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Supplemental Draft Challenge
I want to challenge you guys to have a supplemental draft. Lets hypothetically say we have two new expansion teams entering the league this year and you are the GM of one of those teams. Choose your team conference/division and name if you like (that should be fun). And build your team using this year's draft and a supplemental draft. Lets see who can come up with the best teams. You have some FA's that are not currently signed so dont forget about them either. If you want to get into salary, amnesty and all of that you can. This can be a project, so take your time. I know I will.
We get the first overall pick and the 31st, 10 players under contract at the bottom of depth charts from other teams and 9 unwanted restricted free agents (Bobcats)? It sounds fun I'm just trying to understand what our options are here.
Or can you just draft any rookies you want? or what
Sounds fun, just very difficult to organize
A pool of players to choose from, from each team, their salaries, a list of RFA's and you'd have to assume who isn't going to be drafted, (we could base that on NBAdraft.net's mock)
thats what I got you guys for, like I said, its a project. we can pull up the old expansion rules like when the T-Wolves came into the league. We can create a pool of players as well. good ideas so far dlipto11. we can used this thread to create the rules and the player pools, then we can do the draft on another thread.
So the Bobcats selected 19 players from other teams who were unprotected. So I say we start there and choose a list of players that would be consensus to be left unprotected. My question is, I know we would likely leave a guy like Rashard Lewis unprotected, but would it be logical to think that an expansion team would take on his salary, even for a short period of time? The best candidates to go unprotected would be the ones who get the least amount of playing time and have the lowest salaries....against the most potential. Like Gerald Wallace was picked by the Bobcats and became and All Star with them, and led them to the playoffs. Not bad for an expansion guy. The more and more I think about this, I wish we could do this and have our teams be fantasy, lol.
I say an expansion team should get #1 and #31. Definitely. Now, who you choose for #1 is all up to you.
I move to vote to use NBA 2K12 final list of unsigned FA's for our unsigned pool.
Ok, I tried to place a ton a restrictions that an actual new NBA team would face. The cap is 60 mil and a team has to spend 80% of that so I need ATLEAST 46 million in contracts on this team. For example a new team wouldn't get the first pick. They would be put in the lottery and I'm not going to take the easy way out an take the 1st overall (the Grizz got stuck at 6th overall their first year). I also went after unrestricted FA and paid ALL of them more than what they are paid this year and I feel like I was fair in their contracts. Then I added some undrafted and NBDL guys to the mix.
So now I'm going to introduce you to a 2nd Chicago team called Chicago Breakdown (catchy right? right?). I would love for Chicago to get a 2nd team like LA. They are a major market and could support it finacially.
PG: Raymond Felton- 10.5 mil- It's a pg league right now and he's a proven starter that can hold down the spot while I build through the draft in comming years.
SG: Shannon Brown- 7 mil- He's a Chicago guy so he brings in support and fans right away. In LA everyone said he just needed more PT, well the Phoniex experiment didn't work out to well for him. Time to come home.
SF:Gerald Green- 3 mil- Just saying now, SF will be a weakspot for this team. Green is incredibly talented but inconsistant. But for a new team it's a good time to take a chance on players like this.
PF- Lavoye Allen- 5 mil- Solid banger and post defender for a new franchise that won't be a deep team for years to come. You need defensive buisness-like players that are going to bring it every night because you are taking chances w/ inconsistant talented players in other parts of the team (see Green and alot of my bench).
C- Spencer Hawes- 10 mil- Sorry Philly, I think Hawes is a great post player and I needed a scoring big. He has post moves and a jumpshot AND is relativly young. I'd pay him 10 mil and hope other teams can't/won't match it.
Bench Depth:
6- Brad Beal- 4.5 mil- Shooting Guard of the future for this franchice and first overall pick at #6 in the 2012 draft.
7- Bill Walker- 3 mil- He can spread the floor w/ his shooting and plays tough D. Need him to come into the game when Green mentally checks out.
8- Armon Johnson- 3 mil- Noone is going to pay him 3 mil, but I want a young prospect at the PG position since it is so important. I think he can be like Aaron Brooks with more playing time. A good back up PG for a new team.
9. Daniel Orton- 2 mil- Big Men take forever to develop and it could be another 2-3 years before Orton reaches his peak performance since he came out so early from Kentucky. I'll take a chance on developing him and hope he turnes into a rotaion big in the NBA.
10. Derek Character- 1 mil- again taking a chance that he can develop as an NBA player.
11. Kris Joseph- 0.5 mil- My 2nd rounder at pick #37 in the 2012 NBA draft. 4 year player in college, not much upside but should be able to come into the league and belong right away.
12. Justin Denton- NBDL MVP, why not give him a shot? Plus he is from Illinois (far from Chicago, but still in Illinois)
Summer League/ Trainging Camp Invites: Robbie Hummel, Josh Heytvelt, Omar Samhand, Rabdolph Morris and Otheyus Jeffers (another Chicago guy)
Added Info: The jerseys would say "Windy City" for home games and "Breakdown" for away games. Team color is Black and Royal Blue w/ Grey (not white)
great. Especially the 2nd team in Chicago. that is very interesting. Gerald Green is the perfect expansion player, its almost certain that he would be unprotected by the Nets. Great breakdown. (pardon the pun)
Since the lottery is around the corner, I say we use the position of the 2 worst teams for our two teams. So wherever the Cats and the Wiz fall, we will use that. The Cats would be in the East and the Wiz would be in the West. Unless you guys just want to do 1 team.
with MY number 1 pick. He was #6 OVERALL using NBAdraft.net's mock. I said that since the Grizz got screwed with the 6th overall pick their first year that I would do the same w/ my team to make it more realistic. Instead of just taking AD.
Plus I ws only going w/ UFA because I didn't want to be in a "hypothetical bidding war" for RFA. I like Felton because he can be solid for me for 2-3 years while I look for a new and younger star PG.
this is where we gotta do the rules, do we make it simple and say the consensus top 8 players get protected? or the most likely to get unprotected due to productivity against salary?
if you guys make rules on which players we could take off other teams... A. That would be awesome of you guys putting in the time and B. Would change my team alot obviously.
yes, I think I will start working on a list of unprotected players and it can go through final revision and approval. I dont think I will make it too tough, it will more or less be the top 8 players unless one of those players has an albatross of a contract that expected to be dumped or amnestied.
I think you should assume that as a new franchise you wont be able to get any UFA's because you're team is undesirable. So your make up should just be
Players under contract or RFA's not in the top 8 of a team
Any 1 rookie
Any 1 rookie projected to go higher then 28th on NBADraft.net's mock
Any rookie that you predict will go undrafted (56th or higher on nbadraft.net's mock)
And any player who didn't finish this years season on a roster
Does that sound fair?
^No, there is a special salary cap rule for expansion teams. I can't find it, but it's somthing like the first year they can only use 50% of the cap, 75% the next, and 100% after that.
If my team gets the 2nd pick and the 31st pick I am going to go with Andre Drummond and Draymond Green. That covers the inside. Or, try to trade the 2nd pick for the Blazers two picks plus another player or two, or for another good trade.
If my team picks third then I will go with MKG. Use him as the defensive/rebounding/energy wing who can put some points on the board and then try to get a scoring/shooting wing next to him. If I am going for wing players then I would look at taking Will Barton at 31. I like the potential of a MKG/Will Barton combo on the wing.
I like the 3rd spot ok, so now my team has MKG as the energy guy at the 3 spot. Then I get Will Barton, a real UPSIDE guy at 31. Either guy can play the 2 or 3 with WB also being a solid ball handler and passer. I will use those as two of my CORE guys.
For the expansion draft I want a good mix of talent to build around my MKG and Will Barton core. I need some veterans to tutor the young guys but I don't want a bunch of big contracts.
I think teams can hold 8 or nine guys leaving the rest of the roster up for the expansion draft.
The Bulls are the first team that comes to my mind. They will keep Rose, Taj Gibson, CJ Watson, Korver, Asik, and either Ronnie Brewer or John Lucas III. I think they will also protect Carlos Boozer even if I think they should leave him unprotected. So that is 8 guys. The 9th guy would be Jimmy Butler. If they can only protect 8 then I think Jimmy Butler gets cut and I pick him up.
The Thunder are a nice mix. They will obviously protect Durant, Westbrook, Harden, and Ibaka. Even though he makes a lot of money I think that they would also protect Kendrick Perkins. The other 3 they will lock up are Collison, Thabo, and Eric Maynor. I then pick up Cook to be my designated 3 point threat. I would then draft Cole Aldrich. I think he will be a good servicable big man for the future.
Celtics protect: KG, Ray Allen, Pierce, Rondo, Avery Bradley, Stiemsma, Brandon Bass, and probably one of last year's rookies. I then draft Ryan Hollins as a shot blocking big. I like his combination of length and hops. Not a great center but I think he is solid.
The Heat protect: LeBron, D Wade, Bosh, Chalmers, Battier, Joel Anthony, Udonis Haslem, and Norris Cole. They leave Dexter Pittman unprotected and he is big, young, cheap, and worth a shot. I like Pittman here. They will probably leave Mike Miller unprotected too. That is tempting, not sure how he will hold up. But, if he is healthy he can score, shoot, and pass some. If it comes down to the last pick and all I really have to chose from are overpaid veterans I will definitely think about Mike Miller.
The Spurs protect: Duncan, Parker, Ginobili, Kawhi Leonard, Gary Neal, Blair, Danny Green, and Matt Bonner. I will then draft Tiago Splitter as a defensive big man. His long arms can really bother people and he can play the 4 and the 5. I also want Boris Diaw as a versatile big man who can score, board, and pass. He can also play at power forward or center.
The Grizzlies are a young team who can only protect 8 guys: I think that they would protect Gay, Conley, Gasol, Z Bo, Tony Allen, Quincy Pondexter, Mo Speights, and Dante Cunningham. I am then picking up Hamed Haddadi as a big man with a soft touch and shot blocking skills and I will also take a flyer on Josh Selby.
The Pacers are young and deep but could only protect 8 guys. They should protect Granger, Hibbert, Paul George, Hill, Psycho T, David West, Louis Amundson, and Darren Collison. ... I am drafting Lance Stephenson hoping he pans out.
Lakers protect: Kobe, Bynum, Pau, Sessions, maybe Metta, Jordan Hill, Sessions, and Goudelock. I am drafting Steve Blake and Devin Ebanks from the Lakers.
Here is my team:
SG: Will Barton
PG: Steve Blake
SF: Devin Ebanks
SF: Lance Stephenson
C: Hamed Haddadi
PG: Josh Selby
C/PF Tiago Splitter
PF/C Boris Diaw
C: Dexter Pittman
SG/SF: Daquean Cook
PF/C: Cole Aldrich
SF: Jimmy Butler
C: Ryan Hollins
PG: Steve Blake
SG: Will Barton
SF: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
PF: Boris Diaw
C: Tiago Splitter
PG: Patty Mills
SG: Daequan Cook
SF: Devin Ebanks
PF: Cole Aldrich
C: Ryan Hollins
Reserves: Josh Selby, Jimmy Butler, Lance Stephenson, Hamed Haddidi, Dexter Pittman
I now have a total of 14 players for my expansion team. I would like to add 1 more either through the expansion draft or free agent signings during the regular season. I am building a team of tough, hard nosed players with some scoring mixed in (MKG, Will Barton, Cook, Steve Blake, Boris Diaw, and Josh Selby). Plenty of bigs who can add rebounding, defense, toughness, and shot blocking. If I could get one more expansion pick I would go with a combo guard off the bench who can handle the ball, shoot threes, and score. I think that I would add Patty Mills as a young, promising scoring guard off the bench. My team has a limited amount of scorers so I think the addition of Patty Mills would help.
I want to build a nice cohesive team around versatile, high motor players. That is why I went after MKG in the draft and picked a bunch of tough big men in the draft. I also picked 3 Spurs players in Diaw, Splitter, and Patty Mills. I have a bunch of big men, and I wouldn't mind shopping Pittman and Haddidi for cash and picks during the regular season if the right deal comes along.
I also built my team so that I could add either a talented big man or a good young point guard in the 2013 draft. With Cody Zeller, McAdoo, and Nerlens Noel likely to be high draft picks I think either of those 3 would fit in well with my team. I don't like my point guard situation a whole lot but Steve Blake is a nice veteran who can score and pass, and Patty Mills and Josh Selby both have potential. What I would probably do at point guard is start Blake and play him about 30 minutes a night with Patty Mills getting 18 minutes a night. I would start the year with Josh Selby in the D League and see what I have with him when he comes back. Either as the third point guard or as part of a small reserve unit with Patty Mills, Cook, Ebanks/Stephenson, and Aldrich/Hollins inside.
so we must select 1 player from at least 14 teams, then we can get our rookies, then we can do our cuts....the Bobcats selected 19 players in 04. Aamir, it said Charlotte could use 66% of their cap the 1st year and 75% the next.
Team : Columbus Ice. Colors would be white, blue, black. Blue Ice for home games, Black Ice for away games.
Coach : Stan Van Gundy
PG: Jerryd Bayless. 6mil. We all know what he can do when he gets real PT. With the chance to be a sure starter here I see him being a cornerstone player to th new franchise.
SG: JR Smith. 8mil. He's a proven scorer and I dont think he'd turn down the money for guaranteed minutes and a prime scoring option.
SF: Harrison Barnes 4.5. Assumming Im granted a lottery choice, Id take him around 5 if he fell here.
PF: Kris Humpries 11.5mil. A rebounding stud, Knows his role, doesnt try going outside of what is expected of him and what hes good at doing.
C: Ian Mahinmi 4mil. Rebound, block shots, put backs. Not much expected as he'll split time with backups.
6: Nicolas Batum 9Mil. All around great player, will most likely start. Key player to the success of this new franchise.
7: Anthony Randolph 4Mil. Hoping no one else throws and real dollars at him after they saw what he could do once Love went down. Could get real PT off the bench and eventually start
8: Will Barton .5Mil. Getting him in the 2nd Rd of the draft, used as a scoring option off the bench.
9: Reggie Evans 2Mil. Need some bangers down low and he's proven in t he past he can get it done, dirty or not.
10: Ryan Hollins 2.5Mil. Overpaying for size. 7ft, can fill in as a backup or even start when needed.
11: Carlos Delfino 4.5Mil. Can hit 3's, dish it out, rebound, play a little D.
12: Reggie Hamilton .5mil. Im assumming he'll go undrafted and be a great backup pg and scoring option off the bench.
Just realized there were more "rules posted as I was compiling my squad. Oh well, it took me a while to do it and Ill post it anyway.
Thanks man. Columbus was in the news about a month ago making a proposal about getting an NBA team here. While Im sure itll never happen, with tha talks of contraction and all, Columbus would fully support it and the name Ice actually makes sense for the city.
I like that Columbus Ice name. That would be a neat team in an area that likes basketball. I could see them and the Indiana Pacers having a great rivalry. ... the Bulls too.
I have actually been thinking that the NBA should add two new franchises. One in Seattle and another one in San Jose. I think both cities want teams and new money coming into the league would be great. Then you could put Seattle in the Northwest division. They could have a great divisional rivalry with the Portland Trailblazers. The Seattle team would also play against the Thunder a few times a year in the West and would be another good rivalry.
Then you put San Jose in the Pacific division with the other California teams. San Jose could form a good rivalry with the Warriors and the Kings. I want to keep the Kings in Sacto. I think they have a lot of fan support and they have had some great history too. They also have a nice young team with DeMarcus Cousins. I think the Warriors are trying to move to San Francisco and that should help their team.
If you put San Jose in the Pacific division I think we can shift two franchises to the Eastern Conference.
I really hate the Memphis Grizzlies being out West so we can then move the Grizzlies to the Eastern Conference. I would put us in the Southeast division along with Hawks, Bobcats, Heat, and Magic. I would also take New Orleans from the West and put them in the East. I would also put them in the Southeast division. To make some room for Memphis and New Orleans I would remove the Wizards from this division and put them in the Atlantic division. The Wizards being in the Atlantic would make sense. They could then play the Nets, Knicks, Celtics, and Sixers.
Out West, it looks like the Grizzlies and Hornets leaving the Southwest division only leaves 3 teams in that division. I would then take the Phoenix Suns out of the Pacific division and put them into the Southwest division with the Spurs, Mavs, and Rockets.
If there is demand in San Jose and Seattle for new teams then I think there should be an expansion. I think that that would give the league a lot of money and it would also give you two teams with definite sell-outs the first few years. Some other teams like the Bobcats are struggling but that is because they are the worst team in the league. If they had two more teams to get easy wins to go against and if they got some more top picks to go along with a good coach I would feel a lot better about that team's future. I think there is enough talent for 32 teams. I think the league wants more parity and having two more teams would help. It would also help basketball in the Pacific Northwest as well as Northern California. If San Jose gets a team then I think the Warriors stay in the Bay area and the Kings stay in Sacramento.
Then every region of the country and every major market would have a team. I can see Columbus, Ohio having an argument so if the Bobcats continued to struggle then I could see them moving to Columbus at some point in the future. I think that Las Vegas is out as a potential NBA city. I have heard Kansas City and Louisville as potential NBA towns but I think Seattle makes a stronger case, and San Jose is home to Silicon Valley and should have a bunch of money behind it, especially if Larry Ellison buys the expansion franchise.
Alright this took way too long and is way too hard if you do it right. Excluding everyone who's contract is done this year besides RFA's and everyone in the top 8 of their team.
John Callipari (I know someone's gonna like this)
C - Omer Asik
PF - Anthony Davis
SF - Ronnie Brewer
SG - Anthony Morrow
PG - Luke Ridnour
- Darius Miller (SF/SG)
- Robin Lopez (C/PF)
- Eric Maynor (PG)
-- Nick Collison (PF)
-- Jordan Hamilton (SG)
- Lance Stephenson
- Josh Selby
- Hassan Whiteside
We got the whole team based on Anthony Davis basically. A veteran pg to get him the ball. Wings that can shoot and defend. A shot-blocking/energizing center. A bench complete with a strong 8 man rotation. Nick Collison to help AD along and challenge him in practice. And finally your band of misfits for reserves that could end up being really good some day.
The Goal (5-6 years down the line)
C - Omer Asik
PF - Anthony Davis
SF - Darius Miller
SG - Lance Stephenson
PG - Josh Selby
This took a while, only using players that are restricted free agents this coming up year and without a doubt not on the top 8 of a team and rookie free agents and any 1 first round player and any 1 second round player according to the current Mock Draft on NBADRAFT.NET and D-League players... (left out Michael Beaseley because I just wasn't sure if I would consider top 8. If I get Beaseley, I swap him for Malcolm Thomas. I would try to sign Allen Iverson as soon as I could just to sell more tickets and let the dude play 1 more year.) This team is young and just set up to build in 5 years or so.Props to anyone who completes this!
COACH: Avery Johnson
15 man roster:
- Patty Mills Spurs 1
- Tu Holloway Xavier 1
- Marcus Denmon Mizzou 1/2
- Rudy Fernandez Nuggets 2
- Larry Anderson Long Beach State 2
- *Evan Fournier France 2
- Bradford Burguess VCU 2/3
- Julian Wright DLeague 3
- Jae Crowder Marquette 3
- Malcolm Thomas DLeague 3/4
- Darrell Arthur Grizzlies 4
- Anthony Davis Kentucky 4/5
- Lavoy Allen 76ers 4/5
- Yancey Gates Cincinnati 4/5 (notice Holloway on this list!lol! don't beat him up! j/k)
- Robin Lopez Suns 5
I wanted to go with a team in Baltimore but decided to do Virginia Beach/Norfolk (former home of the Virginia Squires) Virginia Beach/Norfolk has a huge TV market and can easily support an NBA team. The Norfolk Scope is a pretty old arena though and I think we would be looking to get a new one that seats more than the 12, 000 current capacity of the Scope.
My supplemental picks
Omer Asik - Chicago Bulls
Alonzo Gee - Cleveland Cavaliers
Rudy Fernandez - Denver Nuggets
Chris Wright - GSW
Anthony Randolph - Minnesota Timberwolves
Lavoy Allen - Philadelphia 76ers
Terrence Williams - Sacramento Kings (could go with Donte Green here if Williams is considered in the top 8)
Patty Mills - San Antonio Spurs
Jerryd Bayless - Toronto Rapters
Ivan Johnson - Atlanta Hawks
Greg Stiemsma - Boston Celtics
Devin Ebanks - Los Angeles Lakers
Robin Lopez - Phoenix Suns
Jeremy Evans - Utah Jazz
I will wait til the lottery and use Charlotte's 1st round position. For the 1st pick in the 2nd round....I am going to take Will Buford. In the 1st round if Davis or Drummond not available, I am targeting Thomas Robinson (close to hometown), and Harrison Barnes.
Depth Chart
PG - Patty Mills (Jerryd Bayless) [T-Will can backup some too]
SG - Terrence Williams (Rudy Fernandez, Alonzo Gee)
SF - Devin Ebanks (Jeremy Evans, Chris Wright)
PF - Anthony Randolph (Lavoy Allen, Ivan Johnson)
C - Omer Asik (Robin Lopez, Greg Stiemsma)
I would also have to offer A.I. a 1 year deal for marketability purposes. He is still the big name and I think he could probably put up double figure points for the season.
Undrafted rooks that would get invites (undrafted by current NBADRAFT.NET Mock):
Dominic Cheek, Marcus Denmon, Hollis Thompson, Tu Holloway, Bernard James, Robbie Hummel, Wesley Witherspoon, Yancy Gates (lol, Funkybunch)
I didnt put any D-Leaguers or unsigned FA's on this one, except Iverson.
dlipto, I think Selby is under contract for 3 years. Still he could go unprotected. Also, in a supplemental draft there will be some players who may be in the top 8 as far as rotation that may be left unprotected due to potential signings and salary purposes. Landry Fields, Michael Beasley, and J.J. Hickson came to mind.
you are right about Selby. and Collison , Ridnour, Maynor, Brewer are not RFA either. probably glanced at the following 2013 FAs. but still props to dlipto for actually completing this. i know it took some time...
Here's a link to all the free agents:
I also left off Bayless and Randolph because i considered them top 8 products on their teams btw.
yes, big ups and pluses to everyone who participated in this rough draft. I would like to do another revised edition of it.
now, we can start some debates off this as well.
Funkybunch, you consider Bayless and Randolph top 8.
I listed Randolph somewhere in the top 8, but Beasley as well. If there were an expansion draft, I think its a good chance one of these guys gets left unprotected. Hell, Beasley has already been "given" away before. I understand your point and it makes it interesting if this were a live scenario.
You are right on Bayless, but he is an attractive guy if the Raptors were willing to leave unprotected...I'd snatch him in a heartbeat....but he likely fits into their top 8 and they probably wouldnt just let him go.
since Sloan is interested in the Bobcats job, dont see why he wouldnt be interested in the Virginia job. realistically, the coach I would likely want would be Nellie. realistically the best coach I would likely be able to get would be Westphal.
I like your coaching ideas... sounds like you prefer a fast paced style with them. and all fundamental. you got a point about Randolph/Beaseley too. if we could take any RFA Batum, Eric Gordon, and Hibbert would be huge. I took Avery Johnson just for a good coach to start out with for the first 5 years. I'd really want coach K or Popovich but that wouldn't happen. Oh yeah I think Las Vegas needs a team too- probably call them the BUNCH. lol. sports gambling should be legalized anyways. only problem i guess would be a lot of athletes could potentially get in a lot of trouble in Vegas. get high character players and the road team visiting Vegas may get potentially into a lot of problems.
the Virginia Vanguard select Andre Drummond.
if we had the 2nd pick thats what I would do. If we were assigned the 4th pick like Charlotte was when they first came in, I would take whoever is available between Drummond, Barnes, and Robinson, in that order.
I'll say I have the 3rd pick and 33rd I guess.
The team will be the Las Vegas Blackjacks.
Overpay John Calipari to be the coach
Supplemental Picks
Terrence Williams
Martell Webster
Omer Asik
LaVoy Allen
Robin Lopez
Rudy Fernandez
Jerryd Bayless
Mickael Pietrus
Beno Udrih
Dan Gadzuric
#3 Brad Beal
#33 Kevin Jones
Undrafted FA Scott Machado (has to be lower then 56 right?)
Depth Chart
PG Jerryd Bayless Beno Udrih Scott Machado
SG Brad Beal Rudy Fernandez Martell Webster
SF Terrence Williams Mickael Pietrus
PF LaVoy Allen Kevin Jones
C Robin Lopez Omer Asik Dan Gadzuric
The first thing I did constructing this team was go for defensive bigs. Lopez is a good defender who can play both the 4/5 and Asik/Gadzuric are nice defenders off the bench. Allen starts at the four, with Jones being the stretch four for spacing. Williams and Pietrus are both excellent defenders who I'd use to guard the elite wings in the league. All of my two's are at least solid shooters to help spread the floor and Beal is my prized possesion. Bayless should offer some scoring, with veteran leadership from Udrih and a real nice prospect in Machado.
I think after a year of ~20 wins I can get a top tier wing prospect (or overpay for a lower level star in FA) or a better scoring PF and then this team would at least be passable.


