Poor Balki. Larry is kinda harsh on him I think. I have always pondered what an encounter between Rose from Golden girls and Balki from perfect strangers would be like and I wonder where they would settle? St. Olaf is my guess but there is something about Mypos that begs your attention. Who knows? Who knows.
So a while ago I was contacted by some Swiss and German reporters about a kid I went to highschool with. His name, at the school, was Chol-pek, or however you spell it. He was/is the son of North Korea's dictator Kim Jong-il. You know, this guy...
Regrettably, I obliged their requests for information on him. I don't know why I did and especially didn't want my name associated with the articles but it happened and is now disseminated around cyberland. Not really a big deal since I didn't say anything controversial or negative about him. I'm not stupid enough to publicly insult the son of the wildest dictator currently living.
The funniest part is that I think the info I gave them is on the middle child and not the youngest who is now expected to be successor. But they quoted it all as if it is the right son. I'm not 100% sure either way so whatever...I didn't even know he had a younger (or older) brother. I guess the kid was also in the school at the time. Strange. I don't remember him even though there were only 200+ kids in the school from grade 1 to 12. I guess I need to see if I can dig up the old ISB yearbook.
But the reason I'm writing this is to share the translated document I received today from a friend of mine who read it. Not sure who their editor/translator is at Babelfish but perhaps they should look into getting a replacement, lol.
Here are a couple of paragraphs for your reading pleasure.
But one knows very few things about him. Only certainty, Kim Jong-un passed a good part of her adolescence to Switzerland. It attended there International School off Bern (ISB) of Gümlingen, to a few hundred meters of the embassy North-Korean. Registered under the false name of Chol Pak, it left the establishment at 15 years, in 1998, without to have passed there its baccalaureat, which is obtained at the conclusion of the 12th year. “It was in 9th or 10th when it left, the Canadian Ron Schwartz remembers, who belonged to the teams of tennis shoe and swimming with him. It was a timid and introverted young man, but who appreciated the sports of team. He admired much Michael Jordan and Jean-Claude Van Damme. ________________________________________________________________________ But some bizarreries all the same woke up the curiosity of those which côtoyé it. “It always had a kind of bodyguard with him, which was called Kwang Chol”, a former student of the ISB describes which says to have been “friendly” with the son of Kim Jong-il. Ron Schwartz also remembers this other raises North-Korean, “an young man hut and stiff, who played tennis shoe with us. It was in the same class as Chol Pak, whereas it was much older than him. But it had a young air, which made the thing less strange for us.” At the time, his/her comrades treat this business like a simple rumour, even a gag, and do not seek with more. Only one pupil was apparently with the current of the real identity of Chol Pak: a Japanese of its class “which knew that it was related to somebody of very high placed in the Government North-Korean”, reports Ron Schwartz.
I had some tweaking and some printing to do of this recent painting so I thought I'd throw it online since it's nearly done. It's probably more like 95% finished but whatever.
It's called Train to Play. It's part of the rotation collection and I'm going to have it spinning at my show on June 27th at the Scotiabank Dance Center on Granville/Davie street. I'll send out more info on that later.
So here are 4 of the possible 360 degrees by which you can view this sucker. When it rotates (slowly) on the wall, it will have a better effect.
One of the all time great under appreciated-due-to-subtlety news anchor mishaps. It's so subtle that you may have to rewatch/listen a couple of times to absorb the true awesomeness of this one.
Patrick O 'Sullivan is one of the newest Edmonton Oilers. I was happy to see the trade at the deadline that brought him and Ales Kotalik to Edmonton. I hope they both sign good deals and have good 09-10 seasons with the Oilers. Kotalik is less likely to stay due to free agency but that is a post for another time (probably sometime around September, lol).
I read this shocking story and it made me think about a bunch of things. Some people are just crazy. Some people are so blinded by their irrational wants/needs/desires that they fail to see the detriment they cause to those around them. Patrick's father John is a good example of this. He didn't make it as a pro himself so he forced it upon his son to live out his personal dream. Here is a link to the original article I first read.
