Yeah...I'm LOST

Just watched the third hour of the final season of LOST, and yeah, nothing has been resolved yet. Instead, at the end of "What Kate Does" even more questions have popped up about what the hell is going on with this damn island and show. Theories will always fly through the internet, but it seems like it almost doesn't matter anymore. We will just have to wait till this season is over before we get the answers we would like. I guess I'll just use this post for random thoughts/questions/observations/theories up until this point

LA X parts 1 & 2

The first two hours were named LA X, with a space between the A and the X. Must be because we now have two timelines to follow [yipee! NOT], one in LA, one on the island, I guess we're calling that X, because it seems to always move like a variable.

Is it me, or did alternate-2004 Jack seem to have been aware that something was "different" when he was on Oceanic 815. The little conversation he had with Rose seemed like they both knew that they had gone through something.

Juliet first said it didn't work when Sawyer was able to get through all of the metal that somehow did not empale her. Then she seemed to have gone back/forward to another time in her subconscious talking about getting coffee and going dutch [much like Charlotte's death when she said she couldn't have chocolate minus the nosebleed]. And then was able to tell Miles [after she already died] that the bomb did in fact "work". Did her mind flash to the alternate 2004 timeline?

I liked Hurley as the leader for as long as it was. He always brings comedy to his role: "I travelled across the ocean, and like, through time"...haha

Wonderful, ANOTHER set of "Others", who now reside in a temple!

OHHH Kate stole Jack's pen on the plane...didn't catch that till watching the episode the 2nd time

Is alternate-2004 Sun going to leave Jin? Not that it matters to the story, but that's what her plans were before the crash anyways.

Unconscious people can't hold their breath...thanks for the lesson doc!

Why did they hold Sayid in the springs as long as the sand minute glass when Dogan only took a second to see if his hand would heal?

How did the springs "heal" Sayid if it didn't work for Dogan when he cut his hand?

Frogurt..YES!

Where is "home" for the Man in Black/Locke?

Didn't Ben once summon the Black Smoke Monster to kill off the mercenaries? How did he do that?

Quite a popular one, Is Sayid now the new Jacob like "Locke" is the new Man in Black? There would be one major inconsistency. The man in black did not need Locke's body to be him, he was able to become a separate entity. Whereas if Jacob became Sayid, he actually used Sayid's body

"Nothing's irreversible"? C'mon, Jack HAS to remember!

Richard was a slave on the Black Rock

Man in Black was disappointed with everyone on the beach "The Others"

Seriously, "in love" Sawyer is a little bitch

What Kate Does

Even in the alternate-2004 timeline, Kate and Claire have a special bond regarding Aaron. Even without the crash, they were somehow drawn to each other

The "tests" they run on Sayid appear to be testing to see if he is the MIB/smoke monster? The ash has proven to repel the smoke monster, the electric shock did also with the gate, did the searing hot poker also do the same?

What's with the poison pill? My guess is if Sayid was the MIB, then he would not die from it. If he was not, then they could resurrect him with the springs again?

Claire goes into "early labor" in alternate-2004 just like she did when she did when the crash occurred. It seems like some things will stay the same, just like the bond between her and Kate. So it appears some things may happen in the alternate timeline as they did in the original post-crash timeline. What other things may happen in both versions of the timeline?

Specs [as I will call him] said that they think Sayid is "infected". Is it like what Russo saw in her team before she had to off all of them? Then later Dogan says that Claire was also infected in that same way. How does one get infected? Maybe through the MIB? Claire could've been infected when he was Christian [if that's what happened]

Now that Claire can't give Aaron to the adopting parents, it is fate's way of telling her to not give up the baby?

Dr. Ethan? uh oh...that can't be good

Is Claire the new Russo? Cappin' guys left and right now!

Speaking of cappin' people, Justin needs to seriously cap Aldo!

Just waiting to register for the Chicago Marathon...

