Grads do it right - News

Some type of nostalgia, looking back...


Grads do it right - News

Impressions...

So my Business Law 320 instructor is a person by name of Dr. Lynn Dymally. A savvy, smart, straight-to-the-point person, Dr. Dymally is the daughter of Congressman Melvyn Dymally, and her son is a talented drummer attending CAMS. (Hopefully, he will do the right thing and come to The Beach when he graduates from the California Academy of Math and Sciences.)

In her opening lecture, after debriefing on how to write a killer case brief, she talks about commerce, and how we are affected by it. We come into contact with it every day. Speaking of commerce, Michael Vick is dinged today by the cops for illegal commerce. That is, the Falcons QB is being questioned for his dog-fighting activities. Uh oh; this can’t be good. Stay tuned for more developments.

My second Management instructor is a guy by the name of Dr. Philip Chong. No, he’s related to Tommy. He is full Chinese, while Dr. Thomas Chong from the University of Alberta is half. He is one of the assistant deans at the CBA, along with Dr. Nelson Horn. Actually, he is an interim associate dean (so it says on his syllabus), so this means the CBA is in transition. And he has a strong accent, so I guess it makes me feel a bit easy.

Anyway, I can’t drop this one. I had a bad experience with Sal Kukalis, and I am not keen to have that happen again. The hell I will, with 425 coming in the Fall! With everything crammed up, I’m due to get my portfolio started after this session is over.

And it starts all over again.

It's a drag, really. Here I am, posting on BoBA, and I am a few minutes away from starting my next class. Yes, I am doing Summer Session III at the Beach again. But this time, I am taking two classes in the same semester. Two of them! One in the morning (Business Law 320) and one in the evening (Management 300).

The summer was cut short for me, but for a reason. It's all part of the final push towards my degree. Here come the case briefs and Phoenix Wright-style accusations.

10,000...

Ain’t it great to be a Phillies fan?

10,000 losses. The most in any professional sport in this country. The most futile franchise in the majors reached a milestone that will be in infamy.

Wonder if the current manager down there is already sacked.

The Tropicana has invited be for a slot tournament in September. Well, this is a no-brainer: NO THANKS. I already have classes going on. I’ll take school over slot machine tournaments any day.

Saimoe 2007 is underway with the preliminaries up an running. Who will dethrone Suiseiseki as the champion? Find out by clicking the link in my del.icio.us page, and click the “Saimoe 2007” link. Saimoe is a combination of Saikyou and Moe, meaning “The Best Moe.”

Australia escaped with a 4-0 victory over Thailand at Rajamangala. Took them a while to actually do something right, didn’t it? God save this Socceroos team.

Friday the 13th

“Hmmm…A haunted house…”

So pondered Utena Tenjou before going on a spree, defeating every opponent, save for a slight hiccup that was rectified.

Speaking of haunted houses, for Australia’s Socceroos, they met their undoing in a house of horrors earlier today, also known simply as…Rajamangala National Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, where Iraq entered the Twilight Zone as foretold by Rod Serling, 3-1.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders saw their own house, Mosaic Stadium, turn into a house of horrors on Friday the 13^th, as the defending Grey Cup champs BC Lions continued from where they left off, soundly smothering the Green and White through some savvy ballhawking, 42-12.

One wonders if the USA U-20s are poised to see their impending doom against the Austrians in Toronto later today.

David Beckham is now officially with the G’s. Good. Now crush Tigres for me, please.

So Melbourne Victory did get some early silverware, after all…

Go figure. I thought the match ended in a draw (blasted GlobalScore), but the game between Tianjin Teda and Melbourne Victory did go to penalties, with Victory winning the shootout, 6-5. The Chinese teams seem to be tough nuts to crack for Melbourne Victory. This will be some nice momentum heading into their Pre-Season Cup campaign. Best of luck putting the boots to Adelaide United once again.

And I hope Australia gets their mojo back putting the boots to Iraq. The last thing I would like to see is the Roos getting an early exit. Believe in yourselves, Australia. Save the SexyBall when you got a stranglehold on them.

USA 2-1 Uruguay: Own goal, and then a brawl afterwards. What mo, er, less could you ask for?

Midweek Mayhem Minutes from the Midwest couldn't have come any sooner.

