I think its that time of the year to make a list of what I want for Christmas. In no specific order:
1. Blackberry 9900. Actually, I just want another smartphone. But, there is this chance that I will be able to have this one come December 8. My mom just bought this 2 weeks ago, but when in Vietnam, she found out that mobile providers in Vietnam actually charge a lot for BB service. So she decided to get another one, and that I buy BB 9900 from her instead. Yay for me! An installment-mode of payment with no specific time table. LOL.
Est. Price: P 31,000+
2. Kung Fu Panda 2: Kinect for Xbox 360. My Kinect is actually gathering dust because I don't like my Kinect Adventures. Though I have completed a considerable amount of levels, the game looks stale as you go through obstacle courses again and again. I fell in love when I watched the movie, and am intrigued with this relatively well-reviewed Kinect Game.
Est. Price: P1,800
3. Gold Membership at Xbox Live. I love every bit of my Xbox 360. However, I am not able to maximize the whole capacity of my console or have a total gaming experience as I am playing offline. It would be a blast to get this one. I may eventually get this but its currently out of the budget. It would be really appreciated if someone gets this one for me. Thaaanks!!!! Lol.
Est. Price: P2,500
4. PBA Tickets. Now this one is the more "realistic" wish among the things in the list. I want to watch PBA courtside! December 2 is a great schedule to watch courtside as power teams will be playing. Gary David, Asi Taulava, Mark Caguioa, Jayjay Helterbrand, Arwind Santos are just some of the athletes playing that night. But in any other case. I wouldn't mind any game as long as its courtside. Of course, it would be greatly appreciated if its for 2 pax. What better way than to enjoy the game with someone!
Brace. Check.
Wheelchair. Check.
Game face. Check.
Look likes everything is set.
Open the gates,
gather all media you can get
I've done this all my life,
I can always pretend,
Ive done that in '04
I can always defend
myself through the lawyers
I can rent and pay
there is nothing you can do
I can always get away
before I get convicted
for the things that I've done
Farewell Philippines,
I'll be long gone.
When I entered into politics,
I have killed since
my litte Jiminy,
who rants about my sins.
Without that little prick
I never had to bother
nor think about the country
nor the rights of others.
What's more,
I'm lucky for sure
my nose does not lengthen
when I tell a lie or four.
All I'm now missing
is a low rider for the show
'cause I own
the "Lie, Cheat, Steal" phrase
not Eddie Guerrero.
No one can stop us,
not even two nor three,
not even four,
and not Lima definitely.
I have the SC behind me,
with all my midnight appointees
But wait,
who the hell is this Pasay RTC!
No warrant can defy my
plans of wanting to fly
Singapore, Hong Kong,
Turkey and back,
'Yes we can!'
Ramona and I
will say it with Barack.
I'll pull a Leonardo on all of you,
you'll be wondering where I went,
I leave you a note saying
I have gone, and I'll repent
This time I really will,
This is really real,
I'll put my life on the line,
For when I die,
I'd lie still.
But sick or well,
I won't care about hell
I'd will not comeback for you all
All we have to lose,
is Atty. Topacio's balls after all.
Leaving.
Isn't it an awkward feeling?
To act like everything is alright but deep down you're just trying
to be okay, to seem fine like nothing ever happened
but you know you will leave some people still disappointed.
Still you know its better this way,
to create a path of your own with no one else to blame
but yourself on wherever you might end up
Be glad these tough decisions will help you grow up.
You may feel like Peter Pan
wandering around searching for a better place than Neverland
You will leave your wild "boys" behind, and its sad
but unless you leave, you'll never mature on that island
Comfort zones have a funny way of making us mediocre,
where there are no challenges, we become weaker
contentment comes faster,
complacency then becomes a factor,
without any accomplishments, we somehow feel better.
But when you sleep at night, before you close your eyes,
you think about the progress, what was done during the time
you spent over the past weeks
you spent over the past days,
then you ask, are you now better than yesterday?
This is the insatiable need of man,
The emptying of the cup, learning a new craft
But the pursuit of perfection, and honing of the wit
is not as rewarding with no one to share it with.
So as you find niche, find your place,
Leave Neverland, push to be great
wherever you may land, strive to do well,
But dont forget your partner:
Your own Tinkerbell.
