Saturday, May 29, 2010
Don't Be This Girl
"A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment." -Jane Austen, from Pride and Prejudice
Have you ever heard one of your female friends say the following? More importantly, have YOU ever said any of them?
1. "I just met my future husband."
2. "I knew he was The One the moment I saw him!"
3. "I'm the girl for him, he just doesn't know it yet." (My personal least favorite).
4. "I know we barely know each other, but its meant to be."
Don't be this girl.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Celtics vs. Lakers: A History
The 2010 NBA playoffs have had far too many sweeps. There really hasn't been enough close games for the fans to enjoy. We can only hope that the Celtics-Lakers rivalry brings out a full blown, 7 game final series match-up. Now, it isn't official, but lets be honest. Does anyone outside of Arizona think the Suns could take the series? No. And we all know that even though the Celts may have lost this evening in OT, they are going to take the Eastern Conference Championship. So, with that approach...
The Celtics (with 17) and Lakers (with 15) have won more than half of all NBA championships. When the Finals are over this year, the Celts and the Lakers will have combined to have won 52 percent (33 of 64) of all NBA titles. They have played against each other in the finals 11 times with Boston winning nine, most recently in 2008.
The rivalry has spanned generations.
The Lakers were still playing in the land of 10,000 lakes (hence the name) when the Red Auerbach/Bill Russell Celtics first met them in the Finals. It was a four-game sweep for Boston at the old Boston Garden. It was the first of seven meetings involving Russell and the Lakers and the Celtics won it every time.
It was 1962 when the Lakers met the Celtics for the second time, this time in Los Angeles. The Lakers pushed Boston to a seventh game and L.A. had a chance to win it, but Frank Selvy took a buzzer-beater that somehow got the win and the Celtics, of course, won the series in overtime.
From 1959-66 the Celtics won eight consecutive championships and four times they beat the Lakers in the Finals.
L.A. grew more frustrated toward the end of the 1960s. The Celtics looked old and vulnerable (hmmm... sound familiar?) in 1968, but still managed to beat L.A. in six games.
The 1969 Lakers had West, Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain. They went 8-1 in their first two playoff series. The Celtics were a 48-34 team with six players over 30 (same as this year). Los Angeles won the first two games of the series. At that time, no team in NBA history had lost a Finals series after winning the first two games.
Boston battled back and before Game 7, Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke lined the Forum ceiling with balloons and even had hired the USC marching band to play "Happy Days Are Here Again" when the Lakers won.
But the Lakers lost. Again. Chamberlain took himself out of the game in the fourth quarter and never returned. Russell won his 11th championship in 13 seasons, his seventh against the Lakers.
The rivals did not meet again until Larry Bird and Magic Johnson revived the NBA in the 1980s. In 1984, the Celtics and Lakers played for the first time since the 1969 Russell-Chamberlain finale and produced one of the greatest series in NBA history. Unfortunately for folks in L.A., the Lakers lost again (starting to see a trend?).
One year later there was redemption for Magic, Worthy and coach Pat Riley. After losing eight consecutive Finals to the hated Celtics, the Lakers won the championship in the old Boston Garden in six games. It remains the career highlight for Riley, Magic and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Boston and L.A. met three times in four years with the Lakers winning the series in six games in 1987.
That was it for the Celtics. They didn't get back to the Finals until 2008 and then the rivalry was renewed- they returned to the championship round to play the Lakers. Once again, the Lakers were favored by just about everyone. And just like in the old days, the Celtics won it all. Paul Pierce outplayed Kobe Bryant and Boston won it in six games. The Lakers were a disgrace at the finish. Boston ran to a 43-point lead, winning the finale, 131-92. It was embarrassing for Kobe and Pau Gasol.
The defending champions, the Lakers, are still angry about their “six-game sweep” from two years ago. The Celtics would love to prove to the world—and especially to the Lakers—that had they been at full-strength last season, they’d be shooting for a third straight title right now.
There are 10 Lakers on the current roster who were on the team that lost by 39 points in the deciding Game Six two years ago. They want it bad.