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Wow I am going back in time to get this stuff out!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Ukrainian, psanky eggs
8 comments:
- BeachMama said...
I love these eggs! I have never had the courage to even try it, but you make it look so easy.
Looking forward to the Lake House update, I love seeing how things transform.
- April 24, 2010 at 6:04 AM
- Brooke said...
It's batiking for eggs! I did batik in high school and was never very good at it since I'm not an artist, but I always thought it was fun and relaxing. Your eggs look beautiful. Your kids are more artistic than I am.
- April 24, 2010 at 10:40 AM
- Kami's Khlopchyk said...
Girl, you put this Ukrainian girl to shame! I made on in elementary school and my mom still has it, it's cute for a 11 year old non-artsy person :)
Next year, can I come?!!!
- April 24, 2010 at 1:07 PM
- nicole said...
beautiful. you are so brave to take on such a craft with little ones...good for you.
- April 24, 2010 at 9:41 PM
- Hannah said...
My goodness, Anna, those eggs are BEAUTIFUL!! Absolutely stunning!
- April 25, 2010 at 1:20 AM
- Stacie's Madness said...
holy eggs batman, THOSE are beautiful!
- April 27, 2010 at 8:32 AM
- MJ said...
Brave, brave Anna! I am just letting K & N start using acrylics when painting and I hold my breath the whole time! You are super-brave!
- April 27, 2010 at 10:26 PM
- homemom1001 said...
Those are beautiful - you are so super cool!!!
I have always wanted to do Ukranian Easter Eggs - some year!
And I can just imagine the hovery-ness...LOL!!! That would be me too! Awesome!
- April 28, 2010 at 12:55 PM

