What I Had For Dinner 6/11/08

Leftover chicken teriyaki.

The chicken was a little tough, but microwaves are good at that kind of thing.

It was an adequate meal -- in the sense that it supplied me with nutrients -- but I'm already fantasizing about what I want to eat tomorrow.

"The Official Snack of Hip Hop"

"Southern Crunk Barbecue" sounds like it could be good.

They can be ordered here: Rap Snacks homepage.

Literary Action Figures...Collect Them All!

These are actually pretty cool. I'd be interested in buying some of them.

William Shakespeare

Now with poison-tipped quill-throwing action!








Jane Austen

Accessories include a writing desk with secret compartment, used to hide her manuscripts from a nosy and judgmental family.






Oscar Wilde

Flamboyant purple jacket, fancy walking cane, and fashion-forward neckerchief included for added authenticity.

And with a simple paint job of the face and hair, can also double as the Joker.






Edgar Allen Poe

Raven included. Pit and pendulum sold separately.









Charles Dickens

Hat is removable!










Virginia Woolf

Equipped with aquatic action. Recommended for play in pools, bathtubs and, especially, rivers.







Emily Dickinson

Play dress-up with your favorite 19th century American Poet! Comes with 10 different dresses.

(Note: All 10 dresses are the same color -- white.)





James Joyce

If you want to get technical this is neither an action figure or stuffed animal per se but is really a finger puppet you can put it on your finger and make him dance and move or whatever you want to do and I believe there is also a magnet attached to the back so you can stick it on your refrigerator I love how they included his signature eyeglasses that shows a heightened attention to fine details it is very cute if you want to buy one it is retailed at five dollars and fifty cents not including tax or shipping fees yes and his heart was going like mad and yes I said yes I will Yes.




Socrates

Ready-made hemlock powder included...just add water!








Herman Melville

"Call me plush doll."











F. Scott Fitzgerald

No collection of literary hand puppets is complete without this, old sport.

What I Had For Lunch 6/9/08

I didn't feel like going through the necessary methods to procure a proper lunch (ie. leaving the house, spending money), so I ended up having a weird patchwork meal of a few different things.

I had a frozen Smart Ones lasagna, pizza rolls, strawberries & blackberries, and cheddar cheese-flavored pretzels.

Obviously, it wasn't that great and I still felt hungry and unsatisfied afterwards.

But my awesome dessert nearly made up for it: tiramisu. It was really good, really decadent. And while it wasn't enough to compensate for an entire meal, it did come close. As it turns out, I'm not a coffee drinker, but I love any kind of coffee-flavored dessert like cake or ice cream.

Whatever it is I end up having, I need to have a strong dinner tonight. Otherwise, my whole day will feel unfulfilled.

Party Shuffle

These are the first 15 shuffled songs that come up on iTunes. I promise they have not been doctored in an attempt to make my taste in music look any more sophisticated, obscure, or just plain cooler.

"Alison"
Elvis Costello
My Aim Is True

As with most people, I like "Alison" a lot. However, I'm going to argue that this is actually a case of the whole being LESS than the sum of its parts. The song's tagline is fantastic: "Alllllllllison, I know - this world - is killing you / Ohhh!" But everything that comes before and after that is exceptionally ordinary. And it's not that this is a phenomenon exclusive to only this one song -- countless great songs are, in reality, entirely carried by the strength of one single aspect, like a memorable chorus or whatever -- but this just may be one of the most famous examples.

And in High Fidelity, Rob ranks "Alison" at #1 on his Top 5 list of Elvis Costello songs; for the sake of argument, I'd put "Radio, Radio" at the top of my list.

"I Want You Back"
The Jackson 5
Anthology

I have a sneaking suspicion that "I Want You Back" has already come up in a past blog entry I did, but it's alright because I'm too lazy to check through the archives, and because it's such a great song.

Of course Michael Jackson hit his peak as a peformer/dancer circa-Thriller, but I honestly don't think he's ever sounded better than this. Whenever this song comes up, I always replay the "Ohh!"s he belts out at the very end as the track fades out. His pipes are/were amazing.

"Okay I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don't"
Brand New
Deja Entendu

Not only were these lines well-written, but more to the point, they were well-delivered.

