Friday, April 13, 2007
Imus
Since everyone is weighing in the Imus situation, I want to as well. I’ve read a few articles over the past week regarding this topic. All make good points. All agree that his comments were very inappropriate and should not have been made. People disagree over the action that should have been taken. Jemele Hill writes that Imus’ comments hurt all women, especially black women and that he should have been fired on the spot. (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hill/070410). Jason Whitlock basically says, “Who’s Imus?” and wonders why there isn’t similar outrage over the exact same type of language that is very common among hip-hop vernacular (http://www.kansascity.com/182/story/66339.html). I wonder how many people would have even heard about this incident if the national media hadn’t spread it around to everyone. It would be interesting to find out how many people were actually listening to the Imus show at the time the comment was made and compare that to how many people have heard about it now thanks to the media making a circus of this issue. Michael Wilbon says that Imus has a pattern of spouting offensive things, especially to black people (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/10/AR2007041001891.html). LZ Granderson did a fantastic job. His analysis was right on. His article is entitled, “Hate is hate, no matter the target”. Like the others, he agrees that this language is deplorable and shouldn’t be tolerated, but goes on to wonder about certain groups that would typically be up in arms over a statement that is considered offensive to them. You see, people look out for their own, but don’t care much about others, no matter how offensive the language may be. For example, is you use the word faggot, the gay lobby is upset, but you don’t hear much from the NAACP. He also cites an example of when he gave Michael Irvin a free pass after saying, in regards in Tono Romo’s athleticism; “He’s athletic because his grandmother had sex with a slave.” He then goes on to speculate, “Had Mike Ditka said the reason that Donovan McNabb is intelligent is because his grandmother had sex with a slave owner, I’d have been looking for blood.” (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=granderson/070409&sportCat=ncw) Forget Mike Ditka, imagine Rush Limbaugh making that comment on his radio program. Why the double standard? If language is inappropriate, it should be color-blind. I know that with our attitude of politically correctness, some things have been labeled “extra offensive.” To me, political correctness is a form of censorship – trying to silence voices that you would rather not hear. This is the land of freedom of speech. If Imus offends you with his racially charged language, then don’t listen. Isn’t that the same argument we hear for Howard Stern and his sexually charged show – you don’t like it, don’t listen to it. The same people who would defend Stern and his right to spew what many consider to be filth, are the same who are calling for Imus’ head over a different form of filth. In my book, filth is filth. If you don’t like it, don’t listen to it. I’m a firm believer of speaking with you wallet. If no one is listening, there is not going to be a radio show around for too long (look at Air America). I think that this situation can be used to open some needed dialogue. Is an apology appropriate? Only is he means it. Should he have been fired? Absolutely not. You don’t like him or what he says? Neither do I. That’s why I don’t listen.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
1/2 Ironman
Went to San Diego the last week of March to participate in a 1/2 ironman distance triathlon (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run). It is called Ironman California and is hosted in Oceanside, about 30 miles north of San Diego. I arrived on Wednesday evening and was grateful to stay with my dear friend, Adam O'Farrell and his family. I had checked two pieces of luggage; one was my bike and the other everything else. Of course my bag with everything didn't arrive. Luckily, it was found quickly in LA and I was able to pick it up the next morning. We had a nice pasta dinner that evening, then caught "Lost" and went to bed.
The next morning, I drove over to La Jolla cove, put on my rented triathlon wetsuit, and went for a swim. I can't believe I used to get in that water without a wetsuit. It was frigid. I got a headache just from having my face in the water. That said it was nice to get in the water at that time so it wasn't so much of a shock the morning of the race. I spent some time putting my bike together and testing it out. It was really quite simple to transport it, just had to take off the pedals, seat, and handlebars. It fit snugly in the bike travel case I rented and arrived safe and sound. I had thought about borrowing Adam's bike, but he rides a 54 and mine is a 61 - that's a huge difference in bike sizes. That evening, we had some delicious salmon that Adam's wife made.
My nerves were really getting to me by this time. I have never done a race of this distance before. I knew the bike leg was quite hilly, which is the polar opposite of Miami. There was a portion of the run on the sand. I didn't know how my body would respond after being sick, having company, and traveling. I had been lowering my expectations for several weeks from wanting to finish in 5 hr 20 min (30 min swim, 3 hr bike, 1 hr 45 min run, 5 min transitions) and was now at a point where I just wanted to finish the race without passing out. Adding to my anxiety, I noticed that I hadn't run more than 10 miles at a time since before January 1, and now I was going to run 13.1 after 56 miles on the bike? What had I gotten myself into?
Friday morning I got up, dropped Adam off at work, and headed up to Oceanside to visit the expo. It only took me about 20 minutes to get there from Adam's office, which was nice. I parked at the pier, got some breakfast at this great little coffee shop, and headed to the expo. The weather was fabulous - 65 degrees and bright sun, which luckily held during the race. I made it a point to visit every booth. I tried on a pair of Newton running shoes, which felt awfully strange and are going to retail for $185. No thanks. That's more that two pairs of my beloved Brooks cost. I got into the Endless Pool they had on display and cruised for about 10 minutes. That machine was incredible. I will have one in my own pool someday. I bought some fuel (powerbars and powergels), spare tubes, CO2 canisters, and some souvenirs. I really liked some of the gear that 2XU had on display, with light neoprene built into the triathlon suit, but didn't like it $285 much. I can't believe how much money people spend on this sport. I felt bad enough dropping a grand for a low-end tri-bike, imagine spending $8,000? Hell, the wheels alone on most of these bikes are worth more than my entire ride. I left the expo happy, with many free samples and excited about the race. I went and picked up my registration materials, got weighed (192 - about 10 lbs more than I wanted) and headed back out. It was now official - I was racing. I had my bike numbers, my bib number, my color-coded swim cap, my bracelet identifying me as an athlete, and my timing chip. I also was a nervous wreck. I think I went to the bathroom 10 times that day. My stomach was in knots and to make matters worse, my asthma was acting up.
