Dat court vision

Russell Westbrook drives and gets to the net going 3 v 1.

But totally misses a wide open kickout to Kevin Durant.

Why does OKC's offense look like a mess even when it's going right?

Cool story bro

The Aviationist has a cool article up about the flight demonstration that sold the F-14 to Iran:

After the F-15 had finished its display, everyone was waiting for the underpowered F-14A demonstration: the Tomcat’s TF-30 engines would have not given to the aircraft the same thrust to weigh ratio of the Eagle.

However, during the F-15’s performance, Evans and Romano burned down a great quantity of fuel and now they had only 2,500 pounds of remaining gas: while this little quantity was only sufficient to accomplish their flight demonstration, 2,500 pounds was also one eight of the Tomcat’s  internal fuel capacity and thanks to this fact the Tomcat had the same thrust to weight ratio of the Eagle.

At this point the F-14 had one thing that the F-15 didn’t have: variable geometry wings that would have made the difference for the grace of the flight demonstration.

Funny that flash ended up selling the bird, guess the Shah wasn't big on energy-manoeuvrability diagrams.

The F-14 actually did have another thing going for it though: the AIM-54 Phoenix long range missile. To this day, it remains a capability gap.

What's with this picture anyways? There's no way that's a real combat loadout right? This must for Macross battles!

"大丈夫ですか?"

I bet she learned how to pitch from Jessica.

On the other hand..

All the people complaining about Russell Westbrook hogging the ball or how he should've been traded over Harden also have no idea how the team works.

Russ is an elite point guard, top 5 in the league. Harden is not.

OKC doesn't have a lot of shooters, and their big man is basically a zero in the paint offensively. If they can train Ibaka to be a consistent post threat, it would go a long way to relieving some pressure. Until then, they need Westbrook to put up the volume numbers.

Westbrook needs to be fearless, and he needs to be a constant drive threat. It doesn't even matter that he takes more shots than Durant, because Durant's stats are only as good as they are because he is selective with his shots. Someone else needs to chuck the ball the rest of the time and I'd rather have it be Russ than Perkins, Ibaka or Sefolosha.

That's not to say Westbrook doesn't have problems. Sometimes his court vision narrows to a laser beam. And sometimes he tries to drive through a lane that's obviously going to collapse into a 3 on 1 or even 4 on 1 (no joke). That's not bravery anymore, that's just stupidity.

But then again, it's still not entirely his fault. Because what the hell are his teammates doing just standing around spectating?

The more fundamental problem is that Scotty Brooks's playbook is so thin that its contents can fit on a business card. Until they learn to move the ball, they are going to lose to teams that can shut down Durant/Westbrook isolations. There aren't that many that can (which is why they're doing as well as they are), but the real contenders, the teams that OKC actually need to focus on beating, can do it consistently.

Westbrook's bricks are easy to laugh at, but they're just the most obvious symptom.

Looks about right..

OKC is up to their old tricks again.

Westbrook running down the clock with a million dribbles, tries to drive with 2 on 1, and then jacks up a brick jumper.

No ball movement whatsoever; no cuts, no screens, everyone else on the team stands around and watches.

And is that Perkins choking someone out? 



I haven't actually seen them play in a while, but watching for half the season, it doesn't look like they're going to improve much by playoffs.

Some people think that OKC has a good chance at a championship this year based on their record.

Those are people who don't actually follow the team, because this kind of playstyle is going to get them killed by the Heat every. Time.

Temptress Episode

Apparently this is what passes for a siren in Taiwan..
OH WELL! NO ARGUMENT FROM ME!

This is a good idea

Looks like Golden State is setting the new standard for basketball jerseys.

 
But now what will I see hot Tiffany in?

The Sons of Martha

The sons of Mary seldom bother, for they have inherited
   that good part;
But the Sons of Martha favour their Mother of the 
  careful soul and the troubled heart.
And because she lost her temper once, and because she
  was rude to the Lord her Guest,
Her Sons must wait upon Mary's Sons, world without
  end, reprieve, or rest.
It is their care in all the ages to take the buffet and
  cushion the shock.
It is their care that the gear engages; it is their care that 
  the switches lock.
It is their care that the wheels run truly; it is their care
  to embark and entrain,
Tally, transport, and deliver duly the Sons of Mary by
  land and main.

They say to mountains, "Be ye removed." They say to
  the lesser floods, "Be dry."
Under their rods are the rocks reproved-they are not
  afraid of that which is high.
Then do the hill-tops shake to the summit-then is the 
  bed of the deep laid bare,
That the Sons of Mary may overcome it, pleasantly
  sleeping and unaware.
They finger death at their gloves' end where they piece
  and repiece the living wires.
He rears against the gates they tend: they feed him hungry 
  behind their fires.
Early at dawn, ere men see clear, they stumble into
  his terrible stall,
And hale him forth a haltered steer, and goad and turn
  him till evenfall.
To these from birth is Belief forbidden; from these till
  death is Relief afar.
They are concerned with matters hidden - under the
  earthline their altars are-
The secret fountains to follow up, waters withdrawn to
  restore to the mouth,
And gather the floods as in a cup, and pour them again
  at a city's drouth.

