Goodbye for Two Years

This is my last post for a while. I am off to serve The Lord. I didnt really plan to leave the world with any fantastic words of wisdom. So instead, Ill just leave you like the silent cowboy riding off into the sunset.

Blessings:
Blogging.

CHEM111=OVER

And it is just about the greatest thing ever.

Blessings:
Chem111 being over, duh...

Christmas Presents

People are so difficult to shop for. Why dont people just tell you what they want? That would make the whole process so much simpler. But no, instead, they have to say, Ill be happy no matter what you get me, which, first of all, is totally not true, and, secondly, completely unhelpful. And then, of course, theres that one person who you can find everything for, but you can only get them one thing. So maybe you already get them one thing, and find something better? Should I get them both? Give back the other one, or just be a bad friend and be lazy and only give them the crappier gift I got them in the first place. Its just too complicated a process.

Blessings:
Health

Chemistry 111H

Ok, so this is going to be like my little review of this class. First of all, it should hardly count as chemistry because you rarely if ever talk about atoms or molecules. Secondly, holy freaking crap. I have spent an entire semester in that class, and I have lost a lot of sleep over it, and I still dont know whats going on. Holy crap.

Blessings:
Being almost done

Belly Button Lint

It is an odd phenomena that I have developed recently and I do not like it. And I dont understand from whence it has come either. Is it my bathing routine? Probably not because I have changed nothing in my bathing routine in a long time, so why would belly button lint spontaneously arise? My biggest suspect right now is the messed up dryers out here. I clean the lint traps before every time I use the dryer, but what else could it be? It is disturbing.

Blessings:
People who listen to you.

The Last of Everything

Im realizing almost every time that I do something, that it might be the last time that I do it for a few years. Its a weird feeling.

Blessings:
Unexpectedly easy assignments.

Lots to Do

Im sorry I post so many like this, but I am a busy guy, but at the same time I would feel bad if I wrote nothing. So this is it.

Blessings:
Movies

Getting Down to it

I dont know if you guys realize this, but I will only be here 28 more days, and Im not even sure if I will blog on all of those. So this thing is almost over. I will return, but you, my dear readers, will need to learn to survive two years without me. Also, the rest of my posts will probably be short and crappy. I am busy and thats just the way it is.

Blessings:
The will to work

I am Back

And it is good.

Blessings:
The Christmas season

Thanksgiving Weekend

Tomorrow I depart to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family. I will not blog, but I will eat and sleep a lot, and that is all that really matters.

Blessings:
Thanksgiving.

Review

Ok, so after Sundays events, it seems that most of the sports media have put the New York Giants ahead of the Tennessee Titans in their power rankings. I suppose this is ok because they are both one-loss teams, and the Giants are the defending champs. Also, the Giants appear to be more complete because of their three headed monster at running back, talented and under appreciated wide receiving corps, and even more under appreciated defense. Eli Manning has also been very good this season. Meanwhile, the Titans have Kerry Collins, who, while being solid, is still far from spectacular. The Titans have only a two headed monster at running back, but I would argue an equally effective one. Sundays game is not a good idea of how LenDale White normally plays. Our receiving corps, while not as good as the Giants, is also under appreciated, as is our defense, especially in the case of Albert Haynesworth. But there is one other point I would like to bring up: after yesterdays loss, all Ive heard about is how the Titans were "destroyed" by the Jets. One look at the score (34-13), and we can safely conclude that that is a fairly accurate statement. But my problem is that after the Giants lost in week 6 to the Cleveland Browns by a margin of 35-14, I didnt hear a single member of the media say that they got "destroyed." And whats worse is that the Giants lost to the Browns. The Browns. Who have a record of, what, 4-7? And yet we lose by the same margin to a team that is 8-3 and we get "destroyed?" The media doesnt make any sense and they just want to hype up a New York-New York Super Bowl. While I love the Titans and wish them the best, I still do not believe that they have what it takes to go to the Super Bowl, but I dont think that the Jets do, either. Pittsburgh does. I just dont appreciate that no ones giving the Titans any love.

Blessings:
The Supernal Gift of Prayer.

Waking Up Early

Today was only the second day all semester that I have woken up before my alarm. It was weird and I did not like it.

Blessings:
Home Teaching. Maybe Ill explain later, but you never have any idea how much a program that is designed to bless the lives of other people actually blesses you.

Religious Moment

Ok, I dont do this often, but today I want to post my favorite scripture, which is The Book of Joshua Chapter 24, Verse 15: “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
I love this verse for so many reasons. For starters, it lays the pattern for us all to follow for us to accomplish our goal of eternal life in Celestial glory, and that pattern is to choose today whom ye will serve. If you choose today, that makes all your later decisions so much easier, because you will have already made the decision to be on the Lords side. It puts all of the little decisions that are so hard to make into eternal perspective if you just ask yourself: “Will I serve the Lord, or will I serve Satan?” The choice seems so much easier when put in those words. Also, I love Joshuas resolve. Even though his “choice” may be the unpopular one, and even if lots of people ridicule him for it, “he and his house will serve the Lord.” It teaches us to not be ashamed of our church or our Lord. It is these two simple principles that make every decision that we face in life so much easier. We must ask ourselves two questions when faced with a decision: “Am I on the Lords side? Do I care what anyone else thinks?” If the answers to those questions are “Yes,” and “No,” respectively, then you will always be making the right decision. Thus, this scripture, has the ability to change your way of thinking in every decision you make, and it will always help you make the right decision. I know that if we choose today to serve the Lord, then our decisions in the future will be so much easier. I know that me and my house, we will serve the Lord, no matter what others might say about us.

Blessings:
Being home.

Stupid Sleep Schedule

Ok, so I realize that I have been mightily inconsistent with my posts recently. This is because I honestly dont know what day it is. This is because I have accidentally become nocturnal. Yesterday, for instance, was a weird day. It started out at 11am, Wednesday morning. I was then awake up until 7pm Thursday night. I slept until 1am, and then awoke. My days are exorbitantly long, and usually much of it is during hours when all the humans slumber. I am questioning my own humanity because my lack of sleep affects me very little, honestly, other than that I have no idea what day it is. But, when trying to live with the humans, it becomes increasingly difficult because, not only do I not know what day it is, but they are most awake at times that I am most tired, and I am most tired at times that they are most awake. Oh well?

Blessings:
Cell phones.

Internet=Was Broken

My internet inexplicably quit working the other day. So, for the past day and a half I have been without internet access. Interesting fact-I sleep much much more when I have no internet.

Blessings:
Internet.

The Necktie

It is an odd piece of fabric that does not warm the neck, and in fact serves almost no purpose of functionality other than fashion. And I hate fashion. And yet I love the necktie. It can represent ability, respect, and high socio-economic status. At the same time it can also represent rebellion, youth, and retro-appreciation. I have just always thought that they are interesting. And thus I like them. And thus we shall keep them.

Blessings:
Chinese food. Its delicious, no joke.

I am not yet Dead

I survived the teeth pulling.

Blessings:
A mouth that doesnt hurt.

To Die will be an awfully Big Adventure

Tomorrow I get my wisdom teeth removed. To die will be an awfully big adventure...

Blessings:
Warm Novembers.

Three Tests in One Day=Awful

Today, at the colleging type, I took three tests in one day. For all of you at the high-schooling-type who take, like, five tests a day and think that three is no big deal, you must realize that I only have four classes, so taking three tests in one day is insane. So pretty much, my brain is fried. And it is no good.

Blessings:
Taking a break

Tonight-I Sleep!

I have not done so in two days, so Im excited.

Blessings:
Have you ever had one of those moments when it seems like time slows down allowing you to cram in more than you thought you could? I had one today, and it was very good.

Making Friends and Influencing People by The Correct One

Hello, world. I am feeling generous today, so I would like to tell you all how to make lots of friends. Now, lots of people say really weird things like smiling all the time, being nice to everybody, and using their names constantly, but really, this is all ridiculous. Making friends is a simple two step process. It is time tested and true. So, without further ado:
1. Tell the cinder block joke-This is the most complicated step in the process. Technically, the prerequisite to this step is to find somebody (or somebodies) who you want to be your friend(s). You gather them around you, and then you tell this simple joke: "Ok, so a father and his three daughters were on a long car ride, and they were getting kind bored, so, to pass the time, the oldest daughter asked: 'Daddy, why did you and mommy name me Rose?' 'Well thats simple' said the father. 'Its actually kind of a funny story. When you were a little baby, a rose petal fell on your head, so we decided to name you Rose.' And so the oldest daughter was like: 'Oh thats cool.' Then the middle daughter got interested, and so she asked: 'Daddy, why did you and Mommy name me Lily?' Once again, the father quickly responded: 'Well, when you were a little baby, a lily petal fell on your head, so we decided to name you Lily.' The second daughter thought that this was cool too. Then the thrid daughter said: 'DUHR!' Once again the father quickly responded: 'Shut up, Cinderblock!'" Now, this may seem simple, but you would be surprised how many people mess it up. There are a few key points. Firstly, as goes with any joke, try to not laugh in the middle of it. Also, if you introduce the joke as the "cinder block joke," by the time you finish with Lily, the audience should be able to tell where you are going, so you have to really sell the next part. The noise is really the key to it all. You have to make it sound like you are the stupidest person on the planet. It is acting. You must try to sound as if you actually had a cinder block dropped on your head when you were a baby. This is the funniest part of the joke. "Shut up, Cinderblock!" is just icing on the cake. Also, you need not repeat this joke word for word. If you know anything about humour, then you should be able to tell where the important parts of the joke are. Include those main points, but feel free to embellish or shorten where needed.
2. Quit while you are on top-Never speak to these people again. Fear not, after the cinder block joke, you will be allowed in with any group. You need not ever do anything again, but you have already bought yourself permanent access to their club.
And that is how you make friends. It is that simple. I wish you all luck.

Blessings:
A certain stage presence.

I can Sleep a Ton

Ok, so this is an old story, but its important for you all to know about the future Ruler of the Worlds sleeping habits. Once I slept for 37 hours strait-undrugged. It was not pleasant, and it took a lot of practice to get up to that level, but I managed it. Behold my awesomeness.