When young, the saying "You cant please everyone" is often stated, but seldom understood. Sometimes, it even serves as an excuse, or as a justification to a decision. We try to rationalize the consequences of an action through this quote, saying that everything is okay even when not. When somebody would question our line of thought, we could just easily blurb this out.
As a political scientist, this even represents a simple majority, or the concept of democracy in one hand. Those who oppose fall victim to the tyranny of the many.You can even squeeze in the concept of utilitarianism - the greatest good for the greater number of people. Whatever the case maybe, the saying actually is a simple lesson in life.
The lesson is: You can't please everyone.
I really dont know where I went there. The 'stream of consciousness' writing style has again sucked me in. My rant above is also a reflection of my frustation maybe. I miss intellectual discussions. I miss being a student. I miss academic learning. And yes, academic is there for a reason to qualify what I miss. I know that there learning is ubiquitous, unending. But I miss the university-based learning. See, I over explained myself again.
In reality, I thought about the quote as I face another a dilemma. Life is actually unfair. There are no easy decisions. Bummer. I just resigned from work. Now having a new one. Seems like I disappointed people in my current company as we are in the crucial stage of the year having December as the peak of client servicing. But I really can't let opportunities pass me by. I cannot see myself doing insurance work for a long time. I don't see myself as a client manager 2 years from now. I really don't know what I want yet, but at least I know that I don't want this.
Next week, I will be starting my job as a Research Analyst for the Philippine Institute of Development Studies. This is closer to politics, to political science, closer to what I want as a career track. If I will have the chance to teach, my experience in PIDS will help me for sure.
I am just a little bothered about the people I will leave. I really don't want to burn bridges as I still owe it to them for giving me my first job experience. Though I might have picked the wrong time to resign, I really just wish my boss and my team the best.
Oh well, if they are really disappointed, you know what they say: You Cant Please Everyone.
Please disregard the porma too. :) This picture was taken March of 2008. Lol. I miss the hair sometimes, but not really the get-up. That's loose pants, with matching long belts which hang from your waist to your knee, and a climber's belt bag strapped to your behind. Oha? Model na model.
Iba sana gusto ko mangyari kanina. A part of me wanted na wala ng bus. Na mastranded ulit tayo. Na maulit yung dati. Yung araw na we had the chance to be with each other lang. Na magkwentuhan lang.
The day I fell in love with you.
Kaso mushy e. With gummy worms and all.
Ironically we were strangers kanina. And even though little did we talk, I realized something.
I really dont need to be reminded of that day. I dont need to remember how I fell for you. You know why?
Cause I still am. Im still falling for you each and everyday. And Im loving every moment of it.
This is our first to forever. And I promise you. No one will ever love you as much as I do. Im here to stay. Iloveyou. :)
I really would be lying if I will say that I am enjoying my Summer Practicum. Among others, this is one of the decisions I have made that I wish I could have reconsidered, that I could have taken a different route. For some reason, picking Ombudsman seemed to be not so bad after all. I was expecting to work with legal matters, have a look at how cases are being handled, and why cases are not being solved. However, it was not what I expected it to be.
Sadly, we were narrowed down to clerical work. Worse, the things we encode are not even related to the course, or to the cases that the Ombudsman is handling. We were assigned to different divisions. Accounting and HR divisions for some. For us, we were assigned to the General Services Department.
The worst feeling about this is that we were confined to administrative work that is basic to all offices. Inventories, encoding, evaluation of staff, etc. I bet other government offices also have these stuff, and even my classmates are also doing it. But at least they have to read materials related to the course. Human rights cases for example, or about ASEAN. Me? Telephone numbers, bills to be paid, etc.
Well, Im just really disappointed. But I need to do my job. The worst part is I dont feel socially relevant. Maybe this is the UP in me. This is what Prof. Tuazon meant on his message to the seniors, that there is a greater society to be served.
If there is one thing that is good about this experience, its the knowledge and the realization that I want to be a person that does a job that affects people's lives, serving the people, the poor just like what my brother and mom does. I might work in an NGO, doing project proposals, progress reports, wooing donors. Still, it is with that knowledge that with my work, Im changing the society in one way.
