It's 10:47pm, and I'm still working at the office. You know when you drive down the highway, and you pass a 14-story office building, and you see maybe 8 lights turned on through the windows in the entire building? Well, tonight, one of those white, fluorescent lights is burning straight from my office.
But, not all is bad, because I've got one of my very favorite albums to keep my company: Live at Radio City, by Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds. Amid Dave's signature wailing and Tim's intricate scraping of the guitar strings, I'm working on what's essentially an immunology/oncology white paper for a state-sponsored funding application. (Putting what I learned as a computer science major to good use. Ha. Long story.)
So if you ever get caught working at 10:47pm -- which we all do from time to time don't we? -- let "Crush" get you through at least 8 of those lonely minutes:
Monday, August 24, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Occam's Razor, Applied
Lesson: If you don't want to carry on a philosophical discussion, just oversimplify it.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
The Best of Zazzle
Normally, I'm not much of a novelty-T-shirt-wearer. Too many fellow UTD students wore them, and I didn't want to be part of the crowd, I guess. I did have a pretty good one that my brother gave me years ago, with a chuck wagon just below the phrase "You Have Died of Dysentery". (Homage to "The Oregon Trail", or the only video game ever installed in my hometown's middle schools' computer labs.) I went to visit one of my professors' office hours while wearing the shirt one night, and he obviously didn't catch the joke, uttering in his British accent, "My God, that shirt is awful! Why would you wear that?" Even after explanation, he was still a mite shocked.
But anyway, I do like to peruse those novelty T-shirt websites on the occasion. Rather than spending $25 to buy them, I figure I'd just post some of them on my stupid blog. Behold, selections and excerpts from Zazzle.com.
And my personal favorite:
But anyway, I do like to peruse those novelty T-shirt websites on the occasion. Rather than spending $25 to buy them, I figure I'd just post some of them on my stupid blog. Behold, selections and excerpts from Zazzle.com.
And my personal favorite:
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Wealth Of Misinformation
If you know me, you know I have a crazily inquisitive mind. If I have a question, it matters not what I’m doing. I have to find the answer.
So as a result, my brain is filled beyond capacity with totally useless information. Which is good because I can impress people in bars, but I end up completely forgetting important information like, say, my birthday. One of my problems, however, is that I don’t usually verify my answer and take it at face value. Not a good idea, as I pointed out in an earlier blog.
As a result, I kinda have a tendency to mislead people sometimes about random facts. It’s all unintentional (unlike, for instance, Fox News), but it’s still wrong. So, in order to distance myself from misinformants who adamantly proclaim falsities, such as those that insist President Obama’s health plan is hell-bent on killing your grandparents (different topic that I won’t dignify with a blog entry, and Jon Stewart does a bang-up job anyway), I thought I’d clear the air on some of the "facts" you might’ve heard me say to you so matter-of-factly in the past.
Debunked: Tom Petty Sued RHCP
"Mary Jane’s Last Dance" is maybe Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ most widely known work. And did you ever notice how similar it is to the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ most recent best-selling single, "Dani California"? In particular, its opening phrase sounds just like the theme that drives the Tom Petty classic. In fact, you may have heard me mention that Petty filed a copyright lawsuit against RHCP, and they're still battling out in court.
Totally false. In a 2006 Rolling Stone interview, Petty was asked about it, to which he responded: "I seriously doubt that there is any negative intent there. And a lot of rock & roll songs sound alike. Ask Chuck Berry. The Strokes took 'American Girl', and I saw an interview with them where they actually admitted it. That made me laugh out loud. I was like, 'OK, good for you.' It doesn’t bother me."
Cool. I’m glad I’m wrong...makes me like Mr. Petty a lot more, for his laid-back-ness.
Debunked: The Toilet Bowl / Hemisphere Postulate
This didn’t just fool me, it fooled all the geniuses on the staff of The Simpsons, who based an entire episode on this theory. Because of a little physics principle called the Coriolis Effect, I had heard that when toilets flush (or showers drain, or whatever), the water will always always ALWAYS swirl in a counterclockwise motion as it goes down the drain in the Northern Hemisphere, and it would swirl in a clockwise motion in the Southern Hemisphere. I thought this was because of the rotation of the Earth: the same reason that hurricanes spin counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.
Of course, I believed all of this without having been to South America or Australia or whatever. Plus, what if you had a drain that sat right on the equator? Would the water just fall straight through the drain?
