Inner Drive

On thing I have always been amazed with is how some people have an inner drive that makes them do things that others could only dream of. How they can wake up in the morning at 4:30 am to run 5 miles. How they can dedicate hours upon hours of their free time to do something extra for work. I've always marveled at how people who have this gift just keep going no matter what. Probally because I'm such a lazy ass myself I am jealous of them. Hell, maybe I have adult onset ADD lol. Having a wife who is a trained social worker you learn about the coolest mental issues that you could have. Anyhow, here is to mental discipline or a stronger ginko biloba .

Just a thought that doesn't matter - mTony

Being and Adult Sucks

When you get out of high school or college and they tell you welcome to the real world, they are not kidding. If I knew then what I know now I would have tried to get 3 degrees lol. Life is hard. You have death, bills, work, bills, taxes, kids, more bills, taxes (which are a type of bill), and more bills.

Thank God for friends and loved ones. I know if not for my wife and family I wouldn't make it though a day. Now if I can find a way to legalize the shooting of stupid people, life would be perfect :-)

just a thought from somebody who doesn't matter -mTony

Blatent Irony

NBA Superstar Jermaine O'neal thoughs on the perposed league age limit

TORONTO - Indiana Pacers forward Jermaine O'Neal hinted Monday that racism could be a factor in the NBA's proposal to set a higher age limit for players entering the league in the next collective bargaining agreement.

"As a black guy, you kind of think (race is) the reason why it's coming up," O'Neal told the Indianapolis Star before Monday's game against the Toronto Raptors. "You don't hear about it in baseball or hockey. To say you have to be 20, 21 to get in the league, it's unconstitutional. If I can go to the U.S. Army and fight the war at 18, why can't you play basketball for 48 minutes and then go home?"

NBA commissioner David Stern wants to raise the minimum age for the NBA draft from 18 to 20. O'Neal said he would be willing to listen to arguments for raising the age limit.

"In the last two or three years, the Rookie of the Year has been a high school player," O'Neal said. "There were seven high school players in the All-Star game, so why we even talking (about) an age limit?"

O'Neal made the jump from high school to the NBA in 1996. Cleveland's LeBron James and Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire, who won the past two Rookie of the Year awards, also made the jump straight from high school.

I wanted to write something thought prevoking and meaningful in response to this. I was on all the sports news radio shows and ESPN has been talking about it all day. Of all the aspects of what Jermaine was talking about I think the irony of the comment is worth commenting on.

Jermaine O'neal was drafted into the league in 1996 by Portland. I find it funny that he used two other High Schoolers as examples of why things should stay the way they are (LeBron James and Amare Stoudemire) who have florished in the league from day one. But Jermaine seems to have forgoten that he nearly dropped off the map with the Trailblazers. He was a late bloomer and never fit in with the hundred or so forwards that were in the league at the time. A couple of years in college would have done him well to develop his game at that point. Also a couple of history classes would have done him good to actually know what he was talking about. The point he made about going to war was initially made to justify 18 year old Americans the right to vote. A vote that is greatly differnt than playing in the NBA. But I will give it to him that it isn't a totally invalid arguement.

Second he compared the policies in baseball and hockey with basketball saying that nobody goes after them. Well, baseball and basketball have something that basketball doesn't have. A developmental or minor league system. A system that helps players not ready for the majors develop. Not all players in the minors ever even make it to the majors but it a place they can live out their dream at least to live out their dreams and play the game they love. The NBA does have the NBDL (

National Basketball Development League) it is not nearly as organized as the other minor leagues or college. A better comparison would be baseball, basketball, and hockey to the NFL. A league that does have an age limit and is doing pretty damn well. Is the National Football League raceist because they have an age limit?

