Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
The War Was In Color - Carbon Leaf, lyrics
I've pasted links to the song, lyrics (which I've copied below) and comments below. I saw Carbon Leaf tonight in Charlotte and they performed this song, which is one of my favorites, and I completely lost myself. There are about 3 songs I hear in church that were played at funerals that choke me up everytime, and there's this song, which reminds me of my grandfather and the atrocities of war, and one by Dave Matthews, "The Maker," which reminds me of my grandmother, that get me every time. YOu owe it to yourself to listen to the song and read the lyrics.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P7umAnAcvE
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/The-War-Was-In-Color-lyrics-Carbon-Leaf/E57E2080CAB5947F482570DD001DFB5E
I see you've found a box of my things -
Infantries, tanks and smoldering airplane wings.
These old pictures are cool. Tell me some stories
Was it like the old war movies?
Sit down son. Let me fill you in
Where to begin? Let's start with the end
This black and white photo don't capture the skin
From the flash of a gun to a soldier who's done
Trust me grandson
The war was in color
From shipyard to sea, From factory to sky
From rivet to rifle, from boot camp to battle cry
I wore the mask up high on a daylight run
That held my face in its clammy hand
Crawled over coconut logs and corpses in the coral sand
Where to begin? Let's start with the end
This black and white photo don't capture the skin
From the shock of a shell or the memory of smell
If red is for Hell
The war was in color
I held the canvas bag over the railing
The dead released, with the ship still sailing,
Out of our hands and into the swallowing sea
I felt the crossfire stitching up soldiers
Into a blanket of dead, and as the night grows colder
In a window back home, a Blue Star is traded for Gold.
Where to begin? Let's start with the end
This black and white photo don't capture the skin
When metal is churned. And bodies are burned
Victory earned
The War was in color
Now I lay in my grave at age 21
Long before you were born
Before I bore a son
What good did it do?
Well hopefully for you
A world without war
A life full of color
Where to begin? Let's start with the end
This black and white photo never captured my skin
Once it was torn from an enemy thorn
Straight through the core
The war was in color
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P7umAnAcvE
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/The-War-Was-In-Color-lyrics-Carbon-Leaf/E57E2080CAB5947F482570DD001DFB5E
I see you've found a box of my things -
Infantries, tanks and smoldering airplane wings.
These old pictures are cool. Tell me some stories
Was it like the old war movies?
Sit down son. Let me fill you in
Where to begin? Let's start with the end
This black and white photo don't capture the skin
From the flash of a gun to a soldier who's done
Trust me grandson
The war was in color
From shipyard to sea, From factory to sky
From rivet to rifle, from boot camp to battle cry
I wore the mask up high on a daylight run
That held my face in its clammy hand
Crawled over coconut logs and corpses in the coral sand
Where to begin? Let's start with the end
This black and white photo don't capture the skin
From the shock of a shell or the memory of smell
If red is for Hell
The war was in color
I held the canvas bag over the railing
The dead released, with the ship still sailing,
Out of our hands and into the swallowing sea
I felt the crossfire stitching up soldiers
Into a blanket of dead, and as the night grows colder
In a window back home, a Blue Star is traded for Gold.
Where to begin? Let's start with the end
This black and white photo don't capture the skin
When metal is churned. And bodies are burned
Victory earned
The War was in color
Now I lay in my grave at age 21
Long before you were born
Before I bore a son
What good did it do?
Well hopefully for you
A world without war
A life full of color
Where to begin? Let's start with the end
This black and white photo never captured my skin
Once it was torn from an enemy thorn
Straight through the core
The war was in color
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Bobcats Continue Winning Ways In Epic Comeback Vs. Thunder on Jordan's First Day As Owner
Okay, so this isn't gonna be a full fledged article, but I just wanna say, "How about them Bobcats!" The team was down by 19 to a streaking OKC team and potential league MVP candidate, Kevin Durant, and they came back to win by 8 tonight going away. This team is for real, this team has heart and they play hard. They are a team that I'm proud to be a fan of and if they continue playing this way, I would not be surprised to see them not only make the Playoffs for the first time, but to advance. The only question is whether they can win on the road. They are great at home and improving away from Time Warner Cable Arena, but their overall win/loss record is much much better in Charlotte than when they play out of town.
