Lakita Bee's Blog

writting her for you love!

Set to take on the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football

Set to take on nike nfl jerseys the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football, the Houston Texans will be forced to play without the services of tight end Owen Daniels, who was ruled inactive before the game.

f:id:providenciafeeler:20120930120256j:plain

Will a top AFC nike nfl jerseys free shipping contender be able to knock off a top NFC contender? If the Patriots want any chance at a bye, they better hope not. This should obviously be a close game, and you've got to think the Texans will show up - unlike they did against the Packers a few weeks ago fun-cup. The Pick: Texans 24 Bears 23.

A Very Very Rich man:Mitt Romney

What do you think about how Mitt handles his money?

Everyone on the program seemed to acknowledge it was legal. So the question was, is it moral? I found the debate interesting primarily.Mitt Romney has legal means to pay as little tax as he possibly can and he just does it on a larger scale than the rest of us.  Is it immoral for you to list your charities on your tax return? Do YOU bypass deductions so you can patriotically give as much money to the federal government as possible? Of course not.

f:id:providenciafeeler:20120711114934j:plain

There is only one valid financial attack on Romney and that is the veracity of his claim of creating thousands of jobs while at Bain Capital.Where Romney parks his money, as long as he does it legally, is a distraction.

 

It is the Caps/Pens, my love...

I loved my team everyday, I'm crazy proud of them.

Maybe they shook off the weirdness of the 12:30 start and woke up. Maybe they had 110 volts of electricity channeled straight into their bodies. Kris Letang scored in the first eight seconds of the first Pens power play. Boy it would be nice to have a puck-moving defensemen around. Sob.cheap jerseys sale

f:id:providenciafeeler:20120711114821j:plain

Uh...vintage Ovechkin?There is no reason that that they should have been able to do that. This lead brought to you by anger and stupid blind hope nhl jerseys cheap. But it happened.Anyone who is crying about that hockey game, don't bother reading the rest of the recap, because I loved it. There was a lot against the Caps going into this game, and judging from their play in the first period, some of the issues should have been insurmountable.

Why Some Germans Felt Betrayed by the Balfour Declaration

                                                 f:id:providenciafeeler:20120521110255j:plain

Before one weeps too much over the sense of betrayal of some Germans to the announcement of the creation of a "Jewish Homeland" by British Foreign Minister Lord Balfour in late 1917, not a state note, although it was almost bound to become one, it is worth remembering who the most disapointed people were: the future backers of Adolph Hitler, who were at the core hardened militarists.

 

The people who felt most bitter about the Balfour Declaration were German militarists who correctly thought they almost won WWI, not democrats in the sense of people who believed in majority rule. That class of Germans Woodrow Wilson thought intrinsically dangerous, which is why he always tilted towards Britain and France n WWI if with formal neutrality, because they were both democracies, and ultimately which was no small reason for entering the war on the side of the Allies.

 

For all the people here on OS who want to protest the existence of NATO, if you are Jewish, you would seem to lack a certain common sense for doing so, as to not see that locking Germany into an alliance of democracies, plus Spain and Italy, is a good thing in an imperfect world.

 

Maybe the militarists in a general sense are right, we have them, Russia has them, the Chinese have them, the Israelis have them, that the survival imperative in the end dominates State actions.

 

Just be wary that when one accepts that survivalist premise at the core of militarism, modern German scholar Schweller has shown that it means you share much in common with fascists, not really a surprise when you think about the subordination of the individual to the State that is part and parcel of the militarist outlook: zero sim.

 

As to bitterness in some reactionary German quarters over the Balfour Declaration in 1917 creating the foundation of Israel, if you want history without illusions as to who Hitler really was, ask yourself this: How likely is it that an illegal Austrian immigrant would take over Germany, in many ways the most advanced nation in Europe in the late twenties, on the basis of charisma alone, if there were not circles of very, very powerful people who wanted that?

 

The answer of course is; it's not only unlikely, but impossible.

 

There was a tragedy in all of this worth remembering, namely, that over 15,000 Jews gave their lives for the Kaiser in WWI, their graves marked as usual with a Star of David.

 

Basically as to the German militarists bitterness, the British in the Balfour Declaration in 1917 that set in motion the creation of Israel sought to curry favor with Zionists, hoping that would assist in continued financing of the war; see A Peace to End All Peace by Fromkin for details, which involved a lot of British misconceptions that are amusing, if also had tragic results.

 

As to the tragic results of the Balfour Declaration, unfortunately for Eastern European Jews, who were basically trapped by poverty in Poland and authoritarian Tsars and Commissars in Russia, perceptions have a way of becoming reality, in this case in the sense that Germans in certain militarists quarters after Balfour percieved the Jews as an enemy allied to their enemy Britain.

