another game. another loss.

i went down to this afternoon's game and watched the raptors lose their 9th straight game to the celtics. toronto is becoming excruciatingly more painful to watch. the team is so injury-riddled that they have a bunch of 'scrubs' starting for them now. when they were announcing the starting five, people around us would ask, "who are these guys?" even when they kept it close, everyone knew that they would find a way to lose--a stupid turnover, an open-look miss or paul pierce scoring a clutch / impossible basket. the raptors couldn't even keep the fans happy by scoring the required 84 points for a free slice of pizza! ugh.

it's oscar night...

here are my oscar predictions for the big six:

best picture - lord of the rings
although i actually think lost in translation and mystic river are slightly better movies, i'm along with the thinking that the academy will reward peter jackson and co. for the trilogy as a whole. i thought that 'fellowship of the ring’ should have won back in 2002, but i think voters were just waiting until this year when the saga was complete since they knew the sequels would be coming out in consecutive years.
sleeper - lost in translation (maybe they'll fall in love with the 'it' movie of the year)

director - peter jackson
see above.
sleeper - sofia coppola

actor - bill murray
this is where an upset could happen. all along, most observers believed that murray and sean penn would fight it out. then out of nowhere, johnny depp wins the sag award, where you’re voted by your own peers. yeah, i thought that he was great and a scene-stealer, but there’s no way i think it was ‘oscar-worthy’. anyway, both performances by murray and penn were incredible, so i think it’s a toss-up. i’d like to see murray win for his subtle, understated humour, yet extremely compelling character.
sleeper - johnny depp (damn drag queens!)

actress - charlize theron
does anyone actually think any of the other girls have a chance?! she's won every single trophy during the awards season. next.
sleeper - no one

supporting actor - tim robbins
i’ve only seen two of the actors in this category, so i’m going on little. still, tim robbins was mesmerizing. he made his character into someone that you could despise and sympathize with at the same time.
sleeper - ken watanabe (maybe they’ll pick a foreigner!)

supporting actress - renee zelleweger
again, i’ve only seen half of the performances in this category. i actually don’t think zelleweger was that great. i think she stood out only because she was funny and the rest of the movie was pretty friggin’ boring. i also think they’re gonna give it to her ‘cause she should have won last year. the academy tends to do that—they realize they made a mistake the year before and then give the a make-up one for a lesser role the year after (e.g. russell crowe, nicole kidman).
sleeper - holly hunter (she was great as the freaked-out mom who had to watch her 13 year-old daughter mess up her life.)

other picks:
original screenplay – lost in translation
adapted screenplay – mystic river
animated feature – finding nemo
documentary – the fog of war
foreign film – the barbarian invasions (go canada!)

and let the backstabbing begin!

i thoroughly enjoyed last night’s episode of ‘survivor’. the first part of the show was kinda boring though. again, each tribe had to build something and, again, rupert, being the master builder that he thinks he is, believes he can lead his tribe to a win. and as expected, he designs the slowest raft and his tribe gets dissolved. (i didn’t really watch much of survivor: pearl islands, but i don’t understand why rupert is such a ‘fan-favourite’. i just find him to be a pompous / arrogant jackass!) at the immunity challenge, they play capture the flag on balance beams. we also get a ‘viewer discretion is advised’ message at right before the segment ‘cause we get to see richard ‘big fat gay naked guy’ hatch flaunt his manhood up against sue ‘trucker hag’ hawk. i dunno what the hell she was complaining about—she practically invited him over. anyway, colby & co. lose and it’s off to tribal council later that night. .

this is where ‘survivor’ is at its best. originally, they were gonna kick off ethan, then colby changes his mind and organizes a revolt against ‘king’ hatch. jerri doesn’t trust colby ‘cause she doesn’t want her ass to get kicked again and decides to let richard in on the plan. richard then tries to boot colby for turning on him. and of course, dragon lady and kathy just sit there and follow the rest of the crowd. so it's down to rich & colby, with both of them thinking that the other one is done. of course, at tribal council richard gets the wool pulled over his eyes and gets voted out 6-1. even mr. hatch himself is impressed that he got out-schemed this time around.