This team has done as much as or more than any other team to improve through fortuitous trades thoughout the season and they are peaking at the right time. They've also been playing particularly well since Michael Jordan announced this intended purchase of the team (approved and ratified today) and it seems his presence on the bench, alongside players who grew up watching and idolizing the best to ever play the game, has helped the team's performance. This is a defensive minded team, this is a gritty team and this is a very very athletic team.
The Charlotte Bobcats have finally arrived on the NBA scene and, hopefully, they are here to stay.
This team has done as much as or more than any other team to improve through fortuitous trades thoughout the season and they are peaking at the right time. They've also been playing particularly well since Michael Jordan announced this intended purchase of the team (approved and ratified today) and it seems his presence on the bench, alongside players who grew up watching and idolizing the best to ever play the game, has helped the team's performance. This is a defensive minded team, this is a gritty team and this is a very very athletic team.
The Charlotte Bobcats have finally arrived on the NBA scene and, hopefully, they are here to stay.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
American Idol
American Idol is back! Watching the Top 12/Rolling Stones tribute show right now and as Randy would say, "Yo! Yo! Yo dog! That was hot!" Favs so far are Tim Urban and Siobaon Magnus. Lee DeWise is lookin good too and looking fwd to the last few performances.
Why a Ship is Called a She
This is one of my favorite simple stanzas and it's framed and hanging above my toilet, so I'm constantly reminded.
WHY A SHIP IS CALLED A SHE
A ship is called a "she" because she's all decked out and usually pretty well stacked. She has pleasing lines from stern to stern, and there's generally a gang of men around her.
It's not her initial cost which breaks you, it's upkeep. Her riggin costs a fortune, and she always looks her best in a new coat of paint.
Bows and bells are standard equipment and sometimes she wears a bonnet. There's usually a lot of bustle about her, but she usually manages to show off her superstructure to advantage.
When entering hom port she heads straight for the buoys. When sailing she usually knows her destination, but this is not common knowledge. When you want to attract her attention a whistle's the signal.
Once you really get to know her you never want to leave her. On a balmy night, or a calm moonlit night, she can make tired men forget their troubles.
Finally, she has as many tricks and treats as any woman, and consequently it takeks a very capapble man to handle one properly.
AUTHOR UNKNOWN
WHY A SHIP IS CALLED A SHE
A ship is called a "she" because she's all decked out and usually pretty well stacked. She has pleasing lines from stern to stern, and there's generally a gang of men around her.
It's not her initial cost which breaks you, it's upkeep. Her riggin costs a fortune, and she always looks her best in a new coat of paint.
Bows and bells are standard equipment and sometimes she wears a bonnet. There's usually a lot of bustle about her, but she usually manages to show off her superstructure to advantage.
When entering hom port she heads straight for the buoys. When sailing she usually knows her destination, but this is not common knowledge. When you want to attract her attention a whistle's the signal.
Once you really get to know her you never want to leave her. On a balmy night, or a calm moonlit night, she can make tired men forget their troubles.
Finally, she has as many tricks and treats as any woman, and consequently it takeks a very capapble man to handle one properly.
AUTHOR UNKNOWN
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Brady Quinn to the Broncos
QB Brady Quinn was traded from the Cleveland Browns to the Denver Broncos today for RB Peyton Hillis and a future 6th round draft pick.
As a Broncos fan, I approve this trade.
Denver has a solid backfield with 2009's leading rookie rusher, Knowshon Moreno, returning but the Broncos need help at QB and Quinn will be a welcome competitor to try to unseat single-term incumbent Kyle Orton.
Orton is a solid, Trent Dilfer-esque quarterback who makes few mistakes and can manage the game as long as he is supported by a strong rushing attack and a top shelf defense, both of which he enjoyed early in the 2009 season, but the former Chicago Bear field marshall lacks the ability to stretch the field with his arm.
With Orton at the helm, Denver's offense is limited and struggles to put up huge offensive numbers, as was evident last season.
Quinn will enter Denver's training camp with the opportunity to compete for the starting spot and he should benefit from Broncos Head Coach Josh McDaniels' tutelage at the QB position.
Cleveland should benefit from this trade, as well, by improving their back field.
Peyton Hillis is a solid and shifty, if not spectacular, runner and has had success at times in the league, most notably during a late season stretch during the 2008 season in which he had several impressive performances before being injured, including a performance against the New York Jets in which he rushed for well over 100 yards and scored a couple of TDs at the Meadowlands.
Though Quinn is not yet a polished NFL quarterback, he has the potential to become a very good football player.
