Fantasy Sport Guru

The Wire Revisited

2012-01-03T09:58:00.001-08:00

Understandaby, as the number of TV stations grows prolificaly and the
number of TVshows grows exponentially every year, us viewers have our
attentions directed this way and that like a rag doll in a 15-way
tug-of-war between four-year-olds who really need a buddy for the day.
Therefore, we watch all kinds of TV shows and all kinds of TV
networks, including food shows, reality shows, movies, news, daytime
soap operas, Saturday cartoons, and don't forget the ever-present
sports market showing live sporting events. It makes it o so easy to
forgo any long-lasting loyalties with shows and just go to the next
big thing that gets your attention. Just yesterday I watched the new
"Storage Wars" show with the bidder who always goes "Yuuuuuup", "Star
Wars 24-hour marathon," and watched 4 hours of NFL football. There's
just a LOT of stuff on.

Which makes the inspiration behind this post even more important: to
revisit shows that you enjoyed, loved, and swore by while watching,
but now haven't contacted for a long time, like a far-away relative
who you spent a month bonding with but now barely even email. (Yikes,
I have a few of those) The Wire is still my favorite TV show ever,
full of real-life conflict, sums-it-up-exactly quotes, and brilliantly
developed characters, this show was a godsend for 5 epic season. Here
are my top 10 favorite moments of a show that had more than its fair
share.
(SPOILER ALERT)

10. Avon and Stringer fight it out. Frustrated, beaten (Stringer just
got scammed by Clay Davis, Avon just got shot by Chris), Avon
confronts Stringer about his perceived lack of toughness and Avon
retorts back with "I just killed ur nephew, son. How's that for
toughness?" What's awesome is that it symbolized so many things
leading to the climax of episode 3: the crumbing of the Barksdale
organization, the difference in philosphy of Bell and Barksdale, the
evolution of the game v. the game is always still the game, and also
just a gradual betrayal between guys who used to be friends.
Delicious, delicious truth, plot development and symbolism in one
scene that pretty much epitomized the whole series.

9. Anytime Clay Davis said "Sheeeeeeeeeeit." You knew it was coming,
but you laughed anyway. One of the classic punch lines and typical of
the humor of the Wire: very dry and thrown in in the midst of death,
political turmoil, and other deflating conditions, but still very very
funny.

8. When older Randy is revealed to have been a thug: Broke your heart,
but highlights the problem of places like West Baltimore: Kids are
thrown into the fire and just don't come out the same. 1 in a absurdy
high number (Namond, Wee-bey's son) get "saved," but the majority end
up like Randy: in a group home where he's forced to adapt to his
surroundings, and in most cases he must adapt negatively: hardened by
the brutal reality that is the streets, Randy no longer espouses the
good-nature values he shared in Mr. Prezbo's class and must adhere to
the rules of the street: make money by selling drugs, beat up or be
beaten up. Sad, sad state of affairs but necessary to the honest
portrayal.

7. Gus's speech to younger writer at the Baltimore Sun as she's
leaving: "The pond is shrinking; the fish are nervous; win a prize;
maybe find a bigger prize somewhere." Such a great quote that
reflected the newspaper industry but also fittingly most industries
everywhere. Jobs are scarce, economy's not great, people have to fend
for themselves somehow, and quality gets diluted in the process. This
after one of his writers, in conjunction with McNulty, fabricated a
story about a serial killer who murdered homeless people to satisfy
his sexual appetite. Great storyline to end the series on but an
important one; people will take drastic measures to get ahead; the
truth gets sacrificed.

(Notice the subtlety of these moments I'm sharing. The most powerful
scenes on the Wire were not the "bam-bam-someone dies" scenes like
most shows are, the most important ones were the conclusory
conversations between ordinary people revealing what exactly was going
on. Masterful).

6. Carcetti waits for meeting with Governor; left waiting outside.
Perfect example of bureaucratic waste; a mayor and his top aide are
left to do nothing by a governor of the opposite party who "sees him
coming for him" in a future election, even though the mayor of the
"broke-ass city" is trying to do the right thing by fixing the
broker-than-broken" school system. Can't imagine how many cities and
states in the U.S. operate this way and how many good-faith attempts
for money for needed projects like school, welfare, or other social
goods are sacrificed by politics and individual people's struggle for
power.

5. Marlo visits Avon at his court hearing putting him away; gets his
product out on the streets. A changing of the guard; "the Young Boy"
gets his way and starts to rule West Baltimore and takes all of Avon's
corners. Like "Game of Thrones" in which it takes seasons for changes
in power to take place and the build-up to the regime change is better
than the change itself, so much of the street wars leading up to this
were similar to historic battles in medieval days or ancient China, or
in fictional Westeros in Game of Thrones: just a battle of power.
Everyone wants it; you have to fight and risk death in order to get
it. "The king calls all the shots. And he stay the king."

4. DeAngelo teaching Bodie and Wallace how to play chess, in the
process showing who's who in the drug war. "The king stay the king."
And the pawns die early. Basically foreshadowing each character's
fate as a "pawn" who got used and was forced to die so that the king
could be safe. Bodie tried to be the "smart pawn" and get all the way
to the other side to become a king, and was often referred to as
"smart" by McNulty for his "entrapment" stuff, but ultimately still
gave way to the true kings. It's sad: Kings get all the
accommodations, but out of thousands/millions, there can only be one.

3. Detective Freamon figuring out the supply system of Marlo: More of
a "Career Achievement prize" for Detective Freamon's awesome detective
work; enjoyed it more than the highly-publicized Bunk and McNulty
"Fuck" detective scene, Freamon was a solid presence on the show that
was the definition of "career cop" but also epitomized someone who was
actually good at his job.....and of course never gets promoted, never
makes major or colonel, etc. due to the "what-have-you-done and
who-do-you-know" nature of the police system, as well as pretty much
all systems.

2. Omar, while limping around West Baltimore getting chased by Marlo's
guys, burns one of Marlo's cash transporters and burns the money.
"It's not about that paper. Marlo ain't man enough to come to the
streets with Omar." Honor, integrity, man v. man......Omar, before
dying, shows us what a true hero he is. I'm glad there wasn't a cheap
spin-off with the "Omar Tales" or something to cheapen what he was on
The Wire: simply one of the best characters in television history,
ever.

1. The ending. Obviousy the ending of any long-lasting series stays
with you for awhile, but The Wire's ending tied it all together by
showing that the pattern continues indefinitely: Marlo's empire is
destroyed, but the Co-op continues to operate the drug trade; Omar's
dead, but Michael is the new Omar; bureacracy continues as Daniels is
demoted and Krawcheck becomes the deputy ops; a once-idealistic mayor
with good intentions becomes a political animal by jumping ship and
becomes governor; everything goes on despite McNulty's best efforts
(which in turn will be carried on by Sydnor). It is realy the
inevitability of the cycle of events that gets me; it rings true.
Everything will go on; there's really no change. Perfect ending to a
great series of television, and recommended viewing for anyone over
18; learned a great deal about how the world works, and it's not the
lily-white surburban world that I normally live in. Thanks for the
memories, The Wire. May something else come along that can rival your
awesomeness.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Fantasy Landscape 2011

2012-01-03T09:57:00.000-08:00

As we transition into 2012, I wanted a big post on what transpired in
2011, kind of like what Bill Simmons does (man, the more I read him
the more I appreciate his work, that guy knows what he's doing).
Although years in fantasy sports are difficult to describe because
each of us had a different "team" we followed (unlike, say, following
the Boston Red Sox) that we built a relationship with ( albeit a timed
relationship that we knew would end and we'd never hear from them
again), so it's tough to define events in fantasy because only a tenth
or so of us can say "Cam Newton led me to my fantasy championship" or
"Robbie Cano killed me again this year!" So I have to stick with
rehashing individual player performances or fantasy trends

This was certainly a year that reinforced the notion that fantasy
sports, like many other industries and professions, belongs to the
young. Back in the "good ol' days," I remember old veterans like Greg
Maddux, Michael Jordan, Jerry Rice, Marvin Harrison, putting up
prodigious numbers even at an advanced age, coining the phrase "aging
like a fine wine, the older the better." That, to put it mildly, is no
longer the case. Whether it's because athletes train harder in high
school or college and are pro-ready right out of school, or older
athletes burn out more quickly, there's more violent contact in sports
that creates wear and tear on the body that breaks down older players,
but young players are DOMINATING the scene here in the early 2010's-
and it looks like it's gonna continue.
For example, it's been 5 months since the end of the fantasy baseball
season, but I can still remember rookie breakouts out of nowhere:
Alexi Ogando's first half, Brandon Beachy, Danny Espinoza, Desmond
Jennings, Michel Pineda, Eric Hosmer, etc., etc. In many cases, these
guys started in Triple-A were just called up to the big leagues, and
started producing for fantasy teams like their 2nd-or-third-best guys.
Meanwhile, guys like Derek Jeter, 2009 MVP, hits like .240 before the
Al-Star Break. All singles. Kevin Youkilis. Injuries. Hanley Ramirez
(a veteran by all accounts: injuries). Established guys one and all
struggling, furthering bolstering the case of why you should reach for
the "possible breakout."

Also why you should scour the waiver wire all the time, 100% the time.
There is no telling who is on the wire. And young guys can win you
championships. There's a guy on the waiver wire in fantasy basketbal
that I'm calling right now will help some teams win fantasy
championships: Marshon Brooks, New Jersey Nets. No one's heard of him;
he's good. He's this year's Steph Curry/Ty Lawson. Rookies ready to
pounce. I'll forever remember my waiver wire addition of Victor Cruz
in Week 3 of the 2011 NFL season: watch Cruz burn Nnadmi Asmugha twice
against the Eagles for long TD's; pick him up off the free agent list
immediately after. Watch as he burns secondaries al season enroute to
a destructive 1400 yards despite not playing in the first 2 weeks,
just behind Megatron and Wes Welker. The thing with Cruz is, he's the
knockout fighter on your squad: At any given time he could land a
70-yard TD catch or two and what was once a 15-point deficit could be
a 3-point lead for you fantasy team. He had a 99-yard TD catch that
turned the momentum for more than my fantasy team on Week 16
Championship day. My o my.

2011 was also a great year for up-and-comers turning into elite
players, setting reminders for fantasy managers why they should draft
26-and-27-year-olds entering their prime. After a dreadful 2010
season, Matt Kemp basically "just hit" and won the NL MVP and basicaly
torn my heart out because I owned him in '10. Fast, strong, makes
contact, plays field. And not put randomly into the 7th-hole by Joe
Torre anymore. Yea.

Ryan Braun.....broke out, if repeating what he's been doing for the
last few years could be considered breaking out. Although, his season
was a bit tainted by revelations that he tested positive for a growth
hormone after the season; my fantasy baseball leaguemates are already
questioning the legitimacy of last year's championship Braun-led
squad.

Calvin Johnson just became a certified beast this year, exploding like
a firework (thanks, Katy Perry for that analogy) Basicaly, good WR's
had good QB's throwing to them this year (Nelson, Welker, Cruz, Roddy
White) and Calvin had the best for what he needs, a deep-threat like
Stafford. A cross between Welker's bludgeoning "I'm gonna catch 13
balls for 10 yards each but I'll still get 130 yards" and Cruz's "I
will go 70 yards right past you cuz I'm fast," Johnson could do both:
break tackles and sprint past people. Doubleteams always required,
triple-teams sometimes necessary. Optimus Prime should be glad Calvin
isn't actually Megatron, cuz I'm pretty sure the Decepticons would
have won that war.

Mike Napoli highlighted for me what was a "If you drop somebody who
still has value, you will be punished season." After batting .196
going into June and hitting the DL, I dropped Napoli to clear up
roster space, intending to pick him up later before he came off the
DL. Predictably, another league member had the same idea, picked up
Napoli and his big stick swinging in the bandbox known as Arlington,
and the rest was a 30HR, .330 avg that probably would have helped me
into the playoffs.... if I hadn't have traded Brian McCann
prematurely, dropped Tommy Hanson prematurely, etc. etc. In football,
Peyton Hillis punished me for dropping him too eary, as well as
Maurice Morris. An active manager can live with mistakes if he picks
up more good guys than he drops, but you will always get a "what could
have been" feeling that I will forever call "The Napoli."

Fantasy basketball have crapshoots at the end of the season. It's
called the "Week 16 Bench Curse" in football and widely publicized,
but fantasy basketball might be more extreme because the playoffs are
1-8 in each division and the playoffs are pretty much half the season
for some times that coaches need to rest their players for. Thus the
odd result this year in my fantasy basketball final of starting guys
with names of Allen (Tony, not Ray), Bynum (Will, not Andrew), Johnson
(James, not any of the good ones), Barea, Gortat, Dudley, Sessions,
etc. Basically, young players on bad teams playing out the string, not
your fantasy powerhouses like Josh Smith, Kevin Love, or Jason Kidd.
It's actually probably where the fantasy men are separated from the
fantasy boys: You know you're a fantasy basketball addict and thus
qualified to win a hoops championship when you can name what college,
position, jersey number, and upcoming 5-game schedule that Ramon
Sessions has.

May the lessons of fantasy years past give me strength, and may 2012
bring greater tidings (and luck) to all of us.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

The Last 10 Years--- Best Things

2011-12-31T21:18:00.000-08:00

Sneaking in a post under the gun to at least tie my 2010 rate of posts, I offer this little number at almost literally the last minute:

Here's to an excellent 2012 for everyone! (I'll be at the Rose Parade on Jan. 2nd!!! Yay!)

Collection of random milestones I appreciate from the last 10 years:

2001: visited China for the first time since leaving; "graduated" junior high and started high school...
2002: Started long string of chess victories; joined tennis
2003: discovered reality TV: Amazing Race, Survivor +....first fantasy football season ever
2004: JSA Summer at Stanford. Best finish in chess ever. SAT. Applied to Colleges
2005: Poker craze; last semester of high school awesome; Prom + WWE
2006: first summer as summer camp counselor; discovered beauty of college + trip to Germany and Poland
2007: First alternative spring break ever; Friday Night Lights + Heroes; wins class stock market game
2008: First fandom-inspired viewing of Spelling Bee; moved permanently to LA for law school
2009: First legal job(s); Laser Eye surgery; first 10K run;
2010: Chinese document review; serious working out; Chinese language intense review
2011: Graduated law school, passed the bar; first legal job; starting my career!!!!
2012: THE BEST IS YET TO COME.....KEEP WATCHING.

*********

You know when you're really dreading doing something and are fearful of it, like going to the dentist? (Yea, those turn out to be as excruciating as I expected).....but here are the biggest surprises in my life that inspire me to keep trying new things in 2012 (and why you should, too)

10.) Keeping in contact with friends.... underrated skill you gotta keep udpdated with.
9.) Living at home even in my early-20's: lots of percs, but can't do it forever.
8.) Investing in the stock market...It developed my financial sense.
7.) (Re-) hitting the books for Mandarin Chinese.......it's a really important skill.
6.) Meyer Law Organization: So far, surprisingly having a great time at my work.
5.) Living in L.A.: this place is really awesome.
4.) Working out/staying fit: haven't been sick in 4 years, probably because of my active lifestyle.
3.) Alternative Spring Break: Thought it was a nice way to spend a week, it's so much more. I wish I would have done two times, three times more of these great trips.
2.) Fantasy sports!!!! Never thought this game/sport/obsession would captivate my life as much as it had when I tried it by suggestion of a distant friend in 2002, about 10 years ago. I LOVE this game!!!!
1.) This blog!!! Never thought in 2007 I'd still be posting, and posting more prolifically, almost 5 years to the day. I think when I get old this will be one of my most prized possession. Thanks, past self, for starting this!!!!

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

How I Know there's a Higher Power

2011-12-27T09:02:00.002-08:00

Here were my goals for 2011, the Year of the Rabbit:

1. Maintain a healthy interpersonal relationship with a certain someone;
2. win a fantasy trophy (get some hardware somewhere, almost don't care what type of sport it is)
3. graduate law school
4. pass the bar
5. obtain a full-time job (a job, any job!!!!!) sometime by the end of this calendar year
6. continue in my healthy, disciplined way
7. make some sort of signficiant breakthrough in my life.........something, anything!!

Did I achieve them?
1. Kinda...I didn't do it was that "certain someone" I had in mind, but continued to develop good relationships with other people
2. YES....won my main fantasy football league this year (the one I keep bragging about) and am getting a perpetual engraved trophy. Love the idea.
3. Check.
4. Check.
5. CHECK!!!!! That was big. Got it in September, continuing to work, didn't know how I felt about it at first, but now really relating to everyone and loving it. Can't express how gratefulI I am for having that job.
6. Yes, still healthy, although losing 5 pounds and getting back to 160/165 would be nice.
7. Kinda...made a BIG disciplined move to learn Chinese and converse well....think I've made major strides there.

So all in all, a good year! What's in store for 2012? I'll have a comprehensive 2011 sendoff in my next post as well as a 2012 preview. Call THAT a cliffhanger.

The title of my post: How do I know there's a higher power? There are little clues everywhere I go. Impossible coincidences happen all the time that remind me that there's something going on here; it all fits together too well. Funny thing is, when I encounter these "little coincidences" I always do a double-take and am no-doubt convinced that it's definitely a higher power at work, but I never document it or anything, and the thing is so minor that I forget after a few good nights' sleep (with vivid dreams....o I LOVE vivid dreams). However, for example, today I'm just clicking through facebook and pull up an acquaintance's page (we be-friended each other but to be honest we met once and it was one of those fringe-facebook-befriendings), and all of a sudden I see that THAT friend is friend of someone whom I met at CVS who I'd wanted to know about for the longest time (I know, it's a little creepy, but unbelievably serendipitous at the same time). I know the magic and mystique of Facebook and all that and how they can "connect" you with everyone, but there's NO WAY Facebook knew about this vague connection because it was purely in my head. I wasn't even actively trying to find a person, I was just "Facebook-surfing," if you call it then.

Other small signs that I kinda remember: Thinking of an obscure word/town/name while driving in my car and suddenly the word will pop up on a street sign, an object appearing out of nowhere even though it was supposed to be somewhere else. I don't know, it seems like the blubbering ramblings of a mad man, but there it is, it's what I believe. I was born agnostic with my parents not really having any TIME for religion; always working and whatnot. What little religious background I have involves Chinese cultural legends about Buddha and Buddhism, hardly grounds for claiming I am a "believer" in any religion. I am probably the least educated adult out there about religion. I've never realy needed it, experienced it, or gave it a chance, it's always been one of those spheres that have been closed off from me, or I've closed it off myself.

I'm pretty sure the next "big change" in my life is supposed to be some sort of finding of religious experience....I've won my Fantasy football leagues, no need to be at home on Sunday mornings watching football anymore. And Jan. 1, 2012 happens to be a Sunday. I believe I will

(And obviously this is not an endorsement of any religion or a solicitation for readers, I don't even know which religion I'm going to "experiment with," but I do know I'm very curious about what there is to offer, and at this point I get very little value from watching bad movies and reading endless books that I forget about in a few days anyway.) So I'm ready to delve into this facet of my life. 2009: it was delving into my field of law; 2010 it was reconnecting with my family; 2011 it was engaging in a career and reconnecting with my Chinese roots; 2012 might be about religion (and getting on the Amazing Race/Survivor).

Rivalries

2011-12-21T09:46:00.000-08:00

Like to take this time to address the importance of rivals.

We all hav erivals: rival co-workers going for that promotion, rival sports teams playing each other all the time, rival neighbors battling for the best Christmas light decorations, rival students going for the best grade in the class..etc., etc. Usually rivalries have a negative connotion, met with a little bit of negativity or uneasiness. "O man, he's your rival, huh? Well.....good luck."

I disagree. Rivals tend to instill fierce competition and with that, motivation to push yourself. Rivals not only make themselves better to battle you, they make YOU better. And it doesn't really matter if it's a healthy rivalry or a "Man, I hate that guy's guts" rivalry: the result is beneficial for both parties involved; a mutually symbiotic relationship at its best. (Granted, of course, that no one kills themselves working too hard or makes it a personal feud about other things). I maintain that a hard-fought dogfight to see who offers the most solely based on the merits is great for you and your rival.

What brings this on? This week I am in my fantasy football championship game facing my own rival ( who happens to read this blog and who used his knowledge that I loved Tony Romo before the season against me). I have known this particular manager for 3 years, since law school started. I will never forget knocking on his door 1L year of law school to invite him to join the USC Law Fantasy Football league, not knowing that this guy probably loved fantasy football more than me and was just as gun-ho and cutthroat as I was about fantasy sports. Every season since, we have played in every fantasy football and fantasy baseball season without fail; any memorable matchups have resulted. I ended his football season our first year; he beat me in a tight fantasy baseball playoff matchup en route to his one and only title. The times we match up do not go silently; we talk a lot of smack before, during, and after matchups. It is relentless. Losing is unacceptable; winning feels like winning 2 games. Because I can't stand losing to my rival, I'm constantly willing myself to get better, to put in the research, to get that extra edge on him. And I'm sure my rival does the same. Outside of fantasy football, we are on great terms; colleagues, fellow law students, watch football together on the weekends, talk freely about life. The epitome of a healthy rivalry; I'm hoping it'll continue for a long, long, time. (and that I can carve another "W" into my column this week).

Healthy rivalries in sports:
Ravens- Steelers in the AFC North. These 2 perennial powerhouses battle it out every year, and both usually make the playoffs, sometimes even meeting in the playoffs.
Kobe-Lebron in the NBA. These 2 openly do not like each other. It's the young Anointed One with the Superstar that's running out of time.
Yankees- Red Sox: These 2 probably don't have a healthy rivalry and are bitter enemies, but their records and championship counts are better for it.
Federer/Nadal/Njokovic: All 3 have pushed each other way past the rest of men's tennis.
NFL/NBA/MLB: challenging each other as to which leagues can get calls through instant replay. So far, as usual, NFL winning.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

A Night to Remember.....or Forget? What are we talking about again?

2011-12-19T10:27:00.001-08:00

Makes you wonder: Are "memorable" nights advertised by beer companies/ vodka distributers/nightclub owners really worth it? Here's one "memorable" night that I just endured:

Yesterday was a big orchestra day: 3 concerts in one day, including 2 at the California African American Museum near USC for the kids, and then the annual holiday concert for the LA Lawyers Philharmonic. Joining the LA Lawyers Philharmonic is quickly becoming one of the best decisions of my life; it, along with some other events, made 2011 quite memorable and not totally tarnished by unemployment/ taking the bar exam, etc. It justifies all those years I spent practicing violin and going to violin lessons, etc. because that's all been translated into being able to play freely and enjoy myself in an orchestra that I fit in with and like playing in : lots of different pieces, cool pieces, not too challenging that I have to practice a ton for....

Anyway, had a great concert, then afterwards hit up some law friends in Santa Monica.....now, these friends have a solid reputation for "going out" and "getting around town," so I knew what I was getting into. Start out with some Beirut drinking games, then go to a club in West L.A. 'Twas probably a bad sign that one the way to the club, I was already so inebriated that I had no idea where we were: what the name of the club was, what street we were on, I just got out of the cab and went in. Probably not a good idea. ALSO probably not a good idea to carry around a phone that you know doesn't have power and really has no usefulness. Yea.

The club went well; I remember most things that happened (I don't "black out," as they say) including a pretty intense fight that happened right in front of me...girl threw drink at guy, guy got upset, girl's boyfriend jumped in, things get heated fists were punching, except my reaction, which normally would be to try to separate the combatants or try to inhibit the fight from worsening, was due to my inebriated state, to ENCOURAGE the fight to continue by screaming "yea!" and waving my hands in the air as well as doing some shadow-boxing on the side to non-verbally voice my approval. That's the bar/nightclub process in a nutshell: everything about it encourages you to want some violence, some sort of release, something different from the norm; inhibitions are totally set aside, you act without any regard for consequences and let the brutal inner nature of human beings come out. That's one part of a "memorable" night I certainly don't approve of: physical violence with other human beings and the risk of lawsuit/imprisonment/physical dehabilitation is much too steep a price to pay for a "memorable" night...there are other ways for memories, especially good ones, to be created.

Right after the fight broke out, I went to get some air and suddenly felt VERY VERY dizzy and disoriented... sat down to rest and next thing you know I was passed out outside the bar, without my friends' knowledge and without their ability to contact me via cell phone. The next few hours consisted of me trying to get comfortable on a concrete step by the bar while trying not to puke, getting heckled by fellow clubgoers coming out of the club looking for a cab, shivering in the cold 3AM West Los Angeles weather, falling asleep for brief stretches, and then finally, after sufficiently recovering from the drunken dizziness, wandering about the area mindlessly looking for a cab, finally hitting a McDonald's that was open at 5AM in the morning, buying a Sausage McMuffin and a Powerade, then finding a cab to get home. Very derelict use of the evening and pretty dangerous if I had been in other parts of LA (I'm probably really fortunate I did not have my wallet stolen/robbed at knifepoint or gunpoint, but a memory I will have for the rest of my life, how I spent the night of Dec. 17/morning of Dec. 18th. Was it worth it? Certainly I didn't cause violence or do damage to anybody, other than myself whose side is a little bruised from sleeping on the concrete for awhile, and my friends might have been a little worried about me going off on my own. The main tradeoff is the dizziness/drunkenness that occurred. During that time, it's a very helpless feeling; you can't help but become inebriated, you want to do things but you can't, you are at the mercy of the alcohol coursing through your body and when it wants to stop the relentless attack it afflicts on your body/head. It was a VERY tough 3 hours, those 3 hours I spent on that sidewalk not being able to move for fear of dizziness/throwing up, as well as being insanely cold to the point of wondering if I would get hypothermia or not. Not a life-and-death situation, but one where I put myself in harm's way. But certainly it was different, and that's what beer companies/vodka distributors want you to do: something risky, something way out of the ordinary scope of your life (like try to punch someone and inflict damage or let loose of your inhibitions without fear of consequnces). Given what I had to deal with, though, I'll pass. My greatest memories are when I'm sober, like orchestra concerts or chess/fantasy football victories. I'm just a nerd, I s'ppose. (Avon Barksdale converted quote).

Fantasize on,

Signs It's Your Fantasy Football playoff week

2011-12-15T12:32:00.001-08:00

1.) In the course of normal conversation with co-workers, you make bad puns about marginal fantasy players. “I think I heard that Lance had dropped the Ball….get it, get it?”

2.) You call your second cousins, who live in Philadelphia, how the weather MIGHT be on Sunday in order to get a feel of whether you should bench your starting kicker.

3.) Instead of weighing the merits of bringing a motion in a pending case, you instead weigh the merits of starting Damian Williams over Nate Washington.

4.) You listen to Colin Cowherd in order to see if he has one of your fantasy players on his show to make sure your player is not “distracted” going into the weekend.

5.) You ponder the merits of your team name and whether it sounds “strong” and “forceful” enough.

6.) You ponder the merits of posting smack talk to your opponent and weighing the “morale impact” it will have on your team and the “bulletin board” impact it will have on the other team.

