LeBromination

Weak title, I know.

My assumption is that the three big signings (Wade, Bosh, James) were ultimately a result of that initial meeting they had some time ago. My guess is that they took the turnaround in Boston as a blueprint, but I think they missed a few things.

1. Pierce was languishing in Boston. They were bad and he was a superstar. He could have pressed to get traded, but ultimately worked with the team and got the help he needed. Had he left, that story would have never happened, and it's a fairy tale. He'll be remembered - not just in Boston - as a great player and a loyal man. Had LeBron stayed for another year in Cleveland, got the help, and started winning there, he'd be even more of a folk hero than he thinks he is now. Instead, he's after that one ring to make sure people recognize that he's not just flashy.

2. If one of the big three in Miami doesn't perform up to expectations (or there's an injury), they're not much better than Cleveland or Miami was last year; which is not as good as Boston.

3. Miami has plenty of stars already. Chicago is more like a big Cleveland.

4. To win a ring, I understand moving to Miami to play with Wade and Bosh. That could have happened with the Bulls just as easily, with a much clearer power structure, and he immediately would have had a humongous fan base. One that launched Michael Jordan into an international brand. One that flooded the lake front six times after championships.

5. Kobe didn't retire.

6. Michael had Scotty, but beyond that, he would have won titles on sheer force of will. I don't think LeBron has that, and I don't know if Wade has the same venom since he already got his. That essentially leaves Bosh to drive. Can you imagine Michael, Scotty, and Horace vs. the top 3 in the current league? No contest.

As it stands right now, I guess I'd acquiesce that Boston and Miami are the two Eastern teams to watch this year. Chicago might still be in the picture for the playoffs, but without another significant signing, I'm not sure how far they can go.

It's Important to Reflect

Barack Obama has been in office less than two years, and he's gotten a lot done. He doesn't spend lots time talking about what put us in the position we're in or placing blame - he acts quickly and decisively. Most of his actions appear to be in the best interest of the economy, the environment, or the people. I can understand some of the criticism of some of his ideas, but nobody is right all of the time.

The thing that kind of sailed under the radar is the fact that all of the money that was allocated to banks to keep them from tanking has been repaid with interest. It doesn't seem like that could possibly be correct - one year was all it took to keep the entire economy from collapsing and for the banks to fully recover? Seems that it is mostly true.

You might contend that the health reform bill is weak and doesn't really get the job done. Well, it's something, and it can be improved upon now that the most important threshold has been breached. He's done tons of other things that have similarly gone unnoticed. Rachel Maddow lists a bunch here:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Day Thirty (of 30) Crapped Out

Well, I owe anyone still paying attention to this thing a couple of posts. I got 27 days in before work got out of control and took over my life. Timing sucked, too, seeing as they postponed the deadline I struggled to meet. On the plus side, I have a four-day weekend to use to craft some excellent posts. Or something. Probably mow the lawn.

Cheers, all. Have a good summer!

Day Twenty-Six (of 30) Cop Out

I'm running out of new and unique topics, and I've gotten behind on this project over this weekend. It's been a busy week, and with a deadline at work on Wednesday, it's not about to slow down. So, what can I discuss that's new? A ha!

Blogger. This blog is published on Blogger, formerly known as Blogspot, and now owned and operated by Google. I am constantly impressed that they can continue to offer the tool for free considering that they are still regularly updating the functionality. The most recent update adds new backgrounds and themes, so you can more easily update or customize the look of your blog.

Did you know that you can post to a Blogger blog from a normal cell phone? It's true. You can also add contributors with limited permissions, and the list of "gadgets" continues to grow. If you start to build a list of followers, you could convert that readership into some money by using Google AdSense. You can even stylize the ads to work seamlessly into your blog design.

I have a WordPress account and have built web sites in HTML and using various tools, but Blogger is, by far, the easiest and most robust tool I've found. Build your own!

Day Twenty-Five (of 30) Clockhammer

Back in 1991, I worked at a small, independent record store in DeKalb, IL known as Record Revolution. It was a great time to work in a record store; so many bands released seminal records that year. I mean, Metallica put out their Black Album, Nirvana released Nevermind, My Bloody Valentine launched their masterpiece Loveless, and the list goes on.

That record store moved from a smaller strip mall spot to a larger one, and while we were moving bins, I found a Clockhammer CD (Klinefelter) promo under one of them. Literally slipped through the cracks. My first run-through had me scratching my head. Were they rock? Alternative? Jazz? This smooth-yet-frequently-heavy power trio from Nashville didn't fit into any of the genres of the day.

Well, they're still in my regular rotation after all these years. Maybe fitting a genre isn't as important as just making the music in your head.

Here are a couple of samples of their songs:



And a link to a site where their final album is available for download:
http://p-l-m.blogspot.com/2006/10/clockhammer-so-much-for-you-1994.html

Enjoy!