I'm not even running right now, and I feel like I'm going to puke. 11:46PM right now so I have 14 minutes before I make a decision that will change and own the rest of my year. I can't believe I am even considering this. I had a good last year of running right? Was able to run up to 9 miles within a few months when I really started pushing myself. I mean, I just have to TRIPLE that effort, right? Starting out this year of working out, I think I finally found some workout and some good resources [my cousin Joe and my friend Jeremy]. And it's amazing how helpful it is to just be on twitter and tweet with other much more experienced runners and see what kinds of tips they have with running. Also the support is simply AMAZING in this community! Of course I have my running friends who I go to often - CJ and Lisa [10 min now], and they totally have my back. Hundreds of thousands of people run in a marathon in a year, if not in an actual marathon, but on their own. There's a guy I am following on twitter who is trying to run 250 marathons this year! Just an amazing story! So what's my story? I don't have some crazy story about possibly never being able to ever walk again, or have the courage to run for someone who battled with a terminal disease. I am simply running for the ones I love. I have seen lives end too soon whether it was something that could be avoided or not, and time and time again, I wonder how much more life did that person have in them? How many experiences in their life were they supposed to have? What did they not get to accomplish? Whenever God says it is my time, I don't want people to think I did not live a full life [5 min left]. I want people to know I went when I was supposed to, and I did everything in my power to accomplish the goals I set. I am not a motivational speaker but I would love to be the person to tell everyone that they can. They can do whatever they want to in this life if they work hard and stay focused. And there is only one way to prove this theory. It is to show everyone that anything, is indeed possible. Years ago, I would have NEVER tried something like this because I thought I couldn't. Now I realize I never did it because I wouldn't. I thank you all in advance who will be supporting me throughout this year in this seemingly improbable goal...I promise you, I will do this for you. 3...2...1...

Sorry Conan! I let you down

The drama of the late night wars of NBC of 2010 finally has come to an end and Conan O'Brien will be leaving NBC and the Tonight Show on Friday, December 12. Over the past several years I watched Conan on the late show after Leno. Leno had his funny moments early in his career, but it just seemed so bland and repetitive over his 17 year career in the Tonight's Show slot. Conan was edgy and I connected more with his humor than I ever did with Jay's. It came to the point, I just started getting annoyed with Leno, and I could not wait till he was gone! Then 2004 came and it was announced that Conan would be taking over the Tonight Show in 2009. Excellent! Now I don't have to stay up as late to watch him at night! But the kicker is that we had to wait 5 years until the transition. Five years flew by, and all of a sudden, "Heeeeere's CONAN!" I discovered something about myself when he made the switch. I don't watch TV as much as I used to. For the first few weeks I made sure to either catch every episode live or on our DVR. Then I would miss one show, then two, then a week...you see where this is going. Then after his first 4 months, I removed the recording on our DVR. I just could not keep up with a new show everyday. Occasionally I would be up at night flipping through channels and watch a segment or interview on his show, but then change it back to the Lakers game or whatever west coast game was on that night. 2010 arrives, and then all of a sudden there is word that they are moving Leno back to 10:30? WTF? Oddly, I took exception to this move, even though I had not watched a full episode in a few months. And just as quickly as he arrived, he will be gone. Red "hair" and all. There are some rumors that have Conan going to Fox. That would be interesting, since Fox has The Office and The Simpsons in that timeslot, and of course the ever so popular TMZ *gag* I hope Conan finds a spot and crushes Leno. Anyways, I feel somewhat responsible for Conan's staggering ratings, so Conan...my bad, man! You were the funniest in NBC's lineup and wherever you end up, I promise I'll be a better fan! Good luck, Coco!

My team: The Chicago Bulls...sigh

I am in the middle of watching the Bulls lose another game to yet another sub-.500 team: the LA Clippers. It just frustrates me as a fan for many years that we have the same story almost every year. Beat teams that we shouldn't beat like the Spurs, the Cavs, and the Celtics, and even compete against the Lakers, but then play like absolute dog sh*t against some of the WORST teams in the league: the Kings, the Warriors, and tonight, the Clippers. Sadly, this problem will not go away until (and IF) the Bulls can get a solid player off the free agent market this coming summer. (Bulls officially just lost: 104-97) I went into this season with no expectations, and just like every other year, I was sucked into the hype of the team. They get a few solid wins, maybe beat an elite team, put together a winning streak, and now I'm drinking the kool-aid. Then all of a sudden, SPLAT! They fall flat on their face with no explanation to teams that have been struggling all year but can somehow find their niche against the Bulls. I think the truth is the team is also drinking the kool-aid. They actually think they are above some of these teams, so they don't have to play as hard, or execute plays or, I don't know, PLAY BASKETBALL. I do blame management for not putting together a team that can compete all year.