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Avengers movies did a good job of establishing this new line of animated Marvel features, but I gotta say, this one really didn't do anything for me at all. It came out about a year before Jon Favreau's version hit theaters, and just comes off as totally unnecessary and unlikable in comparison. For one thing, it's another take on the Iron Man origin. With his cartoon version already established enough in the Avengers movies and a big budget origin coming out a year later, was this anywhere close to necessary? You can understand why so many big budget, live action films based on comics dedicate time to explaining a hero's beginnings. You're introducing them to a new audience, and you'd like them to understand where they're coming from. But right now we're talking about a straight to video, animated movie. This is pretty much just for guys like me, and probably some kids, who already know what's up. Get to the good part.
Unfortunately, there really isn't a good part to get to. Unlike the live action series, they actually go into Mandarin's story instead of just teasing it with a few rings, but it's not nearly enough to save an uninteresting and dramatically dull film. There's very little to recommend about it. Tony Stark is simply not the Tony Stark we know and love. I've been spoiled by Robert Downey Jr.'s comic genius, and even the blowhard from the comics is written more interestingly than this. His voice actor is pretty awful, coming off as smug with every single thing he says, and all he really does is whine about stuff and spout a few extremely bland one liners. The action is pretty poor, slow and unexciting, and too heavily computer animated. A merging of the two forms can be effective, but done wrong and it's just as obvious and abrupt as computer effects mixed with live action.
There are several deviations from the standard Iron Man story that I didn't much care for. Howard Stark is alive for some reason, and isn't really given anything to do other than come off as a slightly bigger jerk than Tony. Way too much time is spent with Tony on the run, a plot which doesn't add much besides a bit of tedium whenever he has to return to the Stark Tower for some information or equipment. And it's revealed after his initial escape from the bad guys with the Iron Man prototype that it wasn't actually a prototype at all - he shows Rhodie his secret room filled with different suits equipped for different purposes. Uh, what? The closes we get to the classic suit is the one he brings to the volcano, which I think is just supposed to be able to withstand the heat. The rest of the time he's just stomping around in overly large, clunky suits that simply aren't exciting to watch take on some elemental monster guys.
And I mean... all this could have been saved if there was something good to the core story. And it definitely tries, really it does. There's a girl and some family tragedy and destiny and all that. But it's just not handled right. It comes off really dumb. Like... unbelievably stupid. It doesn't make any sense. At all. Any attempt at drama and sadness is thwarted by how easily any of the heartbreak could have been avoided if these characters had brains. It's really disappointing. To this point though it only looks like a temporary stumble for these animated movies though, so it's not a huge deal.
9 years ago


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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37309174.post5786431336810921993..comments2018-06-23T05:53:30.958-07:00Comments on Crazy Days and Nights: Rachael Ray's Husband Enjoys Swingers Clubsent lawyerhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-37309174.post-56936135257015506972013-01-24T22:28:59.101-08:002013-01-24T22:28:59.101-08:00It's a garbage bowl, dammit. ;) I think it'...It's a garbage bowl, dammit. ;) I think it's very handy to have during prep, but I don't actually have hers, although all her other cookware has good reviews.

