I guess I'm not cut out to be much of an athlete. Maybe my mom was smart to hold me out of football in high school. Since I've come to college, I've broken my nose playing soccer, broken my leg playing ULTIMATE frisbee, and sprained my ankle/foot a couple times playing basketball.

It's a good thing there's fantasy sports to keep me happy. At least I can live vicariously through the guys that I chose to represent me on my team. Sometimes I like to think they are playing their hardest to make me proud. And I have a girlriend...boy am I lucky.

hmm...I don't really know where I was going with this blog tonight. I just felt a little bad since I haven't updated it in about a month or so.

Be aware though, there'll be a new link for another blog on the right hand side column coming in the next few days. It should be good, just wait...

real quick before i go to work:

- read this link if you are a kings fan, or even a basketball fan http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=neel/050304&num=0

- a great quote from the Sports Guy in one of his articles today: "The referee situation is so brutal in the NBA right now, I'm not even sure that Violet Palmer is one of the five worst officials in the league anymore. It's like they're coming off an assembly line -- they're all in phenomenal shape, they all look like running backs, and they're all incompetent. Every last one of them."

Violet Palmer is pretty awful. So that's really saying something. Okay, to the shower I go.

The Weatherman

In nearly every profession, folks are held to some level of accountability. The business of meteorology does not subscribe to the idea of accountability. If a businessman doesn't deliver on his word, he would be expected to lose business. If a truck driver missed his delivery date by a day and a half, he'd have some seriously irritated customers waiting for him when he finally rolled in. This makes sense, right?

Then why do we let the weatherman go around making "educated guesses" about what mother nature will be bringing us in the next seven to ten days? The weather report is a great big hoax. We all know it, but we accept these inaccurate forecasts as readily as we accept our paychecks. I say it's time for change. Get rid of the whole effing idea of "Meteorology".

The only thing weather forecasts bring us are sunshine graphics and goofy guys named Johnny Mountain or A.J. Foxx who claim to be experts on the science that is weather. And don't get me started on Jillian Barberie (http://www.fox11.com/sections/newsteam/barberie.asp). There's no way she can predict the weather any better than the cat.

I cannot count the number of times I've been deceived by the weather report. Can't we get these frauds to admit they're just taking shots in the dark about what the clouds hold in store for us? I have a vested interest in the potential for inclement weather because I commute on a motorcycle. If there's a chance of rain, I have to wear snowboard pants, a rain jacket, and a different pair of shoes (plus socks) so that I can be dry by the time I get to where I'm going.

Take Wednesday for example. I checked the weather report around 7:45am. It said that there would be no rain at all until midday Thursday. Well, I assumed that meant I'd be safe to go to work without packing my rain gear. Turns out, it started raining nine hours after I checked the weather report. It wasn't supposed to start raining for 30 hours...30 HOURS!!! NOT NINE!!! That's a huge difference. Obviously, I came home riding my motorcycle on the freeway in the rain without the necessary gear to keep me dry.

As I'm typing this, I just started to hear the patter of rain on my window...awesome. At least the weatherman called it this time. WHAT ABOUT WEDNESDAY YOU LYING PILE OF GARBAGE?!?! WHERE WERE YOU THEN, HUH?!

In this age of technology and scientific breakthroughs, is it too much to ask that we have an accurate way to predict the weather? I don't think so. What good is science if we can't even predict the weather a few days in advance?

We're having a retreat for work this weekend up in Big Bear. I've been responsible for planning a good majority of the retreat. It should be a lot of fun. There's a few things that concern me though:
- The cabins we've reserved are made for about 25 people. We're bringing about 40 people.
- There's a good chance it will snow while we're up there. Playing in the snow will be fun. People from LA driving in the snow will not be fun.
- We're starting some sore of "initiation ceremony" this year for the new staff. I hope I don't laugh through my lines.
- 40 people!
- We are preparing our own food...for 40 PEOPLE!

Hopefully I'll come back with some good stories to tell, and if there are any worthy photos I'll try and post them too.



p.s. Katie got me the first season of "24". YES!