In fact, the Coriolis effect’s influence over a circling drain is miniscule if any, since a the drain is only several inches wide (at most) and lasts for only a few seconds. The Earth's rotation just doesn't affect such an insignificant event. Source: http://www.snopes.com/science/coriolis.asp
Debunked: The Unproud Origin of the Word "Golf"
Etymology (how words came to be) has always deeply interested me, ever since my four years of high school Latin, so I never pass up an opportunity to learn where a word came from.
I heard from someone long ago that the word "golf" was actually an acronym for "Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden". It made sense: golf has been around for centuries, and it certainly predated women’s rights. And guys stereotypically hit the golf course to escape their female counterparts, right?
Incorrect. It’s unknown exactly where the word came from, but it is surely known that it’s not an acronym. Precursors to the word may include the German word "kolbe", the Dutch word "kolven", or simply the Scottish word "golf". In any case, I was wrong again. Source: http://www.scottishgolfhistory.net/golf_word.htm
Well, there you have it. Just because it sounds good doesn’t mean it’s true. I guess the moral of the story is to just not listen to me.
So as a result, my brain is filled beyond capacity with totally useless information. Which is good because I can impress people in bars, but I end up completely forgetting important information like, say, my birthday. One of my problems, however, is that I don’t usually verify my answer and take it at face value. Not a good idea, as I pointed out in an earlier blog.
As a result, I kinda have a tendency to mislead people sometimes about random facts. It’s all unintentional (unlike, for instance, Fox News), but it’s still wrong. So, in order to distance myself from misinformants who adamantly proclaim falsities, such as those that insist President Obama’s health plan is hell-bent on killing your grandparents (different topic that I won’t dignify with a blog entry, and Jon Stewart does a bang-up job anyway), I thought I’d clear the air on some of the "facts" you might’ve heard me say to you so matter-of-factly in the past.
Debunked: Tom Petty Sued RHCP
"Mary Jane’s Last Dance" is maybe Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ most widely known work. And did you ever notice how similar it is to the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ most recent best-selling single, "Dani California"? In particular, its opening phrase sounds just like the theme that drives the Tom Petty classic. In fact, you may have heard me mention that Petty filed a copyright lawsuit against RHCP, and they're still battling out in court.Totally false. In a 2006 Rolling Stone interview, Petty was asked about it, to which he responded: "I seriously doubt that there is any negative intent there. And a lot of rock & roll songs sound alike. Ask Chuck Berry. The Strokes took 'American Girl', and I saw an interview with them where they actually admitted it. That made me laugh out loud. I was like, 'OK, good for you.' It doesn’t bother me."
Cool. I’m glad I’m wrong...makes me like Mr. Petty a lot more, for his laid-back-ness.
Debunked: The Toilet Bowl / Hemisphere Postulate
This didn’t just fool me, it fooled all the geniuses on the staff of The Simpsons, who based an entire episode on this theory. Because of a little physics principle called the Coriolis Effect, I had heard that when toilets flush (or showers drain, or whatever), the water will always always ALWAYS swirl in a counterclockwise motion as it goes down the drain in the Northern Hemisphere, and it would swirl in a clockwise motion in the Southern Hemisphere. I thought this was because of the rotation of the Earth: the same reason that hurricanes spin counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.Of course, I believed all of this without having been to South America or Australia or whatever. Plus, what if you had a drain that sat right on the equator? Would the water just fall straight through the drain?
In fact, the Coriolis effect’s influence over a circling drain is miniscule if any, since a the drain is only several inches wide (at most) and lasts for only a few seconds. The Earth's rotation just doesn't affect such an insignificant event. Source: http://www.snopes.com/science/coriolis.asp
Debunked: The Unproud Origin of the Word "Golf"
Etymology (how words came to be) has always deeply interested me, ever since my four years of high school Latin, so I never pass up an opportunity to learn where a word came from.
I heard from someone long ago that the word "golf" was actually an acronym for "Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden". It made sense: golf has been around for centuries, and it certainly predated women’s rights. And guys stereotypically hit the golf course to escape their female counterparts, right?