anyway, it's kinda too bad to see the original survivor go out so soon. yah, he's a cocky s.o.b., but he's the one who makes everyone else even more interesting. still, i'm glad i don't need to see any more nude fat guys! call it real drama or maybe just good editing, but hopefully there will be more episodes like this where everyone is totally playing each other.

these girls are rough!

just got back from another floor hockey game. we racked up our 1st official win (last week we won by default) by shutting out the other team 4-0. even one of our girls scored! the only reason we didn't really blow out the other team was 'cause their goalie was pretty spectacular. still, even though we won handily, we still have a problem of goal-sucks on the team. they just cherry-pick, play little or no 'D', and take extra-long shifts. luckily some of us actually come back and try to cover their asses!

i have to also say it was a pretty intense game. the league is supposed to be non-contact, but the girls were especially rough tonight. every time the ball went into the corner, this little asian girl would come barreling in and throw a hip check! she was kinda out of control and just throwing her body around to push us away from the ball. it started annoying me...=)...now here's the dilemma: as a guy, do i return the favour and starting pushing her back?! but what the heck, why should i be complaining about more physical contact with girls?! haha. j/k!

anyway, we went to celebrate afterwards by going for some wings / beer at duff's famous wings. pretty good place. the wings are huge and they have tons of flavours. i would definitely recommend it...

and so i digress...

God is good... Pt. 2

to follow up on what i wrote earlier this week, here are some things that i'm definitely grateful for:

family - for those of you who know my mom, my brother and I personally, you can understand that we're not the most communicative / expressive family. and we don't necessarily spend a lot of time together having 'family dinners' and such. however, i have come to appreciate the support they have always shown me throughout the years--school, work and just daily life. i still get home cooking, i am still able to live at home while i try to establish myself, and i can 'borrow' the car whenever i want. =) plus, i know there are probably a lot more little things that i don't notice that they do to care for me. i guess that's how our family is always gonna be--understated emotion...

life / health - it struck me the other day, when i was reading about the two women who died when their car was struck by the GO Train, that i am pretty lucky to be alive today. i realized how easy it is for one's life to be taken away from them just like that. what am i talking about? about three years ago, right before school started again in september, i was in a pretty serious car accident on hwy. 404. i was driving north near the steeles area, and for some reason i did not see (nor expect) a stalled car in the middle lane of the highway. by the time that i realized that it was not moving, it was already too late for me to change lanes. trying to stop from going at 110 km/h in a such short distance was pretty much impossible. i ended up rear-ending the car (with two passengers inside nonetheless) and totalled my own car. there are a bunch of reasons why i feel extremely fortunate: (1) i did not kill anyone, (2) i was not charged with anything and (3) i was able to walk away from the accident virtually unscathed. although i was pretty emotionally shaken up and freaked out, physcially i was ok. it really does amaze me that i escaped with nary a scratch. i believe that somehow God's hand was at work here and He kept me from suffering any worse.

my job - this time last year, i was going through a pretty tough time. since i wanted to do something a little more health-related, i had just decided to quit working at scotiabank. it was a risky step to take, but if i wanted to focus on looking for something new, i had to make a clean break. i struggled for 3 months and was getting pretty discouraged 'cause i wasn't get many responses. i applied for a summer student job at the MOHLTC (and it was the last year that i was eligible to apply) and i got hired for 7 weeks there. then my contract was extended through the rest of the summer. and after that i was offered a position to focus on a specific program. i've been working there ever since. my contract is actually ending again soon, but i was encouraged to hear from my manager today that they're looking to keep me on longer (and hopefully pay me better too!) especially in this time of transition. it's amazing to see that 'something' has developed out of 'nothing'--i've gained a lot of new experiences, learned some new skills and hopefully it will be a stepping stone to my next job.

long-time friendships - i've been blessed to be great friends with some people since high school and, even in one case, senior kindergarten. people like jeanne and frances have proved to be a great source of support for me through the years. we've grown up together and gone through similar challenges. i appreciate their efforts to encourage me (and keep me sane!) especially when i was struggling to find a job. there were times where i felt lonely / depressed, yet they always found the time to ask me how i was.

new friendships - distance with some other old 'friends' and the lack of depth with other friendships (i.e. we'd just hang out, but we'd never chat about anything meaningful) made me wonder whether i was hanging around the right people. but just as i was struggling with this, i've come to know some people quite well--like ebrian, fayjan, and tim--over the last little while. yes, i hang out with them by watching raptors games, playing softball or just enjoying a beer at a bar, but they've also been people who i've been able to have great conversations about pretty much anything--work, school, family, my joys, my frustrations and/or my struggles with God. i do believe that God has put them in my life for a reason.

anyway, i hate to get so sentimental and whatever, but i figured that i should elaborate to make what i said before mean something...

and so i digress...

