The more the season progresses the clearer things become in the East, except for the elites. The conference is drowned in mediocrity and has many BAD teams. It’s becoming more evident that teams like the Pacers, Nets, and Pistons need to regroup and put together teams that actually have a chance to win on more than half the nights they play. Meanwhile, there are four great teams in the East, but only two are serious contenders.
The Magic, last year’s Eastern champions, are without their playmaker from last year. Hedo Turkoglu is clearly missed and no one on that squad has stepped up to take on his responsibilities. Jameer Nelson should have been the guy but he’s still struggling with injuries and can’t find his rhythm as the ball handler. Orlando has clearly digressed while the Cavaliers have upgraded. The younger players have gotten better and developed a better chemistry. And of course LeBron James is still growing at a ridiculous pace. They have gotten too physical even for the aging Boston Celtics. I picked the Celtics to come out of the East this year but I don’t anymore. The sole reason is health. The Celtics are mired yet again in injury and I would not bet on that whole roster being healthy in May and June. Therefore, the season will come down to the Magic and Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Championship. So in a repeat of last year’s ECF, the two teams come in very different from the last time they met in the playoffs. Though not a complete revamping for either side, both have gone in different directions. With the acquisition of Shaq and the ever-improving LeBron, the Cavaliers are headed up while the Magic have lost their main exploit from last year and are headed downwards. It looks like those same matchups the Magic utilized so well last season, they will not be able to get away with this time. Turkoglu provided them with a big man who can handle and create open opportunities for Rashard Lewis and Dwight Howard. No longer will that be the case and the Cavaliers will just physically beat up the Magic and take the crown. Of course this is all contingent on Boston being without one of their core players.
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I came across a hilarious site that I wanted to share with everyone. The site is Heardya.com, a place for eavesdroppers to share awkward moments. You can join the Facebook Fanpage, which posts selected content daily. The site design is similar to that of FML and the material is equally priceless. The founders describe the site as follows:
“It happens to the best of us. You’re eating a sandwich, walking to class, or taking a nice trip to the mall – when all of a sudden, it happens. Random outbursts, walking in on conversations at the wrong time, or an accidental snoop on someone’s phone call. These are the awkward moments that seem to permeate our lives. And what can you do with this kind of ridiculousness? It would be an atrocity for you to keep this bundle of hilarity all to yourself. That’s why HeardYa is here – to provide a place to share those delightfully awkward times. Eavesdropping is fun, do it today!”
I would recommend that everyone goes to check it out. It will provide atleast 10 minutes of laughter.
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Hulu on your PS3. Impossible? Not anymore. Considering the default browser on the system does not support flash, this is a huge breakthrough. Through the use of the DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) format, it is now possible to bring streaming video content to your favorite console to blast onto your living room TV. There are a few PC apps out there that let you watch Hulu, YouTube, Netflix, Video Podcasts, and even you own personal library collections on your favorite console of choice. Here are 3 of the most popular choices for streaming video content using the DLNA format:
Windows Media Player 11
Price: Free download
One of the first to take advantage of this new format was the media player built into the Windows platform. Using this option will allow you to set up folders where your content lives, and display audio and video respectively on your gaming console. The nice thing about Windows Media Player is that it auto-refreshes your directories you’ve add so that anytime you add new media to your PC, it will always show up on your console without having to make any adjustments. The only downfall is that it doesn’t support any of the internet based streams, such as Hulu and Netflix.
PlayOn Media Server
Price: $39.99 (free 14 day trial)
This application is crazy powerful. It has everything including Hulu, YouTube, Netflix, and is very easy to use. And the great news here for PS3 owners is that you no longer need the Netflix boot disc to start watching items in your instant queue. It was the easiest application to browse the entire catalog of Hulu content. Downfall here is the hefty price tag, but you might find it worthwhile with new addons constantly being added, including GameTrailers.com for your entire internet based video content.
TVersity
Price: Free (honor system if you use Pro version)
The power of this application is that it can take almost any format and set it up to display on console, mobile phone, set top box, handheld gaming device, etc. According to their website, TVersity is “an extensible platform independent Media Server that can serve any media to any networked device doing all the necessary conversions to overcome the limitations of any given device.” The only complaint I had about this service is that the Hulu content (from initial attempts) would only stream the content in your user queue; the ability to just browse the site appears to be omitted.
To quote the current Senate majority leader, “Barack Obama could become the first African-American president because he was ‘light-skinned’ and because he did not speak with a ‘Negro’ dialect, unless he wanted to have one.”
Obviously, the GOP is calling for him to resign; like Trent Lott did in 2007. Saying that Reid’s comments are congruent to those that led to former Senator Lott’s resignation three years ago.
But what Reid said, f*ing stupid as it was, is not parallel to Lott’s statement in 07′. Quoting the former Senator, “I want to say this about my state: When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him, [and] we’re proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn’t have had all these problems over all these years, either.”
Now to compare the two. Reid was making a comment about how President Obama could be seen as the nation’s first black Head of State if he spoke with, what those in the mainstream consider to be, a Negro dialect. And Trent Lott was saying that if more people voted for an overt segregationist, that would to expediting the nation’s race problems.
Still, Reid is an absolute moron for saying what he said. Should he step-down? I don’t really care whether he stays or not, because he’s not one of my Senators. Even more pertinent than his comments, the Democrats need as many Senators as they can get at this point to prevent stalling or stoppage of healthcare legislation.
Thoughts?