I met Adam at his office for lunch. One of my mission friends, Ben Sowards, happens to work on the same floor as Adam at the same firm. He joined us for lunch at this great Sandwich place. It was fun to share old stories and talk about some of the people I hadn't thought of in years. Sowards looked great, even sporting the Bucs jersey in my honor. I hung out a bit with Adam at his office while he finished some things up, then we headed back to his home. I went for a brief brick workout (bike ride then run), just 10 minutes each, and was almost had to stop because my asthma flared up big time. This did not help my nerves about the race. I should have taken a couple puffs before I began working out and I assured myself that as long as I did this before the race, I would be fine. We had a nice dinner at Olive Garden and I got to bed early.
It was a restless night and the 4:30 AM wakeup call couldn't come soon enough. I had some oatmeal and fruit for breakfast before we left. I got checked into transition and started to get things set up. It was a chilly 48 degrees. I made my way to the port a potty for a final pre-race poop. My nerves were being replaced with the adrenaline that only comes before a race. I changed into my wetsuit, checked my tire pressure, grabbed my swim cap and goggles, and headed to the starting line. I was starting to bounce up and down. I was anxious to get moving. It was fun watching the professional men and women begin their race. We had a few age groups go ahead of us, and then at our prescribed 7:03 AM start time, we entered the harbor. The water was chilly. We lined up for a deep-water start, and with the sound of a boat horn, we were off.
The beginning of the swim went very smoothly. I glided through the water with little effort in the fancy wetsuit (an Exterra Vengeance worth $400 that I rented for $30). I didn't have anyone in front of me and seemed to leave most of my group behind. I was stroking efficiently, sighting well, just cruising. At the turnaround point, things left the realm of smooth and got a bit choppy, but not too bad. I had caught up with some of the slower swimmers from previous waves, and passing them broke the fluidity I had enjoyed up until that point. Sighting became a bit more difficult as we were heading directly into the sun. This made spotting the buoys with a quick head lift impossible. I still managed to swim fairly straight and was soon nearing the exit. The swim portion of the triathlon is my favorite. It's my background and I need to get a big enough lead in the swim so I'm not totally killed during the run. I exited the water at 33 min, which was right around where I wanted to be.
I quickly proceeded to my bike, where I peeled off the wetsuit, threw down my cap and goggles, and slipped my socks on. My shoes were already attached to my pedals, so I took a quick drink, put my helmet on, puffed my inhaler, loaded up my fuel, and was off. When I exited transition, I mounted my bike, quickly slipped my feet into my shoes, and was underway. Time in T1 - 5 min. A bit too long, but still not bad.
The first part of the bike route was fabulous. We paralleled the beautiful Pacific coast for over 20 miles, with its rolling hills, bright sunny skies, and gorgeous ocean. I passed the 20-mile marker at less than an hour, which meant my pace was great. I felt so good and my asthma was under control. We headed inland for the next portion of the ride. We were riding through Camp Pendelton, a marine base just north of Oceanside. We got into some hilly sections and some nasty hills. There were four separate hills that made me want to get off my bike and walk. My minor victory was not doing just that, and there were people who had gotten off their bikes to walk. At one point, I checked my speedometer and was going 4 mph up the hill. That's half the speed I run at. It was grueling. After what seemed like forever, we crested the last hill and headed back to the coast. This part of the ride was great. I could coast and was going over 30 mph, hitting 37 when I pushed it. You don't want to fall when you're going that fast and wearing only a lycra triathlon suit. Ouch. I felt tired, but good. My legs had done well and the slow decline back to transition gave my legs a bit of a break before the run. My ass was another story. It was killing me. The chamois pad in my tri shorts is about a tenth the size of the one in my bike shorts and I could definitely feel it. I entered T2 at 3 hr exactly. I was shocked that I had achieved my goal time, especially with the hills. I had a rush come over me that I may be able to get to my initial goal time.
In T2, I racked my bike, took off my helmet, changed socks, put my running shoes on, took a drink, used my inhaler again, and headed out on the run. Total time in T2 - 7 min. That was too long, but didn't seem like I was dilly-dallying. Maybe I didn't realize how exhausted I was.
I wanted to be around 8:00/mi on the run portion and set out at that pace. My legs had that goofy "just got off the bike" feel that they always do when I'm starting to run and proceeded to do what I usually do, just run through it. I felt good for the first 1/4 mile and then it happened. Something I had been dreading. No, not my asthma. Luckily, that wasn't a factor at all. My legs cramped. It had happened during the marathon. In the back of my mind, I had feared it may happen here. I had flashbacks of those last 5 miles of the marathon where my legs were ready to buckle at any moment due to the cramps. Where I couldn't run more than a minute without having to walk my legs out for 3 minutes. After the marathon, I found out I was severely dehydrated, so I headed to a port-a-potty on the race and peed. Yep, it was dark orange, almost brown. I slowed down my pace, to about 10:30/mi and drank a lot at each aid station. I was able to keep running most of the time at this slower pace. Anytime I tried to speed up, my legs cramped. This was extremely frustrating as I felt great cardiovascularly and my breathing wasn't labored at all. Just my cramped legs. I tried a couple of times to pick up the pace, but to no avail. My legs were done. I managed to drink enough that I had to pee every other mile during the last 5 miles, so I was combating my dehydration, just seemed that I wasn't getting enough fluid and nutrients to my muscles. I managed to keep the 10:30/mi pace throughout, and with my added walks for fluids at the aid station and my pee breaks, I came in right at 11:00/mi for the race, finishing the run a full 40 minutes slower than I had wanted at 2 hr 24 min. Total time, 6 hr 11 min.