God is good...

one more thing...

recently, we received an update from nicole regarding eric. eric is talking again and has now started on his long road to recovery. the next few weeks and months will require a lot of rehab: physiotherapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy. i thank God that Eric seems to be over the worst part of his illness.

today's service reminded me about how fortunate i am to have the things that i have. during worship, fred kao prayed for eric as he has to relearn a lot of skills again: walking, talking, eating, etc. he reminded us that even in this challenging time, we can learn to appreciate the basic / simple things in life that we often take for granted. it also tied in well with the today's sermon topic, "A God Who Provides". i often forget about the things that God has already given me. i am always expecting bigger and better things. i think i should spend some time this week appreciating the gifts and friends that God has given to me in my life. i need to trust that His provisions will always be enough for me.

and so i digress...

the weekend...

boy, this weekend was pretty unproductive. i spent a lot of time just catching up on sleep and clearing my mind. i'm feeling a lot better already. :) it was good to relax / veg and catch up on some t.v. shows that i recorded earlier in the week... "24"'s storylines are starting to get pretty ridiculous--the baby storyline is laughable--but at least Jack is killing people again. on the other hand, "survivor" was pretty standard fare, but it was disappointing to see rob c. go--smart guy with some pretty funny one-liners. i hope the 'twist' next week will be a good one.

anyway, i finally got out of the house on saturday night and dropped by marion / des's place. marion baked us some raspberry pie and bread pudding. i tried the pie and it was GREAT. really hit the spot. i have to say that marion is a fantastic baker. she's always making cookies, pies, biscottis, etc. maybe my mom and her should open a bakery together!

tgif...

i'm really glad the weekend is finally here. it's been a pretty long week and i've been just really exhausted lately. it's been a combination of things: work, trying to have some fun in between & just not getting enough sleep. i think i might be coming down with something too. i've been pretty dehydrated lately--maybe signs of a cold or the flu. ugh!

anyway, i've been a little worn out from work. honestly, i'm probably still not as overworked as some other people i know, but i'm starting to get pretty stressed especially since my supervisor's last day is coming up on monday. all the work is starting to trickle down to me. and basically it's gonna be me holding down the fort by myself. you see, my area is basically made up of three people. the manager, the consultant (my supervisor) and me. the manager signs off on the decisions, the consultant makes the recommendations, and i do the research / analysis to help the consultant make the recommendations. now that my supervisor is gone, i'm gonna have to take on some of her responsibilities, in addition to making sure the program runs as smoothly as possible in the interim. i'm not even sure what they've decided to do--whether to hire someone new. it's giving me a headache just to think about all this stuff. as i'm getting all this work passed along to me, i'm seeing a lot of 'loose-ends' that are not being tied up. i'm being expected to follow-up on them when she's gone. sometimes i look at the tasks that she's handing to me and i think to myself, "WTF?!?! shouldn't this have been done 3 months ago?" or "WTF?!?! how come there are pieces missing?" plus, it doesn't help that she's called in sick again the last two days. (what else is new? she's not even around to properly hand over the reins. ridiculous.)

in retrospect, i find the timing of the resignation 'peculiar'... although there's never really a good time to quit, she's leaving just as the end of the fiscal year is coming up where all the finances need to be put in order. and since it hasn't been completed yet, guess who gets the wonderful task of trying to do it? i know that 'family' was an excuse, but i'm starting to wonder whether she could handle the work or perhaps she decided to leave before her performance could be evaluated...another funny thing is that even though she's leaving, she's still trying to protect her ass. because i realize that some work has been lingering forever and need to addressed ASAP, i've tried to take the initiative in bringing them up with the manager to see how i should get them resolved. then i get reprimanded by my supervisor the other day because i had made a 'decision' without 'consulting' her first. bullsh*it. you know why she's upset? it's 'cause she didn't do the work in the first place and if i try to get the ball rolling, it makes her look bad. unbelievable. in the end it doesn't matter, i've got to start looking out for myself 'cause i need to perform as well...

after monday, i'll be somewhat relieved 'cause i'm getting a new 'start', but it's gonna be crazy too 'cause i'm gonna have a lot of extra sh*t to deal with now... i'm hope that i won't be overwhelmed though... i guess this next month or so is up to me to prove my worth...

and so i digress...

the boy who cried wolf...

