Mavs' collapse: biggest in sports history?

I was asked if the Mavs' collapse in the Finals can be considered the biggest in sports history. I have only one word for that: HA!

That title rightly belongs instead to the New York Yankees in the 2004 ALCS, who--after being up 3-0 against the Boston Red Sox-- proceeded to lose the next four to them. The Mavs, as you should recall --since it was just last week!-- were up 2-0, not 3-0. I can see how folks in the East Coast may think of the Mavs' collapse as being the worst ever, because they're likely still in denial over their collapse to the Sox in '04. It's that ol' East Coast Bias rearing its ugly head again. ;-)

Nope, sorry Yankee fans... the Great Choke Award stays in the Big Apple. >:-)

Google Earth

Wanna have an idea what it's like to fly like Superman?

Google Earth is your program to discover that. :-)

Here's the page to download the programs.

To learn more about Google Earth itself, here's the home page.

Anyway, once you've set up the program, type in your city so that it will zoom into your city. Scroll around and check it out. Once you've played around in your city, type in a city that's somewhere across the ocean. Then watch as the program flies from your city to that other city. It's probably how things look from Superman's perspective.

"Up, up and away!"

Mavs: Turn out the lights, the party's over

In a rather depressing turn of events, the Dallas Mavericks’ run for the championship ended last night. It was rather depressing, because mere days ago, the Mavs were up 2-0, and there was already talk of parade routes and such. Unfortunately, such talk proved premature, as the Mavs hadn’t won the championship yet. NOTE FOR NEXT TIME (if there IS a next time): Win Championship Before Talking Parades!!

First, I gotta give the Heat credit. They overcame their own obstacles to get to the championship, including starting out the championship series down 0-2. But they fought, and they fought, and they fought. And Dwayne Wade had an awesome series. He played like Dirk Nowitski should have played. If Wade doesn’t get the MVP for the series, then Mark Cuban should complain about that just as vociferously as he did about the officiating.

While the Heat fought for their championship, the Mavs responded by wilting and complaining. And while I love Cuban to death for what he’s done to bring the Mavs back around, sometimes he needs to sit down and shut up. I agree that the officiating was rather suspect –if it was enough for Avery Johnson to complain about it, then it was suspect—but sometimes Cuban does more harm than good whenever he goes off on one of his rants.

Now my complaints about the Mavs. Somehow, someway, they are going to need to make driving to the basket the bread-and-butter of their offensive strategy. While having perimeter shooters is great, nothing affects an opponents’ defensive strategy than an aggressive attack plan like driving to the basket time and time again. Find big, strong guys that are hard to stop when they drive to the basket, or get small guys that can run around the big dudes like a deer running around in a forest –in other words, SOMETHING that involves moving towards the basket for a high-percentage shot as well as a chance of drawing a foul.

Either option would be better than the perimeter shooting strategy that the Mavs kept falling back on time and time again. And those 3-pointers! ARRGGH!! Logic should tell you that if you’ve made only 1 out of 10 3-pointers during a given game, then you just don’t have it going for that game, and you need to do something else to get your baskets –like driving to the basket and drawing a foul.

In other words, if you can’t get the threes from beyond the arc, then get them the old-fashioned way: at the free throw line. While threes can be fun and exciting, they need to be used selectively –they should not BECOME the whole offensive strategy for a team’s offense. That’s like playing the lotto as a retirement plan!

The Mavs have their work cut out for them in the off season. While there is no need to replace many of our starters, I think some of our bench can be offered up for better players. My # 1 trade bait is Keith Van Horn. The guy’s got the skills –so long as he stays healthy. But his inconsistency and unreliability are only going to get worse the older he gets –so the Mavs might as well let him go and try someone else.

I’d like to hold on to DeSagana Diop (I’m not sure exactly how that name is pronounced, but it always sounded like “Savanna Jack” to me) if possible, but if he can bring a player with similar skills AND who can score, then I’m willing to let him go, too. Jerry Stackhouse is also likely expendable for the right replacement. I want to keep our core players intact, though, since they are used to working with each other, and now they can provide more leadership for the rest of team with this recent playoff experience under their belts.

Anyway, I am glad to have had the Mavs get this far. It was a great ride –disappointing in the end, of course, but how many teams would kill for the chance to be in a Finals? As with any sport, there’s always next year, and with the growth and learning experiences from this year’s playoffs, it gives us hope for future championships.

Thanks for the ride, fellas. See you next year.

Column on Joe Lieberman by David Broder

This column by David Broder presents the trouble that Lieberman is in within his own state. The reason? He's a Democrat who supports the war.

Now, I happen to have opposed this war --not so much its mission, but how it has been carried out. But before this blog entry becomes an anti-war rant, I shall continue with the point about Joe Lieberman. I happen to like Joe Lieberman, and I wish that he had gotten to nod in 2004 to be the Democratic representative for president instead of John Kerry. I think the Dems bungled badly in choosing John F. (the F is for "flipflop") Kerry, because he basically was a clone of Al "I invented the Internet" Gore. Joe is the kind of Democrat I can support, even if I happen to disagree with his views on the war.

The reason for that is because Joe seems to be a man of honor and integrity. During Bill Clinton's scandal with Monica Lewinski, Joe was the only Dem who had any balls to point out the wrong of Clinton's behavior. It was partly because of that bravery that he was nominated as a running mate for Al Gore in 2000. However, it was not enough to give him the nod for 2004.

That's unfortunate, especially giving the Dems' recent cries of "a culture of corruption" in regards to the GOP. Joe could have been at the front of that --that is, if the Dems were truly interested in rooting out the culture of corruption. In other words, the Dems' cry of outrage over that culture is for show only. No doubt, once back in power, the Dems will simply substitute the GOP's culture of corruption with their own. That's how jaded I am of our politicians' ability to change.

But Joe would have been different. He could have helped the Dems return to their roots. Instead, they've opted to continue heading down the path to their destruction that is being led by Dems like Howard "YAAAHH!!" Dean. However, Joe can see the signs, as evidenced by his comments below (and which is in the article that I linked above):

"I know I'm taking a position that is not popular within the party, but that is a challenge for the party --whether it will accept diversity of opinio or is on a kind of crusade or jihad of its own to have everybody toe the line. No successful party has ever done that."

