Yahoo! News - Search Called Off for Missing Utah Woman: "SALT LAKE CITY - Relatives of a missing woman and her husband said late Saturday that the husband has given them information that prompted them to call off a volunteer search for the woman. The families' statement did not reveal what Mark Hacking told them. "
How sad, it doesn't sound good. I am sorry to read this.
The Chatterbox
We implemented a new feature on the Blog. It is called the chatterbox and it is kind of a chat area that is currently placed on the left hand side of the page. It is being tested. We'll see what happens, it may stay or it may go.
Feel free to use it or to post your thoughts about it.
Feel free to use it or to post your thoughts about it.
ABCNEWS.com : A Retirement Home for Famous Apes
"Luckily, the former movie stars, TV actors, and circus performers have found refuge at the Center for Orangutan and Chimpanzee Conservation, a Florida retirement home for apes. "
Eventually the monkey's will take over the world.
Eventually the monkey's will take over the world.
Some thoughts?
There are several different groups of people who comment on this Blog. Many of you have my email address and I am getting swamped with comments about the comments of others here. Some of these comments make complete sense because many of you are not familiar with the BB I had been participating in and the comments about the events there do not have any context for you.
The other set of comments are in response to what many consider personal attacks. I think that there is a lot of anger coming from people who feel like they were never listened to, who feel that their opinions were devalued and in short are just trying to express themselves.
I am not going to do much in the way of moderating comments as I want this to be a place where you just lay it out there. If people can't handle it this may not be the place for them. But I ask that you use your name. If you want to say someone is smart or an idiot, you can do that. But use your own name so that we can see what is going on. It will help to provide a real handle as to how many people are here.
Also, I am considering signing up for a tagboard which would be similar to a message board and would be on the front page. It will not be the kind of board that many are used to. I am still the only one who will post subjects, but it will serve as a general place to make comments and remarks. The posts will still offer a place for comments too.
The other set of comments are in response to what many consider personal attacks. I think that there is a lot of anger coming from people who feel like they were never listened to, who feel that their opinions were devalued and in short are just trying to express themselves.
I am not going to do much in the way of moderating comments as I want this to be a place where you just lay it out there. If people can't handle it this may not be the place for them. But I ask that you use your name. If you want to say someone is smart or an idiot, you can do that. But use your own name so that we can see what is going on. It will help to provide a real handle as to how many people are here.
Also, I am considering signing up for a tagboard which would be similar to a message board and would be on the front page. It will not be the kind of board that many are used to. I am still the only one who will post subjects, but it will serve as a general place to make comments and remarks. The posts will still offer a place for comments too.
A few math tricks
Here's a sneaky way to find out someone's age who won't tell you:
Ask the person to multiply the first number of his or her age by 5
Tell them to add 3
Now tell them to double this figure
Have the person add the second number of his or her age to the figure and have them tell you their answer
Deduct 6 and you will have their age!
Here is another
Tell someone to secretly input their age into a calculator and multiply it by 3367.
Now, tell them to multiply it by 3.
Next, tell them to write down their answer on a piece of paper and to clear all the information on the calculator so far.
Now, use that number on the piece of paper and divide it by 10101.
RESULT: The person's age!
The reason this trick works because 10101 is equal to 3367*3. And multiplying any two-digit number by 10101 is the same as writing it three times (e.g. 282828). Thus, when a number is multiplied by 3367, then by 3, it is really being multiplied by 10101. And of course, when you divide it by 10101 at the end of the trick, you get your original number, in this case your age.
And here is another
Ask the person to multiply the first number of his or her age by 5
Tell them to add 3
Now tell them to double this figure
Have the person add the second number of his or her age to the figure and have them tell you their answer
Deduct 6 and you will have their age!
Here is another
Tell someone to secretly input their age into a calculator and multiply it by 3367.
Now, tell them to multiply it by 3.
Next, tell them to write down their answer on a piece of paper and to clear all the information on the calculator so far.
Now, use that number on the piece of paper and divide it by 10101.
RESULT: The person's age!
The reason this trick works because 10101 is equal to 3367*3. And multiplying any two-digit number by 10101 is the same as writing it three times (e.g. 282828). Thus, when a number is multiplied by 3367, then by 3, it is really being multiplied by 10101. And of course, when you divide it by 10101 at the end of the trick, you get your original number, in this case your age.
And here is another
Magic Addition Trick #1
Amaze the peons with this one. It's simple. It's effective. It gets them every time.
Ask your mark to pick three (3) different numbers between 1 and 9.
Tell him or her (or her or him) to write the three numbers down next to each other, largest first and smallest last, to form a single 3-digit number. Tell him/her not to tell you what the numbers are.
Next have her or him form a new 3-digit number by reversing the digits, putting the smallest first and the largest last. And write this number right underneath the first number.
Now have him or her subtract the lower (and smaller) 3-digit number from the upper (and larger) 3-digit number. Tell them not to tell you what the result is.
Now you have a choice of wrap-ups:
Ask your friend to add up the three digits of the number that results from subtracting the smaller from the larger 3-digit number. Then amaze him or her by teling them what the sum of those three numbers is. The sum of the three digit answer will always be 18!
Tell your friend that if she or he will tell you what the first OR last digit of the answer is, you will tell her or him what the other two digits are. This is possible because the middle digit will always be 9, and the other two digits will always sum to 9! So to get the digit other than the middle one (which is 9) and other than the digit that your friend tells you, just subtract the digit your friend tells you from 9, and that is the unknown digit.
MSNBC - Meet the Eye Cam
MSNBC - Meet the Eye Cam: "Meet the Eye Cam
Processed reflections from the cornea can make hindsight a reality
Eye spy: This corneal reflection shows that the person is facing two people but only looking at the one on the right"
Very interesting stuff. It is amazing what they can do now, and kind of scary to think of what could be done.
Processed reflections from the cornea can make hindsight a reality
Eye spy: This corneal reflection shows that the person is facing two people but only looking at the one on the right"
Very interesting stuff. It is amazing what they can do now, and kind of scary to think of what could be done.
Scotsman.com News - Latest News - Dancer Jailed for Tube Killing
"You swore at him and were aggressive and hostile and you threatened him. The victim was quite blameless. He went to apologise and touch the boy in a gesture of conciliation, but you took exception and struck him in the mouth."
This is a terrible tragedy. I have often remarked that in today's society you are better off not trying to touch children of people you don't know. I personally find it irritating when strangers try to ruffle my son's hair or touch him in some other fashion. Boundaries are important.
Still, what this man did was wrong. There was no need to hit the other man over a simple accident.
This is a terrible tragedy. I have often remarked that in today's society you are better off not trying to touch children of people you don't know. I personally find it irritating when strangers try to ruffle my son's hair or touch him in some other fashion. Boundaries are important.
Still, what this man did was wrong. There was no need to hit the other man over a simple accident.
Yahoo! News - Priest and nun convicted after car romp
The headline here caught my eye. It is just too funny not to post, how absurd.
Yahoo! News - John Kerry Challenges Bush Over Iraq War
! News - John Kerry Challenges Bush Over Iraq War: "He plans to vow to build a more robust military at home and strong alliances overseas. 'And then, with confidence and determination, we will be able to tell the terrorists: You will lose and we will win.' "
Great, this is the same thing that Bush says. What are you going to do that is different. How are you going to achieve these goals. You voted for the war based upon bad intelligence. How are you going to prevent this from happening again?