Just when things couldn’t get any worse for the USA, Uruguay take a page of the playbooks of the ultras of Nueva Chicago and Tigres, and starts up a postgame brawl…in Toronto, Canada! Toronto, Canada, peoples! If there was a wrong place to start up a melee between young men (bring out my One Piece pirates, Naruto ninjas, and robot army for reinforcements!), it was here.

Baghdad, Iraq, should have been a place to do it. Send out some streakers were suicide bomb jackets to shut them up. But they never came to Toronto, and I don’t think they ever should, so to keep their youthful, troubled, weeaboo-free sanities intact.

The melee on the pitch tainted a 2-1 USA victory, thanks to the heroics of one Michael Bradley, and you wonder if the Ultimate Fighting leagues of the world were watching intently. Maybe some of these closet hooligans can make money off of this, albeit in a more proper setting.

Spirited group fight, wrong place to do it by far. End of post.

Woe-klahoma! Chokelahoma! The Great Depression returns to Okie-land again, and the Cowboys are smiling wide.

Hello, Bad News Bears.

Oh, what a drag for Oklahoma’s football team. The NCAA, that bunch of scumbags who make Congress look like forensic rejects prostrating toward Phoenix Wright, decided to stiff the Sooners even more. After some self-imposed penalties thanks to former QB Rhett Bomar and OL J.D. Quinn, the NCAA imposed:

*clears throat*

• All eight wins in the 2005 season vacated
• Two less scholarships for the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons
• One less coach that can recruit on campus

And that is just a few of what the NCAA decided to do. Naturally, Oklahoma president David Boren said, “Okay, if you want to lay the heavy artillery on one of the Big XII powerhouses, it’s on!” In other words…Boren decided to appeal. Baron de Montesquieu, you should be smiling in heaven, for once again, checks and balances are ruling American bureaucracy just as much as it is giving both sides headaches in a lose-lose situation the media papers love to feast on. It seems to actually give them something to write about, although the articles are nothing more than clichéd, unoriginal crap in attempt to get a paycheck boost.

Sigh. Such are American sportswriters. Disgrace to the journalism concept for what its worth. They're as bad as they come, though the British do it better.

Rammstein send help!

The New, Officlal Los Angeles Galaxy Logo. Finally.

The New, Officlal Los Angeles Galaxy Logo. Finally., originally uploaded by uhlocalboy.

I was given some bootlegs. This is the real deal, I promise you. Kudos to BigSoccer's very own marighand for the find. *applause*

News flash: The AL East is still up for grabs.

In my mind, nobody cares about the MLB All-Star Break, unless you are a retired, obese baby-boomer or a spoiled, fugly wife of one of the players who will be taking part. That said, those who are calling the race for the AL East pennant to Boston are fools, and for good reason: the New York Yankees are catching up. Right now, they are literally crushing the Los Angeles Angels, 12-0, heading into the late innings. As if things weren’t bad enough for my favorite teams. Mike Scoscia going to have to get these players more focused on the task at hand, and that’s win games. We’re still on top of the AL West, but by the seat of our asses.

That said, I’m more interested on the football: the arena football (the Avengers face the defending ArenaBowl champion Chicago Rush tomorrow), the Canadian football (Saskatchewan takes on Calgary in a few hours), and the associated football (can Team USA U-20 go far in the knockout stages, and will the Socceroos rebound from their dismal performance against Oman? And what of the Galaxy? Can they dispose of the Richmond Kickers on the 10^th, while seeing David Beckham take care of things as he jumps aboard?).

One thing is for sure: those Damn Yankees are back. Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, Mo. and Lola send help!

Bryan Brothers choke in the final. The world turned upside down.

All you doubles teams playing tennis right now, whether competitively or for recreation, here is a perfect example of what not to do: give up three straight sets while winning the first. I seriously have to question Bob and Mark Bryan’s preparation against Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra in the gentlemen’s double final at Wimbledon. After steamrolling through most of the bracket, the last thing you want is to give up three straight sets in the final after not dropping a single one until then.

Overconfidence? Divine intervention? Karma being a bitch after Venus Williams defeated Frenchie Marion Bertoli? The conspiracies, accusations, and water cooler double talk will no doubt linger in the local tennis circles regarding this match. It’s an unpredictable game, tennis is. And a loss of this magnitude is something the local papers love to rip apart.