Watching Janero Pargo run the point guard vs the Warriors gave me flashbacks of a sh*tty Rick Brunson...that's right, I said it! We need someone who can actually run an offense in the event that Hinrich is out like he was in that game.

For years we've been in the need for a big man. Joakim Noah is doing work this year, in the top ranks of rebounding, which I appreciate. I will give credit for pulling Taj Gibson - a rookie with a solid game. He needs to stay out of foul trouble, but what rookie can? Tyrus...oh Tyrus. Please stop thinking you're a guard and GO TO THE BASKET! Maybe once or twice a game shoot a jumper, but all the rest of your points should be tip dunks, alley oops, and garbage points. Fight down there along with Joakim. How can you get rebounds when you're 20 feet out? Right, you can't! Get those boards! Brad Miller...man. I don't know how you can compete in the league being as slow as you are, but you sometimes can make it happen. Other times you are as slow as rocks and it physically hurts watching you play on the court.

Derrick Rose...it is YOUR team! Get that ball and own the game...you can do that whenever you want.

John Salmons, stay consistent! He's starting to find his game, but geez, it's halfway through the season. You should've had this in your back pocket already.

Luol...I gotta admit, Luol has been pretty good. Finally, after the year we were supposed to trade him for Pau Gasol, he is actually playing some good basketball. If he can stay healthy is a completely different story. James Johnson, remember you are a ROOKIE and you are NOT Lebron James. Stop trying to do everything when you get in. Run the play, set the screen, go to your spot...no need for a spin move or behind the back dribble on every drive. You might mess up your new jack fade!

Lindsey Hunter, join the coaching staff already so we can free up a roster spot.

sigh...I'm done ranting about this team. Fact is, this team is exactly who we thought they were [sorry Dennis Green]. A team with a split personality, and I believe there is only one cure for this issue. A superstar. I don't know WHO would want to come to the Bulls and why, but if we can make a move on one of these big names, we might stand a chance. If not, get used to the mediocrity, because he's here to stay!

Ah Ebay...haven't seen you in a while, old friend!

Tonight I decided to try and sell my Ray Lewis Reebok patch on Ebay:

BID NOW!

Feels just like 2006 when I was so into buying selling cards on Ebay. I still have a boatload of random jersey and autograph cards over the past couple of years. And as you can guess it is because I have all of these crap cards is why I decided to stop. In the years that I was heavily collecting, I easily spent several thousands of dollars on opening boxes and getting singles for my collection. I still have a good portion of my Bulls collection, but I spent a lot on the Bulls players around those years, like Ben Gordon, Tyrus Thomas, and Thabo Sefolosha...oops! And on top of that, I kept buying boxes on top of boxes trying to get that awesome card like a Michael Jordan autograph. Never happened! Since then I have greatly decreased my box buying budget. To maybe once every couple of months. The only real nice pull of someone of relevance was this break:



Pretty nice right? Anyways back to the topic at hand: Ebay. It's good to know that my old friend is still here, just waiting for me to either buy something or sell something. Unfortunately Ebay is not always a safe place to buy if you are a collector. You always should be educated on what you are buying, because you might be buying a fake. Of course you don't have to worry about it with me! Too many people have been ripped off one way or another so it is important to ask questions on forums or on ebay itself.

The fun part about Ebay whether selling or buying are those last few seconds before the auction is over. Of course on the selling side, you just want all the "snipes" to come in and bump up the sell price one bid at a time. On the buying side you just want to have the item so you wait and wait until the VERY LAST second to put in your bid. Hoping that your bid is high enough to win the item. When you win one...it is quite exciting. I know it sounds geeky, but anyone who has won an item on Ebay can attest to this feeling!

