Alright, I confess: I love math. I think since becoming a math teacher I'm an ever bigger dork.
This is a six question geometry quiz that we took today in my academy. I was the only one in my class that got the quiz entirely correct...Can you do it??? Read carefully and think! This isn't a brain teaser (or puzzle...Adam...), but it is tricky if you don't think each question through.
If you check the comment page, I will leave a hint (if you want one). This is a quiz intended to be given to an honors high school geometry class. Only 1 out of 25 math teachers, however, were able to complete it.
Your Directions: Tell which statements are true (that you agree with).
1) A rhombus is a square.
2) A square is both a rectangle and a rhombus.
3) A kite is a parallelogram.
4) Diagonals of all parallelograms bisect each other.
5) Diagonals are only congruent in a rectangle.
6) Diagonals always bisect each other in any rhombus or kite.
So, which are true???
~Mikey D
I laid in bed the other night wide awake. Grace was fast asleep, the kitties were curled up at the side of the bed, and I just laid...staring out our open bedroom door and listening. I listened for slightest and quietest of sounds- a lock turning, door creaks, soft footsteps- all of which were hard to hear over our two fans that were cooling on max speed. I laid for an hour holding Grace as if I was a child and she was my teddy bear, petrified by fear. Fear of intruders. Fear of robbers. Fear of attackers. Fear of murderers. Plain and unfounded fear.
It was during this hour awake in bed that I realized that I am afraid of life. I think for years I've been lying to myself because I didn't want to believe it, but I think it's time that I not only realize it, but accept it.
This is a hard thing to do. "Carpe diem! Rejoice while you are alive; enjoy the day; live life to the fullest; make the most of what you have. It is later than you think." We've all heard quotes similar. I want to seize my day...but it's hard when I'm afraid.
I'm scared of mother nature. I think about places I want to live...the west coast (earthquakes), the midwest (tornadoes, possible volcanic activity, flooding), and the southeast (hurricanes), and I can quickly dismiss them as possibilities for one reason or another. I always think the next lightening strike in a thunderstorm has my name written on it. Black ice haunts me when I drive in the winter. I'm afraid of my own mother nature.
I think about having kids in the future, and one of my immediate thoughts is, "Do I really want a child to grow up in today's world?" All things considered, the last thirty years in America's history have been relatively quiet. My lifetime has been peaceful. Now, with anti-American sentiment, feuds in the middle east and tensions in the far-east...will it last forever? Will there be a boiling point? With weaponry the way it is today, I hope no...but if a nuclear holocaust can happen once, why not twice? Do I want to bring a child into the world to see the possible horrors of the future? I'm not sure the answer to that...all I know is that the future scares me, and I fear for a child's well being that's yet to be conceived.
I'm scared of being robbed, assaulted, or murdered. I play situations over and over in my head. What weapons my assailant has. Where I would be. What I would do. Where Grace is. What objects are available for me to use to defend myself. Would I be too scared too move. Would I fight and die. I watch shows all the time on TV (Cold Case Files, American Justice, I Survived, Notorious, etc.) that showcase evil men and evil crimes...that happen to the most innocent of people. I'm innocent. Those crimes could happen to me, and I'm afraid one day they will.
***
Living life to it's fullest...when you're afraid of the world and what it offers. I understand the joys and beauties of life counterbalance some of the evils and perils, and that one should focus on what's good rather than bad. But like a depressive who is too low, or an upbeat optimist who's too high, I am a normal person who is just too afraid.
And honestly, I don't know if I'll ever change. But at least I can admit it now. I'm afraid.
~Mikey D
Alright, I admit it. I was wrong. Soooooooo very wrong. But what's new with me and sports predictions?
I wrote a blog piece last July entitled "Lots of Stars, No Championships," in which I poo-pooed the Allen and Garnett trades. I honestly didn't think they'd work, and history was on my side. Stupid history, you've let me down again!
And while a lot of what I wrote still holds true (injury concerns, tight salary cap, no impact rookies for the foreseeable future), a lot of what I wrote wasn't true. And since I'm a man (in training), I'll stand up and give props to the new World Champions and apologize. Ouch, I just got a sharp pain in my crotch area...I think Bill Laimbeer is mentally kicking me in the nuts for apologizing to the fucking Celtics. Sorry, Bill.
