I'm baaaaaaaaaack.
There have been a couple things in the news recently that I have been meaning to discuss, but one has particularly stood out.. so let's get to it.
Obama recently signed a memorandum extending benefits to same-sex partners of gay federal employees. On July 5th it was implemented at the State Dept, and yesterday at work I received a management notice detailing exactly what benefits same-sex partners are entitled to. Here is the list -
"The Department of State intends to provide the following benefits and allowances for declared same-sex domestic partners serving overseas:
- Diplomatic passports
- Inclusion on employee travel orders to and from posts abroad
- Shipment of household effects
- Inclusion in family size calculations for the purpose of making housing allocations
- Family preference for employment at posts abroad
- Use of medical facilities abroad
- Medical evacuation from posts abroad
- Emergency travel for partners to visit gravely ill or injured employees and relatives
- Inclusion as family members for emergency evacuation from posts abroad
- Subsistence payments related to emergency evacuations from posts abroad
- Inclusion in calculations of payments of overseas allowances (e.g. payment for quarters, cost of living, and other allowances)
- Representation expenses
- Training at the Foreign Service Institute"
Quite frankly, I think the list is some bullshit - pardon my french. I have nothing against the gay community; my issue is the federal government has basically recognized gay partners as family members, essentially giving them many of the same rights as a married couple. The Defense of Marriage Act states that - "The federal government defines marriage as a legal union exclusively between one man and one woman." I am not here to debate the morality of whether gay people should be allowed to get married or not, and personally I have no problem with it. Fact is, by federal law they aren't allowed. So why is the federal government giving them some of the same benefits that are reserved for married couples? All one must do to obtain benefits for their same-sex domestic partner is file an affidavit stating that they intend to remain together, and live together. What kind of precedent are we setting when all one has to do to attain benefits for another is file a form? And why can't I file a form stating that I live with my girlfriend, and I plan to be with her so she can get the same benefits?
If they could get married and have it recognized by the federal government then this would not even be an issue. But they can't, and it is. The memorandum is too slippery of a slope, and can be easily manipulated. In no way should a non-married couple be entitled to many of the same benefits as a legally married couple, regardless of sexual preference. Simply put, it is unfair. I recognize the reasoning behind why it was done, however. This was the only option to advance gay rights significantly in a short period of time; gay marriage will be a tough battle to win. The memorandum was a step the Obama administration needed to take in order to appease their gay constituents.
Yet gay rights activists are still adamantly complaining that Obama has not given them anything, that the memorandum was only a incremental move; that they should be given much more. Looking at that list, I think the memorandum was a MAJOR first step(and I have not seen the list for other federal agencies, but I am sure it is much of the same thing). Even Obama himself acknowledged, "This is only one step", and he knows there is still much more to be done. My advice to gay rights activists everywhere, 'Shut Up, and Be Gay', and by gay I mean happy. The federal government took a significant step towards giving you what you want. Yeah he hasn't repealed the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy in the armed forces, and yeah you didn't get full health insurance benefits - but still you have made progress. Obama has only been in office but for so long, give him a chance, and you will eventually get more of what you are fighting for. I am not downplaying the importance of your struggle, I am just saying be patient. Rome wasn't built in a day.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Sports Chatter - "NBA Finals Edition"
I told ya'll I was going to give you my prediction and insight even though I fear that if I do I'm going to fucking jinx it.. but here we go
..I'm going with Lakers in 6.
Here's my reasons why -
1. The Lakers are a far superior team than the Cavs. The Cavs lost the season series 2-1 to Magic, they were only 3-6 versus Boston, L.A., and the Magic, and the 6 losses were by an average of 13.8 points - crazy stat huh? Why you think I've been telling you clowns the Cavs weren't real? I do my research... even though by that logic we would lose to the Magic since we lost the season series to them 2-0 - I think we are a better team now than we were then, and Jameer Nelson absolutely torched us during the regular season. Even if he comes back for the finals, he won't play a high level because of the injury layoff..and Skip to My Lou will not cause us as many problem because...well.. he's a scrub (he's actually decent but he's turnover prone, on top of being a head case - not a good mix).
