"Is that all you can do!? TWELVE pushups? That's it? Man, get the hell outta here!"

In lieu of risking getting caught in friendly fire between some Bloods and Crips (and others) in the lovefest (as well as a lack of itinerary), I eschewed the historic first meeting between Lakewood High and Verbum Dei High at Centennial High in Compton to watch the Long Beach City College football team take on West L.A. College at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Little did I know that I got more than I bargained for.

To be honest, I had to sit out watching Viking football games last season because I was disgusted with losing my press credentials (leading to the self-imposed shutdown of my blog covering them and the other teams in the now-defunct Mission Football Conference). I didn't attend a single game. The only game I even went to at any level was the Lancers taking on the Tesoro Titans, and I wasn't quite pleased with the 2nd half effort from them.

It was good thing I didn;'t come, because they had a crappy final season for Jerry Jaso, who stepped down. In his place was a man named Mike Reisbig, the brother of Larry Reisbig, the LBCC Men's Athletic Director. He was an assistant for 16 seasons. He now had his chance to prove himself. After paying $8.00 for admission and media guide ($6.00 + $2.00), I took my seat behind the 50-yard line. In the background, the Oilers were doing some pregame ritual that was comparable (or maybe not) to Long Beach Poly. I just thought, "They have the bark, but we got the bite. And we're gonna keep chomping till the clock reads 0:00."

The first half was all my guys as they climbed to a 21-0 halftime lead. The first touchdown I did 7, the second 14, and so on. All of the first-half push-ups were in the wheelchair-accessible section where I had lots of space to do it correctly.

Interestingly, it was in front of the West L.A. supporters. Buy the time I completed 21, some irresponsible African-American mother of an at-risk youth just waiting to pay the price for being affiliated with the wrong people tried to break my back. Luckily, she failed, and I shoved her off. Now, she's trying to be a CSC Event Staffer, but she didn't do a good job at it (first off, she isn't donning her Event Staff garb, and she would have been best not to be in my way. Some mother she grew up to be in. Puts my dealings with my mom in perspective, when I think about it. My mom's issues arean't as bad as this woman's issues.) As I shoved her off, I got into a scuffle, with the brat rabbit-punching me. He said, "You hit my mom!" I said, "She deserved it. If she wasn't on my back, I wouldn't have defended myself! And is that your best punch, you son-of-a-bitch? My dad can hit harder than you. Weak! Pathetic! You're wasting your time here! I don't fear you lot, and I never will, scum!" Truth.

After discussions regarding the altercation (and the lack of security thereof) with an old friend from the Long Beach Union Weekly (now a writer for the Long Beach Post), as well as another old friend, Dr. John Fylpaa, and cooler heads from the West L.A. parents, I proceeded to do more pushups in the 2nd half. In total, I did 147.

I was shaking my head at the West L.A. kids trying to do pushups the way I did them. Note that they didn't score until 3 quarters and four seconds into the game (and a personal foul by one of my guys made that touchdown a gift). When they tried to do 7, I was not pleased. When you do a pushup, your back, legs, and head have to be straight. You push your weight at an agle. You don't bend your body like an asymptote, and risk straining your back. I had to school these kids in how it should be done. When they hit 14, they did a little bit better, but they only did 7. When they reached 21, the best they could do individually was 12. I said to they guy who did 12, "That's it? You scored 21 points, not 12. Get back here and do nine more!" He didn't, I said, "I can see why you attend West L.A., and not LBCC. Here, such half-assing will not cut the mustard." During my Tong days, failing to finish my pushups was something I couldn't do. The quality was what I was looking for, but the quality wasn't. And when we got the last touchdown, a fumble recovery by David Sausau after Lawrence Alai punished Oiler QB Ryan Rosenvall, I did 42, and I yelled across the bleachers, "NOw THAT'S how you do a push-up, West LA! Quality and quantity! Let's see if you can impress me on your next score."

Sure enough, they had a consolation touchdown, and I said, "All right kids, 28 pushups. Go!"
None of them went down.
"I said GO!"
Still none of them went down.
Now I was a little peeved, "Oh come on. Not a single one of you bother to try to do even one push-up. Of 28. Now we all know why you attend West Los Angeles College, and not LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE! Because out here, even if we are losing, we'd still do those push-ups, as a morale boost at least. And all y'all gave up. Quitters. After this game is over, get the hell outta our stadium. For all your feistyness, you need to get in shape."


Only at Long Beach City College (and perhaps elsewhere) can you see an alum on the home side outdo youthful visitors on the visiting side in terms of push-ups. Personally, that's the first time it happened. I think I got some payback. And I was gonna applaud them for trying just one. I'm not even in shape, and I can still do 147.