And thus, we see that Joe can read the writing on the wall, as many former Democratic supporters such as myself have also seen: The Party of Diversity is on your side so long as you accept their idea of diversity. In that article, it mentions that Joe may have to run as an independent in Conneticut's primaries later this year. I truly hope he does, because it could serve as the start of something that will break the two-party deadlock that has been in this country for far too long.

Weekend Wrap-up 6-17-2006

U.S. Congressmen give themselves a pay raise

Yep, those congress dudes gave themselves a pay raise. Grass is also green. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Water is wet. Why this was news, I don't know. Ah, if only it were that easy to give myself a pay raise.... I would have been retired by now! The hardly unexpected thing is, they did it a sneaky way in which they didn't have to actually vote on giving themselves a raise --it's automatically done due to some legislation that automatically factors it in ----

---unless the House votes to deny themselves that raise.

---but they'll deny themselves a raise the very same day that I marry Halle Berry.

Sports

Well, the Dallas Mavericks sure made themselves look silly in Game 4. Talk about their butts being handed to them...

Even with that, I still believe that the Mavs are going to win it all. But now, they're going to have to work harder for it, and even harder than they expected, because Jerry Stackhouse has gotten suspended for a game for a hard foul that he gave Shaquille O'Neal. Silly Stacky. Only Shaq can get away with those kinds of fouls!!

But I got faith the The General will straighten them out --you'll see. Coach Avery has made those adjustments so far in these playoffs, and he just needs to do them for two more victories. In a move to get away from distractions and to help them get their focus back, The General has moved his team's practice from Miami to Fort Lauderdale.

Uh... Isn't Ft. Lauderdale where all those Spring Breakers go to? And isn't that were they film a lot of those "Girls Gone Wild" videos? Well, the Mavs' attention will certainly not be distracted by the bad vibes in Miami while they're away in Ft. Lauderdale--let's just hope that they stay focused on basketball, and are not distracted by something else entirely!

"Officer, I can explain..."

A car chase in Dallas ended in a very unusual way. Somehow, the taxi van that the thief hijacked ended up dangling --yes, dangling-- from a utility pole wire. The attached article mentions that the taxi ran into the pole, but it does not explain how it ended up dangling from that wire. My guess is that he hit the pole so hard (and at a slight angle) that the front end of the van jumped up that high to snag its bumper onto that wire. One thing you gotta say... whoever installed that wire onto the utility pole did a DAMN good job!

Pic of that church as it looks from the side

Remember that church pic that I posted here earlier in the week? Here’s how it looks from the side. The red arrow shows the end that I took that pic from earlier in the week.














In the close-up below, you can see how even the shingles emphasize the slant of the roof.














However you might feel about the design, it does certainly draw attention. If that was their goal, it certainly was accomplished.

Will Rogers e-mail

I got this by e-mail, and I thought that you good folks would enjoy it. :-)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Will Rogers, who died in a plane crash with Wylie Post in 1935, was probably

the greatest political sage this country has ever known. Enjoy the following:

1. Never slap a man who's chewing tobacco.

2. Never kick a cow chip on a hot day.

3. There are 2 theories to arguing with a woman...neither works.

4. Never miss a good chance to shut up.

5. Always drink upstream from the herd.

6. If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.

7. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it and put it

back in your pocket.

8. There are three kinds of men: The ones that learn by reading.

The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to

pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves.

9. Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes

from bad judgment.

10. If you're riding' ahead of the herd, take a look back every now

and then to make sure it's still there.

11. Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier'n puttin' it back.

12. After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started

roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral:

When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.


ABOUT GROWING OLDER...

First ~ Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your

age and start bragging about it.

Second ~ The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.

Third ~ Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me, I want people

to know "why" I look this way. I've traveled a long way and some of the roads

weren't paved.

Fourth ~ When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to youth,

think of Algebra.

Fifth ~ You know you are getting old when everything either dries up or leaks.

Sixth ~ I don't know how I got over the hill without getting to the top.

Seventh ~ One of the many things no one tells you about aging is that

it is such a nice change from being young.

Eighth ~ One must wait until evening to see how splendid the day has been.

Ninth ~ Being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable.

Tenth ~ Long ago when men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, it

was called witchcraft. Today it's called golf

And finally ~ If you don't learn to laugh at trouble, you won't have anything

to laugh at when you are old.

Mavslosegame3 ---In other news....

Well, unlike some people I've talked to, I didn't predict a sweep in the Dallas Mavericks' series against the Miami Heat. There was a reason that the Heat got to the Finals in the first place, and there was a reason that they dethroned the Detroit Pistons (who had won an NBA championship and an Eastern Conference championship the previous two years) to get there. I knew that the Heat had to win at least ONE game for that reason. Ya gotta understand, it was a matter of pride that they not go out without at least one win --especially since they were playing on their own court. Well, they got their one win. Coach Avery Johnson will now adjust accordingly, and the Mavs will not lose again.

But rather than dwell on this one loss, let's instead check out this pic of a local church:




















In the pic above, the roof has a very severe slant. The edge of the roof that is at this end (the back of the church) is much lower than the front end (with the cross on top), so that you end up seeing an interesting visual effect of the roof looking like some kind of border or trim around the back entrance to the church, rather than being the roof of the church. I'll let you look at this for a couple of days, then I'll post how this church looks from the side, so that you can see what I mean about the severe slant of the roof.

Mavs win Game 2

The Dallas Mavericks are now two wins away from their first NBA title. :-)

Last night's game showed how well the Mavs can adjust to their opponents' strengths and weaknesses. The Mavs did so well that the Big Man Shaq was made to sit down for most of the game. The Mavs made a more concentrated effort to get the boards, which helped them enormously. If there was a game that the Heat should win, it's tomorrow's, because they're playing in their home court in Miami, plus now they're desperate for a win. However, I don't want the Mavs to give them hope that, if they win one game, then perhaps they can win another. I still stick by my prediction of the Mavs in 5, althought I won't complain if they end up sweeping the Heat. ;-)

Weekend Wrap-up 6-10-2006

Blog site on fritz, blogger goes insane

Yep, folks, the reason that I haven't posted since Wednesday is because the Blogger site had some kind of mechanical problems, and I couldn't log on. To make up for my absence and just because I love you guys, this week's Weekend Wrap-up will be a little longer. :-)

Dallas Maverick win Game 1

Normally I save the sports stuff until the end of my Weekend Wrap-ups, but I'm so excited by the Mavs finally getting to the finals and winning game 1 that I couldn't wait to get to this entry. First, it was an ugly win, but more important than that is that it was a win. The one thing that I did see right off the bat for the Mavs to work much harder on is rebounding. They were outrebounded as a team for the first time in this playoffs. And unlike the Phoenix series, driving to the basket to get the foul won't work as well against someone the size of Shaq. This stresses the need for the Mavs to work on their perimeter shots and their 3 pointers.