With those thoughts of disappointment, I saw the finish line and was suddenly overcome. I didn't feel a hint of disappointment once I saw the finish. I got very emotional and was overwhelmed with a sense of accomplishment. I crossed the line, was given my finishers medal, t-shirt, and hat. I was almost crying I was so happy. And in such pain. I hobbled over to the area where they were collecting the timing chips. I had to lift my leg with my hands to get it on the 18-inch platform so the volunteer could remove the chip from my ankle. I wrapped myself in the space blanket I received and went in to the athletes tent for some well deserved pizza and Coke. After sitting for only about 10 minutes, it took all the energy I could muster to stand back up again. I slowly made my way to my bike and began to pack up my things. I found Adam and we walked the mile back to the car, which was good because I was able to stretch my legs a bit during the walk.
I rewarded myself on the way home with and Ultimate Cheeseburger from Jack in the Box. I rewarded myself later that evening with a Bloomin' Onion, Ribeye steak, and Garlic Mashed potatoes from Outback. I slept well that night and got up the next morning and caught a plane home.
Looking back, I see areas of my training I could have done better. I need to figure out this cramping problem. I need to prepare myself better for hills. But I did it. I finished a 1/2 ironman distance race. I finished in the top 1/3 of all the people competing. I did it. It took me a week to be able to walk properly again. To this day, legs are still tired from the race. I can only say this about triathlon. I'm hooked.
The next morning, I drove over to La Jolla cove, put on my rented triathlon wetsuit, and went for a swim. I can't believe I used to get in that water without a wetsuit. It was frigid. I got a headache just from having my face in the water. That said it was nice to get in the water at that time so it wasn't so much of a shock the morning of the race. I spent some time putting my bike together and testing it out. It was really quite simple to transport it, just had to take off the pedals, seat, and handlebars. It fit snugly in the bike travel case I rented and arrived safe and sound. I had thought about borrowing Adam's bike, but he rides a 54 and mine is a 61 - that's a huge difference in bike sizes. That evening, we had some delicious salmon that Adam's wife made.
My nerves were really getting to me by this time. I have never done a race of this distance before. I knew the bike leg was quite hilly, which is the polar opposite of Miami. There was a portion of the run on the sand. I didn't know how my body would respond after being sick, having company, and traveling. I had been lowering my expectations for several weeks from wanting to finish in 5 hr 20 min (30 min swim, 3 hr bike, 1 hr 45 min run, 5 min transitions) and was now at a point where I just wanted to finish the race without passing out. Adding to my anxiety, I noticed that I hadn't run more than 10 miles at a time since before January 1, and now I was going to run 13.1 after 56 miles on the bike? What had I gotten myself into?
Friday morning I got up, dropped Adam off at work, and headed up to Oceanside to visit the expo. It only took me about 20 minutes to get there from Adam's office, which was nice. I parked at the pier, got some breakfast at this great little coffee shop, and headed to the expo. The weather was fabulous - 65 degrees and bright sun, which luckily held during the race. I made it a point to visit every booth. I tried on a pair of Newton running shoes, which felt awfully strange and are going to retail for $185. No thanks. That's more that two pairs of my beloved Brooks cost. I got into the Endless Pool they had on display and cruised for about 10 minutes. That machine was incredible. I will have one in my own pool someday. I bought some fuel (powerbars and powergels), spare tubes, CO2 canisters, and some souvenirs. I really liked some of the gear that 2XU had on display, with light neoprene built into the triathlon suit, but didn't like it $285 much. I can't believe how much money people spend on this sport. I felt bad enough dropping a grand for a low-end tri-bike, imagine spending $8,000? Hell, the wheels alone on most of these bikes are worth more than my entire ride. I left the expo happy, with many free samples and excited about the race. I went and picked up my registration materials, got weighed (192 - about 10 lbs more than I wanted) and headed back out. It was now official - I was racing. I had my bike numbers, my bib number, my color-coded swim cap, my bracelet identifying me as an athlete, and my timing chip. I also was a nervous wreck. I think I went to the bathroom 10 times that day. My stomach was in knots and to make matters worse, my asthma was acting up.
I met Adam at his office for lunch. One of my mission friends, Ben Sowards, happens to work on the same floor as Adam at the same firm. He joined us for lunch at this great Sandwich place. It was fun to share old stories and talk about some of the people I hadn't thought of in years. Sowards looked great, even sporting the Bucs jersey in my honor. I hung out a bit with Adam at his office while he finished some things up, then we headed back to his home. I went for a brief brick workout (bike ride then run), just 10 minutes each, and was almost had to stop because my asthma flared up big time. This did not help my nerves about the race. I should have taken a couple puffs before I began working out and I assured myself that as long as I did this before the race, I would be fine. We had a nice dinner at Olive Garden and I got to bed early.
It was a restless night and the 4:30 AM wakeup call couldn't come soon enough. I had some oatmeal and fruit for breakfast before we left. I got checked into transition and started to get things set up. It was a chilly 48 degrees. I made my way to the port a potty for a final pre-race poop. My nerves were being replaced with the adrenaline that only comes before a race. I changed into my wetsuit, checked my tire pressure, grabbed my swim cap and goggles, and headed to the starting line. I was starting to bounce up and down. I was anxious to get moving. It was fun watching the professional men and women begin their race. We had a few age groups go ahead of us, and then at our prescribed 7:03 AM start time, we entered the harbor. The water was chilly. We lined up for a deep-water start, and with the sound of a boat horn, we were off.