Pep Band - Check.
Cheer Team - Check.
Better Football Team - Check.

I should thank my visiting team for having the old "Super Fan" side of me rear its down-and-dirty head again. I got fired up. Also I should thank Pechange for giving me some coffee. Man, I was starved to get my java. I need that. I really, really needed that.

One of the parents from West L.A. said, "You did well in standing your ground. Good job."
"Thanks, Lee." That was his name. "You know, I'll be honest. I didn't come here to fight anybody. I came here to watch a game, and do push-ups for every point we scored. That's it."

Nothing else.

===

Meanwhile, Verbum Dei was shut out by the Lancers, 34-0. It wasn't a good day for most of my teams, thought. LOng Beach State women's volleyball isn't cutting the mustard. While the defeated UC Davis today, they lost to Pacific in a sweep. Thw Angels are in danger of coming into the postseason on a losing note, effectively preventing me from coming to their rally on Monday. The Sparks also dropped a stinker to San Antonio on a buzzer-beater, while my Hawaii Warriors are clearly in a rebuilding phase, losing to San Jose State 20-17. AFc Wimbledon let a FA Cup win slip away against Bedford Town in the 89th minute, forcing a replay. And while AFC Liverpool defeated AFC Blackpool 6-3, it will take time for me to forgive them for failing in grandiose fashion to Waterloo Dock 6-1. The men's water polo team coached by Gavin Arroyo isn't doing themselves favors either, choking against Loyola Marymount in a rally failing short.

Man, what is it with rallies going awry in my neck of the Beach? In the words of Torri Hunter, "Ohhhh man!"

Cheers though to the Mauricio's bridesmaids defeating Arizona, the USD Toreros running down Drake, and even to Duke University making some wise decisions in miving the student section behind the home players, and changing their mascot to a slimmer, menacing and more photogenic character with marketing opportunities abound.

And yes, the Dodgers and Mets winning was good, because the drama can be saved for tomorrow.

===

ERROR

The combined length of all the labels must be at most 200 characters.

===

Doesn't it suck to have limits like this? I think so.

BoBA Predictions - Preliminary Round of Judgement

BoBA Predictions:
International Saimoe League 2008 Tiara
Preliminary Round of Judgement

#1 Fate Testarossa Harlaown vs. #16 Tsukasa Hiiragi

Highlight wins for Tsukasa:
4/8 vs. #13 Suigintou 133-99
6/27 vs. Rena Ryuuguu 377-303
6/30 vs. Nagisa Furukawa 306-258

For Tsukasa, the younger sister of #7 ranked Kagami and a patron of balsamic vinegar, she was lucky enough to make it this far. She was very, very close to being nipped by Nagi Sanzenin, who finished just behind her, out of the top 16 in 17th place. For Tsukasa, she has had a very strong run, with her highlight run being an undefeated finish in the Emerald phase. However, her only quality win is against Suigintou of Rozen Maiden.

Highlight wins for Fate:
4/22 vs. #7 Kagami Hiiragi 302-220
6/9 vs. #2 Tomoyo Sakagami 323-238
6/27 vs. #3 Haruhi Suzumiya 375-346

Fate comes into this tournament as the #1 seed due to her wins over Tomoyo and Haruhi, ranked 2nd and 3rd, respectively. She has had only three defeats against a plethora of victories.
In Fate the votes have a battle-tested candidate with a proven track record. Her highest finish was at 2chan Saimoe 2006, finishing runner-up to Suiseiseki. This preliminary round should not have any issues for one of the most influential moekkos that even has an imageboard named in her honor.

BoBA Predicts: Fate by at least 200 votes

#2 Tomoyo Sakagami vs. #15 Rika Furude

Highlight wins for Rika:
4/10 vs. #16 Tsukasa Hiiragi 118-111
5/3 vs. Nagi Sanzenin 289-250
7/11 vs. Nagisa Furukawa 364-301

Rika, the 2007 2chan Saimoe champion, comes into this tournament riding on strong campaigns in Emerald and Ruby after a forgettable Sapphire performance. Like Tsukasa, however, she has odds stacked against her in her match against #2 Tomoyo, but does come into the contest with a win over a top 16 opponent, as well as a perfect Emerald run. Her first meeting with Tomoyo saw her lose by less than 40 votes, but a low turnout may have factored into the result.

Highlight wins for Tomoyo:

4/26 VS. #4 Shana 263-254
5/20 vs. #3 Haruhi Suzumiya 214-191
8/1 vs. #5 Kyou Fujibayashi 345-285

Tomoyo is one of three at large candidates, and candidates from Clannad, still alive (along with Kyou and Kotomi). The student council president packs a punch as the ultimate kicking combo machine, with a penchant for athleticism and leadership. Her notoriety is so strong that a fan-based game was created in her honor, extending her role as a significant other to Tomoya Okazaki. She should have no issues against Rika, but the margin could be close.