Lots of questions and no answers.
Great, this is the same thing that Bush says. What are you going to do that is different. How are you going to achieve these goals. You voted for the war based upon bad intelligence. How are you going to prevent this from happening again?
Lots of questions and no answers.
Political Conventions
They bore me, plain and simple. It doesn't matter who the party is, they are essentially all the same. "We're better than them and if you elect us we'll show you" followed by cheers from people who already support them. Talk about preaching to the choir.
Now if you had Kerry address the Republicans and Bush address the Dems and then we heard cheers I might be impressed.
Now if you had Kerry address the Republicans and Bush address the Dems and then we heard cheers I might be impressed.
My daughter's name
Inquiring minds have been making inquiries about my daughter's name. She is daughter of the empress of the duchy of the earldom of Benimble. Her name includes these letters:
E, W, R and A.
Take a spin and see if Vanna can find your letter. In the interim your host, Jack B. will be right back with copies of the home game.
E, W, R and A.
Take a spin and see if Vanna can find your letter. In the interim your host, Jack B. will be right back with copies of the home game.
Yahoo! News - Oops, Wrong Car. Sorry.
If ever there was a time to make a chauvinist remark. Heeheee.
MSNBC - Amish Out of Water
At what point do you decide to tell people that they are being exploited even if they claim not to be. Or should we ask under what conditions can you be exploited? What role in the "exploitation" do you have to have to be exploited?
Whatever, I am a reality TV junkie, but even I consider this to be exploitative of the Amish. Green Acres meets The Odd Couple meets My Favorite Martian meets The 5 intelligent people of Cleveland.
Whatever, I am a reality TV junkie, but even I consider this to be exploitative of the Amish. Green Acres meets The Odd Couple meets My Favorite Martian meets The 5 intelligent people of Cleveland.
Fatigue
I haven't slept for more than a few hours for the last few nights. All of this consecutive lack of sleep is starting to wear me down. I am not even sure if I am making sense, but this comes with the territory. I don't require a ton of sleep, but I don't mind it either.
At the moment they are working in my office to try and fix a squeaky door, so all of the hammering and pounding is doing what caffeine cannot, but for how long I cannot say. More importantly I hate loud noises like this or the vacuum cleaner so it is not real relaxing and definitely not conducive to getting work done.
At 20 this would have been a breeze, but at the grand old age of 102 it is getting a little bit tougher. I told my daughter last night that if she would promise to sleep for a couple of hours I would give her a present. She gurgled at me and then resumed flailing around. Not even a week old and she is already talking back to me. A defiant attitude must be genetic.
At the moment they are working in my office to try and fix a squeaky door, so all of the hammering and pounding is doing what caffeine cannot, but for how long I cannot say. More importantly I hate loud noises like this or the vacuum cleaner so it is not real relaxing and definitely not conducive to getting work done.
At 20 this would have been a breeze, but at the grand old age of 102 it is getting a little bit tougher. I told my daughter last night that if she would promise to sleep for a couple of hours I would give her a present. She gurgled at me and then resumed flailing around. Not even a week old and she is already talking back to me. A defiant attitude must be genetic.
CNN.com - Woman dies after alligator attack - Jul 26, 2004
I was sorry to hear that she died. One of my fears is being eaten alive. I wouldn't say that I get crazy about it, but it just seems to be such a horrible way to die.
Yahoo! News - Rare, fatal injury baffles science, sports
The reality is that the population is not shrinking and many children grow up under conditions that are much more dangerous and unsafe than your own. But this does reiterate the point that sometimes "shit does happen."
Audio Blogging
Just learned about this tonight and decided to give it a whirl. I suppose that it will help flesh out a mental image of who I am. You might like my voice, or you might hate it. But it should be fun to kind of mix things up a little.
Sometimes I mumble and sometimes I stutter. Often I think faster than my mouth moves.
Yahoo! News - 'Fahrenheit' Tops $100 Million
There is no accounting for taste. What a sad statement. We allow this conman to steal money and profit from the sorrow of others. If you had the same resources and time you could twist and distort the truth about anyone.
He is guilty of the same crimes he accuses the admin of. Shame on you Michael Moore, have you no decency.
He is guilty of the same crimes he accuses the admin of. Shame on you Michael Moore, have you no decency.
An invitation
I am typing with one hand because my princess is sleeping on my shoulder. She is so cute! I have a fair amount of Net traffic floating through here and want to encourage you to feel free to comment about anything and everything you see here.
A little boy finds his world turned upside down
Today we are going to bring home my little girl. At the ripe old age of 3.5 my son is aware that his world is changing and a little anxious about what those changes may be. I told him that it would be ok and tried to reassure him, but I am not having a lot of success.
In any case my 3 younger sisters survived me and I am sure that little Jack will not do anything to his sister. And now I am off to do more prep work for bringing the girls back home.
In any case my 3 younger sisters survived me and I am sure that little Jack will not do anything to his sister. And now I am off to do more prep work for bringing the girls back home.
My baby girl
Today is the first full day of my daughter's life, pretty strange. No, not strange, surreal. We went to the hospital yesterday to be induced. Got there at 10 am and didn't deliver until 11:38 PM.
She is a big girl, not as big as daddy, I was closer to 10 pounds, but I know one person who is very happy she is smaller. It was a very long day, as the father it is hard to wait all day because there is not a whole heck of a lot that you can do. And I am not one to sit still.
Following the delivery it took until just short of 3 am to get the girls into their room. At one point I had intended to spend the night with them, but there was a mini baby boom and there wasn't any room for me. And just like that another woman had thrown me out on the street. ;).
So I drove home and relieved my inlaws of their babysitting chores and pittered around the house until 4 am at which time I called my mom and spoke to her (she is in NJ with my sis) for about 15 minutes and then managed to fall asleep.
Finally got up about 9 and spent more time puttering around while I watched my son sleep. They are so peaceful. Eventually got us together, made breakfast and then left for the hospital. Arrived there at noon and stayed until 7:30 and then returned home to resume babysitting detail. And now at 9:40 or so I am trying to decide what I want to eat for dinner as well as determine what chores have to be completed prior to the entrance of the her majesty tomorrow morning.
She is a big girl, not as big as daddy, I was closer to 10 pounds, but I know one person who is very happy she is smaller. It was a very long day, as the father it is hard to wait all day because there is not a whole heck of a lot that you can do. And I am not one to sit still.
Following the delivery it took until just short of 3 am to get the girls into their room. At one point I had intended to spend the night with them, but there was a mini baby boom and there wasn't any room for me. And just like that another woman had thrown me out on the street. ;).
So I drove home and relieved my inlaws of their babysitting chores and pittered around the house until 4 am at which time I called my mom and spoke to her (she is in NJ with my sis) for about 15 minutes and then managed to fall asleep.
Finally got up about 9 and spent more time puttering around while I watched my son sleep. They are so peaceful. Eventually got us together, made breakfast and then left for the hospital. Arrived there at noon and stayed until 7:30 and then returned home to resume babysitting detail. And now at 9:40 or so I am trying to decide what I want to eat for dinner as well as determine what chores have to be completed prior to the entrance of the her majesty tomorrow morning.
The new addition
There is a brand new baby living in Jack's Shack.
She arrived on July 23rd at 11:38. 8.9 pounds and 21 inches in length. I am too tired to write more now.