The other amazing story is that of NBA center/PF Chris "birdman" Andersen. Not only is he the reigning undisputed champion of the "Most Deplorable Dunk Contest Contestant", he was also essentially homeless and lived in a barn. So that's pretty cool.
I recommend checking out this link. It's a great read: Birdman Andersen
The very first time I saw this show it was on Fox or some reputable channel of that ilk. It was utterly absurd. So damn funny. The bear just compltely destroys Kobayashi, almost to the point of complete shame and embarassment. His response in the end regarding how he needs to train to beat the bear is just verbal dessert on top of an already delicious ambrosia of comedy.
Man, this is so good. The bear starts off slow but he's clearly just fuckin with the guy. "...he doesn't know it's a competition". Bullshit. He fuckin knows man. Look in his eyes.
He's eating them like pretzel sticks. Lol. He must be wondering where his fuckin beverage is. These hotdog pretzels are making him thirsty!
By the way, thanks Michael Buffer for making this official. Way to stay classy buddy.
Just wanted to have this on file for whenever I feel the need for some inspirational video. What a finish. The game was so similar to game 1 it's eerie.
This is a 'shop for something we hopefully use down at the WSOP this year as a joke/vid where we remake the SNL skit of the Chicago faithful a.k.a. Superfans. Not too complicated of a joke. Replace "Da Bears" with "Da Bear" or even "Da Barry"
This is basically self explanatory. Once more, I will remind everyone of my prediction. The Cavs will win the title this year and not lose a game. PUT THAT.
So guess what? I made up a term. There is no scientific backing to it. There is no Masters thesis or clinical experimentation to back it up. I can provide no research or null hypothesis that I managed to prove or disprove. But this is the internet and on the internet anything goes. When you write something in a blog it becomes, for that limited space in cyberland at least, veritable fact and truth. The truth that I speak of is a term I call "Accelerated Social Sports Micro-Evolution" or ASSME for those of you who prefer acronyms.
What is ASSME you say? Well, please allow me to explain. ASSME is something that pertains to athletic performance and physical athleticism in modern day professional athletes. Without getting too deep into scientific jargon, ASSME describes the ways and reasons we see such rapid increase in the size and physicality of today's athletes and in particular the four major North American sports: football, basketball, baseball, hockey.
Each passing decade has seen the average height and weight of players in each position of their respective sport increase dramatically without compensation in things like speed and agility. In fact, those categories have either maintained their high level or shot up along side body size. How could this happen and why? Well, a quick and gloomy response from some of our wittier readers would say that it's all due to steroids and banned substances. This may be true in certain cases but it is still only a fractional percentage of pro athletes who use illegal substances (maybe it's more but, as Everalst from House of Pain once told me in half of a rhyming couplet, "it ain't a crime if you don't get caught."
But this is beside the point. The real reason we have seen such huge increases in player size is because these athletes are getting top of the line training regiments instilled into their daily routine before they have their umbilical chords removed. Once a potential star is recognized and gains attention from scouts and coaches across the nation, the pressure, like the weights they are forced to lift, starts to build. The natural talent is scouted early but the training habits and the mental fortitude are scrutinized relentlessly. They are force-fed verbal bum rushes of fear soaked warnings like "if you don't take care of your body now and build up your strength, you will never make it to the big leagues, son". As such, out of obligation and pressure these young kids begin building and sculpting their physiques.
This is not a bad thing by any means but it does not always turn out as planned. Not everyone turns into Lebron James and not everyone has the moral or ethical infrastructure to turn down a pill that cuts the hard work in half and shows double the results.
Since the 90's we have seen a growth in average human statures for athletes that would have taken thousands of years if measured solely by Darwinian standards. The times they are a changin' Mr. Evolution. Things happen faster now. Vitamin/protein supplements are as common as McDonald's. Training techniques, dietitians, specialists and facilities have exhibited exponential growth and even the overall North American "average height" has increased. We live in a plentiful time and have things like food and facilities at our disposal 24/7. Because of these things, our cultural averages change. Athletes are getting bigger but so are coach potatoes. It's a concerning phenomenon.