2. Dwight Howard will come back down to earth. The Cavs made Howard look like the second coming of Shaq, which as I've already stated before, he just isn't. The frontline of the Cavs just couldn't match up so he feasted on a slow-ass Ilguaskas, a soft-ass Varejao, and Ben Wallace's washed up ass (that lets you know how damn cruddy the Cavs are, Ben Wallace would not get significant minutes on any team in the league - but that might be more of an indictment on Coach Brown, who at times makes Mike Dunleavy look like a good coach, but we will get to him later..). Kendrick Perkins basically shut him down in the Celtics' series besides two games; as long as he is not getting great post position everytime up the floor, his scoring numbers will look more mortal. Somewhere in the 15-20 range, which just isn't enough to get it done against us. His rebounding and defensive presence will still be a factor, but we have sufficient bigs to keep his scoring to a minimum without too much help from the double-team. Plus, Bynum and Gasol both have the offensive repertoire to make him work on the defensive end. Simply put, he is not gonna go off for fuckin 40 against us.. (and if he does, I'm getting my Dad's gun, and shooting at the T.V. screen)
3. We matchup well. The Cavs got demolished mainly because they just didn't have the personnel to match up with the Magic's versatility on offense (and because Mike Brown sucks.. but like I said, we will get to him later).. The Lakers will not have the same problem. We are horrible against quick, shifty guards but Jameer Nelson being out (or not 100%) negates that weakness, and other than that we match up well at every position on the floor. Odom and Gasol have the length and quickness to stay in front of Lewis and keep him from making it rain from the arc, and they have the skills to destroy him on the offensive end (he works hard, but he is booty as a defender, and is playing out of position). Ariza can run around screens and will make Turkoglu work for all his buckets; he will also hit threes (50% for the playoffs) and pick a couple pockets that will lead to easy transition points. Bynum and Gasol will get Howard duty, Kobe..well..thats obvious - the only question mark is point guard. If Fisher, Farmer, Brown match the production of the Magic guards we are as good as golden.
4. We've got the best player in the series, and in the league for that matter. LeBron put up a sick 38-8-8 against the Magic, and Kobe could easily duplicate it. Even though he won't because his supporting cast is so much better, he is the best finisher in the league, is a nightmare matchup for whoever is guarding him whether it be Pietrus, Lee, or Redick (I dare the Magic to put Redick on fucking Kobe - every minute he is in the game Kobe will get a bucket), and the loss in the Finals to Celtics last year motivated him like never before. This is finally the year for The Black Mamba to shed his demons and win one without Shaq.. Kobe is desperate, and determined, and I think his play will represent that. I'm forecasting a 30 ppg avg and probably a Finals MVP Award.
5. We have the best Coach EVER. Seriously, experience is huge and no one has more than Phil Jackson. The Zen Master has been here countless times, is a proven winner and has all the records to prove it, even though recently he has fallen off a little bit... I think this year he will redeem himself. Van Gundy is a great coach though, definitely proved a lot of people wrong; but he was matching wits with fucking Mike Brown. The same fucking Mike Brown, who instead of staying home on the Magic shooter's that absolutely killed them, kept double-teaming Dwight even though he was dunking all over their heads anyway - leaving the shooters to get wide open J's. They shot something sick like 47% from the 3-point line for the whole series - wouldn't you just rather have Howard get his and make sure all the other players don't beat you? Not to mention he is the least innovative offensive Coach in history (I can only imagine in the huddle Mike Brown must look around and say, "Uh, LeBron, what play are we running?"). Phil Jackson will be a whole different ballgame for Van Gundy.
There you have it, my reasons why the Lakers are going to take it in 6. Odom and Bynum are the X-Factors. If they can post a couple doubles doubles, play solid defense, make Rashard Lewis and Dwight Howard work, and have 1-2 breakout performances; this series will be over a lot quicker than imagined.
...Enjoy the game tonight. Feel free to contact me about potential wagers, I want to take some of you niggas money.
..I'm going with Lakers in 6.
Here's my reasons why -
1. The Lakers are a far superior team than the Cavs. The Cavs lost the season series 2-1 to Magic, they were only 3-6 versus Boston, L.A., and the Magic, and the 6 losses were by an average of 13.8 points - crazy stat huh? Why you think I've been telling you clowns the Cavs weren't real? I do my research... even though by that logic we would lose to the Magic since we lost the season series to them 2-0 - I think we are a better team now than we were then, and Jameer Nelson absolutely torched us during the regular season. Even if he comes back for the finals, he won't play a high level because of the injury layoff..and Skip to My Lou will not cause us as many problem because...well.. he's a scrub (he's actually decent but he's turnover prone, on top of being a head case - not a good mix).