She arrived on July 23rd at 11:38. 8.9 pounds and 21 inches in length. I am too tired to write more now.
Yahoo! News - Europe's Largest Dinosaur Rises from Spanish Fields
I think that dinosaurs are pretty interesting. If you look at this one it is estimated to have been 114 feet long. Just monstrous. I cannot imagine seeing something that big on land. It must have required a huge area to live in.
My dad
I spoke with my father this morning. It was less than 24 hours after his triple bypass. Just amazing that he did so well, not to mention how happy it made me to hear his voice. The surgeon who performed the surgery does about 300 of these a year and is very accomplished.
But you still end up worrying about loved ones no matter what. In any case this is done and now I can focus solely upon the things in front of me. What a relief.
But you still end up worrying about loved ones no matter what. In any case this is done and now I can focus solely upon the things in front of me. What a relief.
Yahoo! News - Ala. Doctor Reactivated for Iraq War at 68
When I read stories like this it just makes me shake head and wonder what the hell is going on in D.C. Rome fell because it was overextended. And yes I know that this is simplistic, but our enemies are students of history and patient. They will try and make this a reality for us too.
Yahoo! News - Marine Who Vanished Says He Didn't Desert
News - Marine Who Vanished Says He Didn't Desert: "Marine Who Vanished Says He Didn't Desert "
This is a rather peculiar story, I wonder about it. It saddens me that because he is an Arab American there is additional "concern" about this story, but it is part of the times in which we live in.
This is a rather peculiar story, I wonder about it. It saddens me that because he is an Arab American there is additional "concern" about this story, but it is part of the times in which we live in.
More on dad
Well, it is time to play with more of the new features of this Blog. Yesterday my father had an angiogram (http://www.mayoclinic.org/heartcatheterization-jax). It was supposed to be just a simple formality so that he could be assured that there are not any additional issues with his heart.
It was July 16th, my parents 37th wedding anniversary and exactly one day short of completing a full 90 days in New Jersey, much longer than the 2 weeks they had intended to stay.
So as an anniversary gift my dad is going to receive a bypass and my mother get's to hang out in NJ for another 6 weeks or so. It could be less, but it could be more.
In the interim the babywatch continues. Any day now, any time and I'll witness the birth of another child. And while this goes on I still have to worry about my parents and my grandparents. I am feeling like a very old 35. Of course if you were to see me with my son you might think that I am the biggest 5 year-old you have ever seen.
It is just so much fun to play with him.
It was July 16th, my parents 37th wedding anniversary and exactly one day short of completing a full 90 days in New Jersey, much longer than the 2 weeks they had intended to stay.
So as an anniversary gift my dad is going to receive a bypass and my mother get's to hang out in NJ for another 6 weeks or so. It could be less, but it could be more.
In the interim the babywatch continues. Any day now, any time and I'll witness the birth of another child. And while this goes on I still have to worry about my parents and my grandparents. I am feeling like a very old 35. Of course if you were to see me with my son you might think that I am the biggest 5 year-old you have ever seen.
It is just so much fun to play with him.
Yahoo! News - Hawking Changes His Mind on Black Holes
Very cool stuff, hard to get your noodle around sometimes, but interesting. Where is Dr. Reese when you need him.
Car seat and labor
The wife is getting tired of being pregnant. We're less than two weeks away from D-Day and she is ready to "pop this baby out." Of course, now that is hitting 100+ I can understand it.
So tonight she sent me to Caioti for the salad
Caioti Pizza Cafe is widely known for a salad that has become legendary and a rite of passage for expectant or overdue Moms.
To check out more articles and reviews on Caioti Cafe, please click on -People Are Talking- to the right. To find out more about the Famous Salad, please visit our other website www.maternitysalad.com http://www.caiotipizzacafe.com/pages/1/index.htm
So I picked up dinner and brought it back and now we wait and see what happens. I am really tired and I have a ton of work at the office. I am hopeful that we can get through the week. Friday night is a-ok with me. But whenever the baby comes will be good.
Anyway, we decided that tonight would be a good time to put the second car seat in our CRV. We need to see how it fits and get our older son used to the idea of sharing the car. It was about 8 or so when we started and it was just beginning to get dark. The first time we squeezed them in we tried to stick the baby's seat in the middle and the other on the passenger side.
Only one problem, they didn't fit. So then we tried moving one behind the driver and one behind the passenger. It fit, but we decided that we needed to switch our older child's seat into the driver's side, so we started over and wrestled them into place.
Meanwhile we have this 3.5 year old climbing through the car barking out orders and honking the horn. It was all age appropriate behavior, but it made it tough to make things happen, especially as he kept trying to sit in his seat so that we could go for a ride.
To make a long story longer there in the twilight we eventually got both seats into place and were ready to come back in when we decided to just try it out. Lo and behold we found out that his seat is not locking properly. And now our Britax Roundabout is going to be taken back to the Right Start so that they can explain why a two year old seat suddenly broke.
I need this like a hole in the head, but hey, it could be worse. Life is full of funny stories.
So tonight she sent me to Caioti for the salad
Caioti Pizza Cafe is widely known for a salad that has become legendary and a rite of passage for expectant or overdue Moms.
To check out more articles and reviews on Caioti Cafe, please click on -People Are Talking- to the right. To find out more about the Famous Salad, please visit our other website www.maternitysalad.com http://www.caiotipizzacafe.com/pages/1/index.htm
So I picked up dinner and brought it back and now we wait and see what happens. I am really tired and I have a ton of work at the office. I am hopeful that we can get through the week. Friday night is a-ok with me. But whenever the baby comes will be good.
Anyway, we decided that tonight would be a good time to put the second car seat in our CRV. We need to see how it fits and get our older son used to the idea of sharing the car. It was about 8 or so when we started and it was just beginning to get dark. The first time we squeezed them in we tried to stick the baby's seat in the middle and the other on the passenger side.
Only one problem, they didn't fit. So then we tried moving one behind the driver and one behind the passenger. It fit, but we decided that we needed to switch our older child's seat into the driver's side, so we started over and wrestled them into place.
Meanwhile we have this 3.5 year old climbing through the car barking out orders and honking the horn. It was all age appropriate behavior, but it made it tough to make things happen, especially as he kept trying to sit in his seat so that we could go for a ride.
To make a long story longer there in the twilight we eventually got both seats into place and were ready to come back in when we decided to just try it out. Lo and behold we found out that his seat is not locking properly. And now our Britax Roundabout is going to be taken back to the Right Start so that they can explain why a two year old seat suddenly broke.
I need this like a hole in the head, but hey, it could be worse. Life is full of funny stories.
It is hard to concentrate
Life is funny in so many ways. For a relatively short period of time things had dramatically slowed down at the office. In large part because so many of my prospects and customers left for Summer vacations. It was nice to slow down a bit, but it is also frustrating.
As a salesperson it is hard not to get edgy when things are slow, because it probably means that the money is not going to come in the volume you want it to. Truth be told I never allow myself to feel comfortable because complacency in sales leads to bad things.
Now with the advent of the newest child around the corner I am engaged in a curious juxtaposition of events. Work has gotten pretty busy. It does tend to come in waves, but this is much larger and more intense than other times. Simultaneously I am finding it harder to concentrate as I cannot help but be excited about the impending arrival of the baby. What makes it so challenging is that I haven't any solid idea about when the baby will arrive, just some vague idea of when. That kind of stuff just makes me crazy.
