The Phoenix Suns joined the NBA as an expansion team for 1968-69 season, and since that time own the fourth highest winning percentage in the league. They have been very good on balance for a very long time, but they have never been able to bring home a championship. Even with two NBA Finals appearances (1975 and 1993), they couldn't quite win the big enchilada.
So in what some (including me) would call a desperate move, they went out and got their own big enchilada, Shaquille O'Neal. Trading the versatile Shawn Marion and the useless Marcus Banks, they landed a 4-time NBA Champion, who has taken every NBA team he has played with to the Finals.
For the first time this season, I'm really excited about this team. There was just something wrong, be it the well-chronicled spats between Marion and Amare Stoudemire, the lack of hustle for whatever reason, or all of the close games they have lost to good Western Conference teams. If Shaq is truly as motivated and determined to succeed as he says he is, the Suns have a legitimately good shot at a title. And Steve Nash seems to really like the move - he says he was "pumped up" after speaking with Shaq on the phone yesterday.
Motivated Shaq + pumped up Nash - whiny Marion - Amare having to guard centers = a happy fan, and hopefully one (more) big enchilada.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States (well, hopefully)
This is copied/pasted directly from the comment I left (he he) on the politicaLDS blog this morning. It should give you a rough overview of my political beliefs and also my main rationale for my support for Barack Obama:
Hello all. It's great to see a bunch o' Mormons having a political discourse that doesn't consist exclusively of the placing of Willard (yes, that's his first name) Romney on a diamond-encrusted pedestal.
I am Rachel's husband, and while we do share quite a few political views, we arrive at them very differently. I am generally a cynical, untrusting person, but I am not a political cynic. Rachel is generally a trusting person, but is very cynical about politics. I believe the American governmental system is nearly flawless. Mind you, the government itself isn't flawless - far from it - but the Constitutional system we have is truly amazing. The proof is in the pudding; it is the most tenured consecutively running democracy (well, it's actually a republic) in the history of the planet. The Constitution provides ways to fix the problems that the people who swear to uphold it create.
I am a big supporter of Barack Obama. I have supported him for over a year now, starting way before it was "cool". I have donated to his campaign, and have volunteered to canvass for him. I truly feel he could be the transformative leader this country desperately needs. I find it extremely impressive that he has been able to be financially competitive with Hillary Clinton, despite not taking any bribes (if you call them "donations" you're kidding yourself) from corporations or lobbyists. In this regard, Clinton is just another politician, though I do generally like her and her stances on most issues.
You see, the bribes are the problem. I believe that most (perhaps all) of the problems this country currently faces can be attributed directly or indirectly to the big money in politics. It will take someone in extreme power (like a president) to take a stand on this issue, and once and for all give the power back to the people by enacting true campaign finance and legislative ethics reform.
It's all about the favors that are inevitably requisite when one take someone's else's money. I want my candidate to owe a favor to nobody but the people, as it should be.
Hello all. It's great to see a bunch o' Mormons having a political discourse that doesn't consist exclusively of the placing of Willard (yes, that's his first name) Romney on a diamond-encrusted pedestal.
I am Rachel's husband, and while we do share quite a few political views, we arrive at them very differently. I am generally a cynical, untrusting person, but I am not a political cynic. Rachel is generally a trusting person, but is very cynical about politics. I believe the American governmental system is nearly flawless. Mind you, the government itself isn't flawless - far from it - but the Constitutional system we have is truly amazing. The proof is in the pudding; it is the most tenured consecutively running democracy (well, it's actually a republic) in the history of the planet. The Constitution provides ways to fix the problems that the people who swear to uphold it create.
I am a big supporter of Barack Obama. I have supported him for over a year now, starting way before it was "cool". I have donated to his campaign, and have volunteered to canvass for him. I truly feel he could be the transformative leader this country desperately needs. I find it extremely impressive that he has been able to be financially competitive with Hillary Clinton, despite not taking any bribes (if you call them "donations" you're kidding yourself) from corporations or lobbyists. In this regard, Clinton is just another politician, though I do generally like her and her stances on most issues.