"I am heaven sent / Don't you dare forget"

"We are entirely smooth"

"This is the way you wish your voice sounds / Handsome and smart"

These are the acidic lines spit out by a man who's confident, mean-spirited, vindictive, and completely paranoid. It's an awesome song.

"God in Training"
Breaking Laces
Socahatoa

Evident by the tongue-firmly-in-cheek line "It's time to turn this mother out!" (along with the dancing cheerleaders in the video) this is just a fun and ridiculous song.

And the highlight of this track comes in at the 1:27 mark when the guitars get all crunchy and distorted.


"Blue in the Face"
Alkaline Trio
Good Mourning

With frenzied power chords played over an entire wall of sound being so prevalent in nearly all of their work, it's nice to slow the pace and get a stripped down acoustic song from them every once and a while. And it's a good song, too.



"Can't Stand Me Now"
The Libertines
The Libertines

I like Pete Doherty, but I'm also tired of him. I don't want to read anymore Rolling Stone exposes on what drugs he's abusing, what laws he's breaking, or what supermodel he's dating. I feel too many music journalists are martyring him, glorifying him for basically being a waste of time. He's a very talented and underrated songwriter, but if he wants to implode himself from the inside out, go ahead and let him do it in private. No need to waste any more ink telling us about all the great music he could be making but isn't.

That being said, this is an infectious song. Lots of energy.

"One Mic"
Nas
Stillmatic

This reminds me, I think his new album is due out soon.






"Boombox"
The Mosquitos
The Mosquitos

One of my favorite songs sung (at least partially) in Portuguese.

And for me, any attempt to incorporate the musical stylings of bossa nova and samba -- no matter how thinly veiled it may be -- into contemporary indie pop is well-appreciated.

"Arc Arsenal"
At the Drive-In
Relationship of Command

The Mars Volta may get the critical acclaim (or at least, their first album), but from an enjoyment standpoint, I'll always completely and absolutely prefer the unpretentious energy of At the Drive-In. I'm old now, so I'm easily frightened by loud guitars, shrieking into the microphone, and amplifier feedback. But this is one of the few remaining, unapologetically deafening bands from my post-hardcore youth that I can still listen to at any given time.

And yeah, I guess Sparta is alright too.

"My Cherie Amour"
Stevie Wonder
My Cherie Amour

I like Stevie Wonder a lot more than I like Ray Charles.




(Disclaimer: Weezer's "Across the Sea" off of Pinkerton came up next but I already blogged about it, so I'll just skip ahead.)

"I'm Happy Just To Dance With You"
The Beatles
A Hard Day's Night

By the sheer quality of their entire body of work, nearly every Beatles song is "one of my favorite Beatles song." And I'm guessing most people are the same way. But this is honestly and truly one of my favorite Beatles song. It was written early in their career, so there isn't anything fancy. Just a straight-forward, verse-chorus-verse-chorus 2:00 minute pop song. But it's done so well. And it's sung so earnestly. "If somebody tries to take my place / Then let's just pretend we can't see his face" is an otherwise sappy line, but George sings it so convincingly, it might as well be a line taken directly from Hamlet.

And then there are the great booming drums, crystal clear melody and harmony, and busy, frantic guitars.

"Something That Produces Results"
The Early November
The Room's Too Cold

I'm not always in the mood for this -- and most early 2000s Drive-Thru Records stuff in general -- because I've mostly grown out of being an immature 18-year-old and grown into an immature 23-year-old. But I haven't heard this song in forever, so I actually enjoyed hearing it again.


"Goodnight and Go"
Imogen Heap
Speak For Yourself

Yeah yeah, we all love Frou Frou's "Let Go," but this is unbearable.





"Nice Guys Finish Last"
Green Day
Nimrod

Haha, I remember that this was on the Varsity Blues soundtrack.







"Another Boy"
Midtown
Save The World Lose The Girl

This song is a perfect :44 seconds. If it were any longer, I would like it exponentially less for every extra second tacked on. But as it stands, it's great.

Retired Players I Loved To Watch #11 (When he was playing for the Wasington Wizards and let his hair and bread grow out, he looked like Jesus)

Christian Laettner

I'm very surprised to admit this, but yeah, I kind of, sort of, loved watching Laettner play.