Well, after a night to sleep on it I'm starting to come to terms with it all. This stat helps me though: With Webber these past two regular seasons, the Kings were 38-31. Without him, they were 51-16.

Good luck in Philly Chris.

very few understand how devastated i was to read the webber news. i have loved the kings ever since middle school...when it was the mitch richmond/brian grant/olden polynice era. my effing last name is KING. i understand why it happened, but it still hurts. i've been saying for the last week or so that if anyone gets traded from the kings, it would be webber. but i didn't really believe it. i love that guy...even though there's a lot of people out there that hate him. he's a good guy.


a quote from Geoff Petrie, Kings President of Basketball Operations- "Trading Chris has been one of the most difficult and emotional decisions I have been involved in," Petrie said late Wednesday night. "He has been an instrumental force in ushering in and maintaining an exciting period of basketball in Sacramento. I can't thank him enough for his efforts as a King. When we talked, he was incredibly professional in every way.

"We all wish him the best. The memories remain the property of the Kings."


i feel bad for webber. when chris was traded from washington back in 1998 he was not a fan of his new home. it took a few years, but he finally warmed up to sacramento. the town embraced him. ultimately, i think his time with the kings saved his career. he was in and out of trouble before he came. he really settled down and matured as he realized he was the leader of the team.

i know the fans will still treat him well. he'll get a standing ovation every year when the sixers come to play in sacramento. that's the thing with kings fans, if you've played any significant role for them they never forget you. ask jason williams, doug christie, or hedo turkoglu.

i haven't been to a kings game since eighth grade...nine years. but now i've got tickets to their game here in LA in march against the clippers. i was so excited to go see them play. i still am. but there's going to be that feeling that i never got to see the best king of my generation play live.

this is going to take a while to sink in.


go kings!

Pink Floyd

Money, get away.
Get a good job with good pay and you're okay.
Money, it's a gas.
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash.
New car, caviar, four star daydream,
Think I'll buy me a football team.

Money, get back.
I'm all right Jack keep your hands off of my stack.
Money, it's a hit.
Don't give me that do goody good bullshit.
I'm in the high-fidelity first class traveling set
And I think I need a Lear jet.

Money, it's a crime.
Share it fairly but don't take a slice of my pie.
Money, so they say
Is the root of all evil today.
But if you ask for a raise it's no surprise that they're
giving none away.

Why is it that homeless people abhor the use of crosswalks? On my way to and from campus everyday there is always at least one fool that has to cross the street sans crosswalk when there are cars coming in both directions. Just in case they weren't hard enough to spot, dark clothing is the preferred attire of these rogue roadway hazards. Once in a while you'll find them pushing a shopping cart laden with so much random attachments that they resemble a land-based garbage barge. I think I may have seen one a few days ago that dwarfed a Mini Cooper. Do they disregard the safety of the crosswalks because they are in such a hurry to get where they're going that they have no time to find one? I don't think so. I think it's a combination of lethargy and an underlying hope that if they DO get hit by a car, they may be able to profit from the accident by way of a lawsuit.

Okay, enough ranting for today.

I can't claim credit for this...but it's really funny anyways.

The Allied Invasion. The Trojan Horse. The Divine Plan. The following strategy puts them all to shame because it defines how to finally defeat the great beast of society: women.

