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Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Rockets vs Wiz Game #21 Post-Game Thread
159 comments:
"It's selfish not to shoot the open shot."ReplyDelete
[JLin must have his own reason though...]Replies
I thought that was very good advice, and very true. I empathize with the Rox coaches. They clearly want Lin to shoot but Lin's just shy haha.Delete
I wonder if JLin's getting contradictory "suggestions" from Morey's camp vs McHale's.Delete
[W/c might explain why it seems like JLin's being exhorted to shoot [by one side] but choosing to pass [as required by the other side.]
So which side is which you think?Delete
Pure conjecture, but I wonder if the asst coach who told him it's selfish not to shoot was Finch...Delete
Thanks for that. That's one of the more meaty shootaround interviews I've seen.
If only it would put the issue to rest...
Jeremy has a great mental approach. I believe this will aid him as his game develops.ReplyDeleteReplies
love the kid.Delete
:) I wish to have a son like him.I always teach my children just do your best no matter what.Not much of expectation though.As we can see in him the values/breed/up bringing of his parents plus the harvard education:)major in economics minor in sociology(study of human nature and environment)correct me if Im wrong.And he is really a smart kid 100 marks as in full marks in SAT MATH wow:) a role modelDelete
AND HIS FAITH TO GOD :) is also 100%Delete
Jeremy supporters who have kids appreciate Jeremy's strong moral character. You don't see him falling into the trap that ensnares so many young athletes by spending money on cars, homes, clothes and women. He's a shining example of someone who lives consistently with what he believes. Whether or not you share his faith, you can't call him a hypocrite which is so refreshing these days. Stay strong Jeremy!Delete
- AnonymousDecember 12, 2012 at 9:43 PM
at least he's happy and relax in this video. that's something great to see. and Ill never believe he is shy or not aggressive to make any shots after yesterday's game. only jeremy knew why, while us can only predict what it is.ReplyDelete
Possible reasons that Lin defers:ReplyDelete
1. His knee injury is not 100% and playing up tempo is high risk at this stage.
2. Playing against weaker opponents, the Rockets can win by playing non-Linsanity which has much higher risk of injury to all players, not just Lin.
3. It's a business. Lin has to set up eg - PP, CP and even Asik to improve their $ value for future trades.
4. (I hope this is not true). The owner wants Lin to stay for a long time. He can afford Lin's stats to temporarily decrease at the cost of increasing everyone else's stats so that the team can afford to buy the star forward/center which is desperately needed. I don't want this because Lin could play much better and increase his stats at another team eg Lakers which has players that can dunk or alley oop much better. He doesn't need to prop up this Houston team.
5. They bought Harden who joined this team only because he was sick of being 6th man. If they upset him too much, he might disappear - on the scoreboard or physically.
6. The coach needs alternatives. The team can win (especially against weaker teams) by just letting Harden and Lin take over. However, other coaches devise counter defensive tactics and the top teams with young athletic players like OKL and Heat can stop Harden/Lin to win. Without alternatives, Rockets will go nowhere in the playoffs.Replies
I believe number 2.Delete
The Lakers sucks so why is everybody keep on pushing this Lin-to-the -Lakers talk.
Number 5 doesn't make any sense.
I agree with number 6. Also, they need to add talent. Their big men are too unskilled.
Also, the set plays by the coaches are too predictable. Without the coexistence of both Lin and Harden, the Rockets will not make the playoffs.
No. 5 - don't under-estimate the power of the franchise player. He can decide who is the GM or coach (re -Kobe Bryant). Statistically, you cannot get a Ring if your team does not have a couple of MVP type players. Also the management gets kudos if a player gets into the All Star team. That's why Harden IS the man that Lin will have to defer to.Delete
I disagree with number 5 because Harden was not sick of being the sixth man. Where did you get this information?Delete
Apologies, Harden is not treated the sixth man at Rockets. Before, when he was at OKL, he was a bench player and actually won the NBA 'Sixth Man' award. Commentators assume he wanted to be a starter and therefore came to Rockets.Delete
Lin's passivity is really frustrating, particularly after seeing what he can do when he is aggressive like in the game against San Antonio.ReplyDelete
Lin better be more aggressive against Boston and Rondo than he was against Washington.
Remember what Rondo said about Lin this past summer? He said that he would "kick Lin's ass" when they play each other.
- AnonymousDecember 12, 2012 at 10:41 PM
I hate to be right in this case, but I called it after the breakout game that when Harden came back, it would be back to the same old deferring to Harden. Lin didn't have a bad game, but 10 pts, 6 ast is nowhere near the expectations for him.ReplyDeleteReplies
It was against the Wizards. What is the point of trying to score big numbers on them?Delete
Also, he sprained his ankle in practice. we do not want him to aggravate his injury.
Could be that his ankle troubled him today. Maybe thats the reason he decided not to make those shots.Delete
- AnonymousDecember 12, 2012 at 11:12 PM
OK fine, let's wait for the Celtics game and see what happens.Delete
I remain skeptical because Harden also had an ankle injury, yet he played his usual 39 mins, took 20 shots, and scored 31 pts against the Wizards.
I'm also skeptical but I'm never going to complain about Lin not scoring big against teams they could beat even without him.Delete
Harden didnt play when Lin scored 38. How serious was it then? How can you tell they both have the same thing?Delete
Im not saying that his ankle is killing him. Maybe he went on a shooting drill today and found that his shooting was off due to his ankle(s) and therefor decided to let others shoot more...
The reason lin is more passive is easy to explain. The coaches. Period. Look, they play him 30 minutes tonight after 41 minutes last night when harden is out. Why? because the rockets have harden, tony douglas, chandler parsons and Defino bringing the ball up the court.. oh and sometimes lin. This platooning is really silly none of those guys have nearly the transition passing he does, its very obvious and statistically proven. When i see parsons and Delfino bring the ball up with jlin on the court I know this coaching staff is really clueless.ReplyDelete
As much as I really want jlin to get in his nitch/grove with this team, I also wouldnt be hurt to see him traded to a team that wants a pg facilitator.Replies
Because Lin doesn't need to play recklessly to win this game. Even if Lin didn't play in the 4th, the rockets would have won the game. So, it doesn't matter.Delete
Let us judge them after the Celtics game and not against the wizards , whom I believe they could beat even without Lin.
Yeah but the point is that the Lin fans want to see Lin beat them all :)Delete
That happened last season when Lin played recklessly each game. Then, he was injured.Delete
People gotta realize that the Linsanity style last season has high risks for injuries. We don't want Lin end up like Rose.
You gotta choose your battle.
Complain if Lin is this passive against the Celtics.
Against the bad teams, it is time to get everybody involved.
Neph I'm not saying anything about lin playing reckless..what I'm saying is the coaches are NOT playing to lin's strength. Jeremy is the best facilitator on the team, yet it drives me nuts when I see bad dribblers and harden waltzing up the court 65% of the time. Its not about the team being the wizards, I saw this game as a chance for the coaches to change the mindset and play harden/lin. Sigh...lets wait for the celtics game. Want my prediction?Delete
Lin plays 30-32 minutes
has the ball in his hands less then 40% of the time he's on the court
Harden has 4-5 TO's
lin sits on the bench for half the 4th quarter
Tony Douglas plays 4th because he waves his hands better then lin so his defense is better.
- AnonymousDecember 14, 2012 at 1:02 AM
Good point! Coaches of other NBA teams who understand completely the strengths of JLin and have the right game plans to play to JLin's strengths are more than happy to to see McHale and his assistants FAIL. It's just plain laziness that stop the Rox coaches not to think hard to set plays that help the Rox win. Plain laziness, I would say, other than muddle-headed and amateur coaching.
Lin really does need to learn how to fall. It's like he's not aware of his body and how high it gets off the ground.ReplyDeleteReplies
Its not like you can always control how you fall. My buddy who is a judo instructor once claimed he could stand on a chair and fall without hurting himself. I put him on a chair and pushed him down - he got hurt.Delete
- AnonymousDecember 12, 2012 at 11:13 PM
Reminds me of Dwyane Wade.Delete
@willydilly, LOL, that made me laugh.Delete
Lin doesn't know how to fall? I thought he's a very good fall guy - literally and metaphorically! There are common incidents of big guys falling awkwardly and suffering injuries. Lin knows the best way to come down after a contested lay-up or dunk is to collapse. Don't try to stay upright 'cos your knees, ankles etc might not withstand the high g forces. You gotta fall like those guys that come off motor bikes. - head up, land on your back, arms straight, legs not taking shocks.Delete
Yeah there is something to it. He falls "good" most of the time.
True story :)
Lin doesn't get a call unless he's flattened to the ground. Has nothing to do with how well he can drop and roll. Defenders will continue to foul him hard unless the refs give Lin the calls.Delete
Or unless he learns to stick out his knee -> hit the opponents solarplexus once and they wont foul him hard a second time :)Delete
Look like he tries to make contact with his back, keeping his arms and his head away. I remember last season on one play he just let his head snap back.Delete
Only Asik can set decent screens. But due to his offensive limitations, his defender is able to trap the guard. That is why pnr plays are somewhat inconsistent for the Rockets.ReplyDelete
In the Spurs game, Lin had to expend TON of energy just to drive to the paint. That is why he was so TIRED at the END.
That will be the challenge for the Coaching staff. Improve pnr plays especially the screens.
Ramzy Kawaja @RedNationReportReplyDelete
#didyouknow The Rockets 16.6 turnovers per game is last in the NBA.