All common reason dictates I should've hated the guy -- his style of play was relatively boring and unaesthetic, mostly limited to playing below the rim because of a lack of any inherent athleticism, burst, or leaping ability. He failed to live up to expectations; he had one of the greatest college careers of all-time, was the only collegiate player selected to play on the original Dream Team, and was selected directly after Shaq and Zo in the 1992 draft. And of course, he played for Duke. That's enough reason to hate anyone.

But still, I think any basketball purist, anyone who really loves the game, has to begrudgingly respect how Laettner played the game. He played like someone who first picked up a basketball not just because he happened to be the tallest kid in class, but because he sincerely appreciated all of the minute details and nuances of the game. You can see it every time he checks into a game -- the fluidity, the high awareness, the confidence, the efficiency. These were the trademarks of a player who spent countless hours on a blacktop, perfecting his craft, chasing down his own rebounds to the point of exhaustion. He couldn't out-run or out-jump or out-muscle anyone in the pros, but after studying for four years under a guru like Coach K at Duke, he was capable of out-thinking most opponents, and that cerebral edge carried him a long way. He always knew how to be at the perfect place at the perfect time; he knew the exact time to set a screen (not too early as to draw a moving foul on himself, not too late to miss the defender entirely); the exact time to pass out of the double team and to the back door cutter (he was so patient, waiting for the second defender to clear, then used his great court vision and perfect accuracy to pick up the easy assist underneath the basket); the exact time to pick and pop (after setting the screen for a teammate the first handful of times, his defender will invariably start to cheat and sag off him to help out with the ball-handler, but this is exactly when Laettner will step back and drill the elbow jumper...and his form was flawless, so it always went in).

His lack of natural athleticism held him back from the start, and once he blew out his Achilles tendon and started having lower back problems, his stats started to dip and he began his descent into becoming just a bit player. But I think the most impressive thing about his career was that despite never being a freakish physical specimen, he was always capable of manipulating everything around him to constantly put himself into a position of advantage. Basically, he knew how to work a room, or more accurately, a basketball court. There's a lot to be said about playing smart.

And as far as I'm concerned, that miracle last-second shot he hit against Kentucky was just as good any other game-winning shot I've ever seen, every bit as good as the one Jordan made over Bryon Russel against the Jazz in the Finals.

Christian Laettner's career statistics

What I Had For Dinner 6/7/08

Pizza rolls.

Instead of just throwing them in the microwave, I got semi-fancy and cooked them in the oven instead. With just the extra little bit of effort (425 degrees for 10 minutes), my pizza rolls ended up with a crispy, golden brown shell. Then I sprinkled some dried oregano and crushed pepper flakes on top.

And for dessert, I mixed in crumbled oreos with mint chocolate chip ice cream.

It was a very simple dinner, very minimalist, but it was actually kind of filling. I was surprised.

What I Had For Lunch 6/7/08

Frozen honey BBQ chicken strips with yellow saffron rice, freshly chopped salsa (plum tomatoes, green onions, lime juice), and steamed broccoli. It was a decent lunch. More than anything, I'm just glad I already had all the ingredients I needed in the kitchen.

This wasn't my first option for lunch, but I settled on it because I'm trying to cut back a little on expenditures and, more importantly, it's too hot outside. Between the options of getting in my hot car or not getting in my hot car, I prefer the latter. I'm like a Food Vampire; I only leave my (air-conditioned) sanctuary and forage for nourishment after the sun has already set.

What I Had For Dinner 6/6/08

A tuna fish sandwich (on roasted garlic Italian bread) with potato chips, an orange, and a rice krispie treat.

The tuna fish was alright, but not great. I should've mixed in more mayonaise. I think I would've enjoyed it more if I'd really been in the mood for one. That, and I've never been convinced that solid white albacore is that much better than regular tuna. So I think I'm just paying the extra money -- and eating the higher levels of mercury, so they say -- for basically nothing. I didn't even finish the sandwich.

The highlight of my meal was the orange. It was so good. My timing was perfect because I got to it at its peak citrus perfection.