Lastly, this might be me just being too sensitive about this topic but it must be said. Do black people, especially young black people , know what it is to be black anymore? What Jermaine O'Neal did, probally without knowing it, is use the race card to justify and validate his existance. Being black (as will any other group identification) is to identify yourself with people who have something in common with you. And with some social responsibility help you make decissions that would benifit your group as a whole. Now should he have the chance to make millions of dollars yes. But should he have a higher responsibility to members of socity that should be educated. Definitly. The truth is that very few people have the ability to get into the NBA. But thousands try to follow there dreams into making it to the league. By getting an agent they totally disqualify themselves from being able to obtain a college scholarship, totally limiting their chances for having a full and successful life.

Where is the obligation. The connection with your fellow African-American, urban, and young brothers and sisters. Easy, there isn't any. With the current system not only with the game of basketball suffer and further erode, but our young people in the urban and impoverished areas of our country will continue to believe that the only way out is play a sport or something worse.

People don't understand that education is not a right, its the law. 100 years ago there weren't any public schools or libraries. Education was the right of the priviliaged and successful. Even eariler than that, your were denied the right of instionalized education because of your race. Knowledge is the only tool all peoples have for empowering themselves. An age limit isn't going to keep black kids from the NBA. It's just going to make sure they have the chance to develop mentally and physically to be better prepared for the league. Then again I ame getting older so I might just need a nap

Just an opinion from somebody that doesn't really matter - mTony

Sony's Dirty Little Secret

I have been a Sony Playstation fan since it's launch in the 1995. I bought a Playstation when everyone though that Sony was crazy for ever going against Nintendo. I waited to buy a Playstation 2 (PS2) when everyone was raving about the Sega Dreamcast and choose it over the Microsoft X-Box when everyone raved about how much more powerful it was than the PS2. And I will purchase a PS2.


Bow and pay your respects to the ultimate in portable gaming hardware.
But what most people have seems to have forgotten is the recent advance in Playstation technology that seems to have been shelved faster than Windows ME. The PS2 Hard Drive!!!


The Playstation 2 Hard Drive was released with Final Fantasy XI, the massivly multi-player online role playing game released by . Gamers had been waiting for this attachment to the PS2 for years. And it sold when it came out, and then suddenly, fell off the face of the earth.


While the hard drive wasn't that big of a drive at 40 GB or fast (I believe 5400 rpm), it was however a very useful addition to the PS2. That is until however Sony seemed to do everything possible to kill it.

Here is what I could come up with to support this:

1. Lack of support for games
   Besides Syphon Filter and Final Fantasy how many games could use it.


2. Release of a new PS2 with not support for the hard disk drive


3. Removal from the Playstation Web Site
   I mean the Linux kit is still even on here

Every system has its failures. But these sound just a little to familer to the Sega Dreamcast History. But reguardless or not, this rant was something to write about. lol

Just an opinion from someone who doesn't matter - mTony

Me and the wife at dinner (18 weeks and 3 days along) 

The Underdog

For as long as I can remember I have loved the underdog. I loved playing Robin when playing Batman and Robin. I watch CHiPs to pretend to be John (Kinda sad now that I think of it). The long and short of it is that I have always wanted to route for the guy everyone doesn't like. Prime examples.... Tigger and Kobe.

Now you may be thinking that there is no way that either Tigger Woods or Kobe Bryant could ever be underdogs. Kobe is usually always the best play on the court whenever he plays. And Tigger is the most consistant player our the PGA tour. And on both counts you would be right. But when I say underdog I don't mean someone who isn't suppose to win. I mean someone who people feel we shouldn't cheer for.

Kobe for all of his childish mistakes I feel is no different than most other players in the league. He just isn't social. I mean honestly, if it wasn't for the rape case how many people would be booing him now. But because it is fashionable to boo him and blame him for running Phil Jackson and Shaq out of LA. Let the record show though that Phil Jackson was at the end of his contract. And to come back he wanted something like 9 million dollars a year to coach. Let the record also show that because Shaq was not considered the most important play on the Lakers and consulted on Phil not coming back he "DEMANDED" a trade. He even gave them a list of teams he would only accept a trade to or he would sit out the last two years of his contract. Why else wouldn't they take him to the Bobcats or Atlanta for a bunch of draft picks. Now do I think Kobe is a great human being or man. No. Do I think he was totally the victim of Shaq's and Phil's abuse in LA. No again. He was too young, too talented, and way to spoiled not to be a pain in the butt. But I am old enough to know that there are two sides to every story and in most stories no one is totally right or wrong.