So the auction is up, and I will check it pretty much whenever I can to see if anyone viewed it, if anyone is watching it, and of course, if anyone has bid on it. Of course in my hay-day I would have a dozen items up on Ebay. Because that is all I did. Now, one at a time is enough excitement for me. Now, I wait...

Happy Birthday Mom!

Hey Mom! Happy Birthday! I know you don't have any idea what a blog is, but maybe one of your friends will stumble upon this and see it and tell you. We have been so blessed to have such a patient, understanding, caring, and passionate mother all of these years. And just like you have been a wonderful mother, you have been an equally great grandmother to the kids. I know I may seem frustrated when you ask me to how to change the TV to the video source for your cable, or ask that I change your alarm clock over and over again for the past 30 years. But the fact of the matter is, I do love doing these things for you. It is what makes our relationship strong. Not those specific actions/tasks, but I will always respect you for bringing up 4 boys after Pa passed away. I think I speak for the four Jao boys when I say that we love you for bringing us up into the men that we are today. And we thank you for always sticking by us through thick and thin. As a mother, I'm sure it was hard to see some of the things we went through, especially me because I was (am) such a brat (yeah, I admit it). You were always more than the famous eclair that you make that all of our friends LOVE, and even more than the strength you showed all of us during our hardest times...you are simply the definition of family...of a mother...of my inspiration. Thank you mom for being you. I love you.

P.S. Just hold down the "Alarm" button while pressing the Min+ button until you get to the time you want to wake up. Make sure the red light is next to either PM or AM, whichever one you want. I know these directions won't stick..just thought I'd try!

Geekin

I so have to get this shirt!

For those who don't know what this is about, enjoy:


Big Bang Theory rules!! 'nuff said! :)

The two best Bulls games I have attended

I decided that the Bulls vs Pistons game on 1/11/10 was the 2nd best game I have ever attended for a VERY different reason my number one is number one. So I must first tell the story of the absolute best Bulls game I have attended.

The #1 game that I have ever been to was the championship clinching game in the 1992 NBA Finals. I went with my oldest brother Tony, who ironically knows the least about basketball [love ya bro!] The Bulls were down 15 points going into the 4th quarter. I specifically remember my brother asking me if I wanted to leave already [probably to beat traffic]. Being only 13 years old and only getting to go to one maybe two Bulls games a year, of course I wanted to stay. And a good thing we did. Phil Jackson put in his reserves and Scottie Pippen. The bench proceeded to cut into the lead within 4 minutes. Portland turned the ball over and over early in the 4th. By the 9 minute mark, the Bulls cut the lead to 3, and then they brought in Jordan. I think you probably know how that one ends. Here are a couple videos of that comeback:





Here is a picture from that game as well as the ticket stub that I still have to this day:




So obviously the #1 game was due to the championship that was won while I was there, the basketball aspect of the game. As I said earlier, the #1 and #2 games are quite different!

The #2 game just happened this past Monday at the United Center. The Pistons were coming in with a 12 game losing streak, and the Bulls were 15-19, seemed like just the usual regular season game. Not this time!

Yeah the Bulls won by 32 points and Ben Gordon didn't get to have his "revenge" against his old team [mainly because he got injured]. But besides all of that basketball stuff that was going on, I got an opportunity to participate in the Air Guitar contest. Now I know as a concept, air guitaring is just silly. But I get to "perform" for a sold NBA arena? Yeah, I'll do whatever it takes to do that. If you know me you know I like to perform. So lo and behold, the video...



Thanks Tracy for the video!

After my win, my 30 minutes of fame started. I did not even think that this would happen or that anyone would even remember me. As I walked thru the United Center I was getting high fives from strangers and whispering all around me. Now I knew it was just for the rest of the game, so I just enjoyed it. Thanked anyone who said hi or "CONGRATULATIONS!" or "HEY THE AIR GUITAR GUY!"...haha, it was real silly, but also super fun.

And to add icing on this awesome cake, Marlon got a hook-up and we were able to get access to ANYWHERE in the United Center. We didn't get courtside seating, but we got to sit right next to the tunnel. I could absolutely get used to that view. Now I just need to figure out how to win the lotto or invent something to pay for season tickets for the courtside seats. Who wants in?

