

Exhibit 2A

I noticed something earlier today.

NBA Live 02: Steve Francis
NBA Live 03: Jason Kidd
NBA Live 04: Vince Carter
NBA Live 05: Carmelo Anthony
NBA Live 06: Dwyane Wade

NBA 2K2: Allen Iverson
NBA 2K3: Allen Iverson
NBA 2K4: Allen Iverson
NBA 2K5: Ben Wallace
NBA 2K6: Shaquille O'Neal

Is it just a coincidence that 2006 is the only year that features two players from the same team? And that they won the championship?

The cover of NBA Live 07 has Tracy McGrady on it. Still no word about who is on the cover of NBA 2K7.

I guess I wouldn't mind seeing T-Mac in the Finals. If he's healthy, he'll do what Wade did without relying on foul calls.

Almost 100% done with it. The only thing that really makes me mad now is the one foul called on Terry where Wade came down and fell to his side. Replays everywhere showed that nothing touched him. The announcers were saying, "Umm...what?" He just fell for the sake of falling. Wuss. That's bush league. Weak sauce. Disrespectful to the game. Charles Barkley probably rolled over in his grave.

Alright. Enough about that.

One Gets Away

Mike James agreed to a 4-year deal with the Timberwolves.

I love KG and his game. But come on. We went to the friggin' Finals! KG and the Wolves haven't been in the playoffs for two years now. Oh well. Having Terry, Devin, and Stack is fine. Not to mention Maurice Ager. If we can use our mid-level exception on another power forward, then I'm all for it. Still sucks that Drew Gooden is a restricted free agent. I don't know what we could use in a sign-and-trade.

Notice how there's no word from Van Horn. Nobody wants a stiff who is injury-prone and can't rebound.

Wouldn't mind trying to get Songaila from the Bulls. Still not likely though. He's restricted as well.

Slowly

Well, things are going slow. So, why not give an update?

Things are going well, I guess. It still sucks to live in Texas. The temperature is climbing towards 100 degrees. I thought 90 degrees was killing me. But I just have to survive until mid-October. That's usually when the weather calms down.

I have a project I'm working on. I'm not going to say I'm writing a book. I'll just say that I have plenty of material to write about. Given material, motivation, and a unique idea, anything is possible.

Im tired of seeing the preview for Lady in the Water. Whispering is not cool. It only makes me hate the movie.

James Blunt sucks. Billy goat voice.

I saw Wedding Crashers last night. Funny movie. Rachel McAdams looked good. Real good.

And lastly, here's a short video I think is hilarious. It features the very talented Olivia Munn.

First Mavs Trade

Dallas swapped Marquis Daniels for Indiana's Austin Croshere.

They move one piece that wouldn't see much playing time this season for a veteran power forward. He'll back up Dirk, and he's not a bad choice. He can shoot. That's more than anyone can say about Keith Van Horn.

Just have to wait it out as far as Mike James goes. I'm guessing that we won't get him. But anything's possible.

First Prediction

All 5 teams from the Southwest division will make the playoffs.

Phoenix will win the Pacific. Denver will win the MidWest.

The 8th team will be the Clippers.

Of course, I won't predict the order yet until the season starts. There's still plenty of trades to be completed. And this can change if there is a major injury.

Dallas, San Antonio, and Phoenix are locks for the playoffs next year. Denver is in by default. Houston is a playoff team as long as T-Mac and Yao are healthy. New Orleans is going to be really good this season. Chris Paul can run an offense and score. He'll have Peja spotting up at the 3-pt line and Chandler down low to rebound. If they need some low post scoring, they can dump it into David West's hands. The only questionable team from the Southwest is Memphis, but they haven't lost much from last year.

The only reason I'm picking the Clippers over the Lakers is because Elton Brand has more support around him. The Lakers will most likely be right outside the playoffs in the 9th spot.

Not Even

This is exactly what I experience every night...

Alright, it's 5:30. I need to go to bed.