So athletes are getting bigger. It's no surprise. It has been a continuous trend for decades. But the rate of change is increasing. Will it continue on this path and if so, for how long? Will the standard NBA point guard soon become 6'4"? Are college QB's going to be looked over in the draft if they aren't exceeding 6'6"? I'm guessing that in 20 years we may soon have to see the rules of the game changed to combat these freakish beasts dunking from foul lines and hitting 500ft bombs off of pitchers who eclipse 103mph with ease.
If ASSME continues as it has been, are we in for frightening times ahead or an exciting evolution of the game? Perhaps a splash of both (vague Michael Phelps reference). *ending blog with visions of a swimmer with actual webbed feet and gilled ears like in Costner in Waterworld*
This is a follow up to my post last night. I found some of the trailers online. Very exciting line up of flicks for the summer.
Here is the trailer for Moon. As soon as I heard Spacey as the voice for the computer on board the ship I knew this would be awesome. I have an affinity toward movies that touch on the theme of alien life-forms and I think it reminded me of a mixture of k-pax yet had a touch of Se7ev in it as well from the slightly demonic sound of his supposedly lifeless computer voice. I also like the idea of how characters are effected by isolation (a la Cast Away). This premise is incredible and I hope the movie delivers. Great actors as well so my hopes are high.
Leave comments if you wanna discuss this more.
Okay, here is the Lebron James one. This also looks sensational. I find it fascinating when movie/documentaries can be created retroactively. Yes, I realize the irony/stupidness of that statement since all documentaries deal with the past. I just mean that it impresses me that such great depictions can be manifested from stories and footage of people who at the time were not at the same level that they eventually rose to. Sure, Lebron was touted to be the greatest since he was a fetus but there still seems to be a great deal of inspirational and dramatic footage from his highschool days. Seems like a fairy tale. I'm glad I know very little about that team because I want to film to show me as much new information as possible. The Tyson movie last night was not quite informative in that way but did show some sides of MT that otherwise get smothered by the way the media depicts people in his position.
The John Dillinger movie with Depp and Bale is actually called "Public Enemies". Again, solid cast and good historical story line to draw on.
The last one was the hardest title to remember. Apperantly it is a remake of an older book/movie (in 1974). Who knew? lol. Not me.
Saw the new Mike Tyson documentary tonight. Really interesting. The guy is perplexing. I read psychology books, listened to lectures on numerous topics of the mind and human psyche and after having seen this movie I can honestly say I have no fucking clue what is going on in that man's head.
He was hands down the most devastating and ferocious heavy weight we've ever seen and most likely will stay that way until our collective memories fade and new champs start to over shadow the legacies of the old (i.e. The LeBron James vs. MJ effect). Overall I recommend the movie if you are interested in him as a person because he recounts nearly every well known and not so well known part of his life and holds very little back. Much like his fighting style, he pulls very few punches.
The track at the end by Nas was worth sticking around afterward for as well.
Side bar: There look to be at least 4 or more stellar movies coming out this summer that I hadn't seen or heard about that were shown as trailers before the movie. One is a documentary on Lebron James' highschool team and their run. Good timing given the fact that when it does come out he'll be receiving the Finals MVP trophy and, if I may so boldly predict right now, be the first to do so going undefeated in the playoffs (I wish I had my own personal stats person to check my facts like on P.T.I....hmmm, Google much?)
Another movie was called Moon. Absolutely crazy premise and I can't wait to see it. I'll try to dig up some more info on these tomorrow as it's too lazylate right now. Can't get anything done at lazylate hours.
There was a flick with Denzel Washington and Travolta that might be good. The idea has been done dozens of times already but sometimes they throw in nuances that make them worth the $37.75 movie going fee.
The last one i remember was about John Dillinger. Has Depp and Bale starring in it so that might have promise. They rarely do bad shit and combined it seems close to Hollywood failproof one should think.
Someone on the worldwide internet had a brilliant idea of making his own "Where Amazing Happens" NBA videos. I say that with no hint of sarcasm. These actually are good and fun to watch.
Behold, exhibit A.
This second clip is incredible. First of all, watch how hard Bird works to get position in the post against Magic. How good is that match up? Bball at it's purest stage. Then check out how quickly he spins and fires off an un-guardable fadeaway. IMO only MJ's fadeaway was more lethal because MJ actually elevated off the ground where as Larry Legend sort of just leaned and hopped backwards.
