This is a cover of one of my favorite Blink-182 songs by my two best friends. The singing isn't great, but their guitars are pretty sick! Check it out!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Some Things Never Change
Alright, I know I am a senior in college, but going to Disneyland is still really fun. I went there last weekend with my friends and had an absolute blast! I grew up in Southern California so I have been going to Disneyland for many years. The place doesn’t get old at all…at least not to me.
I can safely say that some of my most prized memories growing up occurred at Disneyland. I have gone there every year on Christmas Day with my family since I can remember. I went there during my Grad Night when I graduated from high school a few years ago. I could go on about my Disneyland memories for days.
The fact that I still love going to Disneyland with my family and friends has made me realize that certain things don’t seem to change as people get older. Some things manage to stay the same even through the course of the years.
Playing video games is another example of this. Most of my friends still love playing video games long after childhood. Video games are still fun and entertaining to me even though I have many more things going on in my life as an adult than I did as a child.
What other things do people enjoy no matter what stage they are in their lives?
Monday, April 25, 2011
Will the Grizzlies Pull an Upset?
I do not think anyone expected the San Antonio Spurs to be down 2 games to 1 against the Memphis Grizzlies in their first round series. The Spurs are the number one seed in the West. Pretty much everyone expected the Spurs to sweep this series pretty easily. The Grizzlies have struggled for many years. They have never won an NBA championship, and their success in the playoffs has always been nonexistent.
The Spurs were clearly the favorites when the series started. The Spurs are led by superstars like Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli, and 2-time MVP Tim Duncan. They played great basketball throughout the season. Most experts predicted that the Spurs or the Lakers would win the Western Conference.
The Grizzlies faced very different odds when the playoffs started. They came in as the 8th seed. Nobody really gave them the slightest chance to win.
The series is still far from over. However, the Grizzlies are putting up an incredible fight, and they are currently in the driver’s seat of the series. The Spurs will have to prove that they still have the heart of a champion. They will have to prove that they are not “washed up” or “too old” to win another title.
Although the Grizzlies have still not won the series, the fact that they are currently winning has made me think of how incredible upsets in sports really are. I honestly love the underdogs; I think most of America does as well. Why is this? Why do we cheer for those who appear to have no chance? Is it because we can all relate to being in a similar position? Whatever it is, America loves an upset. It sounds like a cliché, but I think it really is true.
The Bulls May Win Again
The Chicago Bulls are the top seed in the East during these playoffs. Sounds strange, doesn’t it? It kind of is. The Bulls have not been in this position since 1998 when Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Phil Jackson were still leading the franchise. But, the Bulls are back on top- at least for now. Led by superstar Derek Rose, the Bulls have once again managed to have the best record in the Eastern Conference.
The interesting part of this story is that this used to be a customary position for the Bulls just a few years ago. Jordan’s Bulls were by far the best NBA team of the 1990s. I do not really think any basketball fan can dispute this statement. The Bulls won six championships during this decade. They were the top seed in the East for almost every single one of those years. In the 1995-1996 season, the Bulls achieved a 72-10 record (the best of any other NBA team in history).
However, the franchise struggled greatly after Jordan, Pippen, and Jackson left in 1998. Until this year, the Bulls almost never made the playoffs. When they did, they lost in the early rounds.
Nevertheless, there is something different about this team this season. It seems like its players have magically remembered how to win; it seems like the Bulls want to re live their glory years. Derek Rose seems like a man possessed by the ghost of Michael Jordan. He appears determined to bring a title back to the windy city.
This feat, however, will not come easy by any means. The East is packed with very good teams like the Celtics, the Heat, and the Magic. Rose and his teammates have a long and difficult road ahead of them. Still, it would be pretty epic if Chicago could once again be atop the NBA.
The PAST
THE PRESENT
Prom Movie
Ok, this movie looks absolutely awful. I'll admit that I am not exactly the biggest fan of teenage movies. However, this particular movie seems like it is going to be especially bad. I have not seen or heard much about it, but the trailer itself makes me think that this is not a movie I would like to go see. I'm sure there are many teenage girls out there who will think that this movie will be a great romantic comedy for young people. They may be right, but the creators of this movie are not helping themselves by putting together such a cheesy trailer; it has all the cliches in the book; it seems like pretty much every other high school movie. Check it out for yourselves!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
A Young Star's Curse
Blake Griffin is one of the most impressive young players in the NBA today. Nobody can question that. He averaged 22.5 points a game in his second year in the league, after missing his entire rookie season due to injury. Griffin may also be one of the most athletically-gifted players ever. His talent is incredible. He seems to jump higher than anyone else on the court. He gets to the rim like we’ve rarely seen. He dunks like the best of them.
However, there is one problem with Griffin- he plays for the Los Angeles Clippers. Most basketball fans will agree that the Clippers are one of the worst franchises in sports. There seems to be a consensus about this fact around the sports world. The Clippers have never won an NBA Championship; they have never even come close. Most Clippers seasons end up with a losing record and almost never in the playoffs. Clippers owner, Donald Sterling, is constantly considered the worst owner in sports. He places financial gains over on-the-court success.
Due to this, Griffin deserves to play for a better team. I personally cheer for the Clippers because I have grown up on Los Angeles all my life. But, even I will admit that they are a pretty miserable franchise. I honestly feel bad for Griffin. He is simply to good to have to play with such a sorry team.
Lakers General Manager, please trade for this guy!
Check out this video of Griffin!
What if a pill could make you better?
The new film Limitless starring Bradley Cooper presents this possibility which could be intriguing to many people, especially college students. In this film, Cooper’s character, Eddie, stumbles into a dealer who gives him an unknown substance in pill form called NZ-48. As a struggling writer whose life is in shambles, Eddie, is looking for something- anything- that will help him get his career and life in order. NZ-48 suddenly presents itself as his salvation. The dealer tells him that this pill will make his brain utilize 100% of its capacity, as opposed to the 20% that humans normally use. Eddie is skeptic for a bit, yet his temptation takes over him. Eddie takes the pill and quickly realizes that the dealer’s assertion is true; he is smarter; he has more energy; he can solve problems that nobody else can; in short, he is better in every way while on NZ-48.
The pill, however, is not exactly a miracle. It eventually brings him more problems than benefits. Eddie’s health eventually deteriorates. He even finds out that most people who have taken NZ-48 died soon afterward. The pill also leads him to trouble: a potential murder, physical fights, and even encounters with criminals who want to kill him. The pill ends up being more of a course than anything else. Eddie eventually gets his life together in the movie.
However, this film intrigued me. I started wondering if people would be willing to take a substance like NZ-48 in real life if this meant they would have a competitive advantage over the rest. The answer was clear. Many already do this. A perfect example is athletes who use steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs to be better.
Still, I guess we all have to hope that most people choose to not cheat and do things the right way. Some may cheat and do anything to outperform others, but this should ideally serve as exceptions, not the rules.
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