Tigger is another story. It just seemed like everybody got tired of him being the best. So when his game went south for a minute (a two year minute) they loved saying that he was washed up and would never be that Tigger Woods of a few years ago. I'm sure everyone is rethinking that position after what he did on Saturday at the Masters though.

To make a long story short, THE MEDIA IS EVIL!!!. LOL, no no. Just kiding. But you should always take the time to think of a situation in more than the way that is spoon fed to us at 6 and 11. Unlike the movies, our heros aren't as heroic as we need them to be and our villians aren't always as evil as we feel that they are.

Just an opinion you might not care about -mTony

Good vs. Great

I'm sitting up here in tonight looking at ESPN2 (don't ask me why) looking at a Muhammad Ali vs. this guy named Oscar Bonavena. To setup the backdrop, this was one of the fights Ali fought after his layoff from the ring after he was suspended after choosing not to step forward during the draft. Ali had predicted, as was his tradition, to knock Bonavena out in the 9th round. Bonavena to his credit promised an 11th round knock
out.


Ali and Bonavena during their pre-fight weigh in.

The long and short of it is Bonavena was a hell of a lot tougher than Ali could have imagined. He was like a punch drunk bull. Always pressing. Disrupting Ali's game plan and making him work harder than he wanted to. The fight went past both boxers perdictions. Past the 9th and 11th rounds all the way to the 15th. Where the greatest of all time hit Bonavena with a left that sent him to the canvas three times to end the fight.

Now you may be asking yourself why I am talking about this old fight. Well it got me to thinking. People who are good at stuff have a good showing here and there. Sometimes over achive like Bonavena did against Ali. But the great ones always find a way make everyone look at them a little different. They do something that shows all those who idolize them why they are so much better than they could ever hope to be. The provide the inspiration for little kids who are destined to be great to
work a little bit harder every day and night to improve something about themselves so they can be like that. And that brings me to my thought. Who does Great anymore?

Everyone now-a-days is all about being paid up front. No more proving anything. I'm gonna be great so pay me. Only thing is once you get that pay day, the shoe contract, the coner office, why play hard or work more. I don't have anything to prove. We reward potential instead of production. Now if we get production we are happy. We say "Great. He is doing what he was supposed to be doing". If they don't live up to their potintial, for instance
this guy , then they just sit tight and continue getting paid. But its just not sports. Doesn't seem like anyone wants to be great anymore. It seems like this whole generation just wants to do enough to get by so they can hit the lotto and file a law suit against somebody to get a load of money. Just
doesn't seem to be anybody to look up to anymore. Just a bunch of kids making lots of money when don't know how to be adults themselves.

Can you tell yet I'm getting old lol

just and opinion from
somebody that doesn't matter - mTony

News Only I Would Find Interesting

Since everyone who has met me knows the type of guy I am, Here is a news story right up my alley.

BOISE, Idaho (Reuters) - An Idaho strip club that attempted to get around a ban on full nudity by giving patrons sketch pads for special "art nights" was cited for violating the city's nudity rules, officials said on Tuesday.

The citation was issued on Monday night to the Erotic City Gentleman's Club in Boise, Idaho.

Boise allows full nudity for "serious artistic" expression only, so the club handed out pencils and sketch pads to patrons so they could sketch naked women.

A police spokeswoman said officials concluded, however, that patrons were not focused on art, so officers cited three dancers for violations of the city nudity ordinance. "The case is being reviewed by the Boise city attorney for the possibility of future citations," said spokeswoman Lynn Hightower.

Erotic City owner Chris Teague called the citations a violation of the civil rights of the dancers, as well as an "insult to the patrons." But the club would suspend 'art night' until the matter was settled in court.