7.) You pay $39.50 for NFL Rewind in order to check out the “crispness” of your backup QB’s throws from the last few games.

8.) You find yourself rooting against your favorite childhood team “just for the next couple weeks” in favor of your own fantasy football team.

9.) You cry yourself to sleep wondering “what could have been” if you would just have just spent the $2 on draft night to draft Rob Gronkowski.

10.) You consistently hit “Refresh” on your smartphone on rotoworld.com to see if there are any updates on one of your injured players (also a sure sign of an internet addiction)

11.) You strongly consider calling up your playoff opponent the night before GameDay at 3AM in order to propel him into making “bad last-second lineup decisions” on Sunday morning.

12.) You check your fantasy football team at work. (Not that I do).

13.) You walk around muttering "BEAST MODE" (for Marshawn Lynch) or "Megatron!" (Calvin Johnson) under your breath.

14.) You intentionally walk towards garbage cans and then "shimmy" past them at the last second in your best "(Insert-your-fantasy-RB)" impression.

15.) Reality is lost; the only thing you live, see, and breathe is fantasy football.

OK, it's not that bad.......but it IS Fantasy Football playoff week, and I'm feeling the fever. Get it started off right tonight, MJD!!!!

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Tim Tebow

2011-12-12T09:16:00.002-08:00

For those who don't follow sports and don't know who Tim Tebow is, you better pay attention. This is a man (Is he really a man or some sort of Messiah?) who has the chance to transcend sports, to inspire the world, to change the way everyone believes.

I'd consider myself a skeptic on most things. I have philosophies like "Don't believe everything you hear" and "Sell high, buy low," "get out while you're ahead," "I'm not inspired by 3 circles drawn on a piece of paper that someone else calls art." In fantasy sports, especially, I'm the guy who goes by value, isn't loyal to any one player, thinks that you should trade guys while their "stock" is high, etc. I'm that way because usually I'm right: a lot of times things get hyped and people think they're bigger than they are; players like Chris Shelton, Colby Rasmus, Paul Konerko, etc., etc., etc. get hot at the beginning of the season and don't sustain their success through the season.

But even me, the skeptic that I am, believe in Tim Tebow. It's not just the way he plays football, although his single-handed turnaround of the Broncos' season from 1-4 to 8-5 is amazing (with a 6-game winning streak), he has awesome speed for a QB, and has brushed aside questions of his arm accuracy by winning, winning and more winning.

It's not the way he leads his teammates, although it's pretty impressive: everything from winning a Heisman trophy, from his "We will win all our games the rest of this season" after a loss at Florida, the way his teammates rally around him now in Denver, the way he applauds everyone else's effort and credits his teammates for "keep fighting, keep going and never surrendering."

It's not necessarily the religious icon he is: a devout Christian, he points to the sky after every score/accomplishment in the season,

Tim Tebow is the epitome of a great human being. From all accounts, he takes time out ot meet everyone, is nice to everyone, says how honored HE is to meet people who ask for his autograph. Lot of talk about how there's "not a fake bone in his body." That's vastly different from what we usually get from celebrities. We always hear about drug addictions, ugly divorces, luxurious houses, and all matter of ugliness from celebrities away from the camera/field/stage, and we're often disappointed: these are not heroes, not people we should look up to when we live our lives. I think, as a nation and a human society, we need people like Tim Tebow, someone who is in the limelight but doesn't let it change him, who has been humble throughout his life and continues to be despite his celebrity, someone we can tell our kids/family members/people we love, "I want to have the same attitude as Tim Tebow," not necessarily "I want to be a great football player like Tim Tebow," or "I want to be a great leader like Tim Tebow," or "I want to be as religious as Tim Tebow." Instead, I want to be "as good of a human being as Tim Tebow, and that's why I root for him on Sundays: for him to succeed and gain more attention to the world, to deliver "his message" to be good and humble and ethical in how you treat others. And that's why, when Tim Tebow beat my hometown Bears this afternoon in miraculous fashion (again, again in OT), I was okay with it, because I know it's just adding onto the legacy of Tim Tebow, and that legacy is very healthy for our world.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Red Zone Channel

2011-12-12T09:16:00.001-08:00

Introducing the greatest invention known to Fantasy Footballers....the Red Zone channel. Making this one of the better days I've had all year.

1. Wake up, don't have to go to work.
2. Great breakfast
3. Check rotoworld.com ( another great invention for fantasy footballers)
4. Drive through Malibu Canyon (one of the greatest drives in the world, IMO.....you got the Pacific Ocean, PCH Highway, million-dollar homes along the PCH, the breeze, Christmas lights, etc., etc.... really starting to like L.A.)
5. Watch the Red Zone channel, which boots up at 10:00AM in the morning on the West Coast. Great stuff.
6. And they don't always have to be in the red zone!!!!! amazing!!!!
7. Great noon matchups this week team with some great teams (usually you get mostly below-.500 teams, rebuilding teams, teams out of wild-card conetention, etc.) but with Seattle v. St. Louis being the Monday night matchup, we have the Division-leading Texans, the Division-leading Patroits, the Division-leading Saints, the up-and-coming Bengals....
8. Constant updates as to what other games are doing........don't miss a big play, ever.

Some highlights of "Watching the game" with fantasy football freinds:

Red Zone channel, otherwise known as, "Just get to the good stuff."

Andrew Siciliano, VERRY underrated talent in the sports broadcasting industry.

I'm sitting on the bye, watching other guys in my league sweating it out..one Jets fan doing a nice "Hulk Hogan" imitation every time one of his players scores points. And they've scored A LOT of points.......Mark Sanchez with 3 TD's, Percy Harvin, Ray Rice, etc., etc....one of the few joys in life

Guy in my league proclaims, "It is over." at 12:48PM Sunday afternoon in a key playoff matchup.

Guy in the league who has Gronkowski, other guy sitting across from him who has Welker, simultaneously begging Tom to throw it to one of their guys....both guys have been satisfied as on this day, Tom routinely dissects the Redskins D. When Tom throws over the middle to Welker, the Welker owner leaps up, starts doing "holster the gun" motions in between shouts of "yea!!!" It's great. Gotta learn some awesome Fantasy football-TD celebrations.

Dan Orlovsky is really bad.

The best thing about Rex Grossman, you know what to expect: he does well against the bad defenses (New England today) and HORRIBLE against the good defenses.

The "Watch who you're with" warning: I mutter under my breath, "wonder who picked up Keiland Williams" and go to my computer. Guy in my league who's watching football with me picks up Williams that very second as I log on. Well played, sir. Well played. Note to self: Never do that again.

Burgers on the grill, the epitome of watching football on Sundays.

Lot of great games and great finishes today, Andrew Siciliano DOING WORK flipping through the channels. Very distinct voice.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Fantasy Basketball Headhunter Letter, Year 3

2011-12-12T09:15:00.001-08:00

Dear Fantasy Basketball Manager,

After a prolonged hiatus in the fantasy basketball season, we are pleased to welcome in the new fantasy basketball season as well as provide you the third annual Fantasy SportsGuru Headhunter Letter. Our first year, we did you wrong, but last year our results were much improved as we brought you the great wisdom to draft Kevin Love, who is now a top-5 fantasy player, predicted the quick adjustment of Mr. John Wall to the NBA, and steered you away from the declining Tim Duncan and the difficult progress of Danny Granger.

Once again in 2011, We here at FantasySportGuru Headhunter, Inc. have thoroughly researched the diverse applicant pool that was made avilable to us and and come to conclusions on several remarkable candidates. Russell Westbrook is young and enterprising candidate now in his 4th year with the same organization; in each year of his career he has improved his performance and added to his totals, and this year should be no exception, especially with his new acquired skill set of the 3-point shot. Somewhat displeased with his placement in his current position and geographical location in the Bible Belt, Mr. Westbrook can be bought on to your team and become a highly motivated and durable leader (he's not missed a single day fo work in his career).

Another strong but less-regarded candidate is one Jrue Holiday, an even younger performer than Russell Westbrook but also with a UCLA pedigree, Mr. Holiday is entering the prime of his work life (thrid year player) who is well-liked by his coaches, former players, and has earned the trust of his organization. Don't miss out on this opportunity t capture Mr. Holiday's services before he spreads his wings and becomes an unattainably valuable resource.

Call it our new organizational philosophy, but we truly like young, up-and-coming talent here at FantasySportGuru Headhunter, so we would be remiss not to mention another great candidate for success, Mr. Wesley Mathews. Mr. Wesley Mathews has thrived despite intense comeptition in his current field, but with his colleagues Brandon Roy going into early retirement, we believe Mr. Mathews will grab the reins of opportunity and carry your team to the Promised Land.

As always, we must caution you against some fraudulent candidates that carry multiple red flags. Deron Williams is believed by many to be a great asset, but his outer appearance belies unfortunate numbers that will detract from your organization. Take more than a casual look at his statistics and you will find that you can do better for less than what Mr. Williams's services are going him; let another organization deal with his less-than-stellar production.

Although Mr. Kobe Bryant's name rings out throughout the world of true basketball, in Fantasy Basketball Land he is an aging superstar wth a new coach, nagging injuries, and most likely a diminished offensive role now that Howard or Paul are coming to help him out. With the abundance of young, fresh talent on the market, it would be risky, even foolish to retain the name-brand but low-quality Mr. Bryant. Similar to Mr. Tim Duncan last year, we feel that unfortunately Mr. Bryant's best years, especially in Fantasy Land, are behind him.

Also, do not draft the annual comeback-player-of-the-year tease, Mr. Elton Brand. The next time he actually meets expectatios will be his first since 2000; he has been a very mediocre fantasy player for a decade, and now over the age of 30, Mr. Brand will not be learning new skills and the decline will come. Despite his professional attitude, strong educational pedigree (Duke), and survivable numbers, Mr. Brand is prone to injury and will drag down your organization. Please do not invest in the services of this man.

We know that you will have many questions and doubts throughout the season about your employees, invovling many trials and tribulations, and you will develop personal relationships with the employees that you do eventually hire. We recommend that you hire mostly with cold hard facts and our numbers, (partly because if you don't in real life there's bound to be employment litigation in your future), but also so that you can have fun with your employees; you will enjoy yourself if you do not enjoy the people around you. And that's really what it's all about.

Fantasize on,

Fantasysportguru Headhunter, Inc.,
Chairman, President, and Omincient Ruler,

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

2011-12-05T09:45:00.001-08:00

1.) I gotta tell you, few things excite me more than fantasy football or Halloween, but putting up the Christmas decorations today was one of them. Not just the outdoor lights, those are cool, but setting up the Christmas tree; that's awesome. We're one of those cheap families that has one fake Christmas tree in a box that recycles it every year; been using the same one for like 14 years, but it never fails (sorry live Christmas tree business). But putting up Christmas lights, that's a symbol of prosperity, that everything's okay, everything's happy, that for one more year we get to celebrate Christmas in our awesome house with our family. And that's one of the things everyone wishes for, not everybody gets. Gotta cherish it.

2.) First weekend of December might as well be called "Christmas Lights Set-up Weekend." Literally EVERY time I went outside this weekend, someone was putting up Christmas lights. That's a beautiful feeling, being in a neighborhood that celebrates Christmas and gets out. I've really been blessed to live in great neighborhoods ever since I moved out of the inner city of Chicago when I was 7; ever since then I've always lived in good communities; this last one pretty much takes the cake: every year, a block down there's a Haunted House that attracts legitimately like a thousand people on Halloween night. Crazy. And like 75% of houses in our neighborhood have some sort of holiday lights up. It's beginning to look a lot....like Christmas.

3.) For Christmas this year, I want one thing: to be called by Amazing Race. (Just sent in an audition tape, hope you liked it, casting team). If you don't want me on Amazing Race, put me on Amazing Race: China Rush. That's actually a cool show by the same producers, except in China, with mostly Chinese cast members, and a (much) lower grand prize of $400,000 RMB. Still, it's the Amazing Race.

4.) Christmas day will also be the day my fantasy league championship will be decided. Thanks to the early-season heroics of Calvin Johnson and the recent heroics of Victor Cruz, I've clinched the regular season title in my league and a first round bye. Scratch that, All I want for Christmas is to be called by Amazing Race AND a fantasy championship.

5.) Having guests over for Christmas this year; that's always welcome because you feel like you're reconnecting with someone, and it's really a Christmas tradition to invite guests, be merry.

6.) The NBA season starts on Christmas this year: Great timing wth the fantasy playoffs ending that day as well. Very thankful they ended the lockout, but mostly thankful for Fantasy Football: The most sophisticated fantasy game. Seriously. It's a tough game with a lot of risk/reward and statistical balances. It gets very mathematical.

7.) Christmas will also be around the time I make a momentous decision about my career and where it's going. Scratch that, I wish for Christmas that I choose the correct path for my career.

8.) I LOOOOOOOOOVVVVE Christmas carols. Guy at work also loves them; plays them so that the whole office can hear. I do not mind.

9.) See some snow for Christmas, maybe? Skiing? Something? Big Bear/Mammoth = great places in California. O, and the Grand Canyon gets snow too, so if you wanna see somethign cool....

10.) Wow I thought 12 things for Christmas would be easy. Preliminary gift ideas for my immediate family: 1.) Grandpa = mahjong set. 2.) sister = pitch in with my parents for an Ipad/Kindle Fire/something gadgety. 3.) Mom = Chinese DVD's, she loves that stuff. 4.) Dad = new tennis racket.

11.) I am not Catholic or Christian. I have gone to church before but do not profess faith in any established religion. I have my own religious beliefs. Privately, I've seen enough in my life, enough signs and little coincidences that indicate to me there's a higher power, or an order to this world that I cannot identify yet; so I definitely do not reject religion; I just don't necessarily believe that one religion is correct, although during the last few weeks have been really considering learning more about these religions, etc (and I'm not just saying that because of Tim Tebow). Anyway, I think Christmas is a holiday almost anybody can celebrate and get into the mood for; you don't have to be strictly about that religion; it's more of a cheerful/fun holiday than a religious holiday, in my opinion.

12.) I've always wanted to be a shopping mall Santa Clause. Maybe just for a day. You're basically a rock star for the kids and get to dress up in a funny costume and have a story for the rest of your life. Gotta be pretty cool.

Merry Christmas (in 3 weeks),

Robert Yan

Reliving Seinfeld

2011-12-04T20:25:00.001-08:00

Watching the Season 3 DVD of Seinfeld, with such timeless classic episodes as "the Parking Garage," "The Pen," "The Boyfriend" (aka the Keith Hernandez episode), "the Parking Spot," etc., etc., and I wonder.....are the lives of Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer ideal? Would I want to be a successful single comedian living in the Lower East End of New York and living life with some of my best friends, and with hilarious stories, thrilling adventures, and various companions/dates/relationships?

I think not. I love Seinfeld, George, Kramer, and their interactions with each other: they kid around, have inside jokes, go everywhere together, and step up for each other if someone's in trouble; it's exactly the kind of interaction I try to have with my friends, and aspire to......NOW. But I DON'T necessarily want to be like that when I'm 35, or 40, or whatever age the characters in Seinfeld are. Seinfeld is awesome but it purposely doesn't include an element of living: kids + family. They don't have wives, they don't have kids, they don't do "family things." In contrast to the family-based comedy of "Everybody Loves Raymond," "The Cosby Show," or "Home Improvement," Seinfeld + friends don't have families. Dare I say it, I feel a little sorry for them that they have to rely on their friends to combat loneliness and act as surrogates for their lack of real families. I'm fine with it for a year, a few years, maybe until I'm 30, but I'm a guy who eventually wants a family, eventually a big family, eventually kids to play with, raise, and share my life with. It's not an Asian thing, a Midwest thing, it's a me thing and what I value the most.

Let's analyze also, if I may, the "it's a show about nothing" aspect of Seinfeld. Is life, like the show, pretty much about nothing? Do we just live our lives for the stories, for the awkward events, for the series of accumulated moments that happen while we're doing other things? Is it, as said so eloquently by the irreverent Lester Freamon on "The Wire," "the sh*t that happens while you're waiting for moments that never come?" It might be. What's our purpose for going to our jobs, earning money, traveling, going to school, and every other aspirational activity that we undergo? It's all to achieve some abstract "perfect-world" where we're at our dream jobs, living beautifully with nothing to worry about? That almost never happens!! Even people who we think have that "perfect-world" continue to strive for more; very few people are satisfied. So that's why I say we gotta enjoy our lives sometimes, celebrate the occasions......because once life gets going, it's hard to stop it. Go out and run in a new place, go look at Christmas lights, watch old Seinfeld re-runs, play some fantasy football ( I got some GREAT advice). Whatever it is, try to enjoy it, because the moment that you're looking for might actually never come.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Enjoying Milestones

2011-12-04T20:22:00.000-08:00

Oftentimes we accomplish a lot of things without even stopping to acknowledge it. Yesterday I was sworn into the California Bar; I am officially an attorney. I am now commemorating this momentous event in my blog. Congratulations, Robert. You made it. ( Actually this particular event I celebrated pretty well; USC Law did us right by hosting a Bar Admissions Ceremony in the Town & Gown with drinks and appetizers, I took full advantage. That, coupled with an epic Vegas trip 2 weeks ago after finding out I had passed, and I think I sufficiently celebrated this bar admissions phase.)

All tooting my own horn aside, I think it is really important to remember these events. Looking back on big positive things in my life, I didn't celebrate enough; I didn't let myself enjoy it. We work extremely diligently to meet our goals and achieve milestones; we gotta stop to savor it a little bit before we move on to the next big goal. Life moves so fast; if you didn't stop to take a mental/spiritual snapshot of something happen, you won't be able to go back and retrieve those moments later.

Suggestions on how to "take a mental snapshot of momentous occasions:"

1.) Buy a cake. Everyone always remembers cake; especially if you write "Happy Graduation!" or something on it.
2.) Go somewhere new to celebrate. Chances our you'll remember the place you went to, and then why you went there, in that order.
3.) Actual "snapshots" - obviously pictures are the best ways. Duh. But that's the simple route to go.
4.) Post it in your blog so you can go back later and see how you felt at the time.
5.) Splurge on things you want; spend lots of money. On second thought, you probably don't want to do this.

Example of how NOT to celebrate a momentous occasion:

On the night of our law school graduation, my family and I went out for dinner to celebrate, etc., and I was so worried about the pending bar exam preparation and the unexciting job prospects I would have after the bar that I was absolutely miserable. Complained about how law school was a waste of time and actually set me back to my whole family and kind of ruined the whole dinner. O and did I mention this was like 3 days after my 24th birthday? Yea not a way to commemorate either occasion. Those were the dark days.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Taking on Vegas

2011-11-26T16:49:00.001-08:00

Last week I conquered the points spread in a big way, taking Washington +7 over the Cowboys, Cleveland -1 over the Jaguars (random guessing, and barely won the bet), and my big money bet was.........Oakland +2.5 over the Vikings. That was the best feeling I had about a game in a long time, and it didn't disappoint: The Raiders dominated that game from start to finish.

I've been watching a lot.......LOT OF NFL Rewind, so I have some in-depth knowledge on these teams (I hope).

Chicago +3 at Oakland.......The Bears have covered the spread a LOT during their 5-game winning streak, yet they continuously get disrespected. Sure, Caleb Hanie is a downgrade from Cutler, but this team was built on Defense, Special teams, and running the football anyway. Watch for that to continue, especially against Carson Palmer without his fancy tools (McFadden, Denarious Moore, Jacoby Ford). Chicago has at least a 50-50 shot at winning this game, which is why you take the points.

Cleveland +7 at Cincinnati: Throw out the records when these 2 teams get together. Cleveland plays teams tough and should continue to do so here; feels like a let-down game for the Bengals after 2 brutal matchups against tough division opponents.

Carolina -3.5 at Indianapolis: You simply cannot take a team that is trying to lose. Seriously, a win is a loss for them, so if you give ANY credence to that theory whatsoever, you gotta take the Panthers.

Seattle -3 at Washington: Lovin' the Seahawks at home against an inferior team. What are the oddsmakers thinking? Marshawn Lynch is consistently in Beast Mode," especially at home, and the magical healing powers of Seattle somehow transform them into an above-average football team. And Redskins coming off OT game traveling to the Pacific Northwest. Gimme the Hawks, over and over again.

New England -3.5 at Philadelphia: No Vick, No Jeremy Maclin, probably no Nmadi Asomugha, and Tom Brady is still alive and playing in this game? For some reason Vegas this year constantly, constantly believes in an Eagles comeback....they might stop harboring this notion after this demolishing.

Pittsburgh -10.5 at Kansas City: The "Home Dog" factor gets cancelled out here by the "Tyler Palko Sucks" factor. See the Steelers piling on and rolling by more than 2 TD's.

Atlanta -9.5 v. Minnesota: Christian Ponder, Boy Wonder? That myth has pretty much been debunked the last 2 weeks, and AP now officially declared out. Falcons smell a playoff spot and aren't going to let this one get away at home.

Jacksonville +6.5 v. Houston: call me crazy, but like the home dog here. If I were physically in Vegas, I'd try to get a +7 line out of this, but take what you can get v. Matt Leinart. Bet heavy against him.

Giants +7 at New Orleans: Betting on another "Dr. Jekyll" week as opposed to Mr. Hyde.

NYJ -9.5 v. Buffalo: Buffalo is DONNNNNNNNNEEEEE. Should be quitting if down at half.

San Diego -5.5 v. Denver: Sigh. One last hurrah for the Chargers?

St. Louis -2.5 v. Arizona: Hate picking this game. Throw a coin in the air; heads are the Rams, tails are the Cardinals.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Black Friday

2011-11-25T12:35:00.000-08:00

Friday, Friday, every day is Friday......I don't know if it's ironic, or sad, or wonderful, or what, but the popular Youtube hit "Friday" was performed by a Rebecca "Black." Sigh. Someone really has a sense of humor.

I don't think I've EVER gotten up early or waited in line for Black Friday. Call me crazy, but I just don't like the idea of camping out, waiting forever, being uncomfortable, depriving myself of sleep, for the pleasure of PAYING MONEY for products. It's not like you're getting these things for free, people. The stores are still making money. Personally, I wouldn't wait 9 hours to get something for free, much less at a supposed "bargain basement price."

What I DO like to do on Black Friday, however, is put up Christmas lights. Perfect time to do it: You're feeling fat and bloated from gorging yourself with Thanksgiving delights from the night before, it's time to do some physical activity/ work. Climb a ladder, set up some penguins, hammer in some deer, that's what I enjoy doing. Plus, it's the last off day you get before Christmas; and it contributes to the awesomeness of living in surburbia, which is the vast array of Christmas decorations that almost all families have.

One of the coolest things in life is going for a job in a suburban neighborhood (such as my own) on December 22nd, 23rd, or even 24th.......every house is decorated to the brim with fake Santas, colorful reindeer, festive lights, and it-almost-looks-real candy canes. It's one of the more amazing sights in life, going down the roads, seeing almost every house lit up in such decorative affair. You don't have to be religious, really like Christmas, or even like bright and shiny lights to like it. It's one of the miracles of life that so many people are willing to go to such lengths to celebrate one day of the year.

Anyway, I'm going to the USC-UCLA football game Saturday night, the season finale and the end to another great season of USC football. Go figure, the 3 years I attended USC they were perpetually in decline, were sanctioned for NCAA violations, and went through a coaching change. (they were especially mediocre the 2 years I had season tickets, 2009 and 2010.) Now, finally, when they're back to being a top 10 QB again with a franchise QB (Matt Barkley), I have to pay regular fare. Go figure. Not complaining, though, let's hope for multiple national championships in the near future.

And Illini, please have a good basketball season? Please?

Anyone ever watch the Amazing Race: Asia or Amazing Race: China Rush? Actually pretty entertaining, you can tell it's made by the same Amazing Race people. And that opening theme; you can recognize it anywhere. Btw, my 8+ years of watching Amazing Race tells me that Marcus & Amani are going to win the most recent edition of the Race, although the edits throughout the season don't usually suggest a winner. It'd really be a shame if Jeremy & Sandy won; barely know who those guys are, they've done so little.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

I am bad at tennis

2011-11-25T12:32:00.000-08:00

Can't really remember how I got started playing tennis.... I was never really good at it, never took serious lessons with it, didn't follow tennis great Michael Chang or Pete Sampras growing up, didn't have a hard-hitting uncle that gave me his old wooden racket from his playing days, inspiring me to seek greatness in the sport...Nope, I just started playing. One day I was at my community park hitting around with friends, the next I was going with my dad, my friends, more and more.... one day I showed up at high school tennis tryouts.......one day I started matches on the JV team...one day I made it on varsity and played some matches.

So it goes. My "career" at tennis has really been self-taught.... I just like the game. Not love; the game is too frustrating, too hard to improve, too prone to inconsistent stretches for me to fully love it. And I'm just not that good at it, so I lose more than I ever win. But being good at tennis seems like it could be really fun. Place the ball wherever you want, ace your opponent on command, hit drop shots like they're a piece of cake, shoot winners down the line.....basically, feel invincible. Unfortunately for me, I've only gotten that "invincible" feeling a couple times in my life, and never for more than 5 minutes. Here's what's wrong with my game (and what's wrong with many amateur's games).

1. My serve is wildly inconsistent. First serve: can hit it pretty hard, but not ace material, rely on the other guy to mess up. Problem is, I don't spend the time to ready myself and rush the serve. Second serve: I'm much too dastardly to try to do anything with the second serve. Basically a pancake to the opponent served on a silver platter with the ball screaming, "HIT ME HARD," and I'm on the defensive. It's to the point where I hit a semi-decent second serve on the first serve just so the opponent doesn't move up on me and whack it.

2. Backhand needs work. Many pros' backhands are better than their forehands. Not the case with me ( and most amateurs). My muscle memory with the forehand is sufficient to where I can get some control, but I just haven't hit a million backhand shots like Andre Agassi did before he was 15, so I often don't know where it's going when I'm prepared to hit it, so don't even ask what happens when I'm on the run and have to hit a shot. Birds fly away and squirrels scatter when I wind up to hit that backhand; it flies everywhere.

3. Net game. I love playing net; I like playing doubles more than I do singles cuz I'm already at the net. But playing the net is a lot tougher than it looks, cuz volleys are a whole 'nother game than groundstrokes. I have yet to develop the volley put away shot; usually my volleys look like I see the ball coming at my face and at the last second, I bring up my racket purely out of desperation to protect myself, not asserting any type of accuracy or tenacity at all. O, and I run through volleys like "Fast and Furious" actors run through red lights. It ain't pretty.

4. Mental mistakes. It's almost incredible, but I don't always focus when I play tennis on the game. When I play basketball, it's continuous, back-and-forth action; there's really no time to think about anything else, it's constantly go-go-go, gotta be everywhere, so I never lose focus. Chess, you're gonna be there for 2 hours and you make like a move per 2.5 minutes; you can space out a bit. Tennis is the in-between: I really shouldn't be spacing out, but I space out anyway. I think about my day, which players I'll be starting that weekend in fantasy football, and the next thing you know my opponent hits a strong serve right at my body, I don't move out of the way and attempt a cross between a dink and a push at the ball, and it goes wimpering feebly into the net. That's how about 10 of my points go each match, probably costing me 3 or 4 games in the process. It's really quite the problem, and I haven't fixed it cuz I don't have a coach, I never had a coach, and no one tells me these things. I'm on my own!!!!!

