BIll Simmons on the Sixers Draft

no commentary. i'll let his words speak for me.

6:13: Jrue Holiday goes to the Sixers and, more importantly, wins the Rashard Lewis "Last Guy In The Green Room" Award. In 27 minutes per game as a freshman, Holiday averaged 8.5 points and more turnovers (3.8) than assists (3.7). On the bright side, he made 30.7 percent of his 3s. Wait, that's not good. That's your 17th pick. I'm wrapping this up soon.

6:19: Minnesota's choice of Ty Lawson (one of my two remaining favorites) just gave me the same look I had when I found out earlier today that Jackson had died. Did the Wolves really just take three point guards in the top 18? Has that ever happened before? Is David Kahn trying to go small and just got confused? And how will Chris Wallace up the Dumb GM ante?

6:21: Damn. Bucher is reporting Lawson is headed to Denver for a future protected No. 1 pick. That was a fun two minutes while it lasted. As reader Rob from Chicago joked later, "It was like an online fantasy draft and someone mistakenly put their settings on 'best player available auto-pilot.'"

6:26: Utah grabs my last favorite player in the draft: Eric Maynor. Why do I love him? He has been handling the rock since he was probably 2. He hasn't played a game since junior high in which the other guys didn't immediately agree, "That guy is the point guard." He's old-school. You could say he has "ownership" of that position. He's not a converted shooting guard or a long-range shooter who brings the ball up or even a short fast guy who plays point because he couldn't play anywhere else. He's a pure point. He owns it. Complete control at all times. That's why I like him. Solid pick. It's all about backups and foreign dudes from here on.

I'll Be There

i heard about the passing of michael jackson like so many others did last night by overhearing a conversation on the street. i didn't think anything of it at first. i heard a woman on the subway say something to the effect of "he isn't the king of pop anymore". i just assumed that she was having some generic conversation about michael jackson. things became clearer, however, as i walked through prospect park on my way to the band shell to see femi kuti. as i walked down a path, some dude stopped the two guys in front of me and said "excuse me, but is it true that michael jackson died?" he didn't believe the news and needed confirmation. that was the moment when i knew he was dead. initially i had written off the woman's comment as just talk, but once there was more context to her comments, i knew what happened. that was the theme throughout the evening. my friends talked about how they heard his music playing all afternoon, but didn't know why and just wrote it up to a coincidence. and once you heard the news, you knew why.

but, perhaps the most poignant part of the evening was after the show ended (btw, femi kuti was AMAZING) and the post-show music came on. once femi left the stage, the sounds of "i'll be there" started to filter through the speakers and instead of emptying the venue out, people stayed. and cheered. and sang. and some cried. it was really a special moment that only music can provide. it united black and white, young and old in remembrance of the music of michael, not his weirdness. his music is what i hope people will remember him by because when he was on his game, he truly was the best.

as a young kid, i loved michael's music. i had a glove. i had a poster. i listened to his music and loved it. and i still do. there is a reason that thriller is the greatest selling album of all time. from start to finish it doesn't let up. every song could be a hit on its own. any song could be the best song on the album and on any other album would be. i remember the first time i saw the thriller video and how much it scared me. his videos always went above and beyond the rest.

no one could make a video like him. no one could sing like him. no one could dance like him. no one could do what he did. he was the best. i hope this is the michael jackson that lasts through the ages, because this is the michael jackson i will always remember.