8:28 PM - 12 Dec 12
Lin simply cannot average just 10 and 6 every night. Even against bad teams. They need his scoring. If you do this often, you ll find yourself digging a hole that its hard to get out of. The norm can't be 10 and. 6. It has to be at least 15 and 6 night in and night out. Psychologically and physically will be better for him if he does this. Something is truly mysterious and wrong here. How can you go from 38 to 10. I can understand 18 to 10. But not 38 to 10? What?????????? Is going on???ReplyDelete
To lighten things up a bit~ReplyDelete
New handshake
[looks like JLin's pretend-eating something...]Replies
- Replies
I thought that if you won, you got the cover. That sucks, how misleading...Delete
Derek Rivera @Derek_GoldenBoyDelete
Photo shoot fresh with my homie @JLin7 for the sports illustrated magazine!
11:54 AM - 3 Dec 12
Looked like they went with child sexual abuse [RA Dickey, Kayla Harrison] -> bigger/ more sensational story, better-selling cover.
[Sorry for being cynical.]
darren rovell @darrenrovellReplyDelete
Tim Tebow and Jeremy Lin ranked 4th & 8th on Facebook's list of the most mentioned public figures in 2012 (H/T @Angel_XV)
7:35 PM - 12 Dec 12
This probably belongs in the Spurs post-game post, but there were too many comments there already.ReplyDelete
But this is how you beat Danny Green... Launch it!
For the record, I think JLin initially trying to drive left was the correct decision. Drive to the basket if you can. Neal was there though, and I think that made JLin back off. JLin was probably considering the long bomb after his cross-over back to his right, like the one made by Mo Williams.Delete
JLin had the right idea to drive it. He just didn't continue to do so because Neal was there threatening to help.
He had a step on Green in his initial drive going to the left. If he was afraid of Neal stripping the ball when he entered the paint, he could instead pull up for a mid-range jumper before Neal was able to come over to help.
What could have been....Hindsight is always twenty-twenty.
if you watch the tape, Chandler is just too close on top Lin and his man is sitting in the gap. Here is where I fault the coaching creativity, Chandler could easily backcut through the lane as Lin starts to drive, Lin can either drive off his ass -- sort of a moving pick -- or Lin can hit him on the back cut -- or Lin can hold a beat with a hesitation dribble or two while this pulls Chandlers defender from the gap clearing a much larger driving lane to the left for Lin with a much larger gap between him and the next defender. This isn't something the coaches don't know ... I just don't think they are actively exploring ways to truly unleash LIN.Delete
witness ... many of the transition breaks that LIN leads, Harden, rather than sprint to a corner and stretch the floor for Jeremy, jogs to a mid-post position -- clogging any driving lane -- and holds ... waiting to v-cut out to get the ball.
it's soooooooo frustrating ...
not to mention the many times that Parsons and Delfino, let alone Harden, handle the ball on the break... I mean seriously did Byron Scott, Michael Coooper, and James Worthy take the ball of the glass and go? HELL NO ... that ball went to the Lakers BEST floor manager and break leader... MAGIC.
I can't stand this B.S. ... it really makes me puke.
That is where I question their offensive competence - the Rockets coaching staff.Delete
Their offensive plays are TOO PREDICTABLE.
They score a lot due to their PACE.
10/10. I agree with you that not giving the ball to Lin on transition opportunities is costing Rockets many easy points. This is causing Rockets additional TOs. I mean if they don't want Lin to facilitate especially in transition plays, I have no idea why they even brought Lin to Rockets. Lin goes really fast in transition and makes good decisions; this is one of the reasons why Lin is exciting to watch. If I were McHale, I would tell other teammates "When you rebound the ball, look for Jeremy and run your butt off, so Jeremy will find you." Is this that hard to do? It boggles my mind how Rockets are wasting their money and also someone's talents.Delete
An ISO play is reasonable for the last Rox possession of the Spurs game in regulation time. Lin initially had the space and lane to drive and let out a shot. Perhaps he was thinking he wanted to kill more time and ice the game for good; he then backed up. The Rox corner player, I am not sure who he was, sensed time was running out, and left his corner position trying set a pick for Lin. This move brought one extra defender against Lin, effectively shutting down his right driving lane, leading to a TO.Delete
The botched play was partly Green's excellent defense, and partly Rox inexperience team play. Lin took the fall on his shoulder, but I don't see it's totally his fault.
Very interesting observation. I dont know if this is right cause I didnt pay attention to that but if you are right I sure hope the team spoke about that. Otherwise they could make that mistake again.
McHale and Parsons where sort of blaming Lin for the iso attempt. They both said in postgame interviews that Lin should have gone for the screen. I mean - I never heard them criticise Hardens heroballing but hey...
At least Parsons did not miss out on one important fact. He said that Lin had earned this play cause he played great that night.
IMHO JLin is a wunderkind. If he is in the zone theres no stopping him. JLin likes to play with swag (which is why he doesnt like screens and loves to challenge his opponents one on one - hes got the speed to do that and fans all just wait for these situations), hes the PG and therefor he needs some leeway. Why was Linsanity possible? He was given his leeway. Dantoni once said in an interview that he only tries not to get in Lins way. That is what I expect from Rox coaches. The more they act like tiger-coaches the more it inhibits Lins play. I really think that you can tailor a team to a player but tailoring a player to a team -> kills the playes game.
If McHale and JLins teammates keep bickering about his game they will kill it.
Many have criticised that iso attempt but I dont think they should. On a good shooting night Lin can either make a 3 (he has done that so many times - in your face kind of style) or he can drive (bye bye). The screen is - in Lins case - not necessary. When the clock is running down Lin doesnt need a screen. A screen - like whydoubt mentioned - only draws more defenders. When JLin plays one on one he only needs to get past that one obstacle (or shoot). Once he gets passed his man (his quick first step is his gratest asset) there is no stopping him. If the opponents try to stop him - chances are its gonna result in a foul what means ft for JLin. If they dont fould him -> dunk or layup. Im totally with JLin on this!
Totally agree that Jlin doesn't need a screen ... but he definitely needs space. Parsons was hovering on that last play... his guy was camping in the gap. Yes, Parsons was possibly open for a quick swing... but with the spacing as it was, a pass might easily have been tipped. Parsons either needed to space out wider or cut. He killed the goose. Jlin had nowhere to go when he made his move.Delete
3 things to free up JLIN without affecting Little King James . ...
1) Lin handles 90% of transition -- All others sprint and stretch floor. Jlin has clear orders to attack in transition. HARDEN must SPRINT the floor no jogging and floating.
2) Get JLIN in triple threat situations in half court near right side top with Little King James in the right side corner ... Throw on balls/and on ball slips with screener coming at his left shoulder. If Lin drives right, Little King James man will be hugging his guy in the corner or he will have to peel of LKJ to help... win-win.
3) Tell LIN we want YOU to be second leading scorer. GET him AGGRESSIVE by COACHING HIM. Parsons is fools gold... he should not be second leading scorer or trying to be... nor should anyone else be trying to be.
LIN needs green light. Parsons need YELLOW.
4) If all else fails, TRADE James Harden. You go to OT with one of the best teams in NBA (should have won -- thanks NOT for that 4thQ SUB McHale) with JLIN at HELM (everybody getting shots, everybody in FLOW except for Delfina who DOES NOT GET IT). Next game, you barely beat the worst team in the NBA with Little King James at the helm ... You do the math, Kevin,Kelvin, Morey.
Lets give them time. I believe Lin and Harden can make it happen. Its up to the coaches - not Harden or Lin.Delete
If things dont work out theres no point in trading Harden as JLin would be stuck with the pro-Harden coaches. Jeremy would do better in LA. I know - people have said that Kobe scolds his teammates (what Lin also does) but thats OK I think. JLin is a smart workhorse - it would not happen to him. Kobe is basketball royalty - pairing Lin up with Kobe would be good for Lins status. Who would dare say crap about Kobes buddy? Also - LA seems to have the only coach in the NBA who would bet it all on Lin without trying to inhibit Lins game by making him do what he is not wired to do.
BTW - Asik should not walk back on offense as well. He is often the last man to show up. Thats not good at all. And - his screens could be better. He is not yet a quality big men.
I was jokin' there a little willydilly. Don't think they'll trade Harden in a million years... And, unless JLIN finds himself again with D'Antoni or a D'Antoni disciple this is probably the fate of LIN's career until ... his catch and shoot becomes absolute money. when that happens... he control his own destiny. Now, he's a pawn and the establishment ... who are either knaves or see LIN through a black basketball prism or both ... will sadly control his fate ... and we will be forced to hear people tell us that James Harden is a better player or that LIN cant be LINSANE on a consistent basis ...Delete
Funny though... we have a pretty good size sample from NY that says when LIN isn't paired with a ball dominator he dominates the game, gets his team in flow, and they win. AND, the minute James Harden leaves the scene in Houston for one game, LINSANITY erupts...
There is no coincidence... those that deny it will prolly deny the Holocaust too.
Jeremy had a good defensive game and took 2 charges. Seems like no one else on the Rockets is willing to take a charge. However he was still hesitant to shoot the ball. He passed up an open 3 on one possession and drove the lane on another and could have finished at the rim but decided to kick out to Parsons. Douglas should not be outscoring Lin. I like Greg Smith's defense, he had another 3 blocks and had a team leading +14.ReplyDeleteReplies
In the post practice interview linked above, he seems to realize that not shooting when you are open is not helping the team, so to speak, but yet, he seems to do this time and time again. He definitely touched the ball more often in the game against Wizards and should have shot the open shots without hesitation for several reasons:Delete
1. You practice open shots in real games.
2. Personal stats become important in terms of showing everyone your value when it comes to negotiating a new K. In today's NBA, you can't just be a pure facilitator. Even Magic, the greatest facilitator PG, averaged close to 20 points per game, I believe, not sure. Objectively, not scoring more than 10 points per game is downright embarrassing because even Rondo who averages more than 12 assists per game -- and who is considered to be a lousy shooter -- averages I believe 14 points or more. I mean even Rubio averages more, and at this point, I consider Rubio to be a better passer. I actually think it's a joke when many say that Rubio will get 5 year maximum deal; I could definitely see Kevin Love rightfully thinking that Rubio does not deserve the max deal.
