The Stretch

Let's face it. The Kings, Lakers, Hornets, and Jazz aren't fighting each other for the last two playoff spots. Nope, not one bit. The Hornets and the Jazz are fighting the Kings for the eighth spot while the Lakers should be looking to wrestling that coveted 6th spot away from the Grizzlies, who by the way have lost two in a row.

Coveted 6th? Hell to the yeah! Who wouldn't want to meet up with Denver in the first round, currently 40-32, a third seed by way of winning their ridiculously week division. In fact, looking at straight up records, the Nuggets are only two games ahead of the Lakers, and down 0 - 2 head to head against the Lake Show this season.

So as we head down this stretch to Mid-April with thoughts of playoff packed arenas dancing in our heads, let's make sure we are looking at what's in front of us and not so much about who's behind us. Plus, Stoudemire or no Stoudemire, I don't think we want to see the Suns in the first round.

Life Change

My job is in jeopardy, thanks to good ol' offshore outsourcing. I wonder what corporate America is going to do when the Americans they keep laying off can't afford the products and services they keep shipping to India and Mexico to be produced?

In any case, I'm considering a career change. The problem is that I've done the same thing for my entire career, so I don't know what I'd want to do. The IT industry is too shaky for my taste with no faith in American workers, and the requirement to stay current when the next thing is never really known. I've never even really thought about what else I'd like to do.

I did a career evaluation test thingy. I scored higher than 95% of test takers in having an affinity for writing. I do have four blogs though I haven't updated as much as possible. I scored higher than 80% of folks in careers dealing with people. Odd since I've always said I don't like people.

So putting one and one together, it looks like I need a job where I can write and affect people. I should be a cop so I can write tickets!!!

Lewd Bumpersticker

So this lady in Dekalb County, Ga got a ticket for her lewd bumper sticker. It read "I'm getting tired of all the Bushit". That's funny, not ha ha funny, but cute funny. It's not $100 ticket funny.

In a country where free speech allows Bush to give speeches that make us much sense as that guy from the Goonies having actual speaking parts in a movie, our police force is worried about a bumper sticker. Meanwhile, we have people actually breaking written laws. In fact, was the officer tailgating in order to read the bumper sticker?

Just a note

CNN.com - Report: Sleep 'divorce' counts - Mar 27, 2006

Sohela Ansari told friends that her husband Aftab had uttered the word "talaq," or divorce, three times in his sleep, according to the report published in newspapers on Monday.

When local Islamic leaders got to hear, they said Aftab's words constituted a divorce under an Islamic procedure known as "triple talaq." The couple, married for 11 years with three children, were told they had to split.

The religious leaders ruled that if the couple wanted to remarry they would have to wait at least 100 days. Sohela would also have to spend a night with another man and be divorced by him in turn.

And this is where we are sending American jobs???

He Runs Our Country

"Because the — all which is on the table begins to address the big cost drivers. For example, how benefits are calculate, for example, is on the table; whether or not benefits rise based upon wage increases or price increases. There's a series of parts of the formula that are being considered. And when you couple that, those different cost drivers, affecting those — changing those with personal accounts, the idea is to get what has been promised more likely to be — or closer delivered to what has been promised. Does that make any sense to you? It's kind of muddled. Look, there's a series of things that cause the — like, for example, benefits are calculated based upon the increase of wages, as opposed to the increase of prices. Some have suggested that we calculate — the benefits will rise based upon inflation, as opposed to wage increases. There is a reform that would help solve the red if that were put into effect. In other words, how fast benefits grow, how fast the promised benefits grow, if those — if that growth is affected, it will help on the red." —George W. Bush, explaining his plan to save Social Security, Tampa, Fla., Feb. 4, 2005

Technology

Has anyone notice the technological revolution occurring in our society? No, I'm not talking about the internet, or automobile manufacturers, or even the space program.

I'm talking about the cosmetic industries technological resurgence! The number of eyeliner thingies that can create an illusion of having more eyelashes than you actually have. Volume that rivals that of supermodels? Available at Wal-Mart? Kiss me in the morning and just walk away.