There was a Shepherd Boy who tended his sheep at the foot of a mountain near a dark forest. It was lonely for him, so he devised a plan to get a little company. He rushed down towards the village calling out "Wolf, Wolf," and the villagers came out to meet him. This pleased the boy so much that a few days after he tried the same trick, and again the villagers came to his help. Shortly after this a Wolf actually did come out from the forest. The boy cried out "Wolf, Wolf," still louder than before. But this time the villagers, who had been fooled twice before, thought the boy was again lying, and nobody came to his aid. So the Wolf made a good meal off the boy's flock.

moral: A liar will not be believed, even when telling the truth.

i went to last night's game at the acc to watch the raptors take on the spurs. what an extremely BORING game. poor shooting, numerous turnovers, questionable refereeing and way too much milt pilacio and lamond murray. the raptors were actually leading the game heading into the 4th quarter, even managing without chris bosh who injured his ankle in the first half. then vince gets injured and, right then, ebrian and i knew that somehow the spurs were gonna pull this one out. of course, we were proven right!

when vince went down, it was truly an amazing sight. he had just taken a 3-pointer and then landed on someone's foot. he was rolling around, holding on to his ankle and probably screaming in pain. the play was still going on and everyone in the crowd (including the coach) was just yelling, "vince! get up!" finally, a timeout was called so the trainer could attend to vince. funny thing was all the other raptors just went back to the huddle. everyone's back was turned to him and kevin o'neill (the head coach) didn't even glance back. at the end of the timeout, jalen rose suddenly turns around and has this look of "oh yeah, vince is still there! maybe i should go see if he's ok." after 5-10 minutes, it was jerome 'bench warmer' moiso who helped vince to the dressing room. it was just as incredible to witness everyone's reaction in the arena. there was no buzz of concern, no gasp from the crowd. just silence. me and ebrian just looked at each other and chuckled…

now i have no doubt that when vince twists an ankle or pulls a quad, he's actually really in pain. and as we all found out today, vince was obviously not faking--he's probably out 2-4 weeks with a severely sprained ankle. however, i think everyone--the fans, the media, the refs, other players--is just tired of vince's act. plus, when he questions as to whether or not bruce bowen had purposely tried to hurt him, it’s comments like those that make him lose even more credibility as a ‘superstar’. even if there is some truth to what he said (‘cause bowen was actually playing him pretty rough), saying stuff like that only makes him look like a whiner. he exaggerates way too much and makes it look a lot worse than it is. if he actually played aggressively, stopped complaining, and played through some pain, he would earn the respect and, eventually, the calls. every time he takes a bump, he acts like he's been shot. every time he goes to the basket and gets hacked, he pleads with the refs for a foul (while the other team is scoring an easy bucket, of course!) every time he gets called out, he just says he wants to be one of the guys. the fact is: he's NOT. vince has these incredible skills and talent, the ability to out-jump anyone, and the knack to score in the clutch. however, his lack of leadership and toughness is causing everyone to start questioning whether or not he really is the 'franchise'.

don't get me wrong, i'm still a huge vince carter fan, but he'd better smarten up soon. otherwise, he's gonna get run out of town. toronto's basketball fans are pretty smart and knowledgeable (well, some of them, at least)--people are starting to see through the 'flash'. i hope KO's tough love act will have an effect on him. he needs to realize that he can't just rely on his God-given talents anymore. if vince truly believes that he can be as good as michael jordan, as he's once said, he's gotta work for it...

and so i digress...

keepin' an eye open...