9 months and counting...

NO! It's not what you are thinking! haha

Of course I am talking about the Chicago Marathon that will be on October 10th of this year. That's right, it is on 10/10/10. Now the furthest I've actually run in an organized race is 10K. I was training for the 15K and actually got up to the distance, but then if you remember, I got the H1N1 flu...which SUCKED!! I've signed up for some races already to get me started out of the gate when it gets "warmer" this March. Here are the races I plan on running to get me ready for my ridiculous goal for 2010:

Shamrock Shuffle 8K - March 27 [registered]

Soldier Field 10mi - May 29 [registered]

North Shore Half Marathon - June 13 [not registered yet]

I hope writing and blogging about it will actually make me be more accountable this time around. Last year my goal was a 1/2 marathon, and I never got it done. I did make some good strides to get there for this year.

Being that it is 9 months away, today on 1/10 I decided I had to start liking the treadmill. In my copy of Runner's World this week it was talking about what kinds of different workouts you could do on the treadmill. Speed, tempo, random, and of course hill workouts. Of course I went after the most difficult and tackled the hill workout. Here's what the magazine said to do:

Try one minute runs up a 4% incline with two minutes of slow, flat jogging between. Build up to 10 repeats at 6% incline

Instead of two minutes I only jogged for 1 minute, because I forgot and I kept it at 4% the whole time since I wasn't sure if it meant that I should end this particular session at 6% or gradually work towards 6% in the next few hill workouts. It wasn't terrible, although I thought for sure I was gonna give up after only 5 intervals. Luckily with the Cardinals/Packers game on [Sorry Coop] I was able to get through it all. It didn't feel as bad as when I ran in the bay area a couple weeks ago. I didn't go up and down those CRAZY hills in San Francisco, just the ones I like to call the "beginner" hills in the outskirts of the city.

Me after running the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco

So there you go, 1 step [actually over 13,000 steps according to my pedometer] closer to training for a marathon. I don't know what struggles lay ahead of me, but I knew I better start now, because before you know it, October will be here as quickly as 2009 left.

Random picture from our SF trip

While we were playing scrabble with Eric and Jessica. I love our camera

Trying out a new Mac app for Blogging

I am using MarsEdit for this one. Instead of a WYSIWYG editor, there is a real-time preview that you can look at as you are typing. I was testing with Qumana for the past couple of days. It seems ok, but there it seems awfully buggy. Probably will be uninstalling that one soon. By the way, aren't these space jams SICK?!?

Information overload

There are so many things in my head and I just can't seem to keep them straight sometimes.  I'm sitting here floating through internet space on Facebook, Twitter, HobbyKings, Ebay, Email, Google Reader, while listening to my new You Tube favorite singer: Melissa Polinar.  It just feels like information overload, almost to the point where I can't get my thoughts straight.  I'm not trying to be profound or anything like that...I just feel stuck.  You ever have that feeling?

Time is making me think

Once again, I have let this blog lead to a cold trail and finally die. But I'm here once again to revive it! So what's up with me...

My 30th birthday is around the corner. I booked the venue for my "extravaganza" as Abby would call it and I'm finalizing some details for it. I honestly don't know how I feel about hitting the big 3-0. I was talking to some of my co-workers about it today, and I think about the party, and I'm excited, but what does turning 30 really mean? Does that mean I cannot wear my basketball jerseys out without being judged? So am I officially an adult then? I guess that is ok. I'm kind of eased into that idea as is. Of course I don't have a child yet, but I have many friends that do now, so I can observe from the outside for now. I'm a pretty scared of that idea, but I definitely do want to have children. When? I don't know yet. I know I am scared [vulnerable moment coming up] of what happened with me and my dad and how he died before he could see me really grow up. Of course if he didn't pass away when I was younger, I probably wouldn't have grown up as fast. So now, I just want to have kids already. Is it just the pressure of hitting 30 that is making me think like this? I don't know. I do know whenever it does happen I will be very very happy. But there are some things that have to get done first, like Jaz getting her driving license and maybe even us moving to a house, or maybe a new job? Hah...I guess I am already an adult.