The beginning of the swim went very smoothly. I glided through the water with little effort in the fancy wetsuit (an Exterra Vengeance worth $400 that I rented for $30). I didn't have anyone in front of me and seemed to leave most of my group behind. I was stroking efficiently, sighting well, just cruising. At the turnaround point, things left the realm of smooth and got a bit choppy, but not too bad. I had caught up with some of the slower swimmers from previous waves, and passing them broke the fluidity I had enjoyed up until that point. Sighting became a bit more difficult as we were heading directly into the sun. This made spotting the buoys with a quick head lift impossible. I still managed to swim fairly straight and was soon nearing the exit. The swim portion of the triathlon is my favorite. It's my background and I need to get a big enough lead in the swim so I'm not totally killed during the run. I exited the water at 33 min, which was right around where I wanted to be.
I quickly proceeded to my bike, where I peeled off the wetsuit, threw down my cap and goggles, and slipped my socks on. My shoes were already attached to my pedals, so I took a quick drink, put my helmet on, puffed my inhaler, loaded up my fuel, and was off. When I exited transition, I mounted my bike, quickly slipped my feet into my shoes, and was underway. Time in T1 - 5 min. A bit too long, but still not bad.
The first part of the bike route was fabulous. We paralleled the beautiful Pacific coast for over 20 miles, with its rolling hills, bright sunny skies, and gorgeous ocean. I passed the 20-mile marker at less than an hour, which meant my pace was great. I felt so good and my asthma was under control. We headed inland for the next portion of the ride. We were riding through Camp Pendelton, a marine base just north of Oceanside. We got into some hilly sections and some nasty hills. There were four separate hills that made me want to get off my bike and walk. My minor victory was not doing just that, and there were people who had gotten off their bikes to walk. At one point, I checked my speedometer and was going 4 mph up the hill. That's half the speed I run at. It was grueling. After what seemed like forever, we crested the last hill and headed back to the coast. This part of the ride was great. I could coast and was going over 30 mph, hitting 37 when I pushed it. You don't want to fall when you're going that fast and wearing only a lycra triathlon suit. Ouch. I felt tired, but good. My legs had done well and the slow decline back to transition gave my legs a bit of a break before the run. My ass was another story. It was killing me. The chamois pad in my tri shorts is about a tenth the size of the one in my bike shorts and I could definitely feel it. I entered T2 at 3 hr exactly. I was shocked that I had achieved my goal time, especially with the hills. I had a rush come over me that I may be able to get to my initial goal time.
In T2, I racked my bike, took off my helmet, changed socks, put my running shoes on, took a drink, used my inhaler again, and headed out on the run. Total time in T2 - 7 min. That was too long, but didn't seem like I was dilly-dallying. Maybe I didn't realize how exhausted I was.
I wanted to be around 8:00/mi on the run portion and set out at that pace. My legs had that goofy "just got off the bike" feel that they always do when I'm starting to run and proceeded to do what I usually do, just run through it. I felt good for the first 1/4 mile and then it happened. Something I had been dreading. No, not my asthma. Luckily, that wasn't a factor at all. My legs cramped. It had happened during the marathon. In the back of my mind, I had feared it may happen here. I had flashbacks of those last 5 miles of the marathon where my legs were ready to buckle at any moment due to the cramps. Where I couldn't run more than a minute without having to walk my legs out for 3 minutes. After the marathon, I found out I was severely dehydrated, so I headed to a port-a-potty on the race and peed. Yep, it was dark orange, almost brown. I slowed down my pace, to about 10:30/mi and drank a lot at each aid station. I was able to keep running most of the time at this slower pace. Anytime I tried to speed up, my legs cramped. This was extremely frustrating as I felt great cardiovascularly and my breathing wasn't labored at all. Just my cramped legs. I tried a couple of times to pick up the pace, but to no avail. My legs were done. I managed to drink enough that I had to pee every other mile during the last 5 miles, so I was combating my dehydration, just seemed that I wasn't getting enough fluid and nutrients to my muscles. I managed to keep the 10:30/mi pace throughout, and with my added walks for fluids at the aid station and my pee breaks, I came in right at 11:00/mi for the race, finishing the run a full 40 minutes slower than I had wanted at 2 hr 24 min. Total time, 6 hr 11 min.
With those thoughts of disappointment, I saw the finish line and was suddenly overcome. I didn't feel a hint of disappointment once I saw the finish. I got very emotional and was overwhelmed with a sense of accomplishment. I crossed the line, was given my finishers medal, t-shirt, and hat. I was almost crying I was so happy. And in such pain. I hobbled over to the area where they were collecting the timing chips. I had to lift my leg with my hands to get it on the 18-inch platform so the volunteer could remove the chip from my ankle. I wrapped myself in the space blanket I received and went in to the athletes tent for some well deserved pizza and Coke. After sitting for only about 10 minutes, it took all the energy I could muster to stand back up again. I slowly made my way to my bike and began to pack up my things. I found Adam and we walked the mile back to the car, which was good because I was able to stretch my legs a bit during the walk.
I rewarded myself on the way home with and Ultimate Cheeseburger from Jack in the Box. I rewarded myself later that evening with a Bloomin' Onion, Ribeye steak, and Garlic Mashed potatoes from Outback. I slept well that night and got up the next morning and caught a plane home.