You see, the bribes are the problem. I believe that most (perhaps all) of the problems this country currently faces can be attributed directly or indirectly to the big money in politics. It will take someone in extreme power (like a president) to take a stand on this issue, and once and for all give the power back to the people by enacting true campaign finance and legislative ethics reform.
It's all about the favors that are inevitably requisite when one take someone's else's money. I want my candidate to owe a favor to nobody but the people, as it should be.
For the politician/cynic/ranter in you...
My wife Rachel is now a participant on a new blog, politicaLDS, devoted to the discussion of politics among members of the LDS church. Shockingly, they have been able to round up a whopping *three* Mormon liberals to duke it out with the conservatives. Good discussions are going on over there already, and it just started. I'm sure I will be a frequent commentor/commenter/commentator (you decide - the dictionary hasn't yet), so stay tuned. I'll post my first comment from that blog here so you have a better idea where I stand and what gets me riled up. :)
Monday, November 19, 2007
So I didn't make it to the gym on Saturday...
I love my house. I really do. But I thoroughly despise one design issue - the master bedroom is directly above the garage. In many climates, that is not a problem, but in Arizona's awesome summers, this design faux-pas results in the master bedroom being the hottest room in the house. And that's a problem, for I prefer the temperature to hover as close to 72 degrees as possible at all times.
A few weeks ago, I decided to do something about it - I would air-condition my garage. No big deal, right? Just buy one of those window units, cut a hole in the wall, and fire it up, right?
If only it were that simple. Because my garage isn't well insulated, it is going to take an awfully powerful (17,500 BTU or so) air conditioner to properly and efficiently bring down the temperature. And of course, air conditioners that size require a dedicated electrical circuit, which of course I didn't have.
Well, I do now. Thanks to $225 and a hard day's work from my dad, my brother Ryan, and myself, I now have two new 20 amp circuits in my garage. We dug a 12-inch-deep, 80-foot-long trench from the electrical box to the garage (begrudgingly with shovels, due to the outrageous $250/day cost of a trencher), laid PVC electrical conduit in the trench, pulled six individual strands of 12-gauge wire through it, installed two breakers in the breaker box, drilled a big hole in the house to get the wire into the garage, then installed the electrical outlets in the garage.
It's no wonder I could hardly move Saturday night - that was a lot of work. And of course, I still need to get back out there to fill in the trench and lay the drip line for the backyard watering system. Which of course I need to do before we can pay someone (thank heaven) to do the landscaping in our backyard.
It's fun that our backyard finally shows signs of life, but frustrating to think that this is just the prep work. Good times!
A few weeks ago, I decided to do something about it - I would air-condition my garage. No big deal, right? Just buy one of those window units, cut a hole in the wall, and fire it up, right?
If only it were that simple. Because my garage isn't well insulated, it is going to take an awfully powerful (17,500 BTU or so) air conditioner to properly and efficiently bring down the temperature. And of course, air conditioners that size require a dedicated electrical circuit, which of course I didn't have.
Well, I do now. Thanks to $225 and a hard day's work from my dad, my brother Ryan, and myself, I now have two new 20 amp circuits in my garage. We dug a 12-inch-deep, 80-foot-long trench from the electrical box to the garage (begrudgingly with shovels, due to the outrageous $250/day cost of a trencher), laid PVC electrical conduit in the trench, pulled six individual strands of 12-gauge wire through it, installed two breakers in the breaker box, drilled a big hole in the house to get the wire into the garage, then installed the electrical outlets in the garage.
It's no wonder I could hardly move Saturday night - that was a lot of work. And of course, I still need to get back out there to fill in the trench and lay the drip line for the backyard watering system. Which of course I need to do before we can pay someone (thank heaven) to do the landscaping in our backyard.
It's fun that our backyard finally shows signs of life, but frustrating to think that this is just the prep work. Good times!
Monday, November 5, 2007
One of those quiz thingies
I am generally not a fan of the billion or so quizzes that circulate around the internet. But I liked this one, so here are my answers:
1. Three biggest fears?
Losing a family member, becoming complacent, and spraining my ankle for the eightieth time.
2. When was the last time you danced?
Yeah. Been a while. That's a good thing.