The former Notre Dame All-American possesses the physical tools required for NFL success and he has the arm strength and accuracy to make the throws required of a top flight professional quarterback.
Quinn merely needs to demonstrate that he can do so at the highest level.
Denver is amontg the league's elite at the receiver position as long their existing trio of Brandon Marshall (doubtful), Eddie Royal (almost certain) and TE Tony Scheffler (hopeful) remains intact, and Quinn has the arm strength to help Royal return to his first year form in which ex-Bronco signal caller Jay Cutler helped the former Virginia Tech wideout set the NFL rookie record for most catches in a season.
Either Denver quarterback stands to benefit greatly from the afformentioned mile high value targets as long as each remains in the Mile High City for the 2010 season.
That notwithstanding,I would still like to see the Broncos move up high enough in the 2010 NFL Draft to select to select Texas Longhorns QB, Colt McCoy.
This time of year, though, we can only wait and see.
As a Broncos fan, I approve this trade.
Denver has a solid backfield with 2009's leading rookie rusher, Knowshon Moreno, returning but the Broncos need help at QB and Quinn will be a welcome competitor to try to unseat single-term incumbent Kyle Orton.
Orton is a solid, Trent Dilfer-esque quarterback who makes few mistakes and can manage the game as long as he is supported by a strong rushing attack and a top shelf defense, both of which he enjoyed early in the 2009 season, but the former Chicago Bear field marshall lacks the ability to stretch the field with his arm.
With Orton at the helm, Denver's offense is limited and struggles to put up huge offensive numbers, as was evident last season.
Quinn will enter Denver's training camp with the opportunity to compete for the starting spot and he should benefit from Broncos Head Coach Josh McDaniels' tutelage at the QB position.
Cleveland should benefit from this trade, as well, by improving their back field.
Peyton Hillis is a solid and shifty, if not spectacular, runner and has had success at times in the league, most notably during a late season stretch during the 2008 season in which he had several impressive performances before being injured, including a performance against the New York Jets in which he rushed for well over 100 yards and scored a couple of TDs at the Meadowlands.
Though Quinn is not yet a polished NFL quarterback, he has the potential to become a very good football player.
The former Notre Dame All-American possesses the physical tools required for NFL success and he has the arm strength and accuracy to make the throws required of a top flight professional quarterback.
Quinn merely needs to demonstrate that he can do so at the highest level.
Denver is amontg the league's elite at the receiver position as long their existing trio of Brandon Marshall (doubtful), Eddie Royal (almost certain) and TE Tony Scheffler (hopeful) remains intact, and Quinn has the arm strength to help Royal return to his first year form in which ex-Bronco signal caller Jay Cutler helped the former Virginia Tech wideout set the NFL rookie record for most catches in a season.
Either Denver quarterback stands to benefit greatly from the afformentioned mile high value targets as long as each remains in the Mile High City for the 2010 season.
That notwithstanding,I would still like to see the Broncos move up high enough in the 2010 NFL Draft to select to select Texas Longhorns QB, Colt McCoy.
This time of year, though, we can only wait and see.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Train Sporting - A Tale of 2 Days
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
6:14A: I awake with slight urge to get out of bed much much earlier than normal, glance at my alarm clock, and notice my alarm clock is going to go off in less than 1 minute.
6:15A: You guessed it...EEEECCCKKKK!! EEECCCKKK!!! EEECCCKKK!!! EEECCCKKKK!!!! I'm already out of bed.
6:25A: I fix coffee and a bagel and turn on morning news to hear the neighboring apartment complex has been fighting a 4 alarm fire for the past 3 hours. Good thing I didn't move into that place!
6:45A: Hop in for a quick shower...it turns into a 10 minute shower as that hot water feels too good early in the morning.
7:00A: Out of the shower, dressed, and pulling all my bags together to head out for the train station. All aboard and pulling out of the station in 40 mins. Google maps tells me I'm 11 mins away by car. I actually like being up early. It's the first 5 mins of waking up and getting out of bed that always pose the biggest problems.
7:15A: Pulling out of my parking spot and on my way to the station. Fire trucks and police cause me to detour slightly but GPS puts my arrival time 10 mins before departure.
7:20A: Little to no traffic...I'm good.
7:24A: Uh-oh. I think I made a wrong turn. Confusing exit ramp sign placed just behind side street. Yep, I made a wrong turn. Nuvi recalculate! I'm still on pace to get arrive at the station a few mins before departure, but I'm cutting it close. And I know it.
