Month: February 2012
How does Jeremy Lin stack up after 10 games?
I was tempted to put up a post reflecting my thoughts NY Knick point guard Jeremy Lin after his third game, in which he exploded for 38 points against the LA Lakers. I was very impressed by those first three games, but I decided to hold off because I wanted to see more from Lin before joining the Linsanity and joining in agreement with all those who have declared him to be the next great star in the NBA. I’ve been a fan NBA fan for a long time now, in fact, longer than Jeremy Lin’s been alive, so I’ve seen a few players explode on the NBA scene before and then fizzle out in short order. Now that Lin has played 10 games with starter type minutes I think it safe to say he has demonstrated that he definitely belongs in the NBA and while it is still premature to declare that he is will definitely be a top tier star he has shown that he has the potential to be a very solid starter in the league.
I can honestly say that I have known about Lin for a few years. I first took notice of him back in the 2007/2008 season, when Lin’s Harvard team beat Boston College. BC was ranked 17th in the country at that time and I asked myself “How did that happen?”. I checked the box score for that game on ESPN.com and found out that Jeremy Lin had a monster game ( 27 pts, 8 assists, 6 rebounds). After that game I started keeping track of Lin’s accomplishments.
I find it hard not to root for Lin. His improbable path to the NBA is well documented. He was a star on his high school team in Palo Alto, CA, which won a state championship and was not offered a scholarship by Stanford, UCLA or Cal Berkeley. Harvard’s coach initially thought he might not be Division I player, but in the end they gave him a shot and he goes on to have a great career in the Ivy League, but was not drafted by any NBA teams. He bounced around the NBA for over a year, with stints at Golden State and briefly at Houston, before finally getting his big opportunity with the Knicks and that only happened because of injuries to other players.
I did a little number crunching to see how Jeremy Lin compares to other point guards in NBA and I must say that I was little surprised to find out just how well Lin compares statistically to his peers at the point guard position.
Scoring: 24.6 per game 1st
Assists: 9.2 per game 3rd
Rebounds: 4.1 per game 6th
Steals: 2.4 per game 2nd
Turnovers: 5.6 per game 1st (highest among PG’s)
FG%: 0.500 3rd
3P%: 0.333 26th
Lin has also tallied 4 double-double’s in 10 games, which ties him for 11th in that category. Most staters in the NBA have played between 25 and 30 games so far this season, so that too is an impressive accomplishment.
Can Lin maintain these lofty numbers? Well, time will tell. Given his present supporting cast on the Knicks I think he can remain the top ten in most statical categories, although he obviously does not want to be in the top ten for turnovers, his one significant weakness so far.
It won’t get any easier for him, that’s for sure. Because of the “Linsanity” he is a marked man in the league now, but he seems to be a fairly well grounded individual so I think he will be able to handle the pressure.
I hope Lin’s success continues because I think he is an excellent role model for young people. Moreover, I think it is fantastic that Lin has made Madison Square Garden an electric place to watch a basketball game again. NBA Commissioner David Stern could not have planned anything better for Knicks, one of the NBA’s flagship teams. The Garden really rocks when the home crowd gets behind the Knicks and the league as a whole really benefits when NY has a strong team.
Watching the Knicks for the rest of the season should be a lot of fun.
Kodak Cameras 1888-2012
On Feb 9th, 2012 Kodak announced that they would be phasing out production of all digital cameras and video recorders. Kodak has been producing cameras since 1888 and as an owner of several Kodak digital cameras I was disappointed, but not surprised, when I read the report of this decision. Most of the Kodak digital cameras sold today are sub $300.00, with many under $200.00. I always thought Kodak digital cameras were well built and good values, but that segment of the market is highly competitive and under constant pressure from ever improving cameras built into smartphones and other multifunction devices , such as the iPhone and the iPod Touch.
My first digital camera was a Kodak DC290, which I purchased about 12 years ago. It was quite expensive, about $800.00 IIRC, but I was fascinated by it and digital cameras totally rekindled my interest in photography. I used the DC290 as my primary camera for just a couple years and ultimately replaced it as my primary just a couple of years later with a much small and less expensive Kodak digital camera. However, it was the DC290 that demonstrated to me just what a quantum leap digital photography represented. I made a point of taking the camera with me on a summer trip to Aspen, CO because I knew I would be able to find numerous scenic areas out there. When I downloaded those pictures to my computer I was stunned by the detail and the rich colors. A few of those pictures remain among my all time favorites and I have posted them below.
