Day of Losses

So I woke up to see a losing Celtics - an end to 6-0 run.
Then on my way out to hear that Nuggets have lost, an end to their 5-0 run.
Then played a losing game with the Spartans as our Season 2 starts, barely a run.
And now Slingers have lost their first game in the ABL League, an end to 4-0 run.

Live stats to the Singapore Slingers vs Philippines Patriots game here. They lost 70-53 with the local boys only contrbuting 8 points.

Hmm we didn't do much better.... for the Spartans vs Rock Dogs, the score was a dismal 102-72. We lost by 30 points to a much stronger team today, but it seems we lost the heart in the 3rd quarter over much unforced TOs, which we counted easily 4-5 out of bounds + at least 7 travelling calls. Strange thing is that it happened to mainly 3 persons who all came late for the game today. 12 TOs equate easily to 24 pts to the opponents and that attributes to morale going south, which makes the part of having heart. Nothing is more tough fighting within ourselves.

As usual, we had a long post game debrief in order to know what went wrong and we learn from our mistakes. To win games, despite it being in an amateur or a professional one, we all have to bring our best to the table. We started with 6 guys with a sick center and a one-eye point guard from a terrible bacteria eye infection. We had 3 players who came late despite not playing last week in our pre-game warm up against O2. Somehow, perhaps complacencies set in as I see the next game with newly form teams in their new uniforms bringing in more enthusiasm - full squads of 12 came on time with warm ups completed.

No excuses, I need more practise these coming weeks as we push on in a more competitive Jammers league, where teams have made their changes and trades to better themselves. Go Spartans! Go Slingers! Go Celtics! Go Nuggets!!

Optimism in my perspective

Back in the school days, it is quite often I get a "He is a happy-go-lucky...or the well-liked in class, especially amongst his classmates..." comment on my report card, which I intentionally left out the full picture that I was rather disruptive cracking jokes to girls and I am seen often to be bored displaying symptoms of ADD which requires me to pay more attention during lessons. And the truth of the matter is that my teachers were more than kind with those remarks, yet nothing escapes my sharp observant mom going: "You must be creating a lot of trouble for your teachers!" More often, the truth is found out during Parent-Teacher sessions or when my Principal/VP calls my folks in. Basically the following words were never found in my report cards:


Examples of Positive Adjectives that Describe Children Being Used by Teachers:

Considerate     Well-mannered     Responsible

Fair                  Friendly               Brave

Thoughtful        Thorough             Self-confident

Intelligent         Cooperative         Helpful

Honest             Respectful           Efficient

Talented           Self-disciplined   Sincere

Responsible Hard-working    Dependable

Creative           Generous           Kindhearted

Mature             Curious             Artistic

Enthusiastic

LG sucks and reflection of time schedule

Life has been really busy lately. So I have no time to send my mobile phone for repair and thus, friends who don't message or call me...will slowly drip off from my schedule..which isn't really a bad thing. I am also known to be a procrastinator to such unimportant things which can wait and coincidentally this blog entry was due 2 weeks ago. Apparently I have been wearing for weeks - one of my fav t-shirt that goes "Procrastinator Unite! Tomorrow..." bought from my favorite Target mart  in US.
Also never believe in product ads on youtube and reviewers anymore. Below is a video review of my LG Renoir which supposedly can withstand baking, washing and even running over by a car...but apparently not by my go-kart going at 90-100kmh which is considerably lighter than a car..haha
Here is my go-kart aka long time army friend Jonathan's account of it and his wise words of advise on what not to do on a go-kart.



Anyway here is my typical after-work schedule which prevents me from actually having a relationship.

Mondays: Rest day from a crazy weekend since US is still Sunday...well that is until 8pm. Normally no conference calls so time is spent with the family or with my buddies at usual drinking hole.

Tuesdays: Normally 8pm conference calls. Otherwise tennis with my ex-colleagues or last minute movies with my movie buddy.

Wednesdays: Typically 10pm conference calls, otherwise alternative basketball scrimmages/tennis date or last minute movies.

Thursdays: Strangely normally conference calls only start at 10 or 11pm, in time to be back from my 2-hr Wing Chun classes which start at 8pm.