Its just that I want a work not only to earn means for living. At the same time, I hope I can make a dent in the society. At the end of the day, I want that feeling that I did something not only for myself, but for my country, and for other people as well.
written when I was still a freshie (?). great experience with friends. embarrassing though. still, memorable. :)
***
Nakasakay ka na ba sa MRT na lampas ng North Ave?? O Nakahiga ka na ba sa upuan nito?? O tumakbo-takbo sa loob nito? O di kaya'y sumigaw? Eh umiyak? Eh maligaw?
Lupet noh??!)
We were from Boni that day, Kim, Nove, Gay and I were on our way home from interviewing World War II survivors as a part of our History I project. Just like any ordinary day, any usual routine, we bought our tickets and waited for our train at the center platform of Boni station to TafT. We talked about a lot of things while we waited with bated breath for the train to arrive. Nag-aasaran pa kami nun. Nung dumating ang train, di kami sumakay kasi naman puno. Sabi pa ng mga girls kong kasama parang boyfriend na nila lahat ang mga lalake dun kapag sumakay sila sa MRT na sobrang sikip. Kung wala ka raw BF, sumakay ka sa MRT at makipagsiksikan at pagbaba mo tiyak meron nah.
So, after the first train, un, naghintay na naman kami for sometime. Gay was anxious to get home kasi nga may curfew nman sa dorm niya at kelangan pa nyang magnet. So nung mapansin naming medyo maluwang na ang sumunod na train, sumakay na kami.
My watch struck 8:00 pm nung makadalawang station na kami. Naalala ko pa kasi when the door opened, a bunch of men entered. Sabay naman hirit ni Kim, "Ayan na ang mga boyfriends namin!". Sabay tawa naman kami lahat.
Silence. I believe there was some moment of dead air or baka nakalimutan ko lang na may pinag-uusapan kami because of the proceeding moments. Kim noticed iba na un billboards na nakikita nya. She was the one we usually call the "LRT girl" kasi di na humahawak. Parang nag-susurfing lang sa beach. Siya rin yung parang memorize lahat ng stations. Ayun nagtaka si LRT girl. Then, all of the sudden, "SANTOLAN STATION".
DAMN, we were going the WRONG way!!!
Anu ba yan?? We were going to Taft but un ang nangyari. Di na tuloy masagot ni Nove ang mom nya nung tinanong xa, "Neng, asan na kau?". Ano ang sasabihin nya?? "Quezon City na poh"???
The next big move now was to get down from the train and transfer. I was gonna get out of the train the next station we reached when Kim said to wait for a station that has a center platform like in Boni to transfer easier. Station after staion, we looked outside the window hoping our eyes will see a center paltform. Pero, parang nakkiisa ang mga engineers ng MRT sa kamalasan namin at walng center paltform. Until we reached North Ave, the last station.
Bumaba kami, we were left with no choice na kasi. I think we stood for about a second there at the door, thinking what to do next. Especially ako, na walang kaalam-alam sa mga ganito. Wala naman kasing MRT sa Davao noh. Ung feeling ko that time di ko alam ang gagawin ko, or san pupunta, or what now. By this time, Gay way crying. Crying because of inis siguro. Nasira ko kasi ung sched niya. She was also saying when we were in Boni kung tama ba ung sasakyan namin. Tapos un, wala namang komontra. Kaya ako sinunod nila.
Dinaan nalang namin sa tawa ang aming mga kalokohan. Ang gulo namin as in. We went to the engineer of the train, asking what to do now. He asked as to board the train again at iikot anman daw to. After hearing those words, DamN, ang saya namin. Pumasok kami sa MRT na walng tao. We did thigs na di magagawa sa MRT during normal days. Humiga si Kim sa upuan. Tumakbo-takbo kami. Sumigaw, ewan. Dala siguro ng hiya at something overwhelmed sa katangahan namin. Sayang di na namin naisip magpicture-picture noon. Kasi naman, we were caught up in the moment.
Approxiamtely 8:25 PM na nun. The train went past North Ave station and switched track. First time ko nakita kung paano ba bumalik ang mga trains, or ano ang nasa dulo ng MRT. Syempre, there was an eerie feeling. Madilim ang labas. Bumukas kusa ang mga pintuan kahit walang istasyon. A cold draft swept past us. Tapos, the light flactuated pa. Sabay labas ni Kuya driver leaving us with the words "Dyan na kayo!".
Un naman pala lilipat sa kabilang dulo ng train. Muntik ko ng makalimutan, reversible nga naman pala ang trains.