BoBA Predicts: Tomoyo by at least 100 votes

#3 Haruhi Suzumiya vs. #14 Mai Kawasumi

Highlight wins for Haruhi:
5/17 vs. #5 Kyou Fujibayashi 246-226
6/18 vs. #7 Kagami Hiiragi 333-282
7/4 vs. #4 Shana 367-320

Haruhi comes into the ISL Tiara phase on a high, with necklace victories in Ruby and Diamond. She is many things, the leader of her own brigade in the fight against boredom, the crack in the world's space-time continuum, the deity for which a religion of millions of converts practice with a passion...Haruhi is an all-around competitor that should be safe in this preliminary round.

Highlight victories for Mai:
4/17 vs. #13 Suigintou 188-117
4/24 vs. #12 Konata Izumi 256-208
7/25 vs. #6 Yuki Nagato 294-288

Mai, flying the flag for Kanon, comes into this tournament bouncing back from a lamentable effort in the Topaz stage with strong performances in the other phases. Her quality victory is one that Haruhi was unable to get, a win over Yuki Nagato. That isn't to say that she will have an advantage over a foe that ran her over by more than 100 votes. While victories over Yuki, Haruhi's protege Konata and Suigintou are quality wins, she will have a tough time upsetting the franchise character of the series that is rightfully dedicated.

BoBA Predicts: Haruhi by more thasn 150 votes

#4 Shana vs. #13 Suigintou

Highlight wins for Suigintou:
6/30 vs. #11 C.C. 286-267
7/2 vs. Nagisa Furukawa 275-264
8/18 vs. #9 Hinagiku Katsura 460-433

"Who's the junk now?" That's the mantra that Suigintou can brag to her Rozen Maiden sisters. Flying the flag for the Alice Game, she is proof that imperfections can work in you favor, rather than against it. The Mercury Lampe's strongest run came in the summer months, with her strongs wins against C.C. and Hinagiku. She faces a daunting opponent that is more than a match when harnessing fire in Shana.

Highlight wins for Shana:
4/5 vs. #5 Kyou Fujibayashi 145-105
5/29 vs. #8 Kotomi Ichinose 315-273
6/4 vs. #6 Yuki Nagato 283-257

Even though she only has one necklace win to her credit (Aquamarine), Shana has had relative consistency in the seven necklace stages, with a record no worse than 8-1. Like Suigintou (and a number of others in the field of 16), she is the lone representative in her series, and a franchise character that has been battle-tested. The fire in her eyes signifies the competitive spirit that got her here, and got her to perform strong in prior Saimoe Tournaments in Japan and Korea.

BoBA Predicts: Shana by 160 votes

#5 Kyou Fujibayashi vs. #12 Konata Izumi

Highlight wins for Konata:
5/17 vs. #13 Suigintou 254-197
5/23 vs. #10 Nanoha Takamachi 187-172
6/18 vs. #8 Kotomi Ichinose 317-292

The protege of Haruhi Suzumiya and a charisma like no other, Konata Izumi comes into the final 16 with strong finishes in Ruby and Diamond, as well as an undefeated run in the Sapphire stage. She has wins against Nanoha, Kotomi, Suigintou, and Rika to her credit, as well as another top 16 victory against fellow Saitama Prefecture denizen Tsukasa. It's her desire to measure up against the best, and she gets her wish against Kyou.

Highlight wins for Kyou:
4/12 vs. #7 Kagami Hiiragi 133-119
4/17 vs. #1 Fate Testarossa Harlaown 185-183
8/20 vs. #6 Yuki Nagato 393-378

Kyou, the naughty-natured, book-throwing, clutch-shooting, deliciously tsundere vixen on a motorbike, comed into the final 16 with a necklance win in the Sapphire stage. Her best moment, however, was in Aquamarine. She is one of only three to win against Fate, and she also has undefeated runs in Topaz and Ruby to go with her breakthrough win. Her escapades in the storage room with Tomoya may have contributed to her rising stock. She was also the first to qualify through the at-large Open Discussion slots, and will try to continue making the most of it with a second-straight win over Konata.

BoBA Predicts: Kyou by more than 70 votes

#6 Yuki Nagato vs. #11 C.C.

Highlight wins for Yuki:
4/19 vs. #8 Kotomi Ichinose 172-142
5/8 vs. #3 Haruhi Suzumiya 395-219
8/6 vs. #7 Kagami Hiiragi 555-533

Yuki has had her fair share of victories, being the strongest of the SOS Brigade members not named Haruhi. Her computer skills and uncanny ability to make Kyon look like Barry Bonds, as well as an ability to heal herself from an apparent impaling, have worked in her favor. Her consistency will be tested by a fellow witch (in the most arcane sense), C.C.