But there's still stuff to do.

Every night. Or morning.

I look at my bed, and I just find excuses. I love sleep and all, but it feels like this is the only time I can get anything done. Most people are waking up right now. They eat breakfast and go to work. But I am just now walking over to my bed.

And even when I get to bed, my mind goes full speed...

What am I going to do tomorrow? What is something I can talk about in my next podcast? What are some cool ideas for a book? Am I missing the obvious? What are the Mavs going to do until November? Are the Cowboys for real? Why has MySpace been so boring lately? How many people have forgotten me? Was it my fault? What can I do to be a better person? What do I need to focus on? How can I help my parents in the future? What time is it? Should I be talking to that person? I really like this song. I wonder what the next song is going to be. Do I need to change my sleeping playlist? Are there too many energetic songs? Do I have a sleeping disorder? How much longer until I'm taking a prescription on a daily basis? Will I be able to fix everything?

Yea. It sucks.

Hypocritical Reporters

Dirk made comments a couple of days ago how Mark Cuban should try to control himself during the game. During Pardon the Interruption, they showed clips of Cuban reacting to bogus calls, and at one point was spinning(!) onto the court. Quickly, the Mavs' bench grabbed Cuban and dragged him back to his seat.

Somehow, Dan LeBatard doesn't see how Cuban hurts the Mavs. Or he just ignores it. He is, in fact, a writer from Miami.

David Stern even admitted that Cuban hurts the Mavs. At least he can acknowledge it.

Either way, I only see one possible explanation for this series of event.

Dirk is trying to wrestle away the status of being "the face of the Mavs" from Mark Cuban.

Let's look at this step by step. First, Dirk calls his contract extension a "no-brainer," but decides to wait a while before signing it. Then he calls out Cuban to act with more self-control. And next on his list is to play with the German national team.

He's telling Cuban, "I'll sign it, but only when I want to." And, "You need to take a backseat." Dirk is asserting his power in the organization further than any player ever has before. He is giving orders to the owner.

This is going to put more pressure on Dirk to be even better. Given that he improves over every off-season, we should expect a better Dirk. He always adds something new to his game. And, as ESPN quoted from an interview with his trainer, Geschwindner, "When [Dirk's] training is complete, he will be able to play all five positions, on offense and defense." (I might be wrong on the wording.)

As far as the rest of the Mavs go, DJ Mbenga was signed to a new contract. Keith Van Horn is out of here. Adrian Griffin is probably done. And the first thing accomplished was signing Terry to a new deal.

We were chasing Speedy Claxton and Mike James. Claxton has agreed to terms with the Hawks and Mike James is still undecided. James is hearing offers from Houston as well. From what I hear, Drew Gooden is on the block via a sign and trade. Gooden is a restricted free agent who made near $4 million last year.

Marquis Daniels will most likely be traded before the season starts. If the Mavs want to get new talent through free agency, they will use him in a sign and trade. If it's Mike James, I'm fine with that. However, I would not mind seeing a deal with Cleveland for Gooden. This would give us a legit backup power forward.

While I am fascinated by the project center Podkolzine, I also think we should test the market with him. We need to focus on the next 3 years, and he is not part of that plan.

As for the rest of the NBA, I'm curious to know why LeBron hasn't agreed to his new deal yet. We know it's been offered, but we haven't heard about a verbal agreement. Carmelo already said yes to Denver. Is something going on in Cleveland?

Yes, I know it's 6AM. Bedtime.

Oh, The Possibilities!

I've been thinking about it.

I think I'll go home for a week or so.

My parents are going to be here on Wednesday, the 5th. They will leave on Friday, the 7th. My dad is going to fly to El Paso the following week, and my mom is going to come back to Austin. I think that would amount to 10 days at home. Long enough to be worthwhile, but short enough to where The Kid won't forget me.

Honestly, The Kid is the reason I didn't go home following the end of the semester. He's really attached to me. I really believe that he likes me more than his parents.