Speaking of choking, a few of my favorite soccer teams came out with draws. Ties. Not victory or a loss. Melbourne Victory ties Tianjin Teda 1-1, Australia drew 1-1 with Oman, the LA Galaxy tied 2-2 with Kansas City, Toronto FC tied Chicago Fire 1-1, and the Japan U-20 played to a scoreless draw with Nigeria’s U-20’s. What a drag. This means the only new torrent downloading right now (outside of Toronto’s victory over doormats Real Salt Lake and USA humbling Brazil in the U-20 world cup) is Saskatchewan starting their season off right with a victory over the Montreal Alouettes in the CFL.

Well, my Angels won, the Dodgers choked, and the Armada got back on the winning track after Orange County prevented a 5-game sweep. Not the best weekend for me, but not the worst in terms of futility, either.

At Anime Expo 2007...

At Anime Expo 2007, I read the translation of the lyrics to the song “Hare Hare Yukai” and upon further review…this song sends a clear, strong message: the youth of tomorrow are the key to our future, and when they achieve their ambitions and lead the world to progress and satisfaction and leave a memorable legacy, humanity itself has chosen the best path for survival for many centuries to come, and in turn, picked the right path Haruhi Suzumiya would want her world to follow.

And at the same time, have fun doing it. Because being bored is evil, and being active and having something you like to do that promotes that concept of world piece is heavenly. That’s what Haruhi thinks.

Actually, she’d prefer to play around with Kyon forever, but let’s be serious. Those words written were not written for money. These words are a message: if we do not believe in piece, and decide to go the wrong path, then the future will always be bleak. But if we decide to choose the right path, and do the right things, and be ethically right in every judgment and decision we make, then the future will show promise and continue to pave the way for many more generations to come.

Well, Aya said she will be back. I could hear the strains of “Mottete! Sailor Fuku” ringing out loud next year at AX 08. Either that, or I have had too much fun today. May the Haruhiism movement continue to be spread to all the corners of the world. It will not die, so long as there are those who believe in it.

The convention was awesome. We set a new record for attendees. I got a workout from a concert with Halko Momoi, a Guest of Honor that was spotted by an attendee at the Wal-Mart nearby, of all places. The auction raised 25,000 big ones for the Children’s Hospital of Orange County. And I got some sweet autographed goods from Yuuna Inamura, as well as an armband from Haruhi herself.

This was a great convention. Next year, AX will be at the Los Angeles Convention Center in the first weekend of July of 2008. Now this has possibilities.

My condolences go out to the family of Avery Atkins, a football player from Bethune Cookman. Another small school makes headlines for all the wrong reasons. I smell foul play involved.

Those USA guys down in Venezuela, a.k.a. Chavezstan, must be having a miserable time down there, while the U-20’s are in for the biggest match of their lives against Brazil. I just hope our senior American Football team kicks butt in Japan. I’m also looking forward to the start of Canadian Football season. Hmm, hmm, hmm…go Roughriders!

I hope the Socceroos put on a great show down in Thailand. They called for “Le Sexy Football.” I hope they play great enough football to make a maiden’s knickers get drenched. After all, group play involves Oman, Iraq, and Thailand, so it shouldn’t be that bad. The biggest enemy, of course, is the weather…and themselves, if things go real awry…

Beckham will be falling in with the Los Angeles Galaxy soon…until then, I ponder Melbourne Victory’s efforts against Tianjin Teda…they did hold the Chinese national side to a 1-0 victory for the home team in Hong Kong.

Japan’s Tsunami silenced by Route 66

So, Takeru Kobayashi is bested by the likes of one Joey Chestnut. We are taking back eating. Hallelujah. And 66 hot dogs at that. This is what happens when your jaw just gets crushed. The Tsunami is silenced. And redemption is sweet.

I just learned that Sochi, Russia, is hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics. Pyeongchang is 0-for-2 when it comes to bids. If there was one scapegoat that I would have to point at, it would be one of the most roneriest dictators in the world. It’s sad that North Korea’s situation is perhaps a reason why Pyeongchang did not get the bid.

I hope all the people up in North Korea defect-all of them, save Kim Jong-Il. If they should die trying, they should be declared martyrs, all umpteen hundred-thousand of them.

Sochi won the bid 51-47.

The Galaxy and Toronto FC got out of the cellar for a few days. Toronto defeated Real Salt Lake 2-1, while Landon Donovan knocked home two penalties in a 2-0 victory over the Chicago Fire. Drawback: my Angels lost.