Blessings:
Feeling invited.

Southwest

When the NBA realigned a few years back, all of these teams had been in the playoffs a year before. Not much has changed. All of the teams are expected to be in the playoff picture this year, with the exception of the Grizzlies, who I think arent even as bad as people say.
1. New Orleans Hornets-Everyone knows that the starting five is superb. But does the bench have the depth to get them to the finals? Last year, the answer was obviously no. But this year, I would watch for two things (and sometimes when you have a team this good thats all it needs) that will help them get to the finals: free agent James Posey, and the continued improvement and playing time of Julian Wright. Posey has played on a championship team the past few seasons. Hes just a savvy, scrappy vet who plays hard and can also hit an outside shot. Wright, has loads of potential, and if the Hornets can find minutes for him, I think it will pay huge dividends.
2. San Antonio Spurs-Well, its an odd numbered year, so that means that the Spurs are going to win the championship, right? Wrong. The Spurs are getting up there in years and its starting to show. Early returns on the season show how tough the going has been. They are 1-3, with their one win coming in double overtime AGAINST THE TIMBERWOLVES. And that was only after Tony Parker scored 55 points. But theyve been playing without the services of Manu Ginobili. Also, I fully expect the Spurs to be ready to play for real soon. It is, after all, an odd numbered year...
3. Houston Rockets-Ron Artest certainly makes this team better. But how much better? Not enough. Why? Just a hunch. All I know is that no Tracy McGady-led team has ever made it out of the first round. I fully expect that trend to continue.
4. Dallas Mavericks-On the one hand, Josh Howard, Jason Kidd, and Dirk Nowitzki form a scary team, especially considering the supporting cast of DeSagana Diop, Jerry Stackhouse, and Jason Terry. But on the other hand, this team did not look good last year after the Jason Kidd trade, not to mention that Josh Howard decided to open up a can of crazy. Playoffs are still likely, but I think that this team has more chemistry issues that didnt come from Avery Johnson.
5. Memphis Grizzlies-I honestly think that these guys are better than a lot of people say. Im not saying that theyre going to make the playoffs or anything, but I think that theyll surprise a lot of people. The Pau Gasol trade might turn out to work in their favor because his brother Marc Gasol has actually looked really good in the preseason and early part of the season. Darrell Arthur got bounced around a lot on draft night, but that doesnt mean that hes no good. Look for him to make an impact with this team. Mike Conley should be much improved and may start looking like he was worthy of being the #3 pick in last years draft. Unfortunately for him, Javaris Crittenton is also looking like a nice pickup in the Gasol trade. They might compete for minutes. Rudy Gay continues to get better and he should be an All-Star this season. Marko Jaric will be a vet on this team after coming over from Minnesota in the Mayo-Love trade, but he should be able to be a valuable asset. Mayo himself is an obvious ROY candidate, along with Marc Gasol, actually, Darko Milicic is another vet, and although hes never developed into what he was drafted to be, hes still solid, especially on the glass, which is an area that this team needs special help. Overall, Im just excited about this team. Not for this year, but for the future. Its all coming together in Memphis.
Well, now just to recap how I have things set up-
West East
1. New Orleans Hornets 1. Detroit Pistons
8. Dallas Mavericks 8. Washington Wizards
4. Portland TrailBlazers 4. Miami Heat
5. Utah Jazz 5. Philadelphia 76ers
2. Los Angeles Lakers 2. Boston Celtics
7. Houston Rockets 7. Orlando Magic
3. San Antonio Spurs 3. Cleveland Cavaliers
6. Phoenix Suns 6. Toronto Raptors

2nd Round
1. New Orleans Hornets 1. Detroit Pistons
5. Utah Jazz 5. Philadelphia 76ers
2. Los Angeles Lakers 2. Boston Celtics
3. San Antonio Spurs 3. Cleveland Cavaliers

Conference Finals
1. New Orleans Hornets 1. Detroit Pistons
2. Los Angeles Lakers 2. Boston Celtics

Finals
1. New Orleans Hornets 1. Detroit Pistons

Champion
Detroit Pistons

MVP-Chris Paul
ROY-Michael Beasely
Defensive Player of the Year-Tyson Chandler
Most Improved Player-Rodney Stuckey
6th Man of the Year-James Posey
Coach of the Year-Byron Scott

Blessings:
The ability to download programs that do my homework for me (dont ask).

Pacific

The most intriguing thing about this division is the swap of two big time players wihtin the division and how that will affect each team.
1. Los Angeles Lakers-Still arguably the best team in the west. They went all the way to game six of the finals last year, and that was without their budding star center Andrew Bynum. The biggest loss this offseason was the loss of Ronny Turiaf, who was a solid backup, but the readdition of Bynum should make up for that. The biggest "addition" is the new strategy in lineup management. When the trade was made last year for Pau Gasol, everyone was talking about the fearsome frontcourt of Gasol, Bynum, and Lamar Odom. But it became apparent in the Finals last season that Odom was misplaced, and there was actually a lot of trade talk surrounding him. So Phil Jackson did what apparently has become popular lately, taken their third or fourth scoring option on the team, and made them come off the bench. This will allow Odoms unique skill set to exploit the lesser half of a teams rotation, and also allow the other bigs, Gasol and Bynum, to get some rest without losing that much of a step on the court. All in all, this team hasnt "improved" much, but they were very good last season, and with the continued development of Jordan Farmar, we may see this team back in the Finals.
2. Phoenix Suns-The "new look" Suns play at a much slower pace and still cant play defense. So how are they still going to make the playoffs? Well, they have a total of three MVP awards and three Rookie of the Year awards to their name, and no team with that much talent is going to just fall off the face of the map, even if they have a rookie coach and are very old. I still think Steve Nash is one of the top five point guards in the league. Other than that, watching Robin Lopez's development will be fun. Also, look for a Leandro Barbossa trade somewhere along the line.
3. Golden State Warriors-Last season, this team was the best team in NBA history to not make the playoffs. Then, they lost their best player. Then, they lost his replacement. Could things be going any worse for this team? Surprisingly, the answer is yes. They are still a collection of overachieving hustlers with potential to go to the playoffs, but probably not the discipline to do so. Just to give you a taste of what this team is about, listen to this: Kelenna Azubuike could go for 40, or be a non-factor. Andris Biendrins can score 20, grab 20 boards, and have two blocks, or he can be invisible. And the list goes on of players who play like that. The good news is that they sort of at least replaced Barons scoring in the offseason with Corey Maggette, who really was a Warrior waiting to happen. Also, the Anthony Randolph pick should turn out to be a good one. Ronny Turiaf should also be a nice addition on the inside. They traded for Marcus Williams basically out of necessity after losing Monta Ellis, but I actually think that he will be a big factor and might be able to start alongside Ellis once he comes back. Brandon Wright is another intriguing player. He could be great if they ever gave him some minutes. Overall, I dont see playoffs, but I do see interesting. Same old, same old...
4. Los Angeles Clippers-They managed to lure Baron Davis away from Golden State, but only after losing their big star, Elton Brand. What does it leave them with? About the same place they were last season. But the Clippers werent done there. They basically redid their entire roster, adding, among others, Marcus Camby, Ricky Davis, Eric Gordon, Jason Hart, DeAndre Jordan, and Mike Taylor. So NOW how do they stack up against the other elites in the West? Well, they might be more interesting, but theyre still not even close to the level of the bigs. It will take a few years for guys like Eric Gordan, Deandre Jordan, and even Al Thornton to fully develop, and that means no playoffs for a while for these guys. The worst part is that by the time these guys are ready, guys like Baron Davis and Marcus Camby are going to be done.
5. Sacramento Kings-Everyone, even the Maloofs, know that this team is going nowhere this season. But the good news is that the future looks bright. For a rebuilding team, this team has the perfect mix of young talent and vets to help teach them what to do. It begins with the young guys who are going to be stars in the next few years-Donte Greene, Spencer Hawes, Kevin Martin, Jason Thompson, and Beno Udrih. They will learn from the savvy vets-Bobby Jackson, Brad Miller, John Salmons, and Kenny Thomas. And hey, they may even win a few games in the process.
Tomorrow we finish off our NBA preview with what might be the toughest division in all of sports-The Southwest. Can Chris Paul lead a team with no bench to the Finals? Can Ron Artest help T-Mac and Yao make it out of the first round? Is it an odd numbered year (yes...)? Will being off of "The Little Generals" leash help Dallas return to glory? Can Memphis's young guns make them respectable?

Blessings:
Weekends.