What I Had For Lunch 6/6/08

3 hard shell tacos (2 ground beef, 1 chicken) with yellow rice and refried beans.

I was craving it hard last night, but I wasn't able to have it because of the leftovers. So I finally got to eat it today. And it was good timing too, because I was starved. It was great, as always.

Also, I had to stop by Wal-Mart first to pick up some Cholula hot sauce. We didn't have any left in the house and I don't like it when my yellow rice is too dry. And I'm a big fan of the wooden screw-on cap. I think it's very iconic.

Yes We Can...Give Fist-Bumps

Yes, it's largely a puff piece that's making the rounds on websites, radio stations, and talking-head shows in an attempt to draw in the fleeting interest of a demographic that wouldn't normally be interested in anything the least bit political. But nontheless, this is why I support Barack Obama.

Something as simple as this gesture of greeting -- just two outstretched fists touching at the knuckles -- perfectly epitomizes exactly what Obama offers this country: change. It's a paradigm shift; a hope for something different; the subversion of everything we knew.

As far as the big picture goes, it doesn't mean much of anything. It doesn't speak of how competently Obama could fix our fuel-dependency problems, stabilize our hemorrhaging economy, protect us from terrorist attacks, or get illegal immigration under control. It doesn't really say anything, other than that Obama is particularly hip for a 47-year-old man. And yet, somehow, I find it so reassuring.

For me, everything about this one image symbolizes progress. It's the transition from one thing to another, with the former thing being what we were and the latter thing being what we can be. Not many other prominently public politicians can pull off a display of such honest and laid-back self-assuredness; if Bush fist-bumped someone, it would come across as contrived and rehearsed. If Hilary did it, it would look ridiculous. If Dick Cheney did it, you'd have to repress every instinctual urge to gag to death. If Al Gore did it, it'd be awesome, but that has more to do with irony than anything. So really, the only person that could legitimately pull it off would be Bill Clinton, and that's just because he was the closest thing this country has ever had to a black president. So to finally get to the punchline of this tangent, the importance of all this is credibility. We don't know what Obama's worth is as a potential president yet, we'll have to wait and see on that. But we do know what his worth is as a man. He's an entirely contemporary figure that matters in the HERE and NOW. Unlike his cardboard cut-out predecessors, he acts and thinks like me, like my friends, like my peers. He's the living embodiment of what things are really like, as opposed to an embodiment of the fictitious suburban Utopia that may or may not have ever existed. Forget about archetypes, they're for the dead and buried. Step aside, the future is coming through. I think we should all be very excited.

Although, upon closer inspection of the picture, I'm a little disappointed to see that Barack is doing it wrong. His fist is horizontal (think of how you would hold onto a bicycle handle), while Michelle Obama's fist is vertical (think of how you would hold onto a popsicle). His wife's got the right idea, she needs to give him the heads up on that. It's a small matter of concern, though. Nothing a little bit of quick coaching can't remedy.



And remember the way Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff used to greet each other on old episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air? I hope the two of them are saving that for the inauguration speech.

What I Had For Dinner 6/5/08

My mom and sister brought me home leftovers from California Pizza Kitchen: roasted garlic chicken pizza and Waldorf salad.

I'm not crazy about white pizza, so I thought it was only so-so. The chicken and onions were pretty good, but more than anything, I really missed the acidity of the tomato sauce. But the salad was amazing. The walnuts were candied, so they were sweet and extra-crunchy. The grapes and apples were fresh, very crisp and clean. They paid a little extra to get some slices of avocado on top, so that was nice. And the Gorgonzola cheese was very sharp and had a lot of bite to it, which I think is what really made the salad.

For dessert, mint chocolate chip ice cream.

What I Had For Lunch 6/5/08

Today was weird because I was busy and didn't get the chance to actually sit down to a proper lunch, but instead, just kind of grazed around on a lot of different things starting in the morning and continuing until the late afternoon.

Things I ate: Oreos, honey BBQ chicken strips, Cheetos hot fries, Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds, tortilla chips with sour cream and cheese dip, dried mangoes, and pancakes.

It wasn't satisfying. I regret not taking the time to just sit down and eat one solid, substantial meal.

