Dave’s Good Stuff

Those of you who know me personally may be a bit surprised by this, but I actually watched the Final Four game between the Memphis Tigers and the Kansas Jayhawks last night. In fact, I’ve watched most of the KU tournament games. What may surprise you even more is that I really enjoyed it. Last night’s game was dramatic and edge of the seat right up to the last few seconds. The GF and I went over to a friends house, grilled burgers and about 8 of us had a great time shouting and cheering and jumping around in the living room through the game.

I was impressed with Roy Williams’s showing, and thought Bill Self was a class act. I’ve never been part of the Roy Hating Club. In fact, I thought very little of the bar stool fans who hated him for leaving, yet never contributed a single thing to the school. I still think very little of them, in fact. I was impressed with the Kansas team, and thought they played an honest game and showed genuine good sportsmanship.

John Calipari and the Memphis team, on the other hand, disappointed me. They played rough, and in at least one case, rudely. I have no idea what it must feel like to lose after such a successful season, and in the last few seconds at that. It matters little, because it doesn’t excuse the irresponsibility he showed in his locker room interview after the game.

From http://ncaa.com/basketball-mens/article.aspx?id=185098:

Then, the capper, an off-balance, 18-foot shot off glass with the shot-clock buzzer sounding. Officials at first credited Rose with a 3, but went to the replay monitor and saw he was clearly inside the line.

“I don’t like this being able to go to the monitor,” Calipari said. “I’m going to try to get that changed.”

Cry me a river. Why didn’t he just go all the way and, amidst sniffles and huffs cry “It’s not fair! We should have won! Those meanie refs!” His player made a shot from inside the line, the refs mistakenly gave him 3pts for it, and on review, they realized their mistake and took it down to two points. I wonder if he would be crying foul had they given him two, and on review went back and gave him three.

Uh… let me think… No. He wouldn’t. There’s a word for that… it’s “hypocrite.”

Did Calipari complain that there was no call when Mario’s legs were swept out from under him on his first basket attempt of the game, sending him into the goal post? No. Did Calipari complain that there was no call when Dorsey slammed into Aldrich after a basket not once, but twice? No. After the fouls that should have been called on Memphis but weren’t, the refs did the Right Thing^TM by giving Memphis what it deserved. Two points. Not three.

The Kansas team, in contrast, at least on the court, was all class, and found a well deserved win a the end of a very hard game. Watching the footage of Mass St. on the news after the game actually had me wishing I were there. For a moment, anyway.

Bruce Schneier. I’m a fan.

He’s written (what I think is) a very insightful essay about the feeling vs the reality of security.

There is considerable value in separating out the two concepts: in explaining how the two are different, and understanding when we’re referring to one and when the other. There is value as well in recognizing when the two converge, understanding why they diverge, and knowing how they can be made to converge again.

Thanks to the new blog Veloquent (great name):

A Zen teacher saw five of his students returning from the market, riding their bicycles. When they arrived at the monastery and had dismounted, the teacher asked the students, “Why are you riding your bicycles?”

The first student replied, “The bicycle is carrying the sack of potatoes. I am glad that I do not have to carry them on my back!” The teacher praised the first student, “You are a smart boy! When you grow old, you will not walk hunched over like I do.”

The second student replied, “I love to watch the trees and fields pass by as I roll down the path!” The teacher commended the second student, “Your eyes are open, and you see the world.”

The third student replied, “When I ride my bicycle, I am content to chant nam myoho renge kyo.” The teacher gave praise to the third student, “Your mind will roll with the ease of a newly trued wheel.”

The fourth student replied, “Riding my bicycle, I live in harmony with all sentient beings.” The teacher was pleased, and said to the fourth student, “You are riding on the golden path of non-harming.”

The fifth student replied, “I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle.” The teacher sat at the feet of the fifth student and said,”I am your student!”

And since I’ve always been a fan of such stories, parables, koans, etc… I give you this to ponder.

There was once a monk who would carry a mirror where ever he went. A priest noticed this one day and thought to himself “This monk is so preoccupied with the way he looks that he has to carry that mirror all the time to admire himself. He should not worry so about the way he looks on the outside, it’s what’s inside that counts.” So the priest went up to the monk and asked “Why do you always carry that mirror?” thinking for sure this would prove his theory and the monk’s guilt.

The monk pulled the mirror from his bag and faced it at priest. Then he said “I use it in times of trouble. I look into it and it shows me the source of my problems as well as the solution to my problems.”

And finally, one of my all time favorites.

A monk and his novice were walking through the forest. They come to a stream, and on the bank there was a beautifully dressed woman, crying. The monks asked her what was the matter. “I am on my way to a wedding. I have to cross the stream to get there, but the bridge has been washed away. I was searching for a place to cross where I wouldn’t ruin the dress, but I can’t find one and if I don’t make it across soon, I will be late.”

Without a word, the elder monk scooped her into his arms, waded across the stream, and deposited her on the other side. Ignoring her thanks, he waded back and the two monks resume their walk. They continued on their journey, but the younger monk was agitated and obviously had something on his mind. The elder monk stopped and asked him what was the matter.