Northwest

Finally, I get to talk about the Jazz. Unfortunately, I made these picks before the season began, and so, in order to not be stupid and use the first week of the season as part of my equation, I have to keep my picks the way they were right after the preseason, and that means that I have Portland taking the division. I...well...I...well Ill explain in a second I guess.
1. Portland TrailBlazers-On paper, this team appears to be young, explosive, able to defend, and deep. Their one true problem? Fragility. And the early returns on the season show that that is a big factor. But presumably, this team will be good when they are all healthy. This past summer was huge for the Blazers. Firstly, they have four rookies on their roster, three of which have a legitimate shot at winning ROY and the other one being a very good role player. They traded for Jerryd Bayless, who may be the steal of the draft. He'll be starting by midseason. Then theres Rudy Fernandez who is already one of the best international players in the NBA. And of course, Greg Oden. In the 13 minutes that hes played this season, he showed us what a defensive force he can be. Also, the rest of the team is very young and will only get better as the season goes along. Even if they dont win the division, it will be fun to watch the progress of the following: LaMarcus Aldridge, Channing Frye, Travis Outlaw, Brandon Roy, and Martell Webster. Every single player of mentioned will make a contribution to this team this year. See? They just look so deep. But...
2. Utah Jazz-Sometimes things dont work out the way they look, and thats why the Jazz are still the best team in this division. The only significant roster change over the summer was the acquisition of Brevin Knight who will be a better backup point guard than Jason Hart was. But other significant changes were made. Firstly, Andrei Kirilenko was moved to the bench. But wait, isnt that the guy whos been complaining about his PT over the past two or so seasons? Yes, yes it is, but he and Coach Sloan have it all worked out. See, like Manu Ginobili from San Antonio, Andrei will now come off the bench at about the same time all the good players on the other team go out. He will destroy them. Also, the early returns on the season show that he is getting much more playing time than starter CJ Miles. The other big change? We call it time. All the good players on this team just keep getting better: Deron Williams, Morris Almond (who should get more PT this season and start scoring in bunches like he did in the NBDL last season), Ronnie Brewer (my breakout player of the year pick), Kyrylo Fesenko, Kosta Koufos, Paul Millsap, and Ronnie Price. It will be interesting to see who gets more minutes at backup center, Fesenko or Koufos. One, or hopefully both, are the heir apparent at center, so their play will be interesting to watch. Even Carlos Boozer will be playing better this year because hes in a contract year. Brewers really going to explode, guys. Two years from now hes going to be a star. Im talking 20 ppg, 2.5 stlpg and being a leader on this team along with Deron. But yeah, this might be our last year to do it because Boozer, for some stupid reason, is dreaming of Miami Beach, and who knows how long AK-47 will put up with being a backup, and Matt Harprings knees are giving out, and Im not sure how much Sloan has left in the tank, and Okur is looking more and more like hes not the answer, and yeah, we need to get this done. But we can do it. It all comes down to facing teams like LAL, NOH, SAS, PHX, DAL, and HOU. If we can beat those teams, then we're in good shape.
3. Denver Nuggets-Once again, these are preseason picks, so the Iverson-Billups trade does not factor in here, although honestly I think that its a very even trade for the teams, so either way the bottom line here is that the Nuggets are not making it to the playoffs this year. Their defense was already swiss cheese last season, and that was before they gave away Marcus Camby. There is no way a team that doesnt even attempt to play defense is going to make it to the playoffs. Not in the west. No.
4. Minnesota Timberwolves-It was a busy offseason for the Wolves, mostly because they dumped a few huge contracts. They did, however, manage to pick up a few important pieces in the process, though. Firstly a trade with Philadelphia produced Rodney Carney, which nobody seems big on anymore, but this guy was a first round draft pick just a few years ago. I dont see why if he gets some playing time he cant shine. Just give the guy a chance. Then of course there was the draft night trade that produced rookie Kevin Love and vet Mike Miller. Both of these guys are going to be very helpful. But as is the case with most young teams, the biggest help this team is going to get is time. Al Jefferson is only going to get better, and hopefully the same is true for Corey Brewer, Randy Foye, Ryan Gomes, Rashad McCants, Craig Smith, and Sebastian Telfair. Or they could all stagnate. Who knows?
5. Oklahoma City Thunder-Sounds weird, doesnt it? It should still be the Sonics, but some owners are stupid. Anyway, about the team: they suck. The good news is that everybody knows it and nobody expects anything from them. Not even the fans. They are young, though, so watching the development should be fun. Let me just name drop for a second, and then check back in a few years and tell me how many of these guys made All-Star appearances: Jeff Greene, Kevin Durant, DJ White, Russell Westbrook. All right, thats all I got for this "team."
And so, tomorrow we continue our Parade through the NBA by looking at the most boring conference in the west: the Pacific. Are the Lakers the best team in the leauge? Will the Suns die midway through the season from shere exhaustion? How big is the loss of Baron Davis? How big is the loss of Elton Brand? Besides Kevin Martin, who plays for Sacramento?

Blessings:
Pushed back deadlines. Particularly for homework.

Southeast

Last season we watched the Boston Celtics go from worst to first. So dont call me crazy when I go predicting a big bounce back from Miami's disappointing season. Also, Gilbert Arenas being hurt will hurt Washington this year. Orlando will once again not live up to expectations. Atlanta will "come back to earth," and Charlotte will be Charlotte.
1. Miami Heat-Last season was doomed from the start. Dwayne Wade was injured, and Shaq had had it. But this season is different. Wade is back and healthy, and if we're just going off of his most recent Olympic appearance, then he looks like the best player in the world. Also, Shawn Marion is a major improvement over Shaq, especially since hes playing to showcase his talents this year. Also, Udonis Haslem is back, and he is often underestimated. He can be counted on for 10 and 10 a night, which in the east is huge. Also, theres a new kid in town named Michael Beasley. Honestly, I dont think he'll win ROY (that would be Derrick Rose), but theres no doubt that he'll help. Mario Chalmers is also an interesting pickup. Dont get me wrong, this team isnt making it back to the Finals any time soon, but they are playoff ready.
2. Orlando Magic-This team basically has not changed last year, which normally is a pretty good strategy for a young playoff team. But this teams big star, Dwight Howard, did not impress anybody in the Olympics, and it really scares me for this teams future. Other nice young centers are popping up all over the league-Andrew Bynum, if Greg Oden can ever stay healthy, Al Jefferson, and so forth. Im just not sure that Dwight Howard is everything everyone claims him to be. And if hes not, then this team is nothing. With that said, I think that he is very good, just a little overrated. I also think that this team is definetly good enough to make the playoffs.
3. Washington Wizards-This team might be the best team in the division, but Gilbert Arenas cant stay not hurt. Also, this is another team that didnt do a whole lot in the offseason. Well, they did, but it was all in house, namely resigning Mr. Im Always Injured and also Antawn Jamison. So, this team is merely a borderline playoff team. What will be fun to watch is how much rookie JaVale McGee will get used (he needs a ton of time to develop, but he could be great when and if he breaks that plateau) and the progression of Nick Young.
4. Atlanta Hawks-The Hawks were terribly inconsistent last season, and on the whole, not good. And yet they made it to the playoffs and even pushed the eventual champion Boston Celtics to seven games before getting blown out. So what are we to make of them? Overachievers, thats what. Also, this team has gotten worse since last year. I know that Josh Childress wasnt the best player on the planet, but he was their sixth man, and they used him a ton, too. In sum, this team is back to where they should have been last year-a few years away.
5. Charlotte Bobcats-Some things never change. Well, at least theyre exciting this year. Only four things are certain-Jason Richardson and Gerald Wallace will be under appreciated studs, Emeka Okafor will be solid but not spectacular, and Adam Morrison will be ugly. As with the other stuff, the DJ Augustin pick brings intrigue into the backcourt. If, somehow, the Bobcats are making a playoff push midseason, Raymond Felton might be able to fetch a mid-level vet come trade deadline time. Also, two disappointing high draft picks might have their last chance to impress in Charlotte-Sean May and Adam Morrison. So their play should be fun to watch. But overall, this is still an underwhelming team. A pushover, if you will. Hey, I call them when I see them.
Tomorrow we get to look at the division with my favorite team in it: The Utah Jazz, which means its time for the Northwest division and the questions that come with it: How good is Greg Oden? Can Utah press beyond the other tough teams in the west? Shouldnt they just drop the "D" in "Denver" and totally change the name of the city to "Enver?" Can Minnesotas young and inconsistent backcourt step up and help Big Al out? Why move?

Blessings:
Enfranchisement

Atlantic

This division last year contained both the eventual champion and also the laughingstock of the NBA. We may see more of the same this year. But the teams in between bring intrigue. Real intrigue. So-
1. Boston Celtics-Still the men in green cannot be counted out. Everyone is questioning their hunger, but when everybody comes out and starts predicting the Lakers, the Rockets, or whoever to win the championship, I think that makes them more hungry. Plus, I would never count out Kevin Garnetts hunger. But there is no denying that this team is getting older-but thats only bad for three specific players. Other guys are only going to get better with age. Im talking about Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins, Tony Allen, Leon Powe, and Glen Davis. If Rondo can play like he did in game 6 of the Finals (I know thats unrealistic) or anywhere close to it, then this team will stay in contention. Look for Kendrick Perkins to develop into a Samuel Dalembert-like player. Tough inside and on the glass, and his offensive game is constantly expanding. He'll always be underappreciated, though. Tony Allen will develop into a Bruce Bowen-like player, which is all that they need from him. Playing behind KG is clearly helping Leon Powe immensely. The loss of Posey will hurt, but not enough to keep this team from contention.
2. Philadelphia 76ers-The big winners in the offseason were able to not only lure the best free agent on the market to Philly, but also able to resign their current star-Andre Iguodola. But already this team appears to have its window closing, so they might have to go for it all this year. A lot depends on the health of Elton Brand. When he plays, hes as consistent as you can get, but he only played two games last year. Philly cannot allow that to happen. The Sixers also shored up their bench over the summer, too, adding vets Royal Ivey, Donyell Marshall, Theo Ratliff, Kareem Rush, and rookie Marreese Speights. Speights will need time to develop, but they can afford it with the frontcourt in front of him. So, in conclusion, this team could be freaking amazing, or an overrated disappointment.
3. Toronto Raptors-This team also took a gamble this offseason-trading away some big time talent and a first round draft pick for a high risk high reward player named Jermaine O'Neal. The Raptors are hoping that Jermaine can stay healthy, play at the level that he was playing at a few years ago, and play team basketball. My bet is that he can only do it for so long, and they eventually collapse into a purple puddle of nothing by the end of the season. Other factors will also hamper this team. They traded away everything including their bench for Jermaine O'Neal. That will certainly hurt them come playoff time. Andrea Bargnani appears to be a bust so far, and that will definetly hurt the Raps. This team depends far too much on Jamario Moon. I love the guy and hes freakishly entertaining, but he shouldnt be starting on this team. So, although this teams starting five might be one of the best in the league, these huge lingering factors will finally all blow up in their face come playoff time.
4. New Jersey Nets-The firesale was on midway through last season, and now we are left with a collection of interesting but not very good players to play this season with. You should feel blessed the Knicks are in your division. I honestly dont expect Vince Carter to last through the season with this team. I really think that anybody and everybody is up for grabs, so long as you can get LeBron come 2010. But the Nets are preparing for the future in other ways, too. They had a very productive draft, grabbing Brook Lopez, Ryan Anderson, and Chris Douglas-Roberts, all of whom will contribute this year. Lopez finds himself in the most interesting position, fighting for playing time with the undersized but talented Boone, the constantly crying and overpaid Stromile Swift, and the offense deficient Sean Williams. I dont know how the Nets are going to handle that one. Yi Jianlins progress will also be fun to watch. As a final note, Devin Harris will not develop into an All-Star, no matter what you think. He had a better team in Dallas, and thats why he was doing well. Here, hes just another guy. They should have kept Marcus Williams.
5. New York Knickerbockers-I honestly dont even know what to say. If you are anyone, except maybe a hardcore Knicks fan, the only thing you have to look forward to on this team is Jamal Crawfords response to Mike D'Antonis offense and how quickly Danilo Gallinari will get booed out of town. Why is Stephon Marbury still on this team?
Wow, you guys have no idea how happy I am to be out of that division. It just makes me sad, honestly. Unfortunately, tomorrow we will be examining the worst division in all of basketball-the Southeast, where we get to consider questions like: Is Dwayne Wade Miami? Is Dwight Howard the new slim T-Mac? Is Atlanta for real? Why did the NBA Live 2009 simulation predict Charlotte to be a playoff team? What will become of Agent 0?