They do not preach that their God will rouse them a
  little before the nuts work loose.
They do not teach that His Pity allows them to drop
  their job when they dam'-well choose.
As in the thronged and the lighted ways, so in the dark
  and the desert they stand,
Wary and watchful all their days that their brethren's
  day may be long in the land.

Raise ye the stone or cleave the wood to make a path
  more fair or flat - 
Lo, it is black already with blood some Son of Martha
  spilled for that!
Not as a ladder from earth to Heaven, not as a witness
  to any creed,
But simple service simply given to his own kind in their
  common need.

And the Sons of Mary smile and are blessed - they
  know the Angels are on their side.
They know in them is the Grace confessed, and for
  them are the Mercies multiplied.
They sit at the Feet - they hear the Word - they see
  how truly the Promise runs.
They have cast their burden upon the Lord, and - the
  Lord He lays it on Martha's Sons!

-Kipling 1907 

Blue Submarine No.6

Pros:
1) Great atmosphere
2) Great soundtrack
3) Great concept art

Cons:
1) Gonzo

The thing about..

..Kobe Bryant (Lakers guard) is that he never passes

..Kevin Durant (Thunder forward) is that he has flailing noodle arms

..D'Antoni (Lakers coach) is that he doesn't coach defense

..Blake Griffin (Clippers forward) is that he dunks too much

..Dwight Howard (Lakers center) is that he can't make free throws

..David Stern (NBA commissioner) is that he hates the Spurs

..the Raptors is that they always lose at the buzzer

..Lebron James (Heat forward) is that his hairline keeps receding

..Carmelo Anthony (Knicks forward) is that his wife tastes like Honey Nut Cheerios

..Jeremy Lin (Rockets guard) is that all the Asians love him

It's easy to tell who can sing in the group

(They're the ones with proper mikes: TaeTiSeo + Sica)

These girls will sing unsupported depending on the intensity of the performance (e.g. if there's a lot of dancing involved or if they have to do several acts in a row). Everyone else performs either partially or fully supported.

For anyone who's never worked with audio equipment before, here are some things about microphones: if it's not right in a performer's face, it's not being used properly; if the top isn't directed at the mouth, it's not being used properly.

If you hear the premix mike tracks from live performances, Taeyeon is fucking loud; she's got real pipes.

(Well okay, all of them can sing "above average", but most of them aren't there on account of their singing abilities)

Their new album dropped on New Year's, performances at that time were fully synced, presumably to get them familiar with the live choreo first.

They haven't gotten all the live vocals nailed for I've Got a Boy yet. Probably because the dance for it is more physically intensive than normal.

(The choreo is from Nappytabs, if anyone cares)

Someone posted their planking time

It really wasn't very impressive.

But in the process of proving it, I did figure out a 3-step program for improving plank times.

Step 1: Set laptop in front and put on a Korean music video

Step 2: Start the plank

Step 3 (this is the important one): Fill your soul with envy for Taecyeon's abs

Happy planking.

New Years Medley

Someone told me yesterday that Carly Rae was going to perform at Celebration Square. Good thing I had Twitter and can immediately clear up any misunderstandings.

I read an article about how New Years Eve is bound to end in anti-climax and disappointment.

It's true, all night interviewees were asked whose performance they were anticipating the most, and the answer was always Taylor Swift. Then the ball dropped and there was still no T-Swizzle.

We had to put on Youtube videos of her to scratch that itch.

By 2am we're watching old Chinese dramas. That's perfect, I need to get this stuff out of my system at least once a year.

"You know that image that's like, yes, I know some of those words? That's how I feel when seeing Chinese subtitles"
"我..什么..什么..什么..是..什么..什么..什么.."
"在..什么..什么..什么.."

I ended up in some super Asian photos yesterday. I'm not sure if I'm anticipating or dreading when they surface on Facebook one day.

So I found out that this cover was made today and that means my year is off to a great start. Good thing I have Twitter so I can immediately know if something like this happens.

Happy New Years.

What bothers me..

..is that their costumes are woodland, but their heels are baby blue.

Well, they sure proved me wrong..

Nike's trying a new campaign:

In other news, here's KD helping seniors stay in shape.

Realism

Toronto Raptors.

They're not even in a situation where it's like, "oh, we can win sometimes when the other team plays like crap".

Because other teams play like crap, and still win.

And when I talk about other teams playing like crap, I don't mean good teams playing "sloppy".

It's bad teams like Portland, legitimately playing like garbage, and then winning.

By 20 points.

It's gotten so bad that the Raptors are getting booed at, in Toronto.

Have you ever seen glasses so fly?

She wore them during SMTown Tokyo and SMTown Seoul performances.

But not at the performances in SMTown LA and SMTown Taiwan.

Swoon

Somebody took a picture of their newly arrived photobooks.

Obviously I had to go track down the picture in picture.

Then I went and found the performance video too. <_<

CLASSIC WESTBROOK

What a clown; Kobe couldn't believe his eyes

This continues for another good screen and a half

I never really know what's going on in my Twitter feed.