Amazing Victory for USA Soccer

it was an amazing victory, not as much for the historical significance, IMO, but for the great, great, great game team USA played. i watched the whole game and thought it was a spectacular performance by team USA. they really had spain's offense figured out, despite all the shots on goal spain had. i remember commenting early in the second half about the swarming D of team USA, while at the same time the commentators on TV were blasting the US team for letting spain run with the ball in the middle of the field. however, to me, it seemed like team USA was ok with giving spain the middle of the field (or is it called midfield...im still not 100% on my soccer terminology) because once spain got in the box they were getting mobbed by white shirts. and, even though spain got off a ton of shots, none were clean looks. all of their shots were either through or around legs and bodies, not clean rips. a ton of shots went to the post where howard cleaned them up. i just think that the US D had spain's offense figured out.

a few other thoughts:

• sick goal by jozy altidore.
• landon donovan, whom i have disliked since he laid an egg in the 2006 world cup, played a great game.
• the red card given to the US player was total BS. no way should that have been a red card. i wonder if FIFA has some sort of review system, like the NBA does with technical fouls. plus, how ridiculous is it that this guy will have to sit out the next game after one red card. the NBA has some rule for the playoffs where 6 or 7 techs force you to sit for a game. kobe had right up to the limit with techs and managed himself accordingly. it seems awfully punitive to kick a guy off the pitch for the rest of the current game as well as all of the next.

bring on the next opponent. USA! USA! USA!

Return to A Classic

excellent move by the sixers. excellent move. they are returning to their classic (read: best) color scheme and logo. why pat croce thought black and gold was a good color scheme for the 76ers is beyond all rational thought. ok, pat, you like pirates, but the 76ers are not a band of pirates. they represent the city of philadelphia and the birth of the united states. the colors of the united states are red, white, and blue. even this philadelphia union got the memo, but croce wanted black and gold, so black and gold we got. even the ugly-ass uniforms worn in the mid-90s (pictured below) kept the team's traditional colors, even if the design was perhaps the ugliest thing this side of, well, the cleveland cavaliers had some pretty ugly jerseys around that time period as well, but the cavs are the cavs.
there is a great history of the sixers' uniforms the team's website. it really is amazing how radical the design the croce jersey is when compared to the rest of team's uniforms. now just get rid of that stupid rabbit and we will be all set. oh, and a winning team. that would be nice too.

Psycho Roommate Alert

as some of you may know, about one year ago i had a very unfortunate experience with a roommate, which i won't go into detail about here, but suffice it to say, it is something i hope i never have to go through again. that alone isn't driving my desire to live by myself when my lease is up, but letters like this certainly are playing a part in my desire to not have to deal with roommates anymore. the letter reprinted below, via the village voice, is almost too good to be believed. would you want to live with this person?

So we've all heard that one silver lining to the whole economic meltdown is that New York is suddenly a renter's marker again. Heck, when we found our new apartment a few months back we even managed to convince the landlord to knock a couple hundred bucks off our monthly rent. Apparently, people are even upping their demands in potential roommate situations, as our friend Mauricio found out recently when he placed an ad on Craigslist looking for someone to share his two-bedroom apartment in Queens. He received the following response which, believe it or not, is edited for your reading pleasure:

Hi there,

I am interested in the room, I am a hard-working, reliable, considerate, friendly & helpful educated, well-read personable gal working in biz development... looking to room w/ someone w/ a mindset such as yours, of having peace *& quiet at home & not bringing the party back home, etc..

(Sounds good, until we get to the movies...)