Looking back, I see areas of my training I could have done better. I need to figure out this cramping problem. I need to prepare myself better for hills. But I did it. I finished a 1/2 ironman distance race. I finished in the top 1/3 of all the people competing. I did it. It took me a week to be able to walk properly again. To this day, legs are still tired from the race. I can only say this about triathlon. I'm hooked.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
NBA
A few thoughts from NBA All-Star weekend:
Dwight Howard was robbed. He should have at least made the finals. His sticker dunk was one of the most creative and athletic I’ve ever seen. That’s not taking away anything from Gerald Green. He was flying through the air. It also gives the Celtics something to be happy about in the midst of an abysmal season.
Kobe vs. D Wade in the finals of the skills competition was great. I really hope the Heat and the Lakers play for the finals this year. LA was up on Phoenix 3-1 last year before self-destructing – the same Phoenix team that almost beat Dallas in the conference finals. Who wants to play Kobe and the Lakers in a seven game playoff series?
Jason Kapono proved once again that Dirk Nowitzki can’t handle pressure. When Kapono set the 3-point contest finals record out of the gate, I knew Dirk was toast. Dallas will never win a championship if he is their #1 guy. He’s too soft. He’s like the A-Rod of basketball.
The players need some incentive to try in the actual game itself. What that is exactly, I’m not sure. I don’t like the “winner gets home court in the finals” approach like baseball does, but I’m sure there is something. It appeared that most of the players were exhausted and hung over during the game, which they most likely were. The game was in Vegas for goodness sake. The Sports Guy calls All-Star weekend the “Hip-Hop Woodstock” and I couldn’t agree more.
And now, onto more basketball:
As a die-hard Laker fan, it should come as no surprise that the Lakers are my pick to win the west. The only team that worries me is San Antonio and that is because of Tim Duncan and Pop. Why not Dallas? See above. Why not Phoenix? Phoenix got rid of Tim Thomas, the guy who single handedly beat the Lakers last year in the playoffs with his clutch three pointers. Who can do that for them this year? Plus, you think Kobe’s forgotten about Raja Bell and his clothesline? I don’t think so. Other teams in the west that might scare me? Maybe Houston, but only if McGrady and Yao are both healthy and develop some good chemistry over the next few months. And that is only because Yao is almost 8 feet tall. Speaking of Houston, whatever happened to Rudy T? That’s about it.
What about the East? Besides trying to lower the bar of the worst conference in the history of professional sports, the East has two teams that could legitimately compete. The Pistons and the Heat. Both of these teams could beat any team that comes out of the West. The Pistons won’t get it done because of Flip Saunders. The Heat will get it done because of Pat Riley, Shaq, and D Wade. The Heat will make the finals again.
Heat vs. Lakers in the NBA finals? That’s a ratings dream come true. You’ve got Shaq vs. Kobe, Kobe vs. D Wade, Pat Riley vs. Lakers, Phil Jackson vs. Pat Riley and I’m sure a few others if I thought about it more. That would be fun. Plus, media members would be more than happy about splitting their time between LA and Miami. I hope it happens. If not, at least LA will get another shot at the Pistons.
Dwight Howard was robbed. He should have at least made the finals. His sticker dunk was one of the most creative and athletic I’ve ever seen. That’s not taking away anything from Gerald Green. He was flying through the air. It also gives the Celtics something to be happy about in the midst of an abysmal season.
Kobe vs. D Wade in the finals of the skills competition was great. I really hope the Heat and the Lakers play for the finals this year. LA was up on Phoenix 3-1 last year before self-destructing – the same Phoenix team that almost beat Dallas in the conference finals. Who wants to play Kobe and the Lakers in a seven game playoff series?
Jason Kapono proved once again that Dirk Nowitzki can’t handle pressure. When Kapono set the 3-point contest finals record out of the gate, I knew Dirk was toast. Dallas will never win a championship if he is their #1 guy. He’s too soft. He’s like the A-Rod of basketball.
The players need some incentive to try in the actual game itself. What that is exactly, I’m not sure. I don’t like the “winner gets home court in the finals” approach like baseball does, but I’m sure there is something. It appeared that most of the players were exhausted and hung over during the game, which they most likely were. The game was in Vegas for goodness sake. The Sports Guy calls All-Star weekend the “Hip-Hop Woodstock” and I couldn’t agree more.
And now, onto more basketball:
As a die-hard Laker fan, it should come as no surprise that the Lakers are my pick to win the west. The only team that worries me is San Antonio and that is because of Tim Duncan and Pop. Why not Dallas? See above. Why not Phoenix? Phoenix got rid of Tim Thomas, the guy who single handedly beat the Lakers last year in the playoffs with his clutch three pointers. Who can do that for them this year? Plus, you think Kobe’s forgotten about Raja Bell and his clothesline? I don’t think so. Other teams in the west that might scare me? Maybe Houston, but only if McGrady and Yao are both healthy and develop some good chemistry over the next few months. And that is only because Yao is almost 8 feet tall. Speaking of Houston, whatever happened to Rudy T? That’s about it.
What about the East? Besides trying to lower the bar of the worst conference in the history of professional sports, the East has two teams that could legitimately compete. The Pistons and the Heat. Both of these teams could beat any team that comes out of the West. The Pistons won’t get it done because of Flip Saunders. The Heat will get it done because of Pat Riley, Shaq, and D Wade. The Heat will make the finals again.