Not that I am not crazy to begin with, I am. But this is a special kind of crazy. Such a huge change in life is just, well for lack of a better word, huge.
So the challenge for me is to try and bear down and do my work as well as I possibly can and hope that I don't have to leave any deals hanging when the baby comes. Family comes first, but it still helps to have those deals come in so that you can feed the family.
As a salesperson it is hard not to get edgy when things are slow, because it probably means that the money is not going to come in the volume you want it to. Truth be told I never allow myself to feel comfortable because complacency in sales leads to bad things.
Now with the advent of the newest child around the corner I am engaged in a curious juxtaposition of events. Work has gotten pretty busy. It does tend to come in waves, but this is much larger and more intense than other times. Simultaneously I am finding it harder to concentrate as I cannot help but be excited about the impending arrival of the baby. What makes it so challenging is that I haven't any solid idea about when the baby will arrive, just some vague idea of when. That kind of stuff just makes me crazy.
Not that I am not crazy to begin with, I am. But this is a special kind of crazy. Such a huge change in life is just, well for lack of a better word, huge.
So the challenge for me is to try and bear down and do my work as well as I possibly can and hope that I don't have to leave any deals hanging when the baby comes. Family comes first, but it still helps to have those deals come in so that you can feed the family.
ESPN.com - NBA - Smith: Shaq, Kobe will regret breakup
He is so dead on.
By Sam Smith
Special to ESPN.com
No, the grass isn't greener on the other side of the fence.
Sorry, Shaq and Kobe. You've just both made a mistake you'll regret for the rest of your lives. At least if we're to believe, as you guys always say, you're about winning.
No two men, perhaps since Caesar and Brutus, could have accomplished more by staying together and remaining working partners. Though perhaps it is inevitable that dynasties end and that jealousies and rivalries and ego, greed and ambition are fated forces that are too much for the human mind and soul to combat.
What is happiness? These questions are best answered by philosophers like Thoreau, Plato, Confuscius, Spinoza, Kierkegaard and Phil Jackson.
If happiness is winning a championship and being part of a great team, then Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant have committed blunders for the ages.
Perhaps O'Neal will win a championship if he goes to the Miami Heat, as expected. But are the chances better if he were playing with Bryant? Sure, Dwyane Wade looks like he'll become a heck of a player. But I haven't heard comparisons to Bryant quite yet. Even O'Neal would admit he's not quite whhe was. Sure, there were extenuating circumstances this past season. There was Karl Malone and Gary Payton, who needed more shots than the retinue of role players who'd teamed with O'Neal and Bryant through three consecutive NBA championships. So O'Neal's scoring average hit a career low. He was very good in the playoffs, but not nearly as great as he'd been. He is no longer the kind of player to load a team on his back and carry it wherever he wants it to go.
Donnie Walsh, the talented longtime director of the Indiana Pacers, always used to laugh when people asked him to explain why the Western Conference was better than the Eastern Conference. Walsh said the West was better because it had the best player, O'Neal, and probably had the second best player in Bryant. Take them away and that, really, was the difference. Now the defending champion and the most dominant player are in the East. Will the NBA be asked to reseed the playoffs so a Western Conference team has a chance to win a championship? Just kidding. But that scale just tipped way back to the East, and not just because O'Neal and his little weight problems are going to be sitting on the Eastern side of it.
It's always easy to dismiss losers.
Shaquille O'Neal, left, and Kobe Bryant will find out how tough it is to win a title on your own.
The Lakers lost to the Pistons in the NBA Finals, but they were not losers.
Even though it was a 4-1 margin, this was not only a Lakers team that went through what was then considered easily the better conference, but which went into the Finals with its power forward, effectively, unable to play and its backup guard and top sixth man also limited. Add to that the intrigue of the inevitable splintering, and it's easy to see why the Lakers lost. But they weren't far away from winning, and a healthy, more cooperative team would be the favorite against the East's best, no matter who it is.
Jackson had seen this coming almost from the beginning. Yes, Phil could see the future on occasion, too.
Not that this one wasn't hard to divine.
Jackson had gone through the "It's my team. No, it's my team. No, it's my team. No, it's MY team" thing with Bryant and O'Neal during the 2000-01 season and resolved it pretty well. At least they did in putting together a historic 15-1 run through the playoffs. It was Shaq's time and he was winning his second of three straight Finals MVPs. Jackson knew it was Shaq's time, but he also knew time always won, especially with the big guys. After he was 30, Wilt never averaged 30 points again and only was above 25 one season. After hitting 30, Bill Russell never again averaged more than 15 rebounds. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played a dozen more seasons after hitting 30 and averaged at least 25 points just twice.
Jackson knew it would be coming for O'Neal, and he began to talk to him about eventually turning it over to Kobe, doing, in effect, what Abdul-Jabbar did with Magic Johnson. Not that it was so voluntary, warm and fuzzy with Abdul-Jabbar. He resented Magic, but he also understood. He had a chance to still win and prolong his career if he let his pride and ego -- and there never was one any bigger -- go a little and allow Magic to step into the spotlight. Abdul-Jabbar won his last league MVP award in 1980. But he was on four championship teams after that. Kareem didn't like Magic being the star, but he understood.
Shaq and Kobe just don't get it.
Look, when O'Neal and Bryant were blasting away at one another at the beginning of last season, both were right. Shaq is lazy about practice and overweight and doesn't care all the time. Bryant is selfish and self-centered and condescending toward his teammates. So what. That doesn't describe half the rest of the NBA? Or most of corporate America?
People are about themselves. That's what great leadership is for -- to get them to work together toward a common goal. It's what separated Jackson from his peers. Well, that and the Native American paraphernalia and Zen garden in his living room, as well. But that's another story.
News flash! Players generally can't stand one another. This is not unique to Bryant and O'Neal. It goes on everywhere in every sport. What, like you're hugging your co-workers? Most people can't get away from them fast enough. Good friends don't make winning teams. Great talent does.
That's why the Lakers won. They had the best interior player in the game in O'Neal and the best perimeter player in the game in Bryant. There never has been a combination like that in the history of the NBA. Perhaps Magic and Kareem. But Kareem wasn't quite that dominant as Johnson matured, and Magic never was the best offensive force in the game. Not Russell and Bob Cousy. Not Wilt and any of his teammates. When he had Jerry West, Wilt was no longer the offensive force, no longer even among the top 10 scorers in the game. Mikan and Slater Martin?
And this was far from over. But like the clip from "Animal House" played in most arenas these days late in games, they did say when it was over.
Here are two guys who need one another and had so much going for each other. They were the perfect basketball complement, the ultimate Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside ... It's hard to fathom either equaling the success they shared.
Sure, Jerry Buss will get the blame, and sure he got tired of Shaq's money demands and injury vacations, but Shaq and Kobe broke this up.
No, they couldn't just get along, Rodney.
It's hard to even come up with anything like this, when pettiness and vainglory transcend success.
Perhaps the most recent example was Stephon Marbury's petulant exit from Minnesota. Though that was a "what could have been." Marbury and Kevin Garnett hadn't done anything together yet.
But the Lakers are done now. Not forever, because Bryant is that good -- good enough to carry a team from the backcourt to a championship. Michael Jordan did it. So did Isiah Thomas, though it took a long time and many, many moves. At 25, and assuming he is able to play after the trial, Bryant has time.