7:28A: Uh-oh and a few expletives. In a scene reminiscent of the Griswolds' European vacation, I circle the same block 3 times b/c my GPS' 2008 maps don't account for the 1-year old mixed use property I'm am now driving through and around as it keeps telling me to pull into the parking deck. I may as well pull in and stay a while. Train station ETA is now 3 mins beyond scheduled departure.
7:32A: FUBAR. SNAFU. Status quo.
7:36A: Finally, I've broken free from the vortex. I think watching that Discovery Channel special on whirlpools may have just helped save my life, or at least gotten me out of this GPS and driver-inflicted roundabout and back on track. To the tracks! There's little point, though, unless the train is running about 10 minutes late, which it rarely does.
7:47A: Arrival! I pull into the carpark and sprint into the station. Any chance my train hasn't left? Nope, it departed a minute late, or 6 mins ago. Any chance I can make it to the next stop in Kannapolis? The ticket window workers all laugh as one gentleman says, "Son, that train is going 75-80 mph and doesn't have any traffic to contend with. Unless you plan on driving like Mr. Kannapolis himself, the late, great Dale Earnhardt,Sr. and can somehow avoid getting a ticket and/or crashing into a wall, I'm gonna say no." I consider this for a moment and then remember that I drive a 10-year old Jeep Cherokee. The time for denial and wishful thinking has passed. I am forced to accept the fact that...
7:50A: I'm not going home today. Oh well, at least a nice lady working the window printed a ticket for me to use tomorrow. Next train to Richmond departs in 23h50m.
7:51A: I walk outside, call a friend to tell my story about how I missed the train and I suddently realize that I'm up early and it's a beautiful day. I'm going golfing.
10:45A-5:45P: 18 holes of golf. I shoot close to 90 and love my new putter and chipper. I was rolling them in from all over the place. Renaissance is a tough course and I'm confident I will play consistenly in the 80s this spring with just a bit of practice. A couple rounds of softball bp. I swing and miss at first 5 pitches. I've gotten too used to hitting a ball just sitting there still on the ground. Loosen my grip, open my stance, and improve my patience. I don't miss for the rest of this round or the next and begin hitting laserlike shots into the gaps. Vinnie's on S. Blvd. Oyster Po'Boy and a $1 ice cold domestic bottle. Mmmmmm. Zzzzzz. Time to go home and sit on the couch.
6:00P-Midnight: Couch. Nap. Shower. Catch up on dvr. Nap. Idol. Bobcats. Write article. LOST. I reflect on the day and smile to myself as I realize all the pros and cons of Jimmy Time have been encapsulated into one topsy-turvy, exhausting, and incredibly full and enjoyable day.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
6:12A: Really? 2 mins earlier? I'm gonna snooze at least once this time, though, b/c I'm all packed and ready to roll.
6:15A: EEECCCKKK!!! EEECCCKKK!! EEECCCKKK!!! Snooze.
6:22A: Same as above.
6:29A: I'm up, I'm up! Abbreviated version of yesterday morning.
7:03A: On the road. Headed back to the Charlotte Amtrak station.
7:18A: I made it.
7:30A: On the train. Mama, I'm coming home.
7:40A-Noon: Coffee. Paper. Movie. Sandwiches. Music. Stretch. Take pics to post on fb and document trip. I really like taking the train. I also somehow managed to sit by myself despite the cab nearly reaching capacity in Raleigh. I cleared out the window seat, then kept my head down, Bose headphones over my ears and my eyes fixated on a very boring Val Kilmer "suspense" movie called Double Identity. Val's love interest is sexy (Isabella Mika? Miko? Something like that...) but that's about it. If you haven't see it, rent The Saint instead.
12:05P: Begin writing this blog and spread out now that the train unloaded about half our cab in Wilson.
12:30P: Publish post and...Naptime.
12:31P: I remember this train doesn't have wi-fi. Guess I'll publish it when I get home. Gonna walk around the train now, then...Naptime.
4:00P: Back home in RVA!
6:14A: I awake with slight urge to get out of bed much much earlier than normal, glance at my alarm clock, and notice my alarm clock is going to go off in less than 1 minute.
6:15A: You guessed it...EEEECCCKKKK!! EEECCCKKK!!! EEECCCKKK!!! EEECCCKKKK!!!! I'm already out of bed.
6:25A: I fix coffee and a bagel and turn on morning news to hear the neighboring apartment complex has been fighting a 4 alarm fire for the past 3 hours. Good thing I didn't move into that place!