Speaking of which, my sis-in-law is pregnant. 2 months along from what I understand.

That's my current motivation. I want my degree and I want out. As soon as possible.

Oh, and about post-graduation plans. My parents are talking about moving to Austin within the next 3 years. Given that I only have 2 friends in the DFW area, I don't see much reason to settle in Dallas once I'm done. At the same time, I hate the weather here in Texas. I would love to move to the border between New York and New Jersey. My sister lives there right now. But, my sister is talking about moving to Sweden within the next 5 years. She works for Siemens, and apparently they have a world office there, or something.

So, this is what I'm looking at.

• I can stay in Austin and live close to most of my family, but I'll suffer during most of the year because of hot weather.
  
• I can live in Dallas, but I'll only know a few people. There's also the chance I will run into people I went to high school with that I don't want to see again. The weather sucks there too.
  
• I can move somewhere up north, but then I'll really be on my own and even further from most of my family.
• I can beg my sister to hook me up with a job in Sweden, where the weather is relatively nice.

At least I have some time to think about it.

Best case scenario? I win the lottery, share it with friends and family, then move to Sapporo, Japan. After settling down, I'll find a cute (or extremely hot) Japanese school girl in her early 20s. I'll send pictures of myself with my middle finger extended to everyone I hate.

Why Sapporo? Incredible weather. Tons of activity. And the Sapporo Beer Museum. Just look at this picture...

Movie Time

I saw Superman today.

I thought it was good. That's the highest praise I can give to a movie. I'm not really a movie person.

If you grew up with the original Superman movies, you'll love this one. In fact, you'll probably see it twice. If you haven't seen the originals, you'll still get a good sense of why people are crazy for Superman.

But I started out very disappointed. The previews sucked. The only good one was for Spiderman 3, but I had already seen it the day before on Attack of the Show. Also, it doesn't come out until May 4th. Otherwise, there were no good previews. A waste of 10 minutes right there.

I also didn't like the font and style used for the opening credits. Way too close to Star Wars.

Alright. I'm bored.

It's (Almost) OK

Well, I'm not nearly as pissed off as I was over a week ago. However, I'm still very bitter. In the past, I would jinx certain players. Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, and Shawn Marion. Well, they're off my list now.

I want to see Dwyane Wade fail.

Before the Finals, I was talking to Brandon and I admitted that I thought Wade was a good player. I wasn't going to put him on the throne yet. But after watching him play for 6 games, I realized something. Without the refs, he is merely average. His game is predicated on drawing fouls while waving his arms and driving to the basket. He gets every call and complains when there isn't a foul. He flops and falls to the ground on purpose. And if there's anything I hate, it's flopping.

By the way, Pat Riley might be a hall of fame coach, but he sucked as a player.

Here are some opinions (stats) on the refs during Game 5. I agree that the refs are human and thus prone to making bad calls. But why did a majority of the calls negatively impact the Mavs? And what does it say when Joey Crawford is showing more favoritism towards the Mavs?

Sometimes, I wish David Stern would find my blog.

Well, I wish he would step down. The new rules suck.

Either way, I finally finished Guitar Hero. I had one song left on expert for the longest time. I finally did it about 10 days ago. Now I can choose any song and just run through it.

My parents are coming down again in a week.

Everyone knows about "I need more cowbell!" That SNL skit. Well, I decided to check out the entire song, which is Blue Oyster Cult's (Don't Fear) The Reaper. It's a good song. I hope more people check it out.

Otherwise, I'm going to stay online for a bit and call it a night.

Results

Today on Pardon the Interruption, Tony and 'Willibuns' talked about soccer for a change. The issue at hand was how one specific referee was doing a terrible job, making it necessary for FIFA president Sepp Blatter to say, "I think there could have been a yellow card for the referee."

The question posed to the two hosts was, "Are the refs ruining the World Cup?"

The World Cup takes place every 4 years.