5. I just don't act like a tennis player. I don't look like a tennis player. Tennis players hit hard; they hit consistent ground strokes; they make good decisions;they stay poised under pressure. If anyone's ever seen me play tennis, I do the exact opposite. I often hit slices over the net to try to get spin and win my "garbage" and not power because I don't generate much power; I consistenly hit ground strokes into the net; at no time have I ever hit back-to-back strokes that are the same; I'm always all over the place and I have like 8 different forms; I make terrible decisions; I lob when I should pass; I go backhand when I should go forehand, I rush to the net imprudently and allow the opponent an easy passing shot; I hit a weak shot just because I'm lazy and give up the advantage on the point. All kinds of things. O, and when the pressure's on, I run around like a chicken with his head cut off.

The bottom line is, with tennis, I didn't really learn HOW to be a tennis player, I learned to hit the ball with a racket. I run around just trying to get to balls and hit them back; I don't know technique, I don't know style, I don't really know how to win a tennis match. Thus, I am bad at tennis. However, I still like tennis and will keep on playing; and I have fun playing, which is all that counts. (Unless you're Roger Federer. Or Rafael Nadal. Or Novak Djokovic).

Btw, I met a family with kids who all play football today at a Thanksgiving dinner party. Sound mundane? How bout when I mention it was a CHINESE Thanksgiving dinner party? Shocked that the parents let the Asian kid play football at all. Aren't they afraid the kids' automatically-thrust-upon reputations as nerds will be tarnished? That helmet-to-helmet hits will cause the kids to lose their great math-and-science intelligence abilities? That our fragile Asian bodies will be broken in half by pure American muscle? All kidding and stereotypes aside, I commend the fam and the kids on going into a sport that Asians are underrepresented in. Try something new, break stereotypes and tradition, DAMN THE TORPEDOS!!!!! That said, I'll still stick with tennis.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

What's on my IPod,

2011-11-13T23:15:00.000-08:00

It occurred as I was doing my jog after my uber-fantasy blog earlier this evening that I don't talk about music much......It is, after all, a big part of my life. I started playing violin when I was 7, played in a bunch of youth orchestras, still play in the LA Lawyers Philharmonic (although, I actually have to make it to rehearsal one of these weeks)... I genuinely like playing violin, it's a big stress relief, and I'm genuinely fond of some time-honored classical pieces (notice I used the proper term "pieces," not "songs" - Vivaldi's Four Seasons comes to mind, Beethoven's Opus No. 5, Tsaichovsky's Marche Slaive (although that thing's brutally difficult for 1st violins).

But, not unlike many Americans, I am sucked into the Top 40 hits, the most popular music that's featured prominently on Kiss FM stations everywhere. The tunes are so catchy and are designed specifically to get you pumped up, are very available, and like a drug, they make you want to go back and listen over and over again.

Like others, too, I have songs that are "go-to" for me, like I "go to" them first on my 3-mile jogs, or "go to" them and keep listening if they're on the radio. I got my IPod (I know, already obselete technology) in 2008, so I downloaded all of these "tunes" since then. Here's my Top 10:

10.) The Show Goes On (Lupe Fiasco): Very nostalgic for me of Spring 2011, my most recent ASB trip to Seattle/Orcas Island, Washington. Love it.

9.) Viva La Vida (Coldplay): Perfectly signifies what happens on Big Brother (power shifts, going from the king to dusting the streets and all that jazz). Great lyrics. Smart; very smart.

8.) The Sweet Escape (Gwen Stefani): Use it when you're busting out of the house or whatever monotonous activity you were doing to go for a run. Great release, makes you want to go faster. And the music video's HOOOOOOT.

7.) Big Girls Don't Cry (Fergie): Takes me back to the simple days of the summer of 2007, a time of less stress, great economy, still working as a bus captain at a great summer camp job... I can still feel the warm summer breeze.

6.) Amazing (Kayne): play it every time the NBA Playoffs come on. Perfect song for that occasion and also after you've accomplished something (recently for me, not too much......cross my fingers for this Friday!)

5.) Who's that Chick ( Rihanna): song that recently caught on. Just super, super catchy. As I run, I do a little fist pump whenever the melody changes. That's when you know you're addicte to a song.

4.) Ignition (R. Kelly): Great song in 2001 or so....O man brings me back.

3.) Lose Yourself (Eminem): Every time I play this song I run a little faster, stand more erect, get focused.....you literally cannot do anything else when you hear this song.

2.) On the Floor (J. Lo): On fire.

1.) Party in the USA (Hannah Montana): this 2009 hit is gonna go down as one of the best songs in Hannah Montana's repetoire, maybe even of this century so far. Seriously, don't you just want to just have a party every time you listen?

OK, so ya, a lot of girly music, I know, and a lack of rock. I told you, I get sucked in. What can I say?

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

NFL Week 10

2011-11-13T22:10:00.000-08:00

Going back to the bread and butter: note on each time that played this week in the NFL (and since no team had a bye this week, that means every time.) Remember, If I get 60% of these right, you have no right to complain....My preseason predic's were right on, btw, thank me later).

1. Jacksonville v. Indy:
Obvious that Indy is a fantasy wasteland, but Donald Brown has been hyped to break out for like 5 years now....these last 6 games might finally be his chance.
MJD had monster yardage games in the 2nd half last year, but unfortunately he's already used up his game against Indy (the next one comes Week 17 in Indy which is useless). I'd sell high after his recent back-to-back TD games...Lance from my league is probably reading this now and exploiting it. O well.

2. Atlanta v. N. Orleans:
Matty Ice's 351 yards and 2 TD's are no fluke......congrats to owners who bought low on him.
I recently cut Mark Ingram in one of my really deep leagues and feel no remorse about it whatsoever.... the Saints backfield is a fantasy buzzsaw, he's playing hurt, and they have a bye next week. Wait for next season for Mr. Ingram's time.

3. Houston at Tampa Bay:
Texans are a real contender. The RB's are sick; is it time to add their THIRD-STRINGer Derrick Ward.
Yea Josh Freeman is not good. Avoid EVERYONE, and I mean EVERYONE. May be worse than Indy.

4. Pittsburgh @ Cincinnatti:
Julio Jones and A.J. Green,man. Both are studs.
LOVE, LOVE Antonio Brown. Exactly what Pittsburgh and your fantasy team needs.

5. Tennessee @ Carolina:
BUY Cam Newton, NOW, NOW, NOW!!!!!! Whatever discount you can get him at, do it now. Chalk it up to a bad game, but he is a top-5 QB no doubt.
SELL Chris Johnson, SELL, SELL, SELL. Best example of both sides of a "buy low, sell high" situation. CJ2K fans are probably saying, finally, he's back!!!! Uh, no, I'm not gonna take 1 game of mirage over 8 games of fantasy reality: he's toast and you should get like a Cedric Benson for him now. Seriously.

6. Arizona @ Philadelphia:
Wow, John Skelton, really? 315 yards and 3 TD's? Even in the worst nightmares of the Philly "Dream Team" they didn't think they'd give up 315 yards to John Skelton. Screw it, pick up Skeletor if only because he has Larry Fitzgerald and Early Doucet to throw to.
What did I say about Michael Vick? Tsk, tsk... not only is a huge injury risk now, he's also a huge suck risk. Congrats Matthew Berry for defrauding innocent fantasy owners everywhere and telling them to take Vick 1st.

7. KC v. Denver:
I swear, if Dwayne Bowe ever had a real QB to throw to him like a Brady, Romo, or Manning......2 rec for 17 yards is a colossal waste of his talents.
If you're starting any Denver WR's, you must love betting green on roulette. Eric Decker owners, get out now while you can.....Tebow might complete like 8 passes the rest of the year.

8. Dallas v. Buffalo:
If I had done a post last week I would have touted Laurent Robinson for you...heh. Love'em. If you have a Cowboy, any Cowboy, get ready to go for a ride cuz they're all about to run wild.
Bills are done.

9. Cleveland v. St. Louis.
There is nothing here. Another mediocre year for Steven Jackson, I have no idea why anyone still drafts him anymore because there is no upside, none, ever.

10. Washington v. Miami:
There is nothing here part 2. Some guy named Hankerchief or Hankersnoggle had a 100-yard game for the Redskins but will go back to 2 rec. for 21 yards pretty soon; Reggie Bush's 2-TD day is completely unsustainable. I'm pretty sure you can't draft Reggie ever again and feel good about it.

11. Seattle v. Baltimore:
Seahawks are awesome at Qwest Field, a.k.a. the Fountain of Youth in which they shower repeatedly before the game. If "Beast Mode" can beast 109 yards and a TD agaisnt the Ravens, we might be on to something here.
When did Joe Flacco turn into Alex Smith? 255 yards and just 1 TD, 1 int against a hapless Seattle Secondary. Tsk, tsk.

12. San Francisco v. NYG:
Watched this game live and whatever Qwest Field is for Seattle, playing San Francisco is the opposite for both teams. The Niners grind it out and make it as ugly as possible (kinda like some food shows I've been watching), and it hurts both teams' fantasy players.
NYG: if you start any Giant receivers, just know they'll be good, but not spectacular, no 150-yard, 2 TD days here; Eli spreads it around like butter on a croissant. (Just spent 2 minutes trying to spell that after taking French for 4 years)

13: Chicago v. Detroit:
If you started the Chicago D, you had a good day. The Chicago D is a MUST-START anytime they're at home. O, and Julius Peppers is good. REALLY good.
Megatron got defeated by Optimus Prime (My new name for Peanut Tillman) on this edition of Beast Wars, but he'll be back. My over-under on number of TD's is 18 this year.

14. New England v. NYJ:
Gronkowski is a top-5 WR who qualifies for TE. Sick. Brady got off the snide in a big way, further proving the old adage, " You always start you studs. ALWAYS."
Mark Sanchez is not a stud. In fact, he's getting kind of sucky. As a Trojan fan it hurts to say this, but if NYJ wants to win a Super Bowl and not just J-E-T-S just end the season, they need a new (and better) QB.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Inside Job

2011-11-13T20:58:00.000-08:00

Anyone still upset about the 2008 financial crisis, here's a film that will further fuel your furor: Inside Job. There's been a lot of books, a lot of films, lot of news, etc. written about the whole ordeal, but Inside Job does a great job of getting you excited and angry. Honestly, it was a little one-sided and put a LOT of blame on a LOT of people, but it also was pretty accurate in its lesson: We tried to get bigger profits by taking more profits, and when the fit hit the shan (I learned that phrase from Colin Cowherd), the ones who were responsible got off scott-free with millions, and regular citizens got left holding the bag. O, and the film's narrated by Matt Damon....always nice to hear a familiar voice.

It goes to the same message I had about the Penn State scandal with Joe Paterno, and the same message that I deal with in my case at work (and also, just to top off the analogy, the message in Spiderman): With great power comes great responsibilities. Sure everyone wants the power, wants the chance to be able to control things, decide the fates of others, and have an impact in the world, but when you take that power it's not free; you have to understand the responsiblity that comes with it. When you're a head coach of a prominent college powerhouse, you have a responsibility to report child molesters on you staff...when you are the CEO of one of the top 5 investment banks in the country, you have a repsonsibility not to sell bad investments to your clients; when you're an attorney who handles all of an individual's legal problems, you have a responsibility to do the best job for them.... So much in life revolves around that one principle. You can take the good but you gotta be there when the bad comes.

***********************

When will Survivor and Amazing Race come to an end? Hopefully never. I've been watching those two shows since 2003, pretty much every episode of every season, and it really never gets old. Just like football never gets old, baseball never gets old, making money on the stock market never gets old, the news never gets old, Jeopardy never gets old, those 2 reality shows never get old. You know how I know? Cuz they would have been cancelled already due to bad ratings if it got old for people. We're in Survivor 23 now and Amazing Race 18, and each show has seen hundreds of contestants, but each year viewers like me keep coming back. For the Amazing Race, it's the thrill of the chase, the excitement of traveling to new and exotic places all while triggering your competitive juices in a run-for-your-life race, while Survivor is exactly what we face in our everyday interactions with people: co-existing with others, getting annoyed at some and wishing we could vote them off like in Survivor, all while trying to stay alive in a game of human chess: You win or you go home with nothing. I hope Survivor and the Amazing Race stay alive primarily because I'm still YEARNING to get on, but also because they're the equivalent of addictive potato chips: I just can't get enough of them, and I'll be watching.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

The Smartest Guy in the Industry

2011-11-11T18:45:00.000-08:00

Recently I've come to a revelation: I'm not that smart.

As arrogant as this seems in that it presupposes that I AM smart and also indicates that I once thought I WAS pretty smart, I think it's a very humble and honest assessment of my place in the world.

In grade school up until high school, I felt smart. Things came easily, I did my homework quickly, I got good grades, got awards for being smart. Yay for me. Everybody congratulated me, I tooted my own horn, felt great. BAM....get to college, and find out everyone at college did pretty well in high school too...so it's the cream of the crop. It's harder to get an A, people in discussions think of things that I never thought of, others' essays are more brilliantly written, things don't come so easily to me anymore, I often find myself confused. Go to law school, find out there's even SMARTER people here, it's the cream of the cream of the crop from college, and now I'm definitely not at the elite status. People do better than me in school, people think more clearly,

this is definitely a problem in a knowledge industry. Especially in a field like law (kind of like philosophy, mathematics, etc.), it's an industry primarily based on knowlege, and the smartest guys in the industry are the ones people want to hire, people look to. Not being smart in this industry is definitely a problem.

But it's not a mortal failing. I can still go back to my main strengths: determination, work ethic, and a new one I'm finding quite suitable for myself: likability. As much as I don't get something, or have a hard time understanding a concept, I make up for it by reading it over and over again, owning it. If all else fails, I admit defeat, and try to wiggle out through some self-deprecating humor.

It's definitely a limitation I'm a little worried about, but I have to keep it in perspective: I'm a law school graduate from a top law school who will hopefully (gulp, cross fingers) be licensed to practice law in California very soon. I don't have to be the smartest guy in the industry; I'm already pretty smart. (Keep telling myself that, keep telling myself that)

Now a little note about the Penn St. scandal that's been all over the news: If you haven't been following, Penn St. assistant coach Jerry Sandusky allegedly took showers with several boys at Penn State facilitiates over the span of more than a decade but was never stopped by Penn State officials, and head coach Joe Paterno knew about the behavior but only reported to the higher authorities.

Here's my feeling: I love kids. I've always stated that. I love their enthusiasm, their energy for life; it can be one of the best times in a person's life. But it can also be the worst, because you can be taken advantage of by adults who abuse their position of power. This is the worst kind of abuse of power oo: Using the power to exploit other people who are powerless into doing what you want for you. We as adults have so much power to make a positive change in a child's life, and that responsibility is an ultimate duty that we cannot breach. You can breach your duty to clean up after yourself, you can breach your duty to feed your pets, you can even breach your duty to be a good spouse (although, not recommended), but you CANNOT breach your duty to a child. That duty is inherent the day you become an adult and applies to everyone, even those who do not actively victimize children but know that it is going on. You have a duty to each and every child that is living, especially when you know they are being victimized by someone they cannot combat. So shame on you, Joe Paterno, shame on you, Penn St. administration and everyone who took a blind eye. May your failings be a lesson and a reminder to us all of what children mean to us.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

NFL Rewind

2011-11-08T21:25:00.000-08:00

Not a salesperson for the National Football League, but nfl.com has this nice feature called NFL Rewind that lets you go back and watch all the games for the whole season for a pretty-neat deal of $40.00 for the whole season. Get a couple of your friends to chip in, gather around, each game only lasts about an hour for the "full version," 30 minutes for the condensed. Nothing like the 3-hour marathons you sludge through on Sundays. Only problem with it? You don't get the games until the day AFTER the games are played, when all the excitement is gone and your co-workers at the water cooler have already talked about it. I still love it. Great for tracking your fantasy players' progress.

Now imagine if you had this feature for life....called Life Rewind. O man, how useful would that be. Top 5 things I could use it for:

1.) Rewind and watch myself in key moments of my life, like job interviews, dates, sports games, etc......watch myself and evaluate my own performance.

2.) Go back and relive cool moments in your life, or vacations.....see what you missed. It's like watching a movie a second time.... you always find something new. That would be what Life Rewind would be all about. I'm a guy who dwells on things (for example, I look back on my high school chess games all the time and think what I could have done differently), so Rewind would allow me to go back and relive.

3.) Fast forward through the boring stuff. The long rides in traffic, boredom, hearing your parents lecture you about brushing your teeth the right way, blah, blah, blah......"

4.) Settle your doubts. If you're anything like me and are awaiting the California bar results, it's the sense of not knowing that's driving you crazy. What if you missed this issue on the test? What did I answer for that specific question? Life Rewind would let you go back and know what you did, when you did it.....at least you would know.

Anyway, now that I think about it, probably not as cool, and seems like a terrible waste of time.....gotta live in the now, plan for the future....the past is behind us.

Which is why I'm looking ahead to the rest of the fantasy football season.

Fred Jackson can't continue to be the #1 running back in all of fantasy, can he? I'd let someone else take a chance. However, remind yourself that football more than any other season is very different year to year.....you'll never have a nobody in fantasy baseball finish in the top 5 in all of fantasy, but you might get TWO in fantasy football (Peyton Hillis, Mike Vick last year), so you never know.

I'd avoid trading heavy for Running backs. The way RB's take abuse and get injured this year, I'd take a chance on any other position. Hate to try to predict injuries, but just look at Jamaal Charles, Felix Jones, Darren McFadden, and Peyton Hillis and you know I'm right. Backup RB's can also fill in and do the job right away....WR's and TE's usually cannot. Certainly not QB's......Donald Brown can do just as good a job as Joseph Addai, Chris Ivory for Mark Ingram, Jackie Battle for Jamaal Charles, to name a few. It takes a while for receivers to build a repertoire with QB's even if they step into a featured role... the QB can just go elsewhere.

Buy Ben Roethlisberger. The casual fan might not know it and think the Steelers are a ground-and-pound football team with lots of running, but that's dead run. Big Ben operates a spread offense-like attack and hands it off only as a breather and to keep the defense honest. Also with that, take Steeler WR/TE's.

I TOLD you about Mike Vick. For the umpteenth time since Vick broke into the league, the Bears handled him and exposed how you beat him on Monday Night Football. I'd stay away from his WR's neither, but not Shady McCoy. He's a beast.

More from my NFL Rewind observations: Aaron Rodgers will throw at least 3 touchdown passes every play, and they have like 1 rushing TD all season and no 100-yard rushing days. It's strictly passing all the way.

The Seahawks are bad. But you didn't need me to tell you that.

Jake Ballard and Victor Cruz are like the best receiving targets for Eli Manning, and Manning throws a lot. Get them.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

New York City Weekend

2011-11-07T22:22:00.000-08:00

Just got off a grueling 3-day weekend spent in NYC. Took one-stop connections there AND back (so 4 planes all told), lotsa subways, slept on wooden floors, and verbally assaulted by enraged taxi drivers. But I'm alive.

Observations about NYC:

1. There's a noticeable difference between "Uptown NYC" and "Downtown NYC." East Village, Manhattan, Downtown is very nice, you got Wall Street, Central Park, Fifth Avenue, nice shops, great restaurants, great sights. But once you go up the subway to like the Bronx, it gets shady.... it looks more run-down, not-so squeaky clean anymore. It's perceptible just by riding the "4" "5" or "6" subways. Big difference just by the type and demeanor people getting on and off at different stops. Really highlights the "have and have-not" culture of the U.S., especially in the preeminent city in America, the Big Apple.

2. LaGuardia's a lot closer to everything than JFK, and riding into LaGuardia at 6:00PM evening gets you a GREAT view of the whole city. Holy moly, was I glad I stuck w/ a left-side aisle seat on the way there. Citi Field, Hudson Bay, Downtown Manhattan, Statue of Liberty, etc., etc. I highly recommend it.

3. NYC Marathon is a pretty big deal. Happened to be there this weekend, and visited in Central Park. Pretty cool; goal is to one day run in one of these, whether it be LA, Chicago, Boston, or NY.

4. Highland Park is apparently the big, bad, new thing in NYC, and it really matches the hype. Pretty much a big part on top of a bunch of buildings, it gets you a pretty clear view of a lot of NYC. Liked it.

5. Found it ironic that the Occupy Wall Street protestors are within shouting range of the 9/11 World Trade Center Memorial. The two most defining events of the last decade, represented within a 2-block radius, with contrasting messages highlighted by loss and tragedy. There's got to be a poem in there somewhere, it seems intensely ironic.

6. Lotsa, lotsa couples walking around NYC. It's stunning how many faces you see just walking around; whereas LA is defined by people driving around in their cars behind a shield made of protective steel (a.k.a. your car), in NYC people are always out, there's nowhere to hide.

7. Rudeness. Yea, East Coasters are rude. I mean, it's not just me, my New York friends were telling me about this before I even got there. Cab drivers give you a hard time if you don't tip them enough (first-hand experience), people walking behind you get peeved if you don't jaywalk in an obvious situation, drivers honk at the slightest perceived slight, etc., etc. If you think LA didn't have patience for people, o jeez wait for NY. Although, it makes you wonder, doesn't it? Weren't we all, no matter where we grew up, taught the same basic lessons of manners and sympathy for each other? Empathy/put yourself in others' shoes? I feel like somewhere along the way in the busy, make money-or-leave atmosphere of New York, those basic tenets of life fade way to capitalism and individualism. The city is that powerful.

8. O ya, everything in New York costs A LOT. Biggest motivator for me yet to make money in this world: New York will take your money and take a LOT of it. $6 for a hot dog (and not even at a baseball stadium). $15 for a bowl of Ramen. $2.25 in a subway to go 3 blocks. In no other city, I feel, are you defined so much by the way you dress/how much you make/your overall success. The whole city seems to demand that you be successful, or leave.

9. Yankee Stadium- made possibly my one and only trip. Pretty cool.

10. Times Square- tourist trap. Sure you got the bright lights and all, but you also got so many people you can hardly breathe. Avoid. (Sell, sell, sell)

All in all, my research of NYC this weekend and over the years ( remind me to relate the story of the 2003 NYC Blackout that I lived through) suggest that I should NOT live in New York. Not now; not ever: Don't try to worm your way into the Big Apple.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Robert Yan

Yea, It's the Freakin' Weekend

2011-11-01T22:18:00.001-07:00

- Title inspired by a recent song (not sure of the song or the artist, just that it's super-catchy) that is right-on about the anxious waiting for the weekend to begin.

Now that I'm working, I appreciate the weekend that much more. You have 5 days working, and just 2 days of the weekend, plus the goes-very-quickly Friday night. Here's a sample of what I've done the last few weekends:

1. Sit home and read the WSJ
2. Sit home and watch movies
3. Tennis on Saturday mornings.
4. Run up and down the stairs to save time not having to run outside.
5. Work out (probably the only time I have to develop my killer biceps, and by killer I mean very miniscule)
6. Santa Anita racetrack( went with work to bet on some horses, as luck would have it I bet on 4 different horses, none won, lost $20).
7. Watched NFL football at a bar with friends.
8. Survivor audition video (haven't heard back, probably have been rejected by reality TV for the 6th time).
9. study Chinese.
10. Halloween event at a bar

Notice nothing in there about a "date" or "wild party" or "stayed out all night." Man, by the end of the week I have no energy BUT to rest a bit at home and do some menial activities. Friday night, instead of being a big go-out time, is unwind and watch a movie time. Plus, I travel so much in my car from Monday to Friday I don't want to go anywhere during the week, just sit home for a while and enjoy some me-time, not go back outside and face the world. It's really a completely different mindset than when I was a 3L, when it was "go out, meet people, enjoy life, don't spend a second at home wasting your last year of freedom." Now that I'm not free, I am almost allergic to "freeing" activities.

* Btw, I do realize that the lack of date thing needs to change. I'm 24.5 years old and have been pretty much single exclusively throught law school....Ladies, you're telling me this blog doesn't convince you of how cool I am?

So yea, the bottom line is, I enjoy my weekend now in totally different ways. And I'm okay with it. Ultimately, the weekend is about how YOU want to enjoy YOUR free time, not how society usually spends it, or how other people spend it. It's what YOU feel like doing. Sometimes (Many times) there's nothing better than to just sit home and let the cable TV wash over you. As you listen to the song, "Yea, it's the freakin' weekend......"

O, here's a tip: Get the NFL Rewind package for $40.00 for the whole season, split the prescription with a friend, total cost $20.00 for all the games you want to see in their entirety. Great deal if you like football; I get all Charger games, all Bears games, and all my fantasy players' scoring plays. It's like heroin for fantasy football fanatics.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Mr. Yan Enters The Working World

2011-11-01T21:34:00.000-07:00

So Yea, the end of September and all of October went by in a blur. My last post, September 18, was the day before I entered into the Full-Time Working World, My Last Day of Freedom, if you will. Since then.....it's been difficult. I've worked internships before, with summer jobs and 40-hour-a-week gigs sprinkled in there, but working full time is tough, especially since my job is like 1.5 hours and a harrowing (well, not harrowing but strenuous) 70-mile drive through suburban Los Angeles. I've found a law school friend of mine who will house my a couple nights of the week at his home closer to work, but still it's difficult.

It's hard to describe what the working world feels like. The positives: there's no more homework, the first time I've been able to say that since.....well, 4 years old, I think. I get paid. Not all that much, but I get paid for my labor, which is necessary since my first law school loan payment is due Dec. 24. I learn on the job......you know how they say you learn a lot more on the job than in school? "They"'re probably right. And I want that experience, I need that experience. Work leads to more work, which in itself is a little exciting but a little scary at the same time: You're an adult now.

The negatives: Long hours. Obviously different for different jobs, but I suspect many people share my same conditions: hours and hours at your desk in front of a computer, only briefly interrupted by the lunch hour, and constant drone of work. At school, you go to class for an hour or two, take a break, walk around, go to your next class....work is one long 9-hour stretch that blends into each other. A boss or two will monitor your work; you have assignments that actually need to be turned in (especially at a law firm, where there's court deadlines and whatnot). The most negative part of working (note: these are not at all complaints about the law firm I work at, which I actually like, these are complaints about work in general, the lifeblood of most humans everywhere where we spend almost half our waking hours but ironically kind of sucks the life out of us).