Incorrect. It’s unknown exactly where the word came from, but it is surely known that it’s not an acronym. Precursors to the word may include the German word "kolbe", the Dutch word "kolven", or simply the Scottish word "golf". In any case, I was wrong again. Source: http://www.scottishgolfhistory.net/golf_word.htm
Well, there you have it. Just because it sounds good doesn’t mean it’s true. I guess the moral of the story is to just not listen to me.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
JoshCast #11 - Hello, It's Late
Ever since a buddy of mine introduced me to them back in 10th grade and I bought their then-newest album, No. 4, I've had an on-again-off-again affinity for the Stone Temple Pilots. I loved that album when I first bought it and played it so regularly that, for me, it forever became a symbol of that time. Any time I hear "Glide", I'm vividly reminded of driving down McCann St at 1am on Saturday nights after closing up shop at Tony Roma's as a busboy. Yeah, I reeked of BBQ sauce and smoke, but me and my '89 Jeep Comanche were happy as long as STP was playing. (And the windows were rolled down.)
Anyway, it was their straight-up hard rock that won me over (see "Plush" and "Wicked Garden"), but I was also intrigued by their slower-paced ballads (see "Creep" and "Atlanta"). Singer Scott Weiland wails sorrowfully in one of STP's more obscure ballads, "Hello It's Late" from Shangri-La Dee Da:
Anyway, it was their straight-up hard rock that won me over (see "Plush" and "Wicked Garden"), but I was also intrigued by their slower-paced ballads (see "Creep" and "Atlanta"). Singer Scott Weiland wails sorrowfully in one of STP's more obscure ballads, "Hello It's Late" from Shangri-La Dee Da:
Thursday, August 6, 2009
The Ethics of Hiroshima
It’s August 6. Sixty-four years ago today, the U.S. dropped the first of the only two nuclear weapons in the history of Earthly warfare. About 140,000 people in Hiroshima died by the end of 1945; some of them instantaneously, and some of them from radiation sickness, trauma, and burns. It’s hard to argue that the notion of such destruction is unspeakably horrific.
But was it the right thing to do?
First of all, let me make loud and clear that I can’t POSSIBLY fairly evaluate this question, since I wasn’t born until almost 40 years after the fact. I know nothing about what a World War feels like. But, I do find it interesting to think about and to hear others’ opinions on the subject.
Let’s start off with some facts. On July 26, 1945, Harry Truman (US President), Winston Churchill (UK Prime Minister), and Chiang Kai-shek (China President) issued the Potsdam Declaration, stating that either Japan surrenders immediately or face “prompt and utter destruction.” Eleven days later, the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Three days after that, a second bomb was detonated over Nagasaki. Six days after that, Japan surrendered.
Probably the most frequent pro-bomb argument is that it actually saved lives. Either we continue to fight a stubborn Japanese empire that would’ve resulted in hundreds of thousands or millions of Japanese and American casualties as the war dragged on, or we end the war quickly. The atomic bomb demonstrated the power of the U.S. arsenal, and brought the war to a decidedly swift conclusion.
Then there are those that say destroying two cities and killing a huge number of civilians is barbaric, unnecessary, and wrong, no matter what. Some go so far as to characterize the tactic as a war crime.
Interestingly, this issue came up on The Daily Show a few months ago when torture and waterboarding was on everyone’s mind. During a spirited (and very interesting) argument with Cliff May, the President of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Jon Stewart said straight up that President Truman committed a crime of war (starting at about the 5:40 mark):
(The other parts of the interview: Part 1, Part 3)
...To which, two days later, he realized what he said and made the following apology:
I did find Stewart’s suggestion interesting: why didn’t the U.S. just drop a bomb 15 miles offshore, thereby demonstrating the military might of the U.S. and the futility of Japanese resistance without killing a single civilian?
But a counter-argument: there's no guarantee that even that would've ended the war. Additionally, one comment on a blog I read said, “Doesn’t it follow from the logic of his argument that Nagasaki was permissible, since the Japanese hadn’t surrendered after Hiroshima? It’s a bit counter-intuitive that Hiroshima would be wrong, but Nagasaki not wrong.” Difficult to argue with that.
The debate continues. But there is one thing we can all agree on: two nuclear weapons have been detonated in an act of war. In these unsure times, let’s hope and pray and do whatever it takes so that number stays exactly where it is. I wasn’t alive during most of the Cold War, either, and can’t possibly comprehend the tension that was around in those days. I kinda like not knowing what that feels like.
But was it the right thing to do?
First of all, let me make loud and clear that I can’t POSSIBLY fairly evaluate this question, since I wasn’t born until almost 40 years after the fact. I know nothing about what a World War feels like. But, I do find it interesting to think about and to hear others’ opinions on the subject.