However, unlike both the San Antonio and Phoenix series, it didn't take a first game loss for the Mavs to learn how to adjust to a new team. That's a good sign, and it's also why I'm changing my prediction for this best-of-seven series. Before I had said that the Mavs will win it in 6. Due to this mid-game adjustment in game 1 to win it, I now think that the Mavs can win it in 5. :-D

Terrell "Terrible" Owens wears Shaq's jersey to Mavs game

Remember that old Jim Croce song that has these lyrics? “You don’t tug on Superman’s cape. You don’t spit into the wind. You don’t pull the mask off the ol’ Lone Ranger and you don’t mess around with Jim.” Well, Terrell “Terrible” Owens would do all those things.

In probably an indication what is likely to come for the Dallas Cowboys, T.O. came to the Mavs game wearing a Miami Heat jersey with Shaq’s number. He had on a Mavs’ hat, but the whole thing smacked of an ego trip to get attention. The best thing to do would have been to ignore him –which is the last thing he’d want –but the sports media isn’t about to ignore someone as controversial as T.O. I hope some huge Mavs fan gave him a wedgie.

Man-hugging blog entry

On a site that I frequently post on, I posted the text of my man-hugging blog entry from earlier this week. Boy, I tell ya, that started a conversation the length of which I did not expect. Apparently, some folks take this issue very seriously, and I was lectured on how things are done differently in other countries and how in some countries, men even kiss and hold hands as well as hug. Well, gol-ly! I guess we've been doing it all wrong, then! Others talked about how they (the men, that is) aren't keen on man-hugging largely because their fathers weren't affectionate in that way with them.

Seriously folks, that blog entry was meant more as tongue-in-cheek humor rather than as a serious expression of dissatisfaction of hugging my fellow men. Yeah, I'll hug my buds and male family members --it's really not that big a deal. I just found Randy Galloway's column the topic funny enough to mention here and on that other site; I didn't mean to open up anyone's repressed memories of how they didn't get along with their fathers and such. By all means, go hug those men!

But I still prefer to hug women. That hasn't changed.

Hillary, Gore and Kerry: The Democrats' 3 Stooges

In this column, Peter A. Brown comments on Hillary Clinton's recent showing in Florida, in which she couldn't pull 50% even against GOP unknowns. According to conventional wisdom (I just gotta find out who this "Conventional Wisdom" guy is, since they quote him so much), a candidate who can't get 50% against an unknown is not likely a winnable candidate. Well hell, I coulda told them that about Hillary Clinton. Hillary has too much baggage to win as president. Plus, her recent attempt to "reinvent" herself as a moderate comes off as so phony that it's unbelieveable even by a politician's standards. The main draw for her running in the first place is largely that she will be the first female candidate to run as president. But this is a novelty that won't work as intended so long as Hillary is the candidate. No doubt that Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity have literally a file cabinet or two of stuff that they can bring up against her should she indeed become the Democratic Party's candidate for president.

Other possible candidates include Al Gore and John Kerry. I say, no and no. They both lost to Bush, despite having so much working in their favor; especially Kerry, who couldn't beat a wounded candidate who had a poor showing in the debates. So I say go with somebody else --someone who isn't known to be a liberal hack. Go with someone who really could be a draw, even for members of the GOP. My recommendation would be Joe Leiberman. It's not going to happen, of course, but if the Dems really were serious about unseating the GOP's power structure, this this sort of bold move is what they would need to do. Too bad that it ain't gonna happen.

"Animal House" raided

In a case of life imitating art, the fraternity house that inspired the 1978 movie "Animal House", was raided by the police after a two-year investigation. Thanks largely to this movie and the reinforcement given by stations such as MTV, universities now seem to have a reputation for using time in college to party and get drunk. I think that's unfortunate. I don't mean to be a prude, but I'm rather tired of hearing how some college student literally drank him or herself to death because they overdosed on alcohol. Time spent in college is supposed to be a time of learning --but what does a college student learn when they drink themselves to death?

Many universities have been trying to fight this perception of college life being a 4-year long bacchanalia, but at this point in time, it's an uphill battle. But it's a battle that still needs to be fought. These young people work so hard to get where they are, and their parents spent so much time and love on their children, and for what? For these parents to lose thier children in such a way as death by alcohol overdose, there's no other way that this can be described than as as a senseless tragedy. This insanity needs to stop, folks, and colleges need to dry out. I don't mean to end this blog entry on a down note, but this is a serious matter that needs addressing.

Man hugging: One woman's perspective

I got a response to my comments about men hugging men. Below is her response, followed by my response to her response.

---------------------------------

Woman:

I am starting to wonder if some men have more than one phobia?

1.) pink
2.) Hugging

I don't see anything wrong with hugging, yes a handshake between coworkers, but a hug when you have not seen your brother in a long time. Or your Father. Or a good friend.

Me:

Well, see --you're a woman, and women hug each other all the time. Women kiss each other, even. Heck, they even go to the bathroom together. This is the communal nature of women, and there's nothing wrong with that. Women work in groups with other women, and I sincerely believe that God meant it that way.

But us men, well... we're hunters. We work alone. We like our space. And we get suspicious of men who hug us too long. We especially get suspicious of men who kiss us or go to the bathroom with us. It just ain't done. This is also why we're suspicious of the king dude in the Burger King commercials.

We're just a suspicous sort, in other words. I think God meant for us to have that like women with their communal nature. It must be a Natural Law or something.

And of course, that also means that we save all our special hugs and kisses for the women in our lives. ;-) :-D

----------------------------------------------


Added June 8, 2006:


Another guy:

Wearing pink, hugging other guys.... I am scared to think of what some women will want us to do next!!!


Me:



Yep, that's how it starts. Before you know it, we're "metrosexuals". Imagine if our caveman ancestors took up being metrosexuals. They would have never gone hunting! And then where would we be today?