At last, we were on our way home. Though, it was a longer trip than what we expected when we were in Boni, the experience is not worth the P 12.00 we spent on our cards. Not even close. Siguro we were so pressured on the things we were going to do when we get home. All the paperworks, homeworks, and other requirements were on our minds. We talked about it a lot kaya un, God found a way to help us lighten up.
The smiles we had that time, the laughter that everyone heard when we realized what was happening, the tears we shed inside the train will forever remain in our memories. Nasa cellphone pa namin un. Naka-Reminder. September 23, 2007, The MRT Story. Ang araw na pinaglaruan kami ng kapalaran at napagtripan ng kamalasan. It was horrible mistake that at least had a happy ending.
Ewan, napaisip tuloy ako, it made me realize...
Life is not about the number of right directions you take, its about the number of times you turned around and got back on the right track after every wrong turn.
Marami atang nagrereklamong bored sila lately. Well, not the case for me. Siguro sasabihin ko lang na bored, pero hindi in a pa-reklamo way. LOL. Bakit? HAHA. Kasi, narealize ko nung last week ng semester na to, MAS MABUTI NG BORED KESA SA TOXIC.
HAHA. Tingnan naman kasi. Ito yung schedule nun oh.
Political Science 182 exam -- Monday
Political Science 163 exam -- Tuesday
Philosophy 171 exam -- Wednesday
Political Science 178 finals (pageant) -- Thursday
Political Science 199 Exam -- Saturday
Political Science 199 Research Proposal -- Tuesday
Lahat yan soobrang hirap. Lahat sobrang kelangan pag-isipan. Lahat sobrang kelangan pag-aralan. HAHA. Sabay-sabay diba?
So kung bored ka, isipin mo yung mga oras na wala kang panahon maging bored. Let's be thankful nalang kasi bored tayo. We still have the liberty to choose what to do with our time. We are not compelled to accomplish tasks, nor are there deadlines to meet.
Instead of writing a reaction paper, or conceptualizing the thrust of my research paper, eto... lost na naman ako sa cyberspace. Andami ko sanang gagawin kaso, ewan ba, movie marathon lang ako the wholeday, tas bum na. Tas konting Facebook at Formspring, and boooom -- alas 7 na pala ng gabi. Ano ba kasi ang mga dapat kong gawin?
Research paper sa IR
Exam sa IR
Reaction Paper sa HRD
Mag-aral para sa STAT exam this Saturday (I repeat, this Saturday)
WOW. Nakatulong ah. Come to think of it. Konti lang naman pala. HAHAHAHA. Kelangan lang pala mag-rant para makalma. Di pa naman ako nagpapanic though. Crammer naman talaga ako. And I want to change this attitude. Kaso, ayun procrastination gets in the way. Di ko magawang iprocrastinate ang procrastination. BOOOO. Hayaa na. It gets me pumped up in a way pag ganito.
I still have one month to go to do much better for this sem. Lost pa ako eh. Di ko pa grasp ang sem. I mean, vacation mode pa rin. Tsk tsk tsk. Anyway. Hope makayanan na gawin lahat to. Thanks all. :D
It has really been a long time before I have last posted something in this blog. Though I have said a million times to update this blog regularly, the lack of will and passion to do so serve as hindrances. Nonetheless, in order to get my mind straight, and of course, to keep my sanity intact, I will once again renew that vow.
A great topic still eludes me. This is for my PS 172: Comparative Politics and Government of European Nations. The first part of the course description is okay, however, what makes this more tasking is the fact that it concerns Europe. And let us face it, the continent has not really been of much discussion in who-counts-how-many years of education.
Of course, it must be established first that in order to select a topic, a considerable amount of knowledge must be present. Otherwise, all you can think of are topics which have been long discussed and debated, and are common already. That is if you want to have a new and innovative topic.
And actually, that is what I want. Though there is nothing wrong in choosing a common topic, but you have to admit that a sense of fulfillment is achieved when a great topic is selected and discussed fully. I want to venture to other things, wherein only a few people have seen. But the real obstacle is I really don’t know a whole freaking lot about Europe. And now I am still reading more about it.