The Super Bowl takes place every year. The World Series is an annual event. And the same is true for the NBA Finals.

If the refs can take over an event so huge that the world is its audience, then isn't it obvious that the refs can ruin other sports championships?

David Stern, you need to take a lesson from Sepp Blatter. If you have the power to make your sport better, you need to. Don't sit in the dark when there is a controversy. Don't cup your hands over your ears.

Seriously, I am not the only one who is calling for the head of Dick Bavetta.

Test Case

Ghana just went up 2 - 1 on a penalty kick. The foul was very questionable. If we tie or lose this match, will USA fans whine about that call and the officiating?

Personally, I don't consider it "whining" when there is a real problem. In real life, if someone punches you, you don't have to whine. You have an opportunity to punch back. In the case of this soccer game, what can we do?

Kids whine when they don't get their way. When a group of people don't get their way in a political sense, it's called "protesting."

By the way, Mark Cuban would die of grief from all of the flopping going on.

It Could Be Worse

I could have been a Knicks fan.

Larry Brown is out. Isiah Thomas is in.

I've always thought that Larry Brown was overrated. But I don't think Thomas is any better.

And there are so many yellow cards flying around in the USA - Ghana match.

There was a poll on MSNBC that asked people if they thought that the NBA was fixed. At around 7:00AM, 55% said "yes."

Evidence

Final Score: Mavs 92 Heat 88 (Or that's what it should have been...and here's the video to prove it...)

He has video evidence of Wade and his flops. It's almost as if Ginobili taught him everything. And Vlade Divac must have been the TA.

I know Cuban probably has given up, but if I had any power like his, I would send this to every reporter and 2 copies to David Stern.

And here's a link to one of Bill Simmons' articles.

I'll let go eventually, but only when I think I've said enough about it.

Ass

That's a bitch move Brandon.

Dirk carried this team to the Finals. Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, and Elton Brand couldn't do it this year.

Another reason I hate ESPN reporters, is that up until the Finals, they were calling Dirk top 3 and what-not. Now, there's tons of articles about how Dirk is soft, not clutch, etc. In the first round, with the Mavs down by 3 in Game 3, Dirk picks up the ball and knocks down a 3-pointer to tie. When Dallas needed a win in Game 7 against San Antonio, Dirk tied it up to get to overtime. In Game 5 against Phoenix, when Dallas' offense was getting stale, Dirk exploded and ended up with 50.

We need a consistent 2-guard. None of this swapping out Griffin and moving Terry over.

Scratch that. We need a consistent guard period. Or we need a post-up 4 and move Dirk over to the 3.

I think we should get Paul Pierce. Or KG. It would be easier to get Pierce, but getting KG would make us the favorites. I can't think of anyone else out there that's available and would fit.

Well, if we wanted to, we could probably get Chris Wilcox. But I dunno.

Manipulation

"The NBA wants a new MJ, so they've annointed Dwyane Wade as the savior of basketball."

"What sucks the most is that even if David Stern doesn't fix this mess, the NBA will still have a ton of viewers because it has a golden child who can do no wrong."

"It's what the league wants."

I typed all of this before tonight's game. And I'm still disappointed that this wasn't a 7-game series. Game 3 was a meltdown. Game 5 was a fix. If Miami would have won this in 7 games, in a fair game, I wouldn't complain. The better team always wins a 7-game series. After tonight, this series should have been tied 3-3.

The league wanted a new star, and they've created one. All of the announcers and analysts have been comparing Wade to MJ. Every headline is "The Next MJ?" They compare his scoring in the first 5 games to MJ's, and the point out that he is scoring more. The way they tell it, they don't want just another MJ. They want someone better.

Wade will never be half the player MJ was. Today's rules favor guards. A touch here or there is whistled more often than not. From the late 80s to the mid 90s, there was period of tough players. Finishing the shot no matter what. Taking it strong without expecting help from the refs. MJ hit game-winning shots. Wade takes game-winning free throws.

