Saturday, April 13, 2013

Is Kobe’s career over, or can the ‘Black Mamba’ beat the odds?

The question is, can a torn Archilles retire Kobe?

We now know he’s human, and even his body can only take so much. He just surpassed Wilt Chamberlain in scoring a week ago to become # 4 - All-Time Scorer in NBA history.

(Kobe Bryant, before hitting his final free throws of the 2012-13 season (Getty Images)

As a fan for 50 years, I’ve had the opportunity to see some Laker greats in live games. I never got to see Kobe in one, however. My PTSD and resulting uneasiness in crowds, ended my live viewing experiences before Kobe was even in the NBA.

Yet, I feel like I know him – and even relate to his stubborn will power. I don’t want to start comparing Kobe to other Laker greats until the day he actually hangs up his jersey (#8 or #24?).

Watching the game on TV last night, I never dreamed he was injured that badly. As he limped off after making his last two free throws (in the NBA?), I thought he’d somehow overcome the mysterious injury that stopped him for the first time. Little did I suspect the Lakers would win by the margin of those two free throws

Because he’s been bigger than life, it’s like watching superman lose his power and stumble for the first time ever. Almost shocking. It’s never going to be easy figuring out Kobe the man. He has his demons like the rest of us. He’ll never be remembered as a warm and cozy kind of guy. More likely the Laker organization will put up a statue of him in front of Staples Arena – jaw thrust out in the Black Mamba challenge with one first raised defiantly in the air.

Finally, I’d like to share this Snippet from Kobe Bryant’s FaceBook Page last night:

“This is such BS! All the training and sacrifice just flew out the window with one step that I've done millions of times! The frustration is unbearable. The anger is rage. Why the hell did this happen ?!? Makes no damn sense. Now I'm supposed to come back from this and be the same player Or better at 35?!? How in the world am I supposed to do that??

I have NO CLUE. Do I have the consistent will to overcome this thing? Maybe I should break out the rocking chair and reminisce on the career that was. Maybe this is how my book ends. Maybe Father Time has defeated me...Then again maybe not! It's 3:30am, my foot feels like dead weight, my head is spinning from the pain meds and I'm wide awake. Forgive my Venting but what's the purpose of social media if I won't bring it to you Real No Image?? Feels good to vent, let it out. To feel as if THIS is the WORST thing EVER! Because After ALL the venting, a real perspective sets in. There are far greater issues/challenges in the world then a torn achilles. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, find the silver lining and get to work with the same belief, same drive and same conviction as ever.

One day, the beginning of a new career journey will commence. Today is NOT that day.

"If you see me in a fight with a bear, prey for the bear". Ive always loved that quote. Thats "mamba mentality" we don't quit, we don't cower, we don't run. We endure and conquer.

I know it's a long post but I'm Facebook Venting LOL. Maybe now I can actually get some sleep and be excited for surgery tomorrow. First step of a new challenge.

Guess I will be Coach Vino the rest of this season. I have faith in my teammates. They will come thru.

Thank you for all your prayers and support. Much Love Always.

Mamba Out”

Today’s Topic: Graffiti spree shutters parts of Joshua Tree National Park

Defaced rock.

       Good Day World!

I lived in 29 Palms, Gateway to Joshua Tree National Park, for eight years (1981-89), and never saw anything like the vandalism that recently occurred there.

It’s hard for me to believe that people would be so disrespectful to others who love nature’s beauty – especially the beauty of ancient rocks - they would permanently deface them for a prank.

(Photo courtesy of National park Service)

That’s what it’s come down to in our society today. The vandals probably posted their work on FaceBook in a competition to see which one was the bigger idiot! I don’t care if they want to spray their homes with pithy little names like “Little Nature Boy,” but can’t stand to see them destroying historical landmarks for some loutish fun.

A rash of graffiti hitting Joshua Tree National Park, possibly the work of vandals trying to one-up each other on Facebook, has prompted officials to close another part of the California park, and left visitors and conservation groups outraged.

Just weeks after a spike in graffiti forced officials to close access to the park’s Barker Dam, “recent and increasing acts of vandalism” have now prompted an emergency closure of the Rattlesnake Canyon area until April 30, an alert on the park’s website announced.

Time for me to walk on down the road….

 

 

Friday, April 12, 2013

Wow! What a game! The Lakers win in crunch time without Kobe!

 What a barn-burner! The Lakers win 118-116 against an inspired Golden State team lead by Stephen Curry who scored 47 points & had 9 assists! 

The bad news is Kobe Bryant went out with an injury in the 4th quarter.The Lakers had to win tonight because Utah won, and they needed to hold on to their slim one game lead.

How about Pau Gasol with 26 point,11 rebounds, and 10 assists! He was the man in the fourth quarter. The Lakers can not afford to lose a game if they want to make the playoffs.