2. Dwight Howard will come back down to earth. The Cavs made Howard look like the second coming of Shaq, which as I've already stated before, he just isn't. The frontline of the Cavs just couldn't match up so he feasted on a slow-ass Ilguaskas, a soft-ass Varejao, and Ben Wallace's washed up ass (that lets you know how damn cruddy the Cavs are, Ben Wallace would not get significant minutes on any team in the league - but that might be more of an indictment on Coach Brown, who at times makes Mike Dunleavy look like a good coach, but we will get to him later..). Kendrick Perkins basically shut him down in the Celtics' series besides two games; as long as he is not getting great post position everytime up the floor, his scoring numbers will look more mortal. Somewhere in the 15-20 range, which just isn't enough to get it done against us. His rebounding and defensive presence will still be a factor, but we have sufficient bigs to keep his scoring to a minimum without too much help from the double-team. Plus, Bynum and Gasol both have the offensive repertoire to make him work on the defensive end. Simply put, he is not gonna go off for fuckin 40 against us.. (and if he does, I'm getting my Dad's gun, and shooting at the T.V. screen)
3. We matchup well. The Cavs got demolished mainly because they just didn't have the personnel to match up with the Magic's versatility on offense (and because Mike Brown sucks.. but like I said, we will get to him later).. The Lakers will not have the same problem. We are horrible against quick, shifty guards but Jameer Nelson being out (or not 100%) negates that weakness, and other than that we match up well at every position on the floor. Odom and Gasol have the length and quickness to stay in front of Lewis and keep him from making it rain from the arc, and they have the skills to destroy him on the offensive end (he works hard, but he is booty as a defender, and is playing out of position). Ariza can run around screens and will make Turkoglu work for all his buckets; he will also hit threes (50% for the playoffs) and pick a couple pockets that will lead to easy transition points. Bynum and Gasol will get Howard duty, Kobe..well..thats obvious - the only question mark is point guard. If Fisher, Farmer, Brown match the production of the Magic guards we are as good as golden.
4. We've got the best player in the series, and in the league for that matter. LeBron put up a sick 38-8-8 against the Magic, and Kobe could easily duplicate it. Even though he won't because his supporting cast is so much better, he is the best finisher in the league, is a nightmare matchup for whoever is guarding him whether it be Pietrus, Lee, or Redick (I dare the Magic to put Redick on fucking Kobe - every minute he is in the game Kobe will get a bucket), and the loss in the Finals to Celtics last year motivated him like never before. This is finally the year for The Black Mamba to shed his demons and win one without Shaq.. Kobe is desperate, and determined, and I think his play will represent that. I'm forecasting a 30 ppg avg and probably a Finals MVP Award.
5. We have the best Coach EVER. Seriously, experience is huge and no one has more than Phil Jackson. The Zen Master has been here countless times, is a proven winner and has all the records to prove it, even though recently he has fallen off a little bit... I think this year he will redeem himself. Van Gundy is a great coach though, definitely proved a lot of people wrong; but he was matching wits with fucking Mike Brown. The same fucking Mike Brown, who instead of staying home on the Magic shooter's that absolutely killed them, kept double-teaming Dwight even though he was dunking all over their heads anyway - leaving the shooters to get wide open J's. They shot something sick like 47% from the 3-point line for the whole series - wouldn't you just rather have Howard get his and make sure all the other players don't beat you? Not to mention he is the least innovative offensive Coach in history (I can only imagine in the huddle Mike Brown must look around and say, "Uh, LeBron, what play are we running?"). Phil Jackson will be a whole different ballgame for Van Gundy.
There you have it, my reasons why the Lakers are going to take it in 6. Odom and Bynum are the X-Factors. If they can post a couple doubles doubles, play solid defense, make Rashard Lewis and Dwight Howard work, and have 1-2 breakout performances; this series will be over a lot quicker than imagined.
...Enjoy the game tonight. Feel free to contact me about potential wagers, I want to take some of you niggas money.
Holy War
President Barack Obama's recent speech at Cairo University in Egypt has garnered worldwide attention and has stirred controversy. The emergence of an alleged Bin Laden taped message, and the condemning of Obama's visit by Al-Qaeda's second in command Ayman al-Zawahiri, was filled with rhetoric implicating the world as being in the midst of a "Holy War" -
"The White House declared that Obama will send a message from Egypt to the Islamic world but they forget that his messages were already received when he visited the Western Wall and wore the Jewish yarmulke and when he prayed their prayers"
"..his administration continued to reject the appliance of the Geneva Conventions regarding Muslim prisoners in the crusade war against Islam that they call the war on terror."
"he is walking the same road of his predecessors to build enmity against Muslims and increasing the number of fighters, and establishing more lasting wars."
In order to counter the extremist Islamic views of Al Qaeda, Obama gave a calculated, well-crafted, and overall great speech. Obama's oratorical abilities are an important component of his policy to sway the Islamic opinion of the west to a more favorable one. While actions speak much louder than words - we cannot underestimate the power of oratory in influencing the minds of people. Few key quotes from the speech -
"I consider it part of my responsibility, as president of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear, but that same principle must apply to Muslim perceptions of America. Just as Muslims do not fit a crude stereotype, America is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire."
"America is not and never will be at war with Islam."
"What is also true is that in the wake of 9/11, in a whole host of our actions and sometimes in our words, America has not been as careful to distinguish our very real need to hunt down extremists who would do us harm, from broader policy or cultural differences that are best approached through diplomacy and conversation and some self-reflection on our part."
"Israelis must acknowledge that just as Israel’s right to exist cannot be denied, neither can Palestine’s. The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements. This construction violates previous agreements and undermines efforts to achieve peace. It is time for these settlements to stop."