3. Do you creep on stranger's blogs?
Professionally, yes - there is a great deal of good technical information on strangers' blogs. Personally, no - I'd rather watch basketball.
4. If you could go back to be any age for a day, what age would you be and why?
I'd go back to 17/18, not make all those stupid mistakes, then come back to the present and hope my life was exactly the same as it is now. :)
5. Are you a good liar?
Yes.
6. Do you judge someone when you can tell they've had elective cosmetic surgery?
Yes. I understand why people do it, but I think most of it is ridiculous.
7. If you have children, what's one thing that you always told yourself you'd never do when you had kids?
Same as the wife - spend half our disposable income on Cars-related items.
8. What's something that totally grosses you out?
Stuff like this - gives me the heeby-jeebees (sp?).
9. Do you ever delete forwards without reading them?
The better question is ... do I ever read forwards before deleting them?
10. Do you ever lie to get out of obligations?
Yes, I do. Sometimes a brother just needs a break.
11. Consider your body weight and your yearly income at their present states. Would you rather be 200 pounds heavier and $200,000 richer or stay at your present states?
Considering how much better I feel having lost 20 pounds, I'll take my present state, thanks. I can't imagine weighing 400+ lbs, no matter the weight of my bank account.
12. When was the last time you bought a pair of shoes and what were they?
I have a problem - I'm a dude who likes his shoes. I probably have 20 pairs of shoes (almost all Eccos) that I actually wear. I recently bought a nice-yet-casual pair of Eccos at an outlet mall just North of Naples, FL.
13. The Olympics. Take them or leave them?
Leave them, save the basketball tournament and a few of the sprinting events.
14. What's your favorite accent?
Definitely German.
15. What's your favorite scent?
My nose is defective, so I'm not particularly attracted to specific scents. But if you hold a gun to my head, I'll go with beef in the smoker. :)
16. Chewing gun or mints?
Mints. Andes mints, the dessert mints at Abuelo's, those sour ones in the tins you get at Target... doesn't matter.
17. If you could look like any celebrity, who would it be?
Jennifer Connelly. She rocks.
18. If you had the chance of looking like said celebrity in exchange for your thumbs would you do it?
It would take a lot more than a couple thumbs for me to look like Jennfier Connelly, I'm sure. But in any case, nah, I dig my thumbs. My thumbs are neat.
19. Do you religiously wear sun screen?
No, but I should. Hair is natural sunscreen, and I am severely lacking.
20. Do you generally trust people/their motives or doubt people/their motives?
I generally do not trust people unless I know them well. I'm a cynic.
21. Would you describe yourself as a complicated person or is what you see what you get?
I think I'm relatively complicated, but so are most people.
22. Do you watch what you eat?
I mostly watch what I drink. I drink soda, I get fat. I drink water, I get skinny. Fairly simple. And I avoid tofu at all costs - that stuff is nasty.
23. Do you watch what other people eat?
My kids, mostly - don't want them ending up like me. I wish I had my wife's food sensibilities - never eats too much, but will eat pretty much anything.
24. Do you judge how other people raise their kids?
Yes, I do. I think are too many ways to get out of parenting, namely television, day care, nannies, etc. I wish people would put their kids before themselves.
25. Do you judge people who dress poorly?
I hereby invoke the protections of the fifth amendment, assuming we still have a Bill of Rights by the time I hit "publish post". Seriously though, not really. It's more "teasing" than "judging". :)
26. Do you judge people who are homely?
No - some people just aren't attractive.
27. Do you judge people who are overweight?
No - I am too acutely aware of their (our) plight. They/I are/am addicted to something has outward physical consequences. Why can't I be addicted to coffee or cigarettes or something that is socially acceptable?
28. Your interest in politics: High, Medium-High, Medium, Medium-Low, Low, Obsolete?
High.
29. Favorite song of all time?
"A Change of Seasons", Dream Theater. It's 23 minutes long, so it has a little bit of everything. Great tunes, great lyrics, great musicianship.
30. Acoustic or electric?
Guitar and bass? Electric - more sonic possibilities. Everything else (piano, drums, orchestral instruments)? Acoustic.