The Heat will be much closer now. But for how long? O'Neal is 32, and he'll have to do much more now with Miami's team stripped down to accommodate the trade. It may take a few years to build it back up and add the pieces to complement O'Neal. But then will he be able to do enough? Will Wade even become Magic as O'Neal becomes Kareem?
Here are two guys who need one another and had so much going for each other. They were the perfect basketball complement, the ultimate Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside, the ideal guys to pass the baton and keep ahead of the field. Now both are back in the pack trying to poke their heads out front again. It's going to be difficult, not impossible, but it's hard to fathom either equaling the success they shared.
What a huge mistake they've both made by not only allowing it to happen, but ensuring that is has.
Sam Smith, who covers the NBA for the Chicago Tribune, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.
By Sam Smith
Special to ESPN.com
No, the grass isn't greener on the other side of the fence.
Sorry, Shaq and Kobe. You've just both made a mistake you'll regret for the rest of your lives. At least if we're to believe, as you guys always say, you're about winning.
No two men, perhaps since Caesar and Brutus, could have accomplished more by staying together and remaining working partners. Though perhaps it is inevitable that dynasties end and that jealousies and rivalries and ego, greed and ambition are fated forces that are too much for the human mind and soul to combat.
What is happiness? These questions are best answered by philosophers like Thoreau, Plato, Confuscius, Spinoza, Kierkegaard and Phil Jackson.
If happiness is winning a championship and being part of a great team, then Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant have committed blunders for the ages.
Perhaps O'Neal will win a championship if he goes to the Miami Heat, as expected. But are the chances better if he were playing with Bryant? Sure, Dwyane Wade looks like he'll become a heck of a player. But I haven't heard comparisons to Bryant quite yet. Even O'Neal would admit he's not quite whhe was. Sure, there were extenuating circumstances this past season. There was Karl Malone and Gary Payton, who needed more shots than the retinue of role players who'd teamed with O'Neal and Bryant through three consecutive NBA championships. So O'Neal's scoring average hit a career low. He was very good in the playoffs, but not nearly as great as he'd been. He is no longer the kind of player to load a team on his back and carry it wherever he wants it to go.
Donnie Walsh, the talented longtime director of the Indiana Pacers, always used to laugh when people asked him to explain why the Western Conference was better than the Eastern Conference. Walsh said the West was better because it had the best player, O'Neal, and probably had the second best player in Bryant. Take them away and that, really, was the difference. Now the defending champion and the most dominant player are in the East. Will the NBA be asked to reseed the playoffs so a Western Conference team has a chance to win a championship? Just kidding. But that scale just tipped way back to the East, and not just because O'Neal and his little weight problems are going to be sitting on the Eastern side of it.
It's always easy to dismiss losers.
Shaquille O'Neal, left, and Kobe Bryant will find out how tough it is to win a title on your own.
The Lakers lost to the Pistons in the NBA Finals, but they were not losers.
Even though it was a 4-1 margin, this was not only a Lakers team that went through what was then considered easily the better conference, but which went into the Finals with its power forward, effectively, unable to play and its backup guard and top sixth man also limited. Add to that the intrigue of the inevitable splintering, and it's easy to see why the Lakers lost. But they weren't far away from winning, and a healthy, more cooperative team would be the favorite against the East's best, no matter who it is.
Jackson had seen this coming almost from the beginning. Yes, Phil could see the future on occasion, too.
Not that this one wasn't hard to divine.
Jackson had gone through the "It's my team. No, it's my team. No, it's my team. No, it's MY team" thing with Bryant and O'Neal during the 2000-01 season and resolved it pretty well. At least they did in putting together a historic 15-1 run through the playoffs. It was Shaq's time and he was winning his second of three straight Finals MVPs. Jackson knew it was Shaq's time, but he also knew time always won, especially with the big guys. After he was 30, Wilt never averaged 30 points again and only was above 25 one season. After hitting 30, Bill Russell never again averaged more than 15 rebounds. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played a dozen more seasons after hitting 30 and averaged at least 25 points just twice.
Jackson knew it would be coming for O'Neal, and he began to talk to him about eventually turning it over to Kobe, doing, in effect, what Abdul-Jabbar did with Magic Johnson. Not that it was so voluntary, warm and fuzzy with Abdul-Jabbar. He resented Magic, but he also understood. He had a chance to still win and prolong his career if he let his pride and ego -- and there never was one any bigger -- go a little and allow Magic to step into the spotlight. Abdul-Jabbar won his last league MVP award in 1980. But he was on four championship teams after that. Kareem didn't like Magic being the star, but he understood.
Shaq and Kobe just don't get it.
Look, when O'Neal and Bryant were blasting away at one another at the beginning of last season, both were right. Shaq is lazy about practice and overweight and doesn't care all the time. Bryant is selfish and self-centered and condescending toward his teammates. So what. That doesn't describe half the rest of the NBA? Or most of corporate America?
People are about themselves. That's what great leadership is for -- to get them to work together toward a common goal. It's what separated Jackson from his peers. Well, that and the Native American paraphernalia and Zen garden in his living room, as well. But that's another story.
News flash! Players generally can't stand one another. This is not unique to Bryant and O'Neal. It goes on everywhere in every sport. What, like you're hugging your co-workers? Most people can't get away from them fast enough. Good friends don't make winning teams. Great talent does.
That's why the Lakers won. They had the best interior player in the game in O'Neal and the best perimeter player in the game in Bryant. There never has been a combination like that in the history of the NBA. Perhaps Magic and Kareem. But Kareem wasn't quite that dominant as Johnson matured, and Magic never was the best offensive force in the game. Not Russell and Bob Cousy. Not Wilt and any of his teammates. When he had Jerry West, Wilt was no longer the offensive force, no longer even among the top 10 scorers in the game. Mikan and Slater Martin?
And this was far from over. But like the clip from "Animal House" played in most arenas these days late in games, they did say when it was over.
Here are two guys who need one another and had so much going for each other. They were the perfect basketball complement, the ultimate Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside ... It's hard to fathom either equaling the success they shared.
Sure, Jerry Buss will get the blame, and sure he got tired of Shaq's money demands and injury vacations, but Shaq and Kobe broke this up.
No, they couldn't just get along, Rodney.
It's hard to even come up with anything like this, when pettiness and vainglory transcend success.
Perhaps the most recent example was Stephon Marbury's petulant exit from Minnesota. Though that was a "what could have been." Marbury and Kevin Garnett hadn't done anything together yet.
But the Lakers are done now. Not forever, because Bryant is that good -- good enough to carry a team from the backcourt to a championship. Michael Jordan did it. So did Isiah Thomas, though it took a long time and many, many moves. At 25, and assuming he is able to play after the trial, Bryant has time.
The Heat will be much closer now. But for how long? O'Neal is 32, and he'll have to do much more now with Miami's team stripped down to accommodate the trade. It may take a few years to build it back up and add the pieces to complement O'Neal. But then will he be able to do enough? Will Wade even become Magic as O'Neal becomes Kareem?
Here are two guys who need one another and had so much going for each other. They were the perfect basketball complement, the ultimate Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside, the ideal guys to pass the baton and keep ahead of the field. Now both are back in the pack trying to poke their heads out front again. It's going to be difficult, not impossible, but it's hard to fathom either equaling the success they shared.
What a huge mistake they've both made by not only allowing it to happen, but ensuring that is has.