While I'm at it, I might as well go into what I posted today on Facebook: "The difficult thing is not becoming happy, the difficult thing is STAYING happy. What did you do today to stay happy?" Now this was not a direct message to anyone or anything going on in my life, but it was just something I was thinking about. It's just like working out. Sometimes losing weight is not the hard part...it's keeping it off that is more difficult. So everyday, I will see what I did to keep myself happy. I've got a good life, a good job, a great family, a wonderful wife, and the most loyal friends a guy can ask for. So one of the things that will keep me happy is to keep them happy. Today, I made sure everyone I could contact knew about the free gyro deal at a lot of restaurants in the Chicagoland area. Now I didn't actually go myself, but I hope everyone that I reached on twitter and Facebook went and enjoyed!

OK...off to bed for the night. Need to run tomorrow morning...need sleepy!

Can't wait for the 5k on Sunday! I hope I beat my old time of 35:08!

blogging from my blackberry

Does this actially work? It could be cool if I can somehow use this like a tweet or facebook status update on my site...oh right, an update to my site would be nice. I don't even have a picture of little Annie yet on here...for shame!

Random thoughts: Stimulus, Trades, and Books

I don't pretend to be a political person so I guess this post is my first shot at understanding it all. I watched the President's nationally televised news conference. I have watched our previous president's addresses and honestly cringed at every word he uttered. With President Obama, it honestly seems that he knows what he is talking about. So let's move onto this stimulus package we have been hearing about so much.

President Obama is pushing for a bill that would cost $800 billion that will supposedly surge the US economy. He stated in his address tonight that doing nothing is not the answer and we must act swiftly and aggressively. And if we didn't, this economic crisis will end up being a catastrophe. Now, these are all words that would scare the commoner [like myself], and I would normally say "Well, what are we waiting for? Hand out that cash!" Obviously last year's stimulus package did not do well for the economy, so in order for this one to work it has to be vastly different from last years. I believe this package will put more money into the middle class than to the wealthy [where last year's package was geared for?]. But one huge difference between Bush's package last year and this year's package is the amount Bush - $170 billion compared to Obama's $800 billion. What worries me is if this does not work, will this just cripple the economy THAT much more? Republicans and Democrats, school me on this.

Alright, onto something I know a little more about. Amar'e Stoudamire to the Bulls? Why not? Sure it's just speculation at this point and honestly just fun to talk about, so let's talk about it. There were a couple of different scenarios, but most deal with Tyrus Thomas since he has been playing well as of late. It's no secret that the Suns lack any type of defense whether perimeter or inside, so the long reach and spring of Tyrus Thomas would be a great asset for them. Would they get any further in the playoffs? I'm not so sure about that. Amar'e is a much bigger offensive threat compared to Tyrus because he is such a bigger presence down low. He can use brute force to get his points where Tyrus needs an opening or an alley oop. Tyrus can't even post up Earl Boykins where Amar'e will dunk [or at least try] to dunk on your entire family. I am sure any deal that the Bulls make would have to involve Drew Gooden or Larry Hughes. I think money contract-wise this would make sense because I think Tyrus is on his rookie contract with his option exercised so we would need to give up another contract closer to $11 million or so. With Gooden looking to finish his contract this season with around $7 million, he would fit in well with maybe a Joakim Noah. So yes, there goes pretty much all of our "big men" but what would you really be losing? I am tired of waiting for our draft picks to figure things out, with the exception of Derrick Rose. We need to also clear up that logjam at the guard position: Rose, Gordon, Hinrich, Sefolosha, Hughes, and Hunter. We can deal pretty much anyone but Rose. Gordon once again showed why he is no better than a 6th man when he turned over the ball twice in two important possessions at the end of regulation against Dallas. He is not your go-to guy. He is best when a play is designed for him to be wide open, and unfortunately, with the new coach, those plays do not exist. It will be hard to trade him because he can say no to a trade in his last year of his contract. Hinrich probably carries the most value of the tradable guards. I think his defense is overrated, it just looks good on this team where no guard can play D. He is a hard worker and will do well on any team...who needs him? Thabo is actually pretty good at defense. With his length it is easy for him to get in the passing lanes and distract an offensive player. Remember how he did against D-Wade in the 2007 playoffs? Shut him down! Thabo just needs to be given a chance. So I guess what I'm trying to say is...PLEASE MAKE A MOVE, PAX!!