Eight Celtics still remain from their title team—including all five starters. They need to prove themselves.
Now the Lakers are back and they'll have home court advantage. L.A. is feeling good about its chances.
But have you seen a trend? The Celtics will likely find a way to win this one, too.
Monday, May 17, 2010
YouTube turns 5!
There are 2, maybe 3 videos of myself on the site, out of a staggering 120 million total.
There are about 200,000 new videos uploaded everyday.
It would take you over 600 years to watch all of the videos.
Over 12% of the videos violate copyright laws.
5 of my personal favorite youtube videos:
1. Twilight Trailer Spoof from Hummpy
2. Nut Shot (not actually a favorite at all, but this is my brother, getting hit in the nuts with a drumstick. Only in the days of youtube could I share this with the blogging world.
3. Miley Cyrus Virus Rap
4. Potter Puppet Pals: The Mysterious Ticking Noise
5. Charlie bit my finger (an obvious classic)
There are about 200,000 new videos uploaded everyday.
It would take you over 600 years to watch all of the videos.
Over 12% of the videos violate copyright laws.
5 of my personal favorite youtube videos:
1. Twilight Trailer Spoof from Hummpy
2. Nut Shot (not actually a favorite at all, but this is my brother, getting hit in the nuts with a drumstick. Only in the days of youtube could I share this with the blogging world.
3. Miley Cyrus Virus Rap
4. Potter Puppet Pals: The Mysterious Ticking Noise
5. Charlie bit my finger (an obvious classic)
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Don't Doubt The Celtics
"We didn't say we wanted to come into this season and beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs. Our goal has been the championship."
- Paul Pierce
Two years ago the Boston Celtics won the NBA championship for the first time since the days of Bird, McHale, and Parish. Because of the old age of the new Big Three, Garnett and thirtysomething partners Paul Pierce and Ray Allen (elderly for the NBA), many people assumed this was a "one more time" thing. But here the Celts are again, one series victory in the Eastern Conference finals from another trip to the league finals, helped along by the new talent found in Rajon Rondo, the renewed health of Garnett and a dominating defensive team beat "King" LeBron James. America, don't doubt the Celtics.
"I know it sounds crazy, but I thought we were phenomenal in training camp. I thought we looked better in training camp than we did two years ago, quite honestly," Rivers said. "As a team, I thought we were close, we started out great, and then we fell apart with injuries and all kinds of other issues. But you could see that everybody wanted to get back. It was tough the last three weeks of the season because we had to make a choice. But it was the only bet. That was the only way we're going to be able to try to win this -- by guys being healthy."
Now, the Celtics are performing like a team that could win its second trophy in three seasons!
"I'm really not that proud of this, truthfully, because our goal was to win a championship," Pierce said of eliminating James and the Cavaliers. "We didn't say we wanted to come into this season and beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs. Our goal has been the championship. We can be excited for one night, winning a game, winning a series, but I don't look at it like this made our season. The only thing that's going to make our season, to be honest, is winning a championship".
"The big thing with Doc, he just kept faith," Kendrick Perkins said. "I know we ended the regular season on a bad note, but at the end of the day it starts over in the playoffs. We came together at the right time in the playoffs. All it takes is a couple of games to get your stride back, and guys were locked in."
Go Celtics!
- Paul Pierce
Two years ago the Boston Celtics won the NBA championship for the first time since the days of Bird, McHale, and Parish. Because of the old age of the new Big Three, Garnett and thirtysomething partners Paul Pierce and Ray Allen (elderly for the NBA), many people assumed this was a "one more time" thing. But here the Celts are again, one series victory in the Eastern Conference finals from another trip to the league finals, helped along by the new talent found in Rajon Rondo, the renewed health of Garnett and a dominating defensive team beat "King" LeBron James. America, don't doubt the Celtics.
"I know it sounds crazy, but I thought we were phenomenal in training camp. I thought we looked better in training camp than we did two years ago, quite honestly," Rivers said. "As a team, I thought we were close, we started out great, and then we fell apart with injuries and all kinds of other issues. But you could see that everybody wanted to get back. It was tough the last three weeks of the season because we had to make a choice. But it was the only bet. That was the only way we're going to be able to try to win this -- by guys being healthy."