3. If Rockets' coaches and other players know you can hit open shots, they will pass the ball to you more often -- that's just human nature. Sometimes when Rockets' players rebound the ball, they should pass the ball to Lin, their best transition player, but they don't even look for him. It's fine for the coaches to want Lin to improve his 3 pointer shots but not taking advantage of what Lin is good in shows me that either they are not thinking or have some sort of an agenda.
4. If you don't take open shots, there is no guarantee your teammates are going to get better shots in the remaining 10 or 12 seconds, thereby your hesitation or reluctance ends up hurting your team.
I also think that sometimes Lin should go up to other Rockets players and tell them to pass him the ball in transition. It's disgraceful that Delfino and Parsons are dribbling the ball in transition thinking they are Magic. Just as Rondo is awesome in transition, Lin is darn good in transition. I am critical of Lin's play but yet I can see that this is one of his strengths!Delete
How Jeremy plays the game that is so different and fun to watch...ReplyDelete
When you observe the Spurs game and other games that Jeremy is in charged, several players touch the ball and get to look for a clean shot in every possession. Those are examples of "good ball movement" that will enhance the team to play in synch. When a team is playing in synch, everyone will be productive especially as the game progresses. That is why Jeremy play so well with everyone, and especially 2nd string players. In NBA even the 2nd string players are very good players, but they just can not "turn it up" by themselves, so Jeremy is helping them to "get hot". Therefore, Jeremy rarely has a great scoring first half because he is busy getting others to heat up.
As the game progresses his teammates will start being more consistent, and defenders will require to play honest defense and not cheating to double team Jeremy. Thus Jeremy normally scores more points in the second half. When Jeremy has a high scoring games, his shots are rarely forced, the spacing is better for penetration, and his shots are generally open shots.
When J Harden scores you often see James forcing the shot or aggressively driving to the basket, the result is either spectacular or turn-overs. Harden is very athletic and strong, so that is his game. Harden's strength is clutch iso plays when the team really needs points.
Can Jeremy and Harden play together? No doubt! Rockets' coach have to let Jeremy handle the ball more in the first half and allow the team to get involve. When the team is involved, the space will open-up which will benefit Harden's iso plays. Rockets' coach also should separate Jeremy and Harden's time on the floor because they are contributing to the team differently.
The current substitution pattern is to have Jeremy out first ~8 min into the Q1 while Harden plays out the Q1. I think the game will be easier if the pattern is the opposite. Let Jeremy runs the offense in Q1 and get everyone involve. Currently it is very often that both Harden and Jeremy will be resting on the bench at the same time, but I think they should take turns sitting during Q2 and Q3, and finishing together in Q4.
This is probably going to be more Rockets related than Lin, so if that's going to bother you please skip.ReplyDelete
So I'm not going to say there aren't glaring flaws in our offense (because there are), but as far as W's go that's not where my concerns are.
Our offensive efficiency is 10th in the league, with a true shooting percentage that's 9th in the league, and considering we play with a pace that's first in the league, shouldn't we have a a record that's better than 19th in the league?
Can we talk about defense (def eff 22nd)? Our transition defense is 28th in the league and transition plays account for 13.6% of total. Considering how close some of our losses have been, we could have nipped them in the bud improving on this area alone.
So I'd like to solicit the collective eye test of all of you. On the one hand, I'm really happy with our offense, given that we're young/inexperienced/haven't played together/etc. Given our offensive stat rankings (and my personal bias that you should either shoot threes or take a layup), I'm ok with our style as well. But, given that so many of our threes are missed and give the other team the transition opportunities in the first place, are we robbing Peter to pay Paul, or do we just need to suck it up and hustle back? Or shoot better? :)Replies
Nom, all of your concerns are due to two things:Delete
1) The Rockets have had a pretty tough schedule. The Western Conference is filled with "bad" teams like Portland and the Lakers that are very very strong. The Rockets have absolutely PUNKED the Eastern Conference on the whole (including the poor #1 Knicks that were crushed by 31). It's hard to get good numbers against teams like SA and OKC and Memphis.
2) Lin has done a good job leading his teammates, especially on defense where I think Lin looks great. But the Houston Rockets are the youngest and cheapest team in the NBA, and it shows a lot. No coach can change this.
First off, PACE is fool's gold. PACE is important if you are the more athletic team. And We are NOT. We are probably playing TOO FAST for our own good ... particularly by letting players other than JLIN handle the fast break. And, as KHUANG says, if we really are "the youngest and cheapest" you should should not be trying to OUTPACE people. Should the rockets run, ABSOLUTELY, they should "opportunity run" ... but having Tony Douglas sprint the ball up the floor to push pace is a fools errand. You aren't going to beat more athletic, more skilled teams by OUTPACING them ... but you can beat them by outsmarting them ... . You can slow the pace, you can play transition defense. Honestly, they way we are configured in the half court... to shoot lots of threes ... should allow us to get back more easily... everybody or nearly everybody is on the perimeter. Now, do I think like Morey that this team should be taking 3's and lay-ups? Absolutely not. This team, doesn't have very good three point shooters and its got only two and a half really good slashers. Parsons game needs to be tightened in the slash department... too often its just far too soft or leads to a turnover. If it were up to me, I'd allow JLIN's mid-range, Pat-Pats mid-range ... and I'd tighten the perimeter game of PARSONS, DELFINO, and MORRIS (who I don't really like at all). I would slow this game down... not speed it up and not shoot as many threes, and I would COACH up the defense...Delete
TRANSTION DEFENSE is something that even the youngest and cheapest and most expensive (james harden im talking to you) can play well if they are coached. Even JLIN has played atrocious transition defense at times this season... but I'd say the absolute worst on the team is Harden. He doesn't have seem to have a clue and shows even less of an effort in that area.
This team will be a good as its LEADER. If HARDEN is the LEADER, he will have to play defense for them to become any good.
PS ... LIN is the best defender on the team... and that's by far. I've been disappointed with his transition effort this year, but in the half court he is miles ahead of most of his teammates, particularly in HELP. The play he made at the rim the other night vs Timmy was just such a high level defensive play... not because of the athleticism but because of the anticipation and savvy it showed
Also, Coach McHale is aware of it and has been working on improving their transition defense.Delete
12/11 McHale: 'We have to get stops'
With a young team, it's bound to have inconsistency but this takes time to fix so hopefully it won't be just Asik and Lin (Top 2 DWS) who have to shoulder the most responsibility on defense.
Even in the Wizards game, they still allowed wide-open 3PT shots to keep the game close in the 4th. They won't win many close games against good teams until they fix it.
re: 1) You're definitely right about the schedule. While the season has been only 20 games, we rank 2nd in most difficult schedule (and not by just a little), despite having played Washington, Toronto, NO, and Detroit (twice!). So based on this, we might have an offensive rating that's undervalued, even better than 10th, no?
re: 2) Agreed Lin has done a good job leading his teammates defensively. Rox rank 10th in defense against the PnR handler and 11th in ISO defense (no small part to our guy, who ranks 15th in ISO defense; Lin/TD rank 46/26 respectively in PnR handler). Against such a tough schedule, that's not bad for such a "cheap" team, right? (BTW as an aside we are going to have to go over the validity of using contract sizes as a proxy for performance one of these days).
But the guys are young and other than Omer everyone is fairly athletic, at least enough that they could get back in transition. As Psalm234 writes above, McHale is trying to get them to work on this. As you write:
"No coach can change this."
You think this is an exercise in futility?
I suppose I'm lamenting the fact that while we actually are so much better than I would have predicted at the beginning of the season at so many things, it disappoints me that the one area where heart, grit, hustle and discipline trumps skill (getting back in transition) our team doesn't seem to have a culture that values it.
Anyways, thanks for your thoughts.
"You aren't going to beat more athletic, more skilled teams by OUTPACING them ... but you can beat them by outsmarting them"
Right. But as a general rule, and given our youth, aren't we the more athletic team, and aren't the more experienced teams more likely to outsmart us? (Manu positioning himself and getting CP to bite on a stupid and-1 comes to mind).
"TRANSTION DEFENSE is something that even the youngest and cheapest and most expensive (james harden im talking to you) can play well if they are coached. "
On this we agree, and that fact that they don't seem to want to do it bothers me.
"they still allowed wide-open 3PT shots to keep the game close in the 4th."
Yeah, we're pretty sorry in spot up defense too (20th).
I just don't think of the Rockets as athletic at all -- I think they are mostly limited athletes by NBA standards. ASIK off the charts unathletic of course, PAT-PAT, DELFINO, MORRIS do next to nothing for me athlete wise. PARSONS is a bit of an enigma athletically. I'd just call him average because some stuff looks great and other stuff is just sooooo weak.... and he can look awfully bad when matched up with another "comparable" athlete with some skill...
i go with Khuangs assessment ... most of the guys that LIN and HARDEN are playing with are second tier...
AND that's why COACHING is so important ...
I mean c'mon ... you are reigning in JLIN and making him a pass first point guard and then allowing PARSONS to "go for it." if anybody's game needs to be tightened it's PARSONS. His turnovers shouldn't be tolerated. Neither should Asiks... there's 8 TO's a game that could be cut down to 2 or 3 with some COACHING..
Now, when I talk about COACHING a young team and being smarter than the other side ... I'm talking about OUR COACH being smarter than the other side, knowing his team, and accounting for their weaknesses and strengths in order to give us the best chance to win. Of course, young guys will get schooled by older guys with more experience... but THE COACH can do A LOT to help out his inexperienced club ... that is, controlling the PACE of the game, Using time-outs to rest JLIN when they have a chance to win, teaching and demanding transition defense from ALL of his players... and much, much, much more...