6:45A: Hop in for a quick shower...it turns into a 10 minute shower as that hot water feels too good early in the morning.
7:00A: Out of the shower, dressed, and pulling all my bags together to head out for the train station. All aboard and pulling out of the station in 40 mins. Google maps tells me I'm 11 mins away by car. I actually like being up early. It's the first 5 mins of waking up and getting out of bed that always pose the biggest problems.
7:15A: Pulling out of my parking spot and on my way to the station. Fire trucks and police cause me to detour slightly but GPS puts my arrival time 10 mins before departure.
7:20A: Little to no traffic...I'm good.
7:24A: Uh-oh. I think I made a wrong turn. Confusing exit ramp sign placed just behind side street. Yep, I made a wrong turn. Nuvi recalculate! I'm still on pace to get arrive at the station a few mins before departure, but I'm cutting it close. And I know it.
7:28A: Uh-oh and a few expletives. In a scene reminiscent of the Griswolds' European vacation, I circle the same block 3 times b/c my GPS' 2008 maps don't account for the 1-year old mixed use property I'm am now driving through and around as it keeps telling me to pull into the parking deck. I may as well pull in and stay a while. Train station ETA is now 3 mins beyond scheduled departure.
7:32A: FUBAR. SNAFU. Status quo.
7:36A: Finally, I've broken free from the vortex. I think watching that Discovery Channel special on whirlpools may have just helped save my life, or at least gotten me out of this GPS and driver-inflicted roundabout and back on track. To the tracks! There's little point, though, unless the train is running about 10 minutes late, which it rarely does.
7:47A: Arrival! I pull into the carpark and sprint into the station. Any chance my train hasn't left? Nope, it departed a minute late, or 6 mins ago. Any chance I can make it to the next stop in Kannapolis? The ticket window workers all laugh as one gentleman says, "Son, that train is going 75-80 mph and doesn't have any traffic to contend with. Unless you plan on driving like Mr. Kannapolis himself, the late, great Dale Earnhardt,Sr. and can somehow avoid getting a ticket and/or crashing into a wall, I'm gonna say no." I consider this for a moment and then remember that I drive a 10-year old Jeep Cherokee. The time for denial and wishful thinking has passed. I am forced to accept the fact that...
7:50A: I'm not going home today. Oh well, at least a nice lady working the window printed a ticket for me to use tomorrow. Next train to Richmond departs in 23h50m.
7:51A: I walk outside, call a friend to tell my story about how I missed the train and I suddently realize that I'm up early and it's a beautiful day. I'm going golfing.
10:45A-5:45P: 18 holes of golf. I shoot close to 90 and love my new putter and chipper. I was rolling them in from all over the place. Renaissance is a tough course and I'm confident I will play consistenly in the 80s this spring with just a bit of practice. A couple rounds of softball bp. I swing and miss at first 5 pitches. I've gotten too used to hitting a ball just sitting there still on the ground. Loosen my grip, open my stance, and improve my patience. I don't miss for the rest of this round or the next and begin hitting laserlike shots into the gaps. Vinnie's on S. Blvd. Oyster Po'Boy and a $1 ice cold domestic bottle. Mmmmmm. Zzzzzz. Time to go home and sit on the couch.
6:00P-Midnight: Couch. Nap. Shower. Catch up on dvr. Nap. Idol. Bobcats. Write article. LOST. I reflect on the day and smile to myself as I realize all the pros and cons of Jimmy Time have been encapsulated into one topsy-turvy, exhausting, and incredibly full and enjoyable day.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
6:12A: Really? 2 mins earlier? I'm gonna snooze at least once this time, though, b/c I'm all packed and ready to roll.
6:15A: EEECCCKKK!!! EEECCCKKK!! EEECCCKKK!!! Snooze.
6:22A: Same as above.
6:29A: I'm up, I'm up! Abbreviated version of yesterday morning.
7:03A: On the road. Headed back to the Charlotte Amtrak station.
7:18A: I made it.
7:30A: On the train. Mama, I'm coming home.
7:40A-Noon: Coffee. Paper. Movie. Sandwiches. Music. Stretch. Take pics to post on fb and document trip. I really like taking the train. I also somehow managed to sit by myself despite the cab nearly reaching capacity in Raleigh. I cleared out the window seat, then kept my head down, Bose headphones over my ears and my eyes fixated on a very boring Val Kilmer "suspense" movie called Double Identity. Val's love interest is sexy (Isabella Mika? Miko? Something like that...) but that's about it. If you haven't see it, rent The Saint instead.