It was extremely imperative for Obama to emphasize sympathy for the Palestinian cause, and the non-existence of a battle against Islamic ideals. Deep-rooted tensions between Islam and the west, and jihadist rhetoric have long been the recruitment tools of violent, extremist, Muslim demagogues such as al-Zawahiri and Bin Laden. Our policies toward the Middle East should be the reflection of an effort to curtail the viability of these very important tools in the war that extremists are waging against America. Obama's speech - while it may not have provided resolutions - was a critical first step in the process.
However, neo-conservative ideology that led to the Iraq War and guided the War on Terror, which in turn fueled the fire of the concept of Holy War; the subsequent backlash from the Islamic community and the rise of extremism, combined with the escalating tension of the Israel - Palestianian conflict has led me to the question... Are we truly in the midst of a modern-day crusades? Will history view the wars fought today as Holy War, regardless of the effort to diminish that viewpoint in the present?
It is truly a legitimate query.. and only time will tell..
..What do you think?
"The White House declared that Obama will send a message from Egypt to the Islamic world but they forget that his messages were already received when he visited the Western Wall and wore the Jewish yarmulke and when he prayed their prayers"
"..his administration continued to reject the appliance of the Geneva Conventions regarding Muslim prisoners in the crusade war against Islam that they call the war on terror."
"he is walking the same road of his predecessors to build enmity against Muslims and increasing the number of fighters, and establishing more lasting wars."
In order to counter the extremist Islamic views of Al Qaeda, Obama gave a calculated, well-crafted, and overall great speech. Obama's oratorical abilities are an important component of his policy to sway the Islamic opinion of the west to a more favorable one. While actions speak much louder than words - we cannot underestimate the power of oratory in influencing the minds of people. Few key quotes from the speech -
"I consider it part of my responsibility, as president of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear, but that same principle must apply to Muslim perceptions of America. Just as Muslims do not fit a crude stereotype, America is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire."
"America is not and never will be at war with Islam."
"What is also true is that in the wake of 9/11, in a whole host of our actions and sometimes in our words, America has not been as careful to distinguish our very real need to hunt down extremists who would do us harm, from broader policy or cultural differences that are best approached through diplomacy and conversation and some self-reflection on our part."
"Israelis must acknowledge that just as Israel’s right to exist cannot be denied, neither can Palestine’s. The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements. This construction violates previous agreements and undermines efforts to achieve peace. It is time for these settlements to stop."
It was extremely imperative for Obama to emphasize sympathy for the Palestinian cause, and the non-existence of a battle against Islamic ideals. Deep-rooted tensions between Islam and the west, and jihadist rhetoric have long been the recruitment tools of violent, extremist, Muslim demagogues such as al-Zawahiri and Bin Laden. Our policies toward the Middle East should be the reflection of an effort to curtail the viability of these very important tools in the war that extremists are waging against America. Obama's speech - while it may not have provided resolutions - was a critical first step in the process.
However, neo-conservative ideology that led to the Iraq War and guided the War on Terror, which in turn fueled the fire of the concept of Holy War; the subsequent backlash from the Islamic community and the rise of extremism, combined with the escalating tension of the Israel - Palestianian conflict has led me to the question... Are we truly in the midst of a modern-day crusades? Will history view the wars fought today as Holy War, regardless of the effort to diminish that viewpoint in the present?
It is truly a legitimate query.. and only time will tell..
..What do you think?
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
"Reflection"
"...Beads of sweat, second thoughts on my mind
How can I ease the stress and learn to live with these regrets this time?"
Jay-Z - 'Regrets'
As I sit back in moments of reflection, reminiscing within my mind; I feel a great sense of pride over earning my college degree, but also a deep sense of regret. Just three years ago, it was unlikely that I would even make it to this point. See, my path to graduation was an arduous task, full of personal trials and tribulations - a result of my early immaturity, depression, and lack of motivation. My high school career was characterized by my lack of concern over my future - I rarely studied, rarely did school work, rarely paid attention in class. While teachers and family members constantly tried to push me, remind me of my intelligence, the importance of a great education - I refused to acknowledge it, content in sticking to my rebellious ways. The only reason I went to college was to please my parents, who up until that point in my life, had very little to be pleased with me about; while family friends were bragging to my parents of their childrens' acceptance into Ivy League educations, they were hoping that I would just continue to go to school. The only reason I was accepted was because of a great S.A.T. score, which was not due to diligent test preparation.
I began my college career with the same attitude as I had before; doing what I could to get by, never looking ahead to what the future may hold. I soon fell deep into an abyss of alcohol consumption, and persistent partying. I was having the time of my life, living in the moment, destined for failure... inevitably it all came crashing down. I failed out of school second semester of freshman year - seemingly my life was in shambles. Still, I continued to live recklessly - my decisionmaking got worse as time progressed. Then the arrests started coming - while the charges never stuck, I was developing a rap sheet that made me look like a criminal because I chose to put myself in compromising situations. I just didn't understand that being a black man in southwest Virginia required that you proceed every situation with caution. I blamed everything under the sun for my problems other than myself. You can only imagine what my parents were going through, my mother pleaded with me; still my demeanor was "fuck the world".