Highlight wins for C.C.:
4/19 vs. #12 Konata Izumi 156-148
7/30 vs. #9 Hinagiku Katsura 307-307 (OT 334-319)
8/18 vs. #4 Shana 531-423

The PIzza Hut-fueled witch flies the banner for Code Geass, with solid runs in the last three necklace phases to go with a perfect Amethyst run. The question of whether of not she could actually count was answered in her match against Hinagiku, and her biggest win came late against Shana in the Diamond stage. She faces her fiercest test, a rematch with Yuki, where she fell by 80 votes in Diamond. C.C.'s legacy as one of the stalwarts in Japan and Korea will give her a determined effort to even things up at the perfect time.

BoBA Predicts: A close race. Take your pick. BoBA will go with Yuki by less than 50 votes.

#7 Kagami Hiiragi vs. #10 Nanoha Takamachi

Highlight wins for Kagami:
5/15 vs. #4 Shana 246-239
6/9 vs. #9 Hinagiku Katsura 281-262
8/16 vs. #2 Tomoyo Sakagami 444-367

Kagami comes into the postseason with two necklace wins to her credit (Amethyst and Emerald), a victory over Tomoyo Sakagami in the Diamond stage, and the upper hand over Nanoha, whom she previously defeated early in Aquamarine. While this plans to be another close encounter, Kagami's determination and perseverance got her to avenge her defeat to Rena Ryuuguu in 2chan Saimoe 2007, and she will not hold anything back in her match with the White Devil.

Highlight wins for Nanoha:
7/16 vs. #11 C.C. 388-377
7/30 vs. #5 Kyou Fujibayashi 323-318
8/4 vs. #8 Kotomi Ichinose 364-362

She is called "The White Devil" for many reasons, namely, her "hellish tactics" that have destroyed many foes through Raising Heart, her weapon of choice. While she is overshadowed by her sidekick, Fate Testarossa Harlaown, Nanoha in her own right isa an opponent worthy of this company of 16, with a strong run in the Amethyst, Sapphire, and Emerals phases. She is set to make things difficult for Kagami to make it two straight against her, and will look to even the score.

BoBA Predicts: Close, but it will be Kagami by less than 50.

#8 Kotomi Ichinose vs. #9 Hinagiku Katsura

Highlight wins for Kotomi:
5/3 vs. #9 Hinagiku Katsura 333-233
5/9 vs. #2 Tomoyo Sakagami 340-235
7/25 vs. #7 Kagami Hiiragi 327-277

Music can not only be an outlet for creativity, it can also be a weapon...for all thw wrong reasons. That's the case with Kotomi's violin. It's so strong, legend has it, that it could smash the Devil's fiddle into golden dust. (However, this can neither be confirmed nor denied.) While she only finished with a record of 8-1, Kotomi's strongest run came in the Topac stage, with a win over Tomoyo to go with perfect runs in the Emerald and Ruby stages.

Highlight wins for Hinagiku:

6/9 vs. #7 Kagami Hiiragi 281-262
6/23 vs. #10 Nanoha Takamachi 288-264
8/12 vs. #5 Kyou Fujibayashi 300-300 (OT 334-323)

Hinagiku flies the flag for Hakuoh Academy and Hayate Ayasaki and the crew, and she had consistent results, including victories over Kyou and Kagami to go with a clean sheet in the Emerald Stage. Her opponent, Kotomi, comes into the match with a 100-vote advantage in the previous meeting. But this is a different game, a new contest, and anyone, including Hinagiku, Must instill a self-belief that anything is possible.

BoBA Predicts: Form following this round, Kotomi by less than 100 votes.

USC football is set for a losing season.

The USC Trojan football team, that pathetic bunch of scoundrels who are playing crappier than *Berman voice* the Raiders *Berman voice off*, can only pray that Jacquizz Rodgers is an ineligible player. Those poor wasted scum have plunged to new depths of futile suckitude with their 21-14 loss to Oregon State.

Nice going, you pricks. I'm gonna return to following my Lancers, Vikings, and Toreros (and the Mustangs from Cal Poly too).

===

I should actually thank my old friends at the CSULB Anime Club for allowing me to visit. Not only was I spared the beginning of a season from hello for USC (hello losing year, 'tis been a while, eh?), but I was also spared watching the Los Angeles Galaxy choke...AGAIN. 3-1 loss to Chicago. Just let the Mars Rover run you guys over and plan for nest year.

===

Even though they clinched the NL West (the weakest division in the Majors this season), the Dodgers lost to San Diego, which I am happy about. Also, the Sparks and Angels won, so the night wasn't totally crap.