First, I apologize for saying that Boston had mortgaged its best young talent. While Al Jefferson is a beast and he was tough to let go, they were able to keep their second and third best young pieces (Rando and Perkins), as well as some big-man depth (Powe and Davis). I completely mis-evaluated the young talent on that squad, proving once again that I would not be a successful NBA GM (I also once wrote that the Pistons should have selected bust Salim Stoudemire over Jason Maxiel in the draft...good thing Joe D doesn't listen to me either).
Second, I apologize to the big three for doubting their inability to coexist. Like Jalen Rose said on Mike and Mike, and I paraphrase, "right place and the right time in their careers." They were superstars who had achieved all the individual accolades, but weren't too old to still perform at the highest level. That's the difference between this team and other "superstar" teams of the past. Other teams, like the Lakers team that lost to the Pistons in the Finals, were past their primes talent wise. They were ripe for the beat-down. Not Boston. Not the big three. They were focused, determined, and hungry. They put team first, and ultimately it paid off. Shame on me for looking past their basketball skills and abilities to share one basketball.
Thirdly, I could not have been more of a homer than I was when I said this: "I picture Chauncey abusing Rondo at point, Rip running Allen all over the floor on his bum ankles, Tayshaun being Tayshaun on D against Pierce, and Rasheed neutralizing Garnett as he's done in the past. It's a team game, and I see better teams out there that have followed the model for success." Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. And wrong. Chauncey only took advantage of Rondo in the last game or two. Allen stuck with Rip better than I could have ever imagined (Rip got his, but so did Allen). Pierce was the one with the lock-down D on Tay. Rasheed neutralize? I think Rasheed would have needed to have shown up for that to happen, as Garnett just DOMINATED him. Again, I apologize Boston, you were better. Aaaagh, damn Isiah, I'm sorry! Seriously though, you need to stop hitting me in the nuts. Go find a basketball franchise to ruin or something. Oh wait...
Alright Boston, I'm done. Congratulations on your championship, and best of luck in the future.
Oh, and fuck all of you, I hope you burn in hell. Sorry, I'm just not a big enough man yet to just congratulate you and leave it at that. I hope you never win another championship again in my lifetime, or in my children's lifetime, or in my children's children's lifetime. And even after all that time has elapsed, I hope it's centuries before you can even put a respectable team on the floor again. I hate you all and your fucking city, fuckoffanddie- ONE WORD.
~Mikey D
Grace and I love Rita's for dessert; It's the perfect summer treat. Tonight we went out after dinner to get some at our local Rita's. We had a really beautiful day down here, so we decided to eat it outside on a bench nearby.
As we sat and ate, Grace started telling me a story about one of her coworkers who was thinking about buying a house in Howard County (the county we live in), and how she told them that Howard County is extremely overrated. You see, everyone in the state of Maryland thinks Howard County is God's gift to home owners...but quite frankly, after living here for a year, it's not all it's cracked up to be.
Anyway, just as Grace had finished uttering the word "overrated", two guys who looked like they spent more time in a gym than in the light of day appeared out of nowhere and started frisking four teenage guys on the bench next to us. Underneath their tight muscle shirts appeared two cop badges.
As the two guys frisked the boys, another cop appeared out of a nearby shop. A third boy was searched, and one of the muscle men cops reached into the boy's pocket and found something. He celebrated his find by holding it in the air and shouting out in joy (he sounded like Joe from Family Guy, which I thought was amusing). Then his partners and him started cuffing all the boys.
One of the boys mothers came along and asked what was going on, and one of the officers told them they had crack on them. Nice. Before the mother could say anything, a car pulled up next to the ongoing arrest and shouted for the mother. The mother, with a "hey gurlllll", left her boy and went and chatted. Again, nice.
Since this all came out of the blue, I began to piece things together...
1) Grace and I sat down on the bench just as the group of boys sat on their bench.
2) One of the boys continuously went in and out of the nearby Duncan Donuts. Being the naive soul that I am, I assumed he had a friend working at Duncan Donuts. Yeah, a "friend".
3) A cop pulled up and parked his car and said hello to the boys, and then proceeded into the closest store.
4) After a visit to the donut shop, the "runner" showed his friends something. Again, me being naive, I thought it was money and that he was lending his friend money.