Another woman:

Perhaps they would have still gone hunting, but have been better acessorized.

Me:



The only accessories the cavemen should have needed was a spear that can be thrown with reasonable accuracy.

And perhaps a beer, but only after the hunt. One should never drink and spear-chuck -because you might spear the wrong target.

The issue of man-hugging

Okay, now to address a serious issue for men. I speak, of course, of man-hugging. Sports columnist Randy Galloway of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram has written a column on this very important issue, and he covers the issue very well. In short, men hug each other only during certain times --like the Dallas Mavericks winning the Western Conference Finals. When the Mavs win the NBA Finals (notice that I said WHEN. It will be the Mavs over the Heat in 6 games!), then it will be acceptable to hug men again. But only one time, and briefly. There's rules about this sort of stuff. The issue of man-hugging probably already has several entries in that "Man Laws" website. So in summary, we'll hug other men, but only under certain circumstances --and we won't enjoy it.

We'd much rather hug women. ;-)

Crazy cats video

I was going to wait until the end of the week to post this, but it's just too funny.

This is a string of video clips of cats doing crazy stuff.

It's either a funny video of cats or a video of funny cats (maybe both!). Either way, it's so funny that I had to try real hard to keep from laughing out loud at work!

Weekend Wrap-up 6-2-2006

Holy lip gloss, Batman! She's a lipstick lesbian!
Some of you may not remember that there once was a Batwoman. Well, she's back, and she's gay. Actually, she's not the first gay superhero. I can think of at least three or four that have already come out, so I don't know why this is necessarily news. The attached article stated DC Comics' desire to provide diversity in the types of characters that it presents. However, it also mentions some comments that if diversity is indeed being sought, then why not have a fat, ugly superhero? I agree. Can't a fat, ugly person still be heroic, rather than as "comic relief" as they're usually portrayed? And while we're on the issue of diversity in superheroes, I have never seen a prolife superhero. This push for diversity in the superhero biz still needs some work.

Boston College prof quits over Rice's appearance
Steve Almond, an adjunct professor at Boston College, has resigned in protest over the appearance of Dr. Condolezza Rice speaking at the school's graduation ceremony. While he's entitled to his views on Dr. Rice and the war in Iraq, his resignation is simply foolish. Does he make his statement? Yes, he does. Well, she's spoken, and she's still Secretary of State, and the war in Iraq still goes on. But now, he's not working at Boston College anymore. It was a foolish act, because now he is not present to continue making his stands and statements there. This is not how to discuss and debate the issues. Walking out only means that you are no longer there to help with the defense of your side of the issues. Even worse, it makes you look like a sore loser who can't take debate and discussion unless everyone agrees with you. Now the students at Boston College have one less defender for those in opposition of the war in Iraq. Way to go, Steve-o.

This makes me realize that there's a certain pattern that often happens when issues of importance are discussed. Sometimes a speaker will dominate the debate by being loud and vitriolic. If a given speaker of a given side can't dominate a debate with his (or her) loud and vitriolic words and behavior, then he's likey to either be escorted out, or he'll storm off on his own. In either instance, it's good for a debate for such a person to be taken out of the debate, for if he is allowed to continue this behavior, then nothing will be discussed other than what that person wants discussed.

Debating has become a lost art that needs to be recovered, and Steve Almond's action above is not the way to recover that much needed skill. While he didn't try to dominate the issue of Rice's appearance at Boston College, he still chose to remove himself from the debate --which in essence, is a virtual admission from him that he had no counterargument for Rice's views, so he chose to excuse himself from the scene instead by using this "walking out in protest" cover. If the anti-war supporters want their views heard, then they need to keep their butts planted where they need to be, and stop any more of these silly, self-serving "look at me!" displays.

Sports
After an exciting win in Game 5 (including a 50-point performance from Dirk Nowitzki), the Dallas Mavericks need to go ahead and finish off the Phoenix Suns tonight, because the Miami Heat have already won their series. If the Mavs lose this one and go to a Game 7, then that gives the Heat additional time to rest before the NBA Finals begin. With Shaq not being his old self, the last thing we would want is to give him additional time to rest. Let's keep him playing fatigued! Of course, the Suns won't just lie down and die for the Mavs, but the last game showed what the Mighty Mavs can do to the Suns if they wanted to. It also showed what they can do to any team if they wanted to. It's enough to win this series tonight, and it's also enough to win a championship, if they really wanted it to.

While the playoffs are going on with the Mavs, the Texas Rangers have been relegated to the "In other news" portion of the local sports scene. So far, the Rangers have stayed on top of the AL West --mainly because they are the only team in the division above the .500 mark. At this point, we gotta take what we can get, so this will have to do. But they need to work more on consistency, because while our current level of play may be enough to keep us on top of a poor division, this will do nothing to prepare us for the opponents that we face in the post season --should we be so fortunate to make it there. While it's good that we're barely winning more than we're losing, we still need to strive to be better than that. Let's stretch that 5 game lead into 10 games, then 15, and then as much as possible. Let's pad that lead as much as we can, because who in the world believes that the rest of the teams in our division are happy to be where they're at? They don't want to stay where they're at, they want to be where the Rangers are: at the top of the division! All the more reason why the Rangers need to work on not just winning enough, but winning more than that.

And speaking of baseball, Texas Christian University's baseball team has shocked its opponent, Oklahoma University, with a come-from-behind win in the first round of the college baseball playoffs. Just as a reminder, the TCU football team also shocked the OU football team by defeating them at the start of the last season. OU must be getting pretty tired of us, eh? ;-)

Have a great weekend, folks!

My digital camera

Some of you have inquired about the digital camera (DC from here on) that I am using for the pics that I’m posting here. It is an Olympus Camedia C-765 Ultra Zoom. Here is a link to a review of the camera in PC Magazine.

I think my camera normally goes for about $250-$300, but I got it for about $135. I got it at that price because it was the store’s last one, it had been on display, AND it was not going to be carried anymore by that store. My timing, in other words, was impeachable. ;-)

Having used film cameras all this time, I was used to all the control that I had over taking a photograph –especially since I used a 35mm SLR with a zoom lens. This DC lacks some of that control. However, the other features that it has more than makes up for what it lacks. What I’m about to say next is rehash for those who have DCs, so I’m sorry for that, but some of my readers are considering switching over, and they need to know of the benefits of using a DC.