Anyway, long way of saying it's been a long 6.5 weeks (which isn't even as long as my longest stints of internships). It unfortunately leaves little time for me to do the other things in life I enjoy: Tennis, running, fantasy football, TV shows, web surfing, watching sports, reading novels, reading newspapers, trading stocks, visiting friends, vegetating, etc. etc. It alerts me to a somewhat grim but necessary reality: I'm going to be doing this for the rest of my working life (at least 40 years or so). Unless I'm struck my lightening, the world ends, or I win a ridiculous amount of winnings on the lottery, I will be working for the foreseeable future, and I have responsbilities to myself and others to do a good job. I'm up to the challenge.

I've been re-learning a lot of Chinese the last few weeks while at work (during my down-time); it's pretty exciting. I'm pretty sure I can go to China and live with the natives now, no problem; even maybe hold a job there, not that I'm considering that. But it really speaks to the whole "immersion" experience: You have to be in the environment of it, have to force yourself into situations where you use a different language, hear the other language, process the other language, feel it in your bones. Pretty much only way to get better for normal folk like me (maybe some language prodigies can just pick up a language from reading a book?) I can't. Heck, I've been learning and re-learning Chinese for 24 years now......I'm still not all the way there yet.

Quick suggestion: watch a Chinese TV show with subtitles. Specific one I just wrapped up is called "Marriage Battle" about contemporary Chinese families. Great show, gives you subtitles, and gives you a good sense (I think) of what goes on in modern Chinese society (the new Superpower of the World, rumor has it). Where can it be found? The Great Holy Channel that is Youtube.

I got a lot of catching up to do to match or exceed the 88 blog posts of 2010, back when I was still a student. Alas, I'll suck it up and give it my best shot for the rest of 2011.

Btw, My fantasy football winning streak is at 6. Lovin' life.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Halloween Happiness

2011-11-01T21:17:00.000-07:00

Halloween's my second favorite holiday. I don't do much for my birthdays (if you count that as a holiday), I do nothing for Easter, eat a lot and feel bloated on Chinese New Year, feel sad that another year has passed on (The Normal) New Year's, eat a lot and feel bloated on Thanksgiving, celebrate off-days from school on MLK Day, Labor Day, etc. which I won't be getting off anymore depending on where I work, so yeah, Halloween and Christmas are pretty much it.

I love handing out candy. Something about it is gratifying; people from the rest of the community come to your door and share in the occasion that is Halloween: the yearly handoff of candy from one stranger to the next, which is basically an exchange because most likely as you're handing out candy to these strangers at your door, their parents/relatives are handing out candy at the same time to your children/relatives, so it's just a lot of candy changing hands.

I love it for another reason: I get to scare people. Ooooo boy. 3 years ago, my sister bought a Scream outfit with a bloody Scream mask.... it's really not that scary so much as scary, but to evidence the reality of "scary" being one-half being startled, people get really scared when they come to the door, it suddenly bursts open, and out pops me in the Scream costume right in their face!!!!! Awesome; I love it. Here are tips to pull this off, for those who share in my ambition of scaring others:

1. Only try it on Halloween night. You can't do this regularly and get away with it; It's once a year, one night only.
2. Obviously, wear something that's at least a little scary. No need to overdo it and get 3 costume designers, but a mask/face paint is necessary for the proper effect.
3. Wait right behind the front door for people to come. Don't let them see you!!!! (through the windows or something, it ruins the surprise) It takes some patience, I know. I've tried outside in the bushes, the garage, and other places. The door works the best, for you and for the element of the surprise.
4. As you're waiting behind the door, look through your peephole for people to come. Also use those flaps of skin hanging off your head, a.k.a. your ears, for enthusiastic victims, er, trick-or-treaters.
5. Timing is key: Just as your (victims) get to the door and are about to ring the doorbell, don't give them a chance to and rip open the door, and in one smooth motion (it has to be smooth, darn it!) jump out through the door at them. Not TOO close......
6. Watch out for kids. 4 ft and below is a good standard, I say, for how short is too short. Sure it's funny scary really young kids and making them have nightmares, but it's too easy. You want a challenge? Try scaring a skeptical 17-year-old teenager who's seen it all and wants to challenge your "aesthetic" interpretation of the Scream character and compare it to other mega-villains of horror films. Scare that kid and you get a bonus prize.
7. For added effect, after you hand out the candy to the kids, follow them creepily as they move on to the next house. That look over the shoulder might not indicate total fright, but I bet there were some goosebumps and shivers forming on the backs of those kids.
8. Probably the most important: DON'T SAY ANYTHING!!!! Especially if you're a non-human thing like Scream (who doesn't talk in the movie) or like a werewolf or something. It's the creepiness factor that gets to kids: Talking just humanizes and spoils the character; this is like Acting 101, I bet. If you want to be even creepier, pause a while and just stare at the kids. I got a couple kids to slink back toward their mommies waiting in the trick-or-treat van just by standing still.

This is just a little creepy tradition of mine; it's always fun and inspired by some of the houses I used to trick-or-treat at: dads faking their own deaths, scarecrows popping out of nowhere, etc. Halloween is the one time of year you get to be someone else for a change: why not be someone super-scary?

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Fantasy Football Euphoria

2011-10-23T21:59:00.000-07:00

With Tenacious determination, uncanny talent evaluation, expert maneuvering, and a little bit of luck, DaMan has had one of the best managerial stretches of his fantasy football career in the last 10 days or so. Let’s replay what happened.

1.) At 3-2 and winner of 3 straight, DaMan enters Week 6 of the season having to face arguably the best 2 teams (Lee’s team is no joke, he could easily end up 7-6 and make the playoffs and the Rhythm Methodists) in the league, heavily equipped with breakout stars and fantasy studs like Jennings, CJ2K Johnson, Mathews, Graham, Gore, Garcon, Stafford, etc., etc. He’ll be lucky if he splits the games, and probably will go 0-2.
2.) DaMan picks up the Chicago D and Billy Cundiff (Baltimore K) from the free agent pool.
3.) DaMan has an awful beginning of the Sunday and is losing most of the way to Lee; it looks over. NOT SO FAST, my “Harvin an awful day” friend…… Billy Cundiff kicks 5 field goals (20 fantasy points),and Devin Hester+ Julius Peppers lead the Chicago Defense to a crucial 32 fantasy points on Sunday night, stunning Lee and edging him in the matchup 132-125 in come-from-behind fashion.
4.) Bobby trades Charlie Whitehurst quickly to Lance for Early Doucet (one-week rental)
5.) Later that night, DaMan gets busted for picking up too many QB’s in what he will refer to as “Pondergate,” thus depriving him of Christian Ponder and Carson Palmer.
6.) DaMan is thrown in jail without a hearing or trial, as the Commish enforces the harsh consequences of his own rule. Interestingly, the Commish does NOT pick up Christian Ponder for himself, even though he knows exactly when Ponder/Palmer will be released to the public.
7.) Lee owns Christian Ponder for all of 5 minutes before his own violative conduct is discovered; Ponder is released back into the pool and picked up by Liz Jiang. (Again, the Commish does NOT pick up Ponder even though he has 1 active QB for the next week).
8.) DaMan and Derek have heated exchange on the phone; Bobby’s pleas fall on deaf ears; Derek hangs up phone after hearing enough.
9.) Bobby apologizes, claims not to be a crook; Derek releases Bobby from his wrongful imprisonment.
10.) Bobby immediately picks up Maurice Morris knowing Jahvid Best left the game with his 19th concussion-related injury.
11.) Bobby picks up the “retired” Carson Palmer on Monday after the whole league had a chance to pick Palmer up KNOWING Bobby had tried to pick him up.
12.) On Tuesday morning, Carson Palmer is traded to Oakland from Cincinnati.
13.) Bobby makes several offers to QB-less teams for a one-week rental for Palmer…..gets Volk to bite and trade him Darius Heyward-Bey for the week.
14.) Bobby trades Sam Bradford (who was supposed to start at the time of trade, but later announced out for the week) to Liz Jiang for the aforementioned Christian Ponder, thus claiming both QB’s he wanted DESPITE being deprived of them earlier in the week.
15.) Lance scoffs at Bobby’s offer of Maurice Morris for Nate Washington
16.) Carson Palmer announced to be NOT starting for the Raiders
17.) Lance and Hayden compare ego sizes mid-week as to who’s the best team in the league. Hayden talks of routing DaMan; he has legitimate case with almost his whole team playing in Week 7 while DaMan has Nicks, Maclin, Cruz, and Vernon Davis on the Bye.
18.) Christian Ponder throws (and runs!) for 17 fantasy points; Sam Bradford declared out before the game; status for Week 8 in doubt.
19.) Early Doucet gets late TD to post 11.5 fantasy points; Charlie Whitehurst gets -3 points for Lance.
20.) Darrius Heyward-Bey posts 10.5 points; Palmer throws 3 picks en route to -5 fantasy points.
21.) Maurice Morris posts 7 points; Nate Washington puts up 1.5.
22.) DaMan leads the self-proclaimed “Best Team in the league and knows where he’ll be at the end of the season” Rhythm Methodists 144.5-125 with only Hayden’s kicker to go.
23.) Unless Lance pulls off a Monday Night Miracle, DaMan has a great chance to vault into first place in the league if MJD can outscore Mike Thomas.

Sorry to brag, but I will probably never have such a euphoric week of managerial prowess. Call me lucky, call me “peaked too soon,” whatever, but there’s no doubt in my mind I turned 2 losses into wins the last 2 weeks and turned a devastating situation (3 QB’s injured + 4 other guys on a bye) into an advantage into a win. I LOOOOOOOOVVVVEEEEE Fantasy Football!!!!
5-game winning streak. Who’s next????? Who’s left?????????

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Why I don’t like keeper leagues (a.k.a. why I don’t like commitment)

2011-09-18T22:43:00.000-07:00

Most people like keeper leagues. Any fantasy expert worth his salt will probably tell you that keeper leagues are the dream scenario, they add another dimension to the world of fantasy sports because you have to keep track of all your players during the offseason, think long-term as well as short-term, keep track of young prospects, etc. etc. I don’t like it. Keep in mind, this might be the ramblings of a man who has issues committing long-term, who has never had a long-term girlfriend, who has been employed at 7 different places since law school started 3 years ago, has written a post on his blog basically stating he’s not loyal to anybody. Lesson: this might be a “me” problem, not a keeper league problem.

(For anyone who doesn’t know what a keeper/dynasty league is, it’s a format where players you have for one season carry over to the next season, thus each manager can keep up to a certain amount of players for the next season, obviously keeping the good ones, losing the bad ones.)

1. I want each year to be new. Fresh. Original. The whole fun of each season is that it’s a new season; new year, new possibilities: new players. Sure I like Ian Kinsler as much as the next guy, but a long-term relationship with him can be kind of…..stale. Sorry, Ian; just being honest. (It’s not you, it’s me)

2. I zone out of baseball in the offseason. When baseball season’s over, I zone out. Period. I follow other sports; I go on to other pursuits. I don’t want to continue thinking about baseball, like off-season trades, free agent signings, arbitration proceedings, etc,. etc. (a.k.a. I need trial separation periods in relationships).

3. Football is not conducive to keeper leagues. My analogy is, it’s like eating pizza with a fork. Just unnatural…….the draft is so big in fantasy football, it wouldn’t be the same if people were already taken before the draft even started……

4. It diminishes the draft. Part of the hype of fantasy sports is The Draft. People look forward for months to the draft; it’s the single-most exciting event in a fantasy sports season, a time when all players are up for grabs and you fill out your whole team within a matter of honors, and in most cases you’re stuck with those guys for the whole season. A lot can happen in those 3 hours of the draft: seasons are won or lost, long-term relationships are forged. I wouldn’t want anything to diminish it. (Translation: I need a big welcoming party to make a commitment to something, so if you want to hook me into a Ponzi scheme or something, make a big splash to get me interested.)

5. I dislike the concept of “playing for next year.” I realize professional sports teams have long-term plans regularly and often go into a year knowing they’re no going to be competitive, but that’s just not me. I play to win every year, all year. There’s no “replacing veterans with young guys” at the end of my seasons to play for next year; I don’t like it at all. I think every fantasy player should be playing for one season only. Because……guess what, unlike the MLB, NBA, or NFL…..people withdraw from leagues. Leagues break up. Who knows if the league will still be around the following year. Play for now. (Basically, I’m weary of entering into a relationship because I’m afraid of breaking up). Man, I feel like I’ve made some real progress in our therapy session today, Robert.

Anyway, starting my new job tomorrow. Should be interesting; I achieved this position primarily through networking (shocker, I know). I’m excited but a little apprehensive because there’s some pressure on me to perform, a friend of mine vouched for me and I don’t want to disappoint. No commitment issues here; I want to be with the firm for a long time and do good work.

For everyone still looking for work, I don’t want to speak too soon in fear that this new opportunity may not work out and I jinx myself, but basically….Keep the faith. I was pretty much in the depths of despair a couple weeks ago, thinking my future was ruined, thinking how am I ever going to pay back my law school debt while unemployed, what alternative careers can I pursue if law doesn’t work out, etc. Keep plugging away, because although I know applying for jobs can seem futile, and slogging away on job sites can seem desperate……..all you need is one thing to work out. One offer. One person to take a chance on you. And maybe a little bit of luck ( I readily admit I got pretty lucky). Good luck, my friends.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Random Thoughts - 10 things

2011-09-18T22:12:00.000-07:00

Translating Chinese

1.Translating Chinese is a lot tougher than knowing Chinese.
1a. There are varying degrees of fluency in a language. There’s fluent, and then there’s native. I’m looking to be native.

2. The West Wing- well beyond its time. Best character: Admiral Fitzwallace.

3. Trying to find a sell high point on my DE stock; stock market is just unstable right now. Haven’t found an appropriate point to do it;
Biggest financial headline: Greece’s debt crisis, European banks struggling, unstable global economy.

4. “Updating your resume” – a concept that signifies that someone is about to be let go, or needs to find new employment, implying that their job is no longer secure. I’ve been updating my resume for 10 years.

5. How did Entourage ever last 8 seasons? It was good for about 3 seasons, then 4 and 5 kinda dragged, and it’s been a miracle they’ve stayed on the air for 6, 7, and 8. And every single guy on the show has to be the luckiest S.O.B. ever; they somehow wiggle out of problems that they create every time. Totally unrealistic. Alas, it’s a pretty addicting show regardless.
6. Wily Mo Pena sighting: the modern-day Glenallen Hill, this guy is a mammoth. The legendary Mariano Rivera puts him down easily, though, en route to his 600th save. Congratulations.
7. Is Facebook still as big as it ever was? Or is trending downhill? I’ve stopped using it as frequently, but it’s still a great resource to see what past friends are up to. A revolutionary invention, I think it’s proven it’s not a fad: Like the Internet, it’s here to stay for good. Just think of it as a modern Yellowbook: everyone basically needs one to look people upinstead of businesses.
8. Does everyone have a gmail account at this point? That’s also a pretty modern trend that’s here to stay.
9. I’m probably gonna lose my Chinese membership card for saying this, but I really don’t like mooncake. Some of them are good, but it’s risky….. for every good one there’s one that’s really dry, nutty, and all-in-all unpleasurable. Next Mooncake festival? I’ll pass. Anyone else have ethnic holidays that they don’t really understand and don’t really like anyway???
10. My sister’s high school schedules her for 2 hours of Physical Education class next semester, but this semester she has none. Seems like an obvious problem to me…….physical education is like lunch; you need it every day. What is someone going to do, gain a lot of weight the semester without P.E. and lose it all through physical exertion the next day? Ah, the good ol’ days of playing flag football and “sharks and minnows” in the swimming pool for gym. The good ol’ days.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Almost Famous

2011-09-18T22:08:00.000-07:00

“In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” – Andy Warhol

I admit, I’ve been sapped into the allure of becoming famous once or twice in my life. Whether it was going on Survivor/Big Brother, becoming a famous basketball player, being named as the next governor of California, I’ve had my desires of becoming famous (and still kinda do). Why? Well, for me, positive fame (not the kind you get on America’s Most Wanted) is a milestone, a marker in life showing that you’ve accomplished something, done something worthwhile, something to be celebrated, and everyone should know about it. Right or wrong, this was what motivated me to do well in school: a sense of accomplishment and proving to other people that I had what it takes. It was the same motivation in high school that propelled me to want to go to an Ivy League school: “I’ll show them. I’m awesome.”
Here’s 10 thoughts I NOW have about being famous:

1. Looking back, that motivation is a bit misplaced at best, and really I was thinking too much of myself: no one really cares that much. Most people care about themselves and their families.
2. Fame is different for a lot of people: some crave it, others loathe it, some are indifferent. It’s part of your personality: you could be the shy, reclusive type or the loud, outgoing, attention-grabbing type.
3. I wish more people got credit for positive fame: i.e. volunteering, discovering new medicines….instead of celebrity divorces, pregnancy tests, etc., etc. If more people got famous for positive achievements…. Maybe there would be more incentive to do good? Seem Logical?
4. It’s really not THAT hard to get famous (and I’m not just talking about committing a crime, etc.) Do something really unique, call your local news network, feed them the story… I guess it depends on the level of fame you want to achieve.
5. I wonder how it feels AFTER your 15 minutes (or seconds, as some are) of fame are up. Probably like you did before you had your 15 minutes….back to normal.
6. There’s some financial incentive to becoming famous (it correlates to more contacts, more recognizability, being able to book public speaking gigs)…..but is it worth the cost of getting there?
7. In 2007 I apparently was really off my rocker and took a poll suggesting I valued fame more than stability and security…….I’d like to think I’ve matured much more now and would choose the opposite.
8. I am inspired by stories of people jumping from obscurity to celebrity but remembering who their friends were before, and giving back to the community that got them there… kudos to those who’ve done that. Others who don’t do that, please learn.
9. I am disappointed by people who use their fame to belittle others or harm society in any way. If you’ve made it, congratualations.
10. Finally, to those who are famous, I say: with great power comes great responsibility. As a celebrity you have the power to change others, to have others listen to you and change people’s lives. Try to keep that in mind as you conduct your actions, and think about what you have the power to do. The world thanks you.

Fantasize on,
Robert Yan

Random life thought: Do any religions belief in a form of afterlife where right after you die, you are reborn and begin a new life, tabula rasa? Cuz I’m beginning to think that, and hope that that’s actually the case……I know, not a revolutionary theory and pretty random, but I just wanted to throw that out there.

What 9/11 means to me

2011-09-11T00:10:00.000-07:00

10-year anniversary (bad word)..........10 years ago 9/11 shocked and rattled the nation, but America proved its character by staying strong in the midst of an attack.

I don't remember much about September 11, 2001. I was 14 and a freshman in high school; like many in my generation I was sitting in class, ready to begin the day, when our principal came on the public address system: there had been an incident in New York; a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center........and the rest, as they say, was history.

I'm not entirely apathetic, I feel terrible for the lives that were lost, especially of those who were innocent and were just going about their business... that really could have been anyone, anyone living in a building, in a city, or in any group of people. It was really a senseless killing: people's precious lives were lost for no reason. However, I can't say I was really that effected by 9/11: I was safe, my parents were safe, my immediate and outside family was safe, no one I knew passed away in 9/11: it really was just a news story for me that got me out of school for a day. Is that really a callous thing to say? A little bit, but it's truthful....I really didn't get rim-rattled by 9/11, I didn't lose sleep over it, no tears were shed. It was a momentous event in history for me. I'm not a very emotional guy now, and I definitely wasn't at age 14. I think back now and yes, I feel terrible, I feel awful about what happened. For me and my generation, I think 9/11 is a great lesson to learn from as we grow and understand the world, and as our understanding of 9/11 evolves so do ourselves: we become the naive kids who thought the U.S.A. was the best country in the world and thus infallible and immune against its eminies to understanding as adults that the real world is no fairy tale: there are evil people with powerful weapons who our dangers to others and are capable of great evils, and we must pay heavy costs to make sure these or similar people are never allowed to do something like 9/11 ever again.

9/11 though, is really profound. The fact that it happened 10 years ago boggles my mind. It makes me worry that the last 10 years went so fast, and you only get about 6 or 7 of these decades.....I've already used up 2.5.......gotta cherish the rest of these. And that's the point. For me, 9/11 is a reminder that anything can happen in life. 9/11 happened on a random Tuesday in mid-September: people were just getting back into the groove of work after summer vacations, Labor Day had just been celebrated with end-of-summer barbecues, the NFL kicked off week 1 of its season and people were just getting over their Monday Night Football hangovers. No one besides a few people knew 9/11 was going to happen; yet something that fundamentally game-changing, that devastating, that costly to human lives, happened in a blink. Makes one cherish life, to go downstairs when living in your parents' home (while unemployed) and talk to them a bit, to go outside and smell the fresh air, to feel alive, do the things you love and love the things you do......because one knows, the next 9/11 might happen tomorrow (not saying it will, FBI please don't arrive at my house).....Life changes, the world changes, and you could be left with nothing, or something that shatters your world forever. In the meantime, you should live your life to the fullest regardless.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

(just wrote one of the more satisfying posts I think I have ever done on this blog, out of the 300 or so posts that have been done here. Let's hope for some more).

Loyalty

2011-09-10T23:08:00.000-07:00

Recently I’ve started rooting for the Angels again: like a true fair-weather fan, I followed them closely during their run to the ALCS in 2009, didn’t really care about them in 2010 when they lost the division to the Rangers, and have now hopped back on the bandwagon to the Angels as they pulled within 1.5 games of Texas and 5 games of wild-card leading Boston tonight. Go Dan Haren!!!! Yay!!!!

I admit that my Angels loyalty is a bit sparse, but it brings up an interesting point: what does it mean to be a true fan of a sports team? (I think I am a fan…. A confused fan, but fan). How many games do you need to go to every year? ( Been to 6 games in 3 years ) When the team is on TV, how long must you watch them for? (I tune out as soon as I believe the game is out of reach, many times before that). How much team apparel do you need to buy? ( I have one solitary Angels hat that was given to me……O and a used 2009 Angels cup bearing the 2009 schedule, purchased at the height of my loyalty, no doubt). It’s tough to say, really: it really depends on my mood, how much time I have on my hands, and how well my fantasy team is doing (fantasy sports comes fist, of course).
Loyalty: another trait I need some more of to improve my fantasy game, and one I preach to certain fantasy managers. ( It doesn’t apply many times because some managers are on the other side of the spectrum, TOO loyal). Players I owned at one point in the season this year before I traded/dropped them: Ian Kennedy, Brian McCann, Mike Napoli, Jeremy Hellickson, Michel Pineda, Brandon Beachy. Basically a who’s who of players that could have helped me this year. Sigh.
My questionable sports(and fantasy sports…. Hey, they’re 2 different things) loyalty does not carry on to life:

I will admit, though, that I sometimes forget about acquaintances, neglect them. I don’t do this intentionally or because people have “outlived their usefulness.” To the contrary, I wish I could stay friends with everyone I’ve ever met, especially with the emphasis on networking and “knowing people” and whatnot in today’s society. No, honestly, sometimes I lose track of people just because I’m spread too thin, it’s not convenient, or…..people don’t want to get back in touch with me. I understand…..some people just have magnetic personalities that attract people to them like bees like honey ( I hear Parvati from Survivor is one of these people). I am NOT one of these people. I’m energetic, I’m polite, but at the end of the day I’m just another Asian guy who plays violin, went to law school, and lives in California….doesn’t really stand out from the crowd. I’m not accusing my acquaintances of not valuing me or whatever, people lead their own lives……I don’t really have that much to offer people at this stage of my life besides my friendship.

However, when I do make friends, I am loyal to the end. You gotta be; you can’t just quit on people for no reason. Loyalty is one of those virtues that makes sense: you stick with others, they stick with you.
Question: Much like in fantasy sports, is there such a thing as being TOO Loyal in life, where you stick with something or someone
Easy Answer: Well yes, if you get addicted to hard drugs, it’s time to break that off and be disloyal.
Hard Answer: I do think there are times you can be too loyal. You see cases all the time on TV, battered spouses who stay with abusive husbands, corporations that stick with a shady CEO until he gets indicted for bank fraud, etc. Basically, it’s sort of a status quo: If someone has been loyal to you 100%, you gotta stay loyal. But if someone has already betrayed your trust or shown signs of not being loyal, (in law we call this anticipatory repudiation), you gotta make some preparations. People, unlike dogs, are naturally self-serving, loyalty is unfortunately secondary to self-serving desires for most people ( I will admit that there exist people who are entirely selfless….Mother Theresa is one of these people), but in general you gotta watch out for these things… if you get too close to the fire you can get burned. Grim reality of life.
(Fantasy case in point: me owning Jimmy Rollins 3 years in a row. You haven’t rewarded me yet, Jimmy).

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

The Handoff: From Baseball to Football

2011-09-08T12:12:00.000-07:00

This time of year (it’s always around Labor Day, there’s a shift in the fantasy manager’s attention from fantasy baseball to football). Hopefully you have all of September to play fantasy baseball, the longer you go the better you’re doing, but we don’t all have that luxury. As teams get eliminated from playoff contention, fantasy football drafts come rolling around, you can feel summer ending, the days are getting shorter, and you can’t help but bid adieu to baseball and start anew with football, especially with the amount of baggage that a long baseball season can force a manager to carry.) So DaMan brings you a special Fantasy Baseball post, and then starting the NFL season right with an NFL post.
Fantasy Baseball lessons from 2011

DaMan got creamed this year. Looking back, I feel like a guy going to Vegas to fulfill the American dream, then losing his shirt and having to beg for bus fare on the way back home. So much optimism after 2 consecutive playoff campaigns, so much confidence, shattered by a lost season that really put my perspective on fantasy baseball into question.
1. Do NOT shy away from drafting guys who disappointed last year. Especially if you trust your abilities, cuz if you owned the previous year, chances are you trusted them at some point, they just underachieved in the particular season. Doesn’t mean they don’t have the talent/skills/ability to contribute the next season, and a breakout may be on the way.
My 2010 fantasy lineup (let me know if some of these names sound familiar): Matt Kemp, Adrian Gonzalez, Jacoby Ellsbury, Curtis Granderson, Jimmy Rollins, Evan Longoria. All (with the exception of Longo) hibernating last season, they each redefined the word “renaissance” and basically were all Top 10 hitters. I’ve kicked my own butt many times over this.
2. Don’t make trades too early in the season unless you NEED to. Sure, if you don’t have a catcher in your lineup, or someone got injured early, trade for one; but if you’re (like me) just trading to improve or as a reaction to underperformance, chances are you’re looking at too small of a sample size. Exhibit A of 2011: Ian Kennedy. Exhibit B: Brian McCann. I traded Kennedy after he gave up 9 runs in a game to the Cardinals; seems like he’s given up 9 total earned runs in 25 starts since. Incredible. Brian McCann: no wonder he was the 56th-ranked player in Yahoo!.
3. Young guys, young guys, young guys!!!! Bobby, how many times do you have to remind yourselves to take young guys!!!! I don’t care how many great stat years guys have, once they get over 30 they’re very prone to injuries, leveling off, or the worst (and a dirty dirty word that a fantasy owner never wants to hear), REGRESSION. This year I drafted Ian Kinsler (under 30, had great year), Derek Jeter (38, had terrible year until I dropped him at which point he instantly started hitting), Mark Teixeira (over 30 but had a great year, that happens), Kevin Youkilis (over 30, terrible year, always hurt, wasting what could have been a monster year in a pregnant lineup), Brian McCann (28, had great year), Magglio Ordonez (throwaway pick, he just sucked), and Jason Bay (over 30, will forever suck from now on). You might get lucky on an over-30 player once in a while, but you won’t make a living on it.
4. Don’t be immune to starting pitching. This might be the losing ways talking, but I’m re-thinking the whole “only draft hitting, wait for starting pitching later” idea. Watching guys like Verlander, Sabathia, Halladay, and Cliff Lee just dominate start after start really makes me want just ONE guy who I can absolutely rely on. I’ll compromise and see if one MONSTER pitcher might help out next year.
5. Pay attention during the shortened all-star week. This is just for pride; I’m now 5-23 in all-star weeks all-time in my key league: time to right that train.

