Lakers: Proving it IS in fact possible to lose with this team

January 21, 2013January 21, 2013 smackyjackjackLeave a comment

Kobe, Nash, Howard, World Peace, Gasol.

What could go wrong with such a winning lineup?

Well, apparently, a lot. The Lakers proved today that it is possible to lose with a team so star studded as this. In fact, they can make it look easy.

You have to admit, today’s game was almost comically bad. Howard got kicked out before the half, Kobe hitting TEN for THIRTY-TWO shots, and Gasol flopping his lanky arms around the rim every play in a feeble attempt to make the ball go in.
FLOP
I honestly don’t know what’s going on with the Lakers. The talent is obviously there. Is it the age factor? Is it that no one on the team can play together? Is it that D’Antoni’s mustache has cast a spell over the entire team? The latter seems quite possible.
What is he hiding under there?

Whatever it is, the Lakers need to figure it out, and fast. They’re falling dangerously close to not making it to the playoffs, with an even more dangerous schedule ahead. I say dangerous with my tounge-in-cheek because we did just lose to the Raptors. The TORONTO Raptors. Canada is not notoriously great at basketball.

And we’re back!

January 21, 2013 callmemaybe32Leave a comment

Well, Saturday marked the first day of the 2012-2013 NHL season, well I guess the 2013 season at least.

It was a long and frustrating lockout, but the teams are back lacing up the skates and getting out on the ice.

I witnessed a moment in history that will only happen once, and that was watching my beloved Los Angeles Kings raise their first Stanley Cup banner up into the rafters at Staples Center.

While watching the captains of the team skate the flag out to center ice I started to feel something.

The Native Americans Plight

January 21, 2013 frog3Leave a comment

The Native Americans who stood on long held land, were once asked to leave.

The Native Americans, aghast at the Europeans request politely refused.

It was their right to refuse.

However their greatest mistake was to trust the Europeans word.

In order to take from the Native Americans they had to rationalize their request.

The Native Americans of course do not really need their land and besides we can convert them to.

So the forced removal began with the Native Americans fighting to hold onto their homes.

It was for naught, the Europeans could easily destroy the Native Americans with unseen weapons.

Disease, an invisible force that cannot be fought decimated the Native American tribes.

The Europeans in all their false righteousness eventually won out.

Sleepless San Francisco.

January 21, 2013 eternity10301 Comment

Last week for our English 11 Honors class, Mrs. Wilson asked us to write a personal essay about the site we wanna live. And all of the sudden San Francisco came out of my mind. I’ve been there only once, but I just couldn’t help myself thinking about it all the time. I want to live there.

Sleepless San Francisco

There is a place that I would love to leave my heart there without hesitation. My sleepless San Francisco would be the dream I want to keep even when I am awake.

Located on a peninsula between the San Francisco Bay and Pacific Ocean, San Francisco has its own definition of city – compact, busy, but scenic and comfortable as well. I would first arrive into San Francisco from the north via the world-famous Golden Gate Bridge, the place for a good start. I would be the first one to watch the born of sun, and enjoy the amazement of the golden sunshine.

Then my journey would start. When there came the noisy bells, the yellow cable cars would be on their way heading to me. I would choose to stand on the edge of the car and hold on to the handrail. “Ding-dong, ding-dong” – as the car drove, my hair would swing with the wind and the views would greet me as I passed by. Built on several hills, the roads are steep but also well-organized in a grid. The most exciting moment would be the downhill part, where I could experience a gentle roller-coaster.

Missing Piece

January 21, 2013 backinphillyLeave a comment

Ever feel like you’ve lost something that you simply can’t ever replace or recover?

Not something really, someone. Losing someone that close that knew so much and wanted a better human being instead of a monster.

One who rather be feared and respected than loved. What kind of animal is this? This maniac never evolved fully. A heart and soul were left undeveloped from the vessel that wreaks havoc on all those who care. Pushing away, more interested in achieving his desired power than achieving relationships with those that wanted to be there.