I ended up getting back into school because of a glitch in the system after half a year off. It was funny because once I got back in, I wanted to succeed, but I realized that I didn't even know how to. It was discouraging; I had never developed study habits, and didn't even know the amount of effort it took to be a successful student. Albeit I was doing better, I found it difficult not to revert back into some of my old ways; I still skipped classes, and was putting school secondary to my social life. Then something happened that will forever be etched in my memory - one of my roommates disappeared for three weeks. His mother came to get his belongings, and informed me that he would be entering a rehabilitation center - I always knew he had a problem, but I never knew the extent of it - or rather I was in denial. He was my friend, he did want he wanted to do, I had never done hard drugs and I thought his cocaine use was purely recreational - I didn't know what it could do to you. When it got worse, I was forcing myself to remain incognizant. To this day I regret not doing more; by not forcing him to confront the issue I enabled the problem. His mother cried on my shoulder that day, told me to never do drugs. The emotion, the pain, and the anguish in her face was so deep, it was moving - I had an epiphany. I never wanted to put my mother in that position. All the bullshit I was putting my parents through had to stop from that moment forward.
I started to focus more on my studies, I taught myself what it would take for me to be successful, I surrounded myself with likeminded people, and I developed a thirst to learn. I realized that I was the root of my own problems, nothing else, because I ultimately had the final say in what I chose to do. My motivation at first centered around the desire to make my parents proud of me; soon I realized that I should be the focal point of my dreams. I was driven like never before to fulfill potential that I was just starting to recognize I had. Things started to look up - my academic performance went from unacceptable to excellent. Graduation was the culmination of the transformation I had made to improve myself.. I was proud of what I had accomplished, grateful that my parents never gave up on me - the true measure of a great parent. I was thankful for the great teachers, and great people I had met along the way...
...Yet, as I look back upon the college career that has come to define so much of who I am, I am consumed by waves of contrition. While I love the growth that I made as a person and a student, I wish it never had to be that way - I could have achieved so much more. Regret is an emotion that weighs heavily on the psyche, and it feels like a brick on top of mine.. I find myself searching for the answer to the existential question, "What If?"...
How can I ease the stress and learn to live with these regrets this time?"
Jay-Z - 'Regrets'
As I sit back in moments of reflection, reminiscing within my mind; I feel a great sense of pride over earning my college degree, but also a deep sense of regret. Just three years ago, it was unlikely that I would even make it to this point. See, my path to graduation was an arduous task, full of personal trials and tribulations - a result of my early immaturity, depression, and lack of motivation. My high school career was characterized by my lack of concern over my future - I rarely studied, rarely did school work, rarely paid attention in class. While teachers and family members constantly tried to push me, remind me of my intelligence, the importance of a great education - I refused to acknowledge it, content in sticking to my rebellious ways. The only reason I went to college was to please my parents, who up until that point in my life, had very little to be pleased with me about; while family friends were bragging to my parents of their childrens' acceptance into Ivy League educations, they were hoping that I would just continue to go to school. The only reason I was accepted was because of a great S.A.T. score, which was not due to diligent test preparation.
I began my college career with the same attitude as I had before; doing what I could to get by, never looking ahead to what the future may hold. I soon fell deep into an abyss of alcohol consumption, and persistent partying. I was having the time of my life, living in the moment, destined for failure... inevitably it all came crashing down. I failed out of school second semester of freshman year - seemingly my life was in shambles. Still, I continued to live recklessly - my decisionmaking got worse as time progressed. Then the arrests started coming - while the charges never stuck, I was developing a rap sheet that made me look like a criminal because I chose to put myself in compromising situations. I just didn't understand that being a black man in southwest Virginia required that you proceed every situation with caution. I blamed everything under the sun for my problems other than myself. You can only imagine what my parents were going through, my mother pleaded with me; still my demeanor was "fuck the world".
I ended up getting back into school because of a glitch in the system after half a year off. It was funny because once I got back in, I wanted to succeed, but I realized that I didn't even know how to. It was discouraging; I had never developed study habits, and didn't even know the amount of effort it took to be a successful student. Albeit I was doing better, I found it difficult not to revert back into some of my old ways; I still skipped classes, and was putting school secondary to my social life. Then something happened that will forever be etched in my memory - one of my roommates disappeared for three weeks. His mother came to get his belongings, and informed me that he would be entering a rehabilitation center - I always knew he had a problem, but I never knew the extent of it - or rather I was in denial. He was my friend, he did want he wanted to do, I had never done hard drugs and I thought his cocaine use was purely recreational - I didn't know what it could do to you. When it got worse, I was forcing myself to remain incognizant. To this day I regret not doing more; by not forcing him to confront the issue I enabled the problem. His mother cried on my shoulder that day, told me to never do drugs. The emotion, the pain, and the anguish in her face was so deep, it was moving - I had an epiphany. I never wanted to put my mother in that position. All the bullshit I was putting my parents through had to stop from that moment forward.