I sure hope you guys are assistant coaches to McHale.Delete
Jeremy is 3rd in all star ballot for backcourt behind an unreachable Kobe and 50.000 votes behind Paul.ReplyDelete
Come on vote!!!Replies
As in 50 thousand votes behind Paul?Delete
I've been voting everyday lol :DDelete
Erase the internet memory and vote as much you can :DDelete
jeremy needs you (finger pointed toward you) :D
I may be opening up a can of worms here, but do people believe Jeremy has had an all-star caliber season? I'm not asking does he have the skills and ability to become an all-star, but has his performance on the court this year been at an all-star level?Delete
You know the answer already: Of course he has not been having an All-star caliber season. However, my understanding is that the All-star selection is based on the fans popularity, so if Lin receives a lot of votes, then he has every right to play at the All-star game, and that's that. You should know this already.Delete
So why should I vote for him then? Because he's asian? Look, I openly admit that one of the main reasons I follow Jeremy is because he's asian. (I'm also from the Bay Area, a Christian and of Taiwanese descent). I believe being asian is one of the big reasons why Jeremy wasn't given any college scholarships and why he wasn't drafted. However just as I don't like people using race as a reason why people are shut out, I don't think we should use race as a reason why people should be given special treatment. If Jeremy is voted onto the all-star team over Chris Paul and Tony Parker, it will be more of a set back for asian-americans. It will be more evidence to his critics that the only reason he is starting in the NBA is because he's asian. As asian-americans we just want a level playing field, not special treatment. I do believe Jeremy will one day become an all-star but he needs to earn it on the court. I don't think we should vote for him just because he's asian. Sorry Jeremy, I think you're awesome but you'll have to wait until your performance improves before you get my vote.Delete
- AnonymousDecember 13, 2012 at 3:36 PM
Behind chris Paul? But you said he's third. I know Kobe and James are first two. So u mean Paul is 50 votes catching up Jeremy or Jeremy 50 votes catching up Paul?Delete
I've enjoyed reading your posts, but the one two above this one has been the best. Spot on.
Smoovies, I also agree with your rationale and feeling, and actually being voted into an All-star team may pose a quandary for Lin since he's not dumb to think that he was voted into the All-star team for his current performance. Having said this, I don't think it's "wrong" to vote for Lin and "wrong" for Lin to play the All-star game. For all I know, there may be a penalty NOT to play at an All-star game if the fans voted for you.Delete
I have an idea: maybe NBA should have an All-star team with players who graduated college with GPA of over 3.0? Then, maybe Lin can get on this All-star team.Delete
I know everyone wants to support "our guy," but at this stage in his development, Jeremy doesn't need the negative attention that would come with him being voted into the All-Star Game. And you know everyone will raise a big stink about it. The last thing we want to see is Jeremy playing in the game and looking like he doesn't belong (due more to his timidity in a setting like an All-Star Game).Delete
I know people will claim otherwise, but having followed Jeremy since HS, I think he can be somewhat fragile mentally when it comes expectations. As we are seeing this season,he just puts way too much pressure on himself and overthinks things.
I remember the 2 times I went to go see him play when Harvard came to the Bay Area. The first game was in his sophomore season against Stanford and he got shut out. Literally. 0 points, fouled out, and played really bad. Apparently, Trent Johnson had given his team an order to not let Jeremy do anything and it worked. The second time was his senior season against Santa Clara. He had gotten a lot of attention nationally and especially in Asian-American circles, as he was having a great season, and while he played a good game, he didn't play nearly as well I thought he was capable of (he looked, yes, passive in looking for his own offense).
I believe Jeremy will eventually play like a All-Star someday (consistently, not just for a few games here and there) and I want his selection to be legitimate, not a result of his popularity.
It isn't "wrong" to vote for Jeremy. I am just pointing out the fact that most people are voting for him just because he is asian and not because he is having a stellar basketball season, a type of reverse discrimination. The civil rights movement in the 1960's was a triumph for black-americans because it advocated equal rights for all. However, black-americans lost credibility by supporting affirmative action when they wanted special treatment. Jeremy has been a trailblazer for asian-americans and has challenged the way americans view asian-american men. He has spoken out against some of the racism he has experienced being asian-american. I just hope he doesn't lose credibility because a bunch of well meaning over zealous fans want him to play an exhibition game when he hasn't really earned it. The great thing about Jeremy is that even if he is voted onto the all-star team, I trust he will figure out the right thing to do.Delete
I understand All-Star selection is a popularity contest.Delete
But I too prefer Lin not to be an All-Star this year because it put him in an even more difficult spot that other "disrespected" players will gun for him and make the season difficult. God forbid they will have evil intent for bodily harm since they're already jealous of him getting $25M by only starting 35 games last season.
And I don't think he would feel comfortable to be voted as a West Conference starter solely by popularity contest.
Disclaimer: I reserve the right to change my mind if he gets at least 3 more 30PT games and lead Houston above 0.500 record.
I am in complete agreement with you Smoovies, but your post may rile up some 'zealous" fans. After all, the word "fan" is derived from "fanatic".Delete
Also Smoovies, I think it would be a good PR for Lin to abstain himself from All-star even if he was voted in. Say something along the line of "Although I am tremendously honored that my fans voted me, I believe there are other more worthy players who deserve to start in All-star game. Therefore, with a great deal of respect and appreciation, I would like to wait until I feel I deserve to play at an All-star game." Lin would even become more popular.Delete
I agree with you. Respect is a big part of basketball. Jeremy will lose respect amongst his peers if he "takes" Chris Paul's spot on the all-star game. Also Jeremy doesn't do that well in all-star games which are more suited toward high-flying dunkers who can put on a show. I think he only had 2 points in last years rising stars game.
- AnonymousDecember 13, 2012 at 5:11 PM
It's ok some of you won't vote for Jeremy. As for me I vote for his hard work his spirit and a chance to see him in the game. Very simple to me. I am sure Jeremy will appreciated his fans voting too because he knows nowadays getting people's support is something priceless.Delete
Kobe Bryant (LAL) 639,419
Chris Paul (LAC) 353,603
Jeremy Lin (Hou) 298,319
Jeremy Lin should not be an All-Star this year. Too many other guards in the West are having much better seasons than him. Besides Kobe and Chris Paul who are ahead of him in balloting at the moment, Mayo, Westbrook, Parker, Curry, and Lillard are all having better seasons than Lin. It wouldn't be fair to them or to Lin for Lin to be voted in as an All-Star. He should be voted in when he deserves it by playing well, maybe next season.Delete
- AnonymousDecember 13, 2012 at 5:50 PM
Thanks via!Delete
OK, I totally disagree here. If Lin gets voted into the all-star game and he opts out... that's just stupid. That's like taking a present and throwing it back to the giver saying you don't deserve it. That said, I agree that he is not, so far, having a stellar year and should not be on the all-star game. But in my opinion, the way to deal with it, isn't by rejecting it. After all: He has NO control over whether he gets elected or not.Delete
I'd also agree that people shouldn't vote for him to be on it and in my personal opinion are not doing him a favor by voting for him to be on it.Delete
I get what some people are saying but honestly, screw you, it's my vote. You don't get to police my vote.Delete
Steve Nash (LAL) 118,073
Ricky Rubio (Min) 54,744
Manu Ginobili (SA) 47,800
O.J. Mayo (Dal) 36,495
@ k.smith: If someone states an opinion, they are not telling you what to do. They are stating an opinion. Know the difference.Delete
@bamboo forest, how about you STFU. Too bad there isn't an ignore button on here.Delete
- AnonymousDecember 13, 2012 at 9:12 PM
@k.smith. Please chilled and respect. He's right. Everybody has their own opinion. We can just vote:). Others it's ok. Respect others choice!Delete
If Paul has more votes, then Lin will not be a starter.Delete
I doubt that he will be selected as a reserve. - Selected by Coaches (I think)
I'm surprised that Parker doesn't get any respect at all. He is better than Paul yet Paul is treated like he's the best pg in the league.
I'll take an opposing position here.Delete
Many black people voted for Barack Obama because of his race. Large numbers of people of all races voted for him, particularly in the 2008 election, because of his inspirational story of overcoming adversity.
I can do the same...without people making fun of me or Lin. Society didn't seem to have a problem with people voting for Obama based on factors other than his policies, even though the election of a person to the presidency has far greater repercussions than voting a person to a single basketball game.
Am I saying that Barack Obama was unworthy to be president? Definitely not. In fact, I'm ok with people voting for president based on their personal connection to him while being ignorant of many of his policies. And I'm ok with people voting for All-Star players based on external factors as well.
Plus, there's nothing on the ballot that says "vote for the players having the best season objectively based on criteria like wins, points score, and PER" or even "vote for the players you believe are most worthy of an All-Star selection." Everyone votes for their favorite players. People who hate Kobe are not going to vote for Kobe, and everyone knows that Tim Duncan deserves a starting spot, but he's not going to get one. Why? Not because of anything basketball-performance-related, but because people just don't like him. They like high-flying Blake Griffin.
Additionally, the 38/7 game is a reason to vote for Lin. While one reason is not (objectively) sufficient for a spot on the team (and I just explained why objectivity is unimportant for All-Star game votes), the fact is that Jeremy's scoring outburst was higher than Chris Paul's highest-scoring game (27) and more importantly, Jeremy's ability to play at the same level as these other guards is there. He's demonstrated his ability to play at that All-Star level. Notice I didn't say he demonstrated a potential for All-Star play; I said, he demonstrated that he has that ability right now. Linsanity was no fluke. He's been boxed in because of a system that focuses on another (great) player. Yet, that focus is partly so lopsided because the other player is being paid a lot more money. Will you join me in voting against discrimination based on wage and a foolishly restrictive system against one of the game's top point guards?