Blessings:
Daylight savings time. Yeah, more sleep!

NBA Season Preview-Central

All right. Once again this is a little late. And also I know I havent even updated you with my Halloween happenings, but thats really unimportant. Not to mention that I totally blew my 100th blog. Oh well. This is important. The best sport of all times time has come. So, without further ado, here is my preview for the upcoming NBA season, with the focus being on the Central division. Other divisions will come later.
1. Detroit Pistons-Well, it turns out that Joe Dumars promise to blow up the team resulted in basically nothing except the firing of his coach. So, this teams success will show whether Michael Curry is any good coach in the NBA. But they will, barring major injuries, make the playoffs relatively easily. The starting five is all there, not to mention the continued improvement of Jason Maxiell, Amir Johnson, Arron Afflalo, and Rodney Stuckey. Two notable additions were the low risk, high reward signing of Kwame Brown. He was drafted for his potential, which he has yet to really live up to. But the Pistons signed him for almost no money. So, if he finally lives up to his potential, then the Pistons have a really good team, even better than they already are (which is pretty dang good because Im predicting them to win the Finals). Worse comes to worse, he is another body who can absorb fouls and give Sheed and Dice a rest. More likely than both of those scenarios is that he will be a viable back up who plays tough D and grabs a handful of boards a night. The other addition is Walter Sharpe. He looks like a Piston, and the Pistons have never been afraid of giving rookies significant playing time (Tayshaun Prince, Rodney Stuckey). These guys are never going to win any individual awards, and Im not even sure the All-Star appearances that some of these guys have been making the past few years have been warranted, but this team is exactly that: a team. They play together, they all have the same purpose, and they just want to win. The solid play of the top five combined with the infusion of the newbies and the continued development of the younger tier will get this team back to the Finals and they will win it.
2. The past few years, this team has been deep into the playoffs, even making it to the Finals once, and it was all due to one man whose name I dont even need to mention because its so unbelievably obvious. But finally this past summer, the Cavs front office got serious and has now brought in some serious help. It actually started at the trade deadline last season, acquiring the perimeter help of Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West, and the defensive presence of Ben Wallace. Then they went out and got Mo Williams. Its still tough to say that this team is now truly legit now, though, because the play by everybody not named LeBron James is just so inconsistent. Boobie can score 40 and dish out 10, or he can score nothing and pass out two. Z can be effective, scoring, rebounding, and blocking, or he can disappear for long stretches because of foul trouble. Sasha Pavlovic and his soft play are still hanging around from the days when it was no secret that LeBron had no other weapons. Wally can get on fire, but then there are always the times when hes not on fire. Varejao, like Sasha, are both pieces that the Cavs would like to, but have been unable to get rid of. Ben Wallace is also one of those pieces, but I still believe that he can be a presence on the inside, especially if Z can stay out of trouble and let him play his more natural position of power forward. Neither West nor Mo Williams are really true point guards, which is ok because LeBron can create his own shot, but its not good for the rest of the team. But there are good things. First of all, the Cavs had a successful and productive draft. JJ Hickson will be able to step in for Z and fill the front line with Ben Wallace and be a force in the paint, at least defensively. Hickson is already better than Wallace on the offensive end, and more of a banger than Z. Also, they got Darnell Jackson, who is a bit of a project, but could pay huge dividends in the long run. Even Jawad Williams will help in a few years. For now, though, Hickson will be very helpful. I also believe in Mo Williams as a point guard. In Milwaukee, his only target to pass to was Michael Redd, who was often well covered. In Cleveland, not only does he have basketballs best player, but also several weapons, especieally on the outside. So what does all of this add up to? Well, unfortunately in the improved east, its about where they were at last year. Sorry.
3. Chicago Bulls-The past few seasons have been weird to watch for this team. They have so many odd pieces (and they keep adding to the pile of assorted players, might I add) that it just seems like the season is a constant trial to see who they are going to keep. Well, this season could be the season that all of their odd pieces come together. Or it could be the season where they completely implode and end up in a place that actually deserves a #1 draft pick. For the record, I honestly believe that any of the rest of the teams in this division could be in this same place for the exact same reason and that only a few games will separate them in the end. But for now, Chicago looks the most promising. We now know of a few players that will be here for a while, namely Luol Deng, Jokim Noah, Thabo Sefolosha, and Tyrus Thomas. Also, Derrick Rose has looked extremely promising in his first few games, so I wouldnt award Michael Beasely the ROY preemptively. It remains to be seen what they will do with Drew Gooden, Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich, Larry Hughes, and Andres Nocioni, but for now, they are all part of the team. All of them honestly have all star potential, and when you add that with guys like Luol Deng, Jokim Noah, and Tyrus Thomas who also have All-Star potential, and a ROY candidate like Rose, and you have a team that could make some noise. But the problem is that this team is under rookie head coach Vinny Del Negro, and they might just be too young and undisciplined as a group. I honestly just dont know what to do with them. As of right now, I say no playoffs.
4. Indiana Pacers-The team made one huge change over the summer, but other than that are still just a borderline playoff team in this eastern conference. But that huge change could be the thing that does get them in. They traded away long time headache Jermaine O'Neal in exchange for new starting point guard TJ Ford and new center Roy Hibbert. Also, they acquired Brandon Rush and Jarret Jack from Portland. This gives the team two experienced point guards who will shut up and play, as opposed to their previous point guard, who is mysteriously still on the roster (Jamaal Tinsley). Ford will open up this offense to their loaded perimeter players who can nail it from outside. Brandon Rush will be another one of these players, who also happens to be an excellent defensive player. Hibbert will take a few years, and will never be an offensive threat, but he will a lot of shots, and he will average double digit rebounds in his career. The rest of this team as currently constituted obviously still revolves around the versatile Danny Granger. If Ford can make this offense click, then this team might be playoff bound. But their lack of a true inside presence will really hurt them, even in the east.
5. Milwaukee Bucks. First of all, their last place ranking doesnt necessarily mean that they have no chance. I honestly believe that they could be playoff bound, but it will take a few unknowns to work out for them. We know that Michael Redd will continue to be the second coming of Ray Allen in Milwaukee, being arguably the best pure shooter in the NBA. We know that Richard Jeffersons production will be the same as, if not better than, his days in New Jersey, which is a very good thing for the Bucks. But we dont know how much playing time rookie Joe Alexander will get, much less whether or not his freakish athleticism will translate to production in the NBA. We dont know when Andrew Bogut will live up to his potential. We dont know whether Luke Ridnour can lead a winning team or not. We dont know if Charlie Villanueva can return to 2006 form. Really, for this team to be playoff bound, I really think that it will only take two of these four things for them to really click, namely the play of Luke Ridnour and Charlie Villanueva. They can live without Bogut and Alexander for now, but if they could step in and contribute in a big way, then look out. This team could be dangerous. But I just dont see it. Michael Redd is actually fairly easy to shut down defensively, and while the addition of Richard Jefferson makes it harder, it doesnt make it impossible. And I just cant fathom a Luke Ridnour led team being in serious contention for the playoffs.
So, tomorrow we break down the tumultuous Atlantic division, with concerns galore: does Boston have the drive to repeat, and how badly will the loss of James Posey hurt them? Can Elton Brand push Philly over the top? Can Jermaine O'Neal stay healthy and actually help Toronto out? Can New Jersey make the playoffs even in a year that they are clearly rebuilding? What can Mike D'Antoni squeeze out of New Yorks pathetic roster? Stay tuned.

Blessings:
8-0!

Catching up on Sleep

So, last weekend I was awake for 43 hours in a row. I also was awake for all but three hours over a period of 64 and 1/2 hours. So, last night I slept for 13 hours. Does that make up for it?

Blessings:
Love. I know, I know. It sounds hippieish, but love is the answer, man.

Still No Costume

We are now only 26 hours and a few minutes away from Halloween, and I still have no idea what to be. This frustrates me.

Blessings:
Basketball! The best sport on the planet has finally started up again. I am so pleased.