As the deadline is fast approaching, the pressure mounts in choosing my topic well. But I have to admit though, adding to what I said earlier, even considerable knowledge of a field does not warrant a great and novel topic for research. This has long been my problem as the papers i have written have somewhat added to the bulk of related articles dedicated to it (Federalism, Democratization through Economic Development — though the latter is not as common as the former). I want to break this trend of doing so.
With limited time, I hope I can find something good and interesting to write about. Something so good and cool that this can serve as a preliminary output for my ’seminar paper’ — AKA thesis.
Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, Niccolo Machiavelli, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke,Adam Smith, John Stuart Mill, Karl Marx, Immanuel Kant and many more – they are some of the world’s famous philosophers. They are the people who made a mark and changed how the way the human beings think and perceive things. They envisioned a world beyond our sights and develop a branch of knowledge that is widely to be studied today. However, these people mentioned above have one more thing in common besides philosophy in their blood, they are all of the same sex – they are all MEN.
Today, philosophy is usually defined as the “study of the most general and abstract features of the world and categories with which we think: mind, matter, reason, proof, truth etc. In philosophy, the concepts by which we approach the world themselves become the topic of enquiry" (Blackburn, 1994). To put it simply, Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 – 43 B.C.), one of Romans best, simply defines it as “love for wisdom”. However, as we go through each and every philosopher in our education today, it is disturbing to notice that there are few women who are included in the list of the philosophers we study. And as seen in the definition, there is no reason for women not to study philosophy as well.
Personally, and also based on the stories of first women philosophers, I think culture and tradition during the early times played a vital role in this disparity between gender. Dr. Kate Lindemann, Ph.D. (2007),a professor emerita of philosophy at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, New York describes in her article about Lasthenia of Mantinea the status of women during ancient time:
Women citizens in Athens were circumscribed socially and by law. No woman could live on her own. Women were either in the household of their fathers or their husbands. If her husband died, his will could designate both her and her dowry to another man (citizen) of his choice. If there was no will, she could return to her fathers home or in some cases marry again - often to a widower relative. If her second husband died, she could, if she chose, go to live with one of her grown sons. But in no case could a citizen women live on her own. (n. pag.)
As a result of lack of women rights due to these laws, even if women were willing and eager to broaden there knowledge, they just hid to study or ‘made liaisons with Athenian citizen men in order to secure their protection’ (Lidenmann, 2007). One of them was Aspasia of Miletus, who made agreements with Athenians because women had no protection of the law during that time. However, women’s desire for education also led to greater heights. Lasthenia of Mantinea even cross-dressed just to study ‘with the boys’ in Athens. Furthermore, Lasthenia was not the only female to resort to this move. Axiothea of Phlius also dressed like a man just to study philosophy. Lasthenia and Axiothea were both students of Plato and ‘are said to have become disciples of Speusippus also’ (Laeritus as cited by Lidenmann, 2007). Though they are one of the first female philosophers, no works of them were published.
However, some women philosophers did shine out during ancient times. Hypathia was one of them. She was considered the first notable woman in mathematics, who also taught philosophy and astronomy. She interpreted great works of Plato and Aristotle. However she was killed by a Coptic Christian mob who blamed her for religious turmoil.There are different versions of her death. Some say that she was killed because she was a supporter of science against religion, while other say that she became powerful and influential that people of the church envied her.
Whatever the reasons, these and more caused the huge difference of women philosophers. Sadly, this carried on up to now. Dr. Evelyn Brister (2007), an expert in the fields of environmental philosophy, the philosophy of science, and feminist philosophy from Northwestern University, states that “…women’s participation in philosophy by earning bachelor’s degrees (31%), Master’s degrees (28%), PhD’s (27%), and the percentage that teach in any university-level job (21%)”. Dr. Brister also cited the following as the reasons to why this is:
·Philosophy is perceived as a masculine pursuit.
·Philosophical style (“the adversary method”) is at odds with women’s conversational style.
·Women lack interest in course content.
·Women are ignorant of what philosophy is and what uses a degree can be put to.
·There is inadequate advising and recruitment, or advising and recruitment targets men more than women.
·There is a lack of female role models.