Denial was never the answer for him. Hiding in the shadows, he tried to hide himself from everyone because he couldn’t stand causing the hurt anymore. The pain he forced upon himself and the world around him was unorthodox. Everything and everyone that he thought he loved was all a lie. He wasn’t capable of love or allowing people to love him. He wanted to learn, but didn’t know how. His power was declining.

Is there more than just raw power? Is there emotion in this cold life he lives? Is there any way to achieve happiness?

What an outrageous concept. He so greatly craves love. But he can’t feel it. He had it.

But she was always his missing piece. She never saw what he did. She was incredible to him and he loved her. But when the missing piece fell to the floor, she dragged his heart with her, never allowing love again.

As much as he wants to hate her, he can’t. He still loves his missing piece.

Capitalistic Inefficiency

January 21, 2013 frog3Leave a comment

Money what is it?

Humans assigning artificial value.

Perhaps.

Why?

Humans greedy creatures cannot decide what people should have.

A short lasting solution is brought into play.

Everything is given a value.

A system is created.

A human works and is given a value.

This value gives humans the ability to buy objects.

These objects are of course given value.

Capitalism has risen.

That’s all fine and well.

Social Darwinism is the norm.

A worker who works hard will rise in social size.

How logical.

So then a lazy worker will fall in social standing.

A sound concept in theory.

It does not work like this.

People who work hard may suffer, those who don’t may thrive.

Why?

My Second Family

January 21, 2013 Daphne PsaledakisLeave a comment

As I step off the plane, my friend texts me: “Welcome home!” Normally, I wouldn’t even think twice about this. I would respond saying thank-you, and how excited I was to be home. Only this time, I paused for a second. I had to think twice about it.

I spend the majority of my time here at OVS. I live here, I go to school here. And at some point, withought me even realizing it, I started thinking of it as home.

My family is in Colorado, and when I’m on break that’s where I go. Aspen is beautiful, but at the same time it’s hard for me to be there. The friends I had while going to school there I have grown apart from.

It’s hard to go from living in the dorm, where almost all of my friends are around me 24/7, to Aspen where I don’t have very many people to connect with. When I came to school here my friends slowly became best friends, and from there they morphed into a second family.

And while I miss being home at times, when I’m home I miss being at school.

So when my friend texted me that welcome home message at the beginning of break, I thought to myself that it’s just one of my homes. The home where my family is. But my life, my life is back in California.

The Apocalypse Is Upon Me (In the Italians eyes)

January 18, 2013 equestri vitamLeave a comment

One of the things that I’ve learned about Italians is that they are utterly terrified of bad weather. No matter how minimal it is, it’s the end of the world.

Every single time it is even slightly grey or cloudy outside, my host mother makes sure I am completely bundled in impermeable clothing before leaving the house. Rain jacket, rain boots, and without question an umbrella must be on me at all times.

This morning has been the biggest example of this Italian behavior I have ever seen in my entire life. As I woke up this morning and went down stairs it was noticed that it was snowing. I got so excited, my first time in snow this whole winter. The snow barely covered an inch on the ground, but still, it was snow!

My normal routine carried on, walked out the door at 7:25 to catch the bus, got on the bus around 7:35. As soon as getting on the bus I noticed that less than half the people that normally are on it, weren’t. Two minutes into our commute to town the bus slows down and slides slightly while going down a hill. As soon as it began to slide, every single italian in the bus lets out a death shriek. After five minutes of being stopped we are notified that there was an accident up ahead. In my head I’m saying to myself “Seriously? there isn’t even half an inch of snow on the roads!” But sure enough there was actually a car that had driven off the road into a ditch.

I immediately called our Direttore of school to notify him that we’d surely be late arriving to school today. When he answered, before even giving me a chance to speak all I heard on the other line is: “NON C’E SCUOLA, NON C’E SCUOLA, NON C’E SCUOLA,”(if you didn’t catch on that means “there is no school”). My classmates that I share the bus with quickly got off the bus and walked home.