Ignore the title of this blog. Every once in a while, I get the urge to quote, and in the absence of having something to truly say relevant to the topic, I will misappropriate and write about other things. Like my weekend.
So, this weekend, my friend and I went to SFMOMA to take advantage of a neat trick I have of getting in free. Unfortunately, this Saturday it was not such a great trick, since, thanks to Oracle, it was a "Free4All" day. So, we spent the day rubbing elbows+ with the outpouring of the cheap and cultured (and that includes me). Still, it was cool to see the art again, and be with a friend. We didn't get to see the special Olafur Eliasson Exhibit, because we are not crazy enough to wait an hour to go up to the 4th floor. I've seen it before, and it's pretty awesome, but not 1 hour of standing in line awesome. To make up for it, we went to the much-acclaimed gift shop of SFMOMA. I admit to being a skeptic of the claims of its amazingness, but, indeed, it did rock my world. Not enough for me to pay insane prices and wait in yet another line of death (Note, lines do seem to be a problem at SFMOMA, we didn't see the BMW art-car either because of the lines).
Then we meandered to MOAD, or the Museum of the African Diaspora. I know what prompted the question, but it opened with the line "When did you find out that you were African?" Fine, whatever, except I am pretty much Wonder-bread white, and so it amuses me when they try to make sweeping statements like this. I know, they are saying all human life came from Africa. I get it. And African Culture permeates everything. But still, I smiled. Also, let me add that though a delightful space, MOAD is not equipped to fit the number of people packt like sardines in a crushd tin box.
Finally, we ended it by wandering through the rainy-day streets and shopping. Okay, I spent all the money. But I bought my favorite game, Ticket to Ride, and some music. Then I went home and played the game online for hours with my sisters. Happiness through Technology, people.
Another thing of note of Saturday was the USCv.UCB football game. I used to follow college football with the same fervor you now see exerted towards the NBA, but I was quickly cured of that by going to a college football game. I now find it slightly baffling that as many people from USC should be descending upon Berkeley like a hoard of locusts. Don't you have other responsibilities? They were everywhere. In the museums, in the stores, on BART, walking noisily by my house after they won the game. I tell you, it didn't help endear them to me.
Now I will work, until 3, when I will be playing trains again online with my sisters.
Showing posts with label Eliot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eliot. Show all posts
Monday, November 12, 2007
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
what a blessed relief
That would be basketball, the NBA that started last night with the Spurs receiving their rings and ended with them comfortably defeating the constantly improving Blazers. Well, actually, it ended with the Utah Jazz trouncing the Warriors in a manner cruelly reminiscent of the playoff series last year. In the middle was the Rockets barely squeaking by the Lakers, which is not to say that this is a Kobe sandwich, because if that was the case, I don't think anyone would partake.
Like many other people who decided, or had fate decide for them, that Basketball was their sport of choice, I feel like I have long wandered in the wasteland of Baseball (which cannot even hold a candle to TSE's The Wasteland, and is much more in line with being caught in a storm in the Gobi - a feeling of perpetually impending doom). I have read countless blogs yesterday and today breathing the collective sigh of relief that at long last, October 30th has dawned and we will not have to suffer again until Late June (or the All-Star Break, depending on how much of a purist you are). And to add my voice to this chorus, I will set down my observations for last night's games.
Game 1: Spurs v. Blazers, in San Antonio
This season started as I feel every season should: with the Spurs getting their rings, celebrating, and unveiling the banner that looks (gasp! Spoiler alert!) just like the ones hanging right next to it. I was thrilled to see that Chip Engelland got a ring, because I think his work with the players was instrumental in the success. Also, who didn't love to see how geeked the first time players were, despite attempts to act degagé.
Trivia Time: Which time in the NBA has the longest winning streak of season opening games? Let's not be silly, we know it is the Spurs, with 11 years of victory. For a team that everyone knows is a grower (start slow, and builds into 58 wins of Awesomeness), they know they have to put the right foot forward.
That isn't to say that it was a sure thing, hands-down win. Portland, rapidly improving into a soon-to-be contender, put up a stiff fight, and LaMarcus Aldridge has some skills on him. That team really has a lot of the future greatness for the NBA amongst its ranks. They kept good intensity and pressured the Spurs all the way to the end. I think (I write at work, not in front of my tivo) that they got it to 4 point spread before the Spurs stopped playing and actually got down to business in the last few minutes.