Fridays: Conference calls around 8-12am otherwise party or drinking time, otherwise it is NBA Live 10/Command and Conquer online with friends till 2-5am.

Saturdays: Morning check urgent work emails and noon is basketball matches at Jammers League, night is gathering with friends who have pre-booked in advance.

Sundays: Either morning photoshoots or in JB for go-karting followed by either shooting live basketball with Slingers at indoor stadium or buddies drinking gathering.

Noticed a lot of drinking...well here's a reminder that drinking is good for cognitive brain functions and helps in sleeping when you have too much to think.

Ignorance is bliss and I have no country

Weekly worthy reads - Singapore is a city and that's the truth. As the years go on, the occupants of this island should wake up to reality that we are merely renting a hotel on the island. This is not a country, since the bulk of us can't vote anyway, we just need to be obedient and dutifully work and enjoy live basketball games, with self-paid nanny millionaires governing the state without you needing to worry. Just make sure you pay your taxes on time and enjoy peace.

And of course, to be part of these millionaires, you must love to be ignorant despite many years of quality education.

“Our approach has therefore to [sic] been to ignore the criticisms which make no sense (to us).”
Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Law & Second Minister for Home Affairs
26^th October 2009

Nice approach, takes the pressure off needing to be accountable and answerable. And seriously, criticisms? Humbug..like I f*%#ing care what you 200 nitwits lawyers from the New York State Bar Association International Section think. Our drone-repressed citizens enjoying being plugged into the City Matrix and enjoying the fabulous ride.

Pretty screwed scrawling seen at a traffic crossing somewhere near Ang Mo Kio MRT

Ooh hoo..did I mentioned I need to do NS in the City Matrix? Upcoming March, wondering if a new software upgrade with PRs or FWs doing my NS since this is not a country anyway? Hope I can still keep my job, as my US boss was unaware of my 40-day NS liabilities as I was headhunted from Hong Kong. Ding!

Remember

There are 2 things worth remembering today...

The game started with a moment of silence to remember Lawrance Chow, as we stood by the courtside awaiting the game to start, we wondered who is Lawrance. Well, only now I know that he is the son of Slingers Deputy Chairman Chow Yen Lu but more importantly Lawrance is someone who love sports and with it...life, here is a great write up about Slingers by Lawrance; and that is how I briefly know him - through his words.

As we start the game, it was clearly shown that the Singapore Slingers were playing well tonight. And Indonesia Satria Muda Britama team were not themselves, being #2 in the league standings. Slingers rolled over them, winning 96-72 with the local boys doing everyone proud, which I will blog in details later with pictures but for now just look at the scores - even Prasad scored his first 2 points!

turbanizer.com corporate box with their MISS sign - quite effective I must say!

Almost at the end of the game, emotions got the better of me as I sat in front of the Turbanizer.com corporate box. Those guys are great fans screaming and often with their dangling MISS sign during free throw shoots and this time round, they even shared it with the Botak Jones' corporate box who took over that responsibility of pissing the opponents off in the 2nd half. Well, how exactly did I got too emotional? I joined in and started screaming with them at the Indonesian import - Alex Hartman you suck!

Botak Jones himself taking over the MISS sign in the 2nd half, as the team switch sides. 

So this Hartman guy actually replies to our taunts, and says this to us, well wait till you guys come to our court. I'll make sure we trash you by 40 points. I shouted back at him "Yeah right!" and he replied 40 points. I shouted back, "You do that, I'd hold you to that!!" Arrogance in another degree. Early in the game, he shot an air ball, and I overheard him saying to the referees that they did not call a foul, "No way can a professional player like me would shoot an air ball on a hook shot."

Let me tell you this. I watched Michael Jordan live in action, he missed a dunk and he shot air balls, and he is the undisputed greatest basketball player in the world. He displays more professionalism that you. Just to put you in place , the following pictures are for you and I will remember your promise to me. 40 points.

Hartman getting a LeBlanc block, who was waiting for quite some time

 

Here is Hartman trying to dunk - trying because this is actually a throw in as his fingers only touch the rim after the ball bounced off the rim with an off arm pushing Desmond Oh.

Hartman - you suck!