one question that came up in a recent conversation was: "how supportive are we of each other as friends?"... this topic stems from incidents / observations of some people around me. in one instance, the person is becoming easily irritated / agitated all the time. something has changed. they used to be quite pleasant / friendly with everyone. nowadays, they are snarky with others and there seems to be a sense of bitterness. in another case, the person is often quite distant and seems to be withdrawing from others socially... i kinda wonder if there's anything wrong in either situation, but i'm hesitant to ask too many questions 'cause i don't want to push any wrong buttons or dig into something that really isn't my business...

a remark / response to these happenings was that, perhaps, nobody had simply asked them 'how are you?' or 'how can we help?'. these simple questions could have been an easy way to show others that they had support and they had people around them who could give a hand to whatever troubles they had. their loneliness or lack of support probably didn't help and only made matters get worse... i realize that this is so true. with everyone's busy / hectic schedules with work / school, it is very easy to forget about those who are lonely, struggling or in need. i have been guilty of doing that myself. we are frequently so concerned / focused on taking care of ourselves, we fail to remember to put stuff aside for a little while and see what others are up to...

however, i argue that the onus doesn't rest completely with the 'helper'. i would challenge that the responsibility rests partly with the 'struggler' to actually ask for help and / or share about what troubles them. i understand that pride is often a factor because people don't like showing themselves as vulnerable. but sometimes it's a matter of others just not knowing what's going on until they've heard from someone else or the situation has 'blown-up'...

anyway, my chat just made me think about how important it is to check in on those around you once in a while. even a simple 'hello' and showing a bit of concern can do wonders for someone who is distressed. still, if we are the ones who are struggling, we need to be able to look to our friends as a source of support and help. forget pride and shame...

and so i digress...

...sigh...

i'm definitely feeling a little vulnerable at work these days...

even though my supervisor is on the verge of leaving and i'm virtually the only one left administering the program, i just got news the other day from the manager that the funding for my position has been cut. so the agency that had hired me will no longer be paying me and, therefore, i got my 'two weeks notice'. thankfully, the branch where i'm actually working has decided to pick up the rest of my contract and pay me through, at least, march and april. still, it's not a lot of reassurance for me 'cause beyond that is a lot of uncertainty. i have no guarantees that my branch will have the funding to keep me on permanently. ever since the change in government--from PC to Liberal--there's been a hiring freeze and nobody really knows when it'll be lifted...

i realized today that if i have to go job hunting again, it won't be a slam dunk either... i applied for a job a couple months ago, and so i finally got a call a couple of weeks ago. today was my interview. man, i just wasn't prepared well enough. it was my first interview in a long while and i don't think i was 'interview mode' today. when i was actively pursuing a job and got a few interviews, the practice / experience definitely helped. each subsequent interview allowed me to get more comfortable and confident. today, those jitters came back. anyway, no excuses. i definitely should've prepared better. i don't think i did horrible, but i definitely didn't sweep anyone off their feet...

in any case, i still thank God that my job hasn't been cut altogether. i am very grateful that i have impressed and / or proved valuable enough where they've offered something... anyway, i just pray that God will continue opening doors for me...

and so i digress...

all good things start with food...

tonight, tim and i went to visit frances at her workplace. we decided to go surprise her for her birthday because she had to stay late tonight to answer phones and teach a class. anyway, we b(r)ought some sushi and sat in one of the offices munching away and catching up with one another. i have to say that i'm very grateful for their friendship. we try to get together every couple of weeks for dinner or drinks, and chat away about anything & everything--life, God, work, school, etc.

i also want to make special mention of "sushi bong". it's the japanese restaurant where i picked up the food. it was first recommended to me by mom and i regularly visit it now. it's owned by a nice korean couple who give great service. the food is yummy, the portions are huge and the value is great. even though it's a pretty small place, i enjoy going back 'cause they always make you feel welcome to their 'home'. if only all restaurants could be like that! :) anyway, if you're ever in the yonge & finch area, i would encourage you to look them up and give them a try. you won't regret it!

finally...a new episode of ALIAS!...

i guess with the golden globes, the super bowl, and the grammys on sundays the last few weeks, abc has avoided going head-to-head... i know the network must believe that these other 'special' programs are gonna outdraw them on those nights, but it must be also alienating all the fans who have to wait 3-4 weeks between episodes!

anyway, i'm enjoying the new direction they're taking with lauren. she's pretty conniving and cold-blooded. not just the useless wife anymore. plus, unlike her sham of a marriage with vaughn, she actually has some chemistry with sark... now there's actually a reason to love / hate her character. i used to hate lauren simply 'cause she was boring... a funny observation about lauren: when she's 'CIA good girl', she's all prim and proper like a schoolgirl, but when she's 'Covenant bad girl', she's an eyeliner-wearing vixen who likes sexy black lingerie... other hilites: marshall getting married while running an operation, quentin tarantino, more hidden secrets about sloane...

ugh, now with the oscars coming up and whatever else, it'll be 3 more weeks (mar.7) before a new episode again!

and so i digress...

