Thursday, April 28, 2005
Olamot day 3 recs
There are three things I really hope to get to at tomorrow's last day of Olamot. At 14:00, Guy Wiener talks about "From Gods to Elves in Irish Myth", which is right up my alley right now, as I'm translating a book with the Sidhe. Following that at 15:00 is Joe Brown talking about Myth in Gaiman's Sandman. At 16:00, Harry Potter translator (and all around great person) Gili Bar Hillel's lecture about the difficulties in translating Harry Potter. Should all be good, even though Guy's talk is probably too early in the day for me.
Olamot day 2 - OMWF was AWESOME
Well, actually, it was Twice More With Feeling, as this was an unplanned encore performance, due to large demand. And boy, do I feel stupid for missing all of the previous performances.
This was awesome. It was funny as hell, extremely well cast overall, and really creative. The cast's Buffy, while dark haired, matched the onscreen Buffy perfectly, in facial expressions and physical mimicry. Also outstanding was the Angry Bunny (yeah, there was an angry bunny. There were three bunnies, and all were great, but the angry one ruled), Anya, and the romantic duo of Angel and Spike.
Most of the afternoon leading up to the show was spent getting tickets for everyone who needed tickets. Mission accomplished, of course, and thanks to everyone who was kind enough to sell, give, and help get tickets for me and my friends.
The evening was wrapped up with a long conversation with Rani and Mike.
It was a fairly short day, but it was a fun one.
This was awesome. It was funny as hell, extremely well cast overall, and really creative. The cast's Buffy, while dark haired, matched the onscreen Buffy perfectly, in facial expressions and physical mimicry. Also outstanding was the Angry Bunny (yeah, there was an angry bunny. There were three bunnies, and all were great, but the angry one ruled), Anya, and the romantic duo of Angel and Spike.
Most of the afternoon leading up to the show was spent getting tickets for everyone who needed tickets. Mission accomplished, of course, and thanks to everyone who was kind enough to sell, give, and help get tickets for me and my friends.
The evening was wrapped up with a long conversation with Rani and Mike.
It was a fairly short day, but it was a fun one.
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Olamot day 2 recs
So, what looks good on day 2?
At 20:00, there's an encore performance of the live, Rocky Horror style, screening of Once More With Feeling. Tickets ran out early for the first showing, and I was shut out, amongst others. I was promised I WILL have a ticket tomorrow.
At 14:00, there's a screening of the Farscape ep Out Of Their Minds, as well as Farscape bloopers. Should be funny. At 15:00, Lior G talks about what myths are. At 20:00, there's The Return of Saurun, a humorous original production, and at 22:00, the society's premier speaker Ilan Eshkoli talks about Hebrew myth. Should be both funny and educational.
At 20:00, there's an encore performance of the live, Rocky Horror style, screening of Once More With Feeling. Tickets ran out early for the first showing, and I was shut out, amongst others. I was promised I WILL have a ticket tomorrow.
At 14:00, there's a screening of the Farscape ep Out Of Their Minds, as well as Farscape bloopers. Should be funny. At 15:00, Lior G talks about what myths are. At 20:00, there's The Return of Saurun, a humorous original production, and at 22:00, the society's premier speaker Ilan Eshkoli talks about Hebrew myth. Should be both funny and educational.
Olamot day 1
Well, the first day of Olamot was kinda fun, but mostly uneventful. I only entered two events, one of which was my own lecture, and the other the "Meet The Society Board" event.
I think my lecture went ok. It wasn't heavily attended, but people seemed to be interested in hearing about Powers, and I got a few laughs.
The Board event was lively, and quite interesting.
Along the way, I met, sat with, and talked to a whole bunch of people. I won't list them, because I'm sure to forget someone, and don't want anyone to feel slighted.
Sadly, I only remembered my camera towards the end, and only some of the few pics I took turned out ok. I'll be posting those next.
Hopefully, tomorrow's report will be a bit more detailed, and have more pictures, but I didn't get a great night's sleep last night, and I'm a bit hazy right now...
I think my lecture went ok. It wasn't heavily attended, but people seemed to be interested in hearing about Powers, and I got a few laughs.
The Board event was lively, and quite interesting.
Along the way, I met, sat with, and talked to a whole bunch of people. I won't list them, because I'm sure to forget someone, and don't want anyone to feel slighted.
Sadly, I only remembered my camera towards the end, and only some of the few pics I took turned out ok. I'll be posting those next.
Hopefully, tomorrow's report will be a bit more detailed, and have more pictures, but I didn't get a great night's sleep last night, and I'm a bit hazy right now...
Monday, April 25, 2005
Olamot 2005 - reminder and day 1 recs
In case any Israeli reader of this blog is unaware, tomorrow is the first day of Olamot 2005. Olamot is in it's first year, taking over for both competing Passover cons - Fantasy.con and Stardust. It takes its place as the second major annual Israeli SF con alongside Icon.
This year's theme is myth, and Olamot has a great programme - which I had nothing to do with creating, so I can hype it without fear of blowing my own horn. Although, of course, I am ON the programme, with a lecture about Icon 2005's GoH Tim Powers. I'm speaking tomorrow (Tuesday) at 16:00, so come check it out.
Other Tuesday highlights include the active screening of BTVS' Once More With Feeling, Itamar Faran's lecture on myth in Zelazny's work, Aliza Ben Mocha's lecture about The Hero With a Thousand Faces, and a screening of Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaa of The Valley of Wind, the original manga version of which I've had on loan forever and still haven't gotten to yet (and I'll take this opportunity to thank Raz for not killing me for that).
I'll probably have my usual first day report online tomorrow, as well as some pictures, and recs for Wednesday's stuff.
This year's theme is myth, and Olamot has a great programme - which I had nothing to do with creating, so I can hype it without fear of blowing my own horn. Although, of course, I am ON the programme, with a lecture about Icon 2005's GoH Tim Powers. I'm speaking tomorrow (Tuesday) at 16:00, so come check it out.
Other Tuesday highlights include the active screening of BTVS' Once More With Feeling, Itamar Faran's lecture on myth in Zelazny's work, Aliza Ben Mocha's lecture about The Hero With a Thousand Faces, and a screening of Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaa of The Valley of Wind, the original manga version of which I've had on loan forever and still haven't gotten to yet (and I'll take this opportunity to thank Raz for not killing me for that).
I'll probably have my usual first day report online tomorrow, as well as some pictures, and recs for Wednesday's stuff.
Thursday, April 21, 2005
NBA Playoffs - first round predictions
Well, OK. It's time for the games that matter to begin!
Let's start off in the East.
Chicago v. Washington
Chicago has home court advantage. I think Washington is going to win. But it isn't going to be easy. Washington in 6.
Boston v. Indiana
With Jermaine O'Neal back in uniform for Indy, no. 3 seed Boston will go down in 5.
Detroit v. Philadelphia
Iverson's good, but he's not good enough to win more than a game against the champs with nothing more than a bunch of kids and a gimpy Webber by his side. Detroit in 5. Maybe 4.
Miami v. New Jersey
This'll be tougher than most expect, I think. Miami still win, but it may take 6 games to do it. And those won't be easy games. NJ may only have Carter and Kidd, but those two are really, really good.
And on to the the West:
Dallas v. Houston
Really hard to call. Should be a great series either way. I'm going with my guy TMac and predicting Houston in 6.
Sacramento v. Seattle
Seattle will pay the price for playoffs inexperience and having no inside scoring ability. You can't win in the playoffs that way. Sacramento gets a huge boost from having Bobby Jackson back, and take this series in 6 at most.