 

On the theory of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend," since the Arabs were the Jew's enemy, even though they are both in fact Semites versus Indo-European linguistic and somewhat ethnic descent, it was then natural for some Germans of a certain cast of mind to seek to pit the Jews against the Arabs in the Middle East by forcing them to go there.

 

This explains the use of anti-Semitism in fostering a populist militarist ideology in Germany like Nazism, if there was a substrate of anti-Semitism in Germany proper that wasn't trivial, if certainly before Hitler not as homicidal as in Russia, or even nearly as virulent as in Hitler's native Austria.

 

If you wanted to find the biggest anti-Semites in the world, prior to the Nazis, and since then, you went to Austria and especially Russia.

 

That was the function though of anti-Semitism in Nazism fundamentally, beyond its racist character and irrational hatreds, to make the Jews leave Europe and go to the Middle East, where their presence would poison British imperial relations with the Arabs, thereby undermining the British Empire, which is in fact what happened, more or less.

 

Of course, had the Germans been willing to accept British primacy in the internatioonal system in the first place in 1914, and hadn't insisted on demonstrating their conventional military superiority, then none of that would have come to pass in the first place, for those who like to conduct historical what if arguments, and something for the Chinese to consider too now.

 

This is just as those Arabs who wish to argue about 1967, 0r 1947 U.N. Partition, 0r 1939 White Plan, or even the Balfour Declaration itself are crying over spilt milk in effect.

 

On the other hand, perhaps it is of some comfort to modern Israelis if they realize that people didn't just hate them for irrational reasons, but rather have manipulated the possiblities of some latent hatred, but even more created such hatred for reasons of State that have a long pedigree historically speaking, and it is a fact that fear of extermination derivative of the Holocaust is not a small driver of current Israeli foreign policy, as to why care at all about the past.

 

As to the present, it seems fairly obvious that the Iranian government uses fear of a Zionist enemy in order to unify the people around a common enemy, maintaining the sense of national unity especially among the survivors of the war with Iraq, if of course that's a really dangerous game to play with a people and State of Israel that have a deep and totally understandable fear of where such manipulations of latent ethnic prejudice can lead.

Why The NBA Playoffs Are Better Than March Madness?

                                       f:id:providenciafeeler:20120521105622j:plain

The NBA playoffs are better than March Madness. Try and debate me. If you have a team of interest in the NBA, then the NBA Playoffs are so much better than the few weeks of March Madness. If you are a basketball fan the playoffs give you the best sample of competition possible. Allow me to rebuttal the anticipated arguments. After deconstructing those oppositions, I will then present the reasons for you to agree with my opening statements.

 

First round of NCAA> NBA 1st round.

 

The NCAA is a tournament designed for upsets to happen more frequently. The NBA has seven game series so the BEST team is given the most equal test. In a seven game series we the viewer are able to distinguish which team is truly better. In a one game match up the better team is apt to lose because there is a higher chance of an atypical performance. But what about the upsets Colin? The under dog story is played out. How many of you enjoyed Butler’s horrible offensive display against UConn and Duke in their back to back appearances in the National championship? I want to see the best versus the best. The players want it, so should the fans. The Grizzlies defeated the Spurs last year, and we celebrated. But, the next round proved the Thunder were the superior team, and hence they moved onto the Western Conference Finals.

 

The NCAA Tournament is more exciting.

 

The tournament might be slightly more exciting the first day because of the hype surrounding the commencement of the tourney. People fill out NCAA brackets all over the country and this creates a false attachment. You don’t care about the Western Kentucky/Harvard game. Stop lying to yourself. Save the fake agony of defeat when your bracket is busted because Valparaiso made a buzzer beater. Each game in the NBA series carries a heavy weight of importance. The first games are played at the higher seed’s home court, so there’s pressure for that team to “hold” home court. If not, then the tables have now suddenly turned. Need more drama? The player match ups are much more compelling. Dirk vs. Durant. Lebron vs. Carmelo. Blake Griffin vs. Zach Randolph. Those are just a few of the first round match ups.

 

Derrick Rose tore his ACL. Kevin Durant made the game winner. Orlando upset Indiana at home. The Clippers rallied from 27 down to beat the Grizzlies. Andrew Bynum had a triple double and tied the NBA record for blocks in a playoff game. The Heat won by 33 points. Rondo chest bumped a referee. That was just the first game of the first round. You’re welcome.

 

The NCAA is more fun to watch.

