Speaking of family, found this song on my brother Dan's facebook wall this week, liked it, with credit thrown the way of his friend he met in Oz, Clifton Our Coloured Milkman (literal facebook name). Enjoy.
As for the rest of you - Good day sirs and madams! It is, quite thankfully, the last week of exams for the high schools in town (regular classes finished up last week), and that means my last week of day to day work - the end of gainful employment. An I'm perfectly okay with that. The countdown is now at below 0 - as gone are the days of leading phys.ed - no friends left for my daily fix of street hockey, ultimate frisbee, and soccer baseball games. I'm merely left to fill the role of exam administrator and supervisor, and I'm lucky to vulture those days at all. My vocabulary is limited to about a six phrase collection that loops through and offers up suggestions like, "good luck", "one hour remaining", "no", "keep your eyes on your own paper", "finish up" and "well I donno, what do you think the answer is?". Instant villain. Such is life!
On the other hand, with school winding down I now have an infinitely copious ( re: a lot) amount of time for reading, writing, sleeping, napping, day dreaming, whim'ing, sunbathing, tanning, relaxing, diddling and doting, gaming, swimming, sipping, sunning and running. All aboard the EI train, next stop - surviving the summer. I knew there was a reason for this government of ours, good looking out fellas. Little help with the loans would be nice though. Kidding aside, I am genuinely looking forward to this year's summer vacation an not merely because it involves 'not working'. It gives me time to improve my own health and fitness, as well as get back to reading and writing on a much grander scale. In the past, I've found myself contented with mere listlessness. I've watched, quite apathetically, as the days passed by, content with the nothingness each day held. While that can be a productive at times, from a mental well being standpoint - here and there, I mean - however, to make a habit of such wastefulness, it is quite another thing altogether. So rather than teach, I choose to learn, independently and at my own leisure of course, but learn none the less. I'll be reading up on any number of different topics and if it's worth a mention, it'll surely spill over onto here. So with that said, I'm going to have lots of time for researching and hopefully I'll be able to write a little more as well. Couple that with the end of the basketball season and I'm gonna need to find some new things to write about. So what I need is for any faithful readers out there to let me know what you want to read about. I've got a few ideas of things I'm gonna work on, but I'm always up for new ideas and suggestions. Things I will be working on though will be - NBA Mock Draft for the Lottery Teams involved + extras, trade rumours, speculations, etc., a beginners guide to Jazz music (or something along those lines.), a weekly restaurant review (restaurant suggestions would be great), Top Cult Film Classics of my lifetime (Back to '85), and of course lists upon lists. Anyway those are just a few things, but your feedback would be much appreciated, and I know you need to sign up to google comment or whatever - so if you want to avoid that nonsense, just drop a line on facebook below a posting or whatever and I'll try and cover whatever it is. (I assume that's how 99% of you come to my blog, however this Denmark thing is still, very much a mystery.).
NBA Finals - The Dallas Mavericks are your 2011 NBA Champions.
Now it's been quite a while since I last chimed in on the NBA Finals. In fact, the Heat seemed very much in control through the early part of the series - when I was last watching and writing. One game I did wish to comment on was The Flu Game Part Deux - So,we'll skip over game 3 (the last time the Heat won in 2011) and let's remark upon another awe-inspiring 4th quarter performance by Dirk Nowitzki. Stricken with the flu and a temperature in the triple digits, Dirk broke out of the struggles he faced in the first three quarters to score the final 12 Mavs points and rally them to a 4th quarter comeback win. What I found so intriguing about this was the triangle of individuals it encompassed when evaluating and reflecting upon it's importance. First we have Dirk shedding the "soft" image that has burdened him since his disappearance in the Finals of 2006 . Dirk playing through illness and rising to the occasion in the 4th quarter, which quickly drew comparisons to basketball deity, Michael Jordan. For those that don't remember, Jordan too, overcame a triple digit flu and obvious fatigue to lead the Bulls to victory over the Jazz in the NBA Finals back in 1997. And like most sequels, the original was still better. Let me remind you of Jordan's 'flu' game, one of his best and most telling games of his career.