San Antonio v. Denver
I like Denver. I think they're a nice team. That said, San Antonio is too good, to experienced, too error free. And George Carl isn't as good a coach as they think he is. Spurs in 5. Maybe 4.
Phoenix v. Memphis
Memphis is supposed to be a tough matchup for the Suns. I don't care. Amare, Nash, and Marion would each be the best player in Memphis, so they win in 5.
Let's start off in the East.
Chicago v. Washington
Chicago has home court advantage. I think Washington is going to win. But it isn't going to be easy. Washington in 6.
Boston v. Indiana
With Jermaine O'Neal back in uniform for Indy, no. 3 seed Boston will go down in 5.
Detroit v. Philadelphia
Iverson's good, but he's not good enough to win more than a game against the champs with nothing more than a bunch of kids and a gimpy Webber by his side. Detroit in 5. Maybe 4.
Miami v. New Jersey
This'll be tougher than most expect, I think. Miami still win, but it may take 6 games to do it. And those won't be easy games. NJ may only have Carter and Kidd, but those two are really, really good.
And on to the the West:
Dallas v. Houston
Really hard to call. Should be a great series either way. I'm going with my guy TMac and predicting Houston in 6.
Sacramento v. Seattle
Seattle will pay the price for playoffs inexperience and having no inside scoring ability. You can't win in the playoffs that way. Sacramento gets a huge boost from having Bobby Jackson back, and take this series in 6 at most.
San Antonio v. Denver
I like Denver. I think they're a nice team. That said, San Antonio is too good, to experienced, too error free. And George Carl isn't as good a coach as they think he is. Spurs in 5. Maybe 4.
Phoenix v. Memphis
Memphis is supposed to be a tough matchup for the Suns. I don't care. Amare, Nash, and Marion would each be the best player in Memphis, so they win in 5.
America vs. Didi
You know, I'm generally a pretty big fan of many things American. Much of the literature I read, the TV and films I watch, and the Sports I follow comes from the US.
But at this point, I'm beginning to question that. Benching my guys and causing me to lose my fantasy title, voting off Anwar and keeping Scott in AGAIN. This has not been a good 24 hours for us, America, and I.
Oh, well. At least the NBA playoffs are starting. Predictions and stuff to follow.
But at this point, I'm beginning to question that. Benching my guys and causing me to lose my fantasy title, voting off Anwar and keeping Scott in AGAIN. This has not been a good 24 hours for us, America, and I.
Oh, well. At least the NBA playoffs are starting. Predictions and stuff to follow.
NBA fantasy final Day 9 - The End
Fuckity fuck.
TMac didn't play. Shawn Marion had a terrible first half and didn't play in the second. Somehow, I got 3.5 points from my two best players COMBINED.
Nightly score: 54:183.75
Final score: 900.75: 907.75
Congratulations to Bney Sukar for their victory. They are the Beantown Madness NBA Fantasy League Champs.
TMac didn't play. Shawn Marion had a terrible first half and didn't play in the second. Somehow, I got 3.5 points from my two best players COMBINED.
Nightly score: 54:183.75
Final score: 900.75: 907.75
Congratulations to Bney Sukar for their victory. They are the Beantown Madness NBA Fantasy League Champs.
NBA fantasy final Day 9 - games in progress
Ok. Now I'm actually scared. My insurmountable lead? It has shrunk mightily. TMac is taking the night off, Bosh sucked throughout most of his game, and LeBron? Is a freakish monster from hades.
LBJ has, midway through the fourth, 27 points, 14 assists, and 14 rebounds. That's freakishly scary.
Here's my problem. My top guys, TMac and Marion, are in the playoffs and their team's position will not be changed by tonight's games. So TMac is resting, and I can only hope Shawn is playing. LBJ's team is fighting for their last chance to make it to the playoffs, so you can bet your ass they're playing their hearts out.
Still think I'm winning, but... scared now.
LBJ has, midway through the fourth, 27 points, 14 assists, and 14 rebounds. That's freakishly scary.
Here's my problem. My top guys, TMac and Marion, are in the playoffs and their team's position will not be changed by tonight's games. So TMac is resting, and I can only hope Shawn is playing. LBJ's team is fighting for their last chance to make it to the playoffs, so you can bet your ass they're playing their hearts out.
Still think I'm winning, but... scared now.
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
NBA fantasy final Day 8
That was a pretty good night, folks.
We each had 4 players, but Bney Sukar had their strongest player, and three other players who were all supposed to be pretty damn strong, whereas I had my third, fourth, fifth, and seventh best players. And we basically tied. I'm a happy camper.
LeBron James was awesome with 55.25 points. Kid is an awesome monster of rock. Everyone else were blah, as Drew Gooden, Ricky Davis, and Damon Stoudamire had 19.75, 11.25, and 13.25, respectively.
On my team, no one exploded, but three guys were ok. Prince was the star with 33 fantasy points, and Dan Gadzuric continued to be a rock with 29. Bosh had a dissapointing 23.25, but will have a chance to make up for it tonight. And Shareef was ejected early in the third quarter, and only got 8.25.
Nightly score: 93.5:99.5
Current score: 845.75:724
Tonight, Bney Sukar's entire lineup plays, whereas my team has six players. And, well, unless his guys explode, and my guys suck, I'm winning this sucker. It's not in the bank, but it looks good. Damn good.
We each had 4 players, but Bney Sukar had their strongest player, and three other players who were all supposed to be pretty damn strong, whereas I had my third, fourth, fifth, and seventh best players. And we basically tied. I'm a happy camper.
LeBron James was awesome with 55.25 points. Kid is an awesome monster of rock. Everyone else were blah, as Drew Gooden, Ricky Davis, and Damon Stoudamire had 19.75, 11.25, and 13.25, respectively.
On my team, no one exploded, but three guys were ok. Prince was the star with 33 fantasy points, and Dan Gadzuric continued to be a rock with 29. Bosh had a dissapointing 23.25, but will have a chance to make up for it tonight. And Shareef was ejected early in the third quarter, and only got 8.25.
Nightly score: 93.5:99.5
Current score: 845.75:724
Tonight, Bney Sukar's entire lineup plays, whereas my team has six players. And, well, unless his guys explode, and my guys suck, I'm winning this sucker. It's not in the bank, but it looks good. Damn good.
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Ratzinger is the new pope
Crap.
They went with the ultra conservative grand inquisitor.
My favorite comment about this was made by Patrick Nielsen Hayden, in Making Light's comments, on Ratzinger's choice to take the name Benedict XVI:
Benedict, hell. Look at the guy--he's Palpatine I.
They went with the ultra conservative grand inquisitor.
My favorite comment about this was made by Patrick Nielsen Hayden, in Making Light's comments, on Ratzinger's choice to take the name Benedict XVI:
Benedict, hell. Look at the guy--he's Palpatine I.
This is rather disturbing
I'm not sure what I think about postsecret.blogspot.com. Except that it is both disturbing and evocative.
Link via carrolblog.
Link via carrolblog.
NBA fantasy final Day 7
Well, that was an interesting day.
I had three guys, he had two (Andersen and Peja didn't play). He had Baron Davis and Shaun Livingston, who both played as well as can be expected. David had a monster game with 48.25 fantasy points, whereas Livingston had a decent game with 28.25 fps. Livingston would have probably had a better game, but he sat for much of the second half, due to the fact that his team was being routed.
On my side, TMac who was on the team doing the routing, also sat out most of the second half, and ended up with 31.75 points. As TMac is primarily a fourth quarter monster, sitting out the end of the game hurt his stats significantly. Shawn Marion was very solid with 42.5 points, but, again, who knows what he would have done had Denver bothered to put up a fight and caused him to play more than 31 minutes.