But it could have been better. Too bad Pete Carroll and Bruce Arena aren't pulling their weight.
Too heavy for both of you?

The USA sucks at golf and tennis. AGAIN.

Nick going, Nick Faldo. Just let the Mars Rover run your ass over and retire, you fag.

===

Faldo slammed for Ryder Cup loss


LONDON (AP) One headline branded the outcome "Faldo Folly." Another deemed him "Captain Calamity."


Under fire: Europe's Ryder Cup captain Nick Faldo is taking heat for his team's surprising loss to the United States over the weekend in Louisville, Ky. AP PHOTO
European Ryder Cup captain Nick Faldo was under siege Monday after his team's loss to the United States. Faldo, a six-time major winner, was belittled for his player selections.

"Nick Faldo, not the crowd, was America's 13th Man," the Daily Maily said of his role in Europe's 16 1/2-11 1/2 loss in Louisville, Ky.

The Times of London said that while U.S. captain Paul Azinger instilled belief in his team, "Faldo inspired chaos."

Even without the best player in the world — Tiger Woods' only involvement was text messaging Azinger — and a team comprised of six rookies and three veterans who knew nothing but losing in the Ryder Cup, the captain's messages got through.

The Times assailed Faldo for using his most successful players — Ian Poulter and Graeme McDowell — near the end of Sunday's singles matches rather than at the beginning. That meant the overall result was decided by the time they won their matches.

"Buzzing around the 17th green, the United States players extolled the team-bonding skills of Azinger," the Times said.

"Faldo's thin skin, the need to have his sports shrink by his side even out on the course and his grating sense of humor, had confirmed what we knew all along, which is that he is no natural leader," the paper said. "But what we had not expected was that a man who had dedicated himself so much to this job would make such a colossal mistake."

Former European Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher said Faldo got his singles selections wrong.

"I was worried about putting three top players at the bottom of the order," said Gallacher, who lost two Ryder Cup matches and then won his third. "The top players should be at the top to get the points early."

The Daily Mail said Faldo's decision to put Poulter and McDowell near the end of the 12 matches was like "sending an aircraft carrier to a conflict that was already over."

"His list will go down as one of the great leadership howlers and it confirmed the sense we had of Faldo being swept along by instinct and whim," the Mail said.

The Telegraph said Faldo had used the Ryder Cup to feed his ego.

"Faldo's gamble on the big finish . . . left Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Padraig Harrington, thrashing at thin air, their legs amputated by a hopelessly incontinent ego," it said.

The Telegraph said the Valhalla fallout would leave Faldo "about to pay the price of a lifetime of self serving, of devotion to the cult of the individual."

The Japan Times: Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2008
(C) All rights reserved


===

And as long as we have Rafa Nadal playing for Spain...and we face them...we will always be screwed.

US out of Davis Cup

Written By:BBC , Posted: Mon, Sep 22, 2008


Caption: Rafael Nadal beat Andy Roddick in straight sets to put defending champions the United States out of this year's Davis Cup.


Spain's Rafael Nadal beat Andy Roddick in straight sets to put defending champions the United States out of this year's Davis Cup.

Nadal's 6-4 6-0 6-4 win gave Spain an unassailable 3-1 lead, taking them through to the final where they will face Argentina, who beat Russia 3-2.

Playing at the Las Ventas bullfighting arena, Nadal put Roddick to the sword with his array of passing shots winning a huge ovation from the partisan home crowd.

It is the latest chapter in a dream year for Nadal, coming after his wins at the French Open, Wimbledon and the Olympics and his claiming of the number one spot.

US pairing Mike Bryan and Mardy Fish had kept their team's hopes alive on Saturday with a thrilling 4-6 6-4 6-3 4-6 6-4 defeat of Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco in the doubles.

Fish was only playing because of a shoulder injury to Bryan's usual partner, his brother Bob.

But after a hesitant start that saw Lopez and Verdasco take the opening set, he proved to be a strong partner.

Nadal had survived an early scare against Davis Cup debutant Querrey before winning in four sets in Friday's opener.

The French Open and Wimbledon champion initially struggled to contain Querrey's powerful serve and forehand and had to recover from the initial shock of being put on the back foot by an opponent just out of his teens.

The 20-year-old took the first set on a tie-break but Nadal fought back to win 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 6-3 6-4.

Spain will play Argentina in the final in November after they completed a 3-2 win over Russia in Buenos Aires.

Russia's Nikolay Davydenko came from behind to beat David Nalbandian 3-6 6-3 7-6 (7-2) 6-0, bringing his side level at 2-2.