Heat vs. Lakers in the NBA finals? That’s a ratings dream come true. You’ve got Shaq vs. Kobe, Kobe vs. D Wade, Pat Riley vs. Lakers, Phil Jackson vs. Pat Riley and I’m sure a few others if I thought about it more. That would be fun. Plus, media members would be more than happy about splitting their time between LA and Miami. I hope it happens. If not, at least LA will get another shot at the Pistons.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
It is what I do, not who I am
This was originally posted 3 November 2006.
Who am I? Who are you? If you were asked to describe yourself succinctly, what would you include? How about if your best friend was asked to describe you? What would they include? Many people define themselves by their hobbies or interests. ..I am a runner... ..I am a musician... ..I am a Red Sox fan... You could think of many others .. and you could also assign many of your friends and acquaintances to a category of some sort. Often, a person will so narrowly define themselves, as to become fully focused in that area. For example, I compete in both triathlons and running races. I really enjoy these races and I enjoy the fitness level that I have from training for them. I have met people in my training and racing that are wholly consumed. They declare, ..I am a triathlete,.. and live their lives accordingly. They subscribe to triathlon magazines, they eat a traithlete..s diet, over time they even make new friends who are as wholly consumed in triathlon as they are. It becomes their life and who they are. Substitute any interest or hobby for the word triathlete or triathlon in the above sentences and you..ll see what I mean. Try substituting the word scrapbooker, dancer, NASCAR fan, or anything else you can think of. It can quite revealing. Other ways people attempt to define themselves is by their occupation. ..I am a teacher... ..I am a doctor... ..I am a scientist... This way of introducing yourself can be an innocuous way to start a conversation or a statement on how your live your life. I personally work in science. I am surrounded by people who wholly define themselves as scientists. Their research encompasses everything. It is all they discuss, all they work on, and even all they think about. Substitute other professions into the above example and again it can be revealing. A wise man told me about science, but is universally applicable .. ..It is what I do, not who I am... I learned much from these 9 simple words. This statement is what I attempt to use when describing my job, my hobbies, and my interests. Yes, I like to cycle. That..s what I do, but that doesn..t define me as a person. It is interesting to think of stereotypes in this fashion. So often, stereotypes are used from an outsider making generalizations about a specific group of people. But just as often when a person identifies themselves with a certain group, they tend to change the way the act and who they are just to fit that generalization. Take the triathlete example above. One could stereotype triathletes as nutrition freaks who spend too much time working out. But, a person beginning to define himself as a triathelte can assume that in order to be accepted by others in the group, he must act the part, and become a nutrition freak who works out too much. Human beings are very social by nature and will go to great lengths to feel accepted or part of a group. Once we find a group that accepts us, we tend to take on the personality and beliefs of that group and define ourselves as members of the group. Some more examples of how people categorize themselves are by skin color, nationality, religion, and even sexual orientation. ..I am black... ..I am Mexican... ..I am Jewish... ..I am gay... People tend to define themselves by nationality when in a foreign country. You rarely hear an American, when asked to say a few things about herself, list that she is an American if the question is posed in her native country. But ask the same question while she is traveling overseas and one of the first things that she will list is that she is American. Religion is a powerful defining factor that ironically can breed hate and intolerance. The war this country is fighting now is being fought on basis of people defining themselves by their religion and not accepting that others can believe differently from them. I am referring both to the ..war on terror.. and the ..culture war.. being fought at this time. In the former, Islamic fundamentalists want all non-muslims to convert or die. The latter pits ..Christians.. against secular progressives. Both are being fought in the name of religion and both are examples of religion breeding hate and intolerance. What about sexual orientation? This form of defining one..s self is typically only in one direction. You never hear anyone introduce their friend as ..heterosexual... There are no ..heterosexual pride.. parades or anyone that defines themself wholly by their heterosexuality. Yet, if you..re a homosexual, this is very common. This is who you are and how you live. The intimate relationships you have in your own bedroom, you broadcast to the world. I quote another wise man, ..expand your horizons beyond simply gender orientation. Find fulfillment in the many other facets of your character and your personality and your nature that extend beyond that. There..s no denial that one..s gender orientation is certainly a core characteristic of any person, but it..s not the only one... This is where I..ll begin to conclude. This advice, though given to those who define themselves by their sexual orientation, can be applied to any area. So, how should you define yourself? A key is to find many areas of your character and personality to develop. I think the first defining moment is as a human being who is surrounded by other human beings. You are no better or worse than anyone you encounter. Don..t consider yourself above anyone. Likewise, have the confidence to know that you are not below anyone either. This doesn..t mean don..t respect authority for laws and management help keep order in society, but don..t ever feel like your less important than anyone else. Define yourself in the way you treat others .. treat others as you would like to be treated. This is a bit cliché, but if everyone did this, the world would be a much better place. Expand your interests, magnify your talents, and continually learn new things. You will be better because of it. Try to avoid falling into the trap of complacency. There is more to life than narrowly defining yourself to one group. Make these areas, whether is be your job, your hobbies, your skin color, your religion or whatever it is ..what you do, not who you are...