My third player was Dan Gadzuric. Gadzuric team was also routed, but they were playing without their power forward, thus putting Gadzuric's main substitute Zaza Pachulia in the lineup. Even with the rout, he played 32 minutes, and used those minutes for a MONSTER game. 48.25 points, which included 20 rebounds, 21 points, a block and two steals. Wow. Gadzuric was undrafted this year, and I picked him up off of the free agent lists. For him to have such a performance was a huge boost for the team.
Nightly score: 125.25:76.5
Current score: 753.25:624.5
I have a nice lead, and we have the same number of players in the last two nights (10 each). Cleveland plays twice, so LBJ has two games. Houston and Phoenix have one game each. This is the first time, however, that I can actually say I think I've got a legitimate shot here. 130 points is a fairly large gap to close over two nights and 10 games. Can I lose? Absolutely. He's got a better lineup in these last days. But I could definitely win. And man, a title, especially after losing in the semi-finals of the fantasy football league, would be SWEET.
I had three guys, he had two (Andersen and Peja didn't play). He had Baron Davis and Shaun Livingston, who both played as well as can be expected. David had a monster game with 48.25 fantasy points, whereas Livingston had a decent game with 28.25 fps. Livingston would have probably had a better game, but he sat for much of the second half, due to the fact that his team was being routed.
On my side, TMac who was on the team doing the routing, also sat out most of the second half, and ended up with 31.75 points. As TMac is primarily a fourth quarter monster, sitting out the end of the game hurt his stats significantly. Shawn Marion was very solid with 42.5 points, but, again, who knows what he would have done had Denver bothered to put up a fight and caused him to play more than 31 minutes.
My third player was Dan Gadzuric. Gadzuric team was also routed, but they were playing without their power forward, thus putting Gadzuric's main substitute Zaza Pachulia in the lineup. Even with the rout, he played 32 minutes, and used those minutes for a MONSTER game. 48.25 points, which included 20 rebounds, 21 points, a block and two steals. Wow. Gadzuric was undrafted this year, and I picked him up off of the free agent lists. For him to have such a performance was a huge boost for the team.
Nightly score: 125.25:76.5
Current score: 753.25:624.5
I have a nice lead, and we have the same number of players in the last two nights (10 each). Cleveland plays twice, so LBJ has two games. Houston and Phoenix have one game each. This is the first time, however, that I can actually say I think I've got a legitimate shot here. 130 points is a fairly large gap to close over two nights and 10 games. Can I lose? Absolutely. He's got a better lineup in these last days. But I could definitely win. And man, a title, especially after losing in the semi-finals of the fantasy football league, would be SWEET.
NBA fantasy final Days 5+6
Saturday and Sunday were to feature 6 of Bney Sukar's players and 7 of mine. In reality, they featured 5 of his and 6 of mine, with one of his players getting injured and giving negligible stats. Overall, these two days were very good for my team.
I'll just do the highlights, if no one minds (and since no one comments on these posts, it seem no one minds. Or cares). LeBron and Damon were the stars on Bney Sukar, with 48 and 44.25 points respectively. Drew Gooden got injured and contributed 0.75 fps. Gooden's status for the rest of the contest is unclear. I'll know better after tonight's game, I guess.
On my team, Tmac was awesome with 46 points, and Bosh, Abdur-Rahim and Tayshaun were all very solid with 43.75, 36.25, and 35.75, respectively. Their stellar showing managed to overcome Peja's sitting out the game (and, sadly, the rest of the NBA regular season, ie. the fantasy playoffs).
Double nightly score: 217.25:127.25
Current score: 628:548
I've got a nice lead going. If Peja wasn't hurt, I'd be quite optimistic. As it is... I just don't know. Tonight, TMac and Marion join up with Gadzuric (while Peja watches from the bench, as he was scheduled to play) versus Baron Davis and Shaun Livingston, with Chris Andersen questionable to play. Should hopefully be a day in which I expand my lead. Hopefully that lead will be enough.
I'll just do the highlights, if no one minds (and since no one comments on these posts, it seem no one minds. Or cares). LeBron and Damon were the stars on Bney Sukar, with 48 and 44.25 points respectively. Drew Gooden got injured and contributed 0.75 fps. Gooden's status for the rest of the contest is unclear. I'll know better after tonight's game, I guess.
On my team, Tmac was awesome with 46 points, and Bosh, Abdur-Rahim and Tayshaun were all very solid with 43.75, 36.25, and 35.75, respectively. Their stellar showing managed to overcome Peja's sitting out the game (and, sadly, the rest of the NBA regular season, ie. the fantasy playoffs).
Double nightly score: 217.25:127.25
Current score: 628:548
I've got a nice lead going. If Peja wasn't hurt, I'd be quite optimistic. As it is... I just don't know. Tonight, TMac and Marion join up with Gadzuric (while Peja watches from the bench, as he was scheduled to play) versus Baron Davis and Shaun Livingston, with Chris Andersen questionable to play. Should hopefully be a day in which I expand my lead. Hopefully that lead will be enough.
Monday, April 18, 2005
So now I'm a comics reviewer
I've been trying to expand my writing resume (and revenue sources) recently, and the second result of this effort is now online (in Hebrew).
It's my first comics review for Walla, one of Israel's largest portals. I wrote about two original Israeli comics - Nimrod Reshef's painfully mediocre Eddie Balagan and Nir Molad's hilarious Zlilei Hamousaka (the sounds of mousaka).
It's my first comics review for Walla, one of Israel's largest portals. I wrote about two original Israeli comics - Nimrod Reshef's painfully mediocre Eddie Balagan and Nir Molad's hilarious Zlilei Hamousaka (the sounds of mousaka).
Saturday, April 16, 2005
NBA fantasy final Day 4 - day of badness
Well, it was bound to happen. I wan't supposed to win this final, and my guys were doing so well, disaster was sure to strike... and it DID.
Let's start with the breakdown. As previously mentioned, Bney Sukar's entire lineup was scheduled to play, and Chris Andersen missed yet another game. LeBron was his usual monstrous self with 45.75 points. Damon Stoudamire got out of his slump with 39.75, which was also Baron Davis' score. Gooden and Ricky Davis were both mediocre with 25.5 and 25.25, respectively, and Shaun Livingston wasn't very good with 19.75.
On my side, things started out eh, with Bosh and Prince getting 25.5 apiece. Gadzuric was benched for most of the second half due to the fact that the Bucks got routed, and ended up with 17.25. Marion was sub par for him with 32, and Shareef was solid with 35 fps.
When the Sacramento-LA game started, things looked very, very good, as Peja got 18 fantasy points in 7 minutes. He was hot from the field, and was 4 from 4 from beyond the arc. And then... he pulled his groin. He was out of the game and won't play tonight either, which is a damn shame, because I could have maintained my slim lead. This may be all she wrote for the Dark Establishment team, but we'll soldier on, and hope we get Peja back soon.
Nightly score: 153:195.75
Current score: 410.75:420.75
Tonight was supposed to be my best shot to take the lead for good. I should still end up with a nice lead, but it doesn't look like it'll be a lead I can hang on to. I've got superstuds TMac and Marion, along with Gadzuric and the sidelined Peja Stojakovic. Bney Sukar have Livingston and maybe injured Chris Andersen.
Let's start with the breakdown. As previously mentioned, Bney Sukar's entire lineup was scheduled to play, and Chris Andersen missed yet another game. LeBron was his usual monstrous self with 45.75 points. Damon Stoudamire got out of his slump with 39.75, which was also Baron Davis' score. Gooden and Ricky Davis were both mediocre with 25.5 and 25.25, respectively, and Shaun Livingston wasn't very good with 19.75.