But Argentina secured victory when Juan Martin Del Potro defeated Igor Andreev 6-4 6-2 6-1 in the decisive encounter.

On Friday, Nalbandian had swept Andreev aside to claim a 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 6-4 win but Del Potro's victory over Davydenko was even more one-sided, the 19-year-old dropping only seven games against the world number six on his way to a 6-1 6-4 6-2 win.

Elsewhere in the Davis Cup, Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka teamed up for the first time since winning Olympic gold in Beijing to clinch Switzerland's place in the elite World Group.

They beat Belgium's Xavier Malisse and Olivier Rochus 4-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 on Saturday, giving the Swiss an unassailable 3-0 lead.

Individually they had got off to a perfect start on Friday, as world number nine Wawrinka eventually beat 58th-ranked Steve Darcis 6-7 (4-7) 6-1 6-3 2-6 6-4 in the first singles match.

US Open champion Federer saw off world number 95 Kristof Vliegen 7-6 (7-1) 6-4 6-2.

===

What happened to showing up?

There are teams that I follow that lose, and there are teams that I can't help but wonder, "Why do you even bother playing if you don't even bother to show up for it? It's asinine, really. That was the case with a number of teams I follow. First, AFC Liverpool, a fledling outfit, got walloped by a team a tier blow them, called Waterloo Dock, 6-1. And this side at the top of their table...and they get thumped. Bloody wanks. I mean, at least if you're going to exit, you'd at least make the score respectable. That just gets on my bad side. Even though they are in theri first year, one would expect a scoreline better than this. Scouse fags.

Even worse, while Yankee Stadium is due to be nothing more than a smoldering pile of rubble in a number months' time, the Angels, who are three wins away from 100 victories, cannot rely of Jered Weaver to help him. The rube can't pitch his way out a wet paper bag in a 9-6 loss to the Mariners. Adding a little insult, the Dodgers won that day.

And that's what drives me to bedlam here. Dodgers win, Angels lose. Send Jered back to Salt Lake, MIke Scioscia. We can't rely on him next month. We'd have to bring up the bullpen at the top of the 2nd inning.

===

Is it just me, or has the world ended? While President Bush's dementia has reached beyond Satanic levels with his plan to make the rich richer and the poor poorer (a plan that will go back to hell from whence it came), the Los Angeles Galaxy...actually WON a few days ago. DC United fell, 5-2.

About bloody time you pricks did something right. Now let's get on a streak already, you dormant rubes.

===

Two-game losingt streak, Roughriders? Get out of here.

===

Lack of consistency isn't restricted to my university's women's soccer team, apparently. The women's volleyball team suffered their first sweep of the season...to fucking Santa Clara, of all sides, a day after sweeping them on Friday.

Gimmillaro...we ought to send the New York Five Families to question you and your team's dwindling commitment to consistent play this year.

===

There are individuals and teams, though, that cut the mustard. The USA, Australian, and English squad are undefeated in their runs towards South Africa 2010. And Francisco Rodriguez became the first closer to reach 60 saves in a season. Adelaide United is the first Australian side to advance to the semifinals of the AFc Champions League, defeating the defending J.League champions Kashima Antlers 2-1. Robert Cornthwaite, who scored an own goal in the first leg in Japan, made up for it by scoring the winner at the Hindmarsh Stadium. I think Oswaldo may want to send their first team keeper, Hitoshi Sogahata, to the reserve side.

And the Sparks are still alive. Bring on San Antonio. 71-64 win over Seattle.

ISML 2008 Tiara Preview

A preview of the International Saimoe League Postseason, which starts September 30, 2008 and concludes in early November. NOTE: This is the final version. The previous one had a typographical error in one of the slides. Thankfully that was the only mistake. This is also being posted on Google Video.

ISML 2008 Tiara Preview

A preview of the International Saimoe League Postseason, which starts September 30, 2008 and concludes in early November. NOTE: This is the final version. The previous one had a typographical error in one of the slides. Thankfully that was the only mistake. This is also being posted on Google Video.

Oh God, here I go!

So said Max Baer as he turned blue, dabadee dabadi, dabadee dabadi, dabade dabadiiii...

===

World shares dive after Lehman Brothers collapse


NEW YORK (AFP) — Global stock markets went into a dizzying fall Monday as the collapse of US investment bank Lehman Brothers sparked fears that more bad news is on the horizon for the finance sector and the economy.

The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled below 11,000 with a slide of 4.42 percent to 10,917.51, its largest one-day point loss since the reopening after the September 2001 terrorist attacks.

The Nasdaq composite plummeted 3.60 percent to 2,179.91 and the broad-market Standard & Poor's 500 index skidded 4.71 percent to 1,192.70.

