T-minus 16 days until Easter. That means only 16 days until I can drink Dr. Pepper again. Also, this is the time of year I hopelessly gorge myself on Reese's Eggs. (They say if you give up one vice, you replace it with another...) Why is the peanut butter in them so much better than the regular cups? This is a mystery I have yet to solve.
Along with: 1.) Why did a bunny became the nameface of Easter? 2.) Why would a rabbit horde eggs? Last I checked, rabbits were not reptiles OR fish, so there's no parental instinct. What are those little buggers hiding??
Well, how bout this for an answer to both questions, albeit from a possibly unreliable Wikipedia article:
"Eggs, like rabbits and hares, are fertility symbols of extreme antiquity. Since birds lay eggs and rabbits and hares give birth to large litters in the early spring, these became symbols of the rising fertility of the earth at the Vernal Equinox." Interesting.
On a related note, somebody had way too much time on their hands:
Two and a half years ago, I went to New York City, and one of the most striking memories I gained from that trip was seeing a homeless man playing "America The Beautiful" at the World Trade Center site. He had a long white beard, and he donned a bright red, thick windbreaker to shelter his somewhat fragile body from the cold autumn wind.
I recently returned to New York City last weekend, and found the exact same man (pictured above) filling the area around the Washington Museum on Wall Street with raw notes from "Battle Hymn of the Republic". Kind of a surreal experience anyway, but made even more surreal by the fact that I saw him twice, in a different spot, many moons later.
Move over Robert Parish. There's a new "Chief" dominating the basketball courts these days.
I submit for your approval the ass-kicking-est name for an athlete anywhere ever: Grlenntys Chief Kickingstallionsims, Jr. (or Chief Kickingstallionsims for "short"). The 7-foot chief leads SWAC-champion Alabama State against Morehead State tonight in the NCAA tourney play-in game. I'm going to watch, simply because I wonder how they can fit his name onto a jersey.
The story: Chief Kickingstallionsims Fills Out His Dance Card. (I especially like the first comment on that blog: "Speaking of which, whatever became of that high school prospect, Medicineman Punchingdonkeygasms?")
Side note: On the eve of the men's NCAA tournament, you heard it here first: Duke over UConn in the championship. (With North Carolina and Michigan State rounding out the final four.) Also, going out on a limb on the women's side, I'll boldly predict UConn will complete their undefeated season. Hardly an unsafe bet, seeing as their average margin of victory is 31 points, and they haven't won by less than 10 points all year.
Tim Reynolds, one of Dave Matthews's partners-in-crime, is a can't-miss live act, from what I hear. A couple of years ago they teamed up for a show at Radio City Music Hall, an exhibition that was immortalized by CD/DVD/Blu-ray. "Betrayal" is one of two songs Tim performed solo at that show; this recording isn't quite as sharp as the one from the Radio City album, but it's still not too shabby:
I was watching TV the other day, and an advertisement came on for a Lasik eye care clinic. Patient after patient made a brief, glowing testimonial about the wonders of laser eye surgery. One woman gratefully declared, "Lasik eye surgery changed my life. Literally."
Which got me thinking. (Unfortunately for you, the reader.) I think the word "literally" has lost its meaning. In the context described above, its purpose used to be well-defined: to distinguish the literal meaning of a phrase from its figurative or metaphorical meaning, and to drive home the fact that you actually intended to use the phrase's literal meaning.
I've noticed that my little step-sister (just one representative from the up-and-coming "Generation Text") says "literally" all the time, but each time she does, it's not to serve the aforementioned purpose. Rather, it's to emphasize what she just said. Sort of like an exclamation mark, without the shouting. In that commercial, the Lasik eye surgery REALLY changed the woman's life. It's not like we could make the mistake that she meant that figuratively, right?
Examples of how literally "should" be used are difficult for me to come by right now for some reason; anything I come up with now in my stream of consciousness seems a bit contrived. But here goes anyway.
1.) "Wow, that wind tunnel blew me away. Literally." 2.) A college student, who on a particularly wild night that included seven Bud Lights and (for some reason) a little carpentry which resulted in him missing the nail with his hammer and instead breaking his index finger, might say, "I got so hammered that night. Literally."
You get the point.
But maybe the ongoing evolution of the word "literally" isn't necessarily incorrect, i.e., it hasn't really lost its meaning. Perhaps it's simply a change. The English language just changes. Every word of it. My dad, also known as Super English Teacher Man, has an old textbook that shows this happening. No joke, a printed quote from the Anglo-Saxons from the 1200s (or something like that) looked like the typewriter threw up on the page. But that's exactly where English was born 800 years ago, and this is how far we've come. From the olden days of the Shakespearean plays, to Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, to the lyrics of a Beatles song, just about everything about the language has evolved to what it is now. So why not the word "literally"?
Ol' Coach Jester made us do 165 push-ups one day in middle school P.E. He was entertaining, like the time two guys were about to fight, he yelled "Hold on!" and ran into his office, returned while dusting off pair of old Everlast boxing gloves, and quietly commanded, "OK. Now go."
Now he wasn't a washed-up baseball superstar like this guy, but I couldn't help but think of him when I saw this:
Well, I can't say it's been all that wonderful here in Maverick-land, but despite that, 2008-2009 really has been one of the more entertaining seasons since I started paying attention to the NBA. We're getting set for what should be a damn entertaining post-season. It better be, if it's going to last ONE FIFTH OF A CALENDAR YEAR.