Week 1 NFL picks against the spread.

They say the early weeks in the NFL season are the ones most ripe for bettors to make money, because the oddsmakers don’t know which teams are good yet, and the general public (who basically are the ones setting the odds) just bet based on names of the teams, not the actual teams as they exist. Good concept, except I really don’t know which teams are good yet, neither. Here are some educated guesses against the spread; let’s see how I do.
(picks in bold)
New Orleans +4 at Green Bay: Thought Saints were overrated last season cuz they lost to Browns and Seahawks, but I think it may be a case of being surprised and playing down to the competition + getting up for big games like the Falcons and Steelers. Green Bay should be overbet as the champs; don’t forget how bad the Packers struggled in the preseason, barely getting into the playoffs as 10-6. Even matchup on paper; I’ll take the 4 points.

Vikings +8.5 at Chargers: remember last season the 2 teams who were really talented but just couldn’t win? Yea, those were the Vikings and Cowboys. Bet against both and you would have made a fortune. But this year, I think that same talent makes them good picks as underdogs, especially against a Charger team that STINKS, I mean STINKS in September. O how short fans’ memories are.
Indy +8.5 at Houston: I’m not picking this, but 2 weeks ago I mentioned to my buddy Brother Mouzone that I would take Houston -3 v. Indy even WITH Peyton playing, and now obviously we hear Peyton is doubtful for the game. Sigh. Opportunity lost; potential millions that could have been won.
St. Louis +5 v. Philadelphia: Yes, Philly has Michael Vick. Yes, they just signed Nmamdi Asomugha. Yes, the Rams sucked last year (7-9). Yes, Philly looks like the best team in the NFL…on paper. A lot of high expectations for the Eagles, but their record is 0-0 just like anybody else, and the Rams as a home dog with 5 points seems like a real bargain, especially if they improve like they should and are a playoff team…. This will look like a steal at the end of the season.
NY Jets -4.5 v. Dallas: Yes, finally, I picked a favorite. I mentioned to my buddy that I could have made a living betting against USC, Notre Dame, and the Cowboys (big name programs that America likes and likes betting on). And…….USC and Notre Dame both looked horrible over the weekend and both missed covering by 20+ points. Dallas has Tony Romo back, but lost 2 Pro Bowl O-lineman. Seems like one step forward, 2 steps back for me. A.k.a. subtraction by subtraction.
Tampa Bay -1.5 v. Detroit: You’re telling me Detroit, the historically bad team and 2-10 team until they made an infathomible run at the end of season, is basically regarded as the BETTER TEAM on the road, only getting 1.5 points? Maybe it’s cuz the Lions went 4-0 in the preseason, maybe it’s cuz Matthew Stafford’s back, maybe it’s cuz the Lions have won 8 straight dating back to last season, but somebody’s got some wrong information about the Lions. I will bet against them. Plus I LOVE me some Josh Freeman.
Washington +3 v. New York Giants
So confident about this I’m making this my The WALKING DEAD LOCK. (Walking Dead soon to come back this fall on AMC…. Let’s hope it’s good). The Giants look like the walking dead so far this season, as they’re already without Osi Umeniyora for the opener, Eli’s struggling (although maybe not as bad as his older brother), injuries left and right. Call me crazy for picking a team with Rex Grossman as QB, but he looked good in the 3rd preseason game (historically an accurate gauge of performance) and the Skins always have talent on Defense.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Who would you rather......??

2011-08-31T01:46:00.000-07:00

Late at night. Can't sleep. Playing a game with myself: who would you rather take in your fantasy football draft: a game that we often play when it's crunch time at your snake draft, but you weren't prepared for it before (Note: My big league is still doing an auction draft this year, which I still advociate for football over a snake draft. Just sayin').

1. Ray Rice or Jamaal Charles? Oooo.... you start with the tough questions, don't you? An inside source (Brother Mouzone) has told me Ray Rice looks awfully good in the preseason, and I think last year was a sophomore slump. He's my favorite fantasy player this year.

2. Michael Turner or Aaron Rodgers: Air-Rodg without a thought. A-Rodg might become the best fantasy QB ever; Turner the Burner is like a dinosaur in terms of fantasy.

3. Shonn Greene or Frank Gore: Definitely Gore. Greene's had like 6 games of fantasy greatness. Gore's been proven (to be injured) but also good when he's in there.

4. Tom Brady or Phillip Rivers: Tough. For some reason I think Brady gets distracted, gets older, something this year. Rivers is NEVER distracted. And he has a shiny new toy this year: the V-Jax Version 3.0.

5. Greg Jennings v. Reggie Wayne: Beware of players in fantasy who've peaked: Wayne looks ready to pass on the torch; Jennings is 5 years younger and the #1 receiver on a just-as dynamic offense. Plus, I have a man-crush on Jennings so this was a free-bee.

6. Sebastian Janikowski or Mason Crosby: Dude, if you're asking these questions, for the love of god stop embarrassing yourself and quit this game. DON'T DRAFT KICKERS UNTIL THE LAST ROUND!!!! Btw, the correct answer is Mason Crosby.

7. Dallas Clark or Jason Witten: Go with Witten. Sources tell me Clark looking banged up and also on the wrong side of 30. (If you're seeing a trend here, it's true, I'm down on the Colts this season. Brother Mouzone predicts Colts won't make the playoffs.)

8. Ryan Mathews or Jeremy Maclin: I'm high on Mathews even though he burned me to a crisp last year ($38 auction dollars I'll never get back), but I think Maclin just does better. Maclin is rated like 63 or so in Yahoo! Guys, he's like a top 10 WR. C'mon.

Hope you enjoyed this edition. At the end of the season, I predict I will get 5 out of 8 of these "Who would you rather"'s correct. Book it.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

No news is bad news

2011-08-28T23:43:00.001-07:00

"No news is good news." - common saying that doesn't always apply. There are definitely times when you're sitting around waiting, waiting, waiting for someone to call you, or something to happen, and it just doesn't. It's always worse waiting for something to happen because as each second ticks by, you know there's less chance that thing is going to happen. Consider the opposite: You don't want any news. You wait it out, and each minute is more hope, the sun gets brighter every second until you get through the clouds. Huzzah.

Here are examples o "no news is bad news":

1. when you're unemployed. When you're waiting for a job, you want things to be happening, things to be in motion, possibilities to open up. Even if you don't get something, at least you tried, and there is hope. Stagnance is devastating.

2. hoping for a date. Waiting for the girl/target of your affections to call you back. Ooo boy.

3. when you own Jimmy Rollins in a fantasy league. Seeing as he's ALWAYS injured, no news on his recovery means he'll be injured for a while.

4. Waiting to be called to your table at a restaurant. The famous Seinfeld "Chinese restaurant" episode comes to mind. You're already hungry, you're becoming testier from being hungry, you want food, no one's leaving their tables, dang it!!!!

5. When on Standby for a flight at the airport. Explains yourself. Has anyone in the history of flights ever taken that "We're overbooked so we're offering you free hotel accommodations" deal?

Anyway. Just a rant. Hopefully Monday brings some news for "this guy," Da Man.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Different faces of the law

2011-08-28T22:32:00.000-07:00

Ok I thought I’d actually make myself useful and just all the list of paths a prospective law student can take should he or she decide to go down the lucrative-for-some, right-now-highly-risky-because-of-the-economy, interesting-at-times, difficult-during-the-first-year-of-law-school practice of law.
1. Big Firm: This, in previous years, was the be-all and end-all for law students, and not coincidentally the most lucrative. With seemingly guaranteed salaries of $160,000 to start (not including bonuses), it sure seemed like a golden ticket. And the career path still exists today, just not in the abundance that it did just a few short years ago (when I happened to decide to go to law school). In Big Law, you work at a well-known law firm doing what the firm has a need for, such as transactional work, high-stakes litigation, etc. You may have a “practice area” that you carve out for yourself based on the work that you primarily do for the firm.
Big firms hire law students to be summer associates during the summer after their 2L year, and during that summer the law students are evaluated and usually given full-time offers at the end of the summer (except in 2009, it seems). The hiring process for these summer associate-ships come during the summer after 1L year, which is why 1L grades are SOOOOOO important.
2. Law Clerk: If Big Law was option 1, clerking for a federal judge was option 1a. And probably more prestigious. It’s a huge shining star on your resume to have been a law clerk for a federal judge and opens an inordinate amount of doors in the legal profession, especially in the aforementioned big law firms. You work for one or two years depending on the court and your cycle for a federal judge writing the judge’s decisions, basically being the judge’s right-hand man (or woman) in deciding cases, motions, and others. Great gig if you can get it.
3. IP Law: kind of overlapping, by IP law is a hot sector for a lot of biglaw firms right now that takes a certain type of attorney: those with biology/chemistry/engineering/other hard science backgrounds. What those law students can do is take the patent bar to become a patent attorney, which is a separate specialization that allows the attorney to try patent infringement cases, among other special superhero powers. Quite a good spot to be in, and employment prospects in that sector are a bit better than other legal sectors.
4. Public interest: working for public defender offices, legal aid clinics, this is more of a “service” law sector that promotes helping client who are not as fortunate (nor as wealthy as other clients), and therefore, you don’t get paid as much. Sorry to be blunt, but that’s the tradeoff: it’s actually good work and very necessary in our society, but you’re not compensated real well. Big law firms also have public interest and pro bono public areas, but rest assured that those are not the ones generating the big bucks for the firm.
5. In-house legal counsel: working in the legal department of a major company, this is my dream job. However, most in-house lawyers need like 5, 6, 7, or 62 years of experience (something like that) AT A BIG FIRM to gain the qualifications to be an in-house attorney. Needless to say, kind of a tough gig to get. And big companies don’t exactly like the lawyers taking away from the bottom line, so they’d like to keep the legal costs down, if possible.
6. Mid-to-small-size law firms: Basically the law firms that aren’t the “big law” firms. Not as stringent hiring requirements and they don’t come in a big pack to your school’s on-campus interviewing program during the summer after 1L. This is where the “it’s-who-you-know” mindset comes in, as statistics say 80% of the jobs are filled through internal. Probably how it happens: Firm has about 15 associates. One associate leaves to become a teacher. Firm now has opening for an associate. Firm doesn’t want the hassle of sending out a mass job posting and resume collect. Firm asks one of its remaining 14 associates who they know that might do good job. Associate #11 says, “My friend Larry Lawyer went to Lawrence Law School with me, he’s great.” Larry Lawyer gets brought in for an interview, firm likes Larry Lawyer, hires him over others who they have no familiarity with. Job opening filled.
7. Presidential Management Fellows Program/Department of Justice Honors Program/ Associate Attorneys’ Program: Government programs that hire law students for its cycling program. Don’t know much about this, usually you wind up in the US Attorney’s office or another governmental agency in its enforcement offices. Also pretty stringent on hiring qualifications, etc.
8. Solo practitioner: From all I’ve heard, very difficult to go down this road right out of law school, a straight ticket to a malpractice lawsuit.
9. Immigration: another niche field that some attorneys go into, usually in the small-to-mid-size law firm category. Usually helpful to get some experience in an immigration legal clinic in law school.
10. Professor: this also requires some professional experience, usually at a big firm and/or clerking. O, and a PhD wouldn’t hurt. This is WAY DOWN the road.
11. Judge: This is also WAY DOWN the road. Requires 10 years of being in practice before you can even think about doing it.
12. Consulting: used to be an ugly sister to the big law firm route, now many law students are embracing this route as the law firms clutter up. Have little knowledge of how it works except for, during interviews the recruiters ask many open-ended questions like “how much orange juice is produced in the U.S. every day?” to make you think. Uhh Yea, thinking: Not my strong suit.
13. Document review: Basically well-dressed attorneys in a room with computers reading off their screens and marking documents as “important” or “unimportant.” If not as intellectually thrilling as you thought law would be, neither did I (when I did it in 2010). It can actually be kinda lucrative, though, if you get the right type.
14. Something out of the law: people go back to their old jobs, do something else entirely, switch careers before even getting started in law, etc. (For me, I don’t have a career to go back to…so it’s kind of tough).
So there you have it, 14 great career options for people interested in law. Seriously, at this point I’m a pretty good authority on what jobs there are in the law. During law school, I’ve basically worked some form of 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and definitely 13. I just can’t find one that pays, or is full time (yet). So if you have any questions about these jobs, or more importantly, IF YOU HAVE ONE OF THESE JOBS AND ARE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO FILL IT, shoot me a message.
By the way, good tool for networking: LinkedIn. People post their resumes on their, etc. and you can see who got what positions, contact them if need be.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Inevitability

2011-08-28T22:30:00.000-07:00

"No one wins. One side just loses more slowly." - Roland Pryzbylewski, The Wire

After almost 2 months, Big Brother finally had an interesting episode tonight, as the generals of the 2 remaining alliances were both sent packing within the hour and the final 6 were decided.
Danielle v. Jeff was one of the biggest storylines of the season, a real heavyweight bout between 2 of the more memorable houseguests in Big Brother history, not just this season. Their departure reminds me of one of the biggest axioms in Big Brother: Don't be the leader; power is weakness; weakness is power. If you're at the very head of your alliance and have a great deal of power in the house, you have actually the least power because you're the biggest target, everyone's gunning after you. The person who's the quietest and perceived weakest is usually the strongest in a game like Big Brother and usually comes out ahead (See Adam-BB9, Dan BB10, Jordan BB11, etc., etc.) Jeff, just by being the strong man that he is, was not built to ever win Big Brother. He's ALWAYS gonna be too big of a target because he's always a threat to win competitions. Unless they change it to shortest-person-wins HoH contests or knitting/weaving vetos, Jeff will always be a threat. Danielle- basically same category: won 5 vetos in her first season, won 2 HoH's already this season = HUGE perceived threat.
Therefore, in the battle of Danielle v. Jeff, tonight's result was really inevitable: they both took each other down, victims of each other's strong competitivness.
Adam and Shelly (lowest on the totem in each remaining 3-person alliance) are my frontrunners to win.

...On to Fantasy football. Instead of just stewing in my state of unemployment, I figure I'll write about something I have control over and know something about: Fantasy football. Last year in my preview edition I was right on about Philip Rivers, DeAngelo Williams, and Steve Smith/Randy Moss, and I won my Hinsdale South league with my old high school buddies. For no money. yay!!!! (Seriously, it's getting to be a pretty disheartening trend: If a league has no money on the line, I do great and have GREAT LUCK. The more money's on the line, the worse I get. It's amazing.)

1. My biggest Robert-ism for this year: DO NOT DRAFT MICHAEL VICK!!!!! He WAS like the #1 or #2-rated fantasy player a few months ago, and reasonable minds have finally come down to earth and he's now somewhere around the Top 15. Still too high. Remember, last year at this time you coulda gotten Vick FOR FREE!!!! Buying Vick is like buying a stock at $200 when it was a penny stock last year: I don't care what kind of growth model or magical pixie the stock is sellin' I ain't buying.
2. I have never owned Adrian Peterson, and I'm gonna stay that way. Call me a hater but I give RB's about 3 years; then injuries, legs, etc. catch up. Welcome to the NFL. You have an expiration date; you exceed it, I'm throwing you out.
3. Lovin' Vincent Jackson and Hakeem Nicks. One of those guys could be the undisputed Champion of the WR's by year's end.
4. If I go with any QB this year, it's Tony Romo. Don't need to overreach for him, and he's got the skills, plus the receiving corps to still do it. QB's don't have expiration dates; in fact his years of productivity make him so much more reliable than Vick. Romo> Vick.
5. Still loving Greg Jennings. After a horrendous start, guy was a STUD in the 2nd half. In PPR leagues, make sure you scoop up Wes Welker, the Foot Soldier.
6. Jermichael Finley should be the #1 TE off your board. Seriously.
7. Austin Collie and Jeremy Maclin looking awfully good as deep sleepers in the Top 60 players range: good QB's, high-powered offenses.
8. If you're intent on a 2-RB set to begin with, I'd target Jamaal Charles + Frank Gore: Charles the young beast with wings, Gore the (relatively) old fantasy superstar that can do everything.

Fatnasize on,
Robert Yan

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

2011-08-24T22:17:00.000-07:00

On the day that Steve Jobs(!) resigned from his job at Apple, I examine one of the hottest topics in the nation, maybe the world: Jobs, jobs, jobs.

1. How many people actually like their jobs?
Anywhere from around 25-40% is what I hear.......which seems actually a little high to me, given how much complaining goes on, to my ears: although, I've also met several people who enjoy their jobs and really match it up to their passion. Great. I think, for most, however, it's hard to check one or the other, "I like my job" or "I dislike my job." I think most people like parts of their jobs and dislike other parts, so they mostly neutralize each other.

2. Which state in the U.S. has the most jobs?
Well, probably California cuz it has the highest population and the most business (but also one of the highest unemployment rates), but the lowest unemployment rate belongs to that of North Dakota at a puny 3.3%. I like those odds. Just saw interview on Cramer with the Governor of that state; encourages unemployed people to move over to N. Dakota and get a job there. Huh. Interesting idea, besides the obvious question of "What is there to do in N. Dakota?" But do they REALLY have EXCESS jobs to just Give away? Seems highly unlikely.

3. Why are jobs so different?
It always infuriates me when an NFL player or some other sports star "holds out" for more money despite already having an offer on the table for millions of dollars. It's really easy to blame the player or agent in that situation. But you know what's also a huge contributing factor? The fact that jobs are so different. Certain things are very high in demand; others are just not; it's actually kind of patently unfair, but it's the product of a capitalist society where everything is priced according to its value: certain skills, like being able to hit a 95MPH-fastball, are just more valuable than being able to cook a fine casserole dish because they generate higher bottom lines for a company. Supply and demand. (This is also sometimes flawed, as in the case of high-earning CEO's drawing million-dollar salaries despite company bottom lines being in the red. Urg.)

4. What value do people place on their jobs?
Considering there are 168 hours in a week, and only about 112 of those are waking, and work takes up about 45-50 of those hours (give or take depending on the commute), most people are at their job almost HALF the time. And it really takes up the majority of the weekday because those days are primarily spent with your job in mind; coming home and relaxing is just winding down; so really jobs consumes like 5 out of every 7 days. So it's really a big deal. It's the first standard question after people first meet you and get your name: "So what do you do?" It determines what social class you're in; it somewhat decides what friends you have (a lot of friends tend to be co-workers), so a job defines a lot of what your life is about. I think it's probaby 3rd on a very informal list I have: 1. your own life, 2. your family, 3. your job, 4. your friends, 5. your interests/hobbies, etc., etc.

5. What if you don't have a job?
Welcome to my world. It's frustrating, it really is. I've personally had a lifetime's worth of sitting at home on a late Tuesday morning watching daytime television, feeling useless while the rest of society works; I'm ready to work. But it's just the nature of the beast: most people go through at least one stretch of unemployment in their lives. I hope this is my only one. Going with #4, it's also like a big piece of my life is missing: like I don't have all the necessary things in life yet, and it leaves me wanting. I need that part of my identity at dinner parties to say, "I'm a lawyer," without having to explain after the subsequent "So where do you work" that I'm an unemployed lawyer. Sigh.

6. Can you change jobs?
Fortunately, Yes, in America careers are pretty flexible, you can make a big move. But it's still not that easy. And when starting a new career, you get back into that old trap: you gotta have experience to get experience: people ask why you wanted to transition to that new career.

O, a job. Such a simple concept. And so universal. But so complex as well. May the universe allow me to find just the right one.........sooner than later, please.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

3.

Veronica Mars

2011-08-17T23:27:00.000-07:00

During the bar I watched (another) great TV show, this one from a few years ago: Veronica Mars, seasons 1 and 2. Very unheralded, relatively-unknown shown that was very smart, very well done. Too bad it was on UPN. Great for mystery-lovers: Coincidentally, during 2004-2005 when the show was at its peak, I was big on Agatha Christie novels for some reason. Might have been better served using my time on this show. Veronica's this high school student in a rich Southern California neighborhood who works for her private detective dad and often proves to be equal if not better then her dad at sleuthing, solving cases and seeing through lies. Very strong, very capable, a little vindictive, very independent. Probably had better skills at age 17-18 than I'll ever have.

Which makes me wonder: Am I much improved than I was when I was 17-18? At that age I was also finishing up high school, top of my class, worked really hard, seemed pretty smart, very active in the community....am I a better person than I was in 17-18.

I considered "No," cuz I was actually at the top of my class during high school, was active in a lot of competitive teams (math, tennis, chess, orchestra) and had so much potential (great PSAT scores, SAT scores). Lots of, lots of potential: But that's just it: Potential doesn't always transfer into actual success. Prime example is sports: How many first-rounders in the NBA, MLB, or NFL drafts flame out each year after getting to the pros? Past accomplishments do not guarantee future success. Fortunately for me, life is a longer process than sports, and you're not just done after a year or two of failures. Life gives you more chances along the way to prove yourself.

Also, over 6 years since high school I've learned that success in life is not necessarily determined by the car you drive, or the job that you do, or the college that you went to: I used to think getting into Yale or some Ivy League school was the be-all and end-all: I know now that it's just a more extensive (and expensive) path to possible success: you still have to earn it. Getting to a great school (or a great job, etc.) doesn't just guarantee success, it's a great avenue for you to be on while on that road, but it's not a definite admissions ticket.

So I still got time left in the road of life to achieve successes. But I think I gotta start doing that pretty soon: Life gives you plenty of chances, but at some point they run out and you actually do become that "first-round bust." Hopefully the plan that I assures that I won't be.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

I love this job!

2011-08-16T19:42:00.000-07:00

I've held back from this post for a while now for various reasons: 1. I do this job in the summer, the months when my brain usually turns off, 2. I don't want to sound like a pedophile (this job deals with kids, and there's a stigma in our society for any adults working with kids), and 3. I've been dedicated to law as my career path for 3 years now, and I didn't want to be distracted.

But it's true: I love being a counselor for kids. I've done it for the last 6 summers, plus a few weeks in between for volunteer, and random times when I meet kids at social events, etc. It's exhilarating. I basically get paid to be a big kid an lead kids in games......and for some reason the kids listen to me. It's probably cuz I'm actually cool to them......I'm the big guy they look up to and respect. Selfishly, I love that. Growing up, I was never the most popular kid, never the guy people looked forward to seeing, never the coolest kid in school.

I love games. And over the course of 6 years I've developed some great games. Look Up, the 5 second game, Foxes and Hounds, Catch or Don't Catch, etc., etc......all games I wish somebody taught me when I was a kid. These games are out of the age range of my peers, but perfect when I go to camp.

I think another part of the equation is being able to hang out with probably the best group of people in the world: Young kids. Kids are as diverse as adults are: they vary in race, age, gender, personalities, attitudes, habits, appearance, etc., etc., but there's an important characteristicthey do not share with adults: innocence. Kids, no matter how disrespectful, how angry, how misbehaved, (and I've had a lot of these types of kids), are never evil by nature. They are really good-hearted to begin with, and they naturally have a good heart: they don't want bad things to happen to anyone. It's only later on in life that young adults (teens) and adults form some of the evils of life: lying, jealousy, wrath, hatred, the seven sins, etc., etc. Kids aren't like that: I sense the good in every kid, which is why I like to talk to each and every one of them, see how they feel, what their hopes and dreams are, what they may become in the future. So many possibilities.

Honestly, sometimes I wish I could deal with just kids, instead of going to networking events, or dealing with telemarketers, or attending a party (although, obviously there's some exceptions, I still do have a social life). When you're dealing with kids, there's really no hidden agendas, no prejudices, no stereotypes, no preconceived notions, no jealousies, etc. etc. People aren't getting to know you to try to get a job or vice versa, or not trying to have an ulterior motive, kids just want to have fun. It's good, honest, wholesome fun.

One of the best feelings in the world is helping a kid succeed at something, accomplish something, win something, or just feel good about themselves. It's one of the most gratifying feelings in the world, much better than earning a huge paycheck or any material possessions. For example, today we had our Olympics competition at camp. Almost everyone participated in the Rock Scissors Papers tournament, a 2-out-of-3 competition featuring the most well-known game in the world: everyone knew how to play: and everyone had an equal chance. The look on the little girl's face who beat about 30 other competitors was amazing: she hadn't expected to win the competition or any competition at all, and doing something special like that was a real treat. I couldn't wait to give her one of our REAL GOLD (but actually plastic) Olympic medals signfying her victory. The important thing, also, was that the kids enjoyed the competition (that I created. When kids are having fun, I'm having fun (and doing my job). I love it.

So that's what I want out of my career in the future, regardles, of which career I land up in (law is obviously the frontrunner at this point, and to be fair, I do get enjoyment out of legal jobs, just not the moments of pure thrill I sometimes get from beiga counselor): I get gratification beyond wealth. Sure, I need to get paid to pay the bills, but I value personal fulfillment over high wages. Life is so much easier when you love what you do.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

New beginnings begin in Alaska

2011-08-12T23:14:00.000-07:00

In many ways, this Alaska trip has been the perfect conclusion to a 3-year period for me. Back in August 2008, I knew going into to law school that the next 3 years would be tough, an all-out grind, endurance challenge that would have its ups and downs, twists and turns, unexpected challenges and suprising delights, all culminating in the Bar Exam taken in Late July of 2011. Whelp, that all happened. Law school, as evidenced by my posts, was a challenge, and I am gratefully done with it. Now to what lies beyond: real life.
This new week in Alaska was the exact opposite of what law school was: a total escape, to put the mind at ease, do something at the other end of the spectrum as law school. No memorandums to write, no tests to study for, no black-letter law to memorize, no judicial decisions to review. No, Alaska has been wildlife, glaciers, natural scenery, back-country roads, bear tracks, all the things that are NOT required in the modern world, that one (especially me) sometimes forgets about while studying hard during law school. There’s a whole nuther world out here, and I’m glad I’m experiencing it. This week I’ve literally felt the law slip away, unclench its tight fights around my head and release, so that I feel like I can breath, my body can relax, and my mind is at ease. I’ve missed this feeling, I hope to have it many times over the course of my life.
This week in Alaska has also allowed me to re-evaluate myself and forecast where my life is headed, adjust my outlook. I would say I’m in a downswing of my life, a valley, if you will, but in many ways I’ve still been lucky and are blessed with some excellent conditions: excellent health, excellent familial support, adequate financial situation (although that may change once my student loans come due), excellent blog, and (I think) still a good attitude. I’ve also taken the time to formulate a few plans of my own, and I plan on springing those into action as soon as I get back to the real world.
So, alas, Alaska, our time together is nearing an end. You’ve been good to me, and I hope I’ve been good to you (haven’t littered, haven’t polluted or anything). I hope I come back to see you one day, under better circumstances, and I hope you will give me everything you’ve given me this week (and more). Thanks.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Losing on Your Home Court

2011-08-09T00:12:00.000-07:00

You know that feeling of “I’m supposed to know this stuff, but I just don’t?” Or, “I’m supposed to be good at this, but I’m really doing quite poorly?” That’s losing on your home court. I do it all the time. I’m fine with losing at certain things, like poetry, or art history, or 1970’s musical hits. But if I lose at the things I’m supposed to be good at, like finance, law, fantasy baseball, Chinese, or counseling kids, I am really disappointed in myself.