Lastly, there's no reason why Lin's performance from last year shouldn't apply here. Remember, Linsanity began after All-Star balloting was over. With his historic performances, he no doubt would have been voted in as the starting point guard, probably in a landslide victory had it occurred a month or two earlier. Given the fact that the period between the decision for last year's all-star game and the decision for this year's All-Star game encompasses the Linsanity run, as well as a nice little run under Mike Woodson, voting for Lin based on those historic performances should be fair and justified.
Also, remember that this game is in Houston. Jeremy may not have another chance to play in front of his home crowd. Since Harden will likely be voted in as a reserve, fans will be thrilled to see both hometown stars in the game. Because many Houston residents will be in the building, we should expect few jeers toward Lin, if any. The All-Star game is a game for the fans, not a game for putting in those meeting some concocted number system. As I fan, I want to see Jeremy Lin play in the All-Star game. And there shouldn't be a problem with that.
@Bamboo ForestDelete
Do you remember the 1988 summer olympic games in Seoul, Korea when Roy Jones Jr boxed for the USA? He destroyed everyone he faced including his South Korean opponent in the finals. Incredibly the judges awarded the gold medal to the South Korean despite Jones outlanding his opponent 86-32. Everyone knew Jones deserved to win including his opponent. It was a joke. In the All-Star game, we (the fans) are the judges. We get to vote who gets to start in the All-Star game. If we use any other criteria, other than basketball talent i.e. race, religion, good looks, etc we are demeaning the value of what an NBA All-Star is. We will be no different than those olympic boxing judges awarding the gold medal to the wrong person. Jeremy has many more years ahead of him in which he will grow into becoming an All-Star, just not the year. The more I think of it, the more I am confident that Jeremy will give up his spot to Chris Paul if he is voted in. It is his character which makes him truly a special person.
But since the all-star game is fan generated and not basketball expert generated, I think it's understood that the best ballers aren't necessarily going to get in the all-star game. That's a fact of life. Mike Bibby, in his prime, was a superb point guard. But he never got voted into the all-star game. If Jeremy Lin gives up his spot or does not, I will respect him. But considering the nature of the all-star (in contrast to your example), I don't think he has to.Delete
All-Star game is not an Olympic event. It's a fan appreciation event, and I don't have to be a judge of basketball skills in order to give my vote. I'll be voting for my FAVORITE player. If that doesn't sit well with some of you, I don't really give a flying fig.Delete
By the way, in this year's Olympics, South Korea lost a medal in fencing because of incompetent judges. They were a BIG joke.
If Lin was having a good season, your Obama comparison would be valid. But he's not having a good season, especially compared to others more worthy, based on merit by virtue of their performance, nothing more.
And this:
"Will you join me in voting against discrimination based on wage and a foolishly restrictive system against one of the game's top point guards?"
would be valid if he was in fact playing like one of the game's top point guards. Unfortunately, he's not. Maybe next year he will be.
I agree with a lot that you have said. Voting is very subjective and there are many factors to consider other than scoring and rebounding. I also agree that a player's history and reputation plays a factor. However the reality is that Jeremy currently is not a top tier guard in the NBA, he's got a long way to go to get to Chris Paul's level. Because the level of disparity between Jeremy and CP is so great, people will not take Jeremy's basketball skill seriously, he will lose credibility. People will question whether he is a NBA starter because of his skill or just because he's asian. Kind of like how in american colleges people wonder if a minority got accepted because of their academic achievement or just because they are a minority. Now in a couple years when Jeremy is a top 5 guard, people won't question whther he legitimately belongs in the all-star game, just not now. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if the voting rules change next year if Jeremy gets voted in this year. They would call it the Jeremy Lin rule.
- AnonymousDecember 14, 2012 at 1:16 AM
For people who say JLin's performance this year isn't at all-star level, just ask ourselves is it solely his fault? JLin always want to do his best, that's the reason many of us root for him. Circumstantially he couldn't perform at all-star level because of factors beyond his control,we fans want to "punish" him instead of supporting him?Delete
- AnonymousDecember 14, 2012 at 11:13 AM
Andy, you bring out the Obama thing I am think about too. Honestly if I am an afraican American I vote for him too. That's why I vote for my Asian man.Delete
@ achon. I m not a political person but I overhead some newspaper. Obama's years is not all that good too is what they said. There's flaws in Obama's system too yet he still got the vote from peopl because people like him.
- AnonymousDecember 14, 2012 at 11:19 AM
* not over head. I mean I do read some newspaper. I don't think many afraican Americans vote for him because how good he is but because that pride to support someone that represent " you". That's some little thing in me too. If not because Lin I wouldn't bother waste my time on this NBA stupid all star thing.Delete
lydia still a bad comparison. Who can you point to that was unquestionably so much better than Obama? You may have favored one candidate over another, but it's up for legitimate debate.Delete
With Lin, you can objectively point to several Western Conference guards who have easily had better seasons than him. There's no debate there.
Jeremy Lin's game is very schizophrenic. He plays like Jekyll and Hyde.ReplyDelete
Against the championship contender, San Antonio, the other day, Link played like Superman.
Against one of the worst teams in the league, Washington, the day after, Lin played like Clark Kent.
Consistency is the hallmark of greatness.
If Lin wants to be great, he has to bring his intensity EVERY NIGHT.
Passive play and coasting against bad teams is not behavior worthy of an aspiring All Star.
In fact, it's an embarrassment.Replies
Is it safe to say that you don't think Jeremy is playing at an all-star level? If so why does he deserve to get voted onto the all-star team?Delete
Simply because the current All-star selection is based on the fan popularity. Just like the US Presidential race, the winner doesn't necessarily have to be the smartest or the most capable; if a candidate appeals to the voters, he or she will win.Delete
It's a sad commentary about our society when we elect our leaders based upon popularity rather than their abilities. In the news today NJ Gov. Christie is being questioned whether he is too fat to be president. Should we vote Chandler Parsons to the all-star team because he is the best looking? If Jeremy is voted onto the all-star team, I have a feeling he won't accept. It would be consistent with his character, he wants to earn it.Delete
@ SmooviesDelete
I don't support JLin on the All-Star team and don't think he deserves it.
In fact, Lin is not even the most deserving guard on his own team. James Harden deserves to be an All-Star more than Lin.
I also think that Omar Asik and Chandler Parsons are more deserving compared to Lin as far as Rockets player being considered.
Smoovies, some elderly Americans have told me that ever since TV got popular, the way candidates appear on TV has become more important. Probably true. Also, without raising a lot of money, hard to get elected, I think.Delete
Lxy, I agree with you, but all I am saying is that I have no problem with Lin's fans voting for him. After all, there is no rule that says to be voted to All-star, the player must have so and so stats. I voted for Parker, Rondo and C Paul as PGs, but I see absolutely no problem with others voting for Lin.
Smoovies, once concern I would have voting for Christie is that he might have a heart attack while he's President because of his weight. :) I think that's a valid concern.Delete
- AnonymousDecember 13, 2012 at 3:46 PM
Everyone has his own freedom and own thoughts. People vote for president you think they really knows the president are talking about? They agree with their policy? Most ordinary people just vote for the person they like and more appeal to them. That just the fact. In jeremy's case fans have different opinion that's nothing Different too.Delete
Having said this, I would vote for Lin as the President in future if he ever gets enough political experience. :)Delete
Lydia Lien, that's precisely what I am saying. For better or worse, I would put myself in that category of "most ordinary people". I do not think the indirect media exposure gave me all that good insight to Romney. Basically, they both lied a lot; that's all I know. In some sense, Americans vote for a candidate who lies the most or best. :)Delete
"on" Romney, not "to" Romney. :)Delete
lxy, if I may add another comment. Tiger Woods said it best (Don't know if it's an original saying though). He said greatness of repeating over and over again the good performance day after day. I also believe as you do that a great player has to bring an "A" game every day. What makes Kobe great is not the fact that he once scored more than 80 points in a game, but because he competed at an "A" level throughout his career. Even though I don't like him as a person all that much, you have to have a tremendous respect for him as a NBA player.Delete
The definition of greatness is being able to repeat day after day a good performance -- I heard Tiger Woods say this once on TV.Delete
- AnonymousDecember 13, 2012 at 5:07 PM
Ebattorney, exactly what you said. That's why I get hard time whom to vote for president because they all sound good yet things they said didn't actually really happen.Delete
This comment has been removed by the author.Delete
Lin is disinterested in shooting because 1) he wants to encourage ball movement 2) he isn't getting any foul calls unless they were obviously hard fouls 3) he simply didn't plan to be a scorer in year 1 especially with Harden on the floor.ReplyDelete
One thing I notice is when T-Mac and Yao were on the court at the same time, Yao hardly got any touches. Once T-Mac was on the bench, then the ball came to Yao. I see the same thing going on with Lin. Half the taem doesn't pass to Lin when Harden is on the court. Asik and Parson don't pass to Lin regardless.
Did anyone notice Jeremy's nose in the video Jlinfan posted? His bridge is crooked to one side, look at any images of him from a while back and you'll see his bridge used to be straight...means he's had his nose broken.ReplyDelete
Guess at least one of those bloody noses he's gotten actually broke it at one point.Replies
Geez, rewatching the vid, that thing is bent pretty badly, you'd think he would have had it set properly so that it heals straight! lolDelete
- AnonymousDecember 13, 2012 at 5:14 PM
Lol. I see that too. But then I thought maybe it's because of the light shadowDelete
Hey look, it's a video of Dave Hardisty, the owner of crotch fans.ReplyDelete
So that's what that thin skinned pansy looks like!
did you guys ever see this?ReplyDelete
it gave me a good laugh today.
[For anyone interested]ReplyDelete
Grantland: The Next Jeremy Lin?
[Chris Tang]
- Replies
That SA game really opened people's eyes in Houston.Delete
Part of it I think was that they needed o feel Linsanity was their own. Now they've experienced it themselves.Delete
The article is saying what everybody is saying all along, "give the ball to JL, and good things will happen".Delete
Everyone knows, even I, a LOF/bandwagoner/not very knowledgable bball fan, know.