I have been watching her for a long time (remember $40 a Day? It was kinda BS to see her not tipping over 15%, but still fun watching her tour around). I have always thought they seemed SO awkward together. Watching them kiss is painful. Oh, the Halloween episodes. :-/ I agree (again, Mango ;)) about her interupting. That drives me NUTS esp when it's a guest chef and she's bossing them around. She's also a story repeater. How many effing times do we have to hear about her wearing lingerie on her Honeymoon & her sweetie made her change. Or more recently about why she never bakes. I still watch b/c I like her food/house tips. I actually really want her new cookbook, mainly b/c it has a whole section with The Swingers cocktails and it does seem like he can make a mean one.Lelaina Piercehttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-37309174.post-60593800613511858382013-01-24T19:44:43.695-08:002013-01-24T19:44:43.695-08:00You know she sells a trash bowl. For real. Look ...You know she sells a trash bowl. For real. Look on amazon. Who would buy a 20.00$ bowl to put egg shells in before heading to the trash? Some people are stupid and will buy anything!Dellahttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-37309174.post-51300488739327733242013-01-24T19:41:29.487-08:002013-01-24T19:41:29.487-08:00lollolDellahttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-37309174.post-8032255270409868322013-01-24T19:11:23.674-08:002013-01-24T19:11:23.674-08:00Donuts and bagels is all I'm thinking about. G...Donuts and bagels is all I'm thinking about. Gah!!Jennhttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-37309174.post-13209933199838298032013-01-24T16:24:24.405-08:002013-01-24T16:24:24.405-08:00He just seems like skeevy mcgeevy to me...He just seems like skeevy mcgeevy to me...1Jazzimomhttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-37309174.post-87148988738505412902013-01-24T15:23:05.897-08:002013-01-24T15:23:05.897-08:00I do NOT want to know what's in the potato sal...I do NOT want to know what's in the potato salad.Christopher Cruzhttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-37309174.post-64291701443201851882013-01-24T15:21:07.501-08:002013-01-24T15:21:07.501-08:00I'll bet he didn't. Gross.I'll bet he didn't. Gross.Christopher Cruzhttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-37309174.post-74075718531224700062013-01-24T14:10:15.920-08:002013-01-24T14:10:15.920-08:00hasn't this always been a known?hasn't this always been a known?OMAMA is BROKOhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-37309174.post-56510820330727654742013-01-24T13:50:50.092-08:002013-01-24T13:50:50.092-08:00Oh god! That's even more disgusting than my or...Oh god! That's even more disgusting than my original vision! NapAssasinhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-37309174.post-54903746657651332052013-01-24T12:45:34.958-08:002013-01-24T12:45:34.958-08:00The sex club has a buffet. A BUFFET, people. Buf...The sex club has a buffet. A BUFFET, people.

Buffets in general suck. A buffet at a sex club must be particularly vile. And although I know it's not true, I'm picturing naked line cooks. Yuuuuk!

 Mangohttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-37309174.post-7753415752100834522013-01-24T12:18:39.023-08:002013-01-24T12:18:39.023-08:00i remember her show when she use to travel with on...i remember her show when she use to travel with only spending a certain amount of money to eat and HATED when he would come with her. Look at this freeloading ass bitch..it was just something abt him!..hairy ass big toe looking guy

i hated her cooking shows because she always talks like a kindergarten teacher and we are some idiot ass kids..bitch we grown ass firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-37309174.post-18548155355841590932013-01-24T12:15:07.170-08:002013-01-24T12:15:07.170-08:00I think he goes there to have sex with someone who...I think he goes there to have sex with someone who doesn't look like his sister -- has anyone else noticed how much alike they look??

The thing that maddens me about her cooking show is that SHE NEVER STOPS TALKING. She doesn't allow a moment of silence while she stirs and chops, it's a constant yak, yak, yak. And on her daytime show (which I can't stand) she interrupts her guests and speaks for them. I think she's horrible.

@ Susan - I agree that her 30 minute claim is bull. I once made her "Chicken Satay Stir-Fry with Orange Scented Jasmine Rice" (which was freakin' DELICIOUS, btw!) and it took me well over an hour. If I make it again I will do all the prep the day before. I might check out book #2 now that you've recommended it, but I sure wish she had photos in her books.

Mangohttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-37309174.post-73085539937655915782013-01-24T12:14:56.635-08:002013-01-24T12:14:56.635-08:00he has ALWAYS SKEEVED ME OUT! like he was some ske...he has ALWAYS SKEEVED ME OUT!
like he was some skeevy pedophile or something
bad aura on that one

i wonder if rachel a firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-37309174.post-14912127584017382292013-01-24T11:41:01.337-08:002013-01-24T11:41:01.337-08:00@Kid- Does that mean he's hanging with Casper?...@Kid- Does that mean he's hanging with Casper?ethornehttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-37309174.post-12626387559822559792013-01-24T11:38:41.965-08:002013-01-24T11:38:41.965-08:00I'll forgive y'all for not knowing this on...I'll forgive y'all for not knowing this one VERY important point: that building also houses one of the few gay bathhouses left in NYC.....just sayin'.....KidJoneshttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-37309174.post-65741526460462443132013-01-24T10:52:25.810-08:002013-01-24T10:52:25.810-08:00So he's getting it at the swingers club... An...So he's getting it at the swingers club...

And she gets it from EVERY SINGLE BITE OF FOOD SHE'S EVER PUT INTO HER MOUTH!

WOMAN, QUIT HAVING "WHAT MEG RYAN'S HAVING" EVERY TIME YOU HAVE SOME OF WHAT YOU'RE COOKING! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOUR MOANS OF ECSTASY BECAUSE THAT CHEESEBURGER WAS PRETTY GOOD.

Eww.Zeeky_Boogy_Dooghttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-37309174.post-88420336838553477942013-01-24T10:32:25.938-08:002013-01-24T10:32:25.938-08:00I'm going to come at this one from a different...I'm going to come at this one from a different angle, I watch her daytime TV show from time to time. She's actually my barometer for tolerance... On days I can't stand her I now I need to limit my interaction with other humans. Anyhoo... My boyfriend and I have a theory that she's a very frisky bisexual and she hides it in plain sight. The comments she makes about women on her show go way beyond the typical glad handing you hear on talk shows, and lean towards leering at times. So our mildly educated guess is that her and the husband are into all sorts of sex adventures, but he's less discreet about being "caught."Emilyhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-37309174.post-52622032330279522482013-01-24T10:24:57.292-08:002013-01-24T10:24:57.292-08:00The old rumor from years ago is that he hired a le...The old rumor from years ago is that he hired a lesbian to spit on his toes. I think she was giving interviews about it not long after they got married. Something in the alfredo ain't clean.Cherylhttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-37309174.post-18633416588052578512013-01-24T09:59:12.745-08:002013-01-24T09:59:12.745-08:00Where is The Count to add his two cents? You know ...Where is The Count to add his two cents? You know he KNOWS!

;)dia papayahttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-37309174.post-37664161785536113122013-01-24T09:56:25.784-08:002013-01-24T09:56:25.784-08:00B! We have one in Portland. It was founded by Mr 1...B! We have one in Portland. It was founded by Mr 1975 himself... Ron Jeremy.

It's called Club Sesso. Supposedly very classy ;)dia papayahttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-37309174.post-26526142010653698272013-01-24T09:54:43.230-08:002013-01-24T09:54:43.230-08:00The sex club has a buffet. A BUFFET, people. LOL!The sex club has a buffet. A BUFFET, people. LOL!NapAssasinhttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-37309174.post-15769989353732818752013-01-24T09:45:34.859-08:002013-01-24T09:45:34.859-08:00My husband thinks she's totally hot but he has...My husband thinks she's totally hot but he has to mute the tv to enjoy her. I don't see the appeal at all.Milliehttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-37309174.post-75170278499836115642013-01-24T09:37:00.031-08:002013-01-24T09:37:00.031-08:00LMAO B. Profane. I always thought she got married...LMAO B. Profane.

I always thought she got married for the image factor of it all. So that her target audience could relate to her better and all that.

I have many of her cookbooks. The 30 Minute Meals 2 is awesome. I don't care what y'all say. And I do think she actually wrote that one. Once her star took off though and she was pumping out a book per year in addition to her bazillion shows, magazine, product lines, etc., I do think she has an amazing team working for her. I don't watch her talk show, but when I do catch it, I think she is one of the best daytime TV interviewers. She has a good rapport with people.

I find her recipes in her later years to be very hokey and they involve way too many ingredients. And as a person who knows her way around the kitchen, the whole "30 minute" claim is BULLSHIT.

The rumors about her marriage started as soon as the marriage, so who knows. That's one of the reasons I always felt like it was a sham. I feel like her people said to her, "You better get married because that's what you do in your 30s." She had a huge spread about it all in her magazine.Susanhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-37309174.post-36967491629627237582013-01-24T09:30:37.391-08:002013-01-24T09:30:37.391-08:00I still think all of those Giadia blinds are about...I still think all of those Giadia blinds are about RR...

JoEllahttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-37309174.post-13425376673843218992013-01-24T09:30:22.738-08:002013-01-24T09:30:22.738-08:00Huh I didn't even know she was married. One ...Huh I didn't even know she was married.

One of my brothers went through a Rachel Ray obsession a few years ago and as a consequence we have almost every Rachel Ray cookbook before 2007. Her smugness irritates me.