And to you nay-sayers (I don't want to hear about Phoenix, people, not today), it was not a boring game. It had plenty of up-and-down and running, and good passes and "dunks." Well, Portland had dunks that don't have to be in quotes, but San Antonio is not the place to find DUNKS. It's kind of a more than a layup, less than a jam.
It was good to see Darius Washington get out there and make some mistakes along with some good moves. he looks like he has some potential, and I'm pretty excited that it was him out there, and not the recently departed Beno Udrih. (Side note: Last season my sister and I went to the games when the Spurs came to play the Warriors. One thing we noticed is that when it was the time out with the Warrior Girls, there were two players that were not listening to Pops, but were slack-jawed watching the ladies like they had never seen a cheerleader/dancer before, Udrih and James White. Both are now gone. coincidence? I don't think so. Listen to Pops, he has got 4 rings for a reason)
NEXT: Rockets v. Lakers, in L.A.
I was excited for this game because I had heard big talk about the Rockets, and I wanted to see what they had. What will Rick Adelman do with the talent he has under his tutelage? Because he's a pretty good coach himself. Plus, I wanted to see what the Spurs had given away in Luis Scola (Probably a good player, but definitely a member of the All Not-Good-Hair team). I was not excited for this game because it included the Lakers, who right now have some of my all-time not favorite players (Kobe, Luke Walton). plus, the people of Los Angeles feel a sense of bizarre entitlement - every call and every game should be going their way because they payed ridiculous money for those seats and merchandise. That's what you get for liking a large-market team, a storied franchise You are paying for goods that were delivered 5 years ago. I hope you like the taste of history. MMM, delicious, and past-due.
The game showed me this: the Rockets have potential, but that Angel food cake hasn't set entirely yet. Give it some time, and it will not collapse under its own weight, like the Rockets sort of did in the last 1:30. (The middle of the game was a little lost in a local earthquake, when we had to first figure out if there really was an earthquake, and second, I had to field calls to make sure I and the caller were still alive) Well, thank goodness for Shane Battier, who I have heard is a hated player, but who doesn't like a Blue Devil? And, Kobe, missing 9 free throws. Again, I sort-of quote my roommate when I say, he really f$#%@ his own s$#& up with all this controversy. And Rafer Alston redeemed himself by knocking away the last rebound.
Game 3: Warriors v Jazz, in Oakland.
Curiously, the game I didn't watch was the local one, but this is what I have to say. That box score is sick. My condolences, fellow bay area people. That's no way to start a season. But it's one game. Better luck next time.
Like many other people who decided, or had fate decide for them, that Basketball was their sport of choice, I feel like I have long wandered in the wasteland of Baseball (which cannot even hold a candle to TSE's The Wasteland, and is much more in line with being caught in a storm in the Gobi - a feeling of perpetually impending doom). I have read countless blogs yesterday and today breathing the collective sigh of relief that at long last, October 30th has dawned and we will not have to suffer again until Late June (or the All-Star Break, depending on how much of a purist you are). And to add my voice to this chorus, I will set down my observations for last night's games.
Game 1: Spurs v. Blazers, in San Antonio
This season started as I feel every season should: with the Spurs getting their rings, celebrating, and unveiling the banner that looks (gasp! Spoiler alert!) just like the ones hanging right next to it. I was thrilled to see that Chip Engelland got a ring, because I think his work with the players was instrumental in the success. Also, who didn't love to see how geeked the first time players were, despite attempts to act degagé.
Trivia Time: Which time in the NBA has the longest winning streak of season opening games? Let's not be silly, we know it is the Spurs, with 11 years of victory. For a team that everyone knows is a grower (start slow, and builds into 58 wins of Awesomeness), they know they have to put the right foot forward.
That isn't to say that it was a sure thing, hands-down win. Portland, rapidly improving into a soon-to-be contender, put up a stiff fight, and LaMarcus Aldridge has some skills on him. That team really has a lot of the future greatness for the NBA amongst its ranks. They kept good intensity and pressured the Spurs all the way to the end. I think (I write at work, not in front of my tivo) that they got it to 4 point spread before the Spurs stopped playing and actually got down to business in the last few minutes.