But the true gold of this video comes after the shot. The celebration on the bench and the high-5 rivals the Tiger Woods/Caddie fiasco .
But I digress. I don't want to make you wait any longer. Enjoy.
Actually, you know what? I'm gonna show one more just because I just noticed that Larry Bird, for as gifted an athlete as he was, was probably the worst high-5ing professional of all time and I think perhaps the combination of the passage of time, the lack of internet in that era, and the emergence of Tiger Woods has helped him hide from having that unfortunate title. Check out this exchange with him and Mchale.
A couple of these girls are cute. Can't really tell from this video. I don't really know their story but in a youtube video that they used to plug this very performance they were speaking and seemed to have mixed accents. Kinda hot.
But I digress. Finally we fuckin get to hear/see the roots play a song (albeit incomplete) on the show is fuckin dope. And considering they tease "In The Music" each night with a vocal-less sampler to cut to commercials and end the show, it's extra sweet that these chicks chose to dance to this song. Good choice ladies.
Here is the video of the girls plugging the above performance.
In the movie The Devil's Advocate with Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves, there is a scene early in the movie where the two of them are negotiating a contract and some business on a roof top. Pacino plays the roll of Satan who is personified on earth as a successful lawyer named John Milton. Reeves is a hotshot undefeated defense attorney from Florida. He doesn't know it, but he is the Devil's son. No wonder he never lost a case. Yikes.
But I digress, the point of this post is to discuss pressure. Near the end of this scene Pacino describes pressure as something that makes some people focus and makes others fold. You'll see what I'm talking about in this clip:
"Pressure. Changes everything, pressure. Some people, you squeeze 'em, they focus. Others fold. Can you summon your talent at will? Can you deliver on a deadline? Can you sleep at night?"
Now I'm not here to 'advocate' that poker is the Devil's game, but let's be honest, the game, at it's core, is built on human manipulation and cognitive dissection. A successful bluff is not unlike convincing a jury of your client's guilt or innocence. You are pitching a story and they either believe it or they don't. The key element is being able to hide the fact that you are lying.
Can you control your heart rate? Does your breathing go from calm to feeling like you've just escaped a rabid pit bull? Can you prevent the instinctual reaction to swallow when your throat feels like the Sahara desert but you know your opponent will see if you do? Some people can control these responses better than others but they effect everyone.
Although we'd all be better poker players if we didn't react this way to stress situations, this just simply isn't the case. In cases like these the cerebral cortex sizzles like water on dry-sauna rocks. These automated responses are natural. In fact they are evolutionary necessities that helped get our species to where we are today. The chances that cavemen could have gotten through the Paleolithic era without these instinctive responses is about 427:1. I read that somewhere. Maybe it was David Suzuki. Maybe it was someone else. Maybe I made it up? I Raise. I'm all in.
In live poker, when we bluff, we know it. Our body reacts because suddenly the attention is squarely on us. If you have trouble in these spots don't worry, you are not alone and there are solutions. One that I have developed and crafted in recent years is something I have dubbed "the Goldfish Technique". And no, this is not a method that summons Jamie Gold and forces you to hit top two on every board. This is different.
The Goldfish technique is not easy to master but once you put forth the effort and practice, it pays huge dividends and never again will you feel overwhelmed when attempting a successful bluff. The methodology of the Goldfish technique is to tune into a Zen like meditative tunnel of thought akin to that of a household goldfish. Remember nothing. Understand nothing. Be nothing.
Essential you are turning off your brain and becoming an automaton. Where you are, where you live, even what your name is, all become questions you cannot answer. You put yourself into a trance of complete and utter dull nothingness. Like a fish in a bowl, each time you see that castle you swam past 8,922 times before seems brand new and fascinating.
By truly tapping into this mind state you will be impossible to read. Your opponent will not be able to read your mind because there is nothing there. You are turned off. It's like falling asleep but with your eyes open. It is like you are going to your happy place. The same way this guy does:
This becomes quite fun and in fact is surprisingly applicable in other facets of life - just don't do it when operating a motor vehicle.