Now, the Celtics are performing like a team that could win its second trophy in three seasons!
"I'm really not that proud of this, truthfully, because our goal was to win a championship," Pierce said of eliminating James and the Cavaliers. "We didn't say we wanted to come into this season and beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs. Our goal has been the championship. We can be excited for one night, winning a game, winning a series, but I don't look at it like this made our season. The only thing that's going to make our season, to be honest, is winning a championship".
"The big thing with Doc, he just kept faith," Kendrick Perkins said. "I know we ended the regular season on a bad note, but at the end of the day it starts over in the playoffs. We came together at the right time in the playoffs. All it takes is a couple of games to get your stride back, and guys were locked in."
Go Celtics!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Watch Your Tweets
While attempting to convince a few friends to sign up for a Twitter account, one friend declined saying "If I get a Twitter it will just be one more thing people can hold against me when I run for office." We all laughed, but she definitely has a point. Our future leaders will probably have embarrassing MySpace, Facebook or Twitter posts that will come back to haunt them when they decide to make something of their lives.
In addition, the following story explains why you should be careful what you say on the Internet, unless you want to find yourself with a criminal record and a bill for $1,500. That's the lesson a British man may be learning today after a court found him guilty of "sending a threatening message".
According to The Register, Paul Chambers posted a message on Twitter last January, when the airport he was set to fly out of the next week closed due to weather, threatening to blow it "sky high".
The Tweet: "Crap! Robin Hood Airport is closed. You've got a week and a bit to get your shit together otherwise I'm blowing the airport sky high!"
Although the tweet was never taken as a credible threat, according to a manager at the airport who found the tweet and testified at the trial, Chambers was prosecuted and today was found guilty.
The Telegraph reports that a district judge ruled that the tweet was "of a menacing nature in the context of the times in which we live". The Telegraph writes that "district judge Jonathan Bennett found Chambers guilty of sending a message by means of a public electronic message that was grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character contrary to the Communications Act 2003."
Chambers not only has to pay nearly $1,500 in fines but lost his job as an accountant trainee due to the prosecution. Chambers has been tweeting about the situation all day today, responding to questions and other tweets. In one tweet, he says that he is "Currently considering an appeal. Half of me just wants it to be over, the other half is indignant."
While Chambers called the tweet "innocuous hyperbole", we have to wonder how he hopes to argue his case. Even in the U.S. under the First Ammendment, incitement to violence is not protected. At the same time, if someone says aloud, in anger, "I'm so mad, I could kill..." or something according to those lines, should they be prosecuted for making death threats? How about if they tweet it? Is it a matter of how public or permanent the statement is?
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Ridiculous Rap Lyrics
I secretly (or not so secretly) want to be a rapper. I already have 2 potential names: K-Phizz or K-Frenzy. Rappers can say completely ridiculous things and get away with it. MOST ridiculous in my opinion?
1. "Call me Mr. Flintstone, I can make your bed rock" -Young Money/Lil' Wayne, Bedrock
2. "How it feel to wake up and be the shit and the urine?" -Kanye West, Swagga Like Us
3. "Call me George Foreman cuz I'm selling everybody grillz" -Nelly, Grillz
4. "Baby, you're looking fine, I'll have you open all night like an Ihop" -Timbaland/JT, Carry Out
5. "My name ain't Bic, but I keep that flame" -Lil' Wayne, A Milli
6. "Take it off, let it flop, shake it freely" -Bubba Sparxxx, Ms. New Booty
7. "I'm Santa Claus, didn't you hear? Tell Johnny Saint Dick what you want this year" -Ying Yang Twins, Drop
8. "Jesus Christ had dreads, so shake em. I ain't got none, but I'm planning on growing some" -E-40, Tell Me When To Go
9. "Got a Bill in my mouth like I'm Hilary Rodham" -Grillz, Nelly
10. "She walkin' around lookin' like Michael with ya money. Shoulda' got that insured, GEICO for ya money" -Kanye West, Gold Digger.
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