And let's not forget the technological innovator that Gillete has become. They have managed to use fusion (they never specifically say what they are fusing...or maybe I just forget) in creating the best razor that money can buy, ironically called Fusion by Gillette. And here I was thinking it couldn't get any better than the sports car infused Mach III.

Want fuller lips?? Screw genetics, and surgery. Just get you the newest volume maximising lip stick. It creates lips where before there were none!

Seriously, how is it that the cosmetic industry can just make any old claim they want to and not be checked on it? They all mention 'studies that show' this or that but they never actually mention the name of the study. Put it on your website, let me get informed, I wanna overstand!

It's all just false advertising if you ask me. Which you didn't...directly anyways but by reading this you are....so there!

Free Falling

Let's role play! You're the coach of a young team on what you hope to be a run to the playoffs. You're on your last extended road trip where you've already dropped a close decision in the first leg of a three game trip.

Your squad is up 11 with 4 or 5 minutes to go. You've been up the whole game but the home team is starting to make a final push. Your team's field goal shooting has considerably cooled down and your 15 point fourth quarter lead is no more. In fact, a minute and a half later your 11 point lead has been trimmed to 5. At what point do you call a timeout?

Your 5 point lead is now a one point deficit. Timeout seems like an option here as well, luckily there's a tv timeout...

Your 15 point fourth quarter lead, lost because you wanted your young, inexperienced, and not overly confident team to 'play through it' and now you sit with another loss, at .500, in the last seed for the playoffs, barely holding onto that spot. Phil Jackson is a mediocre coach.

Good Luck P-Ram!

ESPN.com - NFL - Jets acquire Ramsey from Redskins for 6th-round pick

Finally completing a trade that had been rumored for weeks, the New York Jets on Friday afternoon acquired quarterback Patrick Ramsey from the Washington Redskins for a sixth-round choice in the 2006 draft, ESPN.com has learned.

I still feel Ramsey wasn't getting shafted in Washington. I still feel he never received a proper chance. I wish him the best and lots of success in the rest of his career.

Sudoku

I finished my first Sudoku puzzle!!!

http://ironsudoku.com/

Overpaid, Unpatriotic Baseball Pricks

FOX Sports - World Baseball Classic- U.S. no longer envy of baseball world

Time for all those American kids to stop playing video games, not to mention football, basketball and soccer.

Of course, Xpinionated is going to have a completely different spin on this. And the title was just to get your attention...

A while back when the U.S. basketball team came up with only a bronze in the world championship, every sports fan and media pundit blamed the performance on players not wanting to play, too much thuggery on the team, a lack of patriotism, the crybaby players et al

Now the U.S. baseball team is sucking arse at the inaugural WBC, but you don't hear cries about overpaid athletes, or why aren't the best players showing up for their country. You hear none of the negative talk about the players that followed the U.S. basketball team....why is that?

I'll have to pull that whole race card on this one. The reason sports fans in this country are so quick to criticize the NBA over any other sport is because of the visibility of it's athletes and it's counter-culture of the players when compared to the fan-base. You've got a league that is approximately populated with 90% black players whose fanbase is far from 90% black. Football is probably the closest in terms of volume of black players but they have helmets and shoulder pads so their blackness isn't as evident to the casual suburban fan who enjoys soft rock and a day out on the boat. With baseball, however, the players look mostly like the fans. A majority of baseball players are not tatted up, don't have cornrows, look like your average person even down to their athletic(and I use that so sparingly) build. So to insult and blame a baseball player is almost like blaming the guy in the mirror....not the case with B-ball.

29???

FOX Sports - NBA- Kobe's 29 power Lakers past Spurs

Kobe's 29 power Lakers past Spurs

When was the last time you saw that Kobe's 29 powered the Lakers? Big win. Confidence building. Not to mention winning against the top two teams in the league in the past week.