Yahoo! News

As much as you may disagree with the though of public nudity and strip clubs, you have to give this guy bonus points.

just some news from someone that doesn't matter - mTony

Kung Fu Hustle

I am to say the least a die hard kung fu and action flick fan. Movies from "5 Deadly Venoms" to "Kill Bill". But I have to say without a dout that this is one of the most unique movies I have seen in a while.

In Shanghai in the '30s, times are dangerous and gangs rule the streets. The most notorious of these, the Axes, strike fear into the hearts of honest citizens and inspire admiration in one young wannabe. One day, in a slum on the outskirts of town, he wreaks havoc when he recklessly poses as an Axe member and causes a veritable riot between the real gang members and the denizens of a housing project who just so happen to be strangely well versed in the art of kung fu.
Yahoo Movie Review

This movie is like Crouching Tiger meets a Jackie Chan movie. Funny but impressive. With some of the most creative fight sequences and rag-doll effects straight out of a first person shooter. It's not Episode 3 but definitly something to put on the calendar. I may have missed Ong Bak but I'm not missing this one. Opens March 18, 2005.

Just a suggestion from somebody that doesn't really matter - mTony

One of Those Days

Man it's been a rough day. Feel beat up and tired. But he it's life right? I do believe though from the day I have had that all teh stupid people in the world should be ground up and used as an alternative source of fuel. Maybe it would lower gas prices if we did.

This is how it looks around my neighborhood

But actually is should read like this

I remember there is a time when this country BLEW crap up we would at least have lower gas prices.

Lastly, someone I know who is a member of this country's armed forces lost a friend in Iraq. Just wanted to say the soldiers who are fighting this WAR!!! would much rather be here, working their 9 to 5, paying high gas prices, and being home watching stupid TV ( like wrestling ). Please remember who is really sending them.


Just and opinion from somebody that doesn't really matter - mTony

Cancer

Cancer Sucks!!! No if, ands, or buts about it. Worse of all it is one of the few sicknesses in the world that affects all types of people equally. According to The American Cancer Society website over half a million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer this year. Of those cases, over two hundred thousand cases are breast cancer. Unfortunatly this is something I know way too well.

In 2003 my mom found out that she had breast cancer. I don't care how old you are or your mother is, this is something you never want to hear. Seeing her have to have the mass removed and go through radiation. Seeing the effects of the treatment just sap her energy. But she made it through. Just long enough to be told 18 months later that it may have come back. Now she has to think about stuff like Chemotherapy and mastectomy. While I have nothing but faith that she will make a full recovery I wish there were more options. I wish there was a over the counter drug a Doctor could just tell someone "Oh seems you have a little cancer, pickup some Cancer-be-Gone and it will clear up in week. And it in worst cases you could buy some Tera-Cancer and wake up th e next morning cancer free? I don't know how many nights I have spent unable to sleep looking at my dark walls recently wishing we lived in that world.

Treatment is not enough. Early detection just have lumps of flesh removed from your body and to thest Bruce "David" Banner's theory on becoming the Incredible Hulk isn't good enough. There needs to be a cure. So please go to The American Cancer Society website and look into helping causes like the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer . Help bring us one step closer to living in a world without cancer. For all our our mothers', fathers', brothers' and sisters' sake. Because the way I look at it, we shouldn't have to live in a world with cancer, we just have to right now.


A hope for a cure from nobody special - mTony

Family

There is a reason why when after you grow up and become 18 your are "suppose" to move out and live life on your own. It's because humans as with all other animals in the wild, can stand close procimity with their family for a small portion of their lives. Family will drive you crazy. And they know you better any anyone else so they don't have to just argue for the sake of arguing. They can talk about your dead beat father, crackhead mother, how you wet the bed. Really mean stuff. That is how you can have proof that there is a God. Spend a few days with your family. Let them get you real mad. When you leave can have to come back another time, it's only the love from God that lets you.