I have mature sophisticated tastes but I also like to watch stuff like the Superman series, Smallville!! If you like superheroes, etc.. Xmen, Batman, Spiderman, Wolverine, Fantasic Four, Watchmen, Wonderwoman, etc.. films of this genre & others -- That'd BE cool... Of course, many other favorites too.... such as the serious side of drama, Romantic Comedies, or even Docu-Drama's like "Traffic" w/ Benicio Del Toro, Rwanda w/ Don Cheadle, Angelina Jolie portraying the wife of Daniel Pearl in a A Mighty Heart (2007) .... Mariane Pearl -- her husband, a murdered WSJ journalist lost in, & lost to the Iraq war as an embedded journalist. The Natural w/ Robert Redford, The Great Gatsby, 12 Angry Men, Foreign Films w/ martial arts themes, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, director Chen Kaige's -- Farewell My Concubine, Red Sorghum, w/ Gong Li -- the beautiful lead actress Age of Innocence -- Wynona Ryder-Daniel, Gangs of NY, 21 Grams, Way of the Gun, Reality Bytes, Much Ado about Nothing, Hamlet, The Aviator, Titanic, Schindler's List, Apocalypse Now, Philadelphia Story, Erin Brockavich, Romeo&Juliet (Leonardo DiCaprio in medieval rapping style!!), Gone in 60 Seconds, Empire of the Sun, Dead Man Walking, anything w/ Sean Penn, Nicholas Cage, Robert Duvall, Sean Connery, Matt Damon, Denzel Washington, Jude Law, Cate Blanchette, Kristen Scott Thomas, Ray/Ralph Fiennes, (The English Patient) , Angelina Jolie, Richard Gere, Ming Na Wen, Jennifer Connolly, Russell Crowe in ****A Beautiful Mind, ***Cinderella Story, & anything else he's been in... Jerry MacGuire & Bridget Diaries w/ Renee Zellweiger, Lucy Liu, Michelle Yeoh, Pierce Brosnan, World Is Not Enough; Terry Hatcher, Eva Longoria, etc.,.. Thandie Newton in MI3. w/ Tom Cruise. Ben Kingsley (plays Ghandi really well), Yul Brynner, Charles Heston,-- in the classic religious-themed epic "10 Commandments"..Gone with the Wind, etc.

So, as U can see I like films alot, & looking at them w/ much thought & consideration & reflection afterwards....i like to write, I'm creative, I like reading a bit so I am pretty much a cerebral type... not into useless activities like drinking or anything else that doesn't serve to elevate my spirit... Oh & I grew to like "A Streetcar named Desire", the original B&W film. So I have a fun, bubbly side as well as the serious, mature tastes that we may share & possibly have in common.?

(After requesting detailed descriptions and photos of every room in the apartment, the floor it is located on, the size of the building and the surrounding neighborhood, the potential roommate turns her attention to the kitchen:)

BONUS: If you're willing to negotiate on the rent price & be flexible, I'll DO ALL of your dishes, making sure kitchen counter areas are clean, & germ-free, tables w/ place mats clean/cleared, & fold all of your laundered clothes {after they're already washed -- basic wash done.,. {by your laundry service or by you? well -- maybe I could help out here a lil' sometimes as an Assistant once in a blue moon, too.. } / For sure, as finicky as I can be, I can fold them really well, AFTER they're picked up/received back from the cleaners?} :) {I'm very domesticated & PLUS a worldly sophisticate!!! Triple threat "Miss Clean"/aka Nice/Quiet & Open-minded w/ regards to the world's issues...

I'm VERY VERY good w/ the kitchen areas as I love keeping the kitchen in *tip top shape,

(And then she gets really, really specific:)

Just pls provide the ***non-allergenic or hypo-allergenic cleaning agents & sponges & dishrags,, ! & I'll be happy to do the work {in the kitchen, etc..}... I have a few allergies so... need to be be careful that's all...

(And now, some questions for Mauricio:)

Routine:: schedule w/ bathroom hrs, etc.. WHat are your work hrs like- & what times in the morning do U need the bathroom by? I am kindly flexible w/ bathroom time in the mornings so,. U can have it first if U need it, except if I need it in emergency... {esp. PMS intervals..} . hahaha!!! Oh, Did I mention that I have a P/T sense of humor ?? :)

(No. What time does your sense of humor go to work?)

WHat time in the evenings -- do U need the kitchen for -- OR== Do you not cook at home much, or eat out alot, or never really at home at all??

So, What are your general hobbies, routines, social schedule like- Do u keep the party outside? Do u invite ppl over for dinners, or casual/ or formal "get- togethers" >> more than 1x per wk,, or Less.. ? I don't generally like to have too many ppl or foot traffic over.. I like to keep the party OUTSIDE. Too many ppl means making a mess + too much noise, . so... I don't like having to put too much labor into cleaning up after ppl except I Don't mind it for ppl I am living with that I know really well.. I like to read alot, commit some serious time to studying in solitude, appreciate the quiet & am low key at home, like my TV shows as well!!