Sam Smith, who covers the NBA for the Chicago Tribune, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.
Bibi's Op-ed piece on the fence
Why Israel Needs a Fence
By BENJAMIN NETANYAHU
Published: July 13, 2004
JERUSALEM — While the advisory finding by the International Court of Justice last week that Israel's barrier in the West Bank is illegal may be cheered by the terrorists who would kill Israeli civilians, it does not change the fact that none of the arguments against the security fence have any merit.
First, Israel is not building the fence on territory that under international law can be properly called "Palestinian land." The fence is being built in disputed territories that Israel won in a defensive war in 1967 from a Jordanian occupation that was never recognized by the international community. Israel and the Palestinians both claim ownership of this land. According to Security Council Resolution 242, this dispute is to be resolved by a negotiated peace that provides Israel with secure and recognized boundaries.
Second, the fence is not a permanent political border but a temporary security barrier. A fence can always be moved. Recently, Israel removed 12 miles of the fence to ease Palestinian daily life. And last month, Israel's Supreme Court ordered the government to reroute 20 more miles of the fence for that same purpose. In fact, the indefensible line on which many have argued the fence should run — that which existed between Israel and the Arab lands before the 1967 war — is the only line that would have nothing to do with security and everything to do with politics. A line that is genuinely based on security would include as many Jews as possible and as few Palestinians as possible within the fence.
That is precisely what Israel's security fence does. By running into less than 12 percent of the West Bank, the fence will include about 80 percent of Jews and only 1 percent of Palestinians who live within the disputed territories. The fence thus will block attempts by terrorists based in Palestinian cities to reach major Israeli population centers.
Third, despite what some have argued, fences have proven highly effective against terrorism. Of the hundreds of suicide bombings that have taken place in Israel, only one has originated from the Gaza area, where Hamas and Islamic Jihad are headquartered. Why? Because Gaza is surrounded by a security fence. Even though it is not complete, the West Bank security fence has already drastically reduced the number of suicide attacks.
The obstacle to peace is not the fence but Palestinian leaders who, unlike past leaders like Anwar Sadat of Egypt and King Hussein of Jordan, have yet to abandon terrorism and the illegitimate goal of destroying Israel. Should Israel reach a compromise with a future Palestinian leadership committed to peace that requires adjustments to the fence, those changes will be made. And if that peace proves genuine and lasting, there will be no reason for a fence at all.
Instead of placing Palestinian terrorists and those who send them on trial, the United Nations-sponsored international court placed the Jewish state in the dock, on the charge that Israel is harming the Palestinians' quality of life. But saving lives is more important than preserving the quality of life. Quality of life is always amenable to improvement. Death is permanent. The Palestinians complain that their children are late to school because of the fence. But too many of our children never get to school — they are blown to pieces by terrorists who pass into Israel where there is still no fence.
In the last four years, Palestinian terrorists have attacked Israel's buses, cafes, discos and pizza shops, murdering 1,000 of our citizens. Despite this unprecedented savagery, the court's 60-page opinion mentions terrorism only twice, and only in citations of Israel's own position on the fence. Because the court's decision makes a mockery of Israel's right to defend itself, the government of Israel will ignore it. Israel will never sacrifice Jewish life on the debased altar of "international justice."
Benjamin Netanyahu is Israel's finance minister and a former prime minister.
By BENJAMIN NETANYAHU
Published: July 13, 2004
JERUSALEM — While the advisory finding by the International Court of Justice last week that Israel's barrier in the West Bank is illegal may be cheered by the terrorists who would kill Israeli civilians, it does not change the fact that none of the arguments against the security fence have any merit.
First, Israel is not building the fence on territory that under international law can be properly called "Palestinian land." The fence is being built in disputed territories that Israel won in a defensive war in 1967 from a Jordanian occupation that was never recognized by the international community. Israel and the Palestinians both claim ownership of this land. According to Security Council Resolution 242, this dispute is to be resolved by a negotiated peace that provides Israel with secure and recognized boundaries.
Second, the fence is not a permanent political border but a temporary security barrier. A fence can always be moved. Recently, Israel removed 12 miles of the fence to ease Palestinian daily life. And last month, Israel's Supreme Court ordered the government to reroute 20 more miles of the fence for that same purpose. In fact, the indefensible line on which many have argued the fence should run — that which existed between Israel and the Arab lands before the 1967 war — is the only line that would have nothing to do with security and everything to do with politics. A line that is genuinely based on security would include as many Jews as possible and as few Palestinians as possible within the fence.
That is precisely what Israel's security fence does. By running into less than 12 percent of the West Bank, the fence will include about 80 percent of Jews and only 1 percent of Palestinians who live within the disputed territories. The fence thus will block attempts by terrorists based in Palestinian cities to reach major Israeli population centers.
Third, despite what some have argued, fences have proven highly effective against terrorism. Of the hundreds of suicide bombings that have taken place in Israel, only one has originated from the Gaza area, where Hamas and Islamic Jihad are headquartered. Why? Because Gaza is surrounded by a security fence. Even though it is not complete, the West Bank security fence has already drastically reduced the number of suicide attacks.
The obstacle to peace is not the fence but Palestinian leaders who, unlike past leaders like Anwar Sadat of Egypt and King Hussein of Jordan, have yet to abandon terrorism and the illegitimate goal of destroying Israel. Should Israel reach a compromise with a future Palestinian leadership committed to peace that requires adjustments to the fence, those changes will be made. And if that peace proves genuine and lasting, there will be no reason for a fence at all.
Instead of placing Palestinian terrorists and those who send them on trial, the United Nations-sponsored international court placed the Jewish state in the dock, on the charge that Israel is harming the Palestinians' quality of life. But saving lives is more important than preserving the quality of life. Quality of life is always amenable to improvement. Death is permanent. The Palestinians complain that their children are late to school because of the fence. But too many of our children never get to school — they are blown to pieces by terrorists who pass into Israel where there is still no fence.
In the last four years, Palestinian terrorists have attacked Israel's buses, cafes, discos and pizza shops, murdering 1,000 of our citizens. Despite this unprecedented savagery, the court's 60-page opinion mentions terrorism only twice, and only in citations of Israel's own position on the fence. Because the court's decision makes a mockery of Israel's right to defend itself, the government of Israel will ignore it. Israel will never sacrifice Jewish life on the debased altar of "international justice."
Benjamin Netanyahu is Israel's finance minister and a former prime minister.
Jerusalem- My heart aches for you
There are few things that tug harder on my soul than Jerusalem. Words are not adequate, Jerusalem is my true love, the one that I will never live without. There is an attachment, a bond that is not unlike that of child and parent. I am heartbroken and left diminished outside of her walls. In time I will return to drink deeply in the sights and sounds of my city. There is no other place that I can think of that has this kind of impact upon so many. G-d's touch is upon the stones.
My Blog
The loyal readership has reached out to me and spoken. Ok, the very few who read this and remark have made comments upon how often I update this Blog. There is a feeling that I could be doing more and doing it faster.
The answer is I could. I can be quite prolific and I could write more, but the question is why should I do this. I write because I enjoy it and I need to continue to practice so that I can hopefully keep it at a higher level.
I don't feel the need to produce copious amounts of material because I find it kind of dull and cannot imagine that anyone else would find it to be exceptionally stimulating. Not to mention that I also post on a couple of message boards which probably explains some of why I do not always have much to say.