I started to focus more on my studies, I taught myself what it would take for me to be successful, I surrounded myself with likeminded people, and I developed a thirst to learn. I realized that I was the root of my own problems, nothing else, because I ultimately had the final say in what I chose to do. My motivation at first centered around the desire to make my parents proud of me; soon I realized that I should be the focal point of my dreams. I was driven like never before to fulfill potential that I was just starting to recognize I had. Things started to look up - my academic performance went from unacceptable to excellent. Graduation was the culmination of the transformation I had made to improve myself.. I was proud of what I had accomplished, grateful that my parents never gave up on me - the true measure of a great parent. I was thankful for the great teachers, and great people I had met along the way...
...Yet, as I look back upon the college career that has come to define so much of who I am, I am consumed by waves of contrition. While I love the growth that I made as a person and a student, I wish it never had to be that way - I could have achieved so much more. Regret is an emotion that weighs heavily on the psyche, and it feels like a brick on top of mine.. I find myself searching for the answer to the existential question, "What If?"...
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Sports Chatter
A lot of interesting things have been happening in the world of sports.. the Lakers made it to the finals, the LeBrons did not.. Rafael Nadal finally lost at the French Open, leaving the door open for Roger Federer to finally win one.. Derrick Rose cheated on his S.A.T.. among many things. So todays' chit chat is going to cover these topics, complete with my random attempts to make everything humorous - hope you enjoy.
Kobe and his band of troopers made it back to the NBA Finals (this despite the countless amount of haters, LeBron dick-riders, Nuggets and Celtics fans, and friends of a woman by the name of Katelyn Faber, who used to work at The Lodge and Spa at Cordillera hotel in Cordillera, Colorado.. who wished it would not happen.. lol). The Nuggets put up a valiant effort - I was legitly concerned earlier on in the series - we were having trouble containing Melo (who is an absolute monster and never gets credit for it), our role players we're playing horribly, and we managed to make a fucking douchebag like The Birdman look good (anyone remember when he missed 1,000,000 dunks in a row in the dunk contest? - youtube it). Still, we fought hard, finally showed some grit (yes, you, Gasol, you fucking pussy), and look as if we may steamroll our way through the finals...
...LeBron, and well, his team of LeBron, did not fare as well. LeBron did it all; shit, he averaged 38-8-8 (the kind of numbers I put up on Nba Live w/ Kobe), hit a sick buzzer-beating, three point-bomb (he had enough highlight-worthy plays in one series to create a fucking career video montage), and was D'ing up like a free safety. Too bad the Cavaliers fucking suck. Seriously, that is the biggest testament to LeBron's greatness - Do you see that squad of srubs Cavaliers management has surrounded him with? Delonte West, Wally Sczerbiak, Daniel Gibson, Ben Wallace, Joe Smith, Mo Williams, Anderson Varejao, Zydrunas Ilgauskas - no superstar has ever done so much with a core group that looks that horrible on paper. Those niggas would have trouble winning games in the D-League without Bron Bron, and yet somehow he willed these bums to the Eastern Conference finals again. LeBron probably wants to bitch-slap Carlos Boozer right about now... (*Sidenote - How does LeBron blatantly get to display bad sportsmanship under the guise of competitive nature and not get lit up by the media for it? If that was Kobe, they wouldn't have been able to shut the fuck up about it - quit giving LeBron a pass, he is just as cocky, and as big of an asshole as any other superstar)
...Don't forget the Magic.. they played the role of an underdog to perfection. Nobody gave them their due, and they shut a lot of people the fuck up. I'm not even going to front I thought they were going to lose to the Celtics - but now they look like legit title contender. It was only a matter of time before the Cavs were exposed for what they are - LeBron, and a squad of D-Leaguers masquerading as professional ball players - and the Magic were the perfect team to do so. Everyone always makes a fuss whenever teams do not play well, play back to back game 7s, and face adversity; they always hype teams up who seem to be crushing competition in the playoffs. That logic is stupid - we smashed everyone last year and look what happened, the Celtics smashed us despite playing a game 7 in every series. Adversity is a good thing, I'm glad the Rockets took us to game 7, it builds character and the players gain valuable experience - Did all you LeBron fans really think the Cavs were doing something special when they swept a Detroit team that had given up on the year mid-season and a Hawks team with a majority of their best players nursing injuries? Orlando was stuck in tough battles, learning playoff basketball and they came out a better team because of it - the Celtics series was the best thing that could've happen to them. They saw how hard the Celtics worked, how scrappy they we're, and in turn learned what it took to win a tough series. I gotta give Dwight Howard some credit too; I still think he's overrated, his post game consists of two moves, jump and dunk, and is nowhere near Shaq at the same age, but he has come up big on the big stage. Talking all that shit about his coach not letting "a dominant player be dominant" put a humongous spotlight on his play for the rest of the postseason and he has backed up his words.