The Acura NSX 2.0
The next generation Acura NSX was introduced to most people in the U.S. during the Super Bowl, with a funny commercial that featuring Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno both vying to be the first on line to take delivery of the new hybrid supercar. The new NSX won’t actually go on sale until 2015, but the commercial was certainly very effective in generating a lot of interest in the car. The Acura website crashed as a result of all the people that attempted to visit the NSX page on the Acura site during the Super Bowl.
Based on the comments I have read about this car on various Auto blogs and Car Magazines sites it seems that opinions of the car’s looks, performance and value is quite divided, but most people seem to think that the new NSX is a winner and a worthy successor to the original NSX. I think the NSX will be a huge hit for Acura/Honda. It is projected to cost $130,000.00, so it will not be a car for the masses, but it will be at price point well below top tier exotics such as the Ferrari 458, Lambo’s or the new McLaren MP4-12C , which run $230,000 and above. The NSX will be in the same price neighborhood as the Porsche 911 and Audi R8.
Motor Trend reported the NSX’s spec’s in this article….Future Shock:2015 Acura NSX
Here are a few of the basics:
Engine: 480hp gas/electric combo (V-6 gas +3 electric motors)
0-60: 3.0 seconds
Weight: 3,100 lbs
The SB commercial with Seinfeld and Leno did show the NSX, but only standing still in a showroom. If you want to see what the NSX will look like when it is moving, and moving fast, take a look at the video posted below. This video is a digital animation of the next gen NSX, but it looks like a real film of the NSX in motion. Super Cool!
This car will probably keep me buying lottery tickets for the next few years and looking for the next tech stock that can go up 1,000 percent plus.
Drones over U.S. get OK by Congress – Washington Times
Drones over U.S. get OK by Congress – Washington Times.
The FAA estimates that 30,000 drones could be flying over the U.S. by 2020. Is that number really necessary? I can’t imagine why this country would “need” 30,000 drones, but I plan to do more research on this technology. I will reflect my findings at a later date.
My Predictions for the 84th Academy Awards
I have not seen the all the films that earned nominations, but I have seen several of the most highly acclaimed films of 2011, including the following: The Descendants, Midnight in Paris, The Artist, Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy, Warrior, Moneyball, Margin Call, The Tree of Life, Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.
I have not seen these films yet: The Help, The Iron Lady, Beginners, Hugo
I have based my Oscar picks on my impressions of the films that I have seen, as well as several other factors, such as other awards won to date (Golden Globes, SAG, etc.), and more intangible reasons, such as how I think the Academy perceives the reputation and overall body of work of the actor/writer/director. The values and politics of the Academy certainly comes into play for some awards so I attempted to include that in my choices.
My favorite films of 2011 wereThe Artist and The Descendants and I think those two films will battle for most of the top awards, but there were several other strong films, including Moneyball, Midnight in Paris and The Tree of Life, among others, so I look forward to Academy Awards with great interest.
BEST PICTURE
The Artist
DIRECTOR
Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist
BEST ACTOR
George Clooney – The Descendants
UPDATE: I think momentum has swung. My new pick is:
Jean DuJardin – The Artist
BEST ACTRESS
Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady
SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christopher Plummer – Beginners
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Octavia Spencer – The Help
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Descendants
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Midnight In Paris
TRUMP: No one’s apprentice – Washington Times
TRUMP: No one's apprentice – Washington Times.
Donald Trump makes the case for Mitt Romney in this Washington Times opinion piece.
I still have some reservations about Mr. Romney, but if he is the GOP nominee I’m sure I will vote him.
2012 Super Bowl : Post Game Thoughts
New York Giants 21, New England Patriots 17
More often than not it seems that the Super Bowl does not live up to expectations, but this year’s Super Bowl certainly did. It was a great, hard fought game and really one that could have gone either way. I’m happy that the Giants prevailed because they are one of my two favorite teams (Chargers are the other) and I did pick them to win. I found picking games in the playoffs this season vs the spread to be pretty tough. I’m glad I got the Big Game correct. I now regret not going to Vegas and putting some money on the Giants, although I’m not sure I would have been able to watch the 4th quarter of this game if I did.
