(This might interest) Maybe Just Me…

1. while i want the spurs to win, i don’t have a vested interest in either team so take this how you want, but in watching the game i think the spurs have gotten jobbed by the refs the past 3 games. yes, there is a certain amount of “let them play” mentality that should be allowed in the playoffs, but it’s ridiculous what the pistons were getting away with. and in watching the game, yes there were non-calls on both ends, but seriously it seemed to go against the spurs more often than not.

2. everyone this morning is talking about how sheed made a mistake in trapping on manu and leaving horry open. well first off, i think there should be at least a side story about the last regulation possession, decent shot, GREAT tip opportunity by duncan missed, sheed gets the rebound and tries to pull a chris webber (btw LOVED that al michaels’s was like “and chris webber is in the building). regardless, i think sheed has to double onto manu. manu had been driving pretty effectively, especially 4th quarter. yes you don’t leave horry open, but with all the time outs that were being called back and forth why not have wallace, wallace, and mcdyess out there. then you have one of the wallaces trap, and the other’s rotate?

3. i’ve only read one thing about it this morning because it’s lost in all the big shot rob/bob/bobby talk, but seriously in detroit, outside of like a 17 minute span, horry has played like absolute crap. don’t know if i’ve EVER seen anyone miss so many driving layups.

4. while it wasn’t as bad as the past two games, the spurs still don’t take of the ball as well as they should.

5. i don’t understand duncan’s FT problems. when he first came into the league he was a decent free throw shooter. i’d like to blame his ankles for his late game suckiness at the line, but he really doesn’t use his legs like other players do at the line. (btw, worse than that is parker’s crap FT%, he’s a guard!)

non-sports thoughts
6. studying for the bar is horrible

7. ever notice how the only people who tell you not to go to law school/be a lawyer are people in law school or who are lawyers? trust me, we’re not trying to discourage you to keep you out and protect our jobs/money/etc. it really does suck.

8. studying for the bar makes me feel like i’m not done with school though i really am.

1. tim duncan will be known as the best PF to play the game. what a complete player. steady, consistent. what’s not to like about this guy (other than FT shooting)? people complain that he’s boring, but it’s the same as sampras, you have to cheer on the classy winner. not to mention in this day and age you hear people complain about selfish, “talky,” brash sports players. but when you have someone like duncan, all of a sudden being reserved, being almost stoic, being classy is a bad thing.

2. why is everyone so down on this finals? because both teams have a “workman” like approach to the game? because both teams play such good defense, taking away what the other team does best? because both teams are content on offense to just get 1 more point than they allow? hmm, if this was football EVERYONE would be talking about how great the patriots are and how they are the BEST team and what everyone should strive for. you don’t hear people complain about the EXACT same things when it comes to the pats?

3. i’m not original in this, but the finals will be a coming out party for manu and tayshaun.

4. people will say what a bad game this was because of the low scoring. but if you WATCHed the game, it was a great game. great passing, ball movement, GREAT defense at the end of possessions. if half of the shots aren’t contested, then the score is in triple digits and everyone is praising the offensive skills. so many possessions had great plays (a pass, etc) that didn’t end in scores. only a bad, “ugly” game if you read the box score only. watch the game, and it’s compelling.

5. sheed is the real deal. if he had that sort of desire/attitude, he could be the best PF. real inside-outside game. what other PFs have that? none really. KG, while such greatness, isn’t as good on the block as sheed, doesn’t have the same range (though admittedly a better ballhandler, passer).

6. you have to wonder if this game is indicative of how the entire series will be called by the refs? they allowed a lot of contact, but also made a lot of calls (on things like offensive fouls).

7. nazr mohammed… the knicks have to wonder why he never played like that in nyc.

8. glen robinson. it is STILL beyond belief that out of college as the number 1 overall (i think) pick he wanted (the first) $100 million contract in nba history.

9. a year of growth has done wonders for tony parker, but with as inconsistent as he is, you still have to wonder a little bit if he’s going to fold like he did last year versus the lakers.

10. i think as long as the finals had the spurs, it was going to be entertaining. they can play with anyone. they are more fun to watch than even the suns (except for anything amare does, amare is ridiculous, beast).

11. while i’d rather the spurs win, there are reasons to root for either team (and other teams): the suns - the rebirth of late 80s western conference run and gun a la the lakeshow, the birth of the amare era; the heat - dwyane’s emergence as nba elite, shaq being able to crow and talk smack about kobe and jerry buss; the pistons - LB winning a second consecutive title (to quiet all the people whining about his propensity to wander), sheed being sheed, two words: TITLE BELTS (seriously, if the pistons win do you think the organization should get kind of rinky dink rings, but REAL, dope championship belts?), the rebirth of TEAM in the nba, darko having two rings; the spurs - timmy winning one without the admiral, the emergence of manu, the continuation of TEAM over star system of old, etc.

12. don’t you kind of love manu’s balding spot? great television.

13. one last thing, how great is the rematch of TD and sheed. going back to wake vs unc. good stuff.

14. okay, really last thing: watching the post-game coverage on espn, TD Q&A session right now. he’s a pretty engaging guy. i don’t know what they are talking about “no personality” seriously the sampras comparison is perfect. they don’t trash talk. they don’t really say much right before, during, or right after games/matches. but in Q&As they are engaging.

okay, that’s not an entirely true statement because i know i think this. and as i’m starting to write, i know “things i think i think” is a list post title, and i don’t have a second item yet, but maybe i’ll think of one as i write.