Another example of the League wanting a new star is how every halftime featured something about the Miami Heat. When Miami lost the first 2 games, it was all about what Miami didn't do. When the Heat won the next 3 games, it was all about what they did right. The way reporters made it sound, the Mavs were happy enough to just be there.

When David Stern wanted a better basketball game overall, he made many changes, including increasing the minimum age for the draft. That message was loud and clear. "We want NBA players to have college experience." What better way to put an exclamation point on his statement than to have a 4-year college student lead his team to a championship.

Every analyst will tell you that the Western Conference is much more competitive than the Eastern Conference. This stems from the West winning 6 out of 7 championships starting with San Antonio in '99. If Stern wants to create a fair balance, he would have to see an Eastern Conference team win the title. Mission accomplished.

When asked if "Mark Cuban hurts the Dallas Mavericks," David Stern hesistated and replied, "Yes." Shouldn't the answer be "No?" If there is harm, it's from the refs since Cuban always yells about them. However, Cuban doesn't yell just to be loud. He yells because there are mistakes that should be avoided. If the refs are calling things against the Mavs more often than not because of Cuban, isn't that being biased? Should refs like that really be officiating any game?

I want to point out something else. When the Mavs went up by 27 in Game 2, the refs started calling more fouls to cut into the lead for Miami. They got within 12. When Miami went up by 20 in Game 4, the refs called more travels and such on Miami, and as a result Dallas closed the 3rd quarter within 10. In Game 6, when the Mavs were up 26-12, the refs got involved and made it a close game.

During this series, it seemed like whenever a team was putting it out of reach, the refs stepped in. Ratings, anyone? The casual NBA viewer will turn off the TV if the game looks like it's been decided. So, how about making the games stay close by calling more fouls when needed?

We all know what type of relationship Stern and Cuban have. It's almost like The Odd Couple. From Stern's end, how must it have felt to present the championship to Miami in Dallas and in front of Mark Cuban? I bet pretty good.

Stu Jackson, Stern's right hand man, is the one that decided to suspend Stack for Game 5. No doubt he got his orders from Stern. I'm not saying that with Stack we would have won. I am saying that we were missing our 6th man. And our bench scoring just so happened to be really low that game.

Dallas mistakes? Announcing plans for a parade after Game 2? That one is on Laura Miller. Howard's comments about Wade and his shooting? That one is on Howard. Cuban going on Letterman and talking about the coaching of Riley? On Mark Cuban.

Dallas not winning the title? That one is on David Stern. He controls Stu Jackson, and he controls the refs. He dislikes Mark Cuban. And he wants a new star.

I have lost faith in the NBA. I have lost faith in sports media. Considering that for the past few years, I would have quit everything to be a 12th man on a bench for an NBA team, or a basketball reporter for a moderately popular newspaper, that speaks volumes.

I didn't just watch the Mavs play. I watched Houston, Denver, New Orleans, Cleveland, and even San Antonio. I'll watch the Mavs, and I'll watch T-Mac. But there's nothing I can expect. I can't have any expectations for their seasons.

By the way, if LeBron doesn't sign an extension and ends up in the Western Conference, you'll know that Stern wants an MJ-Magic type rivalry. It's the best way to get ratings during the NBA finals.

And one last thing. A quote from Bill Simmons, the only ESPN reporter I respect.

"Second, everyone knew the officiating would be a problem heading into this series because of Cuban's past problems with the league. In my Finals preview, I wrote that 'No team depends on the refs quite like the Heat. When the refs are calling all the bumps on Shaq and protecting Wade on every drive, they're unstoppable. When they're calling everything fairly, they're eminently beatable. If they're not getting any calls, they're just about hopeless. I could see the refs swinging two games in Miami's favor during this series, possibly three. In fact, I'm already depressed about it and the series hasn't even started yet.' Well, we had our two games -- Game 3 (the last five minutes were just obscene) and Game 5 (again, a top-five debacle). And the series isn't over yet."