·There is a hostile social environment (i.e., outright sexism). (n.pag)
Women philosophers of early times really lacked the opportunities. And we, the future generation, is greatly influenced by how thing were back then. Since women were deprived of the field, it was carried on that it was a branch of knowledge for males. And, as a product, there were few women philosophers who served as role models. Like I said, whatever the reasons maybe on why women philosophers are “missing in action”, one thing is for sure today: gender or sex in this instance shouldn’t serve as a hindrance in education, not only in philosophy, but in all aspects of knowledge.
There are far more greater things beyond the what we normally see and usually, things that we take for granted are things that matter the most. This thought is only one of the many things that I have learned going in to UP.
For roughly the past decade and the half, I cannot count the number of opportunities missed for generation of knowledge, growth and maturity. As most of us do these days, the television set, the Internet, Facebook, and my PS2 have been my best friends. But more than outlets of boredom, leisure, frustration and fun, they serve as tools promoting procrastination. Moreover, these activities have deviated our vision to things such as the War on Gaza, the Global Financial Crisis, etc.
Well, I'm not going to be a hypocrite and say I'll stop doing all these things. Of course, I still will. I still want my XBOX 360 or PS3, I still will update my Facebook, and I still will and maybe always watch and play ball. The point is, these things should only be secondary to things that can actually benefit us in more ways that we think we can.
And this has been the reason for the creation of this blog site. For the past 2 years, I have had a number of reflections on concepts, issues (political, social, and even romantic), and even about petty things that I have put to waste. Words and concepts would just pop out of the seams of my brain, but I never bothered to write any of them. I have given it a thought and why not write these reflections and realizations down for future use. Moreover, this will also give me the chance to practice my writing skills, and organize my thoughts better.
As I reiterate the things I wrote on the "About this Site" segment on the upper right corner of this page, this has previously been a blog site about nothing but basketball. However, all though basketball has been a favorite sport of mine and has become a way of life in a sense, I must admit, the I know things are that merits more attention than 10 sweaty guys trying to put a ball in a basket.
It will not be a guarantee that I will have a post everyday, or even every week. I will fill this site up as far as the my schedule, my brain, and my will can go. The bottom line, things and ideas of mine will not be wasted if just bother to write them down here.
Vital information and knowledge are everywhere and are ours for the taking. It can take us only a couple of hours, and even minutes to reflect and extract the these significant things in the world, but it takes a couple of years, and several experiences to hone the skills needed to grasp these concepts. I'm starting my training now.
**A Blog entry for my Favorite player because my favorite team the Detroit Pistons choked - AGAIN** ______________________________________________________________________
If Boston have the Big Three composed of Ray , Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, they also have big problems:
Well lets see. He is the league's current MVP, and well, He IS best player in the game right now - arguably that is. Hell, I never heard anyone having his own page on NBA.com due to all that he has accomplished through out his career. However, his scoring and all his personal achievements is not the reason why he is the Boston's biggest problem, its how he makes his teammates not only look good, but feel comfortable on the floor.
Drafted in 1996 striaght out of highschool, he is now an eleven-year veteran at only 29 years old. Some consider him as old though it just looks that way because he has been in the league for so long. And just recently, he changed his number from number 8 to number 24. Kobe claims he changed his number as a start of the second phase of his career. However, fans often say that he chose 24 as he is one better than '23'.
Though Kobe does not want to be compared to Michael Jordan, fans and even NBA players say that he is one if not the best in the game. His on court performance did not slow down over the years, but his attitude off the court improved noticeably. In a discussion on TNT, Kenny Smith says that Kobe picking up the tabs at dinner is not the case, but he is now going to dinner with them. Though these things cannot be seen on the gae, it has greatly affected how the team is playing. Kobe redeeming himself from all the criticisms he received in the past. It was just last year when he was demanding a trade and criticizing his teammates. He was digusted that the franchise was not surrounding him with enough talent. What was good about that was that there was no where to go but up. The rise of the Lakers this year is more because of adding Derek Fisher in the offseason and acquiring Pau Gasol in a trade. These has lessen the load of the Mamba. Kobe has always trusted D-Fish, ever since back in early 2000 where they won 3 championships. And then suddenly, Kobe showed confidence in his teammates. Kobe started finding open lanes then dishing out or dropping to Pau Gasol. Then, everybody started to follow his lead. Odom felt comfortable at the 3 spot and was more effective, and Kobe's game elevated the play of Farmar and the birth of Sasha "The Machine" Vujacic. O well, one year changes a lot of things.