Jaz has been reading a lot lately with her Twilight books and some books she has borrowed from her co-workers. So I decided to take up reading again. The last book I read was the last Harry Potter book. I got this book "Anything Goes" by Madison Smartt Bell quite sometime ago and have never gotten through it. I probably only got 50 pages in during the four times I tried. So I am going to finish this one this time! I'll write a review when I actually finish it THIS time!

Panini takes over the basketball card hobby

Well it was announced sometime last week that the company Panini will be the exclusive trading card company of the NBA. I've had some time to think about this and I am still not sure what I think about this news.

I grew up with companies like Upper Deck and Topps, and each year you knew what to expect. I'm more interested in the "mid-level" products like Topps Chrome and SP Authentic. I love the superfractors that comes out of Topps and the on-card autographs that SP Authentic gives you. But starting next year all that is gone. Of course the higher end products like Exquisite are great to ooh and awe at but $500 for a 5 card pack...what the hell are people thinking? That is when this hobby became way out of hand. I love the idea of possibly pulling a Michael Jordan/Lebron James dual logoman autograph 1/1...but to bust through cases of this stuff to try and get it? Wow. You can get a house, or a couple of houses with that money. Now everyone is obviously welcome to spend their money how they see fit, but it simply amazes me that people have that kind of coin just laying around. After selling a whole bunch of cards I finally had enough to get just ONE case. And dude, that was scary! Haha. Would I do it again? I don't know. I like paying off bills a little more than a nice rookie autograph of Marco Bellineli [true story].

Now what didn't I like about these companies? I think they were just lazy! Products starting looking a lot like each other so there was no effort from a design perspective from year to year. Maybe they needed to maintain a certain "look" so you knew which was Topps and which was Upper Deck, but it's like they didn't even try. And customer service...WHOA! I have heard so many horror stories on HobbyKings dealing with the customer service representatives from both companies. Simply terrible! And of course redemptions. Why would you release a product if it did not contain all of the items that you used to market it? It's like buying a car and then finding out that it didn't have seats because the company wasn't quite ready. Now I know that players have very busy lives and such, but don't these companies have contracts with these players? Aren't they obliged by a binding contract that they need to sign these cards? It just drives collectors crazy when they see that thick white cardboard or with small printing on it. And now what of these redemptions? Now that Upper Deck and Topps won't be producing cards starting next year, are they just going to not care? Initial signs are starting to say "No they don't". In THIS LINK a guy had a redemption for a card that probably booked around $1k, and got three cards probably booked together at $500. It's the shape of things to come.

Now Panini...what can they bring new to the hobby? It sounds like they are looking to get more into the retail business, like Target and Walmart and stores like that. So what happens to all the Hobby exclusives? What happens to the players that have exclusive contracts with Upper Deck or Topps? Will those rights be sold to Panini? I'm assuming Panini is going to want to make some money, and to make money, you need player like Kobe or Lebron or Garnett or of course Jordan on your side. Unfortunately, it sounds like there will still be sticker autographs on new products...already off to a bad start. Apparently they have a good presence overseas, so I guess the NBA is more interested in expanding their market than pleasing their fans in the US. It was a business decision, and the NBA could honestly care less about products like Exquisite and Triple Threads. One good thing that I think will come out of this is that kids can now come back to the hobby. I remember how happy I was to complete a set back when I was 10. Even a basic Exquisite base set [with no autographs] is too expensive for the common junior high kid. So it will be nice to have them back enjoying the hobby.

Panini's got a long road ahead of them. Assuming that their bid was way higher than that of Upper Deck or Topps without having any of the big names nailed down under contract, I don't know how they will be making money. The quality of these cards better be amazing in order for them to not become the biggest joke in the sports card collecting hobby. Good luck Panini...you'll need it!