What I Had For Dinner 6/4/08

A clear-broth soup with cellophane noodles (they're a thin, transparent Chinese noodle made from one kind of starch or another), pieces of lean pork, thinly sliced ginger, and a lot of freshly cracked black pepper, with green onions and cilantro as garnish.

It's so good, especially when eaten while still piping hot. The heat of the soup and the pungency of the ginger really clear up the sinuses. It's perfect for whenever it's cold out (which is never), or if you're sick or have a headache. I'll probably be having leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Headlines (Now it's official; Sidekick; They love the stuff in Hawaii; Shame; B-Easy)

Obama nomination makes U.S. history

Barack Obama clinched victory Tuesday night in the Democratic presidential race, defeating Hillary Clinton after a marathon primary campaign and becoming the United States' first black presidential nominee from a major party. -- Calgary Herald

Now it's over and now it begins.

As I've covered in my blog for the last couple months, I've enjoyed every minute of Hilary and Obama's race to the nomination of the Democratic Party. Regardless of how much I like Obama and dislike Hilary, I wanted to see them fight it out for as long as humanly (and rationally) possible. It was inspiring to see two candidates so publicly and graciously represent two separate demographics that have been oppressed and marginalized for so long. And as unaesthetically pleasing as Hilary is, I've give her all the credit in the world for her fighting spirit and refusal to concede a race that I'm sure she sincerely felt that she could eventually win.

With that being said, I'm glad the (non)suspense is over and we can finally get behind the Democrats' choice for the White House. The entire Republican party, with all its members and resources, have been able to rally around John McCain for what has already seemed like a lifetime. But now, we can do the same. For as much fun as Obama-vs-Hilary was, it was detrimental to the best interest of the party. Kind of like cutting off your nose to spite your face. The party was divided, one side advocating one candidate and one side advocating the other. At any given time, either of those sides were only capable of operating at half strength. But with last night's decision, we can consolidate our energy and put it entirely into a strong '08 campaign.

Now with THAT being said, I still expect McCain to win the presidency. Generally, people like the same old, same old; the status quo. We might suggest that we like change, but we don't. We prefer comfort over adventure. Old habits die hard, and considering that we voted President Bush to two consecutive terms, it isn't a stretch of the imagination to expect us to nominate a man that will bring more of the same.

Clinton's Vice Presidential Campaign

Hillary Clinton is "absolutely ready" to discuss the vice presidency with Barack Obama and has authorized supporters to encourage Obama to pick her if he feels that will help unify the party and help Democrats win the White House, according to Robert Johnson, the founder of Black Entertainment Television and a prominent Clinton supporter.

Johnson said he began discussing the vice presidency with Clinton last month and that they talked about it at a dinner in Puerto Rico last Saturday and again by phone and e-mail on Tuesday. "Let me be clear," Johnson said in a telephone interview Wednesday morning. "She said if asked to do this, she must accept because she believes that it is in the best interest of the party that the party come together and win in November." -- Washington Post

This seems like a pretty good spot to segue into this story.

If Hilary is seriously considering the Vice Presidency and being Obama's running mate, good for her. That means she's willing to swallow her pride and do what's best for her party. After all, when all of this began, she was the odds on favorite to represent the Democrats. So if you pair up the candidate who actually won the nomination with the candidate who came the closest to winning the nomination, all logic points to that being a pretty strong duo.

I actually think they could compliment each other really well; Obama charisma can make up for Hilary's rigidity, while Hilary's years in the White House (alongside Bill) and Senate can make up for Obama's relative inexperience. And they cover a lot of ground together. There are definitely enough minorities and women in this country living with quiet desperation to make a real push for a change, make a real impact at the polls on Election Day. These two amassed a whole lot of support criss-crossing across the countries during these past primaries, and those numbers can be used to their advantage if they were so inclined. It's up to them. I think they can do a lot of good by teaming up.

And anyone at Vice President will beat having to look at Dick Cheney's snarled, evil face for the next four years.


Don't laugh -- Sales of Spam rising

Love it, hate it or laugh at it — at least it's inexpensive.

Sales of Spam — that much maligned meat — are rising as consumers turn to lunch meats and other lower-cost foods to extend their food budgets.