Listen to the silence around you and you will learn many things. Seriously. It is a good skill to have, to be comfortable with silence.
The answer is I could. I can be quite prolific and I could write more, but the question is why should I do this. I write because I enjoy it and I need to continue to practice so that I can hopefully keep it at a higher level.
I don't feel the need to produce copious amounts of material because I find it kind of dull and cannot imagine that anyone else would find it to be exceptionally stimulating. Not to mention that I also post on a couple of message boards which probably explains some of why I do not always have much to say.
Listen to the silence around you and you will learn many things. Seriously. It is a good skill to have, to be comfortable with silence.
The Lakers
And for a post of a less serious nature I bring you my short rant about Jerry Buss. Old Doc Buss used to be the finest example of an owner in sports. He ran a first class organization in which he brought in the finest staff he could find and let them run the show.
Too many times we see owners get involved in something that they do not know much about. I know that they are the owners and that it is their money, blah, blah, blah stuff. But the reality is that none of us are experts in everything and sometimes the best that we can do is to hire a great team and let them do what they do best. And that often means you must get out of the way.
And now Old Doc Buss has forgotten that lesson. He chased away a coach that brought him 3 titles in five years and has so incensed the most dominant player in the league that he is demanding a trade. I am not interested in discussing egos or why Shaq/Kobe should shut up and play. This is not that different from the real world in that we see management do stupid things like this there too. Egos abound and sometimes your ego as the boss/owner can wreak havoc.
In this case even though Shaq is not the player he was, you will never find equal value for him. He is a key reason for the 3 championships and his presence means that the team will remain competitive. Why break this up early and risk losing seasons when you do not need to do it.
It is a sad time for Laker fans. Fox did this to the Dodgers when they traded Mike Piazza. And now it is 16 years since they last won a world series and almost a decade since they made the playoffs.
Too many times we see owners get involved in something that they do not know much about. I know that they are the owners and that it is their money, blah, blah, blah stuff. But the reality is that none of us are experts in everything and sometimes the best that we can do is to hire a great team and let them do what they do best. And that often means you must get out of the way.
And now Old Doc Buss has forgotten that lesson. He chased away a coach that brought him 3 titles in five years and has so incensed the most dominant player in the league that he is demanding a trade. I am not interested in discussing egos or why Shaq/Kobe should shut up and play. This is not that different from the real world in that we see management do stupid things like this there too. Egos abound and sometimes your ego as the boss/owner can wreak havoc.
In this case even though Shaq is not the player he was, you will never find equal value for him. He is a key reason for the 3 championships and his presence means that the team will remain competitive. Why break this up early and risk losing seasons when you do not need to do it.
It is a sad time for Laker fans. Fox did this to the Dodgers when they traded Mike Piazza. And now it is 16 years since they last won a world series and almost a decade since they made the playoffs.
My weekend
As the baby countdown continues I have found that my weekends are getting busier. There are more "little tasks" that need to be taken care of. I have two toilets to fix, one here and one at my folks house. More reorganization of furniture and closets so that the new child has a pleasant place to to come home to. More cleaning of toys and paraphenalia that have been locked up since my son was little. Oy.
All I want is about a week to lie on a beach and just be. I haven't been back to Maui in 8 years, but I am ready to step on a plane today.
All I want is about a week to lie on a beach and just be. I haven't been back to Maui in 8 years, but I am ready to step on a plane today.
My abba
April 28, 2004 will be a day that we will not forget, but it was really only the beginning.
It has been a long and twisting road waiting for my abba's health to improve. There have been a number of rough spots during which we questioned whether he would come home standing or otherwise.
As of today's tests we learned that his heart attack appears not to have been major and the damage hit a less important section of the heart. It was the endocardium of a lower section, or so it was passed on to me.
The graphic is nice, but it is not detailed enough to show the interior section that was hit. Back in my days as a CPR instructor I used to lecture about the heart, but that is not all that relevant for this discussion, just a nugget about me for the viewing public.
So now we have determined the need for an angiogram. It is not a question, just a question of when. The hard part is trying to determine whether it is better to continue things in New Jersey or to try and do this here in L.A. Once they go in there are a number of possibilities, but we do not expect anything serious.
My abba is not interested in going back in, and who can blame him. He spent about 60 days living in a hospital, but he has no choice. If I need to pick him up and throw him in the car he will go.
In the meantime the babycountdown continues. This plays it's own role as there is a real incentive for the grandparents to get back to LA for the birth of the 5th grandchild. But I will not stand for rushing my dad's healthcare just for this. My child needs a grandfather who will be here for the long run, if they miss the birth, they miss it. I don't care as long as my abba's health is not adversely impacted by this.
It has been a long and twisting road waiting for my abba's health to improve. There have been a number of rough spots during which we questioned whether he would come home standing or otherwise.
As of today's tests we learned that his heart attack appears not to have been major and the damage hit a less important section of the heart. It was the endocardium of a lower section, or so it was passed on to me.
The graphic is nice, but it is not detailed enough to show the interior section that was hit. Back in my days as a CPR instructor I used to lecture about the heart, but that is not all that relevant for this discussion, just a nugget about me for the viewing public.
So now we have determined the need for an angiogram. It is not a question, just a question of when. The hard part is trying to determine whether it is better to continue things in New Jersey or to try and do this here in L.A. Once they go in there are a number of possibilities, but we do not expect anything serious.
My abba is not interested in going back in, and who can blame him. He spent about 60 days living in a hospital, but he has no choice. If I need to pick him up and throw him in the car he will go.
In the meantime the babycountdown continues. This plays it's own role as there is a real incentive for the grandparents to get back to LA for the birth of the 5th grandchild. But I will not stand for rushing my dad's healthcare just for this. My child needs a grandfather who will be here for the long run, if they miss the birth, they miss it. I don't care as long as my abba's health is not adversely impacted by this.
Baby Countdown
The baby is coming, the baby is coming Where is Paul Revere when I need him. It is July 7 and in a matter of weeks I will become a father for the second time. We have the names narrowed down, more or less. It seems like we are really close to selecting one for a girl and one for a boy.
So, you the loyal readers are probably wondering what those names will be. Get used to disappointment. I share much of myself and my thoughts, but the familia is my business. I am a nasty, angry over protective cuss when it comes to them. Ok, I am regardless of their involvement, but I get more ornery when they are in the picture. So I am not saying a thing.
It is so interesting, just so wacky, I am going to be someone else's daddy. My son said to me "Abba, you are my daddy, no one elses." I looked at him, smiled and explained that he would share me, but that he would share me with someone who would be very special to him. He can't wait to be a big brother.
And what a wild year it has been, Jerry was right. What a long strange trip it has been. I have so many memories and so many stories that I could share, but I am ready for things to settle down. I am not sure that I was cut out to sail such turbulent seas with so much responsibility, or maybe I am. I am not quite sure. I try to make a game of it and say, is this the best that you have got. Show me more, bring your best and I'll eat it alive. It is like playing hearts and shooting for the moon, I do it all the time. Big gamble, big reward.
So, you the loyal readers are probably wondering what those names will be. Get used to disappointment. I share much of myself and my thoughts, but the familia is my business. I am a nasty, angry over protective cuss when it comes to them. Ok, I am regardless of their involvement, but I get more ornery when they are in the picture. So I am not saying a thing.