Investors were in near-panic mode because of the uncertainty about the knock-on effect of the collapse at Lehman, a former Wall Street titan with broad connections to other financial firms.

The emergency sale of Wall Street rival Merrill Lynch to Bank of America and worries about a possible collapse at insurance giant American International Group added to jitters.

"Lehman Brothers' decision to file bankruptcy and worries that the credit crisis could claim American International Group as the latest casualty are fueling the fears on the Street," analysts at Charles Schwab & Co. said in a note to clients.

"Merrill's purchase has traders fretting that hidden problems abound and more firms could be looking at a fate similar to Lehman's."

Meanwhile central banks, led by the US Federal Reserve, rushed to inject tens of billions of dollars into the money markets to head off any rush on liquidity as investors pulled money out of stocks and looked for safety.

Despite the moves, London's FTSE 100 index slumped 3.92 percent to 5,204.20. In Paris, the CAC 40 tumbled 3.78 percent to 4,168.97 and in Frankfurt the DAX shed 2.74 percent at 6,064.16 points.

The Euro Stoxx 50 index of leading eurozone companies lost 3.67 percent.

Asia tumbled first on the news Monday, followed by the Middle East, Russia and then Europe before the shockwave hit the North and South American markets.

"The collapse of Lehman Brothers has sent a major jolt through global financial markets as it is by far the biggest victim of the credit crisis that started in August 2007 and had been considered too big to fail," said Global Insight economist Howard Archer.

"There is obviously widespread concern about other banks' exposure to Lehman Brothers, not only in the US but also in Europe. Lehman's collapse also increases concerns that other banks could fail."

The dollar came under pressure as analysts said the US central bank's Federal Open Market Committee, set to meet Tuesday on interest rates, might be forced to cut rates in a further reassurance to markets. The Fed has kept its base rate at 2.0 percent since April.

John Ryding at RDQ Economics said a rate cut might not solve the crisis but that some are concerned "about the damage to the markets that could be done if the Fed disappoints expectations."

In New York, Lehman shares, delisted from the New York Stock Exchange, plunged 94 percent to 21 cents.

American International Group, one of the world's biggest insurance companies, slid 60.8 percent on fears it may too face a death spiral from a cash crunch and possible credit downgrade.

Merrill Lynch, Lehman's white-shoe rival on Wall Street, managed to get a lifeline over the weekend with a deal to sell itself for 50 billion dollars to Bank of America. Merrill shares rose 0.06 percent but Bank of America fell 21 percent.

In Europe, the banks bore the brunt of the losses as the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy undercut any notion of business as usual, dealers said.

In London, HBOS plunged 36 percent at one stage but managed to finish with a loss of 17.55 percent, reflecting concerns about a bank that had to raise fresh cash earlier this year after massive losses on its US subprime exposure.

Royal Bank of Scotland, similarly in the firing line, lost 10 percent and Barclays was down 9.84 percent.

In Canada, the S&P/TSX index slid 4.04 percent percent while the Brazilian Bovespa index, South America's largest, sank 7.59 percent.

In Asia, where Tokyo and Hong Kong were among several markets closed for a public holiday, shares fell sharply, with Sydney down 1.8 percent and Singapore off 3.27 percent.

The weekend after 9/11

Some insane things have gone on this weekend: while Hurricane Ike slams Houston and the heart of Texas, a clash of two trains marytyred dozen twofold and some in Chatsworth. Mercy.

My Lancer football team won, as well as my women's volleyball team, and the likes of AFC Liverpool, Melbourne Victory and AFC Wimbledon did, too. The Socceroos and the USA MNT also did their part of the work. I am disappointed in the Los Angeles Galaxy's failure to get any positive results for the bulk of this season, hence I changed the color layout. I also changed it due to the MLS season wrapping up down here.

SPeaking of MLB, how about that Francisco Rodriguez. 58 saves. He made history tonight, passing Bobby Thigpen in a 5-2 win for the Halos. Nine wins away from 100, two saves away from 60 for K-Rod. Some more milestones are in order.

A relief for me...the Armada are eliminated

From Bleacher Report...

Blair Field, Dirtbag Country: Why I Stay Away When the Long Beach Armada Play

Ahhh, the USA. It has its share of great ballparks, from sea to shining sea. But if there was ever a baseball stadium that caught my imagination, it's Blair Field, located in Long Beach, California. If you ask me, this is the gem of all amateur baseball parks. Established in 1956, it has been the home of some thrilling high school baseball games, American Legion clashes, Connie Mack classics, training for the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Rams (when they were in Los Angeles-good times), and even was used for Olympic training, perhaps as a precursor to the demonstration days of 1984 at the Chavez Ravine that is Dodger Stadium.