Later this week I will do a little blog on what happened at Anime Expo 07. It was a success, in spite of some annoying delays.

All good streaks must come to an end some day...

How about Emirates Team New Zealand. Dean Barker got the best of Brad Butterworth's Alinghi boys at the America's Cup earlier today. It's all square at 1-1. We have ourselves a contest.

The USA's streak is still going...after giving up the first goal by Mexico on American soil in a long while, those scrappy Nats rallied for a 2-1 win over El Tri to hoise the Gold Cup for the 4th time, tying their neighbors south of the border. And for the first time in my two years plus on BigSoccer, I got a warning from one of the mods for rubbing it in. I couldn't resist. Sour grapes is sour grapes. Hugo Sanchez, you should admit that the better team won. Hubris is poison.

Maybe Pat Casey should have been the USA Baseball coach this year. His Oregon State Beavers has just about set the stage for a dynasty, and are a few outs away from wrapping up another College World Series title (though I hope North Carolina makes things interesting and proves me wrong). I have to shake my head at that.

I wonder if we will even score a goal at the Copa America later this week. I start to wonder now, as I download a torrent of the match earlier today after having already recorded it on tape.

Anime Expo 2007: As a fan, this is one of your best weekends.

Haruhi, the SOS Brigade, the Galaxy Angels, Death Note crew, ORESKABAND, and all the other good fixins packed in one weekend. I'm only in my second year staffing at Anime Expo, and I am very excited to help out the attendees from June 28 to July 2. There will be thousands upon thousands of people who will showing up in Long Beach, California.

I knew that this year was going to be the year of Haruhi Suzumiya, and lo and behold, she is here. Aya Hirano, the voice of Haruhi (as well as the voice of Konata Izumi from Lucky Star-could it be their year next year?), as well as Minori Chihara (the voice of Yuki Nagato) and Yuko Goto (the voice of Mikuru Asahina), are coming down to the Beach to greet their supporters of the SOS Brigade. There will be Haruhi plushies all around. Get to the exhibit halls fast, and get yours...quick!

I am personally hyped about this year's edition, because we have Yuuna Inamura, the voice of Apricot Sakuraba of Galaxy Angel Rune (GA II), rolling over to the Long Beach Convention Center next Friday. Yes, my friend, there are Galaxy Angel supporters here in the USA, and Rico is starting to warm up as a possible contender for Saimoe 2007. All four of them will be doing some autographs. I hope to get one from any one of them.

The ska band ORESKABAND rolls in, and companies like Bandai and Toei are coming down to the Beach as well. Eisaku Inoue, of One Piece fame and other classics, is another Guest of Honor. Tetsuro Araki, the guy behind Death Note, is going to be here, as well as pop sensation Anna Tsuchiya. And Bang Zoom is coming down to help out at AX Idol.

Also, there will be some Otaku Parliamentary Debates. Wonder if this is a alternative to the debates for the presidency. Heheh, this will be fun to watch.

And of course, Masquerade is going to be highly competitive. Oh man, I'm going to have to bring a ROCKSTAR pack with me just to be hyped up about it.

They're going to rue that call for a while, those Canucks will...

I feel for the Canadian football fans. Not those who support the CFL, but those who are soccer fans up north. Armando Archundia took a goal away from them in stoppage time, denying extra time, and the game, and a berth in the final, and the USA defeated Canada 2-1 at Soldier Field in Chicago.

Those fans up north are going to rue that call, and label Archundia as a villain. The BigSoccer forums are going to be busy with the wrath of the Canadians, and some sympathy but tons of relief from the USA supporters. And don't forget, mixed reactions from the Mexican supporter, too.

Two people I have to feel for in his match:

First, Michael Bradley of the USA. There is not a worse feeling in the world for Bob Bradley than to see his son sent off. He had to make that tackle, though, so it was a proper sacrifice.

Second, (and this is to be fair to both sides), Atiba Hutchinson of Canada. Things could have been interesting had the game gone to extra time. I, personally, thought it went in. But it is said that the team that has the most breaks will win it. The offside was the biggest break for the Nats.

I give my kudos to:

Frankie Hejduk. What a was to break your Gold Cup du(c)k, Frankie. His first-ever goal in this competition, and his first goal in over seven years. Incredible. Welcome back, Frankie. Relax like that guy going to Hollywood after seeing some movie-worthy drama in th dying moments of the game, and get ready for a curtain call on Sunday.