Let’s start off with some facts. On July 26, 1945, Harry Truman (US President), Winston Churchill (UK Prime Minister), and Chiang Kai-shek (China President) issued the Potsdam Declaration, stating that either Japan surrenders immediately or face “prompt and utter destruction.” Eleven days later, the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Three days after that, a second bomb was detonated over Nagasaki. Six days after that, Japan surrendered.
Probably the most frequent pro-bomb argument is that it actually saved lives. Either we continue to fight a stubborn Japanese empire that would’ve resulted in hundreds of thousands or millions of Japanese and American casualties as the war dragged on, or we end the war quickly. The atomic bomb demonstrated the power of the U.S. arsenal, and brought the war to a decidedly swift conclusion.
Then there are those that say destroying two cities and killing a huge number of civilians is barbaric, unnecessary, and wrong, no matter what. Some go so far as to characterize the tactic as a war crime.
Interestingly, this issue came up on The Daily Show a few months ago when torture and waterboarding was on everyone’s mind. During a spirited (and very interesting) argument with Cliff May, the President of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Jon Stewart said straight up that President Truman committed a crime of war (starting at about the 5:40 mark):
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Cliff May Extended Interview Pt. 2 | ||||
| ||||
(The other parts of the interview: Part 1, Part 3)
...To which, two days later, he realized what he said and made the following apology:
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Harry Truman Was Not a War Criminal | ||||
| ||||
I did find Stewart’s suggestion interesting: why didn’t the U.S. just drop a bomb 15 miles offshore, thereby demonstrating the military might of the U.S. and the futility of Japanese resistance without killing a single civilian?
But a counter-argument: there's no guarantee that even that would've ended the war. Additionally, one comment on a blog I read said, “Doesn’t it follow from the logic of his argument that Nagasaki was permissible, since the Japanese hadn’t surrendered after Hiroshima? It’s a bit counter-intuitive that Hiroshima would be wrong, but Nagasaki not wrong.” Difficult to argue with that.
The debate continues. But there is one thing we can all agree on: two nuclear weapons have been detonated in an act of war. In these unsure times, let’s hope and pray and do whatever it takes so that number stays exactly where it is. I wasn’t alive during most of the Cold War, either, and can’t possibly comprehend the tension that was around in those days. I kinda like not knowing what that feels like.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
7 Things I Think I Know About the Dallas Mavericks’ Offseason
So it’s August. Kids are headed back to school in two or three weeks. The high in Dallas today is 101. And we’re right smack in the middle of the dog days of baseball season.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike baseball. Sometimes I genuinely enjoy it. But it just doesn't quite compare to the one sport I so love, at least until the postseason starts in October. Plus, you just know that the Rangers are teasing us this year: they’re good enough to be relevant, but will probably end up in second in the AL West behind Anaheim, and either the Red Sox or Yankees will grab the AL Wild Card, just like always.
Maybe since I predicted this will happen, it won’t. I’m sure hoping to cheer the Rangers in the postseason, I’m just setting my expectations low.
Plus, Big Papi getting busted for ‘roids really pissed me off.
...But I digress.
The point is, we’re about 2 months out from the Lakers’ championship (Boo.), and are still almost 3 months until game 1 of the regular season. But that doesn’t mean a lot hasn’t been going on. My observations on the Mavs’ offseason, in convenient enumerated format!
1. DallasBasketball.com is my new favorite basketball-gossip-related website.
I used to be continuously frustrated during the offseason by the dearth of Mav-related info. The best I got was a one- or two-paragraph write-up once per week from the Dallas Morning News that quickly and superficially summarized the week’s events in the Mavs’ front office. But thanks to David Lord and Mike Fisher, two very well-informed insiders who contribute to DallasBasketball.com, I can get my daily fix on trade speculation, etc. (Ramon Sessions is the latest name to be tossed out there.) And it's not completely baseless speculation; there’s some very sensible logic behind it. I’d rather let these guys, who are FAR smarter than me, figure out the intricacies of the salary cap.
I was there to see it, DB.com picked out Shawn Marion days before the trade went down. (More on that later.) I’m addicted. And grateful. They're why I'm inspired to write this long-winded blog entry, in fact. So blame them for your ongoing suffering.