Which is why I’m so disappointed that I’ve lost at stocks. It’s basically been a wasted year on my etrade accounts: I started at 69 with John Deere Stock in October and rode it until it hit 95, then sold and then inexplicably bought back in at 93…….and watched it go back down the hill and now hit 67 (With no signs of hitting the brakes) Wow. What a roller coaster. (And a financial disaster). How did I do so poorly here? For a guy who claims to be “good at picking stocks,” I truly messed up here. I feel like a fraud; like everything I ever believed in was a lie, like I need to re-evaluate a lot of things; like my life is not as promising as it was; like I’ved peaked; like the future is really uncertain. Sigh.

Living in the Wrong Era

Speaking of the equity markets, what is going on here? Another recession? Geez, my resilience just can’t take it anymore. Going through this economy really makes me feel like I missed the boat. As lucky as I have it, growing up in an relatively affluent family that benefited from the 90’s boom and America’s prosperity in the late 90’s and being part of a 2-parent household, I can’t help but wonder how different things would have been if I had grown up say 10, 20 years ago. If I had entered the workforce around 1995: when all stocks were going up, economy was BOOMING, or in 2001, just after the back-to-back Enron and 9-11 crisis, when America was slowly recovering, or even in 2005, when the housing markets were at its best. I grow up in any of those economies, I’d have a steady job, be solidly in Corporate America, be primed for a very productive string of years in my twenties. (Especially in a Corporate Law department for any big AmLaw law firm). Yet I to come of age in the worst economic climate America has witnessed in the last century or so…….The Great Recession followed by what’s looking like ANOTHER recession of the double-dip variety…..reports of 20-somethings still living with their parents, difficulty obtaining entry-level employment, jobs becoming more and more scarce, stubborn unemployment, and a worsening outlook on the American economy. Sorry, sounds like a huge whine-fest and pity party, but there it is: I really feel like I’m a victim of the times. Bottom line is , I’m a guy just trying to make it in this world, and these times are making it hard on a fella.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

What would I do if were a millionaire

2011-08-07T22:24:00.000-07:00

It's weird: When you're in the midst of a VERY busy period, like studying for the bar...all you think about is how much you hate it, what you would be rather doing, how much more efficiently you could be spending your time, how much alcohol you will drink after it's all over (not suggested for readers under 21 years of age; drink responsibly).....

But once you've gotten over that period in your life, oddly you miss things about that time, like the single-mindedness of your efforts, how much you felt like you learned in a day, the sense of achievement....

Eh, who am I kidding. I would rather be on vacation all the time.

Makes me wonder, though, what I would do if money wasn't an issue anymore, I had all the money I needed for the rest of my life.....a very common thought for a lot of folks, not usually a realistic concern for most. Some say they would actually just...go back to work. I say, yes, that might be true for some lucky folks who really enjoy their work and they stumbled into a profession that they're really passionate about, but I don't think that's the case for the vast majority of people. Having never really worked for more than 3 months consecutively at a full-time job, I can't say for certain what I would do.

1. Pro bono legal work: Yea, I could see myself doing this for awhile. Lots of people in need of free legal advice, attorney services who can't afford it. But dunno if it would be a lifelong pursuit.

2. Baseball stadium trip: all 30 MLB stadiums. That'd be exciting, but it'd last for.....like a month.

3. Travel: sure, sure, standard. But that'd get old after probably a year, right?

4. Alternative Spring Break: Ah, yes, here I think I've touched on something: I've done Alternative Spring Break since college began (traveled to faraway places like Seattle, Florida, and Virginia), and I gotta say it's one of the best experiences ANYONE can have. Hands down. I'm pretty sure I would never get tired of Alternative Spring Break because a.) issues are all different....each trip has a different purpose in mind, whether it's children in crime-ridden areas, children with disabilities, environmental aid, etc., etc. b.) you meet lots of great people on each trip...all peers who also have volunteering on their minds...and c.) it really actually makes an impact....you feel like your reachign out to others, as well as doing great things for your self-development. I'd love it.

So yes, 50 Alternative Spring Break trips in 50 weeks (maybe in 50 different states too?) Yes, my idea is motivated by Daniel Seddiqui's 50 jobs in 50 states, but it's really just a good thing to do.

Now if I can only accomplish the first part, of attaining as much money as I could ever need.....

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Greetings from Alaska!!

2011-08-06T22:18:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know, I know....long time, long time.

Since last time I wrote (wow, more than a month ago, July 5) a LOT has happened. Let's run it down:

1. 3 more weeks of studying for the bar. Grueling process, do not wish it on my worst enemy. The stress, the 12-hour-days, the practice essays, it was rough. Please, please, PLEASE let me pass!!!!

2. Taking the bar itself. 3 full days, an endurance competition. Basically, 6 full-length law school exams, except all packed into a stretch of 3 days, one after the other. I felt uneasy on some of the essays, rebounded with the multiple choice, and if there was any doubt, I think I salvaged myself on the performance tests. Overconfidence won't affect my score now that the test is over, so I'll say I'm fairly certain I passed, but that doesn't mean I won't be opening my results on Nov. 18th with baited breath.

3. The stock market crashed. Sigh. All those impressive gains I achieved over the past several months, all down the drain. The federal government had a debt crisis and ALMOST defaulted on its loan, which would have been a global disaster. The equity markets responded accordingly by nosediving. Portfolios around the world are hating life right now, including mine ( Why didn't I just stick with Chiptle and Amazon? --- those 2 down but still holding pretty strong).

4. I achieved a W17 streak on Streak for Cash, 2 short of getting $50,000. Kicking myself so hard, although the 17-gamer was no joke and feel proud of myself, also realize I got super-duper lucky just to get that far. Still, the soccer match between Columbia v. Peru (a.k.a. my streakbreaker game) will forever haunt my memories. Columbia should have scored like 7 different times that game, missed a penalty kick, and hit the post twice. URRRRRGGGG!!!!

5. Disastrous month of July saw my fantasy baseball team go 19 games under .500 and currently out of a playoff spot. Murphy's law: anything that could go wrong did go wrong for me (actually, one of the bright spots of the month was picking up Daniel Murphy, who hits everything). Frustrating, to say the least.

6. Dodgeball team riding strong, winning 3 in a row to roll into the playoffs and then won our opening-round playoff match, but now it might be naught because......

7. I'm in Alaska for a week. Post-bar trip with the parents because I'm poor, I don't have a girlfriend to go on a romantic trip with, and I needed to get away. Living in an RV with my parents in blustery, windy Alaska in the middle of summer....... yea, it's the high life.

8. Big Brother stinks. I now see how blinded I was by my eagerness to get on the show....looking at it neutrally now, it's really not even that great of a show and really depends on the casting. Big Brother 11 looking like a perfect storm of great characters coming together....prospects for 12 and beyond look bleak.

9. Reading "50 jobs in 50 states" by Daniel Seddiqui....yea you might remember him, the guy who went around the country doing odd jobs representing those states over the course of a year. I'm more impressed by his story now that I know more about it. He was at an absolute low point in his life: jobless out of college, living with his parents, unsuccessful interviews, no girlfriend (very similar to my situation, by the way) but came up with an original, creative, sustainable, cost-effective idea that propelled him to national prominence and a slice of the history books, and plenty of supporters. Truly, it's a real-life success story that has me pumped up about the future: it IS possible in the world to do something like what Mr. Seddiqui did, to do something that he truly wanted to do and achieve success.
O yea, I also realized it was NOT easy for him to do what he did. Driving across the country by himself, waking up at 4 in the morning to book future jobs in other states, calling all kinds of people and being rejected MANY, MANY times. Sounds like a lot of perseverance was needed, something not everyone possesses. Well done, Dan. And good book.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Buy Chipotle Stock Part 2

2011-07-05T12:51:00.000-07:00

Studying for the bar but have to rant about this:

SO upset with my parents about hanging on to RIMM stock, which is down to like 28 and still going lower. In the last year, it's lost 200% of its value, going from 70 to 28. In the meantime, Chipotle has gone from 200 to 320 as of today.

If you would have asked me a year ago which of those 2 stocks I wanted to own, without hesitation, I would have said Chipotle. Immediately. Gosh, I wish my mom would just LISTEN for once.

My recommendation: If I had money, KEEP BUYING Chipotle Stock. This thing's not going anywhere fast, guys. Welcome to the 2010-2020 Decade Food Giant.

Also, buy DE on the low. It took a dive earlier this year when I bought at 93, but now it should be back on the downswing and you have the benefit of my mistake to know it will now rebound. Also, sell NKE until it goes back under 90, then buy it again once it reaches a reasonable low. Seriously, I've made money through 90 twice using this method.

O and lovin' Amazon.

2nd half of the year? Looking good, but there's gonna be some dips, try to sell at the market's most exuberant cuz it's never gonna go in one direction for more than a month; Do the choppy stuff, do your due diligence and make money. Lol.

Ok, back to strict liability crimes, balancing of hardships, and Ultra Vires activity in corporations.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Graduation

2011-06-07T20:32:00.000-07:00

For all students who are graduating from grade school, middle school, high school, college, or even law/medical/some sort of graduate school, congratulations. You made it. Obviously, lotsa people have great things to say about graduation; my words are far from the most articulate nor meaningful. However, the fact remains that graduating from ANY school is an accomplishment itself: it means you applied yourself, went through the rigorous curriculum of an accredited school system. Having gone through many school systems and graduated many times now, I know: graduating from a school is the end of an era, the end of a period of your life. Your life will basically never be the same. You won't do a lot of the things in your life again: you won't take that same route to the school anymore, you won't use your locker anymore, you won't go to Professor X's class anymore, you won't be a (high school, college, grad, whatever you are) student anymore.

But along with the end of an era, comes something much better: new opportunity. The start of a new era, a chance to do something great with the rewards you earned through getting through school. They say that after high school is when your life really begins: you leave your old friends, you go to college, you leave the home you grew up in, etc.......So for many students everywhere, this is where your life really begins. Enjoy.

Inevitably after getting through a school year, summer ensues. Some people go on to work interesting summer jobs; some go abroad; some take EXTRA summer classes; some take the summer off. High school graduates in China go on to take the biggest exam of the their lives: The college entrance exam.

For me, it's BarBri. (Studying for the California Bar).

BarBri's been going on for 3 weeks now. Spirit Waning. Mind tiring. Endurance deteriorating. Body weak. My team is all gone. Don't know how long I can continue doing this. Running out of air. Living on bare biscuits. It's only a matter of time now

.....Haha, not actually that bad, not the Armageddon end of days I described, but BarBri is definitely taking a toll.

I know I'm nervous about the test when I read BarBri outlines while I'm eating... A lawyer friend of mine said she thinks about certain topics on her runs, so I might have to do that. And when July comes around, it's really gonna be pressure-cooker time. Sigh. I have just begun to fight.

Fortunately (or not), my roommate has the MLB Extra Innings Mix, so i put that on mute, study my notecards, motivates me to sit down. But it also distracts me. I miss going to the gym, I miss going outside, I miss doing the normal things in life.....that part of my life has ended; BarBri is my life now.

Subject I feel worst about? Contracts. Lotta stuff I didn't learn. Subject I feel best about? Evidence. I'm on top of that. Does it matter? Not really..all you need to do is pass.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

National Spelling Bee Finals

2011-06-05T23:36:00.001-07:00

Finally, in Round 9, we got some really tough words. They’re really getting away from commonly-seen words now…..this is getting into the nethworld, the outer limits of the english language.

First time Sriram Hathwar seemed like he was a little troubled, but no problem.

This Arvind guy has been very unheralded by me today, but he’s a contender, man. He really is. Can’t tell if he’s more prepared than Sriram Hathwar, but they’re both REALLY good.

This bee has played out very much as expected, something I couldn’t say for the last 2 years. I’d say that’s actually an indication of good work by the bee: narrowing it down to the very best spellers. For me, the casual viewer, it actually DOES seem like the rounds are getting progressively harder. Early on some random easy words, but none in Round 9 here. This is getting REALLY hard.

Quick work of “schokker” by Joanna Ye. O man. Sukyana Roy and Joanna Ye might be sitting next to each other at the end of this night. I see this final in 3 pairs: Team Canada (Newcombe-Penny), Team New York (Sriram-Hathwar) , and Team Older Girls (Joanna Ye- Sukyana Roy)

When your favorite comes up, your heart beats a bit faster. You’re nervous too. Doesn’t help that she’s always the first speller up.

It’s a numbers game: You’re on a train full of familiar faces, but eventually you meet a word you haven’t met before. Nothing to be ashamed of,

Dakota Jones smiles like he’s got it, he seems like he’s got it, his mom’s worried but he’s got it. Looking a little lonely at the end of that bench over there. Dakota from Vegas is the wild card. The green on the roulette table, if you will.

Sriram on the brink again……Is this it? He’s stumbling….yes. He’ll be disappointed, but upon further reflection, he’ll be there. Whoosh. He gone!!!! Wow the Hathwar train gets derailed.
So I guess the Arvind Express > Sriram Subway this year at least. Arvind moving on..he sounded confident.

Sum YELL or sum yell? L-o- l………

Dakota Jones doesn’t laugh when he thinks something’s funny, he laughs when he thinks he’s found out what the word is.

….and at this point my DVR cut out, with Dakota Jones getting knocked out in Round 15, and then Arvind and then Joanna bowing out in Round 180. Well, it felt like 180, it was more like 180. I had to find out later that Sukyana defeated Laura in what seemed like triple-triple Overtime.

A National Spelling Bee for the ages, I would say. I don’t know if it was cuz of the new facilities, the new TV arrangement with ESPN, the quality of the spellers, whatever, but this year’s spelling bee was really intense and satisfying, dramatic…..and hard. The spellers really got to show off their abilities to spell some hard, hard words in front of a national television audience.

In reflection, that’s what I like about the National Spelling Bee. I’ve had to fend off a lot of half-hearted jokes about why I like watching young kids spelling words ( suggesting that I have a tendancy for pedophilia, no doubt), but I like it because it rewards some really ambitious, intelligent, and motivated kids to show off their abilities and let their hard work finally bear fruit. After hours and hours of preparation and memorization and strategy games, you finally get to use some of that hard work and spell in front of people, say, “HA! I worked damn hard to know that word, and now I got it on national TV.” That has to be a great feeling for a kid, to know that you’re capable of something big, something beyond just yourself. That’s what the National Spelling Bee allows kids to do, and I love it for that.

Plus, I love some of the great stories that the Spelling Bee brings in every year. Sure, most kids have similar interests and hobbies like music, some kind of sport, a favorite word, a favorite movie star or sports star, but you realize from the diversity of geographic regions that these kids are from how many kids around the country are prepping for the national spelling, representing their respective cities and states. Just this year we had a kid from Las Vegas (Dakota Jones) competing against a girl from Ontario, Canada (Laura Newcombe) competing against a girl living right outside of Disney World (Grace Remmer) competing against kids form the Big Apple (Arvind) competing against a Midwest girl from the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes (Anna-Beth Swoap). They all live in their own little world, their own little bubble, but they come together every year to compete and represent their areas as well as themselves. Great event, the Spelling Bee is, and I hope it continues for the foreseeable future.

Btw, how do I feel about Sukyana Roy winning the National Spelling Bee? Congrats……I knew it was possible, and after watching her during the semifinals and early in the Finals I dare say I knew it was probable. I was rooting for Laura Newcombe all the way, and she did great too and could have easily won too, but like every year, I think the winner is the winner for a reason, there are no fluke winners. Congrats, Sukyana Roy, you go down in Spelling Bee history and have a great future ahead of you. As for Laura Newcombe, this was her last year, but she’ll go down in spelling history as one of the more entertaining, charismatic, and memorable non-winners, maybe spellers, of all time. After the end of what I like to call the “Shivashankar Era” in 2009, Laura Newcombe really defined 2010 and 2011 for the National Spelling Bee.

Quick look forward to 2012?

Man we are going to have a PACKED field of favorites next year with some legit claim to being the top dog. We got Nicholas Rushlow who should come back as a 5-year repeater, first time we’ve had one in a while, we got the surprise-out-of-nowhere Dhivya Murugan from Denver, and some dark-horses in the field that we gotta watch out for. But the 2 co-favorites next year will almost certainly be, IMO, the 2 boys from New York, “The Arvind Express” v. “The Sriram Shuttle,” get out of their way cuz they’re coming through. Until next year, spelling bee!!!!!!

Spelling Bee Semifinals Coverage

2011-06-02T12:46:00.000-07:00

Spelling bee comments

Snigdha: spellers from San Diego are always good, always dangerous. Always in the semifinals.

Yo, Paul Loeffler, Anna Newcombe, JUST a contender?

Think it’s interesting that Veronica and Laura not acknowledging each other at all……..
Smile, guys, smile.

Ahh, good work, Disney, commercial within the TV show itself for Disneyworld. Well played for Grace Remmer’s intro.

Not a big fan of the new music. Not a big fan of the new stage. Big fan of the trophy that these spellers get. That’s legit.

This Sriram Hathwar kid might not win this year, but if he wants, he can win in 1 or 2 years. If you’ve been spelling competitively since 3rd grade, you know A LOT of words.

Consider this a “warm-up round” for the contestants.

“Cicerone” may be the easiest of words in a round of fairly easy rounds, for a national spelling bee semifinal, that is. NOT tat easy.

Round 4 is all about anticipating the treachery that will come in round 5: Just when you think you’re safe, they pull you back in!!!! Seriously, though, the real action comes in Round 5 or later, for sure….that’s when you show ‘em what you’re made of. Expect lots of hard words, lots of time deliberating, lot of disappointment….just sayin’.

This Samuel Estep kid EXACTLY like Dr. Jacques Bailley! Uncanny resemblance.

Anna Newcome turning into the Rock? - using the People’s eyebrow. Awesome rooting, Lauara Newcombe.

Dude, Veronica Penny is SO nervous right now. Smile, breathe!!!!
Mom’s ALSO not smiling…..Geez.

Man, what did I say about Angela Beth Swoap? Maturity…….could be a dark horse here!!!!!

“conteur” for Connor…….seems like you could just guess that. Am I wrong?

So far, Round 5 not the bloodbath I was predicting…….this might go longer than 3 hours, folks. Just sayin’.
GET MIKE PELFREY OUT OF THE METS GAME!!!! Guy is giving up hits everywhere to the Pirates, and Andrew McCutchen going off. C’mon, guys.

People, listen: Sriram Hathwar is FOR real. Won’t be surprised to see him go deep into the night tonight.

Sriram and Arvind……Tick and Tock?????

Syringadenous………long word with a rich history, I believe (2006, Theodore Yuan?). Winning word from awhile ago……..Is Tony a spelling bee fan?

Nicholas Rushlow and Joanna Ye going back-to-back in the later statges of the rounds…….sheould be a force for the rest of the day. East Coast division v. the Canadian division at the beginning of rounds. So far, no favorites out yet. All going according to plan……..

“OK, I think I got this.” --- No, Anna-Marie ddidn’t get this. Oops. Tough ,though…..at least she was confident.

Anna Newcombe to start each round now……..Round 6. Chlorthalidone…….uh-oh, she’s having troubles with the word again……is this another 2010 situation?

WHEW…….sometimes championships are won in the last round, but sometimes they’re won in Round 6…….that might be the bullet she dodges.

Lol, renminbi……….geez, my parents, my aunts, my grandparents, EVERYONE in my family could get this correct. Love this word. MONEY!!!

Lily Jordan

Welschmerz….ANOTHER word with a long history…………2006 Finola Hackett, the word that got her out. Man, not a historian of the bee. If I’d gotten that word, I would be moving on.

Sensing a shift here……they’re dropping like flies!!!!!!

Dakota from Nevada…..may be in the spotlight tonight.

Sriram Hathwar: PURE.

Sensing some love on the right side of the stage (high fives, etc. fist pumps, etc.) for the nervous spellers yet to go, as opposed to the isolated Canadian/East Coasters on the other side who have already gone this round.

Nicholas Rushlow facing his first test……he doesn’t seem to know it. Guess on its way? Yes, and it looked educated. That’s one of the tough short words you either know or don’t know………..Woo. Things getting good.

David Phan…..impressive, but not up to the task.

Who is Dhivya Senthil Murugan? One word away from the finals as a 10-year-old. Wow!!! First name remind you of anyone? (like Kavya?)

Ah…. Grace Remmer. Tough exit. One of the first frontrunners to go out……

“Sleeper” alert: Lily Jordan, from Portland, Oregon……called it.

Sriram Hathwar liking Aaron Rodgers………quite a surprise. The favorites really showing up tonight.

Joanna Ye has literally been up on the stage for a minute total….get the word, know the word, spell the word. Sit down. Seems like an easy formula.

Alright, 13 Spellers left. Good field for the finals tonight. Should be some compelling stories with young spellers, spellers from exotic states (Oregon, Nevada), etc. Rankings for tonight in order of likelihood of winning:

1. Laura Newcombe
2. Joanna Ye
3. Sriram Hathwar
4. Sukyana Roy
5. Veronica Penny

That Sriram kid looks determined, man. Scary. Gaining momentum. We'll see tonight. Can't wait.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

'Twas the Night Before the Spelling Bee...

2011-06-02T00:31:00.000-07:00

And the semifinalists are in. And already Darren Rovell (self-proclaimed spelling bee handicapper) is off on one of his picks!!!! Miss Juliana Canabal-Rodriguez, a general-consensus favorite, who unfortunately will not be representing Puerto Rico this year in NSB, coming up short in the preliminary rounds. Honestly, Miss Canabal-Rodriguez, and any other spellers who felt like they worked long and hard all year and should have had that work validated in a trip to the ESPN stages and a possible shot at the Spelling Bee Crown (which is as wide-open this year, btw, as it has ever been, I agree with most people on that).........this happens all the time. The Spelling Bee is fun for us watching at home, it's a nice annual event that allows all of America to see the wonderfully talented and intelligent 14-year-old-and-unders spell, but the competition is inherently flawed: The "rankings" for each speller do not perfectly reflect who is the best speller: The speller that makes it to the final rounds is not necessarily better than the speller who didn't make it, spellers who make it to D.C. are not necessarily better than a speller who tripped up in the regional rounds......some years, even the winner of the competition isn't the best speller in the nation....she or he just won the competition. So I wouldn't be too upset or disappointed.....the National Spelling Bee, after all, is just a bridge to bigger or better things: Life does not end at 14, or after high school, or even after college: It's only beginning. This is just one of the beginning of a series of moments that set you up for the rest of your life.

Here, another note: Props to all the spellers at the National Spelling Bee. I can't imagine how much dedication and hard work it takes to compete at a National Spelling Bee level; I never was part of that world. From all I've read and heard and can imagine, it's gotta be hard, arduous, and many times unfruitful. You have to have some resolve to get through it, tenacity, and endurance. For many spellers, it's been years since they started studying for the bee, a lot of afternoons spent poring over dictionaries, memorizing words, studying their minds off. And I imagine it's not the best activity to attract peer recognition. The captain of the junior high football team or the cheerleading squad is easily more popular than a spelling bee competitor, so it takes real resolve to fight on without much promise of resolve. But I think only later on will a speller (much like myself, who only appreciated sitting through so many violin lessons and chess games later on in life) truly understand how special doing the National Spelling Bee was: it's definitely a huge accomplishment early on in life, something a speller had to work hard at to achieve, and it will stay with them forever.

....Ok now to the good stuff. Who's gonna win National Spelling Bee 2011? I've been "handicapping" for 3 years (this is my 4th) and I'm due (haven't really gotten it right). OBVIOUSLY the same rules still apply: Experience, experience, experience. Age. Amount of words. And how many times you've been to the finals. So key. There's ALWAYS surprise newcomers (almost a pun on Newcombe) who make it to the finals, but the winner is ALWAYS someone who's been there before in one capacity or another. So you only got about 10 kids each year you're picking from.

I've given this a lot of thought and considered many scenarios this year. I first thought about the unlikely scenarios. Would a random speller like Hanif Brown, Jr. from Kingston, Jamaica finally recapture the Bee for Jamaica after a 13-year hiatus (last done in 2008)? Unlikely, the Jamaicans always show up to the semifinals, but lack the extra "oomph" because the individual spellers they send don't get to repeat. Will an eighth-grader like Lily Jordan from Portland, Maine or Anja Beth Swoap from Minnesota, without finals experience use age and maturity to get to the finals? Probably, but not win. Will a young phenom, like Sriram Hathwar, age 11 but in his 3rd bee already, channel the energy of Samir Patel and win? No, too young (sorry bud, you can still come back though).

Then more likely mid-tier scenarios: Veronica Penny, an old-school veteran of the bee, use her status as the "other" great Canadian speller to rise up from obscurity? It's definitely possible, but from 2008 and 2009, she's always seemed a little meek, a little timid and wary of the bright lights. Great speller, but a long shot when the going gets tough. Will Sukyana Roy use her 20th and 12th place previous places to vault her into the top spot? Definite possiblity, very dangerous player in the late haves of the rounds (#214). Will Nicholas Rushlow use his 3 previous years of experience to win in the "golden 4th year" of the spelling bee? Maybe, and he's always wearing yellow, a good sign if you're superstitious. (Btw, man the kind is smart: Star Wars, Stratego, Scrabble, chess, AND swimming. Holy cow, how does he have time for spelling?)