On my side, things started out eh, with Bosh and Prince getting 25.5 apiece. Gadzuric was benched for most of the second half due to the fact that the Bucks got routed, and ended up with 17.25. Marion was sub par for him with 32, and Shareef was solid with 35 fps.
When the Sacramento-LA game started, things looked very, very good, as Peja got 18 fantasy points in 7 minutes. He was hot from the field, and was 4 from 4 from beyond the arc. And then... he pulled his groin. He was out of the game and won't play tonight either, which is a damn shame, because I could have maintained my slim lead. This may be all she wrote for the Dark Establishment team, but we'll soldier on, and hope we get Peja back soon.
Nightly score: 153:195.75
Current score: 410.75:420.75
Tonight was supposed to be my best shot to take the lead for good. I should still end up with a nice lead, but it doesn't look like it'll be a lead I can hang on to. I've got superstuds TMac and Marion, along with Gadzuric and the sidelined Peja Stojakovic. Bney Sukar have Livingston and maybe injured Chris Andersen.
Friday, April 15, 2005
NBA fantasy final Day 3
Well, waddaya know! Somehow, my guys are still in the lead. Let's break it down.
Bney Sukar had three players last night, including the awe inspiring LeBron James. LBJ was scary good, with 52.25 fantasy points, and that was on a day when he shot the ball BADLY. Drew Gooden, thankfully, was not so good, with 24 points, and Damon Stoudamire continued the blessedly weak play with 21.75 fps.
On my side, Shareef Abdur-Rahim played quite ably, tallying 36.5 points. Love him, and hope he gets a nice contract with a good team next year.
Nightly score: 36.5:98
Current score: 257.75:252
My lead has shrunk, and should evaporate tonight. Bney Sukar should have their entire lineup in play (possibly without Andersen, who's their weakest player), whereas Tracy McGrady's Houston Rockets are idle tonight. The goal tonight is to escape with the smallest possible deficit.
Bney Sukar had three players last night, including the awe inspiring LeBron James. LBJ was scary good, with 52.25 fantasy points, and that was on a day when he shot the ball BADLY. Drew Gooden, thankfully, was not so good, with 24 points, and Damon Stoudamire continued the blessedly weak play with 21.75 fps.
On my side, Shareef Abdur-Rahim played quite ably, tallying 36.5 points. Love him, and hope he gets a nice contract with a good team next year.
Nightly score: 36.5:98
Current score: 257.75:252
My lead has shrunk, and should evaporate tonight. Bney Sukar should have their entire lineup in play (possibly without Andersen, who's their weakest player), whereas Tracy McGrady's Houston Rockets are idle tonight. The goal tonight is to escape with the smallest possible deficit.
Survivor - the awesomeness of Stephenie LaGrossa
Ok, Israeli Survivor fans waiting for the TV airing, this is a spoilerific post, spoiling anything and everything up to and including the merge episode. Continue at your peril.
What can one say about Stephenie? Possibly the most amazing Survivor competitor ever, formerly sole cool person on a tribe of incompetents, and now, suddenly, a legitimite threat to win the game!
No one in the history of the game faced the situation Steph faced. All alone, her entire tribe eliminated, she showed the kind of grit you usually only see in movies, where it often doesn't seem believable. And later, she made what turned out to be a SMART decision to give up on immunity, in a way that showed that she respects and trusts Tom, while getting to eat half a pizza (a huge thing in a food deficient game like this). As the game progressed to where it is, she showed repeatedly that she is an incredibly strong competitor, and every morning before a challenge, she somehow mustered the belief that THIS time, Ulong may win. Sure, it was a bit deluded, but it was also awesome.
If she doesn't win this game, she's already got a career waiting for her as a motivational speaker. Just an awesome, awesome person.
And the Coby elimination? Sweet, sweet justice. Somewhere in sequesterville, Angie is saying, "hey, fuck you Coby, and thank you Steph."
Along with Tom and Ian (who are also pretty damn awesome), Steph has made this the funnest season of Survivor ever. If one of these guys win, this'll also be the most satisfying win ever, completely obliterating Ethan's win in Africa.
What can one say about Stephenie? Possibly the most amazing Survivor competitor ever, formerly sole cool person on a tribe of incompetents, and now, suddenly, a legitimite threat to win the game!
No one in the history of the game faced the situation Steph faced. All alone, her entire tribe eliminated, she showed the kind of grit you usually only see in movies, where it often doesn't seem believable. And later, she made what turned out to be a SMART decision to give up on immunity, in a way that showed that she respects and trusts Tom, while getting to eat half a pizza (a huge thing in a food deficient game like this). As the game progressed to where it is, she showed repeatedly that she is an incredibly strong competitor, and every morning before a challenge, she somehow mustered the belief that THIS time, Ulong may win. Sure, it was a bit deluded, but it was also awesome.
If she doesn't win this game, she's already got a career waiting for her as a motivational speaker. Just an awesome, awesome person.
And the Coby elimination? Sweet, sweet justice. Somewhere in sequesterville, Angie is saying, "hey, fuck you Coby, and thank you Steph."
Along with Tom and Ian (who are also pretty damn awesome), Steph has made this the funnest season of Survivor ever. If one of these guys win, this'll also be the most satisfying win ever, completely obliterating Ethan's win in Africa.
Thursday, April 14, 2005
What did I SAY?
Damn, America (or, in deference to Shunra, those rather large parts of America who watch AI), you let Scott slide by AGAIN? And voting out Nadia? Are you a nation of deaf, dumb and blind people? WTF? Huh? WTF? Nadia should have gone to the final, with Bo (who was also in the bottom three this week. Again, WTF?). Now she's out, and the show is automatically more boring, and less FUN. Arrrgh. Please, America, in the name of all which does not suck, let Scott go already. And Anthony too.
NBA fantasy final Day 2
The second night of fantasy finals action has just ended, and it was a very good night for the forces of good!
Bney Sukar had 3 players, but Andersen didn't play again, which reduced his daily roster to 2. Both Davis boys were thankfully mediocre, with Ricky having 20.5 and Baron giving 21.
Of my guys, Dan Gadzuric played as well as can be hoped, with 37 fantasy points. Tayshaun Prince was sub par with 14.5, due mostly to massive bench minutes in Detroit's rout of Orlando (ended with only a 9 point margin, but Detroit had subs in for a massive portion of the second half. Hell, even Darko got to play). And Tracy McGrady was Tracy McGrady, with 48 fps and a near triple double.
So, nightly score: 99.5:41.5
Current finals score: 221.25:127
Things look good so far, but tomorrow night... (cue ominous music) LeBron James takes the court. Second scariest player in fantasy basketball, and he's actually close enough to Garnette as to make it interesting, which hasn't been the case in a while. With three players (LBJ, Gooden, and Damon Stoudamire) vs. Shareef, I can only hope I still have a lead when tomorrow's games are done. Keep your fingers crossed, there's only 7 nights to go in this 9 night war for a fairly meaningless title that still means the world to me.
Bney Sukar had 3 players, but Andersen didn't play again, which reduced his daily roster to 2. Both Davis boys were thankfully mediocre, with Ricky having 20.5 and Baron giving 21.
Of my guys, Dan Gadzuric played as well as can be hoped, with 37 fantasy points. Tayshaun Prince was sub par with 14.5, due mostly to massive bench minutes in Detroit's rout of Orlando (ended with only a 9 point margin, but Detroit had subs in for a massive portion of the second half. Hell, even Darko got to play). And Tracy McGrady was Tracy McGrady, with 48 fps and a near triple double.