And this is what the Celtics dont have, Kobe Kobe Kobe. You see, when Kobe plays well, so does his teammates. No one can stop him. He scores and gets to the floor almost at will. Him scoring 20 is different when Garnett scores 20. He gets his scoring from the freethrow line and puts the opponet's team in foul trouble. Then suddenly, the defense starts collapsing, he finds his teammates, and then - what do they call it back in the 80's? Uhm, oh - ITS SHOWTIME.
The Lakers winning the West against the Spurs in Game 5.
As of where he stands in the league, here are his ranks for this season from NBA.com:
Boston just couldnt handle the MAMBA. Who could? I hope this Cinderella hell of a year of Kobe will end with a ring, his 4th and Phil's 10th as a coach.
Every morning, I wake up at around 8:30 to 9:00 AM no matter how late early in the morning I sleep - around 1 to 3 AM usually. This is not to go anywhere, not even eat breakfast, but to watch the Detroit Pistons go to work.
I watch every game of the Easter Conference Finals, and also the Western Conference Finals. But I dont really care who wins back in the West, I'm just watching who my Pistons are gonna face in the Finals. (Though I'm slighty in favor of the Lakers cause of Kobe).
However, just after Game 5 today, I guess we are in a little bit of trouble. Now, Boston leads 3-2. One game away from the Finals. For the six straight time, the Pistons are in the ECF but failed to reach the finals the last two. I always hate it when they always say, "We will get them next year". They said when Miami got the best of them, and Cleveland LeBron James beating them. Why cant they do it this year?
Year in and year out, Antonio McDyess wants it more than everybody else in the team. Out of the starters, only he is the only one without a ring. From what I read, with last year's disappointing loss to Cleveland James, while others are on the podium, Dyess did not shower and drove home with his jersey on. That's how big this is for him.
I just wish his teammates feed off his desire to get a ring. I have this photo courtesy of Natalie Sitto from Need4Sheed.com.
In 2006, the Miami Heat proved a lot. They brought home the first ever NBA Championship in franchise history, they proved that D-wade can get the job done, that the Shaq-trade paid off and proved that the Superman of basketball can still lead a team to the top, and that Ol' Pat Riley still has got it in him.
But 2 years later, the so-called "15 Strong" of 2006, are now the "15 Wrong and counting" (NBA.com, 2008). You see, the Miami Heat has dropped 15 games in a row. FIFTEEN games. FIFTEEN straight losses. Well yes, considering that Shaq and Zo are injured, but this is still ridiculous for a team who won the Finals two years back and was a playoff team last year. I heard of bad teams from the past, but never heard a losing-streak like this. Damn, they are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference winning just 8 of their 41 games at this point of the season. Hell, the Knicks are having a better standing than they are. Now that is something! (haha)
Well, let us look at what the team has done. They brought in Penny Hardaway last off season, in which, they also waived mid this season (coming out of retirement was not a good idea after all penny). They also got Smush Parker who has done, uhm, well, nothing so far (struggled to find his shots and his spot in the team). They let James Posey wander off to other teams who is a great defender and shooter. (Well, Posey is happy with that move as he is with the Celtics now). In addition to that, the 3-point King, Jason Kapono is not with the Heat anymore, as they let him go to Toronto. And they traded Antoine Walker for Ricky Davis and MArk Blount. And who did all of this???
PAT RILEY.
Mr. Riley is the coach and the general manager of the team. Well, as a coach, i take my hat off to PAt. I heard about his name as a great coach since i was a kid. But, as a general manager, i think he has not done a good job. He has not created a better future for the team. They have a few young players ( D-Wright and Chris Quinn). They should do more something about passing torches. Some of his decisions proved futile as players who he was gunning for never stepped up to the level of his expectation. Maybe, a better solution for this is that the Miami Association find a better GM and let Pat do what he does best, coaching!
I think the season is over for Miami. With the All-Star Break nearing, and Shaq still hurt, i dont think they cant bounce back in the second half of the season. 41 more games remaining. It will be a Herculean task to make the playoffs this year. The best the Heat could do is plan for thier future, and begin their crusade for redemption next season. Better luck next time Dwade, and to you too Shaq - if you dont retire next year that is.
___________________________________________ Now that Shaq is in Phoenix, will Shawn Marion be another piece that will fit perfectly to this squad?