NFL Midseason Report

Wow. I was going to do this a few days ago, but I wanted to wait till after the Monday Night game to see if that effected anything. Let me just say that it is a very good thing that I did. The Tennessee Titans (the best team in all of football) move on to becoming 7-0, and whats more important is that they did it in a convincing effort over the division rivals (and perennial division champs) the Indianapolis Colts. They are undoubtedly the best team in the NFL right now. Our next three games will be tough, though (vs. GB, at Chi., at NYJ). But they are also all winnable. The Titans will win this division, and possibly a first round bye. Thats a nice set up, but this game tonight was their toughest game of the season so far, and it showed. For the first time all season, we allowed over one touchdown, actually allowing three. Neither of our rushers ran for over 100 yards. We didnt register a single sack all game. So, Im just not sure how we can hold up against tough competition. We will find out a lot more in the ensuing weeks. In other news, the defending champion New York Giants arent half bad, and they have to be the favorite in the NFC, still riding high after their magical season last year. Dallas clearly has chemistry and injury issues. My NFC pick, the New Orleans Saints, have no Reggie Bush for a while, and while Drew Brees is doing everything in his power, for some reason the teams in front of him wont lose (Carolina, Tampa, and even Atlanta). Lets not even talk about my AFC pick, the Cleveland Browns (although they have been hot lately, and they are only a few games out of their division lead, and it looks like Pittsburgh might be starting to show some cracks). Individually, three names from the NFC East come to mind when discussing MVP awards: Eli Manning, Clinton Portis, and Jason Campbell. Manning might not have the stats, but his team is the favorite to repeat as Super Bowl champions, and he is a big factor, not to mention that he is exceeding expectations. Portis is the NFLs leading rusher on a winning team. His ability to stay healthy this year helps his chances. And Jason Campbell has basically played mistake free ball all year long. Defensive player of the year is still Albert Haynesworth in my mind. What he does does not show up on a stat sheet, but he is arguably the best defensive tackle of all time right now. Offensive Rookie of the year (and yeah, this is a little bit biased) is Chris Johnson. The guy is the fifth leading rusher in all of the NFL and is arguably the biggest reason that this team has turned around from being borderline playoff team last year to the best team in the NFL. Defensive Rookie of the Year so far goes to Jerod Mayo. He is the leading tackler on a team that desperately needed young linebackers. He has taken pressure off of guys like Adalius Thomas, Mike Vrabel, and Teddi Bruschi. So, just to clarify, I have the Giants over the Tennessee Titans in the Super Bowl. Im sticking to it, this time. (but i havent counted out cleveland or new orleans yet....)

Blessings:
When you get to do less homework than what you thought you had to do.

A Long Walk

All of my friending types live a long way away. It is honestly an half hour walk. It frustrates me.

Blessings:
People who listen to you.

Long Weekend

Since Thursday morning, I have had three hours of sleep. It has been a very good weekend.

Blessings:
Memory. I have always had an uncanny ability to remember almost anything. I just hear or read something once, and then it gets stuck in my head. I feel very blessed to have this skill.

Sleep Deprived

I have not slept Thursday morning. But I am not tired. I have conquered sleep.

Blessings:
Patience. Apparently not that many people posses it, and despite what you might think of me, I am very patient.

Parallel Lines

Occasionally, I just like throwing out random facts that most of the world does not know just to confuse my mindless readers. So, did you know that parallel lines only intersect once and that all other lines intersect twice? Its true.

Blessings:
Apple Juice. Easily the best beverage on the planet, and I just feel so blessed every time I drink it.

Skipping Class

Its a good thing to do occasionally.

Blessings:
Feeling appreciated.

I Feel Good

Today has been a good day, thus I am in a good mood. Thus, the world can live another day.

Blessings:
Inspiration. Sometimes you know that you just dont know, and suddenly it hits you. I love those moments and they always make me feel so blessed

Im Still Tired

Will this never cease? I cannot escape it.

Blessings:
Eternal Perspective. It makes life so much more pleasant.

Im Still Tired

I desire sleep, but its just not going to happen.

Blessings:
The Ability to Wing it. It is a skill that not every has, and I feel very blessed to have it.

An Old Friend

Today I saw an old friend of mine. It was cool.

Blessings:
Sleep. Im really tired right now, so sleep sounds like a big blessing.

My iPod

I love this little piece of technology, but honestly, it can be frustrating sometimes. For example, I was down to about a quarter of the battery left last night, so I plugged it in to recharge. By morning, it had gone down to ten percent of the battery left. I was very frustrated. On the whole, though, I really cant complain about it.

Blessings:
Smart friends. They help you out. Thats always good.

Things I Hate

Today is cold, and I hate being cold above all other things. So that got me thinking: "What are the things that I hate most in this world?" This was a more difficult question than it might seem because I hate most things. But I finally narrowed it down to a top five list. So here it goes, The Correct One's List of Things That He Hates Most:

1. Being Cold-Honestly, it just goes deep to the bone and it makes you question your own decisions ("Why am I living in this God-forsaken wasteland?"). Oh, and the worst part is when its already a cold day, and then a cold gust of wind comes. There is honestly nothing worse.
2. People Who Let Cheese Get Moldy-I love cheese. I think that it is one of the greatest inventions of all time. I honestly have an inability to refuse cheese, even if I am completely stuffed. Thus, it frustrates me immensely when people allow cheese to go moldy. Clearly there are other people on the planet who could have and would have used that cheese. Namely-me. It is wasteful and very selfish of you to let your cheese mold. If your not going to eat it, then give it to somebody who will.
3. The Sound of An Alarm Clock-I enjoy my sleep immensely. I once slept (undrugged) for 36 hours straight. I also enjoy dreaming occasionally. The sound of the alarm clock interrupts all of that niceness. First of all, it always seems to happen right at the best part of the dream. Secondly, the sound is just frustrating. It is this annoying squealing mixed with this harsh screeching. Its completely indescribable except to say that it is the worst sound of all time. Finally, the alarm clock represents and signifies to us that it is time to return to the real world. Thats awful in and of itself-having to wake up to a cold world where people let cheese mold. Awfulness.
4. The Space Program-First, the government takes our money in the form of taxes, and then they give it to really really smart people, who use it (trillions of dollars, mind you) to produce what amounts to a remote control car. Then, they launch this car up into space, once again using more of our money, and they send it to Mars, where it looks at rocks. Rocks. Wow, how useful for us. But wait, it gets better, because they take the information that they learned from looking at these rocks, and they give you tests on it in high school. These tests on space rocks contain no information that you will EVER USE. They could make or brake your high school career at the same time. The space program has never done anything for me. It has never blessed my life in any way. Its a frustrating waste of my resources.
5. Lists that dont end in a Sold Number-Honestly, this list only had four items to it, but I couldnt think of a fifth until this one came up. Its honestly right where it belongs, though. Its just one of those things that bother me.

And now for something completely different:
Blessings:
Style. I know you guys dont know me, but trust me-Ive got a wicked sense of style. Im pretty hardcore awesome.

Text Messaging

Who invented this? Honestly, what a useless creation. It wouldnt be so bad except that everyone seems to think that it is the greatest thing of all time. If you measure the time it takes to write, send, recieve, read, and reply to a text message versus the time it takes to say something, recieve it, and reply in a phone conversation, then it should become obvious that the text message is ridiculous. Not only that, but you get so much more, communication-wise through voice inflection in a phone conversation. Why does everyone like this so much? It honestly bothers me.

Blessings:
A good QB. He makes the whole team run better.

A General Lack of Apatheticness

I have officially determined that the people here at my new colleging type are way too excited about life. At my last colleging type, there was an air of apatheticness that hung over everyone. Nobody wanted to join any clubs or even bother to become peoples friends because NOTHING MATTERED. Here, everyone wants to form six new clubs a day and be everyone elses best friend. Its insane. Im sorry that the actual post didnt live up to the cool sounding title, but thats all I got. My suggestion is: be apathetic about life and then people will like you more. They might not say that or even express it at all, but they will like you more, trust me.

Blessings:
The Art of The Blog. Seriously, I would be almost nothing without this great mass way of expressing my thoughts and ideals.

A Fraction of Altruism?

I was thinking today about the basic problems with humans and our society in general, and the idea of altruism came into mind. Now our first question should become: does it exist? It so, we may proceed to deduce the implications of this theory and how humans can, do, and will implement it. If not, however, we are forced to cease our argument at that point. So, let me declare to you that it does exist, but there is a catch. I do not believe that any human has the ability to be purely altruistic. God is the only one, I believe, who has the complete ability to be purely altruistic. But that does imply existence, just not on a mortal sphere. So does that stop our argument? Not completely. In pursuit of altruism, all humans have eventually come to the realization that it is not possible-even those who claim to be altruists. That is where the problem lies. Because of its impossibility, some of us have decided to try to achieve only a fraction of an altruism (Ill discuss this apparent paradox later), while others of us have even gone lower to not even try to be kind in any way. This is completely unethical. It is the pursuit of altruism that will lead us to the closest form of altruism that we mortals can obtain. So do that.
All right, now that that is said, I first must defend altruism. Some say that it simply does not exist. These people use several different arguments, but most of them center around the central idea that there is no such thing as a selfless act. Everything is selfish. Moll and Grafman (to put their work into layman's terms) proved that supposedly "altruistic" acts produce endorphins in our brains that make us happy, thus claiming that the only reason that we are "altruistic" is to make ourselves happy, thus making it a not altruistic act completely. Bowles argues that, in groups, altruism positively affects the health of the group, thus making altruism the better choice for not only the whole group, but also yourself. While I cannot dispute these studies, because they are true, I must disagree with the point that altruism doesnt exist altogether. Firstly, my scientific argument. Let us not forget the Arabian Babbler. Despite Zahavis ridiculous arguments, there really is no explanation for this peculiar behavior other than altruism. Secondly, religiously, a God cannot be a god, save it is benevolent (at least in my definition of a god). Benevolence is arguably beyond altruism, thus forcing its existence, if it be only on a higher plane. And finally, philosophically, the entire argument of "altruism doesnt exist because every act is selfish" is circular in nature thus disproving its own point.
Finally, let me expound on the title of my post and something that I mentioned above. Altruism is an all encompassing ideal that cannot be accomplished by humans. So, mathematically, this is equivalent to infinity. Is it possible to take a "fraction" of infinity? Would this not leave us with just infinity? Perhaps. Perhaps Moll, Grafman, Bowles, and Zahavi are correct and there is no such thing as altruism. But isnt it more hopeful to believe the counterargument? Isnt it better to believe that a fraction of infinity is some high but yet attainable number? No, it is not this number that we are to aim for. But it is this number that I believe that we can achieve.

Blessings:
Angels. They are altruistic, and they exist. Sometimes they are not seen, sometimes they are. And all they do is bless our lives.

Weekend

I spent the weekend away from the colleging type and it was very good.