2. The Mavericks absolutely, positively, undoubtedly HAD to re-sign Jason Kidd.
I’ll be the first to admit that I hated the Jason Kidd for half-the-Mavs-roster-including-our-only-answer-for-Tony-Parker-a.k.a.-Devin-Harris trade back in March of ’08. And I still think Dallas gave up too much. But the Kidd has won me over.
Yeah, he’s 36. Yeah, he’s a little slower and can’t quite fill up the bucket like he used to. But he’s INCREDIBLY savvy on offense AND defense, and always seems to hit those timely 3’s. (He actually led Dallas last year in 3-pt percentage at 40.6%.) If Dirk is the V8 engine that makes the Mavs go, Kidd is the oil that keeps the whole thing from grinding to a screeching halt. (And that’s as deep as my automotive metaphors will go.)
Seriously, what would the Mavs have done had they let Kidd walk to New York? They might’ve pursued Andre Miller, who’s also getting up there in age and doesn’t compare with Kidd. Maybe let Jason Terry and J.J. Barea split time at the starting point.
The Dallas Mavericks ARE NOT a playoff team without him. They ARE a playoff team with him. That’s all you need to know.
3. The Mavs did right in taking the red pill.
So now we stay in Wonderland, and we see how far down the rabbit hole goes.
Dallas’s trade to acquire “The Matrix” (i.e., Shawn Marion) was a very smart basketball move. Here’s why.
The Mavs get a premiere defender who is versatile enough to chase Kobe, Amare, Dwyane, and ‘Melo who can lead the team in rebounding (which means more running fast breaks with the Kidd), hit the occasional 3, and catch some of those alley-oops from Kidd on the fast break. AND they got him at a reasonable price: After getting paid $17 mil a year last year, he’ll earn less than half that during his new contract -- about $7.7 mil per year. (Thank you again, DB.com.)
The only caveat is that we’re going to have to learn to live with that AWFUL-looking release.
4. There are still PLENTY of Dirk lovers and haters out there.
There are two sides to the Dirk debate. First of all, he’s been one of the most consistently productive players in the league this decade. So much so that he makes a very convincing case to earn a spot on the All-Decade Team for the 2000s. This article does just that, and in fact, his formula concludes that he has indeed been the MOST productive player since 2000. More than Tim Duncan. More than Kobe Bryant. More than Kevin Garnett. Just look at this list.
Then there’s the other side, that says he disappears in the postseason, and that he’s among the most overrated players in the league. (Um, did you SEE last year’s Denver series? 30+ ppg doesn’t do it for you?) Yeah, he had his chances in the Finals. And yeah, he’s had an off year or two mixed in there. But, like all the greats, his production is significantly elevated during the postseason.
One thing I do know is, since we’re even HAVING this debate, he’s gotta be pretty daggum special. We’re all Nowitznesses to a hall-of-famer who, I believe, will still win his championship ring.
I just hope he’s wearing a Mavericks uniform when he does.
5. YouTube and my DVR have helped me get through this period of basketball fasting.
It helps to be able to see Josh Howard’s three-quarter-court shot against Phoenix last April whenever I want. In High Def, no less. But just as great is the ability to reminisce about their 2003 run:
Ah, those days of Nash, Van Exel, and RAEF LAFRENTZ make me teary-eyed. Thank God for YouTube.
6. The best new expression of the summer: “Getting kicked in the Gortats”.
Again, thanks to DB.com. Earlier this summer, Dallas committed $38 million to backup-center phenom Marcin Gortat from the Orlando Magic, who was a restricted free agent, meaning once the offer was made, the Magic had seven days to match the offer and keep him. While Dallas’s money was tied up on the Gortat offer they let undersized, energy PF Brandon Bass (a hoss) go to, you guessed it, Orlando. Only days later, Orlando pulled the tablecloth out from under Mark Cuban and, surprising everyone, matched the Gortat offer, thus keeping him AND Bass.
And that’s how the Mavs got kicked in the Gortats. Which I will now proceed to use in everyday vernacular (...thus leaving my partners in conversation thoroughly confused.) The silver lining: maybe Gortat isn’t all that great, and the Mavs avoided getting their money all tied up for years and years, like the Shawn Bradley and Erick Dampier situations. Time will tell.
But, in the meantime, Dallas ATTEMPTED to shore up the center position by adding big-man whacko Drew Gooden who, despite being semi-productive, has bounced around to seven teams in eight years. They also added 3-point marksman/knucklehead Tim Thomas. To do: re-sign either energy 7-footer Ryan Hollins or potential Brandon Bass replacement and headband extraordinaire James Singleton.