All of these possibilities went through my head, but my overwhelming feeling about this year's bee is this: at the end of the night tomorrow night, when the dictionary has been effectively ransacked, the spellers are all worn out, the parents have shed all their tears, the funny sentences have all been given out, the ESPN coverage guys have all pumped up the audience as much as possible, Laura Newcombe will be standing on the red carpet holding up the National Spelling Bee trophy for all to witness her ascendancy to her place in spelling bee history. Sure, she's the consensus favorite. She's the highest-place finisher from last year who's returning this year. But that's not why I'm picking her. When I wrote a post more than 2 years ago entitled "A New Star Rises in the East" chronicling Laura Newcombe's win in Canada's Spelling Bee of 2009, I thought I was onto something. A young, 10-year-old girl with a family background in spelling had just reached the top of Canada's spelling ladder, and she was headed to Washington. Seemed promising. But plenty of spellers, upon reaching that level at a young age, fizzle out, or just pursue other interests (justified), find something else to do, or, unfortunately, don't get better from there. But since 2009, Laura Newcombe has made steady and consistent progression: from going out in the "suicide round" of 2009 that also took out blog favorite Josephine Kao, to mishearing a word in the finals last year that kept her from possibly winning the whole thing, she's all the time been getting better, and frighteningly, better. Since that 2009, she's won the Canspell Bee ANOTHER TWO TIMES. I can't say I know what the Canadian bee is like, but there's been some great Canadian spellers, and being the best at that bee 3 years in a row is an accomplishment in itself. Rumors are she got 25-out-of-25 of the written quiz (I got 17 out of 25). This is the year. "Laura Newcombe, you are the only speller remaining in Round __. If you spell this word correctly you will be the champion. Your word is........."

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan
Robert Yan

Mario Kart Items

2011-06-01T01:15:00.000-07:00

Today was the official start of the spelling bee with the written round, but tomorrow is the big day: the Preliminary rounds where all 274 spellers go up to the podium and start spelling. More to follow later today, but can't wait........the best 3 days of the year coming up!!!!

Anyway, in the marathon of life, as with in the game of Mario Kart, there are different types of runners/racers: some start fast but level off (Toad, Koopa) and some start slow but gain momentum quickly (Bowser, Wario). Sometimes, though, I wish life was more like Mario Kart: you get items every 1/3 of a lap or so to help you along your way, take out your competition, and make a dramatic change in the race. Alas, we humans in real life don't really "see" the speed-up mushrooms or the triple red shells in our life, but they're there: we sometimes don't appreciate them.

More Mario Kart analogies: my life, I feel like, has been more Toad than Bowser (Btw, for those of you who don't know the analogy because you were deprived as a child and didn't get to play when one of the best video games ever created, Toad and Kooper were smaller characters relative to Mario/Luigi class, who were relatively small in their own right to Bower, DK, Wario, who were BIG but stumbling): I started off pretty fast as a youth, flying ahead in the game to many awards, achievements, and high grades, but ever since college started I've felt a slow-down in my development, whether it has to do with realizing how small of fish I am in a big pond, realizing there's a LOT of people who are smarter than me, or just me not progressing anymore, there's definitely been a leveling off, and I have a sick feeling of other racers in this game of life (and life in general) passing me by, especially with this legal employment thing.

However, the great thing about the Toad/Koopa class of racers is, when they trip up and have to start their motor again, they're still at the same rate of speed: As opposed to the stumbling, bumbling DK/Bowser class of racers who take a long time to get their engine revving again, I can recover nicely: I'm still well positioned to begin anew, get right back on that horse, plow ahead once more. It just takes dedication to continue forward, whether I need to re-invent myself or just continue pushing in the same direction, I can recover, which is what I intend to do. (And then when I get those mushrooms/lightnings/stars, whatever item, I'll be in position to put them into the greatest use possible).

Btw, here's some fantasy baseball analogies to "items"

1.) Mushroom: If you need a burst of speed, you can do no wrong with Michael Bourn, who's on pace for 60 steals, or Rajai Davis, who tries to steal EVERY time he gets on basis, but if you're really pretty desperate, grab Jason Bourgeois, the French-sounding guy on the Astros, who's coming back from DL.....not so high on Desmond Jennings, the guy hasn't even hit the majors yet.

2.) Red Shell: If you need the blunt, brutal force of knocking someone down via the home run/RBI, pick up the aged one, Raul Ibanez: ALWAYS reliable, ALWAYS better in the 2nd half.

3.) Blooper (squid who throws ink at you): If you need an arm, think about Jeremie Guthrie: perenially underrated, always sub-.400 ERA, sub-1.20 ERA.....even if you don't get the W's and K's out of him that you'd like, he's a safe play cuz he won't blow you up in the peripherals, and his 95+ MPH fastball is a nice insurance policy.

4.) Banana peel: If you need a guy to protect leads (in Kart, you use it primarily to stop the racers behind you), closers have been actually popping up at a pretty steady pace of like 1 new closer a week since the first week of wild swings......so when news (like this week) came available that a closer (Joakim Soria) is injured or pulled, grab the replacement quickly. The next position I see opening up: Kevin Gregg, who's been bad, replaced with Koji Uehara in Baltimore.

5.) Star: If you need to trade for a star, look no further than Jay Bruce/ Justin Upton. Profiled in my pre-season selections, these 2 guys are really becoming mainstays in the lineups, and they are going to be here for many seasons. Sell an aging veteran like Kevin Youkilis or Mark Teixeria for one of these guys, especially in franchise leagues.

6.) Lightning: If you need an arm that can literally throw lightning at you, look at Alexei Ogando. Seriously, ever see him pitch? It's 95, 96 MPH heaters all game long.....he's like Justin Verlander except younger. And the Rangers will probably give him AT LEAST 15 wins this season.

Alright, spelling bee coverage starts tomorrow! Can't wait!!!!!

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Dog Days of Summer - Questions

2011-05-26T18:27:00.000-07:00

Is this the end for the Bulls? Don't think so. From what I've seen so far in Game 5, they take their talents back to the South Beach and (at least) make it a close game in Miami. Get ready for more playoff action.

Do I lose brain cells during the summer? I sure hope not, but sometimes I wonder. I've been so used to not performing strenuous mental tasks (camp counseling, vacation, general nothingness) that my brain is used to auto shut-down. That can NOT happen this year.

Is Carlos Boozer sometimes a detriment to the team? Yes, resoundingly yes. He's big and can score, but man is he a bull in a china kitchen.

Is the National Spelling Bee wide open this year? Yes, which seems to be the prevailing trend in recent years. The clear-cut favorite will be my "New Star Rises in Canada" pick from 2 years ago Anna Newcombe, but not an overwhelming favorite like Kavya Shivashankar or Samir Patel EVERY year back in the mid-2000's. This could be another one of those the 5th-best speller in the bee wins it. But if you're gonna bet (dunno if there's a betting market on National Spelling Bee, that would be rather cruel and exploitative of a natural competition like the National Spelling Bee), bet on an eighth-grader. A year older, a year wiser. (Not sure that's the case anymore at my advanced age)

Will the Dow be going up throughout this summer? Most likely. Economy proving, hiring picking up, less than 3 years removed from a major economic crisis, the market has nowhere to go but up. Buy equities now. Can't say the same about real estate. Don't Buy, Don't Buy!!!!

Was I right on my call on "Buy Chipotle Stock?" I didn't call it as perfectly as I wanted, and the stock did go down for a month or so, but I most definitely was correct. It's heading up to around $300 now. I have an 80% success in picking stocks. I'm starting to think I'm kind of good at this.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Learning from your mistakes

2011-05-22T21:26:00.000-07:00

Something I did NOT do since the last time I went whale-watching. Do NOT go on a small-size boat into the open ocean!!!! Got seasick again today. Guess I wasn't meant to be the next Magellan or Columbus: Just a landlubber, I suppose.

Apparently, I'm not learning from my mistakes in fantasy baseball. 6 weeks into the season and 4 games below .500.......I'll have to fight to make the playoffs this year.
Mistakes I have NOT learned from this season yet:

1.) DON'T pick up unestablished closers with your precious 1-2 adds: Earlier picked up Mitchell Boggs, he is no longer closing. Picked up Matt Guerrier this week, looks like he won't be the closer. ARGH!!!!

2.) Be content with your pitching categories early in the week if leading: Twice this year I've been burned for being too greedy: high risk, low reward with an inferior pitching staff. ARGH!!!!!!

BarBri's a chance to learn from your law school mistakes: what you didn't learn in law school or didn't learn the correct way, you can correct that during BarBri. Let's hope I do as their slogan: "Do it Once, Do it Right, Never Do it Again."

Speaking of Learning from mistakes, that's with 274 spellers get to do starting May 31st, in the 2011 NATIONAL SPELLING BEE!!!!!!! Excited..........9 days away!!!!

Pyramid Schemes

2011-05-18T20:52:00.000-07:00

If you think about it, many aspects of life works as a pyramid scheme. Kinda cynical, but the analogy works. As background, I have on one occasion been offered to engage in a pyramid scheme: in high school, I was offered to "sell products" to others for discount prices, and if I could get others to go in on the same prices, I would get further discounts on the goods, etc., etc. I was contacted by one of my friends who "knew a guy" who was offering an intriguing business opportunity, and the "friend of a friend" sat me down at a coffee shop, showed me some brochures, and tried to get me to sign up. Standard pyramid scheme, right down to the "get your friends interested quickly" and "So do you see why this isn't a pyramid scheme?"

But as far as I see it, pyramid schemes consist of 3 things: 1. organizers at the top who want to take advantage of other people in advancing their scheme, 2. signin up followers who are supposed to "sign up" even more people, and 3. consistent spreading until the scheme ends.

1. Law school: Lawyers make a great deal of money in the profession, so law schools have a great selling point to recruit more people into law school, and they use law school graduates who have done well to "sell" the idea of law school to prospective law grads, except for the fact that the more lawyers there are, the less opportunities there are for each newly minted lawyer. The new lawyers spread word to new prospective law students, and so on.

2. Viral TV shows: LOST. The disappointing nature of the final season of LOST really emphasized its similarity to a pyramid scheme: Get everyone hooked with more questions, have viewers tell their friends and family of the "awesomeness" of the show, and keep enticing them with more questions and mystery, all the time knowing that there's really no substance at the heart of the show. Well played, LOST producers.

Anyway, yesterday I observed some fantasy baseball trends. Here are some tips for the rest of the year:

1. I can't believe I'm saying this, but if Bartolo Colon is still on your free agent wire, go get him. He had some sort of weird surgery last year on his arm, or maybe he spent a year in the jungles of Brazil praying on small animals, but Bartolo looks revived, and throwing like it's 2000. AND he plays for a team in the Yankees that can score a run or two. Definite add.

2. buy low on some heavy hitters ( as the weather gets warmer, these guys will heat up): Nelson Cruz, Kevin Youkilis, Pablo Sandoval (injured), Joe Mauer (injured), Adam Dunn, Albert Pujols, Hanley Ramirez. Hits are coming, people.

3. Not to state the obvious, but Derek Jeter is DONE. I've watched most Yankee games this season, and EVERY ball Derek hits is on the ground. Unfortunately, most everyone in the US knows this too, so it's almost impossible getting any value for him. If he somehow hits 2 HR's again, it's time to sell. Right away.

4. Definitely some unstable closer situations in the league.........so don't panic if you don't have enough closers: traditionally the best time to pick up closers is the beginning of the year, when bullpens still sorting themselves out, but still some movement during the year. No need to trade a bona fide hitter just to chase some saves (I have to tell myself this in my own league).

5. Do due diligence on young guys coming up........this was the time last year where Buster Posey, Carlos Santana, Trevor Cahill, Madison Bumgarner, etc. all got called up and or/emerged. If a young player is a highly touted prospect, he could either become a dud or REALLY GOOD........some even if you're not picking them up, know what you're passing up.

Good hunting.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

BarBri Days 1-2

2011-05-17T18:32:00.000-07:00

If BarBri (the prep course that thousands of law students everywhere take in order to pass the Bar) were a baseball season, I'd be in spring training. On Monday, recent law school grads from all over the country put away their newly-received diplomas and got ready for a 3-month battle with a singular goal in mind: passing the bar. Except unlike baseball, many people can attain their goals, and there is no degrees of success: you either pass or you fail. At once satisfying but also terrifying: the unthinkable prospect of spending all the money on BarBri, paying for the bar, and most importantly, all the time you've spent on law school to become an attorney, all dashed in one day of taking the Bar.

So yea, better be ready.

BarBri is certainly no joke, but my first impression is that it is very do-able. Based off the pre-tests and the initial lectures, BarBri is just a long process of getting your brain pumped up for the bar, like a hitter perfecting his swing so that it's in midseason form, a marathon runner getting his energy and stamina up to peak conditioning. Lawyers, our form of getting in shape is to know the law, and that's what we do with BarBri, learn and apply, learn and apply, learn from your mistakes. Hopefully it's really that simple. We'll see at the end of July.

As long of a season as BarBri's gonna be, the baseball season's even longer. It seems like forever ago that our league sat down and did our auction draft, and a million games played already, including a 19-1 game, 2 no-hitters, and 25 rain-postponed games, but alas we are only about 1/4 of the way through the season. Plenty of time for hitters to break out of their early season slumps, for lucky starters to totally disintegrate, for young closers to take over for their aging predecessors, for the weather get warm and games to actually get played, so that your players' weeks aren't shortened by weather. Here's a look at some trends that I've noticed:

1. Pretty darn close to another "Year of the Pitcher," lotsa newcomers to the starting pitcher elite, left-for-dead veterans who have had great starters, and young guns in the minors who are itching to get a crack at the big leagues. More support for my theory that you shouldn't overpay for starters. I drafted my entire starting pitching staff this year for less than $4 each and I'm doing fine: Jhoulys Chacin, Ian Kennedy, Jeremy Hellickson, Michel Pineda, Tim Stauffer, Brandon Beachy. Sure, I've traded a couple of those guys and Beachy got hurt, but you can get strikeouts/quality pitching in a lot of different places. Other names that have done just as well as the "elite tier" pitchers include Alexei Ogando, Jason Marquis (who knew), Josh Tomlin, Zach Britton, Jair Jurrjens, Kyle Lohse, Justin Masterson, etc. These are guys not even KNOWN at the beginning of the season, I'm talking barely on the fantasy map, undrafted, bottom-of-the-barrel.

2. Unlike football, you need a real deep lineup, and it's tough to compile one this year. Even the elite guys are struggling or getting injured. David Wright just landed on the DL. Hanley Ramirez can't hit for his life. Derek Jeter is apparently done. Dustin Pedroia doesn't look all the way back from injury.

3. How important is the speed-power combo? I think it's really underrated. In a standard 5x5 league, HR's and SB's are really pretty rare stats, whereas anybody can obtain AVG., R's and RBI's. Getting BOTH HR's and SB's is a premium, and guys who do both seem like they'll be really valuable. Drew Stubbs, Matt Kemp, Shane Victorino, B.J. Upton, Ian Kinsler, Carlos Gonzalez, all capable of getting 20-20, the "Shawn Marion"-type across-the-board production in fantasy baseball.

4. My rule not to draft elite guys going to new teams seems to be mostly correct. Sure, Adrian Gonzalez is having a pretty nice year, but some of these "change of scenery guys" are REALLY having a tough time: Exhibits A, B, C: Carl Crawford, Dan Uggla, Adam Dunn, and to a lesser extent, Jaysen Werth. I don't know if it's the fact that these players usually signed big off-season contracts, or whether they're just getting used to the team, the new city, whatever........................Keep that in mind next season, everyone.

5. Ultimately, there's still a lot of luck in fantasy baseball. It's definitely more skill-based than fantasy football, and a lot more control for the active manager, but still based a lot on luck, whether it's breakout players actually breaking out, aging vterans hanging on for one more year, or just the way a ball bounces for certain teams. But the biggest luck-factor: injuries. You just can't predict injuries in the MLB.....they can happen to anyone. They can come suddenly, just like that. And suddenly you're down your starting 1B.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

The End of Law School

2011-05-15T14:42:00.000-07:00

Two and a half years ago, I embarked on a journey that I knew would be difficult and treacherous, a journey that would test my inner resolve and give me an opportunity to see what I was really made of. On Friday, that journey ended with my law school graduation at USC. In many respects, it was a great accomplishment: obtaining a graduate degree at a top-tier university like USC is no laughing matter in the US, something that most people in the world do not have the opportunity to attempt, much less complete. My two hundred + JD colleagues and I did it: we stuck around long enough and fought hard enough to get through, and now we have that golden diploma to hang on our walls forever, two extra letters next to our credentials that we can add.

So why am I not necessarily satisfied? Well, as I had feared for the past 2 years now, ever since I "struck out" at OCI (On-campus interviewing) at USC in August 2009, I do not have definite post-graduation employment plans. I have missed the boat on "Big Law," the proverbial Promised Land for law school graduates everywhere, where successful law school careers are supposed to begin, and salaries begin in six figures. Like about 60% (rough figure based on anecdotal evidence and educated projection of the employment status of the class) of my class, I have joined the ranks of "still looking for work."

Honestly, I am pretty discouraged by my current situation. I've been trying to avoid this position all my life: working hard in grade school through high school to get good grades and make it to a good college, joining all kinds of extracurricular programs to bolster my resume, joining different honors programs to make myself more marketable, choosing a career-oriented major in undergrad (finance), going to a professional degree program (law), working various internships during law school to try to develop into a full-time position, working my butt off throughout law school, all while hoping to get going in my career as the first-born in my family to help out my parents, letting them retire early and contributing to my sister's college fund. Honestly, those goals were not that far off; if I had just done maybe 0.2 GPA points better in law school, I would have most likely landed one of those coveted "big law" positions in my 2nd year of law school; I would have had a good shot at being offered a full-time attorney position at one of those law firms, and I would be starting sometime between September-December of this year at one of those law firms. The goal's happening for several of my friends; it is not for me. That is maybe the worst part: knowing that the classmates I started law school with are going on to bigger, better things, while I'm doing the opposite, falling to ground zero and having to start my career from basically, scratch. Knowing that a couple minor things going differently would have allowed me to join their ranks, but now I will never ever have a chance to break into this mystical land called "big law," that that "door of opportunity" has forever closed for me.

How bad is it? "Experts" in the legal market disagree, but the general consensus is that law school students graduating without a job lined up are in deep trouble. Sure, you can wait for your bar results (come out November), but there's no guarantee you'll find anything, and graduates are basically at the mercy of hiring needs in "small and mid-size firms" world, where jobs are far and few between and sometimes are not even publicized; the firms definitely are not coming to recruit you; you'll have to do whatever you can to even get those interviews, including utilizing this vague, undefined skill set known as "networking." The problem with a law school degree is, if you play your cards right, you land a job that begins at $160,000 annual salary plus bonuses; if you play your cards wrong, you end up volunteering your time for pro-bono or working for very low wages and having to start at a bargain-basement level for independent law firms: 2 very divergent outcomes; no in-between. I have apparently played my cards wrong. Sometimes, my hopes will be raised by obtaining part-time employment through an internship, or hearing about some sort of job opportunity, some macroeconomic pattern supposedly leading to stronger hiring trends, but in general, there is a general mood of dissatisfaction and discouragement in terms of my career prospects in the law.

In fact, one of the most discouraging stories came the morning before graduation, where I just smack ran into a former law student at USC who graduated a year before me. After the initial formalities, I asked him a fairly standard question that I'm coming to suspect I will have difficulties answering soon: Q: "So what are you up to?" The answer was expected, but devastating nonetheless: "looking for work." Ouch. That's tough. So not only is my class struggling, the class from last year is STILL struggling. Sigh. How big's the logjam of unemployed lawyers? USC won't tell us, but it doesn't look very good.

I feel it necessary to supplement my post with the qualifier that I'm still upbeat about other parts of my life; I'm now in the best shape of my life, I have a great relationship with my parents and sister, who are all really healthy, I haven't gotten sick in 3 years, I enjoy life and realize how lucky I am to be young and living in America with my own car, on top of living in one of the most vibrant cities in the world, Los Angeles. I get that; that is all totally separate from my work life, which is in a much more unfavorable position.

So looking back on my last 3 years, there's definitely a sense of regret, a fear of "have I wasted 3 prime years of my life to get a worthless degree that puts me in a worse career position and in much deeper debt than I would have been in 3 years ago?" settling in. It's a very important and costly life lesson to have learned. But I go back to some of the old sayings that got me through tough situations in the past: "Energy, Optimism, Enthusiasm." "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." "Character is how you deal with adversity." I go forth with a mix of discouragement and subdued optimism and a question that can only be answered three years from now: "What will I be up to 3 years from now?"

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

NBA Playoffs Preview--- Fantasy style.

2011-04-17T12:03:00.000-07:00

In honor of the NBA Playoffs kicking off this weekend, I'm creatively trying to spice it up by seeing what would happen if the fantasy players from each team played each other..... this may be my own way of recovering from a devastating loss in the USC Law Basketball Finals, where I lost 5-4, by 3 turnovers. Yes, 3 turnovers. ouch.

1.) Chicago over Indiana: Not exactly a fantasy powerhouse matchup, Chicago would be a prime candidate to get upset in the first round with lower-tier guys at SF (Luol Deng) and SG (non-existent), but Indiana's revolving door of guys precluded anyone except Danny Granger and Roy Hibbert from having any fantasy value, and Granger had a below-average year, at that ( I would know, I expected big things from him). Rose and Noah provide enough push.
2.) Miami over Philadelphia: Just like their real team, the Heat have enough star power with LeBron and Wade to edge past the Sixers (Brand, Iguodala, Holiday).
3.) Boston over Knicks: the way the C's struggled, the Knicks' Carmelo and Amare almost enough to spring pset, but Rondo, Garnett, Allen, and crew still have just enough.
4.) Atlanta over Orlando: no one on the Magic besides Howard; Hawks have a slew of young guys including the best fantasy player in the series, Josh Smith (actually may be Al Horford, but either one is good)

West
5.) Grizzlies def. Spurs: Close, but Memphis springs the upset because Popovich rested all his starters at the end of the regular season......Memphis's rotation very underrated with Conley, Allen, Gasol, and Randolph.
6.) Lakers def. Hornets: Nothing on Hornets besides CP3 and Okafor. Great star season by Pau Gasol and late fantasy MVP run by Andrew Bynum.
7.) Dallas def. Portland: as close as the actual series will be; Dallas barely squeaks by cuz Dirk is still top-5 fantasy player; LaMarcus Aldridge is getting into that range.
8.) Thunder def. Nuggets: Thunder favorite in the fantasy playoffs due to 2 top-15 fantasy players (Durant and Westbrook); Nuggs lost their best 2 fantasy players

Atlanta def. Chicago: hate to say it, but Rose, as good as he is in fantasy, not as valuable as Horford or Smith; Noah and Noah injured most of the year; and remember that Joe Johnson's also on this team.
Heat def. Celtics: Star power over balance. Quality (Wade, LeBron) over Quantity here.
Thunder def. Grizzlies: Durantula = #1 overall fantasy player this year, IMO. And don't forget Serge Ibaka with all those blocks.
Lakers def. Dallas: Lakers' top 4 is the best in the league. Kobe, Pau, Bynum, Lamar. Ouch. Mavs have no answer.

Semis:

Heat def. Atlanta Tough, tough, right here, but after Hawks' big 3 of Horford, Smith, and Johnson, can you name another fantasy relevant player? (Kirk Hinrich? Zaza Pachulia? Marvin Williams?)
Lakers def. Thunder: Big 4 better than Thunders' big 3.

Finals: Lakers def. Heat: A dream matchup in real life, it'd be quite a star fest in fantasy too. Kobe v. LeBron, and the big frontcourt of the Lakers vs. the quick + fiesty guard play of Dwyane Wade. Still, Lakers ' M.O. is to get stars, and they also happen to be fantasy stars. Lakers all the way.

(Note: NOT my prediction for the actual NBA playoffs).

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

One Man's View of College Rankings

2011-04-11T17:32:00.000-07:00

This time of year, a lot of young and eager students around the country and around the world are making their decisions as to what colleges they will be attending for the following school year. The most predominant of these college decisions deals with undergrad, but there are other decisions too: grad school, med school, study abroad programs, etc., etc. I can speak only to undergrad and law school rankings as these are the only ones I have EVER used and the only reason I have EVER read US News for. Here's a list of my reactions to the most updated 2011 rankings:

1.) Law school rankings are pretty standard at the top, and the bottom ones don't really matter (despite high level of movement within the bottom tiers). The top 14 are mostly established and don't budge for the most part.

We have HYS (Harvard, Yale Stanford)......CCN (Columbia, Chicago, New York), MVP (Michigan, Virginia, Princeton).......expect, this year Berkeley slides in there at #9. Very interesting, but probably justified: Boalt fields GREAT candidates is widely renowned.

2.) UCLA has always been rumored to be cracking the top 14, but it never has......it might never do so. UT-Austin looks most well-positioned to do so at this point.

3.) Ah, USC and WashU, tied at 18......the 2 schools I was deciding between. I'd still say that USC still has the greater advantage of being in the second-largest legal market in the US and thus a better locale for young law students to network and internship, but that's a USC Trojan talking. Still, I'm happy with USC's ranking, and as long as they don't fall out of the Top 20 I'd say that's a fairly justified ranking.

4.) Quite the move for George Washington University, it used to be 30+, now it's technically in the Top 20 law schools. Rumblings of the school doing some "gaming" of the rankings to get a higher US news ranking, but may be unfounded. Maybe it has more to do with being close to a large legal market? (D.C.?)

5.) Nice to see UIUC come in at #23......it's a nice school that has nice ties to Chicago, and if you can stand the winters and the college-town atmosphere of Champaign, that's a great school to go to.

6.) Maybe just me, but Emory being at #30 seems low......I remember I was considering the school in my law school search. And Fordham is another one of those schools at 30 where I value it more for being in NYC and a big legal market than it might get credit for.

7.) Hastings at #42......heard a lot of things about this school, have met people from this school, seems alright......I just question what kind of school it is because it doesn't have an undergrad, it's just a law school. I personally wouldn't go for that as I'm much more about the overall university and quality of campus, etc., , but for people who are just using it for the degree, by all means........

8.) Loyola is the next L.A. school after USC at #54, but I think in L.A., just from my perspective, it's USC and UCLA at the top tier, and then Loyola and Southwestern and Pepperdine, etc. at the next tier. Just what I've seen/heard from my colleagues, lawyers, etc.......keep that in mind in terms of lay prestige. Loyola may be ranked higher, and I might be selling it short, but alas, that's my view.

9.) Ranking 100 and below.......Don't go to those schools. Seriously. Just with cost of tuition and law school job prospects, etc. nowadays, the cost/benefit analysis just says not to go there, unless you're already set with a job and just need a JD as an admission ticket to the bar exam.