5) The cops show up, and the rest is history.
I can only assume that the cops set the boys up in Duncan Donuts and after they were able to get the sell busted them on the spot.
I can also assume that I would be a terrible detective and/or cop, as I was totally oblivious to the shady interactions that were going on around me.
Still, kind of cool to see. A crack deal gone bad, and we had front row seats. What were you saying about Howard County, Grace?
~Mikey D
I love the hire.
From all that I've heard and read, Curry is "an extension of Joe Dumars". I cannot think of a higher compliment you could give a new coach in Detroit, and that is exactly the type of man I want leading the P's.
One of the things I'm happiest about is that the Pistons hired from within. They aren't bringing in an outsider that isn't familiar with the Pistons and how they operate. Curry used to play with Joe D and the Pistons back in the early 90s, and he played with some of these current players just a few years ago. Bottom line: he knows what Pistons basketball is about and he knows the personnel he's dealing with.
It will be interesting to see how the team responds to him. I hope that his word will carry weight, and that he is given the respect he deserves...unlike a previous coach got.
So I'm hearing some interesting trade rumors for the Pistons...This one scares me:
1) Billups, Prince, Wallace, and a first round pick (#29) to Denver for Carmelo Anthony, Chucky Atkins, Kenyon Martin, and Marcus Camby. I'm not sold on Anthony as a leader of a team, Martin has a HUGE contract (and is overrated), Camby is in the twilight, and Atkins again? This trade was rumored and reported by Woody Paige of the Denver Post. Soooo take it for what it's worth.
This one is a little more intriguing...
2) Chauncey Billups and a first round pick (#29) to Denver for Carmelo Anthony. If Stuckey is your point guard of the future, then pull the trigger! Assuming of course he can handle the load next year. Anthony would be the guy we could count on to score for us when we get in those lulls on the offensive end. Hey, it'd shake things up!
Or perhaps this one?
3) Rip Hamilton and Jason Maxiel to Atlanta for Joe Johnson. Okay, I think almost everyone agrees we need a new low-post presence and that Sheed should be the one to go. So losing Maxiel in this trade would inevitability mean Sheed for at least one more year...which also means relying on Sheed in the playoffs to come up big time. But...the way Joe Johnson ripped into the hearts of the Boston Celtics during the first round is still fresh in my mind. If he could take Atlanta to a 7th game with the Eastern Conference champs, imagine what he could do if surrounded by even more talent, leadership, and experience? Interesting thought...and again, it would shake things up.
I think ultimately I'd like Rasheed to get traded for a skilled SF that could come off the bench for Prince and another big body that could be used to rebound the ball. Like I said in a previous post, we need a Ben Wallace-type guy whose job is to wreak havoc on the defensive end. If we could get that and a suitable back-up for Prince, I'd be happy. Then the distractions of Sheed would be gone and we could let Maxiel and Johnson blossom into their own. I vote for that.
~Mikey D
The new fantasy football season information is up on Yahoo!!!
I know I'm a dork, but I am the king of all dorks when it comes to fantasy football. I'm really happy right now. This must be how a Dungeons and Dragons player feels when a new dragon, or wizard, or sorcerer, or whatever the fuck they play with, comes out. It's a nerdy joy.
Happy days.
~Mikey D
...I kinda feel good about my job.
Would it surprise you if I told you I chose the following student for my "student of the year"???
He's frying me with a blowtorch. Nicely done.
~Mikey D
Beautiful.
~Mikey D
With the MLB draft coming up, I took a look back at previous years' drafts. I think in baseball, more than any other sport, the misses far outweigh the hits. I mean if 5 out of the first 30 players drafted end up being "quality" then it's been a good draft year. It's quite remarkable.
In the spirit of the draft, I've looked at the Tigers' drafts from 1997-2007 to show what they picked, and what they could've picked (first round only).
Here's what the Tigers drafted, and could've had...