I was expecting a little more scoring by both teams, but I wasn’t at all surprised that the final margin of victory for the Giants was 4 points. I predicted a Giant win by 3. I thought Eli Manning would be able to throw on the Patriots and he did rack up nearly 300 yards passing, but NE’s defense did play well. Eli really had to thread the needle a few times to complete passes. I also thought RB Ahmad Bradshaw would play a key role and he did, scoring a key TD and generally keeping the Patriot defense honest with his threat to run. The Giants defense did their part too, holding Brady & Co. to 17 points. Each team had a few players that were not 100% due to injury, but I must admit that the Giants were lucky that NE’s star TE Rob Gronkowski was slowed due to a high ankle sprain he suffered in NE’s previous game against the Ravens. Gronkowski was the best TE in the league this season and if he was completely healthy the outcome of this game might have been different. Normally, Gronkowski frequently commands a double team because of his speed, but he clearly was not as mobile as he normally is and that allowed the Giants to single cover him and use another defender elsewhere.
This Super Bowl victory was a great achievement for the entire Giants organization, but it was especially important to Head Coach Tom Coughlin and QB Eli Manning because it will probably ensure that both of them are inducted in the NFL Hall of Fame. It will be very interesting to see if the Giants can build upon this victory. Coach Coughlin is committed to returning and Eli is in his prime as a QB, at 31, so it is very possible this Giants team may challenge for more Championships within the next few years. It will tough though because the top 5 or 6 teams are pretty close, but it will be very interesting to see if the G-Men can pull it off.
iPad App Review: Photogene
Photogene is a photo-editing app for the iPad. It has been around for a few years, but it was just updated a few days ago. I’ve used it for well over a year and I thought it was a great app before the most recent update, but it is even better now. The update has added many new features, such as new filters and other tools for modifying photos, including a feature that enables you to make collages. I think this app is an outstanding value at only $2.99. You can buy it at the iTunes store.
Here are a few examples of photos that I have modified using the Photogene app….
Super Bowl XLVI Prediction: The Giants Will Win!!
Well, I’ve been going back and forth on the Super Bowl, but I now think the New York Giants will defeat the New England Patriots.
The point spread in Las Vegas opened at Patriots -3.5, but most books in Vegas are now at Patriots -3.0 and at least one Vegas book now has the Patriots at -2.5.
This game is a tough call because it is easy to make an argument for either team, but I think the Giants look like the stronger overall team right now. The Giant D is playing much better than they were in the regular season and the Giant offense looks good too, especially with RB Ahmad Bradshaw back.
Of course, if you read a few of the many pro-Patriot articles on some of the most popular sports websites you would think this game will be a rout and that NE wins 45-10, with TE’s Gronkowski & Hernandez scoring 4 or 5 TD’s, and a few other guys chipping in for the rest. .
Hey, if the Patriots are so good why didn’t they annihilate the Ravens? I know, I know, Brady had an off game and it won’t happen again. Oh, and, of course, Bill Belichick is greatest coach of all time…/sarcasm. Seriously, the Patriots are very good, I recognize that. Brady and Belichick are future Hall of Famers, but I think the Ravens demonstrated that a strong defense can disrupt NE’s offense and that an opponent with a QB who is a superior passer can move the ball and score on NE’s defense. Eli Manning should be very encouraged after seeing Joe Flacco throw for 300 yards on NE. Let’s not forget that the Giants defeated the Patriots during the regular season 24-20, in Foxboro, MA and they did it without Ahmad Bradshaw, who was injured at that time.
It is unrealistic to think that the Giant D can shut down Brady & Co., but I think they can slow them down a bit and that will enable the Giants to win. The Giants are peaking at the right time: The G-Men totally shut down a pretty good Atlanta team, then they went to Green Bay to knock off the Champ’s at home and followed that impressive feat by going on the road again and beating San Francisco, the team that arguably had the best defense in the league this year. Head Couch Tom Coughlin and his staff deserve major kudos for that performance. A victory over the Patriots would be a fitting end for a truly great season.
Final Score: Giants 34, Patriots 31
gmf journal 