After following the league semi-closely, I thought I'd act like I know what I'm talking about and present some musings. Here goes:
1. OK, I lied. I don't really know what I'm talking about. After taking a look at my sure-to-go-wrong predictions from one week into the season, I was just a bit off base. (Kind of like how Rush Limbaugh is just a bit mentally unsound. Did you see what he said about Michael J. Fox? Seriously.)
Let's start off with what I got right. New Orleans looks great: currently fifth in the west; unbelievable point guard in Chris Paul who said that playing in the NBA is easier for him than college ball (and I totally believe him); getting a free mulligan on a trade that would've sent Tyson Chandler away and what would've been the dumbest trade since the Grizzlies gave away Pau Gasol in exchange for a 10%-off coupon at Jiffy Lube.
Now, that Iverson-Billups trade. I made the case that they were clearing space for the Summer of 2010, when just about every great player will become a free agent. But the Motor City looks to be in a precarious position. Had it not been for a huge victory in Boston last Sunday, they'd have lost something like 8 straight games. And before that, they'd been slowly tumbling down the standings for a while. A quote from my earlier blog entry: "Detroit was good, is good, and will be good for a long time." Whoops. Don't bank on that; they just might be on the outs. Plus, given the long, standing ovation Billups received upon his return to Detroit a couple of nights ago, Piston fans seem to miss him.
I also said the old big three in the West (Dallas, Phoenix, San Antonio) would be cast aside in favor of the younger, more athletic likes of Portland, Los Angeles, Denver, and Utah. Almost right. I am still surprised every single year when the Spurs are right there at the top. HOW ARE THEY 40-19?? WITH MATT BONNER PLAYING CENTER?? THEY'RE SO BORING!! I THINK MY SHIFT KEY IS STUCK!!
But enough of that. To quote Mark McGwire, I have no desire to talk about the past. Let's move on, shall we?
2. Even though you've heard of him, Kevin Durant is still the "best player you've never hear of." Did you know he's still around? Did you know he's fourth in the league in scoring at 26.0 PPG? Did you know since February 1, he's at over 30 per game? Did you know he still can't legally order a Shiner Bock? I find it shocking that I'm almost three years older than him. I guess my NBA ship might be starting to sail.
3. Toronto Raptors forward Chris Bosh gets my vote for closest player resemblance to his team's logo. Seriously, he looks like a velociraptor or something, doesn't he? Especially from the profile view, with his dreadlocks. But I'd better be nice... there's rumors of him coming to Dallas in a couple years after his contract with Toronto runs out, and I think he plus Dirk would be one heck of a frontcourt. Now if we can just get Jason Kidd to start reversing his age, we'd be all set.
4. I miss the NBA on NBC song.
You do, too. Admit it.
(I'm not alone...see the first few paragraphs of this Bill Simmons column. Watch the video, too, if you're a real NBA fan.)
5. If the Dallas Mavericks had won the 2006 NBA Finals, they would still be an elite team in the West. Talk about a crossroads. You have to wonder if Dallas would've been desperate enough to pull of that Jason Kidd trade if they had pulled off a championship with Devin Harris. I'm a little softer on Mark Cuban for doing that, though, because Jason Kidd really is just that good. (Incidentally I just now saw him make the best fast break pass I think I've ever seen.) I've personally learned so much just from watching him.
But I can't get over how confident they looked when they beat the Spurs and Suns that year. They walked out there and knew they could win. But that untimely four-gaming losing streak in the Finals sent them in a downspiral from which they just won't recover. (If I had a penny for every time I've complained about that series in the history of this blog...) Lots of the game is mental if you let it (and the Mavs are letting it), and those emotionally scarred Mavs just can't get it done.
But boy, are they still fun to watch. Sometimes. Man, it's frustrating when they lose by 20 to teams like Milwaukee or Oklahoma City. Good teams just don't let that happen.
Sidebar: If you want to learn a little something about how the game of basketball works, tune in to the local Mavs broadcast. Color commentator Bob Ortegel is BY FAR the best in the business. Way better than Hubie Brown or Jeff "Milhouse's Dad" Van Gundy.
6. Calling traveling is hip again.
It seems traveling has gotten called just a little more often this year. In fact, I'd say there's been at least one traveling violation called in every game I've seen this year, which believe it or not is a vast improvement. There's still probably about 5 or 6 situations per game where it should be called, but hey, progress is progress. I worry about this article, which suggests, it'll be legal to take a "second step"? That sounds a bit suspect.
7. I'm sticking with my pre-season NBA champs pick. Boston over L.A. in an epic 7-game series. This time, L.A. has home-court advantage, but Paul Pierce lodges a proverbial axe into the back of Laker-lover Jack Nicholson, a la The Shining, with a 43-point championship-clinching barage. (If I get this exactly right, I'd better get some props.)
Before we get there, though, It will be an interesting and unpredictable post-season to be sure. I see a coming-out party for Deron Williams, and Utah surprising Denver and San Antonio en route to the West Finals. I see Cleveland sailing past Detroit and the Jameer Nelson-less Orlando Magic, and giving an unbelievable but futile challenge to Boston. The Celtics and Lakers will be duking it out in the Finals, and Boston will win their 18th championship. Hey, if we've learned anything from the four-time champ Spurs, the boring pick is very often the right one.