Undergrad Rankings
1. Harvard.....yea.
5. Stanford.....wow, under Columbia? That's a little surprising and having went there for a month of summer school, I gotta disagree. Stanford is legit and should be in Top 4, if not 3.
7. Cal Tech.......great for SoCal, but I question whether it's worth it to go to this school for anything under than engineering, science, etc.... maybe I'm misinformed, but I wouldn't go there for a liberal arts degree.
8. MIT.....I like Cal Tech and MIT being next to each other, pretty close together in my mind and the minds of others, IMO.
10. Duke......was very close to going to this school. I feel like people in North Carolina, the South value this school much more than I do....in Midwest Illinois and West Coast Cali, I haven't heard that much from Duke. But I respect it.
13. WashU: I share this sentiment I'm sure with many others: If WashU changed its name to "Pennbrooke" or "Swarthmore" or some regal-sounding last name, it might move up even more. Lack of recognition may be hurting in from getting even more top students. Great school. (Also, not being in STL might help).
19. Notre Dame: a bit of a stigma whether you need to be Catholic, religious, etc. to attend...I know I didn't bother to attend because of that.
22. Cal-Berkeley. People in Cali probably don't agree with this. Berkeley is like the public version of Stanford for some in my Chinese-American neighborhood. VERY highly regarded, it'd be like #9 or #10 probably for the Cali-adjusted rankings.
23. Carnegie Mellon- least well-known school in the top 25, IMO. Most people don't know where this school is.
23. USC: Nice jump in the past few years for USC. I like it. Probably proudest that it vaulted over UCLA. Gotta feel good.
25. UCLA: I imagine I would have enjoyed going here undergrad. I've went to this campus numerous times and you're gonna LOVE visiting if you haven't been.
29. Michigan: should be higher. Probably impacted by its public university status, but this is a great school. And I'm an Illini alumni saying this.
37,39. UC-SD and UC-SB being in the top 40 speaks to the quality and depth of the UC schools, like the Boston Red Sox lineup: good schools up and down the state.
41. Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute: Honestly never heard of this school.
41. UC-Irvine: another UC.
47. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Considering its right near UMiami, UT-Austin, UW-Madison, I'd say this is pretty fair for UIllinois. In general, I'd say large state schools are underrated because their top end is just as good as some of the top 25 schools but their bottom ends weigh them down (because they have so many students, they have many more programs). Just saying.

**** Note: If only there were a fantasy US News Ranking Colleges League. Managers take a batch of schools and gain points based on how much schools go up (or go down) in the rankings every year. Not many accumulated stats and it'd be a little boring and sporadic to play, but I'd think I'd be pretty good at it.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Whale Watching

2011-04-10T21:56:00.001-07:00

The picture above is NOT what happened when I went whale watching today. Simply put, NEVER go whale watching.

Well,at least if you get motion sickness like I do. It was like a neverending version of a roller-coaster ride: feeling nauseated, dizzy, and ready for the ride to be over, except the ride took 3 hours, not 3 minutes. UGH. This was one of those experiences that you can't even sugarcoat (You know, like some of this trips or dinners that were just so-so but you make it seem better because you want to justify why you went?) This one was just no-doubt, 100%, totally, purely, unequivocally bad. PLUS, it was COLD out there, a good 15 degrees colder than the temperature on land, I'd say. And the "wildlife" wasn't even that impressive. Sure, a few dolphins, sea lions taking naps on buoys. And sperm whales, except you could only see glimpses, a fin there, and a tail here. Sorry, whale-watching-tourism industry, I got to thumbs down your entire operation. But that's just me.

Amazing Race: (SPOILER alert)- Ron and Christina got eliminated tonight. As tough as it was for my sister (Yes, my sister watches the show now because I wanted her to upgrade her viewing interests from Pokemon and other cartoons) to see, I saw that coming. Never a terrific team in Season 12, Ron and Christina seemed like minor leaguers being called up to pitch in the big leagues in this "Unfinished Business" season, routinely finishing in the back of the pack and botching challenges, even failing to do well in the 2 legs filmed in China, where they SPOKE THE NATIVE LANGUAGE. Tough break, though, today, as Ron must have spent HOURS at the "find the shaman" challenge.
The 2 teams best suited to win this race? Globetrotters + Cowboys. Easily 2 of the best teams to run the Race, except each has fatal flaws (mental challenges and modern technology, respectively). Most hated team in the race? Kynt and Vixin, just alarmingly crazy, nasty, and cutthroat as the race goes on. Who will probably win? Someone like Jen and Kisha or Gary and Mallory, solid teams that get a puncher's chance in the Final 3 (Is it even gonna be Final 3 this year? Maybe TAR will spice it up for its "All-Star" season and go to 4 teams? Or 2 teams? (Doubtful)

Survivor just not as intense as Heroes v. Villains last spring, which will possibly go down as THE best Survivor season ever. Start to finish, there was backstabbing, manipulation, immunity idols, strong alliances, blindsides, fierce competitors. Wolves fighting other wolves. This season is like watching one wolf (Boston Rob) among the sheep that are the new Survivors: you know what's gonna happen, and it's fun for awhile to watch the wolf mow down all the sheep, but it's not nearly as exciting.

Starting new work at an immigration law firm.......The start of a long, propserous career? Let's do some solid work there before going crazy.

As my 3L year and law school wind down, I'm thinking about compiling a list of great and a list of not-so-great things about law school, for all those contemplating law school. Stay tuned.

For anyone in the championship week of their fantasy basketball season like I am, it's been frustrating, hasn't it??? Most of the stars that carried us throughout the regular season are either injured or ailing, and most of them are shut-down risks due to their teams having nothing to play for. (Just a brief list of names are Kevin Love, Jason Kidd, Andrea Bargnani, Steve Nash, All San Antonio Spurs, Josh Smith, Deron Williams, Amare Stoudemire, etc., etc., etc.) As our regular seasons' stars' fates are cut short at the whim of the league standings, we've had to rely on players we knew nothing about at the beginning of the season but now have to put our hopes on for the most important week of the season: Jerrod Bayless, Rodney Stuckey, Jose Juan Barea, Ed Davis, Dante Cunningham, Kwame Brown, Goran Dragic, George Hill, etc., etc. Not exactly your who's who of top fantasy players. But that's fantasy hoops: injuries are a part of the game, and if you're a manager who's gotten this far in the season chances are you've done your due diligence of picking up guys, scouring the waiver wire, and this is nothing new. Let the best teams win, and may you (and I) have a successful end to our fantasy basketball seasons.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Save, Save, Save

2011-04-06T22:02:00.000-07:00

No other way to say this: I'm a very FRUGAL person. I cut corners where I can, skimp, look for deals, avoid paying money, and (usually) end up paying less each month than I have to. Although, for those who aspire to by friend (I know, big dreams) I actually pick up my share of the tab and stuff when it comes to common endeavors with other people like dining, so no need to worry about me cheaping out. But here's how to live frugally, Robert Yan style:

1. Make less trips: If I need to go to the bank to make a deposit, I wait until I need to go to the store too: I don't make 2 trips. Saves gas, saves beatings the car takes, saves time. Time = money.
2. Pay in cash: I fell into a pattern of just writing checks, swiping cards without worrying about the dent in my wallet. Not until you're handing over large $20 bills to someone over the counter do you realize how much money you're giving up. Good habit to get into.
3. Find cheaper alternatives: The first deal you see is usually not the best deal. Ex: Parking in the USC parking structure. $400/semester = exorbitant.
Ex: Health insurance at USC = exorbitant. Waiving health insurance = free. $400 in my pocket. Every year.
4. Find better times to drive on the highway. Sitting on the highway is not only bad for your health but bad for your car and your gas mileage: Rolling down the 405 at 60MPH at 11:00PM = definitely more mpg's.
5. Skimp on the candy, miscellaneous foods. Anything that isn't healthy or doesn't help my appetite is X'ed out ( I cave once in a while, but at my parents' or someone else's expense.) Most efficient food = bananas. $1.00 for like 4 of them, you can go a LONG time with just bananas.
6. Pack your own lunch. Stop me when this is becoming "I've heard all of this before!!!"
7. Have great parents who you can milk free stuff off of. (OK, this is all based on luck). But making your own luck is also being nice to your parents, helping them around the house, earning their trust...if you're in the lucky position already, like me.
8. Don't buy books, go to the library. Seriously, the library has most books your Barnes and Noble has (sorry, B&N, but it's true)
9. Don't go to the bar that often.....those places are cash magnets. Other ways to have fun are available.
10. See if you can share resources with your friends. Extreme Example: there is open space in my friends' apartment. I didn't have apartment near school this year. Solution: I live at my friends' apartment a few times per week. I pay them some money. Everybody's happy (Don't tell my friends' landlord).

Generally, just discipline: master your desires and wants, and you'll master your pocketbook. And be on the lookout for ways you can cut corners. Money is a precious resource: When you have lots of it, you don't think much about it, but when you don't have a lot of it, parting with it is PAINFUL.

Btw, speaking of money, here are DaMan's thoughts about stocks:

1. Nike is down to $78 after being around the $90 range for a while, due to some bad earnings reports. Not to worry, I think the company's fine and nothing catastrophic has happened, it'll get back to $90 in no time, at which point I don't know but by then you'll have raked in around a 20% profit. Go for it.

2. CMG: Sigh. I recommended this stock to y'all and then let go too early. Enjoy the ride while it lasts. I say it's gradually going to 300 (or close to it) and then plateaus.

3. WWE: Many are down, saying they might cut dividend. That may be so, but I know the demographic watching WWE (I used to be one of them) and they will be ECSTATIC about the Rock coming back. Thumbs up.

4. JPM: Cramer says it's due for a large rise up. I'll see it when I believe it. In Fall 2009 when I started investing I bought it at $44; it's now at $46......"slow as molasses" comes to mind.

5. PTR: My parents lovin' this stock. I know nothing about it except it's about oil. And China. 2 of the best combos to have right now. Pull the trigger.

O, and as always, when in doubt, buy AAPL. I don't think a single person has ever gotten killed buying Apple. It's trustier than the cash vault you have installed at home: Safer than safe. Except better than a vault you might actually find more money in there a few months later.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Early Season Nicknames

2011-04-06T00:17:00.000-07:00

I love giving nicknames to players, as the people in my USC Law Fantasy Baseball league know. Here is a compilation of some nicknames (this is indicative of my writing style) that are based on early baseball season results:

Andrew "Straight Cash, Homie" Cashner
Juan "I know my rights" Miranda (Not relevent)
Starlin "How am I not from Cuba" Castro (Starlin's Starting his Sophomore Season Superbly)
Nelson "I'll Have what he's having" Cruz (After homering in each of his first four games)

Josh "I'm Done" Beckett (Boston's 0-4 to start season)
Joe "Well Played," Mauer (Singles home winning run today at Yankee Stadium)
Alex "How Many time can I be compared to George Brett" Gordon (actually has looked like Brett so far to start the season)
Aaron "Petco May Revive My Career" Harang (wins v. defending champs today at Petco)
Yovani "God" Gallardo (Unhittable today in 1-0 Brewer victory)
Dan "His Name is Dan" Uggla (not my nickname, but awesome nonetheless)
Jimmy "How Soon will I get Hurt" Rollins - getting off to his typical hot start, soon to be derailed by inevitable injury.
Yunel "YOOOOOUUUUUUU" Escobar (walk-off HR for the Jays)
Michel "The Future is here" Pineda
Jhoulys "Don't make fun of my name" Chacin (hurls 7 innings of shutout baseball v. Dodgers)
Luke "The Light Bulb" Hochevar (got lit up again, this time by White Sox......this guy is the Royals' ace?)

Changing Priorities

2011-04-03T21:00:00.000-07:00

It's funny how people's priorities change as time goes along. It happens all the time, and I'm not just talking about the "O shoot instead of 3 months left to file my taxes I only have 3 days left so I better actually do my taxes now" kind of anxiety change, I'm talking about just naturally changing, changing

Here's an example of what priorities I've changed (and as always, I'm trying to relate it to the casual reader, so try to see where any of this might apply to you).

This time last year, I was absolutely OBSESSED with getting on Big Brother 12 (the summer-time TV show on CBS hosted by Julie Chen that trap "real" people in a house like guinea pigs while viewers watch. Yea, I know, sounds FUN). Big Brother 11 had just been a smash hit with some of the most memorable characters ever (Jordan/Jeff, Russell, Chima, etc.) and I wanted to be part of the excitement, try to show America how smart/social I was, and win some CASH. It was not to be, despite my best efforts. I sent in an audition video, went to the casting call, spent hours trying to find ways I could get cast or get an interview with a casting producer, even considered flying to Chicago to go to a SUBSEQUENT casting call after the one in LA didn't take.....it just wasn't meant to be).

Now looking back on it, I was being a little silly. Lots of people think they're great for reality TV. Lots of people want to be on the show, want a chance to make a lot of money. Doesn't mean the show wants you. Big Brother, like any other TV show, is a business...they take people who will be the best for them. Put simply, I don't fit their demographic.

This year, I didn't do ANYTHING for Big Brother. Not only do I have other obligations this summer (taking and passing the Bar) but I realize I have other things to plan for, to live for. When I was obsessed with Big Brother, I thought that was my life goal, and I was running out of time to get on. Kind of irrational; my life won't be defined by whether I was a reality TV contestant or not, it'll be defined by how I treat others, my reputation, my way of living, and what I do for others. Secondarily, my career, my financial success, my ability to achieve my goals. Getting on a show like Big Brother should be just one of the goals under that subsection of "achieve my goals."

That said, Big Brother producers, if you're reading this, I still wouldn't mind doing the show; I still really like it; have your people call my people. Survivor and Amazing Race producers, I bid you do the same.

Other change in priority in the last 5 years:

1. From reading all-fiction novels to non-fiction so that I can actual learn about the real world.
2. No news at all ( I didn't even know about Bear Stearns collapse) to getting a daily subscription of the Wall Street Journal.
3. Not caring about learning Chinese = EXTENSIVE review of Chinese: I gotta use that as my skill set, man.
4. Challenging myself intellectually (chess) to challenging myself physically (working out, losing weight).
5. Thinking "make a lot of money" in my career to "do what I enjoy." Eck......still trying to find a balance there, it's not as easy as people say, especially with the amount of student debt I'm in the hole for.
6. Thinking "how to get attention from my sister and put it on me" to " how I can help my sister achiever her goals and be the best that she can be."
7. Not having to win EVERY single fantasy league I'm in (unrealistic) but trying to have fun in each one, however I can have fun. This is admittedly hard to do, I'm VERY competitive and still would like nothing more than to take victory from the grasps of others.

I think a lot of these goals are a product of maturity, a sign of positive growth, but also more likely a better understanding of myself, of what I want out of life. I'm slowly realizing what it is. Finally,

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

The CardTurner

2011-03-31T20:24:00.000-07:00

Alright, everybody, listen up: I know I preach reading children's books all the time, and I know people don't have time for other things, much less reading books meant for kids, but READ the Cardturner, by Louis Sachar. Great stuff. Like Sachar says in the preface, it's a book about bridge, but you don't need to know how to play bridge (the card game) to read the book and like it. Just leaves a great feeling about life after you read it, you learn how to get better at (or learn how to play) bridge, and it's even got a little love-triangle in there, like all great stories need.

Here's another suggestion: Listen to the book on audio (CD or Ipod or other audio devices, whereever available). Yes, I'm serious: Some of you might relate to me when I say I HATE wasting time in traffic. It just makes my blood boil wasting my life on the I-10 in Los Angeles, going bumper-to-bumper, basically sitting in a parking lot. Radio doesn't really help. But put "The Cardturner" in the CD player, sit back, and relax. PLUS, the Cardturner is read by Sachar himself, as if the author's just giving you a long nighttime story, directly from his own thoughts. I though it was awesome. Exactly how stories are meant to be told. I've also read "Open" by Andre Agassi on tape: Not as good, but the concept is still fine.

Reading good literature.........something I WON'T be able to enjoy when BarBri starts. Every summer after graduation, recent law school grads enjoy a nice, long TWO-DAY weekend before they start classes for BarBri, basically the equivalent of a 2.5-month long blitzkrieg of information that you have to learn by Late July. I'm wretching just thinking about it. NOT looking forward to re-learning old material I was supposed to learn during law school and learning new material.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

New Stuff

2011-03-27T23:07:00.000-07:00

Time for an update on my life........(I know, Snooze, right?) But followed by......tada!!! An explanation as to why doing new things is so awesome.

New: 1. I joined the Los Angeles Lawyers Philharmonic. These are all lawyers who play orchestral instruments.... some of them also happen to be VERY GOOD. It's kind of a step up for me, not gonna lie: some of the music is hard, and sometimes I feel out of my league. But then I'm remember I'm no slouch at violin myself. I like it; great networking opportunity as well.

2. New group of friends: Over spring break I spent almost every waking hour with 20 new people from USC: I barely knew any of them going in and now I feel like we've known each other forever. It's an awesome feeling, making new friends (I feel like this is pretty universal).

3. New season of Amazing Race......is pretty damn good. I haven't seen tonight (Sunday's) ep yet, but last one had a BUNCH of key elements of Amazing Race bundled into one. A double U-turn where 2 teams were U-turned, lots of racers passing each other, the Express Pass being used, a SUPER-HARD U-turn, a team getting back into contention after being on the brink of elimination, good stuff. O and did I mention it's the All-Star (Unfinished Business) edition? So I feel like (again) I've known the Cowboys, Flight Time & Big Easy, and Zev and Justin (the Special Kid & his Friend) for the longest time.

4. My parents bought a new car for themselves this past weekend. Black Toyota Camry, Hybrid. 2010. Sigh. I'm not sure I approve, considering we just bought an SUV in 2009 and now we technically own 4 cars, one more than the number of people in our household who can drive. Alas, it's my parents' decision; and fortunately for me my parents have steady jobs and financial security. I cannot stress how lucky I am that we are in the shape we're in, especially after meeting some people at the new....

5. Naturalization clinic I volunteered for over the weekend. Learned lots of new stuff, met some people who were......NOT as fortunate as I am. They were all permanent residents trying to get naturalized and become American citizens. To do so, they needed to fill out an N-400 form, and because most people there had limited English, my job was to translate for them in filling out the form. Dane, my Mandarin-translating skills were stretched. I had to look up "alimony" and "naturalization" in the dictionary the night before, but I think I got it done. Which is why I ......

6. Got a new Chinese-English dictionary for $19.95. Best investment I've ever made, I think. I will LITERALLy actually read that dictionary, cuz Chinese, IMO, is as valuabe for someone like me as learning the law. Seriously.

7. Got a new game called Munchkins. The last true game I bought was this little game I like to call.......Catchphrase. Superfun, best entertainment investment I ever made, great for making new friends, partying it up. Let's see how Munchkins does. I've got a good feeling about it....

OK now to the good part: Why I think most of us like new stuff:

A. Cuz we need to escape the "Mouse in a maze" once in a while. If all you're doing is going to work or school every day, coming home, eating, and watching TV, rinse and repeat, you get BORED.

B. It's scientific: your brain likes it. It wants new stimuli, more stimulation. New stuff allows it to work in different ways, and you can feel it. I sometimes literally have my heartbeat go up and my brain feel like it's churning extra-hard when I am playing a new (intellectually challenging) game or something.

C. We find out there's more out there in the world. There is so much stuff out there; there's stuff we know that we don't know, and there's stuff that we don't even know we don't know; (at the risk of sounding like Donald Rumsfeld, "unknown unknowns.") It's good once in a while to tear into those unknowns, turn an unknown into a known. At least for me anyway.

D. It's also social: Every time you do something new (learn how to play bridge, play dodgeball, solve a crossword, watch a new movie) you're either doing it with someone or at the advice of someone. And it forces you to become a social creature; interact. Sometimes that's all you need: Get out of the house, walk around, TALK to people....and the newness is just a subplot.

E. Turning a new leaf, starting fresh, Getting back on the horse, whatever you wanna call it, new stuff gives us a chance to start at zero, do something right, and esecpailly, escape the mistakes that we've made before. O how much many of us would pay for a clean slate.

I mean, obviously it's not hard to analyze why people like new things: Duh. But I think there's something to be said for ACTIVELy trying to do new things, have an open mind, and live a little. That's my philosophy anyway (for now). Ask me after I've graduated law school and taken the bar....then we'll see if I still have the same 'tude.

Fantasize on, Robert Yan

Fantasy Baseball Preview

2011-03-27T11:15:00.000-07:00

Every year around this time of year, a fever spreads throughout America like wildfire. This fever builds as the days go by and cannot be easily stopped. People infected with the disease are physically prone in bed reading magazines, often taking off from work to cure the fever or when they're at work, spreading the disease to other co-workers (at the water cooler, breakroom, etc.) This disease is called Fantasy Baseball, and it all culminates in a giant fantasy mishmash called Opeing Day, April 1st.

This time of year, EVERYONE is making fantasy baseball prognistications, player projections, rankings, position depth charts, etc. etc. They all give the illusion that their projections are gonna be 100% correct, or at least substantially accurate. I only want to be 60% correct (or better). I know I'm gonna be wrong on some of this stuff; it's just pure logic. If I was 100%, I should be in Vegas. Or buying a lotto ticket. Or predicting the weather or future sites of earthquakes, not fantasy baseball. I can only give you what I think should happen based on educated analysis; no blind faith about this. I've been burned way too many times on a "gut feeling" on players to rely too much on my own instincts.

Here's a look back at my picks for 2010 and how they fared:
1. Ben Zobrist and Jason Bartlett are going too high in drafts: Yup. I was totally right on both of these. And they're not gonna be any better this season (Bartlett's now in San Diego). Notice how this was the NUMBER ONE predictin for me last year.
2. "Ricky Nolasco looks like he could go out and throw a no-hitter on Opening Day." --- Yea, not so much.

So here's what I'm giving you for the 2011 MLB season.
1. Wait on starting pitchers. (AND relief pitchers). I'm doing an auction draft this year with $260 budget, and I'm prjecting to spend no more than $60-$70 (25% of the money) for pitchers. Every single year, starters at the end of player projections do awesome. (Trevor Cahill, Madison Bumgarner, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, Tim Hudson, Jaime Garcia, Brett Myers, Gio Gonzalez etc., etc., etc. come to mind). And it's not like high-premium starters get double the number of starts or something: they have to take their normal 4-game break, like all the rest of us. So what's the difference between a $25 pitcher like Felix Hernandez and a $2 pitcher like Jhoulys Chacin? Very low, I would say. Don't buy the Cy Young awards......buy the numbers and potential.

Here's list of starters you can swoop up really late: (and remember, I only need to be 60% correct)
1. Michel Pineda: young prospect in Seattle, huge ballpark and , great stuff.
2. Erik Bedard: the Anthony Randolph of Fantasy Baseball: if he's on the field, he's awesome.
3. Jhoulys Chacin: notice how these guys all pitch in the west (AL West or NL west? A solid strategy)
4. Gio Gonzalez: Unheralded Strikeout machine.
5. Phil Hughes: carried my team April -May last season. He plays for the Yankees, people!!! You go six innings for the Yankees and you have like a 60% chance of victory.
6. Tim Stauffer: Opening Day starter for the Padres. Great stuff, call him this year's Mat Latos.
7. Jonathan Sanchez: possibly better than Matt Cain or Tim Lincecum?
8. Jorge De La Rosa: the Aztec Warrior.
9. Kyle Drabek: Relying on raw talent hasn't been a problem for fantasy owners in recent seasons: just ask Madison Bumgarner and Buster Posey owners.

First Base targets:
1. Mark Teixeria or Prince Fielder: At least one of these guys is just gonna be an absolute monster. Then go with "injury risks" Kendry Morales or Justin Morneau as your second tier. As much as thes guys have had highly publicized injuries, at least one will bounce back and have his usual career year. Bank it.

Second Base targets: If you're going for broke, I'd go for Dustin Pedroia. Mid-tier, stay with either Gordon Beckham or Aaron Hill, both youngs who should have "broken out last year." They'll do it this year at a steep discount.

Shortstop targets: I advocate grabbin any of the top 4. Who knows what'll happen after that. Sure you might get lucky and grab a Starlin Castro from last year, but you also might get stuck with like JJ Hardy (never a fun prospect). Out of the top 4, I advocate Jeter of HanRam (Tulowitzki comes with too much hype, Jimmy Rollins is dead to me).

Third base targets: A-Rod. Sandoval. Youkilis. Do NOT leave the draft without one or more of these guys.

Outfield: Kinda like starting pitching; Don't overreach for early guys. Plenty of value in late rounds. Jay Bruce, Ellsbury, Abreu, Swisher, Adam Lind, Jason Bay all lurk in the later rounds (or values, depending on auction

Catcher: I tend to want to just grab Joe Mauer and just get it over with, but if for some reason you don't, Geovany Soto and Miguel Montero are gonna be good. I think either Buster Posey or Carlos Santana, or both have a sophomore slump; don't wanna gamble on one of'em.

Kansas is gonna win the Final Four/NCAA Tourney, btw. My pre-tournament pick, now that they've reached the Final Four there's no doubt in my mind. (As I write this, VCU is up 33-17 on the Jayhawks in the first half. Damn).

Fantasize on, Robert Yan

Seattle, WA

2011-03-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

Remember a few months ago when I said I wanted to live in San Francisco when I (grow up)?

Well, I'm revising that to......Seattle, WA. (For now. I'm actually pretty sure if I lived there for a full year, I would change my mind...after several consecutive days of rain, I'd call it quits).

However, here's what I loved about Seattle in the few hours I was there:

1. It rained. Yes, laugh. But for a former cold-weather Midwest guy who's lived in Southern California for the last few years, rain was a welcome sight.

2. I caught a fish from the fish-throwing guys!!! Yay!!! Thanks, the group I went with, for allowing me the pleasure of doing that. Selfishly, it was the highlight of my trip, individual-accomplishment wise. The guys showed me how to hold my hands (to the side, so that the fish doesn't hit you right in the chest and dirty your shirt, but more importantly the fish), the guy wound up with a giant halibut-looking fish (I still have no idea what species it was), and launched a direct shot right into my hands. I don't think I could have dropped it if I tried, but it was still fun. A small group of people around the market watching, pressure was on, it was something new for me, and I aced the test. Felt awesome. Fish didn't feel so awesome.

3. Food Tour: OK, there's some GRREEEEAAATTTT food in Seattle. I went on the SavorSeattle foud tour (highly recommended, this is my shout-out to Brett on the SavorSeattle tour, you know what you're doing, man) and loved it. It's a short tour around Pikes Market that doesn't cover a lot of land, but covers some GREAT restaurants. Clam chowder, Polish pastries, salmon, salmon jerky, the best doughnuts you've ever had, crab cake, and cherries + chocolate. Basically the best of everything restaurants offer, and you get to sample some of them. YES. If I ever get to go again, I'm going on that tour.

4. Space Needle: sure, a bit pricey ($18 for an adult ticket), but it's a main tourist attraction, and the view was great. And there's some cool stuff on there, like and I can say I've been on top of the space needle. O yea, cool stuff included interactive program showing all of Seattle's attractions, testimony from different residents in Seattle, etc.

5. Seattle downtown: walkable. Sure, some homeless people asking you for change, some not-so-kind drivers, but that's standard. Nice, quaint, seaside city. I could get used to it.

6. Pacific Ocean: entire city's just resting right next to the Pacific Ocean, which, although is kinda what LA is, is pretty cool.

Just imagine if Seattle was a little sunnier, and its sports teams were a bit better.
Btw, if I haven't emphasized it enough, shout out to the Orcas Island volunteers who went movie on the spring break trip with me this past week. You guys will always be in my thoughts, wherever you are or will end up being. We'll always have that week of March 12-19, 2011. 'