A Era Ended in Utah, That Never Reached Highest Highs.

Andrei Kirilenko never got into a great rhythm after that one All-Star season with the Jazz. But a lack of rhythm wasn't his problem. Actually, it was his strength.

He was all about disrupting the ebb and flow, short circuiting the system.

But he was also a nice guy in a hard business, which may have kept him from being great.

Reports on Tuesday said Kirilenko was nearing terms with the New Jersey Nets. If true, it is as surprising as a snow day in Omsk. Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov has openly coveted his countryman's skills. It has been a foregone conclusion since last spring that his days in Utah were over. Becoming a free agent cleared the Jazz of a $17.8 million salary.

So off he goes into the sunset. No more Cold War headlines and references to assault rifles. The main thing Kirilenko assaulted was the Jazz's pocketbook.

During that one joyful year of 2003-04, he was the team's most popular and valuable player. It was the first season of the post-Stockton and Malone era. Some experts predicted the Jazz would be the worst team in the NBA. Instead, he averaged career highs in points, rebounds, steals and blocks, as the Jazz posted a shockingly respectable 42 wins.

He liked his role and, just as important, he liked his place. He said he appreciated raising his family in Utah. For most players in his salary range, playing for the Jazz is like playing in, well, Siberia.

Eventually he became a symbol of an era of overspending. Average players got obscenely high salaries, good ones got astronomical paychecks. But he was only a product of the system. He never huffed about the need to maintain a big lifestyle, never talked down to his public. He claims to have once offered to void his contract with the Jazz if the team thought he wasn't giving them a fair return.

In an era in which Greg Ostertag could make $8 million in a single season, Kirilenko could far better justify his salary.

Nevertheless, A.K. had trouble with injuries, missing 10 games or more in every season except his first three. In 2004-05, the year after he was named an All-Star, he lost 26 games with a sprained knee, 14 more with a broken wrist. But his biggest problem was inside his head. He never completely adjusted to Jerry Sloan's rants. And he wasn't mean on the court. Early in his career he would help fallen opponents up, something Sloan didn't condone.

In his 10 years in Utah, Kirilenko never did learn to speak perfect English. Even his wife agreed, when she hypothesized that his problems with Sloan stemmed from a communication drawback. On the court, he would regularly whirl into the middle but have trouble getting the ball up in heavy traffic. Yet his quick flashes to the rim for a pass-and-score from Deron Williams were also among his assets.

With the arrival of Carlos Boozer and Williams to do the scoring, as well as other small forwards such as Matt Harpring, C.J. Miles and recently Josh Howard, his role diminished. Yet he talked about being a good teammate and vowed to do whatever it took to win, reserve or starter. And he still turned in box scores that looked like an international phone number, with double digits in points, rebounds, blocks, assists or steals —often in several categories at once.

Always, he was there to throw the other team off balance. His game was never about grooving to the beat. On his good days it was like watching kids on Christmas morning, enjoying the chaos.

While Kirilenko never justified his ending salary, he was a nice guy and a unique player, who did many good things —just not maximum salary things. He was polite to fans and media. Even when he found himself falling deeper into Jerry Sloan's doghouse during the 2007 playoffs, he came off as maybe too tender, getting teary as he discussed his lack of playing time.

Sloan complained he wasn't equipped to deal with that sort of emotion.

"What I can do?" Kirilenko would say in his broken English, rather than "What can I do?" about the situation.

What he could do was fill up a box score.

What he couldn't do was be a superstar in a world much harsher than his.

John G. Dunn II
jgdunn.blogspot.com

Examine The Reds Deal To Acquire Mat Latos.

The Cincinnati Reds shook the baseball landscape over the weekend when they traded three prospects and pitcher Edinson Volquez to the San Diego Padres for Mat Latos. The deal was a bold stroke for Reds General Manager Walt Jocketty who dealt from a position of strength to acquire one of the best starting pitchers available on the trade market. Jocketty had been criticized recently as the Reds failed to complete any major deals during baseball's winter meetings. Cincinnati failed to make the playoffs last season despite having one of the best lineups in the National League Central. The acquisition of Latos gives Reds manager Dusty Baker a legitimate number one starter to front his rotation. Latos, who is under team control through the 2015 season, is just 24 years old. He has logged over 180 innings in each of the past two seasons. Latos and Johnny Cueto give Cincinnati a young and talented top two starters in a division suddenly weakened by the defection of Albert Pujols and Ryan Braun's looming suspension. Cincinnati paid a hefty price for Latos. Edinson Volquez has battled injuries over the past three seasons and will likely be a traded chip for the Padres. First baseman Yonder Alonso was one of the Reds top prospects and could start at first for San Diego in 2012. Alonso, a former first round draft choice, played 47 games for Cincinnati last season and posted an impressive .943 OPS in 88 at bats. The small sample size should be cause for concern to San Diego. Alonso has logged 192 games at AAA over the past two seasons and compiled just a .842 OPS. Despite the hot start to his big league career Alonso should not be confused with a can't-miss slugger. Alonso was expendable due to being blocked from playing first base in Cincinnati by All Star Joey Votto. San Diego also received catching prospect Yasmani Grandal and reliever Brad Boxberger. Grandal had an impressive 2011 season advancing from the California League to the International League but ranked behind Devin Mesoraco on the organizational depth chart. Boxberger struck out 93 batters in 62 innings between AA and AAA. He could find his way into the San Diego bullpen this season. The Reds look like the early winners of the Latos deal. Cincinnati undoubtedly acquired the best player in the trade and he will instantly improve the team's chances to contend in 2012 and beyond. The young players that the Reds surrendered don't appear to be difference makers and both Grandal and Alonso were blocked in Cincinnati by better young players Joey Votto and Devin Mesoraco respectively.

So Women Can Be Realistic Thinkers Sometimes.

Women may dream of finding Prince Charming, but a new study shows that they're far more realistic in choosing real-life spouses. A survey of 2,000 women commissioned by Remington determined that only 25% of women believe the perfect man exists and the remaining 75% don’t aim to find Mr. Right -- Mr. Good Enough will do. Women found their partners to be about 69% perfect. So, what’s holding the men back? A few of the male faults included leaving the bathroom door open, watching too much sports and inadequate personal grooming. Snoring, ripping on your girlfriend’s driving and not vibing with her family can also drop your score. Also, one in five women believe their man doesn’t listen to them. On the bright side, 35% of women said that personality is the most important male quality, so don’t fret. If you can make her laugh, she’s willing to overlook a few of the flaws. Now the question remains: Do men actually believe that the perfect woman exists? John G. Dunn II jgdunn.blogspot.com

Morning Rituals That Upgrade Life Satisfaction

How we feel on a day-to-day basis changes constantly. We might feel on top of the world one day, but then like death the next. While our day-to-day moods may fluctuate, how satisfied we feel with our life should not. Life satisfaction relates to the big picture, and how a person feels about their life as a whole, over the long-term. It’s typically answered by a simple question: “How satisfied are you with your life, right now?” If the answer is negative, be sure to read on as I explores the top morning rituals that will upgrade your overall life satisfaction. Groom- While it feels almost silly to say, it’s the cold hard truth: When you look your best, you feel your best. But when you’ve overslept and are suddenly running late for a big breakfast date, work, or etc, do you really have the time you need to groom properly? Probably not. Now you’ll show up looking like a mess and will probably blow the one chance you have to impress a new date, or that co worker you sweet on. The point is that looks go beyond mere self-esteem. How we look has an impact on everything from personal relationships to business relationships. So get grooming to get satisfied. Take stock of what you're grateful for- The mind is an incredible thing. As science continues to provide windows into how it functions, it’s becoming clear just how powerful positive thinking can be, particularly with respect to life satisfaction. In the hustle and bustle of busy life, we often forget to simply stop and take stock of what we’re grateful for. So why not do that each and every morning? Find a few minutes each day to congratulate yourself on long-term and short-term goals that you’ve accomplished. Don’t focus on what you have yet to do, but what you’ve already done. Turn off the TV- Who doesn’t love early morning talk TV? There’s something so comforting about it, knowing that the world is waking up alongside you. Well, perhaps it’s time to re-evaluate. Not only can TV in the morning be a huge distraction, keeping us from focusing on the day’s goals, but too much TV has actually been shown to decrease life satisfaction. Do yourself a favor and tune out. Wake naturally- Human sleep is largely controlled by circadian rhythm, often referred to as the body’s clock. This clock is driven largely by the light-dark cycle of the sun. When light begins to fade, the body produces melatonin to put you to sleep. As morning approaches, melatonin production stops. The problem is that many of us sleep in dark rooms with little-to-no entryway for natural light. The lack of natural light prevents our body’s clock from properly resetting, resulting in low quality sleep. Get a satisfying night’s rest by leaving the curtains open at night or by purchasing a natural-light alarm clock that mimics the rising sun. Eat a balanced breakfast- Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard the expression that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Well, it’s true. Over the years a number of studies have examined the subject, and most have reached the same conclusion: Starting the day without a solid meal has a slight but detectable negative effect on mood, memory and energy level. But it gets worse. If you’re starting off on the wrong note, that negativity is likely to snowball, throwing your whole day out of whack. Stay satisfied by eating a balanced breakfast of complex carbs, protein and fat. Hit the gym- My favorite one. I don’t need to tell you that increased exercise leads to greater life satisfaction -- OK, I just did -- but did you know that when you exercise is also important? Studies are increasingly finding that morning exercise improves our quality of sleep compared to evening exercise. And poor quality of sleep is linked to a variety of health conditions that will leave you feeling less than satisfied. But you don’t have to actually hit the gym to be active. Any form of exercise will do, like biking to work or walking the dog. See people- Hollywood loves to depict the hermit-type as an angry, foul person. Although it’s becoming a touch cliché, it’s probably grounded in truth. After all, research shows that social interaction and personal relationships tend to be strongly associated with greater life satisfaction and a positive mood. With that in mind, try to add a social component to your morning ritual. It can be something as simple as sharing 10 minutes of chat time with your partner over coffee or joining an early morning running club. Get out and be social. Get some- One most of you may like. Just to be frank, I'm not talking about getting some breakfast, or friends, or anything else for that matter. No, I'm talking about sex. I already told you about the importance of physical activity and social interaction in terms of improving life satisfaction, so why not combine the two? Now, don't get it twisted I'm not telling you to start every day off with a bang, just find a way to once in a while incorporate physical contact into your morning routine. The result should leave you smiling. I know we all do have access to that luxury, but this is for the people who do. Set goals each day and achieve them- What better time than the morning to set the day’s goals? This isn’t exactly rocket science. If you set your goals early, you’ll have the whole rest of the day to achieve them. Easy, right? Just make sure to set realistic goals that you can actually achieve. But why is setting goals important? Research shows that setting goals and achieving them improves our life satisfaction. The process builds self-esteem and confidence, and ultimately feeds into the whole mentality of positive thinking. Find a morning hobby- Hobbies are the secret to improving life satisfaction. They’re outside of family, outside of work and generally outside of the many stresses of everyday life. And yet, finding a hobby that you enjoy and are good at can be one of the most rewarding experiences in life. Heck, it could even land you a new and exciting career. But because finding time for a hobby can be challenging, if you manage to incorporate one into your morning routine, you’ll not only be making time for yourself but you’ll leave the rest of the day for the rest of life’s problems. Problem solved. John G. Dunn II jgdunn.blogspot.com

Baby Momma

Now, you made me the proudest daddy, giving birth to my first born son I tend to not like you for so many things you do, and done. I don't want to tell my some how I think his mom ain't Shit. When deep down I know it ain't true. But I can sometimes however, see the jealous, bitter chick in you. I used to know the good in you. All the things you did to help out others. Being for your to do, and help them keep through. Because I know you possess this trait, I know you'll be a good mother. Good Mother??? Yeah I can honestly see that within you. Ignorant to the working of this country you choose to live. Remember you though you though your family and wealth could buy my kid? I'm not a big fan of yours, yeah it's true. However I must admit I consider myself lucky to share a kid with you. This journey we started, it runs a while I promise though to myself, you, and God, I'm do whatever it take to see my kid smile. John G. Dunn II jgdunn.blogspot.com

Differences In Men and Women That Will Never Be Changed.

I took part on a study that lasted a few months, where I went and asked many people, most in different aspects of life, about the differences between Men and Women. Asking a series of question to each person and putting together this post. Let see how much you agree! People in relationships often have strong expectations that their partner will be just like they are: exhibit the same attitudes, values, perceptions and behaviors. However, we know that you will not change your partner's attitudes and behaviors unless they themselves are motivated to do so. You are even less likely to change their basic gender characteristics. So it is very important to educate yourself as to the basic gender differences which exist between men and women, and accept the fact that the differences are there, they are real, and they are not going away. In this way you can learn to use the differences as a way to enrich your relationship rather than to damage it.

Are Men and Women really different? Let's look at the evidence in a variety of areas of life. Note that these findings are generalizations and summaries that apply to most men or women, but not to all men or all women.

*PHYSIOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES Girls develop right side of brain faster than boys: leads to talking, vocabulary, pronunciation, reading earlier, better memory while Boys develop left side faster than girls: visual-spatial-logical skills, perceptual skills, better at math, problem solving, building and figuring out puzzles. Girls more interested in toys with faces than boys are; play with stuffed animals and dolls more; boys drawn to blocks or anything that can be manipulated. Women use both hemispheres of brain; corpus callosum thicker in women.

*Developmental Differences Between Boys and Girls: Nursery rhymes, books and cartoons perpetuate stereotypes,which often promote damsel in distress, frumpy housewife, helpless senior citizen, sexy heroine and swooning cheerleader. Girls use more terms of endearment than boys. Boys get away with more aggressive antisocial behavior in school and home than girls. Girls who act as tomboys are accepted; boys who act like girls are severely reprimanded ("don't cry" "Don't be a sissy"). Girls tend to talk about other people; secrets in order to bond friendships; and school, wishes and needs. Boys talk about things and activities. What they are doing and who is best at the activity. Teenage girls talk about boys, clothes and weight. Teenage boys talk about sports, mechanics, and function of things. age 12-18: biggest event for girls: have a boyfriend are 12-18: boys are equally interested in the following: sex, cars and sports. This carries into adulthood when women talk about relationships, people, diet, clothing, physical appearance. Men talk about sports, work, money, cars, news, politics, and the mechanics of things.

*VALUES AND SELF ESTEEM AS ADULTS -MEN A man's sense of self is defined through his ability to achieve results, through success and accomplishment. Achieve goals and prove his competence and feel good about himself. To feel good about himself, men must achieve goals by themselves. For men, doing things by themselves is a symbol of efficiency, power and competence. In general, men are more interested in objects and things rather than people and feelings. Men rarely talk about their problems unless they are seeking "expert" advice; asking for help when you can do something yourself is a sign of weakness. Men are more aggressive than women; more combative and territorial. Men's self esteem is more career-related. Men feel devastated by failure and financial setbacks; they tend to obsess about money much more than women Men hate to ask for information because it shows they are a failure. -WOMEN: Women value love, communication, beauty and relationships. A woman's sense of self is defined through their feelings and the quality of their relationships. They spend much time supporting, nurturing and helping each other. They experience fulfillment through sharing and relating. Personal expression, in clothes and feelings, is very important. Communication is important. Talking, sharing and relating is how a woman feels good about herself. For women, offering help is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength; it is a sign of caring to give support. Women are very concerned about issues relating to physical attractiveness; changes in this area can be as difficult for women as changes in a man's financial status. When men are preoccupied with work or money, women interpret it as rejection.

*OTHER DIFFERENCES Men are more logical, analytical, rational. Women are more intuitive, holistic, creative, integrative. Men have a much more difficult time relating to their own feelings, and may feel very threatened by the expression of feelings in their presence. This may cause them to react by withdrawing or attempting to control the situation through a display of control and/or power. Men are actually more vulnerable and dependent on relationships than women are and are more devastated by the ending, since they have fewer friends and sources of emotional support. Men are more at ease with their own angry feelings than women are. Women are in touch with a much wider range of feelings than men, and the intensity of those feelings is usually much greater for women than men. As a result of this, many man perceive that women's feelings appear to change quickly; men may find this irrational and difficult to understand. Men tend to be more functional in approaching problem-solving; women are aesthetically-oriented in addition to being functional. Women tend to be much more sensitive to sounds and smells than men are; and women as such tend to place a greater emphasis on "atmosphere".

*CONFLICTS WHICH ARISE DUE TO BASIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN The most frequent complaint men have about women: Women are always trying to change them. The most frequent complaint women have about men: Men don't listen. Women want empathy, yet men usually offer solutions. When a woman tries to change or improve or correct or give advice to a man, men hear that they are being told that they aren't competent or don't know how to do something or that they can't do something on their own. Men often feel responsible or to blame for women's problems. Men always assume women want advice and solutions to problems, that that is the best way to be helpful and to show love; women often just want someone to sincerely listen to them.

Housework: men avoid it, try to get others to do it at all costs, feel demeaned by doing it. For women, cleanliness of house is a manifestation of warm, homey nest. Men and women have different thresholds for cleanliness and dirt. Men often try to change a woman's mood when she is upset by offering solutions to her problems, which she interprets as discounting and invalidating her feelings. Women try to change men's behavior by offering unsolicited advice and criticism and becoming a home-improvement committee.

*HOW TO WORK WITH THESE DIFFERENCES When women are upset, it is not the time to offer solutions, though that may be appropriate at a future time when she is calmed down. A man appreciates advice and criticism when it is requested. Men want to make improvements when they feel they are being approached as a solution to a problem rather than as the problem itself. Men have great needs for status and independence (emphasis on separate and different); women have needs for intimacy and connection (emphasis on close and same). Women need to receive caring, understanding, respect, devotion, validation, and reassurance. Women are motivated when they feel special or cherished. Men need to receive trust, acceptance, appreciation, admiration, approval, encouragement. Men are motivated when they feel needed. A man's deepest fear is that he is not good enough or not competent enough, though he may never express this.

*SUMMARY There are major, significant differences between men and women. The differences are different, NOT better or worse. Do not judge the differences. Do not try to change the differences. Do not try to make them go away. These are generalizations! Individual differences exist; we all have some of these qualities. To get along, you MUST accept, expect and respect these differences. Be sure to remember these differences when communicating about anything important, when expressing care and concern, and when solving conflicts. (John G. Dunn II jgdunn.blogspot.com)