31. If you were a hermit, would you shave?
Yes. Hair is annoying.
32. If you could shave your head without your significant other throwing a complete hissy, would you?
About three times a week, yeah. And she didn't throw a hissy; she was glad I ditched the buzz.
33. What was your least favorite age?
7th/8th grade was pretty awful. I was a jerk.
34. How many times a day do you check your email?
Very funny. I wish I was away from my email long enough to have to check it. My phone is pushed email as it arrives, so I am never disconnected. A blessing and a curse, for sure.
35. Are you in a tiff with anyone right now?
No - life is too short.
1. Three biggest fears?
Losing a family member, becoming complacent, and spraining my ankle for the eightieth time.
2. When was the last time you danced?
Yeah. Been a while. That's a good thing.
3. Do you creep on stranger's blogs?
Professionally, yes - there is a great deal of good technical information on strangers' blogs. Personally, no - I'd rather watch basketball.
4. If you could go back to be any age for a day, what age would you be and why?
I'd go back to 17/18, not make all those stupid mistakes, then come back to the present and hope my life was exactly the same as it is now. :)
5. Are you a good liar?
Yes.
6. Do you judge someone when you can tell they've had elective cosmetic surgery?
Yes. I understand why people do it, but I think most of it is ridiculous.
7. If you have children, what's one thing that you always told yourself you'd never do when you had kids?
Same as the wife - spend half our disposable income on Cars-related items.
8. What's something that totally grosses you out?
Stuff like this - gives me the heeby-jeebees (sp?).
9. Do you ever delete forwards without reading them?
The better question is ... do I ever read forwards before deleting them?
10. Do you ever lie to get out of obligations?
Yes, I do. Sometimes a brother just needs a break.
11. Consider your body weight and your yearly income at their present states. Would you rather be 200 pounds heavier and $200,000 richer or stay at your present states?
Considering how much better I feel having lost 20 pounds, I'll take my present state, thanks. I can't imagine weighing 400+ lbs, no matter the weight of my bank account.
12. When was the last time you bought a pair of shoes and what were they?
I have a problem - I'm a dude who likes his shoes. I probably have 20 pairs of shoes (almost all Eccos) that I actually wear. I recently bought a nice-yet-casual pair of Eccos at an outlet mall just North of Naples, FL.
13. The Olympics. Take them or leave them?
Leave them, save the basketball tournament and a few of the sprinting events.
14. What's your favorite accent?
Definitely German.
15. What's your favorite scent?
My nose is defective, so I'm not particularly attracted to specific scents. But if you hold a gun to my head, I'll go with beef in the smoker. :)
16. Chewing gun or mints?
Mints. Andes mints, the dessert mints at Abuelo's, those sour ones in the tins you get at Target... doesn't matter.
17. If you could look like any celebrity, who would it be?
Jennifer Connelly. She rocks.
18. If you had the chance of looking like said celebrity in exchange for your thumbs would you do it?
It would take a lot more than a couple thumbs for me to look like Jennfier Connelly, I'm sure. But in any case, nah, I dig my thumbs. My thumbs are neat.
19. Do you religiously wear sun screen?
No, but I should. Hair is natural sunscreen, and I am severely lacking.
20. Do you generally trust people/their motives or doubt people/their motives?
I generally do not trust people unless I know them well. I'm a cynic.
21. Would you describe yourself as a complicated person or is what you see what you get?
I think I'm relatively complicated, but so are most people.
22. Do you watch what you eat?
I mostly watch what I drink. I drink soda, I get fat. I drink water, I get skinny. Fairly simple. And I avoid tofu at all costs - that stuff is nasty.
23. Do you watch what other people eat?
My kids, mostly - don't want them ending up like me. I wish I had my wife's food sensibilities - never eats too much, but will eat pretty much anything.
24. Do you judge how other people raise their kids?
Yes, I do. I think are too many ways to get out of parenting, namely television, day care, nannies, etc. I wish people would put their kids before themselves.