12:05P: Begin writing this blog and spread out now that the train unloaded about half our cab in Wilson.
12:30P: Publish post and...Naptime.
12:31P: I remember this train doesn't have wi-fi. Guess I'll publish it when I get home. Gonna walk around the train now, then...Naptime.
4:00P: Back home in RVA!
Charlotte Bobcats Are Contenders...Maybe (OK, Definitely) Not for the Title, But Certainly for the Eastern Conference Playoffs
The Charlotte Bobcats have arrived. They are relevant both in the NBA and in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are finally, dare I say it, Players.
With a gutty, catlike 82-78 win over the visiting Miami Heat tonight, the Bobcats are seriously in the Playoff race for first time in the franchise's nearly six year history.
With 20 games remaining in the regular season, Charlotte's 31-31 record is good enough for 7th place in the NBA's Eastern Conference, meaning that if postseason play started tomorrow, Larry Brown's team would be booking a flight to Orlando and the Bobcats would be Playoff participants for the first time ever.
More than 18,000 fans poured into Time Warner Cable Arena tonight for the third straight game, but this time they didn't come to see Kobe Bryant and the Lakers or hometown hero and current Golden State Warrior Steph Curry, as they did on consecutive Friday and Saturday nights last weekend.
Okay, so perhaps a few tickets were sold because Michael "Heir" Jordan goes to the games now and has become a familiar face at the far end of the Bobcats bench in recent weeks since becoming the team's presumptive majority owner, but still, tonight was different.
Tonight was a Tuesday night in Charlotte, a night in which the Bobcats typically play host to much smaller crowds. Tonight, fans showed up en masse to support their Charlotte Bobcats.
Charlotte trailed most of the game after the Heat got off to a quick start and held a 30-20 lead after the first quarter, but the Bobcats out hustled, out scrapped and out rebounded the Heat to win each of the last 3 periods.
In fact, the NBA's 2nd best scoring defense held Miami to under 20 points in each remaining period, including a game low 12 points in the decisive fourth quarter, and a total of just 30 second half points.
The Bobcats' Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace fought especially hard defensively to contain the Heat's Dwayne Wade in the second half and Charlotte finally took and protected its first lead since early in the first quarter on a Raymond Felton three pointer late in the final period.
Though Felton later missed the first of two free throw attempts that could have secured victory in the game's waning moments, he was the Bobcats' offensive star tonight with 15 points and 11 assists.
Fortunately, teammate Boris Diaw bailed out his point guard's charity stripe gaff with a pair of made free throws just seconds later to give Charlotte its victorious 4-point margin.
Perhaps more importantly, though, the Charlotte Bobcats reminded players, fans and teams around the nation and the Tarheel state that this is basketball country, even at the professional level.
HOOKS, UPPERCUTS AND BODY BLOWS:
*The energy at TWC Arena was transparent through the television and I could feel the energy from the 18,000-plus in attendance shouting "D-Fence! D-Fence!" throughout the last 7 or 8 minutes of the 4th quarter as if this were a pivotal playoff game, or at least a meaningful regular season contest, which it was.
**I've been to 5 Bobcats games this season, including Steph Curry's return to the QC last weekend, and the atmosphere has been great all season, but with the playoffs on the line, it's getting better each night.
***The Lakers/Warriors/Heat trio of games may have done for professional basketball in Charlotte what the Winter Olympics did for hockey in the US a couple of weeks ago and what the World Cup does every four years. Hopefully the Bobcats can build on their momentum to solidify and further expand their fan base.
****Charlotte may have recent homecourt victories over Kobe's L.A. Lakers and LeBron's Cleveland Cavaliers, but tonight's come from behind win over the visiting Heat and the league's third superstar, D-Wade, stands alone as its best win of the season. Tonight's performance was special because it was such a hard fought and pivotal contest for both teams vying for postseason berths, and the Charlotte Bobcats won.
*****Good riddance George Shinn, get the hell outta the way Bob Johnson and get real nice and comfortable at the end of the Bobcats bench, Mike!
With a gutty, catlike 82-78 win over the visiting Miami Heat tonight, the Bobcats are seriously in the Playoff race for first time in the franchise's nearly six year history.