So, nightly score: 99.5:41.5
Current finals score: 221.25:127
Things look good so far, but tomorrow night... (cue ominous music) LeBron James takes the court. Second scariest player in fantasy basketball, and he's actually close enough to Garnette as to make it interesting, which hasn't been the case in a while. With three players (LBJ, Gooden, and Damon Stoudamire) vs. Shareef, I can only hope I still have a lead when tomorrow's games are done. Keep your fingers crossed, there's only 7 nights to go in this 9 night war for a fairly meaningless title that still means the world to me.
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
NBA fantasy final Day 1
Well, things started out pretty well on day 1. My opponent had 4 players, of which Chris Andersen didn't play, Ricky Davis played well with 34.5 points, Shaun Livingston played very well with 36.5 points, and Damon Stoudamire played poorly with 14.75 points. I had three guys playing: Chris Bosh was excellent with 47.5 points, Shawn Marion was about on par with 46 points (and he had such a monster game on the boards and on defense, that only a poor shooting effort and turnovers prevented a truly magnificent performance) and Shareef Abdur-Rahim had an ok 28.5 points.
Right now, the score is 121.75:85.5. Tonight, the first of my opponents big guns takes the stage, as Baron Davis joins Ricky Davis and (maybe, hopefully not) Chris Andersen play for Bney Sukar (The Sons of Sugar). My team will also feature a superstud, as Tracy McGrady takes the court alongside Dan Gadzuric and Tayshaun Prince. A great deal depends on how well Baron plays this week. If he performs as well as he did last week, I'm probably toast. If Golden State aims for a better spot in the lottery for next season's draft, and decide to play him less, I may have a chance.
Right now, the score is 121.75:85.5. Tonight, the first of my opponents big guns takes the stage, as Baron Davis joins Ricky Davis and (maybe, hopefully not) Chris Andersen play for Bney Sukar (The Sons of Sugar). My team will also feature a superstud, as Tracy McGrady takes the court alongside Dan Gadzuric and Tayshaun Prince. A great deal depends on how well Baron plays this week. If he performs as well as he did last week, I'm probably toast. If Golden State aims for a better spot in the lottery for next season's draft, and decide to play him less, I may have a chance.
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
What and How in television production
Television shows (and many, many, many other things, but I'm talking about TV just now) are judged on two separate scales.
One is the "What" scale. What is the show doing/trying to do? Is that thing new, exciting, original, interesting in and of itself. Is the concept itself a great thing? If the concept is great, than the show itself has the potential to be great. Not very good, but actually great. Lost is a good example of this.
The other is the "How" scale. How well does the show execute its concept/grand idea. Since most shows don't have a great or original concept, most shows are judged on the "How" more than anything else. A show CAN be great by execution alone. Homicide: Life on the Street had a concept that was basically quite similar to many shows before and since, but the execution was so astounding, that it achieved greatness.
After three episodes, Grey's Anatomy isn't great. It has a fairly basic concept ("like Scrubs, but not a comedy", or "like ER, but with surgery interns and residents"). But it does have very, very good execution. It has some of the funny, it has a really good cast, the writing is good, and manages to avoid going over the top when that's a danger. It has a superb lead in Ellen Pompeo, a really nice ensemble cast highlighted by Sandra Oh and Patrick Dempsey (yes, THAT Patrick Dempsey. he's returned from the Eighties, and now he can act), and it looks pretty good.
I stopped watching ER after a season or two, because they went too hard for the high drama. I'm hoping Grey's Anatomy doesn't go that route. It had a solid start (and is doing real well in the ratings), so there's hope.
One is the "What" scale. What is the show doing/trying to do? Is that thing new, exciting, original, interesting in and of itself. Is the concept itself a great thing? If the concept is great, than the show itself has the potential to be great. Not very good, but actually great. Lost is a good example of this.
The other is the "How" scale. How well does the show execute its concept/grand idea. Since most shows don't have a great or original concept, most shows are judged on the "How" more than anything else. A show CAN be great by execution alone. Homicide: Life on the Street had a concept that was basically quite similar to many shows before and since, but the execution was so astounding, that it achieved greatness.
After three episodes, Grey's Anatomy isn't great. It has a fairly basic concept ("like Scrubs, but not a comedy", or "like ER, but with surgery interns and residents"). But it does have very, very good execution. It has some of the funny, it has a really good cast, the writing is good, and manages to avoid going over the top when that's a danger. It has a superb lead in Ellen Pompeo, a really nice ensemble cast highlighted by Sandra Oh and Patrick Dempsey (yes, THAT Patrick Dempsey. he's returned from the Eighties, and now he can act), and it looks pretty good.
I stopped watching ER after a season or two, because they went too hard for the high drama. I'm hoping Grey's Anatomy doesn't go that route. It had a solid start (and is doing real well in the ratings), so there's hope.
Monday, April 11, 2005
NBA fantasy blogging
There's one more night remaining in the semi finals of my leagues playoffs. My guys are up by nearly 90 points, and both teams have 5 players playing tonight. In other words, there's a pretty good chance that the Dark Establishment fantasy team is going to the finals. It isn't a lock by any means. Steve Nash can go off for a gazillion points, and Marion and TMac may suck, and it can all come crashing down.
But it's a good shot. I've got Bosh, Marion, Tay Prince, Jason Hart, and TMac. He's got Jeff Foster, Donyell Marshal, Anthony Johnson, Chucky Atkins, and Nash. Hart has been ill and/or unproductive all week. Marshal is injured and probably won't play (he hasn't all week). Anthony Johnson has been a monster, and went off for over 50 fantasy points last night. But things are looking pretty good. Of course, if my opponents hadn't lost Jermaine O'Neal and Brad Miller to injuries, I probably lose by a bunch, but sadly for him, he has.
That means that next week, I'm probably meeting the team that's currently up by over 100 points in the other semi finals. This team has LeBron and Baron Davis (who's playing out of his MIND), as well as Gooden and Ricky Davis. Scary ass team, whose score for this week has been nearly 200 points more than mine. Still, this week they had five games for LeBron and Gooden, who only play 3 next week, so, again, there's a chance.
But it's a good shot. I've got Bosh, Marion, Tay Prince, Jason Hart, and TMac. He's got Jeff Foster, Donyell Marshal, Anthony Johnson, Chucky Atkins, and Nash. Hart has been ill and/or unproductive all week. Marshal is injured and probably won't play (he hasn't all week). Anthony Johnson has been a monster, and went off for over 50 fantasy points last night. But things are looking pretty good. Of course, if my opponents hadn't lost Jermaine O'Neal and Brad Miller to injuries, I probably lose by a bunch, but sadly for him, he has.
That means that next week, I'm probably meeting the team that's currently up by over 100 points in the other semi finals. This team has LeBron and Baron Davis (who's playing out of his MIND), as well as Gooden and Ricky Davis. Scary ass team, whose score for this week has been nearly 200 points more than mine. Still, this week they had five games for LeBron and Gooden, who only play 3 next week, so, again, there's a chance.
Fuglesse oblige
As a straight man who isn't really into fashion (and has all the fashion sense of, well, a geek), some would say I'm not supposed to enjoy The Fug. But damn, the Fug Girls are funny. And the line It's like Charles just accepted a trophy for Excellence in Using The Public's Love of Weddings As A Way of Waving Off The Stench of Public Scandal, in reference to the hideous thing on Prince Charles new bride's head, is pure genius.