HOLD UP since when did The Enquirer become a reliable news source? All these stories have been from TE lately. Guess that answers the validity of the gossip question.JSierrahttps://firstname.lastname@example.com


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Skip to comments.God and the 'Economist'--Religion and Hubris
Posted on 11/27/2007 1:55:10 PM PST by Mr. Silverback
On the eve of the new millennium, the prestigious Economist magazine published what amounted to an obituary for belief in God.
Fast forward to November 2007: The cover story of a recent issue of the magazine is titled, In Gods Name. In it, the editors admit that they were wrong eight years ago and tell their readers that religion will play a big role in this centurys politics.
What happened to change their minds? For starters, they began looking through the correct end of the telescope.
In 1999, the magazine cited the many different conceptions of God as possible evidence that, instead of man being created in Gods image, it was the other way around. They mocked Gods supposed concern for the diet of the Jews and the fact that Hindus depicted him as a blue-faced flute-player with an interest in dairy-farming.
They opined that for one of infinite knowledge, he was strangely careless how he spread what bits of it to whom. To some he dictated the Bible; to Muhammad the Koran.
Thus if God seemed to be passing into history, at least in the West, perhaps this passing was largely his own fault. So concluded the Economist.
This bit of hubris was explicable, if hardly justifiable: It came at the end of a decade that had seen the collapse of the Soviet Union and a global economic boom. Democratic capitalism appeared to have triumphed so completely that there was talk of the End of History.
While a few writersfor example, Samuel Huntingtonwrote about the upcoming clash of civilizations between Islam and the West, the Economists writers were too busy writing about money to take notice.
Then came September 11. It was a painful reminder that secularized global elites, who live as if God does not exist, were a tiny minority. Outside of what the magazine itself called the rarefied world of thinkers, few people doubted Gods existence or His relevance to our lives. On the contrary, they believed that He has definite ideas about how we ought to live.
Today, the magazine agrees with Philip Jenkins that religion will probably be the prime animating and destructive force in human affairs in the twenty-first centuryreferring, as he does, to Islam. What people believe about God will guide their attitudes to political liberty and obligation, concepts of nationhood and, of course, conflicts and wars.
What they wrote in 1999 was as substantial as the dot.com-driven stock prices that fueled their hubris.
But because it took September 11 to make the magazine take notice, the special report skews toward religion as the source of conflict: both armed conflict and in the political arena. So, like Christopher Hitchens and his bestselling book, God Is Not Great, they grudgingly acknowledge that belief in God is alive and well. It is just if there is this God, He is the source of all evil. That is as wrongheaded as saying God was passing into history.
Tomorrow, I will tell you about what the magazine calls the new wars of religion and how you and I need to respond. I suppose it is good, at least, for the time being that the Economist admits its mistake: Man is, you see, inescapably a religious creature, and the failure to understand this is the worst kind of hubris and very dangerous.
There are links to further information at the source document.
If anyone wants on or off my Chuck Colson/BreakPoint Ping List, please notify me here or by freepmail.
BreakPoint/Chuck Colson Ping!
If anyone wants on or off my Chuck Colson/BreakPoint Ping List, please notify me here or by freepmail.
The most profound fruit that our Judeo-Christian roots have produced is our love for freedom and individual liberty. We are a nation governed by the rule of Law and as Americans, we are granted the inalienable right to govern ourselves. Self-government and a government of the people, by the people and for the people has been the basis of Western Civilization and we must do all we can to ensure its longevity.
The combined intelligence of all men on this Earth is about the level of an ant compared to His intellect.
Thinking a bit much of ourselves, are we?? /sarc
Nicely put.
"It is just if there is this God, He is the source of all evil."
Wow. They still have way too much hubris. People who don't believe just don't get it. The secular left will and does hate Christianity, but the idea of fighting for truth of any kind is even more repugnant to them. They are still fighting God. Not surprised.
A little (okay,well, a lot off the subject) but the above line reminded me of a short, sweet little "explanation" I heard many moons ago.
To wit:
The Almighty did indeed create man in His own image. Man can not see this in either himself or any one else. But animals, esp. the ones we keep as pets, can detect a trace of this in us. This is why your dog or cat or horse or bird will sometime look at you the way he does. B/c for that brief moment he sees that spark of the Creator in you.
I'll bet He's writing a rebuttal to the Economist right now.
"Ill bet Hes writing a rebuttal to the Economist right now."
If He can stop laughing. ;)
But seriously, let's hear what He has to say about this:
Matt 12: 35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
Maybe it's just me, but I find Jesus' words in verses 36-37 the most frightening in the Bible.
Yeah...and then some!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


text:
|Sweet Feet!
|A gift from my mom.
|A picture ornament.
|The Roth family Christmas tree!
The story of our daughter who was diagnosed with the fatal neural tube defect Anencephaly.
|Jacob and I at the union Christmas party.
Thank you for being a partner in our baby's birth. It is only in light of her condition that we have chosen to provide a birth plan. We know your are a competent, compassionate group of people. Please be patient with us and don't mind if we change our minds at any time. We don't know how to do this sad thing and are learning as we go. Thank you in advance for sharing in this experience with us and helping us to make as many memories as possible with our daughter while in your care.
Jacob and Courtney Roth


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Tuesday, March 8, 2011
ice cream
2 comments:
I would never lead you astray. Happy Berthillon! Do you know what flavor I ordered? The one and only chocolat noir! I would love to have one right now.ReplyDelete
i have been to that very ice cream shop on il san louis - i know i spelled that all wrong... my mom LOVES that little ilse sooo much! and i have the happiest memories walking around it with her... and having the most beautiful daintiest over priced ice cream there. :)ReplyDelete
i too do not care too much for ice cream! although i might like it a little more than you do... but thankfuly it's not a temptation for me. but i'm, so glad you experienced it anyway! - beacuse it's an experience and a memory you'll always have!
the flowers in and around paris in the next coming weeks are some of my favorite scenes in the world! you know the bridge in le vesinet the one you walk over on your way to san germain castle? please do me a favor and take a picture with the fat ladies with HUGE thighs... and the flowers on that bridge too... merci. those fat ladies always made me laugh... i love them! and there's a reeeaaly good patisserie right near the bridge too you could scout out :)
je taime!


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I was reminded recently why I am no longer a Pentecostal. Have nothing to do with those who place their trust in their own ability to keep God's law, do their own miracles, or invent their own personal revelations. Scripture alone is the final authority in all matters of faith, practice, and doctrine. When the Pharisees look to their own experiences, revelations, and enthusiasm they contradict the plain teaching of God's written Word, the only revelation that matters. All else is human opinion. (2 Corinthians 4:6).
I had a Pentecostal minister friend from years back ask me to support a mission trip to South America. I told him that I do not support Pentecostal ministries anymore because I regard the Arminian and Pentecostal traditions as false religions. He was very surprised to learn that. But I felt good that I had taken a stand that should have been taken years ago. I have lost many friends over my faith in the absolute sovereignty of God and of a grace of salvation that is absolutely free. But so be it.
I made the mistake of asking an elderly charismatic Baptist friend to do the memorial service for my nephew. He conveniently had an excuse. Thanks be to God! God has a way of correcting us in moments of weakness. In the end a preacher of sovereign grace officiated at the graveside memorial service for Neil Moreno Ray, Jr. Bubba will be greatly missed. But I have good reason to believe that I will see him again in heaven. Why? Because election is unconditional and God knows who belongs to Him. (Ephesians 1:4, 5, 11; 2 Timothy 2:19).


text:
Home > Hydraulic fracturing, Uncategorized > Things you would never want to drink …
Things you would never want to drink …
April 18, 2011 Leave a comment Go to comments
The heading of this post is from a spokesman for a gas industry lobbying group. He completes the quote by implying that the fluids won't make it into potable water supplies. Oh man. How many times will we be fed this one.
via House Democrats Say Hydraulic-Fracturing Fluids Contain Toxic Ingredients – WSJ.com.
The entire report from the House Energy Subcommittee Minority (Democrat) Office is here. Educate yourself. You won't read this in PA.
Categories: Hydraulic fracturing, Uncategorized frack fluid, Safe Drinking Water Act


text:
Anderson Family Blog
A web log of the Anderson Family, their interests
and anything else important going on in the world.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Happy Happy Birthday Birthday
Happy birthday, Lynda & Tom - I hope you each have a wonderful day on this 24th day of September. And Janelle, I hope your birthday was a very happy day as well. The Anderson family's last post was the day before your birthday, so I guess I'm the first to say it via the blog. And on the 27th - Paul, have a great birthday. I'm going by train to Illinois on Wednesday. I hope to see you all in October.
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Thursday, December 31, 2009
And Then We Got A Digital Camera
Posted by John and Kathe Burt at 7:01 PM No comments:
Monday, December 28, 2009
The Sweaters Go to a Family Reunion
Posted by John and Kathe Burt at 8:44 AM No comments:
Labels: Doing Things Together, John, Kathe, Picture, Sweater
Sunday, December 27, 2009
New Sweater Photos
The other day, a nice person 1) Complimented John on the sweater (Kathe wasn't wearing hers), 2) took digital photos of it and 3) e-mailed them to us. Thanks!
Posted by John and Kathe Burt at 11:06 AM No comments:
Labels: Picture
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
We Want a Sewing Group
Kathe and John would like to join a stitch & bitch group or the like where we could sit and socialize while we work on our respective sweaters. Does anyone have a group they'd like to suggest to us? Does anyone want to join us in forming one?
Posted by John and Kathe Burt at 10:51 PM No comments:
Labels: Doing Things Together
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text: That moment that I swiveled the wheel around that last time, pointing the tattered car back towards the long line of sweaty teenagers, victory flooded my limbs. I succeeded. The inspector would grant me my adulthood. I glanced briefly at his apathetic face, my palms tingling and twitchy, to ensure that my feelings were justified. I looked back at the envious faces of people in parked cars, impatience dripping off their tongues. A piece of hair, lodged in my left eye, finally wriggled free. The inspector wrote illegible jargon on a receipt and handed it to me: my temporary license.