Arguing with girls, like yoga, is a meaningless and inane exercise. A lot of guys hate doing it, most notably because it never seems like we can win. But you can win. Here's how.
Step 1. Abandon all logic. Girls don't use it, and you certainly shouldn't allow it to handicap you.
Step 2. If you believe strongly in something, do NOT give in to any aspect of it. Compromise is useless against girls, because they will rationalize that if they can get you to concede to one element, they can get you to quit on the whole fuckin' Periodic Table. (Nothing like a little chemistry humor, right?)
Step 3. Don't be afraid to take cheap shots. Ever argue with a girl about something and they randomly insult you with something that has no relevance to the argument? That's their way of trying to wear you down and push you off-topic. Fight fire with fire, I say. Tell her she has a fat ass, small boobs, an ugly face, disorienting facial hair, unwieldy hips, and is a genuinely awful person.
Step 4. Cite precedent. Girls have no concept of historical factors relating to the current situation. Most girls reading this just went over to dictionary.com to see what "precedent" meant.
Step 5. Interrupt her. Don't let her talk. Girls hate that like they hate other girls. It's hilarious, too. They get all frazzled.
Step 6. Don't take her seriously. Laugh at every point she deems serious in nature. Fart, if possible. Derail her emotional train.
Step 7. If the argument escalates, cut off all communication with her. If a girl can't find you, she can't continue arguing about bullshit. Change your phone number, relocate, and get a name change if you must.
Step 8. Don't be fooled by "Let's stop arguing please." That's their way of making you let your guard down, so they can swoop in after you're worn down. Instead, say something like "Yeah, all this being right is exhausting for me." Pisses them off. Just trust me.
Step 9. Compare her unfavorably with another girl. This is especially effective if the comparison is with a girl that they simply abhor. Tell her something like, "Lisa is so much more compassionate than you." Girls hate other girls, like a deer hates a shotgun. And how do you take down a deer? Exactly.
Step 10. Don't be intimidated by the water works. That's their ultimate contingency, knowing that guys can't deal with a crying girl. Stay strong, don't let yourself get emotional, just think of something funny. Replay scenes from "Office Space" in your head if you must.
Step 11. Bust out, "I don't feel like fighting. I've proven my point." Then stop. Leave the argument. It pisses them off because a guy's natural reaction is to resolve, whereas a girl's is to continue forever and ever until the end of time until they hear that they are right. If a guy decides that he is right and won't budge, their whole concept of male-female relations is shot to shit. Again, mind games.
Step 12. Ask her if she's on the rag. Self-explanatory.
Step 13. When all else fails, tell her she's just like her mother. It's an ace-in-the-hole and will emotionally cripple her to such a degree she may even forget her whole argument.

Remember, girls are the less intelligent of the genders. All throughout history men have out-thought, out-invented, and out-created women in every facet of existence. Isn't it about time we won an argument for once? Gentlemen, that time is now.

Maybe there is some justice after all...the 49ers not only fired that no good SOB Dennis Erickson, but they also let go their GM Donahue (who just happened to be an ex-UCLA coach). http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1959782
It's been painful to watch my team struggle so much the last two years. I hope John York has some clever moves in line to bring in some smart people to replace those two yahoos. However, York hasn't impressed me so far with anything he's done since he took over ownership. I'll just have to wait and hope.

Thankfully, I've had the Trojans to carry me through these dark days. That game last night was probably the best sports game I've watched in my entire life. I had been so nervous for the past week or so leading up to the Orange Bowl. It started with that circus catch by Byrd and...well, I can't remember it all. There was just too many good things going on in that game. D-Bo's "Byrd Dance" was pretty good too. My throat has been sore all day at work because of the ridiculous screaming and cheering I was doing last night. It was completely worth it though. Happy New Year Trojans!

Tommorrow is the big game. Eric's getting off early, Dave's leaving work at noon, my office is closing early, and Brian has class. Glad I'm not him. I'm excited for the game, but I'm a bit scared too. Adrian Peterson is frightening as an opponent...I'm just glad he isn't in our conference so we don't have to deal with him for two more years. I'm going to be useless at work tomorrow...

While my roommates were spending New Year's Eve in Las Vegas drinking and gambling, I was standing on a curb in Marina del Rey. I had to work. (hmm, that makes it sound like I'm a prostitute) I was valet parking for a party. So I rang in the new year with my coworkers, Ariana and Claudia, two hispanic women in their mid to late 30's. Really exciting stuff. There was some upside though: a) Marina del Rey has a fireworks show on New Year's Eve, b) I made $57 in tips, and c) it didn't rain on me.

That's it for today. As a parting note, like I told Elina today: If you ever think it's a good idea to ride to work on a motorcycle in a rain storm, I urge to strongly reconsider. Sure, there are things I regret doing a lot more, but that's just the most recent.

Till next time...