But how come the coaches still cover their eyes/ears, blind their own minds, refuse to acknowledge it, and also fail to make adjustment? Arghhhhhhhh.....
One of the major reasons for JL's performance so far is due to mis-usage, being marginalized, terrible timing from coaches in benching him, don't you agree?
We all know what he can do, and the Spurs game proved it again.
So what can a fan do to support JL? I know some of us texted/emailed/tweeted Rockets FO/GM, but did it make any impact? So far I haven't seen it did anyway.
So, as a fan:
1. please stop being self-righteous, by saying he does not play at all-star level, hence does not deserve to be voted to all-star game. PLEASE VOTE ANYWAY. THAT'S WHAT FANS DO - ROOTING FOR HIM NO MATTER WHAT, and show the coaches/FO/GM/owner/NBA that JL will always have us supporting him.
2. please stop asking JL to carry the burden of representing/fighting for Asian Americans, while standing afar just watching, instead of gathering around him to fight ALONG with him.
Melo vs D'Antoni [of course, inevitably, thoughts of JLin]:ReplyDelete
Cx Mxxxxxx @txxcxxxxxxx
So the Rockets/Knicks game isn't gonna be on national tv??!! We want to see Jeremy Lin get eaten alive
5:41 PM - 13 Dec 12
Gxxxxxxx @TxxxHxxxGxxxxJ
Jeremy Lin is bout to get the shit booed out of him Monday #knicknation
5:42 PM - 13 Dec 12
Michael Scotto @MikeAScotto
Carmelo Anthony is sending Mike D'Antoni a message right now. Melo clearly didn't think the offense should run through Jeremy Lin. #Knicks
5:42 PM - 13 Dec 12
Exxxxx Gxxx @txxxxxxxxxxxx
I'm sorry but if you show up to MSG wearing Jeremy Lin jersey you should be escorted out of the building.
5:43 PM - 13 Dec 12
Exxx Rxxxxx @ExxxDxxxxxxx
Who pissed off Carmelo?!
5:46 PM - 13 Dec 12
Nxxx Sxxxxxx @Nxxx_Sxxxxxxxx
@ExxxDxxxxxxx D'antoni for wanting to run the Knicks offense through Jeremy Lin last year
5:46 PM - 13 Dec 12Replies
Jonathan Feigen @Jonathan_FeigenDelete
Toney Douglas in double figures in past 5 gms while hitting 53.6% of 3s; leads NBA in FT %. Return to MSG/media circus will be nuts next wk.
12:31 PM - 13 Dec 12
The Knicks got a 30 point spanking by the Rockets. So all the pressure is on them when Jeremy returns Monday.Delete
For a bunch of fans who claim to be soooooo "over Lin", it's funny how they keep talking about him. Talk about pathetic obsession.Delete
Hope NY Linfans come out Monday.Delete
my friends and I, all 8 of us, are going to the 12/17 game. We are from NJ. Can't wait.Delete
- AnonymousDecember 13, 2012 at 7:59 PM
@hy what's the ticket price you got? They so expensive.Delete
By the way, these fans are stupid. People are allowed to wear jersey to support whoever they want. I see so many wear kobes jersey in ny not Knicks stars. Ironically.
prices vary from hundreds to thousands. we chose the ones around $150 each (including service charge).Delete
This comment has been removed by the author.ReplyDelete
Oh man poor Jeremy, he needs to get laid!ReplyDelete
[NYMAG] Reasons to Love New York 2012:ReplyDelete
12. Because We Had Four Months With Jeremy.
13. Because the Knicks Are Rolling Without Jeremy Lin.
- AnonymousDecember 13, 2012 at 10:09 PM
What happens if Lin scores 38 in the Garden? (I know this is crazed thinking with Harden). But yes, if it does happen, the world will go completely crazy just like it did for two glorious weeks at the height of Linsanity.ReplyDelete
I will still always remember the Lakers, Raptors and Mavericks games. Ok, my nostalgia is taking over now.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Orlando's best place to get the tires you need and the wheels you want. With a large selection of brand names and experienced staff, RNR Tire Express And Custom Wheels is the place to go to get your ride looking and feeling the way it was meant to be. Call or stop by today.Read »


text:
You are here: Social Security Administration > Research, Statistics & Policy Analysis > Research & Analysis by Author > Roy L. Roberts
Research & Analysis by Roy L. Roberts
Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance: Self-Employment Earnings Reported by Farmers, 1955–58
from Social Security Bulletin, Vol. 25, No. 5 (released May 1962)


text:
CBS 5 Cameraman Beaten, Robbed After Oakland Live Shot
OAKLAND (CBS SF) - A photojournalist for CBS 5 San Francisco was beaten and robbed of his camera by a group of young men in Oakland following a live newscast report Wednesday.
Photographer Gregg Welk and reporter Anne Makovec had just finished their noon report on the passage of Prop 30 in front of Oakland Technical High School on the 4300 block of Broadway.
After the live shot, an unknown number of men rushed up, punched Welk and grabbed his camera, according to CBS 5 Communications Director Akilah Bolden-Monifa.
The men then fled in a car with the camera. Welk suffered minor injuries, was treated at a hospital and released, according to Bolden-Monifa. Makovec was not hurt.
The attack was the latest among a series of incidents involving members of the press in Oakland. In recent months, journalists with the Oakland Tribune, KTVU and KNTV have been accosted and robbed of laptops, cameras and tripods. The cost of broadcast-quality cameras can run into the tens of thousands of dollars each.
During last year's Occupy Oakland protests, a number of TV news vans were vandalized and a photographer for KGO-TV attacked while covering a murder near the Occupy encampment.
(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
for more features.


text:
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) The Kansas Supreme Court is preparing to rule on a challenge to the state's 1988 law that limits damages for pain and suffering in civil lawsuits at $250,000.
The court says it will issue a decision Friday in the case of Eudora resident Amy Miller, who filed a medical malpractice lawsuit after her doctor removed the wrong ovary in 2002.
A jury in Douglas County District Court awarded Miller almost $760,000 in damages. The award included $400,000 for current and future non-economic losses, such as pain and suffering.
Because state law limits damages for non-economic losses, the judge reduced that part of the verdict to $250,000. Miller's attorneys contend the cap violates her constitutional rights.
Business and medical groups are supporting the law in friend-of-the-court filings.


text:
Magical White Mountains, New Hampshire.
When the scene in front of you is so dramatic and you are on a shuttle going to the summit of Mount Washington, all you can do is to ask the driver to stop the vehicle for a quick moment and hope to capture it before it all vanishes. The light on the mountain is ever changing which confuses the camera metering system as well. At the end of it, I am happy to have captured this scene and share it with all of you. Take a close look at how the sunlight is being cast on the little foliage while the rest of the mountain is covered in layers of fog. The winds were around the 75 - 80 mph mark so I was unfortunate not to be able to drive up to the summit as the authorities were not allowing any personal cars.
Range of mountains at sunrise ! (Skyline Dr., VA)
Location : Skyline Drive, Virginia.
Description : "There are far better things ahead than the ones we leave behind"
Skyline Drive, Virginia
Skyline Drive is a 105-mile road that runs the entire length of the National Park Service's Shenandoah National Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, generally along the ridge of the mountains.
I always wanted to get this kind of a shot since the day I visited the Blue Ridge Parkway during fall of 2015. At that time I did not have a telephoto lens to get the reach to capture this. So when I visited the Skyline Drive last weekend, I finally managed to capture the blue outline of the mountains from one of the overlooks during the early morning hours. It helps to wake up early :)
Why do mountains appear blue in the distance?
Blue light scatters out of the sunlight in the atmosphere, and so you're essentially seeing sky-light from between you and the thing you're looking at. If there were no atmosphere on the earth, the distant mountains would be the same color as the near mountains.
This is a blend of 3 exposures for better DR.
Montauk Point Lighthouse at Sunrise
Location : Montauk Point Lighthouse, Long Island, New York.
Description : Pre dawn light at Montauk Lighthouse
It was an unplanned trip to the east most tip of Long Island last weekend when AccuWeather alerted me of a 60% cloud cover the following morning. Everything was all set for a beautiful sunrise by the Atlantic shore before the black clouds rolled in and ruined some beautiful light. The scene was dramatic pre-dawn and that's what I intended to capture in this image. This is one of America's oldest functioning lighthouse built in 1796. The flat stones on the shore were a unique sight and someone had actually piled them up on top of another like little building blocks.
Sunset at Brenton Point State Park !
Location : Brenton Point State Park, Rhode Island, USA.
Description : The shore is calling ...
I visited Rhode Island last week and got onto scouting some locations to capture a beautiful sunset, that is if the nature god answered my prayers. The state of Rhode Island is so small that you can do multiple rounds of the state on a single day, so reaching a location is not too difficult. Most of the beach access is facing towards the east barring a few locations like Brenton Point State Park from where I captured this image.
I always look for an interesting element to add to my image and the wave battered boulders seemed perfect for this scene. With any sunset, it is always a waiting game as the color can pop out any time and there are more chances of a colorful sunset near a beach as the air is pure and devoid of air pollution. Glad I waited patiently ...
Great Falls, Fairfax County, VA
Location : Great Fall National Park, Virginia, USA.
Description : "We travel not to escape life but for life not to escape us"
At Great Falls, the Potomac River builds up speed and force as it falls over a series of steep, jagged rocks and flows through the narrow Mather Gorge. I captured this image from overlook 3 in a series of 5 images and then exposure blended them in Photoshop.
Sunken Ship
Location : Sunset Beach, Cape May, New Jersey, USA.
Description : These are the remains of the experimental SS ATLANTUS, a ship made of concrete during world war I. 12 of these ships were created for emergency deployment but never made across the Atlantic.