It's over now.

David Stern Sucks

We got jobbed. The NBA wants a new MJ, so they've annointed Dwyane Wade as the savior of basketball. Any other player, and the reporters would be screaming, "Let the players play!"

Dwyane Wade took as many free throws as the entire Mavs team. Crap. Absolute crap.

Also, the Mavs had 9 total free throws through the first 3 quarters.

During the 3rd quarter, the Heat didn't commit a foul until 10 minutes into it.

I'm not saying he was the difference, but Stack was suspended for this game, even after Shaq said it was just a hard NBA foul. That's on Stu Jackson.

What sucks the most is that even if David Stern doesn't fix this mess, the NBA will still have a ton of viewers because it has a golden child who can do no wrong. The next MJ.

It's what the league wants. Stern can't put his ego aside and let the games be decided since it's obvious Dallas is the better team. Stern doesn't want anything to do with Mark Cuban.

It's been some great playoff basketball, but the ending is sucking right now.

Losing Two

After Game 3's loss, I couldn't sleep.

I'm not going to get any sleep tonight.

Everyone sucked. Everyone.

So, I'm going to freeze a water balloon, go outside, toss it as high as I can, and get underneath it. It'll get my mind off of this.

Going After Three

From Marc Stein's most recent article:

"They're mad at themselves for their offensive timidity and stagnation in crunch time when they badly needed scores to counter Tuesday's in-a-zone Wade. They're mad about two clock malfunctions acknowledged Wednesday by the league office that incorrectly erased 3.4 seconds. They're also mad about a couple late non-calls on Wade, who played the final 10:56 one foul away from a spot on the bench."

And all of these reasons justify my anger.

I hope the Mavs are a little like me when it comes to anger. I play my best when I'm angry. It's that extra spark, extra motivation to embarrass the competition.

It's the reason some people talk trash to me. To get under my skin. To witness my best. And it's the reason new-comers make sure not to piss me off.

If the Mavs truly are angry, then we will all be happy after the game. Well, Mavs fans at least.

Losing One

There's a ton of things I could say about this game.

You can point at the fact that Dirk missed a free throw that would have tied the game. You can point to Payton's game-winning shot. And you can point to the fact that when we needed to score, we didn't.

But that goaltending non-call on Alonzo Mourning really came back to bite us.

Terry hit a layup and got a foul, but they ruled that Van Horn touched the ball in the cylinder. Terry hits his first free throw and misses the second.

A minute later, they show the replay a few times, and it's obvious that Van Horn did not touch the ball. Alonzo Mourning did. That means the basket should have counted. 2 points we didn't get.

Oh, we lost by 2? Really? Wow.

Missing 8 free throws throughout the game hurt too. Not pushing the ball for 4 minutes in the 4th quarter hurt. But man, did Miami get lucky or what?

You can't expect Wade to get more than 40 for the rest of this series. Our defense is going to adjust. You can't expect Dallas to miss 8 free throws again.

This game was a must-win for Miami. Game 4 is a must-win for Dallas.

I Hate You

Michael McDonald. I hate you so much. No one could understand how much I hate you.

And now I hate Miami even more.

Winning Two

We did what I expected. We won the first two games. Now we have to walk into Miami and show them what's up.

Dirk and J-Ho both pulled down double-digit rebounds while shooting 50% from the field. Stack put together one of the best 10-point streaks I've seen. And besides the beginning of the 4th, when we decided to waste time and stop playing hard, we dominated Miami. Their faces said it all.

Game 3 is a must-win for Miami. I expect them to put together their best game. If Dallas wins, this series will be over. As a Miami player, it is easy to accept these 2 losses by saying, "Dallas did what they were 'sposed to. Now we have to hold our court." The problem is that Dallas is more than capable of winning on the road. You HAVE to win all of your home games. If you lose just one, this series becomes very difficult. If it's Game 3, you're down 3-0 and you have nothing positive to build on for Game 4. If you win Game 3, but lose Game 4, you're down 3-1, and you couldn't put together a pair of wins. Not only will you have to win 3 straight to not lose this series, but 2 of those games will be in Dallas, where you haven't won.