The new Doctor
I'd never seen an episode of Dr. Who until this past weekend, when I watched the first three episodes of the new season. And, well... it wasn't so bad. The second episode was really rather good, in fact. Superficially, it's rather silly stuff. But there seems to be depth there (well, there had BETTER be, with 26 seasons of back story).
Billie Piper is remarkably fallinlovable as Rose Tyler, the everywoman sidekick drafted by The Doctor in the first ep. There's a certain charm about her, that makes Rose an instantly likable character. Good to know some teen popstars (which I didn't even know she was before I checked IMDB) can actually find a second career they're good at.
Christopher Eccleston is remarkably giddy as The Doctor. I've no frame of reference when it comes to comparing him to previous doctors, but he seems to do a decent job of it.
Whenever I review a TV show, especially a genre show, I tend to go on about production values. Historically, this has been a missing element in British SF&F. Shows and miniseries such as Red Dwarf and Neverwhere have been brilliantly written, and sometimes very well acted, but looked like crap. From what little I've seen of the old Dr. Who shows, the show pretty much epitomized crappy looking SF. On that note, this show is a marked improvement. It looks ok. It isn't as brilliantly realised as I like, but that seems to mostly be a budget issue rather than a creativity issue.
I've mentioned that the second episode was very good. This is both a blessing and a potential curse. It's a blessing, because it hooks you on the show very early on (something Big Story SF often has problems with). It may be a curse because it sets a rather high standard. If I watch five more episodes, and they're all on par with the third epidoe, I may drop the series. But if they give me another episode or two as good as The End of the World, I'm along for the ride, at least to the end of this season.
Billie Piper is remarkably fallinlovable as Rose Tyler, the everywoman sidekick drafted by The Doctor in the first ep. There's a certain charm about her, that makes Rose an instantly likable character. Good to know some teen popstars (which I didn't even know she was before I checked IMDB) can actually find a second career they're good at.
Christopher Eccleston is remarkably giddy as The Doctor. I've no frame of reference when it comes to comparing him to previous doctors, but he seems to do a decent job of it.
Whenever I review a TV show, especially a genre show, I tend to go on about production values. Historically, this has been a missing element in British SF&F. Shows and miniseries such as Red Dwarf and Neverwhere have been brilliantly written, and sometimes very well acted, but looked like crap. From what little I've seen of the old Dr. Who shows, the show pretty much epitomized crappy looking SF. On that note, this show is a marked improvement. It looks ok. It isn't as brilliantly realised as I like, but that seems to mostly be a budget issue rather than a creativity issue.
I've mentioned that the second episode was very good. This is both a blessing and a potential curse. It's a blessing, because it hooks you on the show very early on (something Big Story SF often has problems with). It may be a curse because it sets a rather high standard. If I watch five more episodes, and they're all on par with the third epidoe, I may drop the series. But if they give me another episode or two as good as The End of the World, I'm along for the ride, at least to the end of this season.
Sunday, April 10, 2005
The Amazing Adventures of Lethem and Chabon
It's short, it's funny. Read it.
Link via Making Light (I told you it was a good thing those two are posting regularly again).
Link via Making Light (I told you it was a good thing those two are posting regularly again).
Finally! A Jihad for the rest of us!
In the immortal words of Homer Simpson, it's funny because it's true.
And for those of you ready to take arms of politeness and niceness and non-fanaticism, get your Unitarian Jihad name here. Of the ones I got through the wonder of the refresh button, my favorite is Brother Katana of Desirable Mindfulness.
Both links via Elektrolite, and I should also mention that both Nielsen Haydens are posting regularly again. And that is definitely a good thing.
And for those of you ready to take arms of politeness and niceness and non-fanaticism, get your Unitarian Jihad name here. Of the ones I got through the wonder of the refresh button, my favorite is Brother Katana of Desirable Mindfulness.
Both links via Elektrolite, and I should also mention that both Nielsen Haydens are posting regularly again. And that is definitely a good thing.
Friday, April 08, 2005
West Wing season 6 Finale
Well, since this blog has Israeli readers who are watching the fifth season on TV, I'll make this as general and unsploilerific as possible.
The main plot of this episode had a tough task - finding an exciting and realistic way of getting to a foregone, but a bit farfetched, conclusion. It did that brilliantly. On the strength of the main plot alone, I'd say this was the best ep in about two seasons.
The secondary plot was teh suck. It was unnecesary (both for the episode and in the grand scheme of things), all kinds of stupid, and just... bad. But it WAS very secondary, and the very, very, very good conclusion of the main plot, and of the season's story, far outweighs it in my mind. This episode gave me a great deal of hope for the next season, even if they do need to fix quite a few things (better overall writing and directorial consistency are much needed). The West Wing still has a pulse, and that's really quite heartening, as it seemed to be dying a slow death, and it was sad to see a formerly excellent show going down that road.
The main plot of this episode had a tough task - finding an exciting and realistic way of getting to a foregone, but a bit farfetched, conclusion. It did that brilliantly. On the strength of the main plot alone, I'd say this was the best ep in about two seasons.
The secondary plot was teh suck. It was unnecesary (both for the episode and in the grand scheme of things), all kinds of stupid, and just... bad. But it WAS very secondary, and the very, very, very good conclusion of the main plot, and of the season's story, far outweighs it in my mind. This episode gave me a great deal of hope for the next season, even if they do need to fix quite a few things (better overall writing and directorial consistency are much needed). The West Wing still has a pulse, and that's really quite heartening, as it seemed to be dying a slow death, and it was sad to see a formerly excellent show going down that road.
Thursday, April 07, 2005
Israeli IRS... rocks?
When I was a child, my father used to say, "Haikar Habriut... Vemas Hachnasa," which literally means "The important thing is health... and the IRS." Basically, it means the two things you need to fear are problems with your health, and with the IRS. And... well... those oft repeated lines left me with a bit of a phobia of the internal revenue service.
When I grew up, and became a freelancer, all of my early dealings with the IRS were filled with dread. It caused me to be late in payments (self fulfilling prophecy if there ever was one), and to generally not be very good in my dealings with them. But as one grows a bit older, one learns to just DEAL. Which I did.
Recently, I started writing for Maariv (well, "started writing" is a big statement, considering I wrote all of one film review, but still, they seem to want more reviews, so that's a good). This week, they sent me my freelancer contract, which included a request for my deduction of tax at source certificate. Without it, they would have to deduct 49 percent, which would suck. The certificate I had was valid until last week. But I thought, "hey, I have the internet, the IRS has a website, maybe I can find something there." And I logged on and had a look. What I found was this page, where employers/clients can get the deduction certificate of their employees/contracters. I entered my ID number, and lo and behold, I found that the IRS renewed my certificate, which includes a full deduction exemption, until 2007. That's awesome. So I informed the nice woman at Maariv where she can get my certificate, and didn't have to go to the IRS offices. Thus, my phobia was again proven to be unfounded, while at the same time I didn't have to face my silly fears and go to their offices (which, btw, are ridiculously close to out apartment).
Yay, IRS.
ps. Yes, I'm trying out actually "blogging" on my blog, rather than linking or reviewing or informing or essaying or whatnot. Hope someone out there likes it. If you do, and if you don't, please say so in the comments. Comments are important, folks. Hits in the counter are nice, but comments are so much nicer.
When I grew up, and became a freelancer, all of my early dealings with the IRS were filled with dread. It caused me to be late in payments (self fulfilling prophecy if there ever was one), and to generally not be very good in my dealings with them. But as one grows a bit older, one learns to just DEAL. Which I did.