It is so interesting, just so wacky, I am going to be someone else's daddy. My son said to me "Abba, you are my daddy, no one elses." I looked at him, smiled and explained that he would share me, but that he would share me with someone who would be very special to him. He can't wait to be a big brother.
And what a wild year it has been, Jerry was right. What a long strange trip it has been. I have so many memories and so many stories that I could share, but I am ready for things to settle down. I am not sure that I was cut out to sail such turbulent seas with so much responsibility, or maybe I am. I am not quite sure. I try to make a game of it and say, is this the best that you have got. Show me more, bring your best and I'll eat it alive. It is like playing hearts and shooting for the moon, I do it all the time. Big gamble, big reward.
CNN.com - Restaurant offers DNA test for link to Genghis Khan - Jul 7, 2004
CNN.com - Restaurant offers DNA test for link to Genghis Khan - Jul 7, 2004: "LONDON, England (AP) -- A London restaurant is offering diners the chance to learn whether they are descended from the rampaging Mongol ruler Genghis Khan -- and win a free meal if they are."
This is just fascinating to me, the things that science allows us to do today. It is just so interesting to be able to make educated guesses as well as the ability to come up with scientific answers to some of the great puzzles we face.
This is just fascinating to me, the things that science allows us to do today. It is just so interesting to be able to make educated guesses as well as the ability to come up with scientific answers to some of the great puzzles we face.
The ramblings of a disturbed mind
Isn't it interesting to see how some people cannot help but allow their distaste for certain people to color their view of some situations. I can understand why you might find it difficult to like some people.
I can understand why you might not want to be involved in things that other people are involved in. But I just have a hard time grasping how you can let your personal bias prevent you from making a logical assessment of political/historical situations.
More to the point, I find it funny to hear people claim to be knowledgeable and educated about specific events when through the course of discussion it becomes clear that they are just not. If you are that ignorant, why would you continue to broadcast it.
I can understand why you might not want to be involved in things that other people are involved in. But I just have a hard time grasping how you can let your personal bias prevent you from making a logical assessment of political/historical situations.
More to the point, I find it funny to hear people claim to be knowledgeable and educated about specific events when through the course of discussion it becomes clear that they are just not. If you are that ignorant, why would you continue to broadcast it.
How does the world survive
: "The world is sustained by three things:
By justice, by truth, and by peace.
�Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel"
There are some very interesting discussions that can be had when discussing this quote. Honesty is something that is often in short supply, yet we should remember that even when we are what some people call "brutally honest" we are not always being honest. Sounds like a contradiction, but here is what I mean.
Some people promote themselves as being purveyors of peace. They work as arbiters, social workers or could just be friendly ambassadors who enjoy trying to resolve disputes. The issue is that when you try and solve disputes it is not always possible to do so when you are so honest that you do not hold back. Some people cannot handle that kind of honesty and even though what you may say is true they may choose to continue to fight.
Example: Two boxers engage in a 12 round battle. The fight ends and one is declared the winner. The judges describe the winner as having "destroyed" the other. Consequently the loser's ego is so seriously bruised that he attacks the winner and is subjected to another beating. That may sound simplistic, but consider how our own egos can cause us to act in ways that are not smart nor beneficial to our own well being. Sometimes it is better to be more diplomatic in our descriptions of "truth."
By justice, by truth, and by peace.
�Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel"
There are some very interesting discussions that can be had when discussing this quote. Honesty is something that is often in short supply, yet we should remember that even when we are what some people call "brutally honest" we are not always being honest. Sounds like a contradiction, but here is what I mean.
Some people promote themselves as being purveyors of peace. They work as arbiters, social workers or could just be friendly ambassadors who enjoy trying to resolve disputes. The issue is that when you try and solve disputes it is not always possible to do so when you are so honest that you do not hold back. Some people cannot handle that kind of honesty and even though what you may say is true they may choose to continue to fight.
Example: Two boxers engage in a 12 round battle. The fight ends and one is declared the winner. The judges describe the winner as having "destroyed" the other. Consequently the loser's ego is so seriously bruised that he attacks the winner and is subjected to another beating. That may sound simplistic, but consider how our own egos can cause us to act in ways that are not smart nor beneficial to our own well being. Sometimes it is better to be more diplomatic in our descriptions of "truth."
ESPN.com - GEN - Top dog: Kobayashi sets wiener-eating record
I am going to look into selling ad space to Tums, Maalox and Immodium for next year's event. If you haven't had digestive issues before, this contest will provide it for you.
Yahoo! News - Estonians Wife-Carrying Champions for Seventh Year
I am ready to start training for this. How many times can you get your wife to do this in public. Pretty funny stuff if you ask me.
Dopes and people who crave respect
The world is populated by many different kinds of people. There are intelligent people with no common sense and people who have common sense who have limited intelligence. And among these groups are the dopes and the poor schmucks who will do anything to gain respect.
I wonder sometimes what they are missing when their entire day appears to be composed of trumpeting their self proclaimed importance to the world. Did someone replace their brain/self esteem with a Big Mac. If they would stop trying so hard and just be normal they might find that life was easier and that the people around them were more interested in hanging out with them.
The addition
Something went bonkers here last night and I am not sure why. Computers are a funny thing. My son has a toy 'puter as he calls it. He climbs into my bed and crawls beneath the sheets, that is where his office is. Have to say that he is dedicated, he'll climb into the office at 5:30 on a Saturday. Good for him, but not so good for me. I told him that at 3.5 he may not want to sleep, but at 15 he certainly will.
He asked why and I told him that I want him to remember why I am going to vacuum his room on the weekends. Payback is a funny thing. ;)
I wonder sometimes what they are missing when their entire day appears to be composed of trumpeting their self proclaimed importance to the world. Did someone replace their brain/self esteem with a Big Mac. If they would stop trying so hard and just be normal they might find that life was easier and that the people around them were more interested in hanging out with them.
The addition
Something went bonkers here last night and I am not sure why. Computers are a funny thing. My son has a toy 'puter as he calls it. He climbs into my bed and crawls beneath the sheets, that is where his office is. Have to say that he is dedicated, he'll climb into the office at 5:30 on a Saturday. Good for him, but not so good for me. I told him that at 3.5 he may not want to sleep, but at 15 he certainly will.
He asked why and I told him that I want him to remember why I am going to vacuum his room on the weekends. Payback is a funny thing. ;)
Yahoo! News - Jury: Stealing a Kiss Isn't a Crime
"'She said she didn't have a steady boyfriend,' Moyer testified. 'I asked her if she wanted a boyfriend for 15 minutes.' "
And thus she inadvertently missed out on the best 15 minutes of her life. How sad.
And thus she inadvertently missed out on the best 15 minutes of her life. How sad.
Yahoo! News - Saddam Scoffs at Charges of War Crimes
"News - Saddam Scoffs at Charges of War Crimes: "BAGHDAD, Iraq - Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) scoffed at charges of war crimes and mass killings Thursday, making a defiant first public appearance since being hunted down seven months ago. The deposed dictator fixed the judge with a penetrating stare and declared: 'This is all a theater by Bush, the criminal.'"
This man is crazy as a loon. I cannot decide if this was an act he put on in court or if he truly believes everything that he says. What a scary man. I cannot imagine having no heart or conscience, a la Saddam.
This man is crazy as a loon. I cannot decide if this was an act he put on in court or if he truly believes everything that he says. What a scary man. I cannot imagine having no heart or conscience, a la Saddam.
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