I chose the word telling because this game speaks to MJ's resolve and his sheer competitive nature that despite the Jazz's formidable challenge and despite his own physical shortcomings he would ultimately overcome and triumph. This game and the rest of the series are what has drawn questions on the 3rd individual I spoke of from the outset. But rather than compare Lebron James to MJ, as we had just two weeks prior, the finals have left us with a mere contrast of the two. Just two weeks previous, Scottie Pippen , the Robin to MJ's Batman, made strong allegations (before later back-peddling) that LBJ might just be better than MJ, and in fact stake a claim at being the best of all time . I think this series has gone to show that Lebron still lacks the mental acuity the MJ possessed in spades. While Lebron showed himself to be a closer throughout both the Boston and Chicago series' he seemed to have disappeared from view at the most important moments of the finals. Consider this, in a tighter than series in which most games were not decided until the 4th quarter Lebron James had just 17 4th quarter points. And of those 17 only a select few came in the final 5 minutes, most with the game already decided. That's the whole series! Dirk scored more than that in the 4th quarter from the free-throw line alone. (Sporting an unblemished 24-24 count.) Whats even more telling is his lack of shots, he hasn't even looked to own the moment. Lebron simply differed or 'shrunk' in the games penultimate moments. If anything serves to distance the mans play - and character - from that of Michael Jordan I think this is it. But enough talk of the Heat, they lost and that's still the number one news on SportsCentre, "Miami Heat lose NBA Finals", rather than the Dallas Mavericks make their own decision to take their talents to South Beach and outmatch, outwit and outplay the Miami Heat. So let's hand out some end of the year awards to this years most deserving team, the NBA champion, Dallas Mavericks.
The MVP - Dirk Nowitzki - Dirk was the unquestionable MVP of this series. The only 'superstar' the Mavericks have, Dirk drained clutch shot after clutch shot, raising his level off play in the moments that mattered most. No longer labelled as soft, Dirk has cemented his legacy as the one of the premiere power forwards of his generation and a clutch 4th quarter performer.The Vinnie Johnson 'Microwave' Award - Jason Terry - An early nominee for this award (pat on my own back), Terry provided instant offence when he entered the game and carried the Mavs through the first half of the clinching game 6, when Dirk struggled with his shot. Terry was called out after a lackluster start to the finals an rose to meet the challenge - I respect that.
The Vernon 'Mad Max' Maxwell Award - Deshawn Stevenson - This award goes to the knucklehead who was able to put aside his usual knuckle-headed antics and contribute in a meaningful way. Deshawn found his touch from downtown in the final series going 13 of 23 from behind the arc and he provided tough hard nosed defence, matching up with DWade and getting under the skin of LBJ. He was also arrested for public intoxication in the days following their game 7 win, one can only assume he was celebrating this award.The Inaugural Struan Smith 'Stay Out of My Paint' Award - Brian Cardinal - Brian Cardinal hardly saw the floor in the finals, but when he did he made sure someone else saw the floor, literally. The "Custodian" knew his role and came in the game to deliver hard fouls and make good decisions on offence, he did just that.
The 'Real' Magic Johnson of this Year's Finals Award - Jason Kidd - When people are stumped at comparing LBJ to one MJ they often turn and compare him to the other, forgetting that, he too, was clutch when it mattered most, and, he too, has some jewellery. JKidd might not rack up the triple doubles like he used to, but he still found a way to control the play on both ends of the court. The Mavs never felt out of a game with Kidd's steady hand at the helm.Controlling the ball on offence means controlling the Heat's transition and fast break game.
The Masterlock Lockdown Award - Shawn Marion - I think it's easy to pick on Marion because he no longer plays like the Matrix out in Phoenix that we grew accustom to watching nearly half a decade ago. I think it's worth noting though, that he too has downsized his game and chosen to focus on rebounding and defending as his way to best help his squad. Marion's challenge came at the defensive end and though its easy to hurl disappointment at LBJ, something tells me that Marion's relentless pursuit and pressure must have had something to do with slowing him down.
The KG "Change 'D' Culture" Award - Tyson Chandler - Talk about an off season acquisition! Tyson Chandler may have been exactly what the Mavericks needed, and exactly what Dirk needed. Chandler's toughness, tenacity and passion on the defensive end is infectious, spreading like an epidemic throughout the Mavs franchise. Forever a team thought to under achieve, and not be willing to 'gut it out' defensively, Chandler brought a new, much needed energy, to the defensive end for the Mavericks. Ultimately, I think it's the underrated zone defence that won the Mavs this series.The Reason Eddie House Needs to Retire Award (Some of you might be thinking... Is Eddie House even that old? And I'd say your missing the point. He's old enough. But I digress....) - J.J. Barea - There are a whole plethora of reasons for Eddie House to retire and simply just enter local 3 point comps for the rest of his days. This is the one that sticks out most in my mind. I'm speaking off the little inside out dribble move Barea put on House before stepping back to knock down a crucial 3 during the Mavs crucial 4th quarter run. I tried to find a clip but nothing out there yet. That said, House was not alone in getting blazed by the one man fast break that is J.J. Barea. Barea enters the game and immediately has the ability to change the pace of any possession. Whether it is slowing the other teams offence down with his pitbull like, on the ball pressure, or speeding up the tempo with his fearless forays to the hoop, you know he's out there!