ESPN Blunder

A Funk

I am very irritable as well as irritated. I don't know why. I think I'm kind of bored and when I'm bored I'm irritable. I guess I'm in a funk and it ain't the p-funk.

A list of irritations as follows:
1) Q100 - Most ridiculously irritating, relationship destroying, male-bashing, pop whore of a station ever experienced.

2) Work - As challenging right now as saying the alphabet backward (which I've practiced so it's not that hard).

3) Social Life - I guess it's because I'm not really looking forward to anything right now. For the past week or so I think I'm most excited about a beer and cigar to end the night....

4) Corporate America - Watching corporate america is like watching an adult movie you've seen before...the poor workers just keep getting it and getting it....

5) My Blog - I have tried to keep it relatively clean because my folks read it as well as some other folks that I would never use adult language in front of. However, I find that instead of using less abrasive language, I simply don't blog. So this is a warning to easily offended folks. Language and topics may very well be varying in degree of adultiveness!

6) My Watering Hole - They wait until the weather starts to warm up to enclose the balcony?!?!? People want to sit outside now!

7) Television - I can't wait until Primetime gets that thing we used to have back in the day...what was it called....uh, oh yeah originality. Quite frankly, virtually every show is either a) a teeny-bopper oh-my-god-I-can't-believe-my-life-in-high-school-is-soooo-bad show, b) a reality show that would make you believe 98% of America is caucasion, athletically built, romantically available, and well-employed, c) a show where somebody is killed by an obvious person or for an obvious reason but in the end nothing is as obvious as it seems, or d) a 'God, please don't let me ever go to the hospital' medical show with more behind-the-scenes-and-would-affect-the-patient's-life drama than can be imagined. Grey's Anatomy is not included in this. Actually it is, but it has grown on me....

I think a lot of it is waking up and having negative desire to go to work. I know, life and work is what you make it. But I could use a little assistance......

Downin' 40's

Article: Sports - Bryant above all in fourth quarter

"He knows the scoring is the major part of what he has to do for us, yet most of the time he's staying within the context, trying to help the guys get going, and then feeling out his game," Jackson said. "Before, I felt that Kobe at times played the game to how he felt his disposition. Now he's playing the game as a leader, and he has done a great job of it."

That's a step away from his literary comments.....

Naked Bikers Ignore Safety while biking for Safety

ESPN.com - MORESPORTS - Mayor opposes nude cycling race on safety grounds

The mayor of a New Zealand town wants a nude cycling race to be called off because the participants won't be wearing helmets.

Can you imagine how uncomfortable a bike seat must be without the comfort of clothing....not to mention the sweaty stench of balls that will forever be left in the material on the bike seat.

Yeah I'm bored again.

Xpinionated Online - My Wit is for Sale!!!!!

Can you imagine, my blog humor + good ol' American cotton, together for the first time for public consumption? Well, imagine no more, just go to Xpinionated Online

A feeling of loss

Does anyone feel empty now that the Winter Games have ended and media hype has calmed? Yeah, I don't feel it either

New Record

I've been here 10 minutes and I'm already bored.

Offshoring

I was just talking to a coworker about offshoring and outsourcing. Seems like there is a possibility that some of these foreign countries that have made outsourcing their specialty may be facing a labor crisis in the reasonably near future. They are running out of folks to steal jobs. So now we have that whole supply and demand creeping up. Less folks to outsource work to means higher demand. Higher demand means higher costs. Higher costs means less benefit. I almost wish there was some way we could let our backlash be known so that the corporate America would have to take a bite in the ass on this one.

In-De-fat-ig-ab-le

My indefatigable optimism has suddenly become very defatigable. In fact, it may now be lingering on pessimism.

It's been nice Slava

Jim Jackson Signed, Medvedenko Released - Los Angeles Times

With an eye to the immediate future, the Lakers said goodbye to part of their past, signing free-agent swingman Jim Jackson and waiving injured forward Slava Medvedenko.