Laurel Glen, Bushkill Falls, PA
Location : Buskhill Falls, PA.
Description : A Green World!
Bushkill Falls, Only In Pennsylvania
High in the uplands of the Pocono Mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania, streams of crystal pure water bubble up through rifts in primeval rock. These are the headwaters of Bushkill Creek, a great marsh alive with the call of wild birds.
This is a privately maintained waterfall and has 4 hiking options. I chose the hike which was medium in difficulty as I had my little one with me. We always go in a team to all the places and I am glad that I have my family supporting me in all my adventures.
B. Reynolds Waterfall
Location : Ricketts Glen State Park, PA
Description : "Difficult paths leads to beautiful destinations". Endured a 5 mile hike to witness and capture this beauty.
Benjamin Reynolds (1840–1913) was a banker and a brother of Elizabeth Reynolds Ricketts, wife of R. B. Ricketts; the Reynolds and Ricketts families shared a double house in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.[61] B. Reynolds Falls is between 0.1 and 0.2 miles (0.16 and 0.32 km) upstream of Waters Meet, and is the second named falls in Glen Leigh. When the water is low it is only a "horse tail" falls.
A 10 stop filter helped me slow the shutter speed enough to capture the moving water.
Beautiful sunset in Wildwood. New Jersey
It was a little windy that day as you can clearly see some nice movement in the grass patch and I purposely used a slow shutter speed to show the wind factor in the scene. I really like the sunset colors getting reflected on the smooth water.


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Onion over VPN
Access the deep web and .onion domains without the use of Tor. All you need is AstrillRead more
Astrill VPN application has one big ON/OFF button and all settings fit into conveniently small window. Super easy to use.
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Most people are not aware of the harmful effects of wearing shoes that are improperly fitted to their feet on their general health. Mobility issues that are seen in older people and those who are in the nursing homes are caused by long years of wearing uncomfortable footwear and feet neglect. Wearing tight fitting footwear can cause many foot problems like bunions, calluses, and ingrown toenails. It can also cause a profound effect on the overall health particularly the back.
It is therefore imperative to wear the right shoe that best fit your feet. Birkenstock shoes are a great way to maintain good foot health and at the same time prevent development of foot conditions down the road. Birkenstocks are known for their comfort and their foot beds which are unsurpassed by no other. As Birkenstock shoes allow the feet to rest in a proper and natural alignment, they give full comfort for the feet as well as the body.
Your feet will sit in perfect natural alignment when wearing these shoes as Birkenstock has gone over 200 years perfecting their shoe foot beds.
The longer you wear Birkenstock shoes the more comfortable they become. This is due to the fact that each of their foot bed is designed to perfectly mold to the shape of your foot and in the process of wearing it, you will make the foot bed your own. It will be like your footprint. In fact, if you let someone else tries to wear your shoes they will not be as comfortable as you would feel.
The foot beds are made of leather and cork mix together that will allow a person to walk with full comfort and support. The materials used of the foot bed are also designed to create a perfect environment against fungus and sweat.
The rest of the shoe are made of soft leather, nubuck, suede, and select man-made materials. They are easy on the feet and will not cause any painful chafing or rubbing. Additionally, Birkenstock soles are designed to absorb impact and so they reduce the stress on your feet, ankles, legs, as well as spine. Clearly, your foot health is something to be taken seriously and Birkenstocks for health shoes are the best footwear.


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Call number
There have been many books, movies, and even TV commercials featuring Neandertals - some serious, some comical. But what was it really like to be a Neandertal? How were their lives similar to or different from ours?In How to Think Like a Neandertal, archaeologist Thomas Wynn and psychologist Frederick L. Coolidge team up to provide a brilliant account of the mental life of Neandertals, drawing on the most recent fossil and archaeological remains. Indeed, some Neandertal remains are not fossilized, allowingscientists to recover samples of their genes - one specimen had the gene for red hair and, more provocatively, all had a gene called FOXP2, which is thought to be related to speech. Given the differences between their faces and ours, their voices probably sounded a bit different, and the range ofconsonants and vowels they could generate might have been different. But they could talk, and they had a large (perhaps huge) vocabulary - words for places, routes, techniques, individuals, and emotions.Extensive archaeological remains of stone tools and living sites (and, yes, they did often live in caves) indicate that Neandertals relied on complex technical procedures and spent most of their lives in small family groups. The authors sift the evidence that Neandertals had a symbolic culture -looking at their treatment of corpses, the use of fire, and possible body coloring - and conclude that they probably did not have a sense of the supernatural. The book explores the brutal nature of their lives, especially in northwestern Europe, where men and women with spears hunted together formammoths and wooly rhinoceroses. They were pain tolerant, very likely taciturn, and not easy to excite.Wynn and Coolidge offer here an eye-opening portrait of Neandertals, painting a remarkable picture of these long-vanished people and providing insight, as they go along, into our own minds and culture.… (more)


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Expressions 1
The U-Doodlezz collection allows your creative juices to flow. Express your artistic side and tailor a customised poster to your own taste.
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Dignity and Obscenity Don't Mix—Even in America
September 12, 2011
Basically every school kid knows that oil and water do not mix. Should anyone have missed that rudimentary lesson in chemistry, they have only to recall the recent events that took place in the Gulf of Mexico, and a leaking BP oil rig that the best scientific and engineering minds of our time could not stop, for months. If you are a bit older, then you also can recall the great Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska.
No one can argue with the fact that obscenities of every kind are pouring forth across America at an alarming pace. What is hard to understand is that from the President down there are people trying to add dignity to our obscenities which in the end is as futile as trying to mix oil and water.
A recent piece from Focus on the Family noted that the pro-abortionists have been emboldened by President Obama and his Attorney General to take more stringent actions against those who are pro-choice and who choose to demonstrate or stand against the practice of abortion. It goes without saying that every aspect of the gay agenda has also been recharged by the moral position of the President, or as some would say; the lack of it.
When parents got together in New Jersey to have the reading material chucked out of the summer reading curriculum for their kids they were shocked. First they found a story of a 31 year old lesbian that rapes a 13 year old girl and then there is a story of a boy being used by an older gay man. When asked why the reading material was allowed the parents were told that it wasn't about the gay agenda but it was about getting kids to read. OK, let's not get too smart, but just how many books are in the school, public or regional libraries in New Jersey? Is there a shortage?
Now the same man, Dr. Richard Green, who helped to remove the label of "mental disorder" from the homosexual in 1973, is trying to mitigate and "de-stigmatize" pedophilia. Dr. Michael Brown has a list of eight objections now being considered and argued to lessen the degenerative nature of pederasty in our nation. The list is found in an article entitled "Why the Surprise about Push for 'Pedophile Rights," indicates the depth to which we have sunk in trying to justify the worst of our behavior.
I could fill the rest of this article with examples of the new trend toward "anything goes" but anyone who is not living in a bubble is probably already painfully aware of what is happening here in our nation. I could also fill this piece with scriptural warnings and prophetic declarations that have well predicted the rise in immorality both here and abroad as the last days approach.
Not everything that can be known about prophecy is found in the words of the prophets but a great deal of it is found by comparing the historical record of nations and world powers to the declarations of the prophets. It has been noted that only the last 100 years of our history is being taught in our public schools; this may account for the general dumbing down of American youth and our so called professionals about trends that have brought nations to their own demise.
One inescapable fact that emerges in the historical record is that almost every major power met its end shortly after it experienced a rise in homosexual activity and pederasty. Ancient Israel, Rome and a long list of others are now joined by a growing list of modern nations treading the same path.
From those of old who offered their children in the fire to the false deity Molech to today's modern psychiatrists who are encouraging us to mitigate for the child abuser, the trend is a marker that indicates that a nation is about to meet with judgment and disaster.
Both Roe v. Wade which kicked off the great abortion scourge of modern times and the push to legitimize the gay agenda were begun in 1973. We are approaching the end of a forty year period where both of these social trends are peaking. Unfortunately in the Biblical sense of numbers forty is the "time of ample proof" for pretty much anything good or evil. God, we could say, has given us time to reconsider and stop the trend but he will not be mocked. To put it in the common vernacular, the jig is about up.
I cannot apologize for once again giving this most serious Biblical warning about disregarding the lives of our own offspring. It is a comprehensive warning that includes everything from the un-born, prepubescent, adolescents' and minors. It is amazing that the warning has to be given at all, but these are amazing times.
"But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." (Mt 18: 6)
Michael Bresciani is the publisher of American Prophet.org since 2005. The website features the articles and reports of Rev Bresciani along with some of America's best writers and journalists, news and reviews that have earned the site the title of "The Website for Insight." Millions have read his timely reports and articles in online journals and print publications across the nation and the globe. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook!
Visit Rev. Michael Bresciani's website at www.americanprophet.org
See more from Rev. Michael Bresciani at email@example.com


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1. Madrid: Live Flamenco Show with Food and Drinks Options
Experience the passion of flamenco and Spanish music at the historical Torres Bermejas tablao in the heart of Madrid. Enhance your evening with a traditional menu and drinks if selected. Opened in 1960, admire the unique interiors inspired by the Bermejas towers of Granada's beautiful Alhambra. Marvel at the walls of Arabic motifs, ornate tiles and wood-carved ceilings as the flamenco performers captivate you with their unforgettable artistic interpretations. Watch the stunning choreographies of the Cuadro Flamenco, composed of the best singers, guitarists, clappers, and dancers of the flamenco tradition. Be part of this amazing folkloric culture at a flamenco night complete with dining options inspired by traditional Spanish cuisine.


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Weekly Meeting
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Many GHC users have recently been coordinating on a time to meet on IRC to discuss topics of interest to the compiler community. This is an informal gathering to exchange ideas and views on any current issues.