..Enough of the NBA talk though, I'll make my finals prediction later (Hmmm...wonder what team that will fucking be? lol). Rafael Nadal finally lost a match at the French Open. Crazy - Before his recent loss to Robin Soderling (Who?) of all people, he had one 31 straight matches at Roland Garros. He was on a quest for an unprecedented fifth title in a row, and a place as probably the greatest player ever on clay. I thought the man was unbeatable on clay; if anyone had a chance it would be Federer, and history has shown us then even he really had no chance(0-4 against Nadal at Roland Garros the past four years, 27-0 against everyone else). Nadal might even end up as the greatest player ever, not Federer; he's only 22, already has 6 grand slams, and is likely to win plenty more before his career is all said and done. 18-20 grand slams are easily within his reach... but Federer can finally win the slam that has eluded him his entire career, even though it looked as if Nadal was going to have a stranglehold on it for the next 5 years. Still, a win this year loses a siginificant amount of luster because Federer's nemesis has been knocked out of contention. He may never say it, but I know Federer has to be disappointed that the title will not go through Nadal..
..Derrick Rose cheated on his S.A.T... Really? Who gives a fuck? If you believe that pro prospects in basketball and football don't get perks, monetary and otherwise, you are fucking oblivious. Shit, LeBron did it, OJ Mayo did it, Jesus Shuttlesworth refused it (that is why He Got Game was such a great movie, it has an element of realness - elite prospects would be getting money thrown at them from every which way, and have butt-naked big titty bitches laid up in bed on their college visits begging to get fucked; I sincerely believe that is how it is - Why you think Stephon Marbury is so fucked up?). Academic misconduct by athletes has been going on for years, and the new wave of one-and-done players, like Rose and Mayo, will only add fuel to the fire. These guys see college as just a pit stop before superstardom, they have no reason to even go to class their last semester in school. Everything in our society caters to the ability of an athlete - admission standards are lower for athletes compared to regular students at almost every major university in the United States not named Notre Dame (And you wonder why they suck at football.. And how did fucking A.I.'s ghetto, ignorant ass get to go to Georgetown over numerous more qualified candidates?). If your a nigga and you are strong, can run fast, jump high - nobody gives a fuck how intelligent you are. They want the money, and the attention that great athletes bring to their universities - they use the black athlete and throw their duty as educators out the window. It's fucked up because niggas are not given the incentive to study as well as they play sports. They know they can do whatever they want and not have to deal with the consequences because everyone is fascinated by their athletic ability. If this is the system we use, then what is all the fucking hoopla about everytime allegations surface about a famous athlete's misconduct? We want these guys to act this way, in fact we fucking encourage it - if we want them to start honing their minds with the same dedication as they hone their bodies, then we need a fucking overhaul of the whole system. If not, then everyone just needs to shut the fuck up..
..and I'm out, next time I'll give ya'll my Nba Finals preview.
Kobe and his band of troopers made it back to the NBA Finals (this despite the countless amount of haters, LeBron dick-riders, Nuggets and Celtics fans, and friends of a woman by the name of Katelyn Faber, who used to work at The Lodge and Spa at Cordillera hotel in Cordillera, Colorado.. who wished it would not happen.. lol). The Nuggets put up a valiant effort - I was legitly concerned earlier on in the series - we were having trouble containing Melo (who is an absolute monster and never gets credit for it), our role players we're playing horribly, and we managed to make a fucking douchebag like The Birdman look good (anyone remember when he missed 1,000,000 dunks in a row in the dunk contest? - youtube it). Still, we fought hard, finally showed some grit (yes, you, Gasol, you fucking pussy), and look as if we may steamroll our way through the finals...