And to you nay-sayers (I don't want to hear about Phoenix, people, not today), it was not a boring game. It had plenty of up-and-down and running, and good passes and "dunks." Well, Portland had dunks that don't have to be in quotes, but San Antonio is not the place to find DUNKS. It's kind of a more than a layup, less than a jam.
It was good to see Darius Washington get out there and make some mistakes along with some good moves. he looks like he has some potential, and I'm pretty excited that it was him out there, and not the recently departed Beno Udrih. (Side note: Last season my sister and I went to the games when the Spurs came to play the Warriors. One thing we noticed is that when it was the time out with the Warrior Girls, there were two players that were not listening to Pops, but were slack-jawed watching the ladies like they had never seen a cheerleader/dancer before, Udrih and James White. Both are now gone. coincidence? I don't think so. Listen to Pops, he has got 4 rings for a reason)
NEXT: Rockets v. Lakers, in L.A.
I was excited for this game because I had heard big talk about the Rockets, and I wanted to see what they had. What will Rick Adelman do with the talent he has under his tutelage? Because he's a pretty good coach himself. Plus, I wanted to see what the Spurs had given away in Luis Scola (Probably a good player, but definitely a member of the All Not-Good-Hair team). I was not excited for this game because it included the Lakers, who right now have some of my all-time not favorite players (Kobe, Luke Walton). plus, the people of Los Angeles feel a sense of bizarre entitlement - every call and every game should be going their way because they payed ridiculous money for those seats and merchandise. That's what you get for liking a large-market team, a storied franchise You are paying for goods that were delivered 5 years ago. I hope you like the taste of history. MMM, delicious, and past-due.
The game showed me this: the Rockets have potential, but that Angel food cake hasn't set entirely yet. Give it some time, and it will not collapse under its own weight, like the Rockets sort of did in the last 1:30. (The middle of the game was a little lost in a local earthquake, when we had to first figure out if there really was an earthquake, and second, I had to field calls to make sure I and the caller were still alive) Well, thank goodness for Shane Battier, who I have heard is a hated player, but who doesn't like a Blue Devil? And, Kobe, missing 9 free throws. Again, I sort-of quote my roommate when I say, he really f$#%@ his own s$#& up with all this controversy. And Rafer Alston redeemed himself by knocking away the last rebound.
Game 3: Warriors v Jazz, in Oakland.
Curiously, the game I didn't watch was the local one, but this is what I have to say. That box score is sick. My condolences, fellow bay area people. That's no way to start a season. But it's one game. Better luck next time.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Your mission, which you should reject and run screaming the other way: Project Negative Value
When I joined this Ship of the Damned more than a year ago, my predecessor made fleeting mention to Project Negative Value as if it was a done deal. It turns out she too was infected with the pernicious optimism that has struck many a coworker in this institution.
For starters, she didn't call it by its proper name, she called it something more like "Daisies and ponies and cupcakes." But let me tell you. Even if you bought a tons of all three, it wouldn't be nearly as expensive or ridiculous as Project Negative Value. In fact, negative value is only one of the valuable phrases I've learnt in my position. The other key phrase is Eyewash, which will be dealt with separately.
Story: When I was younger and still residing in the bosom of my familial unit, my mother told me the cardinal rule of any contractual work is that you should automatically add 50% to the highest bid and assume that is the true cost. That's for work like getting that deck built. I am assuming that large institutional work type projects that involve for serious work would be 75-100% tack on estimate clause. But then again, I was never an optimist.
Cost and practicality were introduced to the project with the last four months or so. That's not fair, there were a couple people who always knew the score, despite the fact that the masses were apparently inhabiting a parallel universe. The savvy persons were told to keep quiet and stop raining on their parade of fools. Even with the recent smack of reality, the majority still maintains plausibility to the project. I am of the opinion that there is equal plausibility to bankruptcy in the near future.
It is as if the institution has arrived at the point that is similar to in the Wasteland: "What shall I do, whatever shall I do?" They are running around with their heads in the clouds and blithely unaware of the imminent danger posed by Project Negative Value. Or they are playing at this: millions have been spent and they refuse to admit they are throwing the money into the dirty water of the bay hand over fist, so they will soldier on in vain.
Project Negative Value Timeline
For starters, she didn't call it by its proper name, she called it something more like "Daisies and ponies and cupcakes." But let me tell you. Even if you bought a tons of all three, it wouldn't be nearly as expensive or ridiculous as Project Negative Value. In fact, negative value is only one of the valuable phrases I've learnt in my position. The other key phrase is Eyewash, which will be dealt with separately.