The Chessmaster Award - Rick Carlisle - As a series progresses you really begin to see the importance of the adjustments and decisions made by the coaches. I think it is safe to say that the decisions made by Carlisle (Start Barea, limit Peja's role, go small and run passed Miami) outmatched those of Spoelstra. (Who like the rest of us, must have just been waiting for LBJ to show up and win this award for him.)
And that's pretty much it from this year's finals. I really enjoyed this season, as well as this years playoffs. I thought the finals was as good as anything we've seen in quite some time. All of the games were highly intense and game down to crucial moments of execution in the fourth quarter. As far as quality of play and competitiveness I think this season was a real treat and I look forward to the continued progression of the new youth movement within the league that has some of the old guard being over taken by new emerging teams and individuals, leading me to believe a strike would be a real shame in light of some of the comments I've just made.
Furthermore, I realize I have hardly touched on the NHL Finals and that's not because I don't enjoy them or think anything less of their entertainment value, I simply don't have the same level of knowledge with regard to hockey. Beyond that there is already innumerable pundits, critics and commentaries regarding the NHL playoffs where we live, so anything I'd have to add would either be amateurish or redundant at best. What I'm trying to say is that no I do do not understand why Bobby Lou is so remarkably staunch at home yet he becomes swiss cheese on the road? Oh what? No one understands that? Maybe I'm not as dumb as I thought.
If you're not watching the Game of Thrones you should. Juss sayin.
Summer Countdown - Whooo! Schools out for Summer! With Alice cooper fresh in my head here we go with one of my final summer countdowns before the big day arrives. I'll throw together a comprehensive list of all my many reasons to smile this summer with the final 5 when I blog next, til then here's the latest. Won't be long now!
17. Summer Reading - Reading in the sun or reading in the sand, count me in. Get into a good one!
16. Sun Showers - Got to love when it's so hot out that the sun begins to cry and there's a refreshing sun shower for all to enjoy. That is the scientific explanation for this phenomenon, no?
15. Yard Sales - You never know just what you'll find when you roll up to these yard sale flea markets but sometimes they can yield untold treasures for the frugal shopper.14. Mini Golf - I like to think this is where I work on my putting game, you know, for when the green is littered obstacles and the hole isn't really the hole, it's just a tunnel to another green with another hole.... because I don't have a difficult time on the greens as it is.
13. Snorkelling - I like to get under there and see what's up and there's not much for scuba diving around here.
12. Corn Boils - Usually involves a bunch of dudes, beers, and delicious side salads. I have a special preference for 2 of the 3.
11. Cold Beer - So I guess it's salads or dudes.
10. Lapping Waves - Sometimes, sometimes, I genuinely prefer this here sound to my own ipod when I'm bathing in the sun. If only it wasn't interrupted by the wailing of a small child, en francaise. Are the cries of a babe any different en francaise - me thinks not, shrill as ever -ear buds back in.09. Block Parties - Dave Chappelles or otherwise.
08. Fireworks - Whether it's a community function or your own private stock, either way people get jazzed up about big bright things exploding. It's why we love the bomb.
07. Hammocks - Cool pillows and swaying hammocks are relaxation.
06. Picnics - Does anyone still do this. Besides, you know, chips at the beach.
So much new FREE music came out this week through leaks and that sort of thing, including a new Nas song that is certainly worth checking out.
Hip Hop Top 20 - Week 06. 14. 2011
n/a 20. Marvin's Room - Drake
n/a 19. Mama's Boyfriend - Kanye West 12. 18. Red Nation - The Game Ft. Lil Wayne
n/a 17. Reunion - Bad Meets Evil (Eminem & Royce 5'9")
17. 16. That's Life 2 - Killer Mike
08. 15. Capcom - Kid Cudi
19. 14. How High - J. Cole
14. 13. Make Some Noise - Beastie Boys
n/a 12. Nasty - Nas ***Top Debut***Top Gainer***
06. 11. Dreamin' - Big K.R.I.T
11. 10. M I Crooked Letter - Rossini Ft. Big K.R.I.T.
04. 09. Eraser - Kid Cudi
13. 08. Dreams Money Can Buy - Drake
10. 07. Disgusting - J. Cole
07. 06. Wake Up - Wiz Khalifa
02. 05. All Black Everything - Lupe Fiasco
01. 04. American Rapstar - Big K.R.I.T
09. 03. Return of Simba - J. Cole
05. 02. Fast Lane - Bad Meets Evil(Eminem & Royce 5'9")
03. 01. Roll Up - Wiz Khalifa
And that's pretty much it for now. Again, gonna have a whole lot more time available to me in the coming weeks and months, so let me know what you want to read about and I'll try and think of a creative way to make it happen.
P.
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