One big bonus of using a DC is that there’s no film to take to a drug store for developing. That saves the cost of developing the film AND the gas that is used both to drop the film off and to pick up the developed pictures. Also, I know immediately how the pics look right after I take the pic, and I can delete the ones that I don’t like. I also save the cost of making reprints to give to others. I simply e-mail them to others who want copies, and if they want to get prints made, they can do it themselves. Unlike regular film, which has rolls of about 24 or 36 pictures, my DC can take well over a hundred, or more if I select pics with a low resolution. Even at a very high resolution, it’s still more pics than a 36-frame roll of film.

Not only that (and as you have seen here in recent days), taking pictures in black and white or sepia does not require a separate roll of film. It’s just a simple matter of programming the DC to switch to these features, and then to switch them back to color once I’m done. If you’re new to DCs and want to be able to explore some of what a DC can do, then I’d recommend something like the camera I have.

When it comes to shopping for DCs, a good rule of thumb is to pretty much forget those that cost less than $100. They are usually lacking many of the features that make having a DC worthwhile, and they’re often pretty crappy anyway. Expect to spend at least $200 if you want a DC that’s worth your hard-earned money. Make sure it has a view screen for viewing your pictures (Very important!). That way, you can see the pics that you’ve taken, and you can delete them if you don’t want them. Most DCs at that price range also have some sort of zoom feature, which can be very handy.

One feature that you might look for --and that my DC lacks-- is the ability to connect to an external flash (usually there is a jack somewhere on the camera body that allows for this connection). The flash on my DC is rather weak, so if the subject is too close, then there is a lot of glare in the photograph –but if the subject is too far away, the picture then comes out dark. Plus, the flash is rather focused in its light, and an external flash that allows for diffused light will give the needed light without the glare.

Also, my DC lacks a remote control for taking pics without having to be at the camera to press the shutter. With a remote control, you can be in the pictures, too! Yes, I know that I could just use my DC’s timer, but the remote feature is still a handy feature to have. If you get a DC with these extra features, then it will most likely add to the cost, but then you'll also be getting all the camera that you'll probaby need for the time being anyway.

Eventually, I want one of those DCs that work like a 35mm SLR film camera, but those babies run over $800 or more –t’ain’t cheap, in other words. Right now, I just want to master what a DC can do, so that when I get one of those fancy jobs, I’ll have a better idea on how its features work.

If you have any other questions regarding DCs, drop me a line and I’ll try to help you if I can.

E-mail about my buddy Gnorman the Gnome

Below is an e-mail I got from a blog reader in the United Kingdom. I've removed her name, plus other info that is not relevant to Gnorman the Gnome. (By the way, that readers from anywhere in the world can read my blog is one of the cool things that I like about living in the Internet Age).

------------------------------------------

Hi, John -

Had a look at your blog, and saw Gnorman (love the name)!

I was just wondering how garden gnomes (I assume Gnorman is of that sub-species) are regarded in the US. In the UK, they are generally regarded by people who consider themselves proper gardeners as being rather tacky. Anyway, the Chelsea Flower Show is THE top gardening show in the UK, and recently a reporter from the Today Programme (a serious and influential radio current affairs programme) smuggled in Nicholas the gnome:

Might amuse you.

C. in the United Kingdom

*****
Hi, C. in the United Kingdom!

First, thanks for reading my blog! Sorry for the delay in the reply, but I had a 4 day weekend this weekend. :-)

As for gnomes here in the US, while they have been around for some time, I've only recently seen them used with more frequency. I guess you might say that they had become something of a fad, because they've also been in some of our TV advertisements.

As for my buddy Gnorman, he's actually something called a Gnomad, in which you are supposed to photograph the traveling gnome in your city, and then hand him off to someone else who is going to another place. A website for the gnomads helps keep track of your gnome and where he's been.

This is a unique idea suited for our mobile society that keeps in touch via the Internet. When I go to San Antonio (Texas) in about a month, I'll hand off Gnorman to someone there so that my buddy Gnorman can start his travels. :-)

By the way, I asked Gnorman about whether he hangs in gardens like other gnomes, and he said, "Heck no! I have allergies! That's why I'm a traveling gnome!" I guess all gnomes can't be gardeners. ;-)

If you don't mind, I'd like to post your e-mail and my reply to it onto my blog. I will keep you anonymous, of course. I'd like to do that because of the info you provided below, and because your communicating with me from the UK shows just how interconnected we are in this day and age. :-)

Thanks, and God bless

John

*****

Dear John –

>Sorry for the delay in the reply, but I had a 4 day weekend this weekend. :-)

Yeah, my heart bleeds for you! (No, not really!) :D

This was the first time I’d heard about Gnomad. It’s certainly better than being the common garden variety (literally!) – you get to see the world!

I heard the following story – probably apocryphal – more than ten years ago in the UK. Anyway, a man goes into his garden, and finds his gnome missing. There’s a note that says he (the gnome) is tired of being stuck in the garden, and he’s leaving. Over the months that follow, the man receives postcards signed by the gnome from all over the world. Then the postcard stops. Some time later, the gnome reappears in his old spot in the garden. Wonder which came first – this story or the Gnomad idea?

C. in the United Kingdom

****
Dear C. in the United Kingdom,

I don't know who created the Gnomads, but if the story you told me is true, it might indeed be the basis of the creation of the Gnomad line. I wouldn't be surprised.

John

Children born on 6/6/06

In this newspaper article, some parents expressed a little concern over the possibility that their child may be born on June 6, 2006 -- in other words, 6/6/06. That, of course, resembles the biblical "mark of the beast" of 666. Their concerns, though, seem to be not that they may be giving birth to a child of the devil, but rather that their child will likely be teased with such a birthdate. Some are concerned enough that they want to induce labor early if it looks likely that their child will be born on that day. To me, it's just a number. Granted, I don't have a wife with child about to be born on that date, but I think that I would still feel the same way even under such circumstances. I would have to wonder about the potential health issues of trying to induce labor just because the parents don't want their child to be born on a certain date. The health of the mother and child should come first, I would think.