What's more likely? Dallas wins 2 of the next 5 games, or Miami wins 4 of the next 5? And for anyone who picked Miami in 6, do you expect them to win the next 4, given the way they've played in the first 2 games?

If Dallas wins Game 3, they will sweep. Otherwise, I expect Dallas to finish this in 6. (I predicted Mavs in 6 the day before Game 1.)

By the way, Dirk's B-Day is between Game 5 and Game 6. Fitting, eh?

Winning One

Let's go over some of the things I mentioned in my last post.

Antoine Walker shot 33% from the 3-point line. Sounds about right. I was worried when he hit his first two, because he is very streaky. Afterwards, he shot 1 of 7. Figures that it would balance out. Also, his playmaking ability was not a factor tonight. Four assists to six turnovers. Doesn't surprise me at all.

Jayson Williams can't shoot 3's. He was 40% today, but the play drawn for him to hit a 3 in the corner failed. He was open, but he was falling to his left. Set your feet! Or don't.

(Speaking of which, what was Riley thinking when he drew that play, knowing he was only down by seven with 3:00 on the clock? Any smart coach would have went for an easy shot. That leads me to my next point.)

"For one night at least, experience looked awfully overrated."

This sentence was written by John Hollinger. He is a master of stats. Most of his predictions are dead on. And it backs up what I said last night.

Dirk was off. Josh Howard was off. This was Miami's tempo. Shaq was throwing 'bows and making noses bleed. Wade was getting to the free-throw line.

Miami still lost by 10.

Experience

They just don't get it.

Chris Broussard is reaching into his imagination for any reason to pick Miami to win. The statements he makes are too incredible to be real.

"J-Will will hit 3s."

Jason Williams has a career 32% 3-pt shooting percentage. In these 2006 playoffs, his 3-pt percentage has dropped to 24%.

"Antoine Walker will make 3s and plays at just the right time."

Walker's career 3-pt percentage is 33%. In these playoffs, he is at 34%. A slight improvement, but nothing spectacular. As far as his playmaking skill is concerned, he has a 1.33 assist to turnover ratio. In these playoffs, it drops to a ratio of 1.25. And just for kicks, Walker is shooting 58% from the free throw line.

Playoff experience seems to be the reason for most analysts to pick Miami. I say that experience is overrated and useless. Pau Gasol, who has been to the playoffs three times in a row, has yet to win a playoff game. Kobe Bryant, who has three championship rings, didn't make it out of the first round this year. In the 2004 Finals, Detroit beat the L.A. Lakers, who had Shaq, Kobe, Karl Malone, and Gary Payton as four of their starters. All four had NBA Finals experience. They were demolished by the Pistons.

A lack of experience isn't doom for that team. LeBron James, with no playoff experience, forced Detroit to play a game 7 in the second round. The L.A. Clippers forced a game 7 against the Phoenix Suns in the second round.

Shaq and Gary Payton just so happen to be on the roster for the Miami Heat. Pat Riley has experience, but his last attempt at winning a championship was well over a decade ago.

Experience is just the nice way of saying, "old."

Shaq is 34. Payton is 37. Alonzo Mourning is 36. Pat Riley is 61.

These games may go on past their bedtime.

Win It All

Yea, it's been a while. I know.

Where to begin...well, the Mavs are in the Finals. Definitely one of those things where you know it's going to happen, but when it does, it's hard to believe. When they got past San Antonio, I knew they were going to make it. When they beat Phoenix in Game 6, it was like a dream. Such is the reward for a true fan.

Miami is a good team and all, but they have many weaknesses. In fact, the only two positive things about Miami are Shaq and Wade. I've read plenty of articles about how Dallas won't be able to stop either. Poppycock. Shaq is pretty much guaranteed 20 points and 8 rebounds. Wade will get his 16-6-6, possibly more. But the other guys are going to get shut out.