What was once cheeky, silly and the subject of a musical (as Monty Python mocked the meat in a can), is back on the table as people turn to the once-snubbed meat as costs rise, analysts say. -- Sun-Sentinel

People are sheep. Everyone likes to rag on Spam, but I'd wager most of those same people have never even TRIED it. Yeah, it's way too salty (although Spam Lite would remedy that) and not overly nutritious and is made up of less-than-desirable cuts of meat, but it's not that bad. With the way some people react to Spam, you'd think it was chopped up puppies or human entrails something equally as paranoid. But really, it's just ground up and cured meat, similar to hot dogs or sausages or bologna. It's not a big deal, just an overly-processed product filled with additives -- much like the rest of the other stuff we eat.

People need to stop being babies and just give different kinds of food a try. Spam is actually pretty good for breakfast, with fried eggs and white rice.

Ex-Coral Springs mayor gets prison for molesting girl, 5

From dignified ex-Coral Springs mayor and family man to convicted child molester. That's the turn John Sommerer's life track took Tuesday.

Looking haggard and drawn in jailhouse blues, Sommerer received a 4½-year prison sentence after pleading no contest to charges he molested a 5-year-old girl.

Upon his release, Sommerer, 60, must also serve 30 years of sexual-offender probation.

From April 1, 2006, to Oct. 31, 2007, Sommerer inappropriately touched the child, forced her to skinny dip with him, had her spray his exposed genitalia with a water hose and made her ride a motor scooter while wearing a skirt without underwear, records show. -- Sun-Sentinel

What a freak.

I feel bad for the victim, of course. I also feel bad for the family; I went to high school with one of his sons. We had 6th period English together senior year. And he was a good guy.

But I guess what's important is our former mayor molested a child, and will now be molested himself in prison. It's the circle of life, just like The Lion King.

Heat President Pat Riley says Michael Beasley measures up

When it comes to measuring up, Michael Beasley apparently meets Heat standards as a power forward.

While the official numbers from last week's measurements and testing at the Orlando draft camp have yet to be released, Heat President Pat Riley said Monday that Beasley measured in at 6 feet 8 1/2 inches in shoes. -- Sun-Sentinel

I'm a little disappointed that Beasley measured out to be that short (he was listed at 6'10" while playing at Kansas), but that isn't enough to dissuade me from taking him #2 overall...assuming Chicago takes Derrick Rose. As far as I'm concerned, he's still the most talented, most complete player in the entire draft. And besides, I believe his wingspan and standing reach measured out to be well above average. The importance of height is often overstated when it comes to basketball, but in actuality, wingspan and standing reach (or in other words, the length of your arms) is far more important in the grand scheme of things. You don't grab rebounds with the top of your head, you grab them with your arms fully extended. So assuming the measurements are accurate and Beasley really does have super-stretched out limbs, I think he'll be able to play power forward just fine at 6'8". Because of his exceptional reach, I don't think he should have any problem with snaring high rebounds, blocking shots, and getting his own shots off cleanly over defenders.

As it stands now, B-Easy is still our choice.

What I Had For Lunch 6/4/08

Steak (sirloin cut) and frozen honey BBQ chicken strips (Tyson brand) with sauteed onions, baby portobello mushrooms, and broccoli.

Cooking steak is always a dicey situation with me; I'm very indecisive with it. I never know if I'm searing it too quickly and too intensely, to the point where I'm burning it on the outside and leaving it ice cold on the inside; I never know if I'm not searing it enough, missing the opportunity to caramelize it and form a quality crust.

Perfection is medium-rare, but I ended up falling somewhere inbetween that weird No Man's Land limbo stage: the outside of the steak was cooked decently enough (nice crust, nice color), but pockets of the inside of the steak were still terribly undercooked. And it wasn't the good kind of undercooked, juicy and pink and tender. It was just full-blown raw. So I had to throw it back on the stove and let pan-sear for a little bit longer. The end result was an edible but otherwise mediocre and amateurish attempt at a steak. It's weird because I watch hours upon hours of Food Network (not to mention Top Chef on Bravo) everyday, so I always just assumed that I would learn how to properly cook a prime piece of meat entirely by osmosis. I've SEEN it done so many times, so it just made sense to me that I'd be able to easy recreate it on my own. But I can't. I need more practice.