Great win tonight Lakers!

UPDATE: Kobe Bryant has a torn Archilles according to Mike Bresnahan

Now what? Reports are coming in fast now – quotes by Kobe:

Kobe on if this is the biggest disappointment in his career: “By far. We worked so hard to put ourselves in a position.”

Kobe has played through a million injuries & ailments throughout his career, but this won’t be one of them: “I can’t. I can’t walk.”

Kobe said he knew the Achilles was done when he limped back on the court to shoot the free throws. He made both.

The 4th leading scorer in NBA history is done for the season. thanks for giving it your all Kobe!

Los Angeles began the day barely ahead of the Jazz for the eighth spot, but Utah has the tiebreaker and an easier schedule than the Lakers, who finish against three straight playoff teams. Los Angeles must finish a game ahead of the Jazz to make sure they won't miss the playoffs for just the second time in Bryant's 17 NBA seasons - even if Bryant can't join them.

 

Today’s Topic: Eating Healthy Food at Fast Food Chains…really?

         Good Day World!

The snack food industry is slowly, reluctantly, and stubbornly giving away to the growing trend of eating healthy. It’s no easy transition for any fast food chain that prided itself on serving up hot slop 24-hours a day with a catchy jingle.

But, with McDonald’s latest healthy choice meals, and Burger King’s new healthy meals, and Arby’s healthy meal menu, and Jack In The Box’s nutrition deals, the competition to serve up healthy fast food meals is warming up. 

On a conference call Thursday, CEO Greg Creed outlined what he called Taco Bell’s “role to play in providing more balanced food choices” as part of the brand's growth strategy.

Creed pledged that the commitment to offering more healthy choices will be “completely transparent” and “weasel proof,” saying Taco Bell wouldn’t, for example, lower the amount of fat in a dish but add more sodium to compensate.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Memories Make Millions: Letter Sells at Auction for $6 Million Dollars!

    Good Day World!

 Today’s topic is when words of wisdom turn to gold…literally.

 A 60-year-old letter in which biologist Francis Crick told his son about DNA's double-helix structure, weeks before the Nobel Prize-winning discovery was revealed to the world, sold at a New York auction on Wednesday for a record price of $6 million.

 Prior to that the highest price ever paid for a single signed letter is $3,200,000 (£1,932,600) sold on 5 December 2009 at Christie's, New York, USA, for a letter written by George Washington in 1787 to his nephew Bushrod Washington, urging adoption of the country's new constitution. The previous record sale for a letter by George Washington was $834,500 (£506,200) in 2002.

Here’s some related links on the topic:

  • Science will profit from sale of letter and Nobel Prize
  • What about Rosalind Franklin? 'Lost' letters reveal twists

    Time for me to walk on down the road…

  • Wednesday, April 10, 2013

    Todays Topic: How Unhinged is Un and will North Korea Wake up before it’s too late?

                   Good Day World!

      North Korea’s chubby-faced porker look-alike in power, Kim Jung Un, is trying to bully the world. As incredible as that sounds he’s seems to be serious. If he’s not, and is trying to posture for the military, he’s already made one big mistake – he’s backed his bulk into a corner with the insane threats he’s been making lately.

    The U.S. came out yesterday and flat-out said they’d shoot anything threatening coming from North Korean platforms. The Commander of U.S. Pacific Command also said that he cannot recollect a more tense time between the U.S., South Korea, and North Korea since the end of the Korean War.

    North Korea warns foreigners to leave South

    Who is North Korea's secretive leader? Here is what we know

    'Positive thinking' after years of threats keeps South Koreans going

    The U.S. believes North Korea could fire a missile at any time. According to Bloomberg, North Koreas goal may be to gain acceptance as a nuclear state. Whatever it is, the tension is building to the point of war.

    Will North Korea’s new, almost-in-diapers, dictator take on the world? My guess is Kim Jung Un somehow finds a way to back down before destroying his nation.

    Guess we’ll see won’t we?

    Time for me to walk on down the road….

    Tuesday, April 9, 2013

    AS IT STANDS presents “Rafter’s Redemption” - Chapter Three: Vietnam

         A free novella by Dave Stancliff

             Chapter Three

                 Vietnam

    Rafter’s first plane trip was from California to Missouri when he reported to AIT. The second took him back to California with a one week leave to get his affairs in order before going to Vietnam. His third was the trip to Long Bien Air Force Base in Vietnam. (Continue story here)

    Links for new readers:

    Monday, April 8, 2013

    RIP Annette Funicello: My favorite Mouseketeer passed away today

    040813_annette_mmc_launch

    Good Day World!

     It’s with great sadness that I have to report my favorite Mouseketeer, Annette Funicello, died today.

    She was my first crush! I can’t tell you how much I loved watching Disneyland every week – eagerly looking forward to seeing Annette again.