Blessings:
Charm. Maybe this is conceited of me to say, but I think that I am one of the more charming people that I know. I would love me even if I wasnt me.

Procrastination

It is one of my major flaws. I have a tendency to procrastinate my work. If I ever get to my work, I do a good job. But starting the work is always the hardest part. The reason that I post things like this is so that you all can get an inner look at the real life of The Correct One. They are for your benefit.

Blessings:
Weekend getaways. I get to go away this weekend and I am very much looking forward to it.

All Star Band

Ive been thinking awhile of trying to put together a band featuring my favorite artists of all time. Well, here it is. If these guys were to ever get together (I know Kurts dead, so its impossible), their music would blow our minds.
Rob Thomas-The best musician of all time. Can play guitar, keyboards, drums. Also happens to have one of the greatest rock voices of all time. The best songwriter of all time having never written a bad song in his life.
Joe Satriani-The greatest guitarist of all time. He invented two different guitar styles by himself, and reinvented a third. No other guitarist can say that. Unfortunately, hes sort of a soloist, so being in a band would be weird for him.
Eddie Van Halen-The youngest person ever to be inducted into the Guitar Hall of Fame. Incredible shredding ability on the guitar. Doesnt play much rythem, but Rob and Joe can make up for that.
Ben Moody-I need an evil guitarist in my band, and Ive always respected Bens ability. On top of that, he wrote the greatest song of all time, so he definetly deserves a spot. Has the ability to lay some sick rythems while still being a talented soloist.
Brad Arnold-One of the best male voices of all time. Also a terrific songwriter. He can tagteam with Rob to form some incredible vocal arrangements and unimagianably amazing songs.
Jason Wade-Arguably the second greatest musician of all time. Vocals are to die for. He also manages to play lead guitar while singing all of his incredible songs, a talent that few others posses. The best love song writer of all time.
John Androsik-He does everything. Guitar, drums, bass, heavenly male vocals, keyboards, harmonica, violin-everything. And very talentedly as well. Hed probably end up being the keyboardist for the band. The least rocker of the group, so far, but his pristine voice makes up for it, not to mention his poetry that flows through his songs.
Flea-The most talented bassist I have ever heard. His stuff could stand alone, and in this mix, the sound will just be so full. Your ears will probably explode from too much goodness.
Sara McLachlen-I needed a female in my band, and she is the best of the best. Has the ability to play guitar, keyboards, and posseses my favorite female voice of all time. She can team up with John to write their more acoustic stuff. Wow, that would produce such a beuatiful sound, not to mention some of the most poetic lyrics ever (he wrote the prettiest song of all time "If God Made You" and she wrote the most poetic song of all time "Building a Mystery").
Dave Grohl-Dudes underappreciated, really. Vocals, drums, guitar, bass, keyboards. No, hes not the best at most of those, but he is a killer drummer, and he definetly has musical vision, laying the drum tracks for most of Nirvanas storied career, being the frontman for Foo Fighters, and even playing with Tenacious D.
Max Weinberg-The best pure drummer of all time. He and Dave could whip up some sweet sweet beats. Just thinking about it is giving me a cavity because its so sweet.
Marshall Mathers-What does every great rock group need other than a great rapper? Honestly, with Max and Dave laying the beats, people like Van Halen, Satriani, and Ben Moody providing background music, and people like Rob Thomas, Brad Arnold, and Jason Wade singing for your choruses, there could be some sick, sick, sick songs. Oh, I almost forgot Flea. Wow. And all of their songwriting genious, Im including Sara in this discussion (actually, an Eminem remix of Building a Mystery would be just about the greatest thing that Ive ever heard), the music they could produce would blow my mind.
Kurt Cobain-This is a risky addition. I honestly think with the band as constituted above, Rob becomes the natural leader and everything flows from there. The addition of Kurt polarizes the band, with the hard core ones (Ben, Brad, Dave, and Marshall) following Kurts lead, while the softer bunch (Joe, Eddie, Jason, John, Flea, Sara, Max, and probably even Marshall) following Rob. But I cannot leave out the God of all Rock. It would be blasphemous. Maybe I should make two bands...Anyway, the guy brings some serious musical direction, along with a style that he practically invented, a sick guitar style, and the epitome of the rock voice that every man dreams of.
Blessings:
Im going on a mission.

I Believe that I Have made Friends

I dont know how it happened. I honestly considered myself incapable of it. But apparently, some people appreciate me for who I am. I am and will continue to be amazed. See-snide comments, good looks, acerbic wit, and a dose of charm will get you places in life. That and the ability to be right about everything.

Blessings:
The "ah-ha!" moment. It happens in the middle of any good math problem, and that brief split second where you see your way to the answer is overlooked by many people because it is so brief. But really, if you expand that joy over a whole day, its probably just as good as Christmas Day.

My Dream Come True

While I cant be certain in saying this, I would venture to guess that most people on this planet dont get a chance to see their dreams realized. But mine have, today. I have always dreamed of serving a mission for my church, and today I got my call. I am to serve for 24 months in the Ogden, Utah Spanish speaking mission. I am so excited. So excited, I cant even begin to explain.

Blessings:
The opportunity to serve is one of the greatest blessings that can be given. I look forward to serving The Lord with all my heart mind might and strength.

Job Well Done

It is infinitely better to do a job once well than to have to do it a million times poorly. I fear that the world doesnt understand this. I dont know how to fix the problem other than to tell them that doing a job once is so rewarding, especially compared to having to redo a job several times because it was done so poorly.

Blessings:
A calling. A purpose in life is always good.

Luck

I do not believe in luck, even before my experiences today. People often tell me: "The Correct One, you are so perfect, and yet your life isnt in proportion to your lifestyle choices and overall grandeur. You must have bad luck." Foolishness, I say! Luck does not exist. Humans simply invented it to blame their problems on. Its qutie cowardly, honestly. But anyway, today, I walked under a ladder and past a black cat on a doorstep, and not one terrible thing has happened to me today. Now, there is at least 10 hours left before I plan on retiring for the day, but honestly, if you calculate the things that I have done today in proportion to how much bad luck they were supposed to bring, then there is almost no way to make up for it, unless I die in the worst way imageanable, or a natural disaster strikes the world. I just dont see it happening.

Blessings:
I feel very blessed to have the ability to quickly recover from a short nights sleep. Few people can do that, and Im not trying to brag or anything by saying that I can. It is just one of my natural blessings.

I Have No Time

I have allowed myself to get way behind schedule, and I really hate that feeling. Have I ever told y'all the story about my great great grandmother? Well, she missed the Titanic by 14 minutes, and I feel that because of this a) I shouldnt be here, and b) that I thus owe it to society to be constantly on time, if not 14 minutes early. So, I feel very out of place that I am so behind schedule. So, that is all for today.

Blessings:
Familiar faces. Its nice to see a recognizeable face amongst a group of people that you think are strangers.

Human Beuatification

Perhaps that is too broad a title, perhaps too narrow. See, what I want to discuss is the very concept that humans have of trying to make themselves look more appealing focusing specifically on the American view of zits and makeup. So, you be the judge on the title, but I have more important things to discuss. Firstly, zits. All humans get them. Its just natural. Really, thats where the discussion should end. But unfortunately, we, specifically as Americans, find it necessary to hide these blemishes. Now, just to clarify, I do not deny that they are naturally unsightly, but I have two good arguments against that. First of all, part of this perception may come from how the media portrays people. Everyone looks beautiful. There is no spot or blemish on anyone in Hollywood (yes, Ive been thinking a lot about that place this week). Perhaps it has subconciously slipped into our minds that those who have zits are less human or of less worth than those who have no zits (I will come back to this false concept shortly). My second argument against the idea of zits being naturally unsightly is that we all have them. If we were to completely return to our animal states (which is not what Im suggesting we do), we would have them and think nothing of them. So, returning to the discussion of why trying to hide our zits is unethical and in fact a waste of time, money, and effort, let me just reiterate what I have said before by saying that because we all have them, if we were to leave them alone, we would all be equal in the matter. But this is where human pride steps in. Because of the image laid out by Hollywood and others, we think that we can make ourselves better by hiding our zits from all the other common people who have them. But if you think about it, what is that really doing? It hides the very thing that makes us human, that makes us all the same, and thus easier to accept, wouldnt you think? And what is the goal of these people who hide their zits? To be more accepted by people. It is false logic. But unfortunately, it seems that everyone around me has bought into this. Products that cover up or "remove" zits are now a huge business. People pay thousands of dollars a year to make their skin look better. Does anyone else find that sick? This brings me to my next topic-makeup. Now, this is specifically aimed at the females because they are obviously the half of the population that tends to use makeup over the other. How much money do you females think that you spend on makeup a year? And what exactly has it brought you? Sure, maybe one time the maskera made a guy think that you had really pretty eyes, but here, from the guys perspective, let me tell you what I think about that. Pretend, hypothetically, that I date one woman every night for one year. The only time that I see her during that year is during our two hour dates every night of the week. During these dates, she is wearing makeup. We laugh, we cry, we have a good time and get to know each other on these dates. Later on, we are married or whatever, and I wake up next to her, look into her eyes and expect to see my beautiful wife that I married, right? But what do I see? This unmakeuped thing that I dont really know. See? Makeup fools the man into believing that you are something that you are not. Do you really want your relationship to be based on a lie right off the bat. That is why makeup has become a major turn off for me. Its like: "Oh. Youve obviously got something that you dont want me to see under that. I dont want any part of that." Guys, have you ever been down the makeup aisle at the grocery store? There are hundreds of products that basically do the same thing, that are freakishly expensive, that abuse packaging, and when thought about, are really ridiculous products that do next to nothing except help your wife/girlfriend lie to you about who they are. Moreover, makeup is designed for the same purpose as those zit products-to make one woman look/feel/be more important/better than another. First of all, it does not accomplish this. In my opinion, it makes your ethics more questionable, and thus a worse human being, and second, the very motive behind makeup is sick and wrong. It is, although on a small scale, eerily reminiscant of what the Nazis did to the Jews: make them wear a Star of David on their clothes. So, the next time you go to apply your daily facial towellete moisturizer and then the first of ten coats of chemicals to put over your eyes, think about the other women who are smart enough to not wear makeup and how you are consciously making them walk around with a Star of David on their chest. You all are sick.