1997: Drafted Matt Anderson, P (1st overall)
Could've Had: Vernon Wells-OF, Jon Garland-P, Troy Glaus-3B, Lance Berkman-1B
1998: Drafted Jeff Weaver, P (14th overall)
Could've Had: C.C. Sabathia-P, Brad Lidge-P
1999: Drafted Eric Munson, C (3rd overall)
Could've Had: Barry Zito-P, Ben Sheets-P, Bret Myers-P, Alex Rios-OF
2000: Drafted Matthew Wheatland, P (8th overall)
Could've Had: Chase Utley-2B, Adam Wainwright
2001: Drafted Kenny Baugh, P (11th overall)
Could've Had: Casey Kotchman-1B, Bobby Crosby-SS, Jeremy Bonderman-P
2002: Drafted Scott Moore, SS (8th overall)
Could've Had: Jeremy Hermida-OF, Khalil Greene-SS, Scott Kazmir-P, Nick Swisher-OF, Jeremy Guthrie-P, Matt Cain-P, Jeff Francour-OF
2003: Drafted Kyle Sleeth, P (3rd overall)
Could've Had: Nick Markakis-OF, Chad Cordero-P, Carlos Quentin-OF
2004: Drafted Justin Verlander, P (2nd overall)
Could've Had: Jered Weaver-P, Phil Hughes-P
2005: Drafted Cameron Maybin, OF (10th overall)
Could've Had: Jay Bruce-OF, Jacoby Ellsbury-OF
2006: Drafted Andrew Miller, P (6th overall)
Could've Had: Tim Lincecum-P, Ian Kennedy-P
2007: Drafted Rick Procello, P (27th overall)
Could've Had: ---
Observations? We sucked before Dave Dombrowski got here. Do you see how many top-10 picks we had for years in a row??? And not one of those guys panned out or helped our organization in any way. And then Dombrowski comes in and gets Verlander, Maybin, and Miller. Luck? A little, but obviously that guy has talent at what he does and deserves all the credit in the world for what he's done in Detroit.
Okay, so all that said, what could our team look like right now had we drafted knowing what we know now? Here's how I'd do it:
C- Ivan Rodriguez (free agent)
1B- Lance Berkman
2B- Chase Utley
SS- Carlos Guillen (free agent)
3B- Brandon Inge
OF- Nick Markakis
OF- Curtis Granderson
OF- Jay Bruce
DH- Magglio Ordonez (free agent)
P- C.C. Sabathia
P- Justin Verlander
P- Scott Kazmir
P- Ben Sheets
P- Tim Lincecum
While the line-up is stellar (a perfect blend of power, speed, and defense), it's the rotation that is out of this world. Are you kidding me? We had the possibility of having five aces! Five!!! And we still could have drafted Jeremy Bonderman! Amazing. Would have been fun to see.
Draft well, Tigers.
~Mikey D
So I'll admitt, I'm not the biggest opera fan. In fact, I have no opera music on my computer...until now. His name is Paul Potts, and he was on the British reality show, "Britain's Got Talent". He came onto the show and looked less than an average joe. A pudgy car phone salesman with jacked up English teeth...and his voice is just amazing.
If you haven't seen this, check it out:
So now I've gotten into a little opera. I've probably listened to more opera in the past week than I have in my entire life. And you know what? I like it.
~Mikey D
I think we met every finance director at the Honda Dealership as they tried to get us to agree to their price. I'm not even kidding; countless Honda employees came over to try to pitch us their best offer. I'm guessing near 10 guys. Anyway, Grace and I are terrible negotiators, which in the end made us great negotiators. Instead of meeting the dealer in the middle (compromising is for pussies), we just kept rejecting offers and sticking with our number, which was well below invoice price.
In the end we ended up settling for a smidge below the invoice price, after the final finance guy in the place came to us frustrated and flat out said they couldn't go any lower, and that they had already went down with the price time and time again. It was almost like they were raising the white flag with us, and I'll be honest, it was a good feeling. I felt like we won. Although they were able to sell a car, so I guess in the end we were both winners, which is how it should be, really.
The car buying process was really a lot of fun. We spent a lot of time researching, so we knew the ins and outs. We started by checking on some used cars, but we didn't see anything we liked. Having Grace with me was beneficial because she put her Enterprise skills to work and was able to pick up damage on cars that I didn't even see. She's damn good at what she does, I have to give her props. In the end we decided to buy new, and I had my heart set on a Honda Civic. We looked at Sentra's too, but the price was comparable, so I just went with one I really wanted.
So my new car. My first grown-up purchase.
~Mikey D