Story: When I was younger and still residing in the bosom of my familial unit, my mother told me the cardinal rule of any contractual work is that you should automatically add 50% to the highest bid and assume that is the true cost. That's for work like getting that deck built. I am assuming that large institutional work type projects that involve for serious work would be 75-100% tack on estimate clause. But then again, I was never an optimist.
Cost and practicality were introduced to the project with the last four months or so. That's not fair, there were a couple people who always knew the score, despite the fact that the masses were apparently inhabiting a parallel universe. The savvy persons were told to keep quiet and stop raining on their parade of fools. Even with the recent smack of reality, the majority still maintains plausibility to the project. I am of the opinion that there is equal plausibility to bankruptcy in the near future.
It is as if the institution has arrived at the point that is similar to in the Wasteland: "What shall I do, whatever shall I do?" They are running around with their heads in the clouds and blithely unaware of the imminent danger posed by Project Negative Value. Or they are playing at this: millions have been spent and they refuse to admit they are throwing the money into the dirty water of the bay hand over fist, so they will soldier on in vain.
Project Negative Value Timeline
Friday, April 27, 2007
April is not the Cruelest month
I don't often have the guts to get up and hit out at Eliot from the shoulder, but I have to disagree. April is not the Cruelest Month. July is, due to the total dearth of any acceptable spectator sports. April is a wonderful month for all NBA fans of teams with any credibility at all. I rejoice in April, for I am a San Antonio Spurs fan.
I have never even been to Texas, but I long have held the position (as a person who gets terribly sunburnt in the slightest solar radiation) that I would never live in Texas, except for in San Antonio because of the Spurs. And the river. I am fond of rivers.
The Spurs have no shortage of credibility. Three Championships in the last ten years. Their success, their hardworking gritty defense, their collective being makes my heart sparkle. And they have the amazing Trifecta of Foreign Perfection with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobli. One day they will probably each have their own posts here, and one entirely dedicated to Tony's eyebrows. Polite Incredulity, anyone?
Can anything really compare to the second championship, clinched on Father's Day, and the last game of David Robinson's career? True, it took place in June, but it started in April, with the start of the playoffs.
Perhaps Eliot was referring to the fact that MLB starts in April. Now that is too cruel. It's nothing but a distraction. In fact, the juxtaposing of baseball and Playoff Basketball is similar to
playing the Spice Girls on a crappy boom box on stage while a full orchestra is playing Debussy in the pit. Truly, it is a fiendish punishment. The world deserves better.
But I will being enjoying the waning moments of April tomorrow as I watch the Spurs beat the Nuggets (who I actually like, and would want to win, except when playing a team I like more. I think AI and 'Melo is an intriguing combination especially if the rest of the team can transform from their injury-prone, made from balsa wood current form).
Let us close with a psalm of praise for Don Nelson and his ability to really screw with Dallas. Amen!
I have never even been to Texas, but I long have held the position (as a person who gets terribly sunburnt in the slightest solar radiation) that I would never live in Texas, except for in San Antonio because of the Spurs. And the river. I am fond of rivers.
The Spurs have no shortage of credibility. Three Championships in the last ten years. Their success, their hardworking gritty defense, their collective being makes my heart sparkle. And they have the amazing Trifecta of Foreign Perfection with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobli. One day they will probably each have their own posts here, and one entirely dedicated to Tony's eyebrows. Polite Incredulity, anyone?
Can anything really compare to the second championship, clinched on Father's Day, and the last game of David Robinson's career? True, it took place in June, but it started in April, with the start of the playoffs.
Perhaps Eliot was referring to the fact that MLB starts in April. Now that is too cruel. It's nothing but a distraction. In fact, the juxtaposing of baseball and Playoff Basketball is similar to
playing the Spice Girls on a crappy boom box on stage while a full orchestra is playing Debussy in the pit. Truly, it is a fiendish punishment. The world deserves better.
But I will being enjoying the waning moments of April tomorrow as I watch the Spurs beat the Nuggets (who I actually like, and would want to win, except when playing a team I like more. I think AI and 'Melo is an intriguing combination especially if the rest of the team can transform from their injury-prone, made from balsa wood current form).
Let us close with a psalm of praise for Don Nelson and his ability to really screw with Dallas. Amen!
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