Landon Donovan. A goal, an assist, and a card. Had it been a red instead of yellow, that would be a Gordie Howe-like hat trick. (I know Gordie plays a different sport, but the form is similar) A brace on Sunday, and he will kill to records with two volleys past the keeper, over the line, inside the posts, and into the nylon.

I personally hope it's the USA vs. Guadeloupe, but I have a gut feeling, the inevitable classic is coming up Sunday.

Life goes on at Chicago.

While Sammy Sosa is hitting his 600th home run of his career, and the Concacaf Gold Cup semifinals are getting underway, there is an eerie quiet amongst the Chicago Fire organization. Dave Sarachan was sacked as the manager of the Fire yesterday.

The players disapproved of such a move, saying that the blame should be on themselves for not doing well. They should know the business side of things, the cruelness of reality. You won't be able to manage a team for a few decades if you don't get results. As a player, you want to welcome the move, and adjust to the new manager's style of coaching. You never want to blame yourself and the team for the sacking of your coach because it will set the tone for the rest of the season.

I should point out that while it feels like a funeral for the players, for the fans it feels like the end of World War II all over again...

And I still think that our USA 2016 Olympic bid is doomed.

Hang on! The champagne is not Korbel!

Well this was a rarity. When the videos were about to be burned, and it was saying 0 seconds remaining, suddenly, the window says “About 5 seconds remaining,” and then it went to 10, and 15. Crikey. This drive must be slow when it comes to burning what really matters. The status bar is full, and it’s not even finished burning at set of items that is 869 megabytes strong. In fact, as of this writing, it’s still at about 5 seconds, and it’s not even done.

Sometimes I don’t get things. Or rather, I think I have lost my mind. For example, while Long Beach State’s baseball team is consistent, the pro team, the Armada, are slumping again. They are now the only remaining pro franchise in this city after the Ice Dogs packed it up. I should reiterate it once again: we are not a pro sports city, the only exception being Belmont Shore Rugby Club. We already have Long Beach State and Long Beach City, as well as the local high school powerhouses (Poly, Wilson, Millikan and nearby Lakewood, for example) to keep us entertained.

Once again: we are not a pro sports city. We are not a pro sports city. We are a high school/college town when it comes to athletics. All other pro franchises (aside from Belmont Shore) can lay down and die in the gutter, sipping the bum wine of failure. And THAT, my friend is the bottom line.

I am sure Boca Juniors will wrap up the Copa Libertadores tonight. I'm calling for it. Gremio is on the ropes, and though they have rallied many times, one wonders if they can pull off one of this magnitude.

After the closure, I meant to find out.

The Anime Expo meeting at Haskett Library (which was now open 12-5 on weekends) took 2 hours, divided by less than 2, which was one hour, and some extra minutes. No more confusions, I believe. For example, I know who Thai Nam Pham (a.k.a. Nammy) is. I just had to go on all fours in embarrassment. I felt the surges of cold rising all over my body, the tears flowing like waterfalls…

Now that’s just being too overdramatic.

I’m surprised I found some new CGs from Galaxy Angel II. More new submissions for the imageboards. And I got the second volume of GA 3^rd English. They are now dubbing the GA Rune series. Oh man, I gotta save some money for that one.

It was clear my Galaxy and Toronto FC did some trading, and it worked out well for both teams today. Toronto FC crushed FC Dallas 4-0, while the G’s got back on the winning track, with former TFC transfer Edson Buddle cashing in with a 3-2 victory over Real Salt Lake. The Green and Gold had better make a tear of this, and fast.

Not a lot of people saw this coming: Guadeloupe stunned Honduras 2-1 today at Reliant Stadium. They will be facing, as expected, Mexico in the semis at Soldier Field on the 21^st. But not many people expected Costa Rica to give Mexico a hard fight, with three red card, and the winning goal from El Tri in extra time, 1-0. Mind you, the Ticos were three men down by the time the match was over. The official at that game must have had a heck of a challenge at that one. I was correct on Jared Borgetti getting one. I was hoping Nery Castillo was going to get a couple, but I can’t predict them all right. Oh well.

If Guadeloupe defeat Mexico at Soldier Field on Thursday, then the winner of the USA-Canada game will represent the region at the Confederations Cup in South Africa in 2009. I think that will drive the winning side of that match to win it all.