Good Riddance

The three-time Pro Bowl linebacker and the Redskins parted ways late Sunday night in a deal that allowed Arrington to become a free agent while giving the team a needed break in its effort to get under the salary cap. An official with knowledge of the transaction, speaking to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said Arrington agreed to a buyout that relinquished more than $4 million rather than restructure his contract in a way that would allow him to remain in Washington.

Nothing but a distraction the last season and a half. Take that show on the road.....

CNN.com - Bush: Outsourcing painful, but remedy is worse - Mar 3, 2006

CNN.com - Bush: Outsourcing painful, but remedy is worse - Mar 3, 2006
Isn't funny how the people whose job has absolutely zero percent chance of being outsourced are pro-outsourcing? You know, like CEO, CFO, CIO folks who know their job is not going to New Delhi are all for sending the average person's job overseas.

Corporate America is becoming a canker on Satan's ass. They pay less, reward less, want more, and then send your job to somebody overseas. THe whole time hoping that you'll remain a customer!

Accomplished

It only took approximately three weeks, but I estimate by the end of today I will have finished three pounds of skittles!!!

My teeth would like to thank all the people who supported them through this sweet, hard, enduring, crunchy ride.

Jim Jackson

Phoenix has released him. Aaron McKie was to be the off the bench veteran we could have used. He's injured. I say look more at Jim Jackson than Penny Hardaway....but then again Mitch Kupchak is there so we'll probably end up bringing nothing in .....

ESPN.com - NCF - ACC team-by-team spring guide

ESPN.com - NCF - ACC team-by-team spring guide

Virginia Tech Hokies
• The Hokies open spring practice March 22 and finish with the spring game on April 15.

• After four years of stability on coach Frank Beamer's staff, there was a flurry of change this offseason. The most recent movement involves former NC State head coach Mike O'Cain, who replaced Kevin Rogers as the Hokies' quarterbacks coach in late February. Rogers took a job with the Minnesota Vikings. Curt Newsome was hired to coach Tech's tight ends and offensive tackles, replacing Danny Pearman, while former Wake Forest assistant Kevin Sherman will coach the team's receivers. Sherman takes over for Tony Ball, who left Blacksburg after eight seasons to take the running backs post at Georgia. O'Cain's first order of business will be to find a replacement for starting quarterback Marcus Vick, who was booted off the team in January.

Brunell to restructure contract pending CBA negotiations

ESPN.com - NFL - Brunell to restructure contract pending CBA negotiations

Like all NFL teams, the Redskins are in flux with their free agency plans because of the last-minute collective bargaining talks. If no agreement is reached, Washington will have to make some $20 million in cuts Thursday to get below the 2006 salary cap.

Blazers??

Oddly enough, the Lakers this year seem to be on the Christmas list of any team knee deep in a losing streak. The loss, wait....embarassing loss, to the Charlotte Bobcats earlier this season ended what I believe was a double digit losing streak for the toddling Bobcats.

Last night's mockery ended a 6 game slide for the Blazers. The Clippers loss last week, yep they had lost 5 in a row before getting on the court with the Lakers. The Pacers 6 game nosedive at the end of January was swiftly corrected on Feb 1 with a 105 - 79 defeat of the Lakers.

Have I made my point yet?

Playoff Seeding

I know there is something to be said for winning your division. But more often than not, particularly in the NBA, teams are defined more by their conference than they are their division. I say, give the team a banner for winning their division but scrap the division winners get the top 3 seeds in each conference. It's a true shame that the Nuggets are currently the 3rd seed in the west with a record surpassed by all the playoff teams but the 8th seeded Lakers, and even then only by a game. Reward the teams that play well and not those that are benefitting from a particular weak division.

I mean, the Lakers have won plenty of Pacific Division titles but I never found myself buying a t-shirt that said something about it.....

Nice Stats on Bean

Kobe is averaging 8 assists per game for his last four games, and 7.2 assists per game since the All-Star break. Maybe he was giving us a preview of things to come in the All-Star game when he kept giving McGrady the ball???