Who am I? Who are you? If you were asked to describe yourself succinctly, what would you include? How about if your best friend was asked to describe you? What would they include? Many people define themselves by their hobbies or interests. ..I am a runner... ..I am a musician... ..I am a Red Sox fan... You could think of many others .. and you could also assign many of your friends and acquaintances to a category of some sort. Often, a person will so narrowly define themselves, as to become fully focused in that area. For example, I compete in both triathlons and running races. I really enjoy these races and I enjoy the fitness level that I have from training for them. I have met people in my training and racing that are wholly consumed. They declare, ..I am a triathlete,.. and live their lives accordingly. They subscribe to triathlon magazines, they eat a traithlete..s diet, over time they even make new friends who are as wholly consumed in triathlon as they are. It becomes their life and who they are. Substitute any interest or hobby for the word triathlete or triathlon in the above sentences and you..ll see what I mean. Try substituting the word scrapbooker, dancer, NASCAR fan, or anything else you can think of. It can quite revealing. Other ways people attempt to define themselves is by their occupation. ..I am a teacher... ..I am a doctor... ..I am a scientist... This way of introducing yourself can be an innocuous way to start a conversation or a statement on how your live your life. I personally work in science. I am surrounded by people who wholly define themselves as scientists. Their research encompasses everything. It is all they discuss, all they work on, and even all they think about. Substitute other professions into the above example and again it can be revealing. A wise man told me about science, but is universally applicable .. ..It is what I do, not who I am... I learned much from these 9 simple words. This statement is what I attempt to use when describing my job, my hobbies, and my interests. Yes, I like to cycle. That..s what I do, but that doesn..t define me as a person. It is interesting to think of stereotypes in this fashion. So often, stereotypes are used from an outsider making generalizations about a specific group of people. But just as often when a person identifies themselves with a certain group, they tend to change the way the act and who they are just to fit that generalization. Take the triathlete example above. One could stereotype triathletes as nutrition freaks who spend too much time working out. But, a person beginning to define himself as a triathelte can assume that in order to be accepted by others in the group, he must act the part, and become a nutrition freak who works out too much. Human beings are very social by nature and will go to great lengths to feel accepted or part of a group. Once we find a group that accepts us, we tend to take on the personality and beliefs of that group and define ourselves as members of the group. Some more examples of how people categorize themselves are by skin color, nationality, religion, and even sexual orientation. ..I am black... ..I am Mexican... ..I am Jewish... ..I am gay... People tend to define themselves by nationality when in a foreign country. You rarely hear an American, when asked to say a few things about herself, list that she is an American if the question is posed in her native country. But ask the same question while she is traveling overseas and one of the first things that she will list is that she is American. Religion is a powerful defining factor that ironically can breed hate and intolerance. The war this country is fighting now is being fought on basis of people defining themselves by their religion and not accepting that others can believe differently from them. I am referring both to the ..war on terror.. and the ..culture war.. being fought at this time. In the former, Islamic fundamentalists want all non-muslims to convert or die. The latter pits ..Christians.. against secular progressives. Both are being fought in the name of religion and both are examples of religion breeding hate and intolerance. What about sexual orientation? This form of defining one..s self is typically only in one direction. You never hear anyone introduce their friend as ..heterosexual... There are no ..heterosexual pride.. parades or anyone that defines themself wholly by their heterosexuality. Yet, if you..re a homosexual, this is very common. This is who you are and how you live. The intimate relationships you have in your own bedroom, you broadcast to the world. I quote another wise man, ..expand your horizons beyond simply gender orientation. Find fulfillment in the many other facets of your character and your personality and your nature that extend beyond that. There..s no denial that one..s gender orientation is certainly a core characteristic of any person, but it..s not the only one... This is where I..ll begin to conclude. This advice, though given to those who define themselves by their sexual orientation, can be applied to any area. So, how should you define yourself? A key is to find many areas of your character and personality to develop. I think the first defining moment is as a human being who is surrounded by other human beings. You are no better or worse than anyone you encounter. Don..t consider yourself above anyone. Likewise, have the confidence to know that you are not below anyone either. This doesn..t mean don..t respect authority for laws and management help keep order in society, but don..t ever feel like your less important than anyone else. Define yourself in the way you treat others .. treat others as you would like to be treated. This is a bit cliché, but if everyone did this, the world would be a much better place. Expand your interests, magnify your talents, and continually learn new things. You will be better because of it. Try to avoid falling into the trap of complacency. There is more to life than narrowly defining yourself to one group. Make these areas, whether is be your job, your hobbies, your skin color, your religion or whatever it is ..what you do, not who you are...
I've moved and Dr. Agre
For some of you who followed me from myspace, thank you. All of my future blogs will be here. I will eventually post my previous blogs on this site as well. Why the transfer from myspace? I thought this would give me an opportunity to reach a larger audience. Additionally, I am not using myspace as often anymore, so this will also help me to blog more frequently. Most of my blogs focus on current issues. I try to tell both sides of the story, but admit that at times personal bias is present. I try to point out when I know my bias is coming through, but at times I may not even recognize it myself.
I recently had the opportunity to spend some time with Dr. Peter Agre, a Nobel prize winnning scientist. His science is excellent and having the chance to have lunch with him and just chat was great. Since winning his prize, he has become a vocal activist, using his recognition and fame to advance ideas that he feels are very important. We talked a bit about the media, which I have previously discussed in my blog, and the dangers in believing what you hear. You'll see the same topic reported very differently on CNN than it is on Fox News. Each network claims the other is 'spinning' the news to fit their political agenda while as a network they maintain rigorous standards of objective journalism. Who is to believe? I don't know. That's why I try to get my news from both. I would bet that the truth lies somewhat in the middle.
Anyways, Dr. Agre was very vocal about a certain scientist, whose legal fund he has donated to, that was accused of terrorism. This is a very hot issue today. I will not name the accused for his protection, but his lab studied a microorganism that conceivably can be used in a bioterror attack. Apparently, this scientist could not account for some of his samples that had gone missing. The FBI showed up one day, closed his lab, and he is awaiting trial, with the possibility of prison time if convicted. He of course proclaims his innocence and said the samples must have been destroyed without the proper documentation. As a current lab employee lab myself, I find this explanation quite plausible. We have dangerous samples, some of which are radioactive, that require careful documentation and tracking. There are occasions when it takes us a day or two to figure where samples have been placed. Would I be happy if the FBI showed up and shut down the lab because of poor accounting? Not at all. But, who would get the blame if the FBI turned a blind eye to this scientist and he actually had given some of this material to a terrorist cell? The FBI. They are really in a no win situation here. There are so many possible leads that could be the next 9/11, but many innocent people are being harassed for the 'what if?'.