No doubt the Mavs have beefed up their roster a little, but will it be enough...?
7. Holy crap, you’re still reading this? Well, since you made it this far...
Talk about long-winded. I’ll spare you further analysis and just say: Dallas will not win the Western Conference championship this year. But it won’t be a disappointment, either. I predict 56 wins, the second seed in the playoffs (behind only LA), and a loss to LA in an epic 7 game series in the Western Conference Finals. But 2010 will be a different, much more successful story. Start planning that parade route.
And dammit, they better keep my man J. J. Barea.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike baseball. Sometimes I genuinely enjoy it. But it just doesn't quite compare to the one sport I so love, at least until the postseason starts in October. Plus, you just know that the Rangers are teasing us this year: they’re good enough to be relevant, but will probably end up in second in the AL West behind Anaheim, and either the Red Sox or Yankees will grab the AL Wild Card, just like always.
Maybe since I predicted this will happen, it won’t. I’m sure hoping to cheer the Rangers in the postseason, I’m just setting my expectations low.
Plus, Big Papi getting busted for ‘roids really pissed me off....But I digress.
The point is, we’re about 2 months out from the Lakers’ championship (Boo.), and are still almost 3 months until game 1 of the regular season. But that doesn’t mean a lot hasn’t been going on. My observations on the Mavs’ offseason, in convenient enumerated format!
1. DallasBasketball.com is my new favorite basketball-gossip-related website.
I used to be continuously frustrated during the offseason by the dearth of Mav-related info. The best I got was a one- or two-paragraph write-up once per week from the Dallas Morning News that quickly and superficially summarized the week’s events in the Mavs’ front office. But thanks to David Lord and Mike Fisher, two very well-informed insiders who contribute to DallasBasketball.com, I can get my daily fix on trade speculation, etc. (Ramon Sessions is the latest name to be tossed out there.) And it's not completely baseless speculation; there’s some very sensible logic behind it. I’d rather let these guys, who are FAR smarter than me, figure out the intricacies of the salary cap.
I was there to see it, DB.com picked out Shawn Marion days before the trade went down. (More on that later.) I’m addicted. And grateful. They're why I'm inspired to write this long-winded blog entry, in fact. So blame them for your ongoing suffering.
2. The Mavericks absolutely, positively, undoubtedly HAD to re-sign Jason Kidd.
I’ll be the first to admit that I hated the Jason Kidd for half-the-Mavs-roster-including-our-only-answer-for-Tony-Parker-a.k.a.-Devin-Harris trade back in March of ’08. And I still think Dallas gave up too much. But the Kidd has won me over.Yeah, he’s 36. Yeah, he’s a little slower and can’t quite fill up the bucket like he used to. But he’s INCREDIBLY savvy on offense AND defense, and always seems to hit those timely 3’s. (He actually led Dallas last year in 3-pt percentage at 40.6%.) If Dirk is the V8 engine that makes the Mavs go, Kidd is the oil that keeps the whole thing from grinding to a screeching halt. (And that’s as deep as my automotive metaphors will go.)
Seriously, what would the Mavs have done had they let Kidd walk to New York? They might’ve pursued Andre Miller, who’s also getting up there in age and doesn’t compare with Kidd. Maybe let Jason Terry and J.J. Barea split time at the starting point.
The Dallas Mavericks ARE NOT a playoff team without him. They ARE a playoff team with him. That’s all you need to know.
3. The Mavs did right in taking the red pill.
So now we stay in Wonderland, and we see how far down the rabbit hole goes.
Dallas’s trade to acquire “The Matrix” (i.e., Shawn Marion) was a very smart basketball move. Here’s why.
The Mavs get a premiere defender who is versatile enough to chase Kobe, Amare, Dwyane, and ‘Melo who can lead the team in rebounding (which means more running fast breaks with the Kidd), hit the occasional 3, and catch some of those alley-oops from Kidd on the fast break. AND they got him at a reasonable price: After getting paid $17 mil a year last year, he’ll earn less than half that during his new contract -- about $7.7 mil per year. (Thank you again, DB.com.)The only caveat is that we’re going to have to learn to live with that AWFUL-looking release.