One thing’s for sure: my laptop’s gonna be busy downloading some torrents tonight!

Bloody Tiger Woods...

Too much hype on one person is a bad thing. There is this guy by the name of Aaron Baddeley, and he is the leader so far at the US Open heading into the final round tomorrow. But he's not the person getting the hype. The guy behind him is, and he's getting, I think, way, way, way too much highlights on ESPN. Only one highlight on Aaron, and then the schmucks at ESPNEWS cut to the scorboard. If this proves to Aaron's advantage, and he finishes the tournament ahead of Tiger tomorrow, then ESPN should get a slap on the wrists for putting too much hype on Tiger Woods.

So what if he shoots a 69 and has only one bogey and a bevy of pars. He's still two shots back, and the game of golf doesn't exactly see things go the way they are. If they do this again, and show only one highlight of the current leader, and him holding the trophy, while putting 20 or so highlights on Tiger, ESPN should be cursed for not giving love to the young Aussie wonder, a guy who might surpass Greg Norman in notoriety (but for all the right reasons, of course).

Rapid-fire, rapid-fire, rapid-fire!!!

So my mind thought, as it deliberated taking the US Postal 473 Battery later this summer. I just finished taking the CBEST today, and while my mind isn't completely fried, I knew that I my brain, the only calculator allowed for the exam (and a natural one, at that), went through a workout.

I was given 4 hours to complete the exam. I approached the exam attacking the math secton first, then the reading, and then the writing. This was ample time, because I knew that the first section was rapid-fire, the second one required some logic and some other deliberations of the senate in my head, and the third one required me to practice my proposal to Congress skills, as well as an anecdote on what make me happy.

After the second writing essay, I found out that this house won't go through a lot of damage, and if it is, it's not from me, but from someone outside of my family.

I am glad the USA and Canada advanced today in the CONCACAF Gold Cup Quarterfinals. The first game saw Canada defeat Guatemala 3-0. All the Canadian scorers in group play each pitched in. Dwayne De Rosario got the first goal, Ali Gerba got the second, and Julian De Guzman got the third. Actually, there are conflicting reports that show Gerba getting a brace. It doesn't matter who scored for Canada; Guatemala, Carlos Ruiz and all, was shut out. And all the goals were in the first half.

Compare that with the game between USA and Panama. It was scrappy, and the Nats were flat, but Landon Donovan (the penalty master) and Carlos Bocanegra each got a goal for the home side, while Panama showed its grit with a consolation. They were eliminated a man down, losing 2-1. And all three goals were in the second half. Coincidence? You be the judge. But one thing is for sure: there will be a lot on the line between this two sides come June 21 at Soldier Field in Chicago, and it's not just a spot in the final.

Now, if only Honduras and Mexico can take care of things at Reliant Stadium like they did a few days ago... Encore, amigos!

EDIT: I checked the article from MLSNet.com, and it was confirmed, a brace for Ali G. Well done, comrade.

Man. Were those Cavaliers even trying?

Cleveland failed basketball tonight. The San Antonio Spurs swept the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight, winning 83-82, and winning another NBA Championship. LeBron James is probably where Shaquille O'Neal was when he and the Orlando Magic faced the Houston Rockets. He has a long way to go.

Well, it's going to be super Saturday for the USA and Canada teams at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. The Canucks take on Guatemala, while the USA has the rematch of the 2005 final, against Panama. I can't see the USA getting upset on Saturday, but the game before is no sure bet. I am picking Canada and the USA advancing in a key battle for bragging rights at Soldier Field on June 21.

Meanwhile, I am taking Honduras over Guadeloupe, and Mexico over Costa Rica in a nailbiter.

I am confident that I will take care of business at the CBEST this Saturday. But I am not going to be overconfident. I am hopeful that the reading and math portions are going to be rapid fire, but a lapse in concentration could make all the difference.

A few more weeks, and Anime Expo is going to be taking place. I can't look ahead to that just yet...

I am so glad that I got the free tuition from the Beach Pride Center. All that hard work supporting the home teams paid off, literally. I hope Sophie Lee is teaching 380 this fall. I want another stab at this. And my fate as Super Fan is sealed. Stay tuned June 21 for the official news.