With 20 games remaining in the regular season, Charlotte's 31-31 record is good enough for 7th place in the NBA's Eastern Conference, meaning that if postseason play started tomorrow, Larry Brown's team would be booking a flight to Orlando and the Bobcats would be Playoff participants for the first time ever.
More than 18,000 fans poured into Time Warner Cable Arena tonight for the third straight game, but this time they didn't come to see Kobe Bryant and the Lakers or hometown hero and current Golden State Warrior Steph Curry, as they did on consecutive Friday and Saturday nights last weekend.
Okay, so perhaps a few tickets were sold because Michael "Heir" Jordan goes to the games now and has become a familiar face at the far end of the Bobcats bench in recent weeks since becoming the team's presumptive majority owner, but still, tonight was different.
Tonight was a Tuesday night in Charlotte, a night in which the Bobcats typically play host to much smaller crowds. Tonight, fans showed up en masse to support their Charlotte Bobcats.
Charlotte trailed most of the game after the Heat got off to a quick start and held a 30-20 lead after the first quarter, but the Bobcats out hustled, out scrapped and out rebounded the Heat to win each of the last 3 periods.
In fact, the NBA's 2nd best scoring defense held Miami to under 20 points in each remaining period, including a game low 12 points in the decisive fourth quarter, and a total of just 30 second half points.
The Bobcats' Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace fought especially hard defensively to contain the Heat's Dwayne Wade in the second half and Charlotte finally took and protected its first lead since early in the first quarter on a Raymond Felton three pointer late in the final period.
Though Felton later missed the first of two free throw attempts that could have secured victory in the game's waning moments, he was the Bobcats' offensive star tonight with 15 points and 11 assists.
Fortunately, teammate Boris Diaw bailed out his point guard's charity stripe gaff with a pair of made free throws just seconds later to give Charlotte its victorious 4-point margin.
Perhaps more importantly, though, the Charlotte Bobcats reminded players, fans and teams around the nation and the Tarheel state that this is basketball country, even at the professional level.
HOOKS, UPPERCUTS AND BODY BLOWS:
*The energy at TWC Arena was transparent through the television and I could feel the energy from the 18,000-plus in attendance shouting "D-Fence! D-Fence!" throughout the last 7 or 8 minutes of the 4th quarter as if this were a pivotal playoff game, or at least a meaningful regular season contest, which it was.
**I've been to 5 Bobcats games this season, including Steph Curry's return to the QC last weekend, and the atmosphere has been great all season, but with the playoffs on the line, it's getting better each night.
***The Lakers/Warriors/Heat trio of games may have done for professional basketball in Charlotte what the Winter Olympics did for hockey in the US a couple of weeks ago and what the World Cup does every four years. Hopefully the Bobcats can build on their momentum to solidify and further expand their fan base.
****Charlotte may have recent homecourt victories over Kobe's L.A. Lakers and LeBron's Cleveland Cavaliers, but tonight's come from behind win over the visiting Heat and the league's third superstar, D-Wade, stands alone as its best win of the season. Tonight's performance was special because it was such a hard fought and pivotal contest for both teams vying for postseason berths, and the Charlotte Bobcats won.
*****Good riddance George Shinn, get the hell outta the way Bob Johnson and get real nice and comfortable at the end of the Bobcats bench, Mike!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
New Digs
Hi, I'm Jimmy.
Well it's been over a year since I last (and first) posted on here, but I've decided to start a blog. Errr...restart a blog. I'm mostly doing it for myself, though also for whomever is interested, just to put my thoughts and experiences out on public record, though I will continue to keep my own personal journal for the random drib drab and those super secret and disturbing thoughts I'd prefer to ink in pen and keep in a safe. Hopefully one, or the combination of both, will turn into a book deal one day.
Anyhow, this entry is about my new digs in Charlotte, NC. I've lived in the QC this time for right about a year and some days and finally moved into my own place in a neighborhood I selected for all the right reasons after living in other peoples' homes for I don't know how long. Actually, I do know, and it's been a long time. I love it here, though, and I'm adjusting quite well to living on my own (though the first post-move-in rent check hasn't had to be cut yet and I'm spending like crazy!).
I moved in a week ago and I've already seen a drastic improvement in my quality of life. My back porch sitting has increased exponentially, I am slightly less embarrassed to walk around my apt naked and I've found myself to be exceedingly neater, which seems to be a bit of a anomaly (oxymoron wasn't the right word, was it?) since before I needed to be concerned w/my housemates' needs. Either way, I've swept, vaccuumed and wiped more in the last 7 days than I did in the past 7 months! My sleeping habits and enhanced-water consumption haven't improved much just yet, but I am confident they will as I settle comfortably into my new adobe...I mean, abode.