ANyway, I am a, for sure, easy going roomate/co-habitant/ who will be dynamic, supportive of shared communal homely needs, & conversational enough to make for a great friend/compatriot in the long run anyway I think ....but if U like & need your personal space & me --vice versa,,, that's fine as well..

Don't' stop the music...

I am into music as well- having had experience performing in band & orchestra while in HS... Also, I like Mariah Carey type pop stuff, so... Would love to hear about your interests in music... Loved Adam Lambert on American Idol... he is far out unique & different. Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Bon Jovi, I love old time voices as well as new age stuff. Enya, Kitaro, whatever else emerging there is of which U may know more about & have access to?!! Like Whitney Houston, Madonna, Pattie LaBelle, Jonie Mitchell, Arnie Guthrie, Simon & Garfunkel, Duran Duran, Lionel Ritchie, Anita Baker, Roy Orbison, temptations, Disco stuff, Bee gees, Broadway musicals, Many of the songs from original Grease, Phantom of Opera, Les Miserables, Rent... Chorus Line, Loved the techno stuff too...Stone Temple Pilots, GreenDay, Phil Collins, Snow Patrol, Sum41, lots of new songs from the WPIX channel for the shows of Gossip Girl & One Tree Hill, & Smallville (Superman series on thurs nite.8pm), etc....& Supernatural.. They DO a great job at bringing in new music through these very "happening" shows...

LET me know..! Email me back w/ your interest & contact info... Thanks.

(Just when you thought it was over:)

-- Feel free to leave ,me a msg back.. describing the place..& when is the latest I can call U back at... if we can arrange time... just wanted to know HOW large is the bedroom/ROOM size? What FLOOR are U on? What is the direction that the windows are facing? -- To the front of building-- of the main entrance or to the back yard? Or the side alley?? Is it bigger than 12x15 or larger or smaller? Extra Storage Space? What is already inside or included in the bedroom? Any furniture or stuff left behind? Like a bed- full or Queen size, Or should/can I bring my own bed? or nightstand, any bureau, or armoire, or chest of drawers, Any book shelf outside in the hall/:Livingroom? or inside the bedrm, or shelves for my use for books, etc.,.? , or should i bring my own?

Any office/table/desk areas already there-- for computer use? Anything like wardrobe closet or extra mobile closet or closets outside in the hallways for use? What street is the bedroom window facing-- ? Outside the street front/ main entrance area? or is it w/. views of the rear- back of the building?

Any cameras in the lobby area or safety is good around there? Pls do include the address, cross streets, THANKS!

Feel free to write+ leave me a msg, w/ all details as well..

Pls let me know when u'll have some time to show the place, & meet up...& state your address, name, etc.. & tell me more about what you do for work, & what kind of hrs do U keep, when U need the bathrm by in the mornings, at nite, etc,, I would make for an excellent roomie, & be very accomodating w/ the helping out around the home, etc./. pls leave me your full names, etc, referencing this ad, w/ the full address, + cross sts & how to get there from which train stop, etc,.& descriiption of the space, the BR, the extra closets for personal use, any backyard for use/ to sit in??

ANy TV in the bR or full-Queen size bed inside??

All I Do Is Sweat

i sit and sweat. i move and sweat. i sleep and sweat. i write cover letters and sweat. heck, i even sweat when i sweat these days. and no sun to even make it worthwhile :( this weather really needs to break soon.

The Logic Test

before anyone enters the pool at the coles rec center at NYU, i think they should have to pass this simple test. here goes:

lane 1 has 2 people swimming in it
lane 2 has 1 person swimming in it
lane 3 has 3 people swimming in it
lanes 4-8 also have 2-3 people swimming in them
you want to swim. which lane do you choose?

if you picked lane 2, you would be allowed to swim. if you picked lane 1, you should have your fingernails pulled out and banned from the pool forever.