 

False. These NBA guys are so good, they make difficult things appear effortless. I want to see Kobe in the 4th quarter. He’s either making unbelievable shot after another or he’s shooting his team out of contention.  When I watch NBA players I am disappointed when they miss shot. That cannot be said about a college team. I couldn’t name more than 1 or 2 players on the top 10 teams in college. That’s not an indictment on my basketball knowledge, it proves there’s not enough talent to garner my attention. I’m more intrigued with the story of LeBron James disappearing in the 4th quarter over Kemba Walker running the table in his conference tournament and now leading his team to the Final Four. I want to argue about the Westbrook/Durant dilemma instead of whether or not Kyrie Irving should play in the NCAA tourney.

 

I concede filling out a bracket. The NCAA wins that one always.

 

Here are a few reasons I think you should consider when evaluating the NCAA vs. the NBA:

 

Linkin Park.

You know you all loved a little Linkin Park back in the early 2000′s. Everyone owned Hybrid Theory, don’t deny it. Guess what, they are back signing about basketball. One shining moment can’t compare.

 

Charles Barkley.

This man is worth staying up past your bed time. His analysis of NBA games is actually very insightful and he’s not afraid to give his opinion. He provides entertainment both intentionally and unintentionally. I record every episode of Inside the NBA. You should too. I’d rather listen to Sir Charles muddle through highlights than Digger Phelps or Dickie V. Still not convinced?

 

The NBA Playoffs have more longevity.

Your team gets a minimum of four games to play, unlike the one and done design of the NCAA playoffs.  You might not even get a chance to watch your team play in the NCAA because of seeding and time slot. What a waste. The NBA allows fans to watch every minute of their team’s pursuit of a championship. The NCAA loses its luster during the dead time given for teams to rest and travel. Fans are exposed to non stop basketball from Thursday to Sunday and then there is a week long pause for the 3rd and 4th round. The intensity is hard to maintain for the NCAA.

 

Each game in the NBA is different.

The chess match between the coaches in each game is intriguing. When Dallas became the first team to lose to an 8 seed in a seven game series we saw ultimate gamesmanship. Don Nelson, coaching against his former team, masterly crafted a game plan to defeat Dallas. College coaches aren’t given that opportunity to strategize because as they win a new opponent is now on the horizon. Coaches go from dissecting dribble drive offenses to scheming against 2-3 zones run to perfection. NBA teams get to battle against a familiar opponent each round which provide better story-lines and games.

 

Fans.

Let’s examine the fans in attendance. College games are played in football stadiums, in predetermined locations disconnected from the universities playing there. The passion in an NBA Playoff game makes college fans look like a JV squad. Orchestrated t-shirts and towels create an atmosphere unattainable in a college basketball game. Faint echoes of cheering can be heard on television during an NCAA tournament game. The same cannot be said of an arena in the NBA Playoffs. Chants of DEFENSE become deafening even when watching the television Growl towels UP! It’s a Grizz thing, if you don’t get it, then you probably disagree with me.

 

It means more.

Yes. The NBA Championship means more to the city. It generates a buzz around the city unequaled. All people can talk about is the potential chance of winning a championship. People unite and all cheer for the team to continue it’s winning ways. A championship also increases revenue for that particular city. It brings a spotlight to a city for an extended period of time. I witnessed the impact the NBA Playoffs had on Memphis and it was incredible. The Grizzlies were the talk of the town. Almost 3,000 more season tickets were purchased as a result of last season’s short but fun playoff experience. Can you name me the last five National Championship runner ups? I bet you could name more NBA playoff contenders than NCAA teams in the Final Four.

 

LeBron James.

Lastly, in this exhaustive attempt to persuade you to watch the NBA Playoffs, we have our most compelling argument. LeBron continues to repel and mystify fans and experts. His regular season talent is unmatched, but there is something about a seven game series that makes him seem vulnerable and human. He’s one of the most aware unaware athletes in the history of sports. He knows we are waiting and watching for him to become a hero/savior for the Miami Heat but he continually looks over his shoulder looking for approval for his “smart basketball play”. We want him to be great and horrible at the same time. The NBA Playoffs are about LeBron James and his quest for basketball immortality. Until he wins, James will continue to be the focal point of criticism and the spotlight of attention for fans.

 

I’ve either convincingly persuaded you to tune into this year’s NBA Playoffs, or completely wasted your time and bored you to death. If I have done one of these I count it as a success because I was able to at least present my reasons for the NBA over the NCAA. Feel free to disagree, my mind won’t be changed but I will gladly entertain your counterpoints. Growl Towels Up!!!