text:
The Direct to Video Connoisseur
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Delta Force One: The Lost Patrol (2000)
I've had this in my Instant Queue for some time now, and after a couple Gary Daniels movies I had in my DVD queue weren't sent to me, I went with it because it had been a little time since I'd gotten some Daniels up here. We'll have to do them all eventually, so why not this one, right?
Delta Force One: The Lost Patrol is about a peacekeeping mission between two antagonistic fictitious Middle Eastern countries. When a patrol is ambushed and there are no survivors, Daniels is tasked to lead a recon team to find out what happened. Boy do they find out, as they walk into a big ol' quagmire involving John Rhys-Davies as an arms dealer looking to arm a rebel group with a nuke. Now the remainder of Daniels's crew needs to stop them at all costs.
Wow, this was a total painfest. It was one of those I look at the counter and find out I'm only 20 minutes in, and I'm like "Oh lord! That's it?" and then I look at the counter and there's only 15 minutes left and I'm like "Oh Lord, I still have to sit through 15 minutes of this?" I've had cardio sessions and hiked mountains less grueling than this. Where do I start? Either large pockets of no action, or some of the lamest, most blah action ever. Seriously, who comes up with a scene where Daniels's Jeep drives through a canyon where rebels fire RPGs all around them, but never hit them, from near point blank range? Daniels barely does any hand-to-hand, and it's only at the very end. There's no tension, a plot that's too plodding and dull to keep us interested in the lean times, and characters so cookie-cutter that we don't really care what happens to them. To give you an idea of how bad this is, there's a scene where one of them has a gut wound and looks close to death, and Daniels tells him "I am your commanding officer, and I didn't give you permission to die yet, do you understand?" Ouch.
I don't blame Daniels for these stinkers, because he has to take what work he can get, but it would be nice if the people who cast him could utilize him properly. It's hard to watch him sitting in a Jeep yelling at bad explosions, or delivering bad dialog, when I know how much ass he can kick. For any film makers out there, here's a tip: when you find out you've cast Gary Daniels, ditch the script and have a chat with your stuntmen and fight choreographer about your new movie with Gary Daniels as the star. I don't think that's too difficult.
This was produced by Yoram Globus of the famed (and DTVC Hall of Fame) tandem of Golan and Globus. I think with this project he was trying to dispel the myth that exists here in the US that Arabs are somehow genetically disposed to be brutal, murderous, women haters that would kill us all if they could only get the chance. The movie wanted to paint a more complex picture of people who are pretty much just like everyone else, but because of a small segment of the population that is more barbarous and brutal, and who garner much more of the headlines throughout the world, they are not only victimized, but left without a voice. I applaud them for that, but an action movie isn't the venue. Actors like Gary Daniels, Mike Norris, and Bentley Mitchum aren't the medium to broadcast the message. Great sentiment, but overall idea sautéed in wrong sauce.
If we go back about two years into the archives, there was a film I reviewed starring Robert Carradine called Firestorm. The only reason I reviewed it was because it came in a two-pack with a Jeff Speakman flick Scorpio One. Anyway, that film also starred Bentley Mitchum, who you see below. That Firestorm film was a total laugh riot, and Mitchum was a big part of that. He was nowhere near as funny here, which was too bad, because we could've used him. As an aside, I missed then but found out now that he's Robert Mitchum's grandson. (Our one Robert Mitchum film: Midnight Ride.)
Finally, I'm a big fan of Grand Theft Auto III and now Red Dead Redemption, and something in this film reminded me of a common bug in Rockstar Games' early projects. There'd be these times where I'd do something insane, and the people around me would just walk by as if nothing happened. In Delta Force One, Mitchum and a couple other characters get to this computer console, and one of them knocks out one of the rebels with the butt end of her rifle, while the rest of the rebels go about their business, wandering around near them, totally oblivious. It was very GTA III, though nowhere hear as cool.
All right, you can get this on DVD and Watch Instantly from Netflix, but do you want to? Absolutely not. What irks me the most is that this is so available while so many great DTV flicks are OOP or only on VHS. Is there any justice in the world?
For more info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0176650/
16 comments:
Actually there are TWO justices.ReplyDelete
Steele Justice and Instant Justice.
Both on Netflix Instant :D
I didn't tihnk this film was that bad actually, the climax was pretty well done and at the very least, it's nowhere NEAR as godawful as American Streetfighter or Full Impact.ReplyDelete
My man, Mr. Gable, I love the way you think!ReplyDelete
Aw man, what a shame this is balls. There's like 5 of them too. I was tempted to pick them all up on DVD but I think I'll let you take this one for the team. If the sequels are any better I'd sure like to read your thoughts on them.ReplyDelete
Can't agree with your review more DTVC! This was painful to watch.ReplyDelete
yeah, this was a snoozefest. not even the ever reliable Daniels could save this...ReplyDelete
Also (just the very minimum of non-mainstream justices here) Extreme Justice, Urban Justice and Street Corner Justice (featuring the legendary line "There is no justice, just us" and the main guy's name is Mike Justus!).ReplyDelete
Sutekh: This film is not a sequel nor a prequel, it's a one-time deal. No connections to Delta Force 1-3 (even though DF3 also has connections to Golan-Globus and stars Mike Norris). And no connections to Operation Delta Force 1-5 from NU Image you're probably thinking about. ODF films are primarily crap, but the first one is pretty good (Sam Firstenberg directs a killer cast with Jeff Fahey, Ernie Hudson, Joe Lara, Todd Jensen and Frank "Shadowchaser" Zagarino!) and the third one is watchable (has Bryan Genesse in it). The rest... Well, I tried to warn you.
Great review, as always. And yes, this was really bad. Now, venom IS right, but those two films (I have Full Impact as American Streetfighter 2) are from Cine Excel so nobody should confuse them with actual movies. In fact, can anybody come up with a good term for Cine Excel's...erm..."products"?
Yeah, this film has notihng whatsoever to do with the ODF series, so don't let it deter you form chekcing those films, i perosnally enjoyed all of those films, especially part 4. Other Daniels films worse then this one are Capital Punishment, Ring Of Fire and City Of Fear.ReplyDelete
Capital Punishment and Reptilicant are horrible, but they are Cine Excel stuff. FULLY agreed on City of Fear! Some people have even liked it but yes, it's total crap.ReplyDelete
Seen "Spoiler"? That one has Daniels and Bryan Genesse but NO martial arts, at all. It's an interesting movie for him, though. And it has a genuinely touching(!) ending which I'd love to say but don't want to...spoil "Spoiler"...
I didn't really care much for Spoiler, it was WAAAYYYYYY TOO depressing for me and it looked really cheaply made to boot.ReplyDelete
I probably should've mentioned in the blog about the connection-- or lack thereof-- with the other Delta Force flicks. My bad.ReplyDelete
"Snoozefest", "painful to watch", couldn't have said it better, and nice work TJ adding to the Justice conversation. I knew we could count on you.
There's also Terminal Justice, but didn't mention it 'cause you didn't like it. I, for some reason, enjoyed it quite a bit. Which is weird because usually we have a very similar taste in films. And then there's Blonde Justice, but that's a rather different genre and is for you Janine fans... You know who you are... ;-)ReplyDelete
venom: Spoiler IS depressing, but it shows a hardcore fan of Daniels a different side of the man. And really, I've never seen an ending like that in any film, ever. I think there was a cool concept there and could've made a good sci-fi drama with a bigger budget, a different lead and a REALLY different advertising campaign (tagline used here: "No prison can hold and no system can control this warrior. Roger Mason just BLEW OUT OF PRISON in this HARD-HITTING SCI-FI ACTION THRILLER" - I mean, really!). You've seen the film so you know what I'm talking about.
Yeah, that ending was certainly "different" and I do commend the filmmakers for tht. But for me, "different" dosen't always translate to "good" and in this case, it just didn't really work for me.ReplyDelete
Also some more justices- Backstreet Justice and Street Corner Justice.ReplyDelete
Lol, apparently rebels can't fire RPGs. That's the real message here.ReplyDelete
Yeah, or the message is "we don't think you care enough to notice how bad this action scene is!"ReplyDelete