    Here’s the story from TMZ’s website:

    “Annette Funicello -- the undisputed queen of the "Mickey Mouse Club" -- has died, according to Disney's official fan club Twitter. She was 70.
    Funicello was a triple threat -- Mouseketeer, pop singer and bigscreen star. She was huge in the 60's with movies like "Beach Party" and "Beach Blanket Bingo."


    According to "Extra," Annette had been hospitalized in Bakersfield due to complications from multiple sclerosis and had been in a coma for years. 
    Funicello disclosed in 1992 that she suffered from multiple sclerosis. She lost the ability to walk in 2004, could no longer speak by 2009 and required round-the-clock care. (Read the rest here)

    This was the most successful beach party movie of them all.

    This is where it all began…

    Goodbye Annette! I’m going to miss you.

    Time for me to walk sadly down the road…

    Sunday, April 7, 2013

    AS IT STANDS: Faster is not Always Better: THC ‘Dabs’ can be Dangerous

     By Dave Stancliff/For The Times-Standard
      Americans are increasingly aware that marijuana has medicinal properties. Still, without a doubt, the flowering plant’s ability to get a person “high” is what made it popular in the first place.
      When marijuana advocates talk about marijuana properties these days, it’s generally in a medicinal context - something more acceptable to the general public and a more likely path to legalization.
      It’s not politically correct to say, “Hey, I smoke pot to get a good buzz!” Libertarians make no bones about a person’s right to smoke weed. The issue to them is simple; the government has no business telling people what they can or can’t do with marijuana.
    Remember when corn cob pipes became popular to puff pot? Hookahs were the rage when Indian culture and gurus were considered cool in the 70s. People even used apples to make pipes. In case you want to know how that’s done, go to
    http://www.wikihow.com/Make-an-Apple-Pipe.
    Since the corn cob pipes, hookahs, glass pipes and joints, there’s been a quantum leap in delivery systems. Most cannabis experts agree than a good vaporizer is the safest way to smoke weed.

    There’s just one delivery system that concerns me. Because it’s become the rage recently among the younger set, I should explain what it is. You can now buy “wax” (high content THC Dabs) that have a stronger and faster psychoactive effect than any other delivery method can provide.

     The user takes a single inhalation of vaporized or burned cannabis concentrate - a dab - that has been placed on a hot nail with a tiny spatula or needle. Dab concentrates are made from oil extracted from cannabis plants with a solvent. 
    The most widely used solvent is butane —better known as lighter fluid. You should know that butane extraction is against the law. People are serving time in prison for using butane as an organic solvent.
       More important, butane is a fire and explosion risk because it is so highly flammable. Many people have been severely injured using butane to make cannabis oil extracts. And “butane” isn’t pure butane; it contains contaminants. 
    Approximately 20% of the volatile fuel in common “butane” lighter fluid is a combination of other hydrocarbons including benzene, ethyl mercaptan, heptane, hexane, and other toxic impurities.
    There are alternatives to using regular butane. A higher grade butane (USP grade or laboratory-grade) extract vaporized with a temperature-controlled device - could be used if you can find it. However, using regular butane is the most common way to make dabs. 

    The nail used in the process presents a problem too. When heated with a torch to burn or volatilize the dab, the nail will gradually disintegrate and flake off, further polluting by the process. And let’s face it, a stoner messing with an open flame is a recipe for a disaster.
    According to High Times Magazine, dabs were the big hit (pun intended) at the High Times Cannabis Cup recently held in Los Angeles.

    Free samples were given out. You can only imagine the buzz that caused among visitors, some of whom openly walked around with torches and bubblers (a brand new type of multi-purpose bong that is dab friendly). Some people reportedly passed out and got sick from the sudden massive THC infusion.

    There is an argument for using dabs. The hit is so intense it’ll immediately help your condition (especially if you’re in pain), and it lasts most of the day as opposed to conventional delivery systems (pipes, bongs, etc.) that may require multiple smoking sessions during the day.

    There’s a safe way to produce dabs, and there’s a dangerous way, depending upon the process used. I think dabs are safer for people who have smoked for years and have built up some resistance to THC, as opposed to new users.
    My research indicates that dabs first appeared in California, but their usage has spread to Oregon and beyond. Can a whole dab industry be far off? Dabs are the current fad and marketing efforts are popping up everywhere. 
    Nevertheless, the way I see it, if you’re out to have a good time - or need to medicate for whatever condition - why mess with mother nature? When you mix toxic elements with your marijuana you take a chance of becoming an accident (or worse) statistic.
    As It Stands, once upon a time there was a jingle for Brylcreem (a man’s hair wax) that went, “A little dab’ll do ya…” Buy wax today, and that little dab may do you harm!

    It's Time to Pay Up Donnie!

    It's looks like there will be some prime real estate going on the market soon in New York City. Convicted rapist and former president ...