25. Do you judge people who dress poorly?
I hereby invoke the protections of the fifth amendment, assuming we still have a Bill of Rights by the time I hit "publish post". Seriously though, not really. It's more "teasing" than "judging". :)
26. Do you judge people who are homely?
No - some people just aren't attractive.
27. Do you judge people who are overweight?
No - I am too acutely aware of their (our) plight. They/I are/am addicted to something has outward physical consequences. Why can't I be addicted to coffee or cigarettes or something that is socially acceptable?
28. Your interest in politics: High, Medium-High, Medium, Medium-Low, Low, Obsolete?
High.
29. Favorite song of all time?
"A Change of Seasons", Dream Theater. It's 23 minutes long, so it has a little bit of everything. Great tunes, great lyrics, great musicianship.
30. Acoustic or electric?
Guitar and bass? Electric - more sonic possibilities. Everything else (piano, drums, orchestral instruments)? Acoustic.
31. If you were a hermit, would you shave?
Yes. Hair is annoying.
32. If you could shave your head without your significant other throwing a complete hissy, would you?
About three times a week, yeah. And she didn't throw a hissy; she was glad I ditched the buzz.
33. What was your least favorite age?
7th/8th grade was pretty awful. I was a jerk.
34. How many times a day do you check your email?
Very funny. I wish I was away from my email long enough to have to check it. My phone is pushed email as it arrives, so I am never disconnected. A blessing and a curse, for sure.
35. Are you in a tiff with anyone right now?
No - life is too short.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Déjà vu all over again
Most who know me well, and many who don't, are aware of my obvious love for the game of basketball. I love playing basketball, watching basketball (especially live), talking about basketball, and probably even talking about people watching other people playing basketball. It's easily my favorite sport, and has long been a significant part of my life in one way or another.
About seven years ago, I was playing a pickup game in a Scottsdale park on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in December. I had the ball, was driving to the basket from the left elbow, made a slick left-to-right crossover move, and made my way to the hoop. I juked my defender nearly out of his shorts, but the trouble is, I also juked three of my right ankle ligaments out of their structural integrity. I heard my ankle pop (as did a few other people), I collapsed in pain, my ankle blew up to the size of one of my grandmother's famed cantaloupes, and I was done for the day.
After reinjuring the darn thing about a dozen times over the next couple years, I went in for ligament repair surgery. After a few months of physical therapy, I finally felt confident enough to start playing basketball again. After a few more months of playing with a brace, I even felt good enough to play without it, and I was back in business.
So that brings us up to date, as of last Tuesday. That night I went to the church for our usual Tuesday night Elder's Quorum pickup game. The game went well, and I was happy to be in good enough shape (for the first time in a while) to sprint up and down the court the whole time without getting winded. Basketball is really the only exercise I thoroughly enjoy - the rest of it is just work for me. Anyway, with a few minutes left in the game, I came down on someone else's foot and sprained that bad ankle again. It wasn't too bad, and I was able to continue playing after a few minutes. I vowed to put the brace back on for all future hardcourt adventures.
So last night, I dutifully marched back to the church, right ankle firmly laced up in the brace, and started up another pickup game. Everything was as usual - I was driving to the left every time, I couldn't make a jumper to save my life, and my forays to the hoop were eerily reminiscent of a fullback bowling defenders over on the way to a touchdown. But then, on my descent from pulling down an offensive rebound, my left ankle landed on someone's foot.
Pop! Not a pleasant sound, nor feeling. I actually felt three distinct pops as I fell to the ground once more, instantly knowing what happened. I'm reasonably certain this is the exact same injury I suffered seven years ago. That sucks and all, but it's more frustrating than anything. I'm just trying to exercise, for crying out loud. Can't I just play a stupid basketball game without being maimed?
So I guess it's back to watching and talking, rather than playing the game I love. At least that's what I should do. I'm sure I'll talk myself back onto the court at some point, but I'll be sure to wear two ankle braces next time. And maybe a suit of armor.
About seven years ago, I was playing a pickup game in a Scottsdale park on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in December. I had the ball, was driving to the basket from the left elbow, made a slick left-to-right crossover move, and made my way to the hoop. I juked my defender nearly out of his shorts, but the trouble is, I also juked three of my right ankle ligaments out of their structural integrity. I heard my ankle pop (as did a few other people), I collapsed in pain, my ankle blew up to the size of one of my grandmother's famed cantaloupes, and I was done for the day.