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If you didn’t notice, I decided to take a little vacation from blogging for the last couple weeks. I know, I know, it’s only been a couple months since I started, but life’s been a little bit hectic. Here’s a little summary of the holidays if you care to know:
I didn’t get very much for Christmas, a sign that I’m getting too old for my liking. The best thing I got? Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides. It is now my new favorite book, and I highly recommend it.
New Year’s great, although I regret not spending it with the family (my parents informed me of a Filipino superstition that if you’re away for New Year’s, you’ll be away from home for a long time.) My resolution? Improve my mental and spiritual health. I don’t know what that entails exactly, but I think it’s within reason.
I’ve still been writing, and have built up a stockpile of articles, but formatting them sucks because Word Press sucks balls. So it’s not like I’ve been completely neglectful.
Anywho, the time off has given me a lot of new ideas and plans for the direction of the blog, so keep on reading, and here’s to a great 2010.
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We all remember the staple of every girl’s toy bin—Barbies. The days of Barbie’s long blond hair, oversized hairbrushes, her disproportionate body and everything in pink! Veik, 29, is from Beijing and dolled up Barbie—GaGa style. Seriously, no one can get enough of the ‘Ga, and now Barbie is a fan.
Veik, created all the outfits himself, styled her hair, and made all the accessories. This self-proclaimed “doll player” is no joke. Mattel, you better look close, this doll is anything but pretty in pink.
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With the resurgence of too cool for school, and the undying love for Chuck Taylors, companies have taken the basic sneakers and vamped them up. Shoes can make the whole outfit, and I found some Chuck 2.0’s that are fresh to death. Click any of the images to purchase!
Forever 21: Kacy Plaid Hi-Top Sneaker $14.80
Wet Seal Plaid Hi-Top $19.50
Rocket Dog Jazzin Madras Plaid Sneaker $32.95
French Connection Katie Studded Hi Top Trainer $35.69
Juicy Couture Dawson High-Top Sneakers $75.00
Macys: Coach Barrett Sneaker $88.00
True Religion: Vernon Sequin Sneaker – Silver $90.00
Diesel Exposure Low Sneakrs $110.00
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Despite putting up enormous numbers against a very solid Atlanta Hawks team, LeBron and Co. barely pulled out a victory on his birthday. Of course, had it not been for the presents, some likely and others unlikely, they would have fallen yet again to a team they should beat. Here are just a couple of the gifts given to a man who already has everything:
Anderson “The Flopper” Verajao:
Hit the only 3-pointer of his career, and it came at the best possible time. (Beyond a rarity)
The Referees:
In one of the most ridiculous developments, even for a LeBron game, the referees purposely ignore the shot-clock not being reset for the Hawks. Oh and get this, it happens during the closing seconds of regulation in a one-point game. (Rarity, only if he doesn’t get this kind of help from the refs)
You can check this out yourself:
The Hawks secure a rebound with 14 seconds left in the previous possession’s shot-clock and the home time-keeper decides not to reset it for the Hawks. The referees overlook this…
I don’t know about you, but this literally makes me sick…
Perhaps most impressive though, was the whip he got from Shaq:
He got him a Rolls Royce Phantom (Unlikely)
This one takes the cake.
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What a year it has been! A new President, increases in Afghanistan, recession, healthcare, climate summits, swine flu, Sarah Palin, Balloon Boy, Tiger Woods, and others.
For New Year’s, let us share our top 10 political mishaps, blunders, stories, scandals, and personalities of 2009.
Here are mine, in no particular order:
- The Birthers; led by Orly Taitz.
- Disgraced former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich trying to sell President Obama’s former Senate seat.
- Glenn Beck joining Fox News. By leaps and bounds the most hilarious hour of television on any channel. Oh, and that he said President Obama is a racist and has “a deep-seeded hatred for white people or the white culture.”
- Sarah Palin wrote a book. Need I say more?
- Sarah Palin’s claim of healthcare death panels.
- Joe Wilson’s “you lie” outburst during the President’s address to Congress on illegal aliens not receiving healthcare.
- The murder of Benazir Bhutto.
- Dick Cheney. That he won’t s.t.f.u. You’re out of office, that means you’re out of the spotlight sir. Go the hell away
- President Obama’s gamble with escalation of forces in Afghanistan.
- South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford’s escapades in Argentina.
I encourage you to share and add to the list.
We can only guess as to the craziness 2010 will bring us with mid-term elections and the like. So, buckle up everyone, because here comes the crazy………..again.
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Looking at the NFL stats through week 16, there are some interesting trends. If you look at the four least sacked full time QB’s in the league (who started more than 10 games this year), here are the best. You can probably guess several of them without looking.
1. Peyton Manning- 10
2. Tom Brady- 11
3. Matt Ryan- 18
4. Phillip Rivers- 20
It’s not a clear cut deal though. Several of the most sacked signal callers actually did pretty well this season:
1. Aaron Rodgers- 50
2. Ben Rothlisburger- 47
6. Brett Favre- 34
8. Tony Romo- 32
Joe Flacco- 32
10. Donovan McNabb- 31
So it’s certainly not a definite rule that if you protect you win, but it definitely helps. The Steelers will miss the playoffs this year due to their protection problems, and Aaron Rodgers is going to have a short career if this keeps up. However, five of those bottom six guys, including Rodgers, should be in the playoffs, which is pretty impressive for those teams. But if I’m a team facing Green Bay or Minnesota (or if I’m any defender if those two meet in the playoffs) I am licking my chops to go after their quarterback. Should be a fun game to be a linebacker. It’s also clear why Manning and Brady have been the best quarterbacks of the decade.
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