Blessings:
Im blessed with the ability to listen. I honestly believe that this is one of my best talents and skills.

True Love

The Hollywood depiction of true love, and thus the depiction that most people believe in, centers around a guy spotting a girl (or vice versa) and immediately falling in love. They push through all the troubles and eventually end up together. If one of them dies, the other can never truly love again. They are fated for each other. And therein lies the problem. True love, the Hollywood depiction, at least, is a horrible, horrible, awful thing that first of all, is not true at all, and secondly, gives people the wrong idea. Firstly, I must discuss true love in general. It is a false lie, that unfortunately too much of the world believes in. Real love (which is what I will call it so as to not confuse it with the so-called "true love") is when two people of the opposite sex (yeah, that is a firm stance, and I can perhaps elaborate on that later) work hard together and grow to appreciate each other completely. Now, many of you are reading that I think: "that is such a small thing..." but really, you can barely comprehend the meaning of the phrase: "appreciate each other completely." That means to love them for every little thing that they do, and acknowledge them for it, and, on the same side of the coin, recognize all of their faults, and appreciate them for trying to work through them, and the willingness to be able to work through your own faults and in general do whatever it takes to make the relationship work. Now, this formula can work for any relationship: husband/wife, father/son, friend/friend. That is love. Real love is a marital love. Thats not to say that the other relationships are not "real," but its just a definitional thing to clarify. Anyways, under this definition, no two people are fated for each other before the world began. No two people were ever "made" for each other. A marriage can work between any two people of relatively comparably aged people (Id say plus or minus five years, but theres a little elasticity on that). So, on to the Hollywood definition. We've already addressed how false the fated issue is, but now I will explain why that is in fact an evil lie. Think about it: if you were truly fated to be with one person before time began, do you really have any choice in who you give your love to? The answer is no. This conclusion leads us to what the so called "true" love really is: a fake love. A forced love. In fact, it makes no sense whatsoever. How can you really love somebody when you have no choice in the matter? Secondly, and probably less importantly, I would like to clear the air of the "seeing each other across a crowded room" theory. Hollywood likes to call this "love at first sight," and they might even jump right into "true love." As an aside, I say Hollywood, but I use that to represent the ideals that seem to flow from that wretched land of two-faces and lies (see Greatest Song Ever List #4 Californication by The Red Hot Chilli Peppers). I could be calling it Babylon, or Rome, if that makes any more historical sense to anyone. My point is that it is an evil institution that preaches false doctrines. Which brings us back to love. "Love at first sight?" No, the correct term is "attraction," or perhaps "infatuation." Now I bring all of this up because I see far too often in this world believing that these things exist. People honestly put their lives on hold for one person because they believe that they are "fated" to be together, or because there was some kind of "magical" spark the first time they saw them. These are false preachings given to us from Hollywood. A good portion of our fairy tails involve this notion of true love. WE TEACH THIS TO OUR CHILDREN? This fake, lying, misery-bringing promise? I cannot let this continue. So I have done my part today. I officially declare to the world in the only way that I know, that I know, that the so-called true love does not exist. In fact, we can find love with anyone, and we can find real love with any comparable partner of the opposite sex who is of a relatively comparable age. All it takes is a lot of work and dedication, and I promise to you that when devoted to it, the benefits dwarf the expenses.

Blessings:
TV. Sorry, this sounds really lame after what I just wrote, but I have been at college for a while without television, and I just got to watch a little of it for the first time in a long time, and it made me feel like I was at home. It really is a nice little invention.

An Island

I dont know how I have done it, but I have done it. I have somehow created a literal island of myself in this sea of people we call society. Its like I am emanating some sort of radiation that keeps people five feet away from me at all times. This isnt particularly a bad thing, but I am confused as to its origin. Is it due to my intellectual superiority? Or perhaps my charm and acerbic wit have gone so far off the charts that it has actually completed a continual round and come back on the negative end? Being an island is not particularly a terrible feeling, it just makes it difficult to communicate messages to humans who refuse to acknowledge my existence. Oh well.

Blessings:
The spirit. I know that many of you who read are not mormon, or maybe not even Christian. Maybe for some reason you just dont believe in the uplifting power of feeling the spirit as it bears witness to your soul of the truthfulness of something. But I am here to testify to you that it is a real feeling, and it is the best feeling in the world. I normally try to keep personal things like this out of Thoughts, but I felt the spirit so strong today, and I just felt so blessed for the joy that it brought into my life that I feel like I would be rather ungrateful if I didnt mention it.

Boredom

It is an invention of the human mind. Really, it bothers me immensely that so many people complain of boredom, but really, to alleviate yourself of its symptoms, all you must do is tell yourself that you are not bored. Then it will be gone. Boredom truly does not exist. People are just so obsessed with newness it permeates all of our activities. In fact I have heard people argue that the music that I listen to is no good simply because it is not new. They are wrong, of course. But it saddens me that people cannot accept what is clearly good for them for the sole reason that they think that it bores them. If they were to ignore this invented feeling, then they could understand true greatness. And its not just music; people do incredibly stupid things, like jump off of cliffs, because they believe that they are bored. It truly is saddening.

Blessings:
A schedule. I find it very comforting to be able to look into the future and have things to look forward to. Not that I would get "bored" if there wasnt, but it makes me more excited for life.

The Speed of Light

It is incredibly fast. I just thought that youd all like to know that. Do you realize that when you look at the sun, what you are seeing is what it looked like eight minutes ago? Sometimes nature just amazes me.

Blessings:
Telephones. The allow us to converse with people over great distances instantaneously. It truly is a remarkable product.

Breaking Rules

Normally, I am a huge fan of following rules. I think that they bring order and efficiency to our society. Naturally, as with just about everyone else, there are always some rules that I dont agree with, but I adhere to them just to be a part of the system. But tonight, on a bet, I decided to go against the rules of my school and jump in the pool after it was closed. And it was exhilarating. Who knew? I was so shocked that it was so much fun. I honestly had no idea. Wow.

Blessings:
Pre-made salad. You know, if writing down these blessings thing has taught me anything, its that I take so much for granted in life. You know, sometimes, when you just want a salad, sometimes its just nice to open up a bag and have it there for you. It is one of lifes greatest simple luxuries, in my opinion. For the record, Im not trying to be funny here. I challenge you to seriously reflect on the joys that prebagged salad has brought to your life.

A General Problem

Nothing really exciting has happened recently to report on, so instead, I have decided to discuss a general problem that has been upsetting my mind for some time. There is a book called The 100, by Michael H. Hart. In it, Hart ranks the top 100 people of all time by their influence on world history. The top three go something like this: 1. Muhammad 2. Sir Isaac Newton 3. Jesus Christ. I wanted to dispute Jesus Christs low ranking. I can understand Muhammad's ranking. Not only is he the founder and prophet of one of the biggest religions in the world, and the fastest growing might I add, he was also a military leader who took over the middle eastern world and started a campaign that was finished by later caliphs into Europe. On the other hand, while Christ was clearly very influential (and just to clear the air here, I am a devout Christian), it can be historically argued that the spread of the christian church to the gentiles was accomplished mostly by Paul. Also, Christ was never a military leader. Historically speaking, he was a prophet, the founder of the largest religion in the world, and that is it. But, what I disagree with is his ranking below Sit Isaac Newton. Newtons influence has been far, wide, and great. The invention of calculus has opened up science never imagianable before his time, which has lead to discoveries and inventions that ease the lives of almost everyone on this planet. Also, his work with gravity and light revolutionized the way that we think about our world, and once again opened the door to many later discoveries. But I do not think that any of this outweighs Christs influence. The moral code that he laid down is now implemented into the lives of a large population of the world. Wars have been and are being fought over the truthfulness of his gospel. Consider the Inquisition! The discovery of the New World! A large portion of the people ranked below him on the list (basically anybody who was of European descent) was raised in a world that worshipped him, and thus at least a part of their accomplishments must be attributed to his influence. The Holocaust! The list goes on! Surely these outweigh Newtons influence.

Blessings:
The cool part of the pillow. Its always hard to find, and once you find it, it fades so quickly. But those two to three seconds are my favorite part of sleeping.

Napping at Night is Stupid

Last night, I took a nap at 11:30 at night. Not smart. I couldnt fall asleep until quarter to five in the morning, and then I had to get up at 11, and now I am tired again. It is no good.

Blessings:
Agency. This probably above all things is what we take for granted in life-our complete ability to choose to do whatever we want to, albeit with consequences. Still, our ability to choose grants us the ability to grow and progress, and the ability to be rewarded for wise decisions. It is a flawless system.