After reinjuring the darn thing about a dozen times over the next couple years, I went in for ligament repair surgery. After a few months of physical therapy, I finally felt confident enough to start playing basketball again. After a few more months of playing with a brace, I even felt good enough to play without it, and I was back in business.
So that brings us up to date, as of last Tuesday. That night I went to the church for our usual Tuesday night Elder's Quorum pickup game. The game went well, and I was happy to be in good enough shape (for the first time in a while) to sprint up and down the court the whole time without getting winded. Basketball is really the only exercise I thoroughly enjoy - the rest of it is just work for me. Anyway, with a few minutes left in the game, I came down on someone else's foot and sprained that bad ankle again. It wasn't too bad, and I was able to continue playing after a few minutes. I vowed to put the brace back on for all future hardcourt adventures.
So last night, I dutifully marched back to the church, right ankle firmly laced up in the brace, and started up another pickup game. Everything was as usual - I was driving to the left every time, I couldn't make a jumper to save my life, and my forays to the hoop were eerily reminiscent of a fullback bowling defenders over on the way to a touchdown. But then, on my descent from pulling down an offensive rebound, my left ankle landed on someone's foot.
Pop! Not a pleasant sound, nor feeling. I actually felt three distinct pops as I fell to the ground once more, instantly knowing what happened. I'm reasonably certain this is the exact same injury I suffered seven years ago. That sucks and all, but it's more frustrating than anything. I'm just trying to exercise, for crying out loud. Can't I just play a stupid basketball game without being maimed?
So I guess it's back to watching and talking, rather than playing the game I love. At least that's what I should do. I'm sure I'll talk myself back onto the court at some point, but I'll be sure to wear two ankle braces next time. And maybe a suit of armor.
Monday, October 29, 2007
I did mention this would be periodic, right?
So I'm not the world's most prolific blogger. Sue me. Actually, don't - I can't afford the attorney fees. And I probably couldn't get the judge to throw the case out, if crap like this can find its way to trial. This is where the "periodic" part of the blog title saves my bacon, because hey, quarterly is periodic, right?
It's an exciting time to be alive in Dixon-land. My beloved Phoenix Suns are about to kick off their 4th Annual Heartbreak Tour, starring Steve Nash's back, Amare Stoudemire's knees, and Grant Hill's right ankle. My daughter Eve is on the verge of talking to me. My dad is kicking my (shrinking) backside in a de facto weight-loss contest. I just got the new Radiohead album ... you know, for free. My long-defunct band is back together and on the prowl for a singer, which could be my wife. I just bought a political t-shirt (and another). I sang as a hired gun with an Episcopalian choir at a ceremony in which they installed a new rector of the St. Mark's parish in Mesa - my first official paying gig as a musician. And I just helped my parents install a large hexagonal paver platform for their gazebo, which for some reason makes me want to get on my hands and knees for several dozen consecutive weekends to finally landscape my backyard after five years of home ownership.
How's that for an update? Maybe "periodic" should equal "quarterly" after all....
It's an exciting time to be alive in Dixon-land. My beloved Phoenix Suns are about to kick off their 4th Annual Heartbreak Tour, starring Steve Nash's back, Amare Stoudemire's knees, and Grant Hill's right ankle. My daughter Eve is on the verge of talking to me. My dad is kicking my (shrinking) backside in a de facto weight-loss contest. I just got the new Radiohead album ... you know, for free. My long-defunct band is back together and on the prowl for a singer, which could be my wife. I just bought a political t-shirt (and another). I sang as a hired gun with an Episcopalian choir at a ceremony in which they installed a new rector of the St. Mark's parish in Mesa - my first official paying gig as a musician. And I just helped my parents install a large hexagonal paver platform for their gazebo, which for some reason makes me want to get on my hands and knees for several dozen consecutive weekends to finally landscape my backyard after five years of home ownership.
How's that for an update? Maybe "periodic" should equal "quarterly" after all....
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