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grids of corn, twilit escape, i couldnt keep my eyes open long enough to drive across the iowa/illinois border as planned. another nowhere night to a long day of driving the next day and not reaching our prefered destination. we arrived, instead in some border town nightmare of ohio and pennsylvania. continental breakfast (holding it in. hoooolding it in), fallish morning breeze through the open windows of the ryder, western pennsylvania greeted us with its lovely rolling hills and the beginnings of the stunning foliage turned all shades of red and yellow. descending upon pittsburgh with no plan or guidance, we found it charming and beautiful beyond expectation. eventually we found our way to the strip district just in time to catch all the businesses and street vendors as they were closing up shop. i needed pierogi and nobody was willing to sell me any (one such instance, me: "so, do you guys serve peirogis hot, or just frozen and by the dozen?" proprietor of the business: "serve! nono! no serve!") after looking about some more at the various ethnic eating establishments, my appetite for polish treats was not diminished. we came upon a church just getting let out of service, and i noticed a sign about a polish festival of food, right in the courtyard of said church. no entrance fee and pierogis, big ones, for a dollar?! i had six and some stuffed cabbage on the steps of said church, while melissa waited patiently for a culture not so insistent on meat and cheese. which we found and she enjoyed, to bursting just about. after missed friend opportunities in pittsburgh, we just decided to make our way to stroudsburg (where the company we sling posters for is located). arriving at the hotel we started all this at were a few other teams just driving up, looking as, if not more, haggard then we. the next morning we spent checking all our stuff (and truck!*) in and then an offer from friend anthony to drive us to philly (as opposed to riding there in the large bus, filled with said haggards and more) for hang outs and then to the airport, back to california. our plans of philly hanging out were dashed soon when the list of errands increased and our time before flight dwindled. happy, though, to be in the company of just finished poster tourers, we shared in stories and insights before the time became too little to stay in stroudsburg any longer. the drive to philly was uneventful, save for the final hour or so (if youve read melissa's post on facebook, you already know this. skip ahead!)the car got real jerky, the accelerator wouldnt accelerate for periods of time, but our friend tells us that the friend that let him borrow this car informed him of this happening. so, we reach a hill, the other side of which is the airport. we coast to 40 mph, then 30 then 20. finally it wont accelerate any longer. we stopped up traffic on this bridge hill for quite some distance, which gave us a sense of power. various gestures and words from the motorists passing us were quite entertaining, although not useful. finally, a man offered to push us up and over the hill and we accepted his offer. pushing us in a car that has power steering/braking when running (quite the opposite when not) at about seventy through turns and twists was, like our driver anthony said (and melissa on th' book post), quite akin to riding a roller coaster. a roller coaster where the chance of dying is a lot higher. all the while, this man that pushed our car with his car was eating a burger with one hand, steering with the other. incredible. we thought, after reaching our gate with more than enough time, how fortunate we'd been. thought this until we deboarded our plane and had to stay the night in philly. we're both now at our respective homes in california for a week. its quite weird typing about the present. our catching now finished, this (blogging) may prove a bit easier. we have about a week ahead of us until the next leg of the adventure: europe. tickets purchased, luggage and contents thereof scattered about my room, theres a lot to organize and reflect on before taking in all the newness and adventure and learning that awaits us on the other side of the pond.
*Here are a couple photos of said truck, and the bugs that gave their lives so that we might sell sell sell:
Sunday, September 20, 2009
3 comments:
Ohhhh I finally read and caught up on all your adventures! And I am beyond jealous. And adoring you two.
Hope the California heat is wonderful (it's been rainy and chilly this past week here), and hope you thoroughly enjoy your Euro Vacay, which is a silly thing to say, because it's quite understated. I'll stop now. :)
Kisses kisses, and keep posting!
- September 26, 2009 at 8:57 AM
- guy said...
being done with p-tour sounds like a sweet treat thats too far in the future to even be fathomable. theres only three weeks for us but it seems like another sixty days away at this point.
hope all your guyses wildest midwestern poster dreams came true.
sincerely forever always,
- September 26, 2009 at 12:38 PM
- Steve-Sakal--Success-Coach said...
How's London? Haven't heard anything since you arrived?
- October 12, 2009 at 6:47 AM
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Monday, April 18, 2011
Another Chapter in the Pat Eaton Saga
By the title of this post, you are probably wondering what in the heck I'll be talking about today. By the photos, you may be confused. Not to worry, I'm telling a little story here....an additional chapter in my life story...and just so you know...I've got a talent for getting myself into a mess. (As you read this, think of Lucy and Desi...a couple we sometimes identify with....you know..he's trying to make a living...she's always getting into trouble, sometimes with hilarious results!)
The flowers were sent to me today by my favorite son, Scott. Aren't they pretty? Being a very excellent son....he called today and was told about this 'chapter.' He tried not to laugh, really, he did, but laugh he did. Then he turned serious, wished me well and had to get back to work. Later in the afternoon, a florist van arrived with this gorgeous basket of flowers. So nice, so thoughtful, as he is. I appreciate him very much.....so I've also photographed some roses he's sent me in the past. I've dried these...and don't you think they still look great? I do. The flowers made me feel better.
Thank you, Scott!!!
So, the 'chapter' he was privvy to goes like this: Late last night I was cleaning up the 'after supper kitchen mess.' It was late and I wanted to get some sewing in before I went to bed, so I was in a hurry. I had roasted some chicken breasts and had lined the pan with foil. When cleaning, I just folded up the foil with the chicken fat, to carry it to the garbage. Do you know where I am going with this??? Yes, some of the grease leaked out of the foil as I turned, and of course my feet slipped in it and I went for a short, high, flight into the air. I cannot describe what happened, even though it seemed to happen in slow motion and I watched my left foot do some very odd things. When I landed, I heard a crunchy kind of popping noise. I just laid there. The old navy man was already in bed, but I screamed for help as loud as I could..with no response.
After about ten minutes, I managed to get up off the floor and make my way to the bedroom.
There he was watching tv...but he didn't hear my screams! Yes, he's deaf as a post!!! I knew it!
What's wrong with you? He said. "Well, I said, I needed help...you didn't hear me....I've broken my foot!" (He DID clean up the kitchen floor!!) So....long story somewhat short....I went to the doctor first thing this a.m. and it turns out I have two broken toes, lots of bruising, and a very sore old body!!! (People ask us all the time how we have stayed together so long...well, he can't hear and I can't see...we need each other!)
After hearing my tale of woe....flowers were delivered. And, may I say - Scott, the doctor, the nurse and my sister, have all enjoyed a good laugh over this story. It IS funny, really it is. Chicken grease??? Who knew. (It would only happen to me!)
Now, the other part of the story. I had promised that those letters would be mailed TODAY!
Well, it never occurred to me that today was April 18th....the last day to mail in TAXES! So, after the visit to the doctor, we went to the Post Office. Yeah, I can hobble around, so did. And, waited in a very long line. Finally, I got to the clerk, only to find one letter did not have a zip code...and the clerk COULD NOT tell me what the proper zip code for that place was, he chastized me for using envelopes that had a clasp on the back, telling me not to use those any more and I'd have to remove those and find that zipcode at home....and then proceeded to enter the zips in his machine, to post those little paper postage strips on each of the 26 letters one at a time, while a crowd waited. (I had thought he'd just give me the stamps and I'd adher them to the envelopes! Guess that just isn't done these days!!) And, my foot throbbed.
But, guess what...it's only a 'chapter' so it ends and another chapter begins. I'm happy I got my letters in the mail....and hoping my friends enjoy them. I'm happy I didn't hit my head on the cabinets, as my kitchen is tiny and it's a miracle I didn't injure myself in a much worse way. And, I'm happy to receive such glorious flowers. Then, too, I've given some people a good laugh. And, laughter is the BEST medicine. Even I am here, not laughing exactly, but smiling in a very large way! The saga continues......take care, pat
16 comments:
- Brenda said...
OMGosh Pat, you're right, it's funny but yet it's not! You could have done some real serious damage to yourself!! Glad to hear that the "damage" wasn't too bad....be careful girl!!!
- April 18, 2011 at 9:28 PM
- Sheila said...
Glad to hear your not seriously injured. Hope your feeling better soon. Beautiful flowers.
- April 19, 2011 at 6:38 AM
- Christine said...
Sorry you got hurt Pat, broken toes are NOT fun, I've broken both little toes at different times. Try to take it easy or the healing will take longer. I could just picture you flying and falling, but I definitely didn't laugh (just a knowing smile!) Hugs from across the Pacific,
Hooroo for Christine XXX
- April 19, 2011 at 7:07 AM
- Cathy K said...
So sorry about your toes, Pat! (sheesh, some people will do ANYTHING to get flowers, eh?) LOL. Seriously, glad you are alright overall - just be mindful of the grease next time. A lesson for all of us! Now enjoy some R&R. Hugs, Cathy
- April 19, 2011 at 8:56 AM
- Peonies & Magnolias said...
I'm so glad you weren't more seriously hurt and that you got some gorgeous flowers in the bargain. I also think I would change post offices if possible. Take care.
- April 19, 2011 at 10:34 AM
- Jackie said...
Oh dear..that was some feat. I am always doing the grease in the foil thing but mercifully not dripped or slipped. Look after yourself.
- April 19, 2011 at 5:30 PM
- Princess of Everything (and then some) said...
You sound as graceful as I am!
I am so so sorry that you got hurt/ I am glad it was not something much worse!
- April 19, 2011 at 5:48 PM
- FredaB said...
Dear Pat
I am so sorry for your fall but you are taking it in a good way.
It is amazing how little things like a bit of chicken grease can cause so much trouble. Of all the falls (including some myself) they are really from silly little things you wouldn't think of.
You have a wonderful son there and you must have been a good Mom - we reap what we sow.
Take care and maybe it is time to sit and do a little embroidery.
I am looking forward to receiving my letter.
- April 19, 2011 at 6:53 PM
Oh, Lordy, Pat!! hahaha I've had days like that. You take care, Hon, and don't go pushing it. Let it heal. Take care,
- April 19, 2011 at 7:51 PM
Oh Patricia Dianne Louise Matilda, Gertrude, I am so sorry! But as our friend Sharon used to say, "$#!+ Happens!" Now to make lemonade out of lemons.....Make a silk ribbon toe cozy pretty thing, it will fill up your day and make your toes happy again, and you'll have something new to post. Enjoyed our phone call! love you, Jim
- April 19, 2011 at 9:22 PM
- Betty said...
My goodness your fall could have been serious - thank goodness you are ok - I think you need a dog in the house to bark loudly if you get into trouble!
- April 20, 2011 at 1:47 AM
- Cindy P said...
I could just cry. You have the most beautiful handwriting I've ever seen. I'd give anything for my writing to look close to this good. My grandparents and even my parents had very nice writing skills. Nobody taught that anymore when I was growing up.
I'm glad my daughter has nice handwriting. She taught herself. I wish she'd teach me.
Thank you so much for the letter AND the beautiful pattern. I will keep that letter forever.
Mad skills, girl!
- April 20, 2011 at 5:30 PM
- Robin said...
Dear, Dear Pat, Sorry to hear about your accident! Dang chicken grease! I didn't laugh out loud when I read your Saga, I just TeeHeed a little. I really felt very sorry for you. Now, about the crying part, Mr. Wonderful just brought your letter in from the mail box. I very carefully opened it an started reading it outloud. When I got to the verse my nose started burning and my eyes started watering. I became a blubbering mess! You have touched my heart and brought sunshine to a cloudy day! Thank you a million times! The card is beautiful, reminds me of Tasha Tudor. I hope to tackle the pattern soon as it will remind me of a very special person! Gratefully, Robin
- April 21, 2011 at 12:04 PM
- Pat said...
Today I received a package in the mail containing two air horns. I seem to recall someone telling me that having those would have come in handy when I fell and couldn't get hubby's attention to help me. For the life of me...I can recall who said that and none of my comments or email indicate who. So....whoever you are...I got a good laugh today over that package...and now I'm all
'set' for the next 'esperience.' Thank you, whoever you are, for the thoughtfulness! pat
- April 22, 2011 at 9:09 PM
- vicki said...
Well my friend- you certainly do deserve those flowers!! That's an shortfall right and YOU are very lucky that you are not injured any worse! It is so scary how things like that can happen so quickly! I should know- I am the Queen of clumsy!!
Be careful!! Happy Easter to you and your family!
- April 24, 2011 at 1:11 PM
- Brenda said...
Oh my Pat so glad you are going to mend. At sometime I became a follower of your blog and I have not visited for quite a while. I have a tendency to become a follower and then not have time to sit and go through all the blogs I follow on the Google Reader. I just love so many blogs and seem not to be able to remove any. I have enjoyed reading these last few posts and hope to remember to come by again soon!
- May 7, 2011 at 11:48 AM


text:
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We crossed the Chesapeake Bay on Wednesday, headed for NC. Before we got to the bridge, we passed a bike race that must have been at least half-a-mile long. Then, in crossing, we saw porpoises, and I saw a pelican. Welcome reminders of the wildlife present at our destination!
We also saw what was, perhaps, a military hovercraft? You make the call.