...LeBron, and well, his team of LeBron, did not fare as well. LeBron did it all; shit, he averaged 38-8-8 (the kind of numbers I put up on Nba Live w/ Kobe), hit a sick buzzer-beating, three point-bomb (he had enough highlight-worthy plays in one series to create a fucking career video montage), and was D'ing up like a free safety. Too bad the Cavaliers fucking suck. Seriously, that is the biggest testament to LeBron's greatness - Do you see that squad of srubs Cavaliers management has surrounded him with? Delonte West, Wally Sczerbiak, Daniel Gibson, Ben Wallace, Joe Smith, Mo Williams, Anderson Varejao, Zydrunas Ilgauskas - no superstar has ever done so much with a core group that looks that horrible on paper. Those niggas would have trouble winning games in the D-League without Bron Bron, and yet somehow he willed these bums to the Eastern Conference finals again. LeBron probably wants to bitch-slap Carlos Boozer right about now... (*Sidenote - How does LeBron blatantly get to display bad sportsmanship under the guise of competitive nature and not get lit up by the media for it? If that was Kobe, they wouldn't have been able to shut the fuck up about it - quit giving LeBron a pass, he is just as cocky, and as big of an asshole as any other superstar)
...Don't forget the Magic.. they played the role of an underdog to perfection. Nobody gave them their due, and they shut a lot of people the fuck up. I'm not even going to front I thought they were going to lose to the Celtics - but now they look like legit title contender. It was only a matter of time before the Cavs were exposed for what they are - LeBron, and a squad of D-Leaguers masquerading as professional ball players - and the Magic were the perfect team to do so. Everyone always makes a fuss whenever teams do not play well, play back to back game 7s, and face adversity; they always hype teams up who seem to be crushing competition in the playoffs. That logic is stupid - we smashed everyone last year and look what happened, the Celtics smashed us despite playing a game 7 in every series. Adversity is a good thing, I'm glad the Rockets took us to game 7, it builds character and the players gain valuable experience - Did all you LeBron fans really think the Cavs were doing something special when they swept a Detroit team that had given up on the year mid-season and a Hawks team with a majority of their best players nursing injuries? Orlando was stuck in tough battles, learning playoff basketball and they came out a better team because of it - the Celtics series was the best thing that could've happen to them. They saw how hard the Celtics worked, how scrappy they we're, and in turn learned what it took to win a tough series. I gotta give Dwight Howard some credit too; I still think he's overrated, his post game consists of two moves, jump and dunk, and is nowhere near Shaq at the same age, but he has come up big on the big stage. Talking all that shit about his coach not letting "a dominant player be dominant" put a humongous spotlight on his play for the rest of the postseason and he has backed up his words.
..Enough of the NBA talk though, I'll make my finals prediction later (Hmmm...wonder what team that will fucking be? lol). Rafael Nadal finally lost a match at the French Open. Crazy - Before his recent loss to Robin Soderling (Who?) of all people, he had one 31 straight matches at Roland Garros. He was on a quest for an unprecedented fifth title in a row, and a place as probably the greatest player ever on clay. I thought the man was unbeatable on clay; if anyone had a chance it would be Federer, and history has shown us then even he really had no chance(0-4 against Nadal at Roland Garros the past four years, 27-0 against everyone else). Nadal might even end up as the greatest player ever, not Federer; he's only 22, already has 6 grand slams, and is likely to win plenty more before his career is all said and done. 18-20 grand slams are easily within his reach... but Federer can finally win the slam that has eluded him his entire career, even though it looked as if Nadal was going to have a stranglehold on it for the next 5 years. Still, a win this year loses a siginificant amount of luster because Federer's nemesis has been knocked out of contention. He may never say it, but I know Federer has to be disappointed that the title will not go through Nadal..
..Derrick Rose cheated on his S.A.T... Really? Who gives a fuck? If you believe that pro prospects in basketball and football don't get perks, monetary and otherwise, you are fucking oblivious. Shit, LeBron did it, OJ Mayo did it, Jesus Shuttlesworth refused it (that is why He Got Game was such a great movie, it has an element of realness - elite prospects would be getting money thrown at them from every which way, and have butt-naked big titty bitches laid up in bed on their college visits begging to get fucked; I sincerely believe that is how it is - Why you think Stephon Marbury is so fucked up?). Academic misconduct by athletes has been going on for years, and the new wave of one-and-done players, like Rose and Mayo, will only add fuel to the fire. These guys see college as just a pit stop before superstardom, they have no reason to even go to class their last semester in school. Everything in our society caters to the ability of an athlete - admission standards are lower for athletes compared to regular students at almost every major university in the United States not named Notre Dame (And you wonder why they suck at football.. And how did fucking A.I.'s ghetto, ignorant ass get to go to Georgetown over numerous more qualified candidates?). If your a nigga and you are strong, can run fast, jump high - nobody gives a fuck how intelligent you are. They want the money, and the attention that great athletes bring to their universities - they use the black athlete and throw their duty as educators out the window. It's fucked up because niggas are not given the incentive to study as well as they play sports. They know they can do whatever they want and not have to deal with the consequences because everyone is fascinated by their athletic ability. If this is the system we use, then what is all the fucking hoopla about everytime allegations surface about a famous athlete's misconduct? We want these guys to act this way, in fact we fucking encourage it - if we want them to start honing their minds with the same dedication as they hone their bodies, then we need a fucking overhaul of the whole system. If not, then everyone just needs to shut the fuck up..
..and I'm out, next time I'll give ya'll my Nba Finals preview.
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