Recently, I started writing for Maariv (well, "started writing" is a big statement, considering I wrote all of one film review, but still, they seem to want more reviews, so that's a good). This week, they sent me my freelancer contract, which included a request for my deduction of tax at source certificate. Without it, they would have to deduct 49 percent, which would suck. The certificate I had was valid until last week. But I thought, "hey, I have the internet, the IRS has a website, maybe I can find something there." And I logged on and had a look. What I found was this page, where employers/clients can get the deduction certificate of their employees/contracters. I entered my ID number, and lo and behold, I found that the IRS renewed my certificate, which includes a full deduction exemption, until 2007. That's awesome. So I informed the nice woman at Maariv where she can get my certificate, and didn't have to go to the IRS offices. Thus, my phobia was again proven to be unfounded, while at the same time I didn't have to face my silly fears and go to their offices (which, btw, are ridiculously close to out apartment).
Yay, IRS.
ps. Yes, I'm trying out actually "blogging" on my blog, rather than linking or reviewing or informing or essaying or whatnot. Hope someone out there likes it. If you do, and if you don't, please say so in the comments. Comments are important, folks. Hits in the counter are nice, but comments are so much nicer.
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
Under (hot water) pressure
Today, I got to have a decent shower in my own home for the first time in a loooong time, and let me tell you, that's a joy to experience.
Lemme back up. When we first bought this apartment, about two and a half years ago, the water pressure wasn't very good. It wasn't horrific, but we could enjoy our showers. Over time, the hot water pressure got weaker, and weaker and weaker. It was a gradual thing, so we almost didn't notice it until we went to greece last year and stayed in a hotel that had GREAT water pressure.
Since then, we've been biding our time, and waiting for the right moment to fix it. The right moment being a time when we're both solvent and can afford it. Since Tammy's been under a new contract for some months now, and I just got paid for a MASSIVE book, the right time was right now. I called a few plumbers this Sunday, and found out that the basic fix for our problem would cost about 1000NIS (that's about $230). That was actually less than we thought it would be. If we knew that's what it cost, we would have done it ages ago. So I chose one of the plumbers (the same guys who fixed our solar water heater last year, who were both good and honest), and they came over today, worked for a couple of hours, and voila - decent hot water pressure. It isn't amazing pressure by any means. To achieve that, we'd have to replace the half of our plumbing that we didn't replace when we moved in. We'd also have to replace the water heater (which is oooold. They replaced the solar receptors last time, but the actual heater is still working but... well... old). But hell, there's an actual stream of hot water, rather than a sad, sad drizzle.
The whole thing cost us 1050 NIS incl. tax. Oh, so worth it.
Lemme back up. When we first bought this apartment, about two and a half years ago, the water pressure wasn't very good. It wasn't horrific, but we could enjoy our showers. Over time, the hot water pressure got weaker, and weaker and weaker. It was a gradual thing, so we almost didn't notice it until we went to greece last year and stayed in a hotel that had GREAT water pressure.
Since then, we've been biding our time, and waiting for the right moment to fix it. The right moment being a time when we're both solvent and can afford it. Since Tammy's been under a new contract for some months now, and I just got paid for a MASSIVE book, the right time was right now. I called a few plumbers this Sunday, and found out that the basic fix for our problem would cost about 1000NIS (that's about $230). That was actually less than we thought it would be. If we knew that's what it cost, we would have done it ages ago. So I chose one of the plumbers (the same guys who fixed our solar water heater last year, who were both good and honest), and they came over today, worked for a couple of hours, and voila - decent hot water pressure. It isn't amazing pressure by any means. To achieve that, we'd have to replace the half of our plumbing that we didn't replace when we moved in. We'd also have to replace the water heater (which is oooold. They replaced the solar receptors last time, but the actual heater is still working but... well... old). But hell, there's an actual stream of hot water, rather than a sad, sad drizzle.
The whole thing cost us 1050 NIS incl. tax. Oh, so worth it.
Monday, April 04, 2005
Shaolin Soccer
After watching (and love, love, loving) Kung Fu Hustle, I was eager to watch director/star Stephen Chow's previous film, Shaolin Soccer. I finally did. It was a fun movie, but nowhere near as good as KFH.
The plot, which centers around a poor, young, apparently homeless man's quest to make Kung Fu more popular, which coincides with an former football player's desire for redemption, is silly, of couse. But then, silly appears to be Chow's stock and trade. This is by no means a bad thing. KFH was silly, and it was also sublime. But Shaolin Soccer isn't as beautiful a film, and certainly isn't nearly as funny. Even the romance isn't nearly as touching.
The film has some brilliant moments, and a kickass ending, though. It may be that I should have seen it before watching Chow's later, and much better film. It was fun, that's for sure. Decent flick. Check it out on TV or rent it if you want some harmless fun, with Kung Fu, sports, and laughs. But don't forget to check out Kung Fu Hustle when it hits American screens on the 22nd, and Israel (when and if it ever does).
The plot, which centers around a poor, young, apparently homeless man's quest to make Kung Fu more popular, which coincides with an former football player's desire for redemption, is silly, of couse. But then, silly appears to be Chow's stock and trade. This is by no means a bad thing. KFH was silly, and it was also sublime. But Shaolin Soccer isn't as beautiful a film, and certainly isn't nearly as funny. Even the romance isn't nearly as touching.
The film has some brilliant moments, and a kickass ending, though. It may be that I should have seen it before watching Chow's later, and much better film. It was fun, that's for sure. Decent flick. Check it out on TV or rent it if you want some harmless fun, with Kung Fu, sports, and laughs. But don't forget to check out Kung Fu Hustle when it hits American screens on the 22nd, and Israel (when and if it ever does).
Saturday, April 02, 2005
The NBA All-Freak team
A few weeks ago, Eric Neel wrote a column for ESPN's Page 2, which I heartily recommended. It was about Shawn Marion and Manu Ginobily, two of the NBA's freaks. Freaks are players you can't really explain, guys other players can't aspire to emulate, because they're a freakish collection of athletic gifts and skills in a package that does not really conform to an established basketball position.
I've done some thinking about it, as freaks are some of my favorite NBA players, and I've come up with five guys that make the All-Freak team, plus a couple who may be freaks once they figure out what to do with their gifts. Only two of these guys are the marquee players on their team, and one of those that teams has faced playoffs futility for some years, while the other made the finals once. I think this isn't an accident. Freaks make amazing complementary players (Scottie Pippen is a freak hall of famer), but they aren't as reliable as go to guys in the playoffs, when play slows down and the game becomes more physical. That's when the big, the steady, the sharp shooting, and the smart often beat the frekish. Some players aren't freaks, they're the apotheosis of their positions. Such was MJ. Such is Shaq. Those guys get more titles.
With that said, lets bring on YOUR NBA All-Freaks.
At guard, from the San Antonio Spurs, give a big hand of applause for Manu Ginobily!
Manu is an anomaly. He's the white guy who can jump to the moon, and seems to do so every game. He's the Spur who plays with reckless abandon, breaking up as many of his own team's plays as he does the opponent's. But the guy wins games. He OWNED the olympics last summer, getting Argentina the gold. On quite a few nights, he's the best player on his team, and that team has Tim Duncan on the roster. And every single game, he'll make a move that'll have you falling out of your seat.
At guard, from the Philadelphia 76ers, give it UP for Allen Iverson!
AI is the fastest man to ever play ball. He also may be the gutsiest. See him go to the rim against Shaq, and you've seen the definition of courage in sports. See him make a move and blow his defender away. Before you know it, he's at the basket, or he's stolen someone's ball. He can't be big enough, or strong enough to do the things he does. But he's just as big and as strong as he needs to be. And he's also got a freakish heart.