Since moving in, I've purchased a new putter - which I can now practice with on my non-slick carpets which are about 10 times slower than most Charlotte area greens, but my stroke is pure! - I've taken the Lightrail to Uptown for an NBA game in which the hometown Bobcats defeated a couple Golden State Warriors' Charlotte natives and fan favorites Anthony Morrow and Stephen Curry, and broken into my own apartment after locking myself out on the front porch on opening night. To be fair to myself, I didn't really lock myself out, but the non-secured security bar on my sliding glass door decided to drop into the wrong place during an outdoors visit and it's since been removed. I won't tell how I got back in, but it involved a coathanger and MacGyver intuition.
I'm also excited about having my own place in a cool neighborhood b/c it means I can write more often - this blog, for instance, in addition to my sports articles, screen plays and to-do notes - experience more of the surprisingly diverse culture Charlotte has to offer, listen to my upstairs neighbors "get it on" and, hopefully, bring home more ladies of my own.
Finally, I am looking forward to going home to the great Commonwealth of VA this week to visit friends and family, eat a few home cooked meals and bring home the final pieces of furniture, nick nacks and my family's version of Garfield, aka, Max, to truly make this place home. Does that mean I'm responsible for scooping his litter box everyday now?
Anyhow, I'm also looking forward to blogging more on this page about sports, politics, food, life and whatever I feel like typing and sharing it w/whomever gives a dame...no, that's damn.
Cheers!
Well it's been over a year since I last (and first) posted on here, but I've decided to start a blog. Errr...restart a blog. I'm mostly doing it for myself, though also for whomever is interested, just to put my thoughts and experiences out on public record, though I will continue to keep my own personal journal for the random drib drab and those super secret and disturbing thoughts I'd prefer to ink in pen and keep in a safe. Hopefully one, or the combination of both, will turn into a book deal one day.
Anyhow, this entry is about my new digs in Charlotte, NC. I've lived in the QC this time for right about a year and some days and finally moved into my own place in a neighborhood I selected for all the right reasons after living in other peoples' homes for I don't know how long. Actually, I do know, and it's been a long time. I love it here, though, and I'm adjusting quite well to living on my own (though the first post-move-in rent check hasn't had to be cut yet and I'm spending like crazy!).
I moved in a week ago and I've already seen a drastic improvement in my quality of life. My back porch sitting has increased exponentially, I am slightly less embarrassed to walk around my apt naked and I've found myself to be exceedingly neater, which seems to be a bit of a anomaly (oxymoron wasn't the right word, was it?) since before I needed to be concerned w/my housemates' needs. Either way, I've swept, vaccuumed and wiped more in the last 7 days than I did in the past 7 months! My sleeping habits and enhanced-water consumption haven't improved much just yet, but I am confident they will as I settle comfortably into my new adobe...I mean, abode.
Since moving in, I've purchased a new putter - which I can now practice with on my non-slick carpets which are about 10 times slower than most Charlotte area greens, but my stroke is pure! - I've taken the Lightrail to Uptown for an NBA game in which the hometown Bobcats defeated a couple Golden State Warriors' Charlotte natives and fan favorites Anthony Morrow and Stephen Curry, and broken into my own apartment after locking myself out on the front porch on opening night. To be fair to myself, I didn't really lock myself out, but the non-secured security bar on my sliding glass door decided to drop into the wrong place during an outdoors visit and it's since been removed. I won't tell how I got back in, but it involved a coathanger and MacGyver intuition.
I'm also excited about having my own place in a cool neighborhood b/c it means I can write more often - this blog, for instance, in addition to my sports articles, screen plays and to-do notes - experience more of the surprisingly diverse culture Charlotte has to offer, listen to my upstairs neighbors "get it on" and, hopefully, bring home more ladies of my own.
Finally, I am looking forward to going home to the great Commonwealth of VA this week to visit friends and family, eat a few home cooked meals and bring home the final pieces of furniture, nick nacks and my family's version of Garfield, aka, Max, to truly make this place home. Does that mean I'm responsible for scooping his litter box everyday now?
Anyhow, I'm also looking forward to blogging more on this page about sports, politics, food, life and whatever I feel like typing and sharing it w/whomever gives a dame...no, that's damn.
Cheers!
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