A Saturday in review

• The Stanley Cup arrived, without case, by airplane. I saw it, that three-foot-tall piece of silver and nickel, glistening for al to see. Only four people in the history of the cup have engraved it, and the fourth one will be working on the next panel tomorrow. Apparently, the other three were already dead. Sort of like a tradition passed down from one person to another. Once you are called to engrave on the Cup, you are given the job for life. I think.
• I met Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for the first time. With his movie-star accent and political savvy, the Governator gave a nice speech.
• I met the band Pennywise for the first time. They only sang one song as the players coaches, management and the Cup came down the red carpet (which I personally blessed a la basketball court, a hallowed ground of glory, a ritual), and that was the song that is most associated with the punk veterans from San Diego, the Bro Hymn. This was modified for the event (i.e. "Anaheim Ducks, this one's for you!") It's rare to see a song with simple hooks and chords that is still strong for nearly two decades, and be readily customizable.
• I met the players on the team for the first time. If you take away the glory, the accolades and so one, and all the honors, they are really regular people like us who work hard, and had the right chemistry to win.
• OCTA didn't do its passengers a favor by not having enough buses to take the commuters home. They may need to be better prepared next time. I decided to drop the complaint after seeing that bus ahead of me when boarding the next one as I was about to get off at the VA Medical Center.
• A guy from Long Island told me, "My friend shook hands with Randy Carlyle. He said, 'Randy, thanks for all the hard work.' He said, 'No problem. Look, I gotta head home. It's late.' That was the best thing that ever happened to him." He has a mystique about him, Randy Carlyle does. A humble person who had the winning formula this season.
• I was on the big screen for a few seconds. Tee-hee.
• The cover band that played before Pennywise was not well received. Posers.
• The championship flag was raised, the confetti fell, and fireworks came up into the sky. Next season, three banners (Pacific, Western, Stanley) will rise into the rafters.
• The Kings will be crushed. Dial 99999!
• The Galaxy failed again, and the noose is getting tighter for Frank Yallop. The Angels won, the US soccer team is off to the finals, and the Matildas failed football. Again. Damn you Kim Jong Il and your bloody concubines for ending the hopes and dreams of the maidens of Australia! Not to worry, I'll stay to base follow the US ladies instead now in Beijing.
  

VI.IX.MMVII

Actually, this would have been Haruhi Suzumiya raising the trophy above her head, but the Ducks didn't sweep. Damn that Game 3.

...Aflac?

Hey la, hey la, my laptop's back... <3

Yesterday, I got my laptop, a VAIO VGN-N130G, back. It was going through some repairs by Sony, and the hard drive had to be replaced, and a few keys that were loose were put back into position. Naturally, I upgraded it back from XP to Vista. This time, though, I upgraded it to Vista Business, as this is the primary use for this laptop. In the future, I will give it another stab at Ultimate, just not in the near future.

So now I am blogging from this laptop. I just want to share a year in photos. This year was a successful year for Long Beach State athletics, and I would like to give you a taste of what we do at the Beach.

A Year In Review

Anaheim Ducks - 2007 Stanley Cup Champions!

What a day for hockey. The Anaheim Ducks win the 2007 Stanley Cup.

Canada still fails [sic] at ice hockey. It should be a day of mourning in the nation's capital. Get the hearse ready, and bring out some pitch black Clydesdales while you're at it.

As for Anaheim, and all of Southern California and Orange County, embrace your Ducks. They are the champions of North America.

Enjoy fapping that Auld Mug, Butterbean, your days are numbered.

Well, I woke up to news that Dean Barker and Emirates Team New Zealand blackwashed Luna Rossa 5-0. Alinghi, Brad Butterworth and Ernesto Bertarelli, you better look over your shoulders. The Kiwis want their America's Cup back, and they mean it.

The article...

Australia destroyed Jordan in Olympic qualifying, 4-0, so they are off to the final round on the road to Beijing, and Japan took care of things, too. The Jordan win was impressive because they did it without Kristian Sarkies, who fell ill with a virus. There are no articles yet, but GlobalScore.com confirmed that it was a 4-0 win, with all four goals in the second half. Unbelievable.

Meanwhile, England holds on to hope that they will qualify for Euro 2008, defeating Estonia 3-0. This day could get even better if Toronto FC and the Canadian national socccer team win their games. And of course, if Anaheim wins the Stanley Cup, this day will have reached its highest point for me.