At forward from the Detroit Pistons, show some lovin' to Tayshaun Prince!
What a wingspan! Sometimes, he looks a bit gawky. But then he extends those freakishly long arms and gets a rebound, or a steal, or a block, or makes a three, and you can only marvel. Many players have vied for the title of "Kobe Killer," in recent years. Last year, in the NBA finals, Tay Prince took that mantle, as he stopped Kobe COLD. A body that gangly, that thin, shouldn't be the body of an NBA star forward. But Prince is a star. He was the Pistons X-factor in the finals, and take a look, he's getting double doubles more often than not these days. No doubt about it, that boy's a superfreak.
At forward, from the Phoenix Suns, bow down before Shawn Marion! How can a guy who's 6 foot 7 get over 11 boards a game? How does this happen? Freakish ability is the answer. He just jumps higher, gets to the ball faster. Suns almost never run plays for him? Doesn't matter, he'll get nearly 20 points a game from thin air. He also gets a couple of steals, a couple of assists, and a block and a half. In the roto category system of fantasy sports, he's the BEST fantasy player in basketball. In the weighted points per stats system my league uses, he's currently ranked 6th. And he's the THIRD option on his team on a good day. If Q and Joe Johnson are shooting well, he's the freaking fifth option. That's freakish.
At forward (Centers are generally too big and slow to be freaks, though Hakeem certainly was a king freak, and a two time champ to boot), from the Minnesota Timeberwolves, please welcome the king of all freaks, Kevin Garnette!
What can you say about KG? He may be the most athletically gifted man ever to play ball. He's fast, he's slim, he's damn tall. He scores, rebounds, passes, steals, blocks. He's the best fantasy player in the universe. He's intense as hell. And what position does he even play? He's not wide bodied enough to play center or power forward (though PF is his nominal position), he's too tall and capable of scoring inside to play swingman. And he's not fast enough to play point guard (though for a seven footer, he's got speed to burn). So his position, as far as I'm concerned, is Basketball Monster. If Shaq is the ultimate center, and MJ is the ultimate shooting guard, and Jason Kidd or John Stockton is the ultimate point guard, KG is the ultimate freak.
Potential freaks:
Eddie Griffin. Eddie's a headcase with a criminal record for assault and a history of bouncing from team to team in his short career. TWolves management has a hard time finding playing time for him, as he's not considered strong enough for center, and plays pretty much on the same spots as KG, but not as well. But hell, this is a 6-10 guy who can shoot threes. He's an AWESOME blocker and rebounder. If he gets his act together, the guy's a freak waiting to happen.
Chris Andersen. A seven foot white guy who can jump. Really high. Last year, Bill Walton wrote that Andersen is one of the best 25 players in the league, he just hasn't figured it out yet. Some nights, he dominates on the boards and blocks. Some nights, he's completely lost. Sadly, he was completely lost in this year's dunking contest. I'm positive he can make all those dunks he missed so badly. But the head is still holding the body back. If he ever learns to use that combination of size, hops, and speed, look out.
I've done some thinking about it, as freaks are some of my favorite NBA players, and I've come up with five guys that make the All-Freak team, plus a couple who may be freaks once they figure out what to do with their gifts. Only two of these guys are the marquee players on their team, and one of those that teams has faced playoffs futility for some years, while the other made the finals once. I think this isn't an accident. Freaks make amazing complementary players (Scottie Pippen is a freak hall of famer), but they aren't as reliable as go to guys in the playoffs, when play slows down and the game becomes more physical. That's when the big, the steady, the sharp shooting, and the smart often beat the frekish. Some players aren't freaks, they're the apotheosis of their positions. Such was MJ. Such is Shaq. Those guys get more titles.
With that said, lets bring on YOUR NBA All-Freaks.
At guard, from the San Antonio Spurs, give a big hand of applause for Manu Ginobily!
Manu is an anomaly. He's the white guy who can jump to the moon, and seems to do so every game. He's the Spur who plays with reckless abandon, breaking up as many of his own team's plays as he does the opponent's. But the guy wins games. He OWNED the olympics last summer, getting Argentina the gold. On quite a few nights, he's the best player on his team, and that team has Tim Duncan on the roster. And every single game, he'll make a move that'll have you falling out of your seat.
At guard, from the Philadelphia 76ers, give it UP for Allen Iverson!
AI is the fastest man to ever play ball. He also may be the gutsiest. See him go to the rim against Shaq, and you've seen the definition of courage in sports. See him make a move and blow his defender away. Before you know it, he's at the basket, or he's stolen someone's ball. He can't be big enough, or strong enough to do the things he does. But he's just as big and as strong as he needs to be. And he's also got a freakish heart.
At forward from the Detroit Pistons, show some lovin' to Tayshaun Prince!
What a wingspan! Sometimes, he looks a bit gawky. But then he extends those freakishly long arms and gets a rebound, or a steal, or a block, or makes a three, and you can only marvel. Many players have vied for the title of "Kobe Killer," in recent years. Last year, in the NBA finals, Tay Prince took that mantle, as he stopped Kobe COLD. A body that gangly, that thin, shouldn't be the body of an NBA star forward. But Prince is a star. He was the Pistons X-factor in the finals, and take a look, he's getting double doubles more often than not these days. No doubt about it, that boy's a superfreak.
At forward, from the Phoenix Suns, bow down before Shawn Marion! How can a guy who's 6 foot 7 get over 11 boards a game? How does this happen? Freakish ability is the answer. He just jumps higher, gets to the ball faster. Suns almost never run plays for him? Doesn't matter, he'll get nearly 20 points a game from thin air. He also gets a couple of steals, a couple of assists, and a block and a half. In the roto category system of fantasy sports, he's the BEST fantasy player in basketball. In the weighted points per stats system my league uses, he's currently ranked 6th. And he's the THIRD option on his team on a good day. If Q and Joe Johnson are shooting well, he's the freaking fifth option. That's freakish.
At forward (Centers are generally too big and slow to be freaks, though Hakeem certainly was a king freak, and a two time champ to boot), from the Minnesota Timeberwolves, please welcome the king of all freaks, Kevin Garnette!
What can you say about KG? He may be the most athletically gifted man ever to play ball. He's fast, he's slim, he's damn tall. He scores, rebounds, passes, steals, blocks. He's the best fantasy player in the universe. He's intense as hell. And what position does he even play? He's not wide bodied enough to play center or power forward (though PF is his nominal position), he's too tall and capable of scoring inside to play swingman. And he's not fast enough to play point guard (though for a seven footer, he's got speed to burn). So his position, as far as I'm concerned, is Basketball Monster. If Shaq is the ultimate center, and MJ is the ultimate shooting guard, and Jason Kidd or John Stockton is the ultimate point guard, KG is the ultimate freak.
Potential freaks:
Eddie Griffin. Eddie's a headcase with a criminal record for assault and a history of bouncing from team to team in his short career. TWolves management has a hard time finding playing time for him, as he's not considered strong enough for center, and plays pretty much on the same spots as KG, but not as well. But hell, this is a 6-10 guy who can shoot threes. He's an AWESOME blocker and rebounder. If he gets his act together, the guy's a freak waiting to happen.
Chris Andersen. A seven foot white guy who can jump. Really high. Last year, Bill Walton wrote that Andersen is one of the best 25 players in the league, he just hasn't figured it out yet. Some nights, he dominates on the boards and blocks. Some nights, he's completely lost. Sadly, he was completely lost in this year's dunking contest. I'm positive he can make all those dunks he missed so badly. But the head is still holding the body back. If he ever learns to use that combination of size, hops, and speed, look out.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