Ok, that is all for now. Now go practice the Goldfish Technique and watch as your opponents fold their stronger hands.
Also, this scene from The Devil's Advocate is fuckin incredible. My absolute favourite scene from this movie.
so clutch. Keep in mind that he is Satan. Not only does he manifest these situations, he thrives on them. He redirects this guy and tells him to put his knife "where it belongs". lol. On top of that, the Spanish is impressive.
It seems to me that Pacino only takes on roles that allow him to have extended monologues somewhere near the end of the movie. Not only that, I think he gets it written into the contract that this monologue must include several fluctuations of octave and volume change. If the script does not include or leave room for yelling then Pacino is not your man.
Here are some of my favourite examples although there are many more in his repertoire.
Was a huge Mos Diggy fan back in the day. He did a bunch of whack singy shit and had a piss poor show in Vancouver and my interest took a dive like the American economy. Seems as though he might be ready to refocus and reignite his re-career.
I always knew there was something fishy about that Mcguire character, and this clip solidified the assumption. What a weirdo. Hey Pierre, could you stand a little closer to Darren.
I personally believe that US Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some people out there in our nation don't have maps and I believe our education like such as in South Africa and the Iraq, everywhere like such as, and I believe that they should,... our education over here in the US ... should help the US, or should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future....for our children
I'm not a "Big Baby" Glen Davis fan per se but this was a pretty clutch shot. My favourite part of the clip is at 0:15, 1:00 and 1:19. Pay close attention to the kid on the sideline with the white t-shirt and white hat. It takes a pretty big baby to knock off someone's hat with a swift forearm to the shoulder but he makes it look easy. hahah. He basically tosses the kid aside like a used napkin.
Tried to make a video to visually explain how the Oh2b-mini works because on my etsy page www.toblerusse.etsy.com (yeah, shameless plug. It's my blog so F off) a lot of people had no clue what it was they were looking at.
I realize this video sucks and that I don't talk in it, but it's still better than a static photo and I think it makes it slightly clearer with regards to what it is and how to set it up.
I think Gramma was pretending not to like this. She was making complaint noises but at the same time she was assuming the requisite "on all fours" positioning to make the doggystyle loving possible.
I also love the background giggling with no attempt to stop the dog-rape transpiring in front of them. Also, check out the retrievers face at 0:05. He gives the camera a look like "yo, check this out. After I grab this shoe, I think I'm gonna hump this lady, it's gonna be gold, trust me."
The Staples Experience is a lot of things: late-arriving crowd, "I Love LA," courtside celebs. It's also the NBA's most inhospitable host during playoffs. Since Staples opened, in 1999, visitors have won just 16% (12–61) of games -- and that's Lakers and Clips. By comparison, the Oilers' Rexall Place is the NHL's toughest home sheet; visitors there have notched a 32.6% (42–87) win rate since Edmonton's postseason debut, in 1980.
As poker players we have all dealt with the various forms of variance. Sometimes the outcome favours you while other times it comes in the form of a devastating blow. It is a powerful force. Ask any serious poker player and without a moments hesitation they can recount dozens of instances of times they were crushed by a 2-outter on the river or a runner-runner for a flush that squashed their set they hit on the flop.
Depending on the type of person you happen to be, the manner by which you respond to great disappointment will vary. While some can control their rage internally, others tend to explode externally with verbal and physical releases. Either way, it is clear that anger management is as vast and varying as the people who it is happening to. What seems common for all, however, is the fact that a devastating loss (from a statistical anomaly) is far more memorable in the long run than the accumulation of positive outcomes which are statistically "expected".
Poker is the perfect example to prove this. In a situation where two players are down to the river card and no more betting is to occur (i.e. players are all-in), assume one player is 95% to 5% favoured to win the hand. If you repeat this hand 100 times, mathematically the underdog will win 5 times. In the 95 times that the favourite's hand holds up no one acts surprised and temperaments are kept in check. When, on the other hand, the suck out does occur, the winner feels that the Poker God's are shining on him while the loser feels disgusted and betrayed by, well, basically everything. Suck outs are called suck outs for a reason: they suck.