When is it okay to sacrifice personal liberties for the greater good. Some say now, as we are at war. Some say never, that personal liberties should always be in place regardless of the situation and that if this leads to another terror attack, than it was worth the risk in order to maintain our freedoms. Often, maintaining are freedoms depend on which party you most closely affiliate with. What about guns? Some want stricter control over gun ownership and some want to go the way of Australia and rid society of guns completely. Others want to keep the government out of our gun safes and let us own as many guns of whatever type you want. So, the freedom to have a gun, which some would argue is protected by a constitutional amendment, is thought of differently by different groups. Now take convicted felons. One group wants to keep them in prison indefinitely or kill them, then treat them as second-class citizens even after they have served their debt to society. Others want to reduce prison sentences, try and rehabilitate them and give them a second chance in society. When you combine the two issues, it gets confusing. The group who would take guns away from law-abiding citizens, doesn't want to dole out harsher punishments when guns are used to commit a crime. On the other hand, the group that claims a constitutional amendment protects our right to own guns, doesn't want to allow people to get guns who have committed a crime, despite having served the time. So, which is correct? Does one sacrifice personal liberties because of a crime, even after the sentence has been served? Which is more important, our right to privacy or our national security? Both sides have valid points. I don't know who is right or wrong. I would not like the government listening to my telephone calls or reading my emails, but if doing so would prevent innocent lives from being taken, I might allow it, as I have nothing to hide. But the question of who oversees the government? The group that wants to keep government out of our gun safes doesn't have a problem with the government intruding into our lives via telephone or email tapping. Contrast the other side who wants the government to control guns and gun owners, but stay the hell away from my telephone lines and my email. This logic makes no sense. I think the most important thing to do is to learn the issues from a variety of sources and make up your own mind. Individual thought is a freedom that can never be taken.
I recently had the opportunity to spend some time with Dr. Peter Agre, a Nobel prize winnning scientist. His science is excellent and having the chance to have lunch with him and just chat was great. Since winning his prize, he has become a vocal activist, using his recognition and fame to advance ideas that he feels are very important. We talked a bit about the media, which I have previously discussed in my blog, and the dangers in believing what you hear. You'll see the same topic reported very differently on CNN than it is on Fox News. Each network claims the other is 'spinning' the news to fit their political agenda while as a network they maintain rigorous standards of objective journalism. Who is to believe? I don't know. That's why I try to get my news from both. I would bet that the truth lies somewhat in the middle.
Anyways, Dr. Agre was very vocal about a certain scientist, whose legal fund he has donated to, that was accused of terrorism. This is a very hot issue today. I will not name the accused for his protection, but his lab studied a microorganism that conceivably can be used in a bioterror attack. Apparently, this scientist could not account for some of his samples that had gone missing. The FBI showed up one day, closed his lab, and he is awaiting trial, with the possibility of prison time if convicted. He of course proclaims his innocence and said the samples must have been destroyed without the proper documentation. As a current lab employee lab myself, I find this explanation quite plausible. We have dangerous samples, some of which are radioactive, that require careful documentation and tracking. There are occasions when it takes us a day or two to figure where samples have been placed. Would I be happy if the FBI showed up and shut down the lab because of poor accounting? Not at all. But, who would get the blame if the FBI turned a blind eye to this scientist and he actually had given some of this material to a terrorist cell? The FBI. They are really in a no win situation here. There are so many possible leads that could be the next 9/11, but many innocent people are being harassed for the 'what if?'.
When is it okay to sacrifice personal liberties for the greater good. Some say now, as we are at war. Some say never, that personal liberties should always be in place regardless of the situation and that if this leads to another terror attack, than it was worth the risk in order to maintain our freedoms. Often, maintaining are freedoms depend on which party you most closely affiliate with. What about guns? Some want stricter control over gun ownership and some want to go the way of Australia and rid society of guns completely. Others want to keep the government out of our gun safes and let us own as many guns of whatever type you want. So, the freedom to have a gun, which some would argue is protected by a constitutional amendment, is thought of differently by different groups. Now take convicted felons. One group wants to keep them in prison indefinitely or kill them, then treat them as second-class citizens even after they have served their debt to society. Others want to reduce prison sentences, try and rehabilitate them and give them a second chance in society. When you combine the two issues, it gets confusing. The group who would take guns away from law-abiding citizens, doesn't want to dole out harsher punishments when guns are used to commit a crime. On the other hand, the group that claims a constitutional amendment protects our right to own guns, doesn't want to allow people to get guns who have committed a crime, despite having served the time. So, which is correct? Does one sacrifice personal liberties because of a crime, even after the sentence has been served? Which is more important, our right to privacy or our national security? Both sides have valid points. I don't know who is right or wrong. I would not like the government listening to my telephone calls or reading my emails, but if doing so would prevent innocent lives from being taken, I might allow it, as I have nothing to hide. But the question of who oversees the government? The group that wants to keep government out of our gun safes doesn't have a problem with the government intruding into our lives via telephone or email tapping. Contrast the other side who wants the government to control guns and gun owners, but stay the hell away from my telephone lines and my email. This logic makes no sense. I think the most important thing to do is to learn the issues from a variety of sources and make up your own mind. Individual thought is a freedom that can never be taken.
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