When: Wednesdays, 0800 PDT / 1100h EDT / 1600 BST
Where: irc.freenode.net #ghc
Note: the meeting is in #ghc, and whilst the topics sometimes stray outside of just GHC, we would like to keep the agenda as close to GHC-only as possible
If you desire to discuss a particular topic then post it here and perhaps shoot out an e-mail so people can give it proper thought and show up with something to contribute.
Recent History
- July 23: Should the GHC repo switch to a different DRCS (i.e. leave Darcs)?
- July 16: The Haskell Platform was discussed including which libraries to include initially, criteria, and development process.
IRC logs can be found on the GHC wiki[1].


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OXON HILL, Md. -- Arvind Mahankali has conquered his nemesis, the German language, to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday night, winning at last after third-place finishes in 2011 and 2012.
The 13-year-old from Bayside Hills, N.Y., correctly spelled "knaidel," a small mass of leavened dough, to win the 86th version of the competition. The bee tested brain power, composure and, for the first time, knowledge of vocabulary.
Mahankali will take home $30,000 in cash and prizes along with a huge, cup-shaped trophy.
He finished third in 2011 and 2012, eliminated both times on German-derived words. This year, he got two German words in the finals and nailed them both, including the winning word.
The 11 finalists advanced from a field of 281 contenders based on a combination of a performance onstage and their performance on a computerized spelling and vocabulary test.
The runner-up was 13-year-old Pranav Sivakumar of Tower Lakes, Ill., who stumbled and was eliminated on the word "cyanophycean," a blue-green alga. Sriram Hathwar, of Painted Post, N.Y., finished third, and Amber Born, 14, of Marblehead, Mass., finished fourth.
The finish capped an arduous week of competition that began with curiosity and angst over a new vocabulary test but finished in a familiar way in Thursday's final, with bright kids spelling difficult words under the bright lights of prime-time television.
Over the course of more than two hours, the final inched toward a conclusion with 11 finalists being eliminated one by one. The 11 were the last survivors from a field of 281 contenders who arrived to compete for the title of champion speller of the English language.
Fourteen-year-old Grace Remmer of St. Augustine, Fla., got the final round launched by spelling "greffier," which means an official recorder or keeper of records. But she later stumbled while attempting to spell "melocoton," a word meaning a peach grafted on a quince root stalk.
"Thank you, everyone," she said, leaving the stage to a standing ovation.
Finalists included several spelling bee veterans, but as the night wore on they were down to four contestants after more than two hours of competition.
The win by Arvind continued the recent tradition of Indian-American winners. There have been five in a row and 10 of 14, a run that began in 1999 when Nupur Lala captured the title in 1999 and was later featured in the documentary "Spellbound."
This was the first year that a computerized vocabulary test helped determine the finalists.
The 11 finalists were culled from 42 semifinalists Thursday afternoon, with spellers advancing based on a formula that combined their scores from a computerized spelling and vocabulary test with their performance in two onstage rounds.
The show-stealer during the semifinals was Born, 14, who has wanted to be a comedy writer ever since she saw the pilot to "Seinfeld." The bee's growing popularity is reflected in an ESPN broadcast that gets more sophisticated each year, so Amber got to watch herself featured on a televised promo that also aired on the jumbo screen inside the auditorium.
She then approached the microphone and, referring to herself, deadpanned: "She seemed nice."
The crowd laughed and applauded. Amber turned serious once she heard her word -- "pediculicide" -- but she spelled it correctly and did a little hop as she headed back to her seat.
In the next round, Amber asked pronouncer Jacques Bailly: "Please give me something I know."
Given the word "malacophilous" and told it means "adapted to pollination by snails," she replied: "I don't know if that's possible."
She hid her face with her placard, trying to visualize the word. When she guessed the correct spelling, she leaped all the way back to her seat and advanced to the finals.
Sivakumar, in his final year of eligibility, greeted Bailly in Latin and was relieved to make it past the semifinals after missing a word in the same round in both 2011 and 2012.
"I don't think I'm nervous anymore," Pranav said earlier Thursday. "The semifinals was always the stumbling block for me."
The buzz at this year's bee was the introductory of vocabulary for the first time. Some of the spellers liked it, some didn't, and many were in-between, praising the concept but wondering why it wasn't announced at the beginning of the school year instead of seven weeks before the national bee.
"It was kind of a different challenge," said one eliminated finalist, Vismaya Kharkar, 14, of Bountiful, Utah. "I've been focusing my studying on the spelling for years and years."
There were two multiple-choice vocabulary tests -- one in the preliminaries and one in the semifinals -- administered in a quiet room away from the glare of the onstage parts of the bee. The finals looked the same as always: No vocabulary, just spellers trying to avoid the doomsday bell.
The first vocabulary test had some words anyone would know, such as "tranquil," but the second one included stumpers such as "anacoluthon" (definition: a syntactical inconsistency within a sentence).


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False confession, False arrest, Falsified evidence, Intimidation, Police brutality,Prosecutorial corruption
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February 17th, 2012
Beetroot Soup
I was planning to share this colorful recipe right after the vegetable stock but it waited for its time like other things in life. I tried different ways to cook beetroots during this period like roasting, sautéing, boiling etc. to understand which one gives the best result for the soup. These trials made my hands and probably my tongue to stay a reddish purple for a while thanks to peeling and eating beetroots for consecutive days. Read the rest of this entry »
May 15th, 2011
Full-Flavor Vegetable Stock
Last time I told an unofficial farewell to winter without even bothering to ask whether it has decided to go away or not. It turned out that it is here to stay and we, as people living in Istanbul should accept the fact that we will go through a cool summer this year. For me cool days are only bearable with a bowl of tasty soup. So this time I share a recipe that will turn your otherwise humble soup into a five star feast. Read the rest of this entry »
April 8th, 2010
The Green Things Soup
Click here for a full screen slideshow of this post's pictures
Recently I read a lot of posts welcoming the long awaited spring in other countries and started to feel blue for the gloomy and mostly cloudy weather surrounding the Istanbul sky. Regardless of where we live, we all had a difficult winter passed with financial recessions, personal depressions, work environment pressures, relationship complications, you name it. All we need is to feel the sunshine on our tired shoulders carrying more than we could handle nowadays. Read the rest of this entry »


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Barack Obama is said to believe that he can win the political fight over the sequester. That's certainly the conventional wisdom.
And there is some evidence to support it. When you ask voters who will be to blame if the sequester occurs, Obama or "congressional Republicans," they're much more likely to say they'll blame the latter.
Obama also comes out on top when you ask whether they will blame "Obama and congressional Democrats" or "congressional Republicans."
There's reason to wonder, however, whether reaction after something happens will be the same as what people predict before it does.
Voters are not always good predictors of their future attitudes. That's why pollsters ask people which candidate they would vote for "if the election were held today." They don't ask them to predict whom they'll vote for.
Also, groups of politicians are almost always more unpopular than individuals. When pollsters ask whether you would like to see all congressional incumbents defeated for re-election, large majorities sometimes say yes.
But in every congressional election starting with 1934, a large majority of congressional incumbents have been re-elected. That was true even in the recent high-turnover years of 2006, 2008 and 2010.
Americans don't like congressmen in general. But most like their own individual congressman.
Voters' predictions are especially suspect when they are asked their reaction to a policy — the sequester — which they don't understand and whose effects no one is sure of.
Obama is out on the hustings with his teleprompter warning of the horrific effects of the sequester's cut in domestic services. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has been warning that there may be three-hour lines at airport passenger screening points.
This is the old Washington Monument routine. As Washington Monthly editor Charlie Peters explained in the 1970s, the standard procedure for an agency faced with a funding cutback is to cut the services most visible to the public.
In Washington tourism season, that meant closing the Washington Monument. Congressmen from all 435 districts likely to get angry calls from constituents immediately.
The Washington Monument is now closed for repair of earthquake damage. But Napolitano's threat is an obvious example of the phenomenon Peters described.
One way to counter this, as some Republicans have figured out, is to call for elimination of travel for conventions and meetings. Voters suspect, probably rightly, that most of these are a waste of time and money.
The larger point is that it's very hard to predict public reaction to things that haven't happened. And that applies to the next budget issue down the road, the expiration of the continuing resolution on March 27.
Translated into English, the government will not have money to function then unless Congress takes some action to fund it.
House Republicans are aware of this and have reportedly been preparing a continuing resolution funding the government until September at sequester levels and also giving the Defense Department leeway to apportion the cuts according to priorities rather than across the board.
They might consider giving the same leeway to Homeland Security. (Disclosure of personal interest: I'm a frequent flyer.)
Obama says that would be unacceptable without revenue increases. But Senate Democrats have been quoted anonymously as saying they would pretty much have to go along.
That would leave Obama in an uncomfortable position. A veto would defund the government. Does he want to do that when the Democratic-majority Senate as well as the Republican-controlled House has given him a viable alternative?
For Senate Democrats to take that course would be a recognition that this president is irrelevant to fixing our fiscal problems. They would be working around him, as they did during the debt ceiling battle in summer 2011.
Second-term presidents usually try to advance some major policy initiative rather than engage in campaign-style conflicts with the congressional opposition.
Ronald Reagan pushed successfully for tax reform and emerged with job approval high enough to withstand the Iran-contra scandal.
Bill Clinton fashioned a balanced budget package with Speaker Newt Gingrich. Clinton's job approval actually rose after the Monica Lewinsky sex scandal broke.
George W. Bush tried for Social Security reform. That effort foundered in the face of Democratic opposition and Republican reluctance, and his job approval suffered.
Obama balks at addressing entitlement reform and tries to score points against Republicans. But in the long run, discord and disarray don't help an incumbent president accomplish anything.
Michael Barone, senior political analyst for The Washington Examiner (www.washingtonexaminer.com), is a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a Fox News Channel contributor and a co-author of The Almanac of American Politics.