The main point to recognize here is how when expectations are met we derive very minimal amounts of satisfaction compared to the amount of emotional displacement we derive from unexpected outcomes (statistical anomalies). Since only the rare outcomes truly move us and shake our core, and since we tend to magnify the negative over the positive, we find that our memories stay very fresh when it comes to incidences of our own bad luck. Over time the player who loses that 95:5 race will recall the circumstance much more vividly than the player who happened to pull off the amazing suck out.
Many forums, including this one, have had to either ban or create separate sections exclusively for "bad-beat" and "online poker is rigged" posts due to huge amounts of complaints from players. Perhaps the most prevalent psychological explanation for this is because of the adhesive nature of bad beats and the way they accumulate and stick in a player's mind. Over a 10 hour session a player could probably recount 75% of their bad beats but less than 10% of the hands where their lead held up. Obviously, when you expand this phenomenon across the poker spectrum you can see why people tend to feel this way. Multiply this effect by the increased frequency of hands played per hour and the result is obvious.
So why am I talking about a topic that has been beaten to death online and in personal conversation? Simply put, it is because I want to reference how this same mentality can and does effect people's lives and their overall disposition.
Most people tend to live their daily lives experiencing the good/bad/neutral events of their day from moment to moment and think that their emotional response to the day is re actively dependent on what is going on around them. In a poker sense, they are responding to each event as if it were another card exposed on the board.
For example, while late for a meeting you rush to the elevator only to find that it just started to ascend a split second before you got there. Bad beat. Variance. You become upset. Your response to this situation is likened to an unfortunate turn card - let's say. So because of this your overall disposition leans toward the negative as it would when a bad card hits.
Now lets rewind. You are late for a meeting and you run to the elevator only to find that it's completely vacant and waiting patiently for it's next passenger. Hey, that's you! Your lucky day. Or is it? Not really. Why? Because this is where you expected the elevator to be just like you expected your 95:5 lead to hold on the river. So instead of taking away a positive and affirming response to this (unnoticed) good fortune, you view the situation as neutral. So something as mundane as getting an elevator when you really need one will yield either a neutral or a negative outcome for you. Clearly something is missing. If a simple daily occurrence either offers us nothing or increases to our irritability then the choices are bad and blah. In this case blah>bad but it still seems like an overall losing proposition. -EV if you ask me.
So why does it happen like this? In my opinion it is because these occurrences, which essentially equate to all of the things we do in our waking life (sleep is a completely separate topic), are subconsciously affecting us and retroactively leading us towards a change in overall disposition. If instead we choose to view as many things as possible with a proactive mental state (i.e. we consistently monitor our environment and disposition) we will find that eventually our responses to mundane events will become positive>neutral>negative.
Over an extended period of time, with practice and objective observation, the negative tends to diminish in magnitude and the results of our daily routine become positive>neutral. In essence, we learn to view our bad beats and missed elevators as occurrences that, as mathematical variances proves time and time again, are simply a form of our manifest destiny. What once would have subconsciously forced you into an increased state of irritability now starts to become elements of your life that happened and contribute to your overall life story.
Learning to deal with things that one cannot control in life, such as variance, inevitably will lead to a life of complete understanding and contentment. In less words, to appreciate the small victories while eliminating the disdain normally associated with uncontrollable bad luck is the best medicine for handling the bad beats we sometimes are dealt.
A great documentary. Vancouver based. These homeless guys feel the need; the need for speed. Basically this is Jackass meets East Hastings. It's a good film. Enjoy.
I think maybe there are 378 hilarious things in this clip. Farley was great for many reasons but the best, in my opinion, was the way he just made shit up on the fly. He probably had the most vague dialogue scripted for him and was just told in every scene to make it up as he goes. In this scene I imagine him being given a napkin with instructions on it to be grumpy and lie up about humping Pete Sampras's wife. The rest is just up to him.
Watch the beginning. He's staring at some kid's shirt for some reason. Then, after like 4 kids get on he starts a head count "Move it. Get up there, Kyle, 1,2,5,7 move it or lose it."