Wonder Woman pays a visit

Not wanting to be outdone by a gnome, Wonder Woman paid a visit so that she can be photographed in the various ways that the gnome was. Well, when an Amazon princess comes to your door demanding that you photograph her, who am I to tell her "no"? ;-)

Besides, she could hurt me if she wanted to!















In the photo above, Wonder Woman showed me the punch that she threw to take down one of the bad guys that she fought on the way to the photo shoot. She makes a marvelous pic, doesn't she?















In the pics above, the colors and the lighting add a nice, elegant touch. It convinces me all the more on how these colors will be handy for my 1940's story planned for next year.















The pics above makes for some interesting images. The whiteboard pic almost looks like it was done with a charcoal stick on white paper, while the blackboard looks like a photographic negative (I may try to do a "reverse image" on the Photoshop program just to see what it looks like). Like with the gnome, it took many tries to get these two decent pics. It was hard getting the details of her costume to stand out enough to be recognized for what they were supposed to be. Fortunately, the good princess patiently struck the poses through it all.

Well, that's it for this round of special effects pics. I thank the Amazon wonder for her time and patience. :-)

"Attack the basket, get the foul"

That's what I kept yelling during the Dallas Maverick's game yesterday with the Phoenix Suns. Right now, the Suns are missing Amare Stoudemire, a huge piece of their arsenal, and they're also without Raja Bell. There's very little that the Suns can do to stop attacks to the basket, and if the Mavs draw fouls on top of that, then all the better. That, plus the fact that the Suns are so shorthanded on the bench, would make the Suns hesitant to be too aggressive in getting fouls to stop drives to the basket; because they simply can't afford to lose players by being fouled out.

Right now, the Mavs' depth on the bench looks to be an important deciding factor, because they can keep putting in fresh bodies, while the Suns are basically stuck on rotating about 7 players. For the next game, the Mavs need to keep being aggressive, and to win the next game, which will affect the Suns psychologically. At this level, these are head games as much as they are physical games, and right now, the Mavs have the psychological edge.

Weekend Wrap-up 5-27-2006

ACLU censors itself –maybe it should sue itself, too
The famed American Civil Liberties Union, known for protecting all forms of free speech no matter how vile or offensive –is ironically considering censoring some of its own. This leads me to wonder if the next headline we see will be “ACLU to sue itself for attempt to censor itself.” I hope that they do, because that would be an interesting court case to sit in on. ;-)

Ken "Frito Bandito" Lay and Jeffrey "Light-Fingered" Skilling
Ya ask me, these guys had it coming. I would feel that way even if you didn’t ask me. It’s REALLY hard to feel sorry for these guys, because their actions demonstrate everything that is wrong with corporate culture today. I hope that they spend the rest of their lives in prison for the harm that their selfish actions did to their employees. Many criminals get much more time for crimes that are much less than Lay and Skilling’s multi-million dollar theft of their employees and stockholders. Sometimes, the system works!

Pussycat Dolls too sexy for the toy store
Until this news article, I had never heard of the Pussycats music group. They sound like the latest version of the Spice Girls (remember them?). After reading this column on the group, I am surprised that Hasbro even considered making a line of dolls based on them. Someone at Hasbro apparently wasn’t thinking right on this one. It also makes me wonder what is next. Perhaps a Janet Jackson doll with a “malfunctioning wardrobe” outfit, or an Anna Nicole Smith doll that eats your food and takes your money? Or maybe a Tom Cruise doll that hops up and down on your couch when you press its button. ;-)

(I hope that I haven’t inadvertently given Hasbro any ideas for future dolls…)

Sports
After a frustrating loss in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series, the Dallas Mavericks bounced back in Game 2. I knew Coach Avery Johnson wouldn’t let the Mavs lose a second game. Now the Mavs need to add to their success by winning the games in Phoenix. I still stick by my belief that the Mavs can do this, and go on to the NBA Finals. But they gotta take care of “bidness” in Phoenix first!

Meanwhile, the Texas Rangers baseball team still stands atop the West Division; thanks totally to the fact that the West is the worst division in baseball. The Rangers’ bare margin above the .500 mark is enough to be the winningest team on a division with poor won/loss records. I had hoped that the Rangers would strive to be better than that, but I guess that I will have to take what I can get. Sigh.

Pics of a blimp
Last weekend, Fort Worth hosted its annual Colonial Golf Tournament. A sight that appears at that time is the blimp that is used to shoot those overhead shots for the sports stations that cover the tournament. The blimp provided too tempting a test for my digital camera’s features. My camera has something called “superzoom”, which zooms in by a magnification of 10; and the “digital zoom”, which zooms in by a magnification of 40. The superzoom feature was not easy to use, because the blimp is a tiny an object in the sky, and with the tiny viewscreen that’s on my camera, it took some effort to find a tiny blip in the sky.

However, that wasn’t so much of a challenge as trying to photograph the blimp with the digital zoom feature! The main problem was keeping the blimp in my viewscreen long enough for the camera to focus on the blimp, and to photograph it before it moved out of my screen. It doesn’t look like it from my vantage point, but the blimp is actually moving, and it’s probably moving a lot faster than I think. Anyway, after several failed attempts of trying to capture the blimp fully focused and totally within the viewscreen, I got the image below. It was about time, too, because the sun was baking my face as I tried to get the pic. Now along with the pic below, I have the face of a bronze god.



















Memorial Day notes
Monday is Memorial Day, in which we recall the sacrifices of the men and women in our armed services who have served in the past, and who continue to serve us today. In many parts of the world, the military serves as the fist for the person in power. Fortunately, our military does not work that way. They serve to protect us from those who desire to do us harm, and to protect our democratic way of life. While there are those who question some of the actions that our military does (for instance, the war in Iraq), most Americans understand the role that the military serves in our country, and they appreciate it. So on Monday, remember our servicemen and women who have taken upon the responsibility of protecting our country –especially remember those that paid the ultimate sacrifice in the performances of such services. May God guide them all in the exercise of their duties, and for those who have died while in the line of duty, may God have mercy on their souls, and may He grant them eternal peace. It is because of people like them that people like me have the freedoms that we do.

Have a great weekend, folks!
And have a great summer!

Meet Gnorman the Gnome

Attached below is my bud, Gnorman the Gnome. He's totally cool, and loves to party. He also graciously offered to pose as I tested the various features of my digital camera. Thanks, Gnorm!