Where is the love...the love, the love...

whenever i peer down the church bulletin and see harding's name, i can surely expect some something provocative / eye-opening. and sure enough, he didn't leave us disappointed this morning.

no, he did not lead us in another singing of the canadian national anthem... =)... this time, to make a point about the troubles / hurts that are happening in the world today, he recited (and subsequently starting rapping) the lyrics to the song "where is the love?" by the black eyed peas. this totally cracked up the whole congregation and one of the guys sitting by me was practically rolling on the ground... if you actually listen to or read the lyrics, they are pretty insightful and relate very well to his point... unfortunately, we were just laughing so hard that i think he lost the crowd...

anyway, i always have pretty mixed feelings whenever harding preaches. he is often a topic of our conversation afterwards. he is bold, brash and direct. he is not always very tactful. yet he always stands by his faith and conviction--i do admire him for that. a lot of us agree that he always challenges people with things that they don't want to hear, pushes the envelope and strikes chords that may offend. however after some thought and consideration and letting his words set in, it's often hard to disagree with anything he actually says...

still, there are times where i wish he displayed a little more tact in the way he expressed his views on various topics. no, it does not mean compromising one's faith to be politically correct. but i think we can be a little more sensitive, especially to those who may be attending the church for the first time. as a community church, i believe that we're expected to reach out to all people from different backgrounds, ethinicity, age, and lifestyles. sometimes, i think harding's preaching style can come across as heartless and unforgiving, condemning people for their past sins...

perhaps this is something that's too ambitious... i realize that it is definitely difficult to be a christian in today's world... scripture teaches you to believe in one thing, but the laws of the country say otherwise...

and so i digress...

st. v's with gorillaz, nocturnal and fayjan...

my last experience with a korean movie (Shiri) wasn't the most memorable one, so I wasn't thrilled when des tells us we've got to watch this movie called "My Sassy Girl" on dvd... after watching it, i have to say that i was pleasantly surprised. in a nutshell, it's a romantic comedy / melodrama about a guy who befriends a sad / troubled / sociopathic girl. he decides to take care of her because he feels he can help her. he falls in love with her even though she doesn't treat him well. and eventually she falls in love with him...and yada yada yada, it takes her 'til the end of the movie to realize it. the comedic bits were pretty funny and mixed in with some fairly heartfelt dramatic moments. a nice clever ending too.

anyway, i would recommend it if you can find it on dvd. it's definitely better than movies currently in theatres now, like "Win A Date with Tad Hamilton!"

kinda funny that i watched this movie on valentine's day with other single people... somewhat depressing, in fact... haha... but it made me think about how difficult love can be...reminded me of a verse (1 Cor 13:4-7) that sums up the theme of the movie pretty well:

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs...It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." (Read the whole passage here)

no matter how hard it may be, love requires us to give it unconditionally even if it means not expecting anything (including reciprocated love) in return...

and so i digress...

"The best use of life is love. The best expression of love is time. The best time to love is now."

- Rick Warren

check out the linescores from last night's game between the lakers and rockets...