Hook

For those of you foolish enough to not know, the greatest movie ever made is Hook, directed by Steven Spielberg. It stars Robin Williams as Peter Banning/Peter Pan, Dustin Hoffman as Captain James Hook, and Julia Roberts as Tinker Bell. So its got the star power. More importantly, everyone plays their part to perfection, even the child actors who play The Lost Boys. It is well directed, the camera angles are well done, the set and costuming is some of the best that I have ever seen, and the score is one of the best I have ever heard. Most importantly, it is true to the genius work of Sir James Barrie. Almost every individual line is from his book. All the history is accurate. It is perfect. The basic premise is-what would happen if Peter Pan ever grew up? That is where the true greatness of it lies-even in this break from Barries classic, the film is still true to Barries ideals. I dont think that too many people catch it, but it is very important. I bring this up because today, I was watching the film, and I caught something that I had never caught before. The film is so great that this happens frequently. There are layers to it, and its almost like a religious experience for me to watch it. Its that great. Anyways, there is a pivital scene in the middle of the film where Captain Hook has captured Peter Bannings son, Jack, and is trying to make Jack love him as the ultimate revenge to Peter Pan (trust me, it all makes more sense if you just watch the movie). Hook is afraid of clocks, and the reasoning explicitly expressed in the movie is because he fears the crocodile that bit off his hand. This makes sense, and I will not deny that I believe that that is part of Hooks fear of clocks. But, we learn later in the film that Hook is "afraid of time, ticking away." This is a very adult theme, that as a child I did not grasp, and also did not grasp it while reading Mr. Barries book. But it is a very good metaphor, and it is what Mr. Barrie wanted. It is as if Spielberg adopted his mind. Also, it is a theme that unfortunately, is intended for children. It is unfortunate because children rarely can grasp that theme. Anyway, back to the scene, it opens with Hook being awakened by the feared sound of the clock. Previously in the film, Mr. Banning had given Jack his watch. It is this watch that awakens Hook. He escorts Jack to a museum filled with smashed clocks. Previously in the film we are alerted to the fact that Mr. Banning has broken several promises to Jack, and has overall been a disappointment as a father. Remember that Hooks intent is to make Jack love him. So, Hook instructs Jack to smash his fathers clock. Jack defiantly declares: "For making promises; and breaking them!" and then smashes the watch. Then, we see Jacks reflection in another clock as he says "For never letting me blow bubbles in my chocolate milk!" and Hook says: "Make time stand still." And finally, we see Jacks reflection again, and he says: "For never doing anything with me," this time significantly sadder. There are so many implications of this powerful scene that I dont even know where to begin. Firstly, it is the scene where Jack officially lets go of his dad and succumbs to the temptations of Captain Hook. We can just watch it in his face. The boy who plays Jack does a marvelous job, in this scene especially. Secondly, it is the scene where we see Jack become a man. This is represented in his initial giddines over being allowed to smash something, to becoming saddened over an emotional issue, a true sign of adulthood. This is Berrie-esque. Berrie was obsessed with the pure ecstacy of childhood, and the very real sharp turn it takes into being a man. This is portrayed beautifully through what I am sure is Spielbergs coaching in the face of Jack as he smashes each successive clock. It is a wonderfully depressing thing to watch in a manner of seconds. Jack goes from being a boy, to being a man, and Hook deprives him of his soul. It is so powerful. Thirdly, it is a visual metaphor for "making time stand still." Perhaps you have heard that the Lost Boys never grow up. This is not true. Berrie clearly explains in his book that only Peter never grows old. The other boys are just killed off by pirates and replaced rather quickly so it seems like they never grow old. One major theme of Berries book is that while childhood is a great and glorious time and should be dealt with carefully so as not to let it go to waste, and that, in fact, we should keep our inner child with us throughout our lives, but also, that it is of utmost importance that at some point, we do allow ourselves to grow up. This is where true happiness lies. Peter Pans happiness is false, and only comes from his ignorance. Hook has also deprived Jack of this. He has "made time stand still." So, he has put Jack in a very strange, uncomfortable, and altogether depressing situationl-he has grown up all too quickly, and yet, has been instructed to not let his mind wander into the adult world. See, Hook fears time ticking away, and he truly wants Jack to make time stand still so that he can be miserable like unto Hook. And that last bit, is what I discovered while watching today. In sum, it is a marvelous scene in a marvelous movie, and try as I might, I cannot accurately describe it to you.

Blessings:
My mom. She loves me and misses me and is the best mother anybody could ever ask for. Truly she is on this planet to help me survive daily life because I could not do it without her.

I dont like using peoples names

Once again, I have recently discovered something about myself, and that is that I dont like using peoples names. Other people will say something like: "Hey, John! How are you doing, John? Would you like to go to a movie, John?" I do not do such things. I know, I know, Carnegie told us that that is how we make friends and influence people, and dont get me wrong, I find that to be a useful and righteous venture, but his reasoning behind why we must do that disgusts me. It does not disgust me because it is inherently disgusting. It does not disgust me because I disagree with his views. It disgusts me because I do agree with him, and it is in fact the human race that truly disgusts me. His claim is that people are so wrapped up in themselves that they need to hear their own frequently in order to feel validated. I believe this to be true, and it disgsusts me. Sometimes I question: "Are people really this self-centered and weak?" Honestly, I probably have lost friends and followers over this. Even with those whom I would consider my close associates, I rarely find myself vocalizing their names. When I speak to them, it is fairly obvious that I am speaking to them, and thus I find no utility in clarifying their name for them. They should be fully aware that I am speaking to them. Its not that I dont know their names. In my head, I can name many faces, but I would hope, at least, that the people that I can name are not so weak that they need to hear their own names just to feel accepted. That is honestly disgusting.

Blessings:
Happy people. I like it when people around me are happy. It lifts me up.

NFC West

Our last stop on the divisional tour of the NFL, and its a good thing too, because all of these teams bore me. Even when they were The Greatest Show on Turf, the Rams bored me because all of their stars seemed old. Even when they went to the Super Bowl and had an MVP, the Seahawks bored me because he wasnt an explosive back, just one who did his job, and what more boring name could there be than Shaun Alexander? I think the last time that one of these teams was interesting was when the 49ers had Steve Young. So, without further ado, on to the boringness!
St. Louis Rams-This team wins the division by default because all the other teams are so bad. Yeah, they will be significantly better than last year because they shouldnt be decimated by injuries, but lets face it, this team is still pretty bad. Bulger will be a good QB, but he has now lost Isaac Bruce, who I think will be a bigger loss than most people think. He has been a staple in St. Louis for forever, and people thus dont really value his talent. Also, I hate the Donnie Avery pick. Especially with all of the WRs left on the board. He will never replace Isaac Bruce. Steven Jackson will probably be the bright spot on this team. If this team is to go anywhere in the playoffs, it will be due to him. He just needs to stay healthy, and then he should be fine. I love the Chris Long pick. It makes that D-line very strong, at least for one year. Most of the guys on that line, even the rotation guys, are pretty old. But Carriker and Long will be there for a while, and will be productive there for a while. The rest of the defense is pretty offensive. But the offense should be good enough to win this division. Woohoo.
Seattle Seahawks-I dont even know where to begin. History-thats where Ill begin. Lets look at the history of this team. Back when they were in the Super Bowl and had an MVP, who was their quarterback? Matt Hasselbeck. Now, all of the pieces that made them good (Shaun Alexander, Steve Hutchinson...) are gone, except for Hasselbeck, and thus he is the only reason that this team seems to constantly be competing for a division title. He should once again have a productive season, and yet Im not quite sure how. He has 0 recievers. 0. As for the running game, while there is no denying that Alexander had lost a step, the fundamental problem with their running game came with the loss of Steve Hutchinson. The entire o-line has looked weak since that point, and thus the running game cannot survive. The same will be true this year, no matter how many average RBs you have (Maurice Morris, Julius Jones, TJ Duckett...). The defense now belongs to Lofa Tatupu, with a helpful assist from Patrick Kerney, but the rest of the defense is not overwhelming. I love the Lawrence Jackson pick, but he wont be a big factor this year. Besides Kerney, this team cant get to the quarterback. Their backfield is good enough to be ok against the pass. The run defense should be ok, too, but my overall point is that this team just does not have the pieces to make it to the playoffs.
Arizona Cardinals-They are the most interesting team in the division just because it would be fun to see them back in the playoffs, and they always seem so close, but yet so far. A productive draft brought them Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who wont start, but will see plenty of time and will try to help their horrendous pass defense, Early Doucett, who will eventually be able to replace Anquan Boldin (if he leaves), and Calais Campbell, who once again wont start, but should see time and he will try to help the awful d-line improve. But a good draft is not enough. Also, the QB situation is interesting. Kurt Warner is the starter. Honestly, I think that this might signal the end of Matt Leinarts career in Arizona. Maybe not, but just possibly. Anyway, Fitzgerald and Boldin are both monsters as long as they stay healthy, but thats questionable. Edgerrin James is way past his prime, and this running game thus has no life. But Kurt Warner, Fitzgerald, and Boldin should keep things interesting enough. Not necessarily win a lot of games, but they will be entertaining. The defense is awful. Just awful. Thats all I have to say about that. They arent going to the playoffs this year.
San Fransisco 49ers-JT O'Sullivan? Yep, and that pretty much does it for Alex Smith. Welcome to the life of Joey Harrington. You will sign on as a backup for the rest of your career, or perhaps as the starter if their first choice goes down for the season. No one will ever expect anything from you again for the rest of your life. Leinart has more of a chance in Arizona because Warner could be done after this season, but Smith is done for sure. O'Sullivan will be ok at best. Still, I do like how they pried Isaac Bruce away from division rivals the Rams. He will be very valuable, especially if they are planning on making the playoffs this year. Frank Gore should be more than good if he stays healthy, but thats very questionable. Vernon Davis is a nice option. I like the Kentwan Balmer pick. Nate Clements is one of the best CBs in this league, but the rest of the defensive backfield is subpar at best. Patrick willis is an elite linebacker and should continue to lead this team in tackles for the next decade or so. But, once again, most of the people in the box with him leave something to be desired. They have the studs, but overall, this defense dont shine. And this team should once again have a pretty high draft pick.
So, lets review what I have set up for the season:
AFC-1. Cleveland Browns NFC-1. New Orleans Saints
2. New England Patriots 2. Dallas Cowboys
3. San Diego Chargers 3. Philadelphia Eagles
6. Tenessee Titans 6. St. Louis Rams
4. Indianapolis Colts 4. Minnesota Vikings
5. Jacksonville Jaguars 5. Green Bay Packers

1. Cleveland Browns 1. New Orleans Saints
4. Indianapolis Colts 4. Minnesota Vikings
2. New England Patriots 2. Dallas Cowboys
3. San Diego Chargers 3. Philadelphia Eagles

1. Cleveland Browns 1. New Orleans Saints
2. New England Patriots 2. Dallas Cowboys

1. Cleveland Browns 1. New Orleans Saints

Cleveland Browns

Also, the MVP will be Derek Anderson. The Offensive rookie of the year will be Matt Ryan. The Deffensive rookie of the year will be Vernon Gholston. The Defensive Player of the Year will be Albert Haynesworth. Just you watch.

Blessings:
Time. Sometimes, its nice just to have time to get stuff done.