But I shed no tears for the Long Beach Armada falling to the Orange County Flyers in Game 5 of the Golden Baseball League South Division Series by the score of 12 runs to 2. Instead, I raise my hands in celebration for this fact alone: in about 5 months' time, Blair Field will return to its rightful owners, the Long Beach State Dirtbags.

The city's TRUE home team.

More...

The Angels clinch it.

Wow. Those Angels clinched it. Now all we need is those Dodgers to pull their weight and make it a division sweep for both the Blue Crew and Halos. Let's go Dodgers. (I can't believe I just said that.)

Angels dominate the West, but can the Dodgers do the same?

It looks like the only drama now remaining for the Los Angeles Angels this regular season is if closer Francisco Rodriguez can rewrite the record books in the coming days by becoming the first to tally up 60 saves in a season (which is doable), or maybe even 70 saves a season. And the side story will be their push for 100 wins in a season (currently they stand at 88).

More...

Dour mood today...

Ugh. God, I am disgusted today. Not for the fact that we lost to Florida, but the fact that we gave up the last three sets after winning the first two. There can be no excuse for Brian Gimmilaro's ladies failing to fish the job. I am looking at another second-place finish to Cal Poly after what just transpired today.

Unforgivable. Totally. I mean, if you're gonna be up two sets to none in a volleyball match, you'd better focus on finishing your opponents off. Today, you witnessed an example of Long Beach State volleyball putting the foot off the pedal at the most critical point in a contest.

I am not gonna be surprised if any future defeats are in this fashion. Brian, Debbie, Melissa...you gotta talk to these ladies about finishing. This is the type of volleyball that runner-ups and also-rans are skilled at. It's so easy to lose in this fashion, you won't know it until the other team across from you jumps like they are half their age.


Thie start was epic, but the finish was pathetic. Better fix this when you face Central Connecticut State....

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Meanwhile, the Dodgers win again, the Angels lose...again, and it hasn't been a good day for my favorite club teams. FC United's match this week was postponed due to waterlog, AFC Wimbledon drew even with Weston-Super-Mare, and AFC Liverpool dropped a stinker. While my national teams won (USA over Cuba, Australia over Netherlands), the Galaxy continue their nasty slump. 3 minutes from halftime, 1-1 tie with Real Salt Lake.

The Sparks lost last night to the San Antonio Silver Stars. Thank God my St. Anthony Saints and Lakewood Lancers won their games. It was a decent outing for a majority of my teams, but I was hoping for more of my teams to have gotten the job done.

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September 4, 2008

The spiels at the 2008 Republican National Convention was a win-win scenario for both parties. On one hand, you got the GOP people who now have thrown their support towards John McCain and Sarah Palin for President and Vice President. On the other hand, the Democrats, who are viewing this, are a field day, if not a feast day, getting plenty of fuel for the ads that will come out.

This is awesome. As a supporters of the Democrats, I think my party will enjoy debunking all the speeches coming out from the Twin Cities. This is great.

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I am not gonna be surprised if Leslie Sanchez gives McCain's speech a B, let alone an A. Given that she rated Obama's speech a C and her roles as a Republican strategist on CNN, it's clear that if you're looking at it from a neutral perspective, it's a tad skewed. And if you ask me, given her role, it's expected that she will be biased.


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I am looking at McCain and Palin getting a similar outcome to Mondale and Ferraro in 84. It's a hunch. Similar to Richard Collier not winning his fight to survive.

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Down at DeVry-er, Keller, I was treated to a video on obfuscating the truth in the name of justice, of winning for the plaintiffs or defense, and all these bombsells coming out.

Would you believe it; I now have a hankering for some court pictures of endowed cross-examiners.

I gotta get me down to the booru. Quick.

Labor Day Quick Hits

Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Hanna have been assigned to send hell in a storm basket to Louisiana and Georgia, respectively. Gustave made landfall about a few hours ago, while Hanna is warming up for the beatdown by upgrading to a Category 1 hurricane.

Get in on, both of you.


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36 people in China lose their lives in a 5.7 earthquake in Sichuan Province. And Mother Nature's wrath wreak havoc as Hi Jintao heart hardens like the Pharaoh of Egypt in the Biblical days.

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I am quietly compiling some results for a video on the International Saimoe League 2008, subject to approval to the commisioner of the league (the webmaster of the site, in layman terms). It will just be a simple slideshow, complete with results.

Nothing too special.

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It's Labor Day today. No work means some R&r, but for me, it's on the eve of a return to class.

I gotta get some stuff ready. That means a backpack full of books and binders, and plenty of writing apparati.

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I am elated after getting those DVDs out of the way. I needed to back up all those Olympic Games footage. All that's remaining is a few Closing Ceremony clips, an iso of the Opening Ceremony, and a few soccer games.