In the pictures below, we see Gnorman in black and white, and in a tone called sepia. The black and white feature will be handy for making some artsy looking pics. If any of you folks have pictures of your parents or grandparents from the 1940's, then most likely their photos look like the sepia tones. Knowing of this sepia feature is rather handy for something that I plan to do next year for a Shamrock story, which is a story of her grandparents that takes place in the 1940's. I plan to take sepia pictures and use them in a style I will call "art photos" so that the whole work will be in a sepia color like you are looking through some old family photo album. I hope this works as well as I hope it will work.













In the pics below, we see Gnorman in a style called "whiteboard" and "blackboard". In short, whiteboard makes light colored areas absolutely white, while the dark areas are make absolutely black, which makes for some very interesting visual effects that can be very artsy. You've seen some whiteboard pics here before in some of my mock-up ads for my website. This feature takes a little working with to pull off, but if you can capture the right pose, then it comes out very cool. Unfortunately, the pic of Gnorm was the best I could do. You can't even see his face! Sorry, dude! The blackboard is the opposite of the whiteboard (of course!) in that it makes the light colored areas absolutely dark and the dark areas absolutely white. This is harder to work with, and it's really difficult to get good pics with this. There must be some trick to this that I haven't figured out yet. I'll keep working on it.














Well, that's it for today, folks! I'll be posting more pics here as I figure out more of the features of my digital camera!

Mavericks lose to Suns in Game 1. Sigh.

In an unexpected upset, the Phoenix Suns defeated the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the best-of-7 series. Folks, it wasn't pretty to watch Steve Nash & Co. to basically have their way to the basket. The thing is, the Mavs KNEW that the Suns were going to be like this --and yet, most of the time they stood around like statues as the Suns ran around them. Plus, at the end, the defense failed badly. However, I know that Coach Avery Johnson will make the adjustments like he did with the Spurs. And remember folks --the Mavs also lost Game 1 with the Spurs at the last second just like they did yesterday. This was only one game; this series is far from over. Coach Johnson will adjust --trust me.

Mavs' March to the NBA Finals continues tonight

The Spurs are done with; now comes the Phoenix Suns. During the series with the Spurs, I noticed a sort of anti-Mavs sentiment out there in my discussions with those outside of Texas. Actually, I don't think the negative feelings are so much against the Mavs as it is against Mark Cuban.

Heck, even I admit that Cuban is the biggest complainer in the NBA, but his complaints aren't entirely without merit. The League was giving way too many fouls in favor of the big name players like Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, or Kobe Bryant --so many that it was disrupting the game.

Fortunately, Cuban has the money to pay the fines he gets for complaining so publicly. The NBA can't ignore his complaints, though, so for the sake of the game the fines were worth it, because this year's playoffs have been the most exciting in years. And of course, I can say that the fines are worth it, because it isn't my money. ;-)

My prediction for this series: The Mavs in 6.

Now for something from a bud of mine that I'll call Joe, who sends me these kinds of e-mails whenever the local teams do something exciting --like beat the San Antonio Spurs in the playoffs. (incidentally, the last time I got this kind of e-mail from him was when the Texas Longhorns won the national championship earlier this year). Anyway, as you read the e-mail below and you're visualizing Joe doing these things that he describes, keep in mind that Joe ain't no tiny little Chinese gymnast --so for him to be doing all the things that he describes below paints interesting and entertaining images to visualize in your head. :-)

-------------------------------------------------------

HOW ABOUT THOSE MAVERICKS!!!!!

As usual I did my jumping about the room. I know that I jumped off of the top rail, swung off the chandelier and did a full layout Sukahara and and landed in a pike position. Then I jumped up and walked along the wall ala “Crouching Tiger” movie up the side of the wall, on the ceiling then dropped down Mission Impossible like and stopped just above the floor. Then realizing that I had no rope to suspend me, I crashed to the floor. But, no pain! Too excited. What a great game. I hope they get the championship this year.

They pulled my punch!

You good folks remember this blog entry from a few days ago:

---------------------------------------------------------------
"In God We Trust" NOT.
In a move worthy of Soviet Russia era censorship, Liberty Elementary School in Colleyville, TX has removed "In God We Trust" from the face of a U.S. nickel that appears in their yearbook. The school didn't want to offend those of different religions. What a lesson to teach the children: censorship and defacing our coins is acceptable so long as you're offended. Thomas Jefferson, the face on the nickel, owned slaves. That's offensive, isn't it? So shouldn't his face be removed from the yearbook cover as well? To be safe, the school should just have this blank, silver circle without "In God We Trust" and Jefferson's face. Somewhere out there, Joseph Stalin is rolling in his grave, wishing that Adobe Photoshop had been available back in his day.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Well, I sent that blog entry verbatim to my local newspaper, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (FWST from here on), as a Letter to the Editor (LTTE from here on). Here's how it appears in the LTTE page:

-------------------------------------------------------------
What a lesson to teach the children: Censorship and defacing our coins is acceptable so long as someone might be offended.

Thomas Jefferson, whose face is on the nickel, owned slaves. That's offensive, isn't it? So shouldn't his face be removed from the yearbook cover as well?

Josef Stalin is rolling in his grave, wishing that Adobe Photoshop had been available back in his day.

John P. Araujo, Fort Worth
--------------------------------------------------------------

See how much shorter it is? At first, I thought that it might be because of space issues (or rather, the lack of space), but if you look at some of the other letters on that page, you see that some of the LTTEs are longer than mine --so it wasn't a space issue.

What I don't like about the edited version above is that it "pulls my punch" of my original statement. I really hate it when editors do that. I take great care to not use the usual shock tactic of saying the "n word" or the "b word" or other such words, because I see that as a writing cop-out. If I want my statements to have some "punch", then I'll let my statements make the punch; I don't want the punch to come from some shortcut tactic as throwing around shock words.

I know and understand that it's not my newspaper, and the FWST is within their rights to edit as they please --but what would have been so wrong with printing my LTTE exactly as I wrote it? So folks, I'm really disappointed that the FWST felt the need to pull my punch. Or as it would be said in shock word fashion, I'm pissed.

Oh, YEAH!!!!! Mavs beat Spurs!!!