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text: Wev'e got to print all weekend to make sure we hit a tight deadline for Tuesday 3rd August. 800 x 16″ red latex with a single side print, 1000 x 12″ latex with a double side print and 500 x 18″ foils with a 3 colour single side print. It should all be done by 7pm tomorrow night. Fishing on Sunday


text: In Hamlet, one can have no better friend than the always, the ever, the survivor, Horatio. He may appear to be holding back, but the central figure in many scenes, if one cares to see it, is Horatio. The other characters all rely on him to further their personal agendas.


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JAIL: Former commander in Scotland Yard has been jailed
FORMER COMMANDER with Scotland Yard Ali Dizaei has been found guilty of two charges, misconduct in public office and perverting the course of justice, it was revealed today.
Dizaei , who was found that had tried to frame an innocent man and told a series of lies in an attempt to cover up his abuse of office by a jury, received a three-year jail sentence at the London's Southwark crown court.
"We entrust the police with great power over the public – they can arrest us, use force on us, and lock us up. But if that great power is abused by any police officer it is vital that they be held to account for it," Deborah Glass, Deputy Chair of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said in a statement.
She added: "There is no room in the police for corrupt officers and today's verdict underlines that."
This was the second time the 50-year-old has been convicted of the offences, after being first convicted in 2010. However that conviction was quashed by the court of appeal in May 2011 after evidence emerged that Dizaei's accuser, Waad al-Baghdadi, had falsely claimed £27,000 in welfare benefits for his dead father, which raised questions about his reliability as a witness.
In his 27-year police career, Dizaei was an outspoken critic of the police on race, leader of the National Black Police Association (NBPA), and a key figure in a race war that erupted in the summer of 2008.
He was sacked by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) in March 2010 and risks losing his pension, it has been claimed. Dezaei is one of the most senior British officers ever to be convicted of corruption offences.


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Masochistic proofreader with literary aspirations seeks blog to reinforce the notion that her reading and eating habits should not go unshared.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Infinite Jest
Read: 4 December 2012 to 24 February 2013
4 / 5 stars
By the time I hit third grade and had still demonstrated absolutely no inclination toward athletic pursuits, my parents forced me into the township's local softball league. Because that's what you do when your bookworm daughter begs to take art lessons and possesses a nigh prodigious talent for falling up stairs, right? My first year of being a young ball player was punctuated by lots of praying for rain, daydreaming in the outfield and swinging at every pitch just because I liked how it felt: Somehow, despite my staggering disinterest and physical ineptitude, my team won the championship that season, heralding another god-awful year of endless drills that still have phrases like "loosey goosey," "call for the ball" and "keep your HEAD in the GAME!" providing the hellishly looping soundtrack to my nightmares.
Miraculously still, I landed a spot on the all-star team my second year, which only led to more rigorous and more time-consuming practices after school, on the weekends, before games, after games, whenever there was even half an hour to spare in the pursuit of athletic greatness -- time I would have preferred to spend with my nose in a book. Any book. By my third year, I was pretty much self-sabotaging myself at every step of the game, eventually sacrificing the only thing I cared about: my beloved spot at second base. By the time I was a sullen eighth-grader and limply going through the motions I'd had mercilessly drilled into my rote memory for nearly five years, I made it pretty clear that my parents were wasting their time and money on misguided wishes that I'd conform to whatever young-athlete ideal they had mistakenly thought could be pinned on me. This was only a viable exit strategy because the one thing they hated more than relinquishing control over their children was throwing money at hopeless endeavors.
But my doomed-to-fruitlessness years spent toiling at the batting cages and the local baseball diamonds and the front- and backyard were not why this book resonated deeply with and brutalized me as severely as it did. Though being forced into the arduous efforts of participating in a sport I didn't much care about save for the way it occasionally diverted the otherwise endless torrent of parental disappointment sure endeared Enfield Tennis Academy's students to me in a way I didn't see coming.
It's incidental that, about a month into the nearly three I spent reading this gargantuan tome, I kicked my own chemical dependency. I won't at all go so far as to call it an addiction, as it was a habit I dropped with surprising ease and have yet to miss at all. And I sure as hell didn't have half the troubles that I learned true addicts do (thanks to this book, which I'm pretty sure the completion of is the equivalent of a master's degree in twelve-step programs). But I did take the cold-turkey approach, and the sudden absence of a comforting vice offered a hard look at just how close I was to losing myself in what began as a recreational escape.
For as easy and as shockingly non-disruptive my sudden cessation of a years-long habit was, you're goddamn right there were moments when my resolve almost caved -- not of weakness, really, but just because, meh, why not? That's about when I realized that the ritual has become as comforting as the substance itself. So I focused on the distance that my new-found independence from dependency put between me and that last indulgence: One week without backsliding. Two weeks. One month. Now almost two.
Pardon the descent into clichéd territory for a second, but every journey of 1,000 miles begins with just one step: My attempt to shake a years-long bad habit began with one day of sticking to my guns, just like conquering the beast that is Infinite Jest began with the turning of a single page. Both offered a few instances of me wondering what the hell I'd signed up for but, even with their lesser moments, both efforts have been more than worth their comparatively few and fleeting pains.
I've made it abundantly clear before that I don't give a leaping, prancing fuck about tennis but DFW sure made it interesting in the two essays he devoted to the sport in A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again. Coming into this having read even one collection of his non-fiction ruined IJ for me from the beginning, as it is the man's non-judgmental but deeply, quietly observant presence in his fact-based writing that draws me to him the most. But it also made me realize that the guy could have rewritten the phone book and I would have vomited praise all over everything because he's that good at honest storytelling.
There are truths pouring from every page in IJ, which do lend a certain familiar presence reminiscent of DFW's non-fiction: The AA meetings, the depression, the internal conflicts, the biggest truths coming from the most inconsequential moments and, yes, even the tennis all resounded with real-life personal experience. Even the characters I absolutely hated (like that fucker Lenz) were crafted in a way that made them so human and multidimensional that it was obvious they were intended to be victims of circumstance who demanded more than black-and-white consideration.
The ways DFW blurs the lines and draws parallels between seemingly at-odds concepts show how polar opposites aren't even as far removed from each other as we like to tell ourselves, that perspective, motivation or a simple name are all that separate, say, physically brutal athletic training and mindlessly indulgent entertainment, as the former is shown to be just another means for an individual to deliver the latter to the many. Similarly, an elite tennis academy really isn't that far removed from a rehabilitation program: It becomes screamingly clear that both house addicts of some kind when you're forced to examine what really lies at the heart of each institution. Even, obviously, sexual encounters and the family of one's childhood are complicit in one's effect on the other, as seen in Orin's tendency to seduce mothers and how his own mother, in turn, carries on an affair with a boy young enough to be her son and who is wearing a disturbingly familiar football uniform when their tryst is brought to the reader's full awareness. Because, really: Is the path to learned, painstakingly accrued greatness not all that different from a seizuring, pants-shitting junkie in the realm of addiction? Filling a void with finely honed talent that will one day destroy the body is revealed to not be entirely unlike filling that same void with a destructive substance that, too, renders the addicted vessel to a ticking time bomb of physical and mental ruin.
But in a time when one can no longer be certain of what the future holds -- the country is run by an increasingly unstable president, when something as indelible as a country's topographical familiarity is eliminated, when one can't even rely on the unfailing numerical certainty of what to call the next and all subsequent years -- is it any surprise that extremes are no longer separated by distinct boundaries and that the sweet escapist nectar of entertainment has ascended to such obsessive, pervasive heights? All people can be sure of is that the television show or movie that provides comforting relief from the unflagging instability of the real world is never more than an always-available cartridge away. In this regard, DFW presents a strange sort of dystopia where any addiction or superficial sense of microcosmic control is necessary to cope with a world whose only constant is perpetual upheaval.
It is that very instability that dominates the end of this book, as demonstrated by characters being (sometimes violently) uprooted from the surroundings that the reader has spent the length of three normal-sized novels relegating them to and then replanted in wholly surprising locales: Hal is taken from the strictly regimented ETA where children are turned into perfectly performing machines and thrust into a regressive support group where adult men are encouraged to embrace their inner infants; the imperturbable Remy descends from his southwestern heights to the rock-hard bottom of Ennet House's desperate pursuit of getting life back on track; poor Gately is ripped from his more-or-less secure life of sober, middling authority to being completely dependent upon machines to keep him alive, where he is at constant odds with his rational mind to avoid all addictive substances no matter what necessary relief they bring while battling unimaginable physical pain; the less said about Orin's upturned world the better; even the long-deceased JOI returns to the mortal coil in a sense –- by the way, I could have happily read nothing but the interfacing between Gately and Himself the friendly wraith for 1,079 pages and been as happy as an addict on a weekend drug binge.
Life is not always interesting or without its flaws and, honestly, neither was this book. For me, IJ wasn't a perfect novel, nor was it the absolute best thing I've read. But it was the most human, the most humbling and the most honest: As far as I'm concerned, those are much more difficult and far more noble superlatives to reach for, especially with a piece of fiction that manages to resonate with more desperate sincerity than some people can ever hope to manage.
Posted by Madeleine Maccar at 5:43 AM
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