Player	Min FG-A FT-A 3P-A Off Reb Ast St TO Blk PF Pts
Shaquille O'Neal	41  5-12 14-19 0-0  3   9   4   1  3  4   6  24
Yao Ming	37 10-21  9-11 0-0  3  11   1   0  2  1   5  29

Post Game Comments:

"I was very surprised how I was able to do. We kept moving the ball and moving our people on defense and Shaq couldn't catch up to it. We have to face a lot of Western Conference teams and this will be a big boost to our confidence." - Yao Ming

"He's a big guy and has a soft touch. I don't think he'll ever be able to play me one-on-one, ever, ever, ever." - Shaquille O'Neal

it makes me laugh when i see yao match up--and even outplay--shaq. if you get a chance to watch any of the highlights, yao doesn't back down and takes it to the 'big diesel'. he even took an elbow to the head as he dunked over shaq. sick!

although i admit that shaq is still the most dominant player--night in, night out--in the game, it amazes me the lack of respect he gives yao. when will he realize that once yao fully matures, bulks up and develops some attitude/aggression, NOBODY will be able to stop him.

shaq also comes out looking like a 'monkey' again when he makes silly comments about why he didn't get voted as a starter for the upcoming nba all-star game. he claims yao only won 'cause "where he's from, there are 2 trillion people." the fact is, o'neal received more electronic votes from fans around the world, while yao had the advantage in paper ballots available in the US and Canada. (shaq's home turf!) perhaps people voted for yao based on merit, or 'cause he's a 'freak', or maybe to support their asian countryman. however, i would counter that his increasing popularity with the fans is 'cause he's simply a 'breath of fresh air'. what do i mean? yao has always shown humility and respect for the league, the game, his opponents and the fans. he expresses gratitude for the opportunity to earn millions of dollars. i believe fans are just getting sick of players who complain about lack of playing time, get arrested for pot, charged with rape, etc.

and so i digress...

been helping out fayjan with the redesign of her blog...

i've been doing WAY TOO MUCH html coding the last two nights. i actually don't know that much, but i'm learning quite a lot as i go along. pretty cool.

hockey night in bessborough...

played another floor hockey game tonight...

we got schooled. final score: 8-2. our team rotates goalies and tonight the goalie didn't really have a blocker or a mitt. in the end, we couldn't blame the goalie for our loss 'cause we left him out there to dry on way too many occasions.

i don't mind losing a game, but how we lose bothers me. way too many 'goal sucks' who don't come back to play some D. we were still in the game right until the end, but other team puts us out of our misery in less than two minutes. so on one shift, two of our guys went -3 as the other team danced around us and scored a bunch. you'd figure that after getting scored upon twice in a shift, people would switch off to avoid further embarassment!

i know it's a recreational team and people aren't supposed to be very good. but i would still expect people to play as a team and help each other out.

and so i digress...

so i get pulled into an office by my supervisor this morning...i thought was gonna get reprimanded or something...then out comes the bombshell - she has chosen to resign from her position! so she's given her 'two weeks notice'...

thinking about it, it doesn't surprise me at all...she only worked 4 days a week (every friday off!!!) and she seemed to take quite a bit of time off in addition to that. she always mentioned that she valued family very much. i sympathized with her position and her desire to spend time with her family. however, i was also annoyed at the same time because i felt it hindered her as my supervisor. i never felt like she did her job properly as a manger, which was to provide me with the proper direction or instruction. she always seemed to leave me work that SHE should have been doing. and when i actually needed her help, she was not around to provide it. this actually put me in a difficult situation. i didn't want to always ask others questions because it made my supervisor look bad. and then when i tried to do some stuff on my own, i was chewed out for taking too much initative and doing things without her approval. on the other hand, since she was not around, i could not get the proper direction to complete tasks...and thus, i would look bad for not performing...

anyway, my supervisor's resignation first appeared to be a 'relief'...but then i realized that i would be the only person left running the program...so guess who gets dumped with all the crap? still, it could be a blessing in disguise. hopefully, i'll become more valuable to the branch...

and so i digress...

interesting developments @ work...A RESIGNATION!... more to come...

i think the reason why i've decided to start maintaining this blog is 'cause i've been getting pretty flustered lately...mainly from work, but sometimes with family too.

last week, while i was having lunch with an old friend that i hadn't seen in months, he made a comment that i was pretty negative about the happenings in my life. i seemed to focus on all the frustrations/challenges instead of appreciating the positives that were also happening. while there is definitely some truth in what he said, i do believe that i had reached a boiling point with various events and i was simply venting. then, later that week i ending up blowing up at a good friend over a somewhat petty insult.

those events made me think it might be therapeutic for me to put some of my thoughts down to avoid more of these misguided fits...

call it 'anger management 101' if you'd like...=)

it looks like after 3 years of hibernation, i'll start making use of this blog. =)