1. one thing i KNOW i think: i DO NOT understand some people. well that completely obvious. but i catch every now and again the mtv show “i want a famous face.” okay beyond the obvious of some of these people aren’t willing to put in the hard work necessary to get the bodies they want, here’s what i don’t understand about some people. WHAT THE HELL ARE THESE PEOPLE THINKING?!?!?!? i mean seriously, these people don’t even look remotely similar to the celebs they are trying to look like. you would think if you are going to get plastic surgery to look like someone else, you’d at least pick someone you REMOTELY resemble! but no, these people are absolutely oblivious to reality! i don’t understand.

2. i just thought of one. everyone knows it, everyone says it, but i guess it’s not a real thing to them. celebs look like they do because (a) they have the good genetic makeup. (b) they have the financial ability to hire people to make them look that way (trainer, chefs, stylists, etc). (c) they can work out 4-5-6 hours a day if they want, they don’t have a 9-5 job for a majority of the year like most people. everyone knows it, everyone thinks it, but then people think just get the plastic surgery. or how about those people who get the lipo or whatever to get rid of a little bit of fat around X area? they say they work out all the time and diet etc, but to get rid of the last of the fat to look celeb-ish, it takes a little more than the average diet. it takes things like cutting all sugars for two weeks and crap like that. but you watch these shows about people who claim to do all this work but can’t lose the last bit as they eat a hamburger and drink a slurpee.

3. okay, i got nothing. not really a well thought out post/list. many apologies to my single digit readership.

random thoughts of the morning:

there are a lot of “hit” shows on television that i just don’t see long term success for. not that they aren’t entertaining, but the premise of the show just doesn’t lend itself to long lasting.

i think networks try to hard to find the “next” whatever (seinfeld, friends, etc) versus just developing quality programs.

i think networks also give up quickly on shows rather than let them develop an audience (though see above item as to why they probably do give up on things).

i think for the most part the public is stupid and regardless of the calls of critics for quality programming, the public wants simple, easy things to watch.

i think trump’s “new” WTC plan is stupid. i’m not the biggest fan of the freedom tower design, but simply rebuilding (is it even an updated design?) is not an answer either.

i think nyc has a lot of issues with building things right now.

i think the nba playoffs should have more drama than they do (even with pretty good games and the right scenario for drama, it just seems a little flat right now).

The New York Times > Education > On Education: SAT Essay Test Rewards Length and Ignores Errors

lot of MIT centric news this morning. but let’s start in order of my observations. (and this is not a “X things i think i think” list, though it is a list. and i need to start making thoses lists again.)
1. having the SAT change from 1600 to 2400 makes me feel really old. it’s worse than for those people who’s score “changed” when they rescaled the scoring a few years back. and the change in grade for the SAT makes me feel older than the change in format/grade of the GRE. when the change the LSAT (which you know will eventually happen) i think i’ll feel like 80.
2. based on everything i’ve read about it, the writing section of the SAT is the easiest to coach and the section apparently a lot of people are relying on to boost their scores.
3. apparently, according to this article, what you write isn’t as important as how much you write.
4. and with all the statitisical analysis tools i’m sure are available to him, i’m glad the MIT guy cracked this in his hotel room, with EXCEL… hahaha

1. I don’t understand why people leave the default settings on their computers for stylistic things. like is the picture of rolling hills (Windows XP default wallpaper) SO magnificent that you want to keep it your wallpaper? is the windows start and shutdown sounds so melodious that they will remain your startup and shutdown sounds forever?
2. why don’t people know how to mute their electronics? i mean it’s usually a matter of no more than 3 clicks or button presses. is it really too much to do?
3. why do so many smart people like to talk about how smart they are, but at the same time act overly humble or “unaware” of their intelligence? i mean isn’t this more annoying than the person is smart and is just arrogant and up front with that arrogance?
4. do apple computer owners feel superior (i mean every day folks, not the rabid fanboys that most apple owners are… and yes, i’m an apple owner) while sitting in class in a sea of wintel notebooks? their apple logo glowing softly?
5. it’s not as hard to think of and type this list while taking notes as well (and it should be)
6. all the studies and arguments that ipods, mp3 players, etc lead to social isolationism are very true and very accurate. i’ve been in classes with some people for 3 years and i don’t know their names, they only know my last name (how professors call on students). i’m otherwise known as “headphone guy” or “guy with the headphones.” if i don’t have them, the first thing people ask me is “where are your headphones?”
7. in this day and age, professors should just give out copies of notes electronically, especially things like powerpoint presentations.
8. there aren’t as many attractive people in school as i would’ve thought (and yes, i include myself in the not so attractive side)
9. there is a huge difference in how law students and med students (doc, nurse, PA) carry themselves during their off times.
10. something very attractive about med students (seem to walk with a little more focus, determination)
11. 8, 9, and 10 might be more a function of where i am and where i go to school than anything else

okay, so i think this is the start. i’m writing this, via ecto, sans internet connection, so it won’t be posted until later tonight. the first thing to do with this would be to think of a topic for my list. which is a none too easy task in it’s own right. and then i suppose the number of things that i want to list. though i suppose at the end of the day, i could make a list, then make a title to reflect said list.

so here we go, all pre-break stuff, no extra clicks to read this my friends, oh no.
6 things i think i think about law school

1. the people are not that smart (but maybe it’s just my school, or my class)
2. the people do not get smarter
3. perhaps nothing zaps my strength as much as sitting through lecture
4. perhaps the tail end of the spring semester is not the ideal time to give up caffeine
5. it’s sometimes really hard to stay awake, even as you type
6. law school makes you smarter about being lazy (see #2, this is the sole exception)