Sure, Miami is going to focus on Dirk. Obviously. But we have proven shooters in Jason Terry, Josh Howard, Jerry Stackhouse, and Devin Harris. Three of those guys can knock down the three-ball. All four can drive to the basket.

During the two regular season matchups, Dwayne Wade shot a combined 13 of 32. Antoine Walker shot 3 out of 19. Miami as a combined team shot 2 of 20 from the arc. In the one game Shaq played in, he got 23 and 8. The Mavs' three-headed center went for a combined 17 and 17.

Sure, you can say that the Miami team we see today isn't the same as the one that got pounded by 36. But you can also say that the Mavs have improved as well. They have learned a few more styles of play, their defense is more consistent, and their offense is better than before.

Dallas in 6.

I expect the Mavs to hold their court for the first two games. I also expect them to win once in Miami. They'll come back to Dallas up 3 to 2, and get the trophy in their gym. Mark Cuban will cry like a baby.

Heroic

Dirk is the man. Only the 5th player since 1970 to get at least 50 and 10. He single-handedly kept the Mavs from losing in the 4th. The things he did can be described as "demoralizing."

Now, this series is not over. Phoenix is not going to lay down and give the game up. We have to walk into their arena and take it. If we close it out Saturday, we can get 2 extra days of rest. If there's a game 7, we will only get 2 full days of rest.

I expect Miami to finally win this series in game 6. Should they lose, Detroit will win the series.

Feeling better already.

Don't Tell

Another hot teacher gets busted.

I understand why the rule is there. I really do. I know that I have been intimidated by teachers before. But sometimes, the punishment is just a little much.

Sure, she is 7 years older than he is, but the student is of legal consenting age. The law does not see the difference in that regard, so the teacher can face up to 20 years in prison.

I know that when I was in high school, there may have been one teacher that all of the male students found more than moderately attractive. And I'm sure that all of those guys who were 17 or older would have said, "I'd hit that." (I love that PSP commercial. Those squirrels are hilarious.)

And after a round or two of intense, steamy, dirty sex, that student would calmly say, "So that's what it's like. Don't worry, I won't tell." Ok, they'd probably brag about it to their friends, but they wouldn't go to the authorities.

What she did was wrong. I just think this particular student is kind of lucky. No punishment for him? Get laid by a teacher and nothing can happen to you? I think his name should be made public. At the very least. And if there were romantic feelings involved, he should sit next to her in court.

From what I witnessed at my own high school, each incoming class was worse than the previous. The classes of '02 and '03 were full of intelligent and civil human beings. The class of '04 was dominated by the slutty and vain. '05 was just pitiful. Most of those teenagers will either be in jail or asking if you'd like to try the new Big Mac Jr. Deluxe with cheese. I didn't see the class of '06 first-hand, but I can only imagine.

If this were 2002, this teacher would not be in trouble. But it's not 2002.

Yes. A UT-Austin alum who coaches track, teaches Spanish, and was a Miss Texas contestant. It's no wonder I'm sticking up for her.

Would I "make love" to a woman that's 7 years older than me? Given the right circumstances, probably. And if she were a grad student at UT, could talk dirty in Spanish, had amazing legs, AND had a chance at being Miss Texas? Definitely. No doubt.

Umm...either way, the point is that the male student was legal. He deserves some of the blame!

"Whoa! Got it bad,
Got it bad,
Got it bad,
I'm hot for teacher!
I've got it bad, so bad
I'm hot for teacher!"

Van Halen - Hot For Teacher

Van Halen knew it. It's not a secret. There's something about teachers. Especially when you see them an hour a day, everyday.

But really, her mistake was all about timing. Wait until after graduation, and things would have been ok. But because it started in February, there's a possibility of 20 years in prison. It's amazing how much difference 4 months can make.