The chicken and vegetables were fine, though.

Retired Players I HATED Watching #3 (Although I will admit, I did like his knee-high tube socks)

Glenn Robinson

He was a machine in college. His last year at Purdue, he averaged 30 points a game. He just had that innate ability to fill up the bucket, so easily and effortlessly. It looked like he wasn't even trying, scoring baskets just came that naturally to him. There wasn't a single player -- not Jason Kidd, who didn't (and still doesn't) have a jump shot and definitely not Grant Hill, who I thought was merely a product of the system they ran at Duke -- I would've taken over Robinson in the 1994 draft. So when he eventually went #1, it was no surprise. I was so sure he was gonna win at least one scoring championship...if not several.

But his career got off to a bad start. He made a lot of enemies by demanding a $100 million dollar contract before he ever played a second of pro ball. Then, when he finally made his debut with the Milwaukee Bucks, he was very underwhelming. He averaged a solid 21 PPG as a rookie, but his numbers were deceiving -- he shot at a mediocre field goal percentage, he averaged few assists, didn't play defense, constantly turned the ball over, and worst of all, he didn't help his team win. The Bucks were awful, and it had a lot to do with Robinson and his shortcomings.

From 1994 to about 2000, he was one of the -- if not THE -- best midrange shooters in the entire league. From 16-18 feet out, from either baseline, Glenn was automatic. Vin Baker or Ray Allen or Sam Cassell or any of his other Buck teammates could kick out the ball to an open Robinson, and he'd sink it every time. It was a very easy shot for him. But that was basically his ONLY move. He didn't have any other weapons in his arsenal. He was a one-trick pony. For someone who was such a high-volume scorer (and he was), he was shockingly limited as a go-to player. He was very unathletic and slow-footed, so he couldn't blow by or jump over anyone. He was an awful ball-hanlder with poor eye-hand coordination, so he wasn't going to do anything dribbling on the perimeter or while in the triple-threat position. He always had limited range, so defenders didn't have to worry about him pulling up in transition from behind the arc. He earned the nickname "Big Dog" in college for his punishing back-to-the-basket post play, but he was so soft and afraid of physical contact by the time he got to the pros that he never bothered working out of the paint (that, and he was so unsure with the ball in his hands that he'd only end up dribbling the ball off his foot anyway). And the wind-up and lift of his jumper was so slow that he couldn't attack anyone one-on-one, as it would just end up getting blocked or deflected. ALL he had was that one move, that midrange baseline jumpshot...and that was entirely dependent on him taking advantage of another teammate getting double-teamed.

Because of his physical limitations (and all the holes in his game that he never seemed interested enough to work on during the offseason), Glenn Robinson was just a really ugly player to watch. I would get frustrated with how uneven and unpolished his style of play was. Everything was so clumsy and awkward, slow and plodding, robotic and deliberate. I could see his moves coming a mile a way, which meant his defenders saw them coming two miles a way, which is why he always ended up getting stripped or stuffed or called for charging. And what's worse, he seemed completely oblivious to how limited a player he really was...or, maybe just really stubborn. No matter how hopeless a possession seemed, he would still barrel head-first into a 1-on-3 fastbreak. Sometimes, it seemed like he played with his eyes closed. His lack of good judgment wasn't Antonie Walker-bad, but it was close. He was a very detrimental player, he was like a blackhole. No matter how many points he'd score, he always managed to hurt his team somehow. He was like a bad luck charm, always impeding the path of good fortune. At a crucial point in a close game, it was inevitable that he would do something stupid, like throw the ball into the stands or get whistled for traveling. And it didn't help that it looked like he was NEVER in top physical shape. He carried around baby fat for most of his career, never getting any kind of cut or definition. This had a direct impact on his lack of stamina and endurance.

And even when the Bucks got really good towards the late 90s/early 00s, it had more to do with the marksmanship of Ray Allen and the clutch-shooting of Sam Cassell. It's almost as if Milwaukee won DESPITE Robinson's efforts, not because of them.

Glenn Robinson's career statistics

What I Had For Dinner 6/3/08

Stuffed shells and garlic bread.

The best part was how it overflowed with ricotta cheese.