Bulls playing well?

Don't let them fool you. Sure they have won 4 out of their last 5 games. But 2 of those games were against two of the league's worst - the Clippers and the Kings. And one of them were a Chris Paul-less Hornets team. Alright, the Suns win was legit and they just outplayed them. I will admit, I have been enjoying watching the Bulls during this stretch. They are moving the ball so much better and they are getting the ball to their big men for some high flying dunks. The team still looks so much better when Derrick Rose is on the court. Kirk's return has helped greatly, since Rose doesn't have to think to do it all on his own. With players like Tyrus and Luol finally figuring out how to play with Rose, there may be better days for this Bulls team. Who knows if they will actually be part of the puzzle at the end of it all, but they can contribute in "other" ways - i.e. as trade bait. It seems that if something has clicked with the team. I'm sure it is no coincidence that they started playing well after Bulls Chariman Jerry Reinsdorf called the organization a "disaster". Looks like the Bulls listened. If they will continue to play this way, they have got a chance at the playoffs - as sad as that sounds. But let's remember the trade deadline is approaching quickly. Will the Bulls pull the trigger on a trade? Hughes for Simmons? Hinrich, Nocioni, and Tyrus for Monta and Maggette? Go after Brand? If Paxson can let go of his love for the guys he stands a chance at saving his job, and rebuilding [again] a new team. With guys like Kobe and Lebron dropping 61 and 52 at MSG, it just shows how far the Bulls really are from being a competitor in the league. If they want to be in the race for the 2010 free agent market, it's time to clear some space. Can you imagine having just one of those big players and Derrick Rose on the same team? Wade? Bosh? Stoudamire? Damn...the possibilities. The Bulls can be fun to watch the rest of the year, but don't expect anything huge from them, like winning a playoff series. So watch them like you watched them in 2002. It's fun to watch basketball for basketball, cheer for your team, but be realistic. They are not the Bulls of old

Nothing

We didn't do anything today. It was a lazy Sunday, and just stayed home pretty much all day watching movies and TV. Didn't clean up like we wanted to. If I wasn't sick, we probably would have gone to my two games this week. But man, being sick sucks!! I can't do anything I want to. I actually miss working out and running and playing ball right now. If I want to hit my 50lbs of weight loss this year, I'm going to need to get started early!

Off to bed...maybe.

Holidays = Family

With winter officially arriving today in full force, it's time to warm up next to your families in the form of parties and dinners and in our case, family pictures. For years I have been wanting to get some pictures with the family, so finally this year I set it up that we were able to get it done. We went to Portrait Innovations in Glenview. My biggest worry was the kids and how they would do with the pictures in the studio. As expected, both girls had a meltdown almost exactly when we started taking pictures. The boys did well and the whole time Daniel was trying not to laugh, so of course I tried making him laugh the entire time. It was a great day. Jaz, mom, and I stuck around the studio for the pictures to print out. Just went to a Starbucks down the street and came back. We picked them up and brought them back to her house. When we laid them all out, it seemed like she was going to cry. I guess I never thought about how it would effect her. She brought up the fact that it had been 18 years since the last time we took a professional family picture, and obviously the first one since my dad passed away in '97. She looked at the pictures for what seemed like hours. I am so glad she enjoyed the pictures the way she did. She just kept saying "This is my family!" almost making me cry everytime. She just had so much pride in it. So I guess this year, this picture is what defined the family. I'm sure we will look at this same picture in 10 years and just laugh at how small the kids were, or comment on how young we looked. For now, it will be a captured moment of time of my beautiful family.

Right now we are in San Francisco dodging the bitter cold winter in Chicago and more importantly, spending time with Jazmine's family. No portrait pictures here, just good times with her family. Sometimes I feel bad that we are able to spend so much time with my family and pretty much no time with hers. So it is important for us to come back to San Francisco so she can reconnect with her family. Sure I miss my family, but I know she misses hers a majority of the year. Plus, her godson is turning one this year so she definitely had to be here for that! Pictures will be up in the next week or so!