4. There are still PLENTY of Dirk lovers and haters out there.
There are two sides to the Dirk debate. First of all, he’s been one of the most consistently productive players in the league this decade. So much so that he makes a very convincing case to earn a spot on the All-Decade Team for the 2000s. This article does just that, and in fact, his formula concludes that he has indeed been the MOST productive player since 2000. More than Tim Duncan. More than Kobe Bryant. More than Kevin Garnett. Just look at this list.
Then there’s the other side, that says he disappears in the postseason, and that he’s among the most overrated players in the league. (Um, did you SEE last year’s Denver series? 30+ ppg doesn’t do it for you?) Yeah, he had his chances in the Finals. And yeah, he’s had an off year or two mixed in there. But, like all the greats, his production is significantly elevated during the postseason.
One thing I do know is, since we’re even HAVING this debate, he’s gotta be pretty daggum special. We’re all Nowitznesses to a hall-of-famer who, I believe, will still win his championship ring.
I just hope he’s wearing a Mavericks uniform when he does.
5. YouTube and my DVR have helped me get through this period of basketball fasting.
It helps to be able to see Josh Howard’s three-quarter-court shot against Phoenix last April whenever I want. In High Def, no less. But just as great is the ability to reminisce about their 2003 run:
Ah, those days of Nash, Van Exel, and RAEF LAFRENTZ make me teary-eyed. Thank God for YouTube.
6. The best new expression of the summer: “Getting kicked in the Gortats”.
Again, thanks to DB.com. Earlier this summer, Dallas committed $38 million to backup-center phenom Marcin Gortat from the Orlando Magic, who was a restricted free agent, meaning once the offer was made, the Magic had seven days to match the offer and keep him. While Dallas’s money was tied up on the Gortat offer they let undersized, energy PF Brandon Bass (a hoss) go to, you guessed it, Orlando. Only days later, Orlando pulled the tablecloth out from under Mark Cuban and, surprising everyone, matched the Gortat offer, thus keeping him AND Bass.
And that’s how the Mavs got kicked in the Gortats. Which I will now proceed to use in everyday vernacular (...thus leaving my partners in conversation thoroughly confused.) The silver lining: maybe Gortat isn’t all that great, and the Mavs avoided getting their money all tied up for years and years, like the Shawn Bradley and Erick Dampier situations. Time will tell.
But, in the meantime, Dallas ATTEMPTED to shore up the center position by adding big-man whacko Drew Gooden who, despite being semi-productive, has bounced around to seven teams in eight years. They also added 3-point marksman/knucklehead Tim Thomas. To do: re-sign either energy 7-footer Ryan Hollins or potential Brandon Bass replacement and headband extraordinaire James Singleton.
No doubt the Mavs have beefed up their roster a little, but will it be enough...?
7. Holy crap, you’re still reading this? Well, since you made it this far...
Talk about long-winded. I’ll spare you further analysis and just say: Dallas will not win the Western Conference championship this year. But it won’t be a disappointment, either. I predict 56 wins, the second seed in the playoffs (behind only LA), and a loss to LA in an epic 7 game series in the Western Conference Finals. But 2010 will be a different, much more successful story. Start planning that parade route.
And dammit, they better keep my man J. J. Barea.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
JoshCast #10 - Jackie, Dressed in Cobras
And now for something...completely different.
I saw her appearance on the first week of Conan's Tonight Show. And ever since then, she's been steadily climbing on my (and others') list of new awesome indie musicians. She recently made the cover of Paste Magazine. I find myself cycling through her playlist on MySpace at work almost on a daily basis, hypnotized by her Patsy Cline-like voice. Her name is Neko Case, whose vocals you may recognize from indie group The New Pornographers. Also, she recently appeared on NPR's Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me.
I just now started hunting around for some of her work with The New Pornographers, and found "Jackie, Dressed in Cobras":
I, for one, would be excited to see these guys at Dallas's Granada sometime. Or Austin City Limits fest. (Hint, hint.)
I saw her appearance on the first week of Conan's Tonight Show. And ever since then, she's been steadily climbing on my (and others') list of new awesome indie musicians. She recently made the cover of Paste Magazine. I find myself cycling through her playlist on MySpace at work almost on a daily basis, hypnotized by her Patsy Cline-like voice. Her name is Neko Case, whose vocals you may recognize from indie group The New Pornographers. Also, she recently appeared on NPR's Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me.
I just now started hunting around for some of her work with The New Pornographers, and found "Jackie, Dressed in Cobras":
I, for one, would be excited to see these guys at Dallas's Granada sometime. Or Austin City Limits fest. (Hint, hint.)
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