In what was an awesomely fought series, the Dallas Mavericks finally prevailed and defeated the San Antonio Spurs 119-111 in this best of 7 series. Neither team was willing to give up; each team fought tooth and nail. However, it looked like the Spurs spent all their "mojo" getting the tie in the 4th quarter, because in overtime, they seemed to be out of gas. The Spurs had to come from WAY back to get the tie --about 20 points at one time, I think.

Now that the Mavs have won, I don't have to be mad about the officiating (especially in this game). ;-)

But an idea can be had about how the refs were doing: About halfway through the game, a graphic displayed that only one Spur had more than 2 fouls at that point, but there was about 4 (and maybe 5) Mavs that already had 4 fouls at that time. As it is, 3 of the Mavs fouled out by the end of the game, but fortunately, the Mavs didn't fold and held out to the end. I'm proud of these guys. I think they have overcome a very significant mental block in getting this series victory. Who knows how far this will carry them from here on?

Way to go, Mavs!!

Odds and Ends commentary 5-22-2006

Immigration yet again

In a discussion with others over the weekend, I finally agreed on something with a group of folks that are in favor of total amnesty for illegal immigrants (that is, legalizing them by a congressional act instead of letting them go through the regular citizenship process). They mentioned that those companies and other employers that hire illegal immigrants should be cracked down upon, because they are the reason that the illegals come here in the first place. I agreed, and I wondered aloud why that angle isn’t covered more in the news. After all, if these employers were more diligent about not hiring illegals, then it would be make it less worth their time and sacrifice for illegals to come here; and thus, we’d theoretically would have a drop-off in the number of illegals. There must be some political angle at play here, or there might be some politically correct reason why this isn’t covered more. I’ll be giving this angle more thought and see what I come up with.

First column topic for my website

I’ve decided on the topic for my first column of my website. I will be discussing the free press and why we need it now more than ever. I will also be discussing my views on the shortcomings of today’s media and why it’s important that they correct it. I will be posting drafts of that column here on the blog and on another website that I frequent so that it can be subjected to the views and criticisms of others. Sometimes these folks catch stuff that I will miss, so I view their input very highly. I eventually want to get to a pace that I do at least one column a month, but right now, I’ll settle for getting this first one up.

Edtoons lacking in this blog!

Yes, I’ve been lax in posting edtoons here. Basically, nothing in the news really has jumped out at me to make an edtoon over, but being in practice for making edtoons means working on something anyway just to stay in practice. My bad, folks. I’ll get back on it this week.

Also soon to come on my website…

I’ve made the decision that, after I publish my first Shamrock superhero story to my website, I am going to switch from color comics to black and white with shades of gray. I much prefer color comics, but seeing as how I’m the only one working on this right now, it is taking a lot longer for me to make them than I would like. I’d rather be posting stories up faster than be more concerned that they are in color. Maybe at some future time, I can have someone add the color, but for now, I’d rather work on establishing a regular pace that I can work on them and put them up. Right now, colorizing them takes too much time –especially since I’m also working on other things on top of that.

And in June, I plan to have my old computer upgraded so that I can get DSL at home so that I can add to my website on a regular basis. Once I’ve gotten the upgraded computer AND the DSL –watch out!

Coming this week on my blog

I will be posting more cool pics that I took over the weekend that demonstrate other abilities of my cool digital camera. I’ve used film cameras all this time for all these years, but now I am totally sold on digital cameras, and I probably won’t go back to them anytime real soon.

Weekend Wrap-up Commentary 5-20-2006

"In God We Trust" NOT.
In a move worthy of Soviet Russia era censorship, Liberty Elementary School in Colleyville, TX has removed "In God We Trust" from the face of a U.S. nickel that appears in their yearbook. The school didn't want to offend those of different religions. What a lesson to teach the children: censorship and defacing our coins is acceptable so long as you're offended. Thomas Jefferson, the face on the nickel, owned slaves. That's offensive, isn't it? So shouldn't his face be removed from the yearbook cover as well? To be safe, the school should just have this blank, silver circle without "In God We Trust" and Jefferson's face. Somewhere out there, Joseph Stalin is rolling in his grave, wishing that Adobe Photoshop had been available back in his day.

Agg-Town Fights DVD update
So far, this issue seems to have lead to some productive dialogue. I just hope that it leads to productive results instead of explaining away that these kids are "actually victims of somesuch disorder" and doing nothing. This is a problem begging for a true solution, and anything less will result in more Agg-Town Fights DVDs being produced by someone else.

The Da Vinci Code
Someone asked me what I thought of the hubbub made over The Da Vinci Code movie. I told them that this movie was to be the anti-Catholic Left's answer to Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. Well, it was critically panned for the most part, and the only reason it has large audiences now is because of the amount of press given it. But I won't protest the movie, nor will I encourage others to do so. That would only give it more press, and if the critics weren't crazy about it, then why should we make any more fuss over it?

Sports
So it goes to a deciding game 7 for the Mavs and the Spurs. Sigh. If nothing else, this series has been one for the ages. In fact, 3 of the 4 series are going to a game 7. This is like college "March Madness", except it's May, and it's the pros. For a basketball fan, this has been fun! But the fun will be sucked out if the Mavs lose Game 7!!!!

The Bird is back
The bird below is named Marcela, and it hangs by my desk at work. I wanted to name it Halle Berry, but I got voted down, and it was named Marcela after a popular student worker who had just graduated at the time. It hung there for about a year and a half until about Christmas time last year, when I hung something else in its place. Anyway, now seemed like a good time to put the bird back up because I have a blog, and it's a liberal bird (this is so because it has a sign about Austin, Texas, which is a liberal town) --and sometimes I need its take on the left wing side of various issues. Next I need to find a conservative bird to give the opposite viewpoint, and we can have some very interesting discussions (Okay, who out there just said that I need a life?).

Jason Terry's suspension is totally bogus

Okay, I gotta say this: The suspension of Jason Terry for Game 6 is totally bogus. Finley had landed on Terry, and in the heat of the moment, Terry was fighting him off. No, he shouldn't have thrown that punch, but this was an intense moment of an intense game of an intense series. The foul wasn't even called at that moment during the game --and suddenly just before a crucial deciding game is about to be play, now it's a foul? As it is, the refs have been calling a lot of disruptive, ticky-tack fouls on both teams in this series, and this heavyhanded action is a referee ego-trip run amuck. All the refs will accomplish here is to guarantee that Mark Cuban will be on their backs like a bad habit. Let the players play!