“Elder, I am confused. Our vows prohibit us from fleshly contact with women, yet you embraced that woman in your arms. How can this be?” The elder monk eyed his novice with kindly concern. “Novice,” he asked, “I left her on the bank of the stream. Why do you still carry her?”

I can’t explain it, but that one gets me every time.

Last night the GF called me out into the backyard. She was out rounding up the four legged members of the family. She put the puppies inside while I waited on the porch and told me to be as quiet as possible and just listen.

“Do you hear that?” she said.
“Hear what? I near nothing.”
“Listen… the soft rustling…”

I finally heard it. It was background noise. Input on the very periphery of my senses, until I finally zeroed in on it.

Earthworms! I didn’t go out into the yard and trample them, but there were a couple we could see right up close. From the sounds, there must have been hundreds of them!

I’ve never heard earthworms before. They pose no threat to me, so why would I notice them? They offer no direct benefit either, so they have, for over 30 years, completely escaped my attention unless they’ve found there way to a sidewalk or path.

I wonder what else has been under my feet all these years that I’ve been blind to.

I’m in Omaha right now to visit with the rest of the team. I have a window cube for the duration, and it’s absolutely pouring outside right now. In case you weren’t aware, I love the rain. The only times I don’t like it are when I really need to mow the grass, and when I’m riding. Other than that, when it’s raining, I’m happy.

Having a window seat during the storm (there was thunder), looking out on downtown Omaha is definitely “life is good” moment.

A few years ago, my identity was dopplegangered and used to purchase almost $10,000 worth of goods, none of which I ever saw personally. Unfortunately, this happened twice, once with each of two separate credit cards. Since then, I’ve made a conscious effort to protect myself… Read the rest of this entry »

It’s Friday, my last unemployed business day for (knock on wood) the rest of my life until retirement. I’m going to the regular Friday lunch at the Fox and the Hound at 11:30. After that, I’m going to take a friend’s bike to the bike store to have it worked on. Then I’ll be taking the dogs out to Lawrence so a friend can care for them while I’m out of town this weekend. Then it’s Bed Bath & Beyond for some random stuff. Finally, it’s three hours to Hermann, MO for a weekend of wine tasting and debauchery! THAT’s how I want to end my unemployment. :)

My bike is also in need of work. I gave it to a friend… an acquaintance actually who is extremely generous and nice. He wouldn’t accept any sort of compensation, he just loves working on bikes. He’s going to try to find out what’s wrong with it that it keeps creaking and popping with every pedal stroke. An absolutely fantastic fellow, he is.

The flaying my finger suffered on Monday when I started working on the bike is healing nicely. My hair dresser gave me a really cool band aid that’s heat sensitive somehow. It seals, even around knuckles, extremely nicely. I looked for them, but couldn’t find any.

All in all, this has been a really good week. Omar was in town, there’s been lots of good food, good drink, hanging with various friends and generally enjoying myself. Then it’ll be capped off with a weekend trip to Hermann, MO for a weekend of tasting wine!

It’s been raining steady now for three days. I love the rain. I really do. I love hard and fast thunderstorms with 120mph straight line winds and thunder and lightning that rattle the windows and doors nearly out of their holes. I love long slow rains that just go about their merry way steadily and without any sign of slowing, much less stopping. It’s relaxing to me… I find no small amount of comfort and serenity in the rain… I just need to get my deck built, and a covered swing so I can sit outside in it… all cool, with it’s wonderful smells.

When it does stop, I’m always a little disappointed. Were it not for the risk of flash floods, I’d be happy with it raining nearly all the time. Also, there’s the cycling. It’s tough to ride in the rain when I’m worried about washing out the bearings. Oh, and the dogs get really muddy in the back yard (but that’s a function of the yard, not the rain).

Aside from those three things, I really do love the rain… I’d be perfectly OK with it raining for the next three days… and then beyond that.

Two very well written and beautiful posts from a good friend of mine, for your reading pleasure.

I don’t get it
Behold the Jewel in the Lotus

It’s been quiet around here lately. I’ve moved the server to my new house, and haven’t set up all the access rules in the new firewall yet to allow for easy updates. I’m set for August 6th to have my shoulder looked at by an orthopedic surgeon. The quote to get the single-pane windows replaced in my house with double-pane windows was way too high. My new car is phenomenal, and the tinting looks great. Bills are piling up as I wait for new checks to arrive. I need to set up automatic payments on those that allow it.

It has been one hell of a year so far. Between looking for and then buying a house, moving into the new house, dealing with many little and big things that accompany a new house, the personal stresses that led to the new house, re-injuring my shoulder, wrecking my car and the 3 weeks of dealing with an insurance company that charges too much and helps out too little, missing out on a greatly desired trip to APA Nationals in Las Vegas for both 9-ball (not my fault) and 8-ball (mostly my fault), I think I’m due a weekend away. So, I’m going to take it. At noonish today I leave for the deeps of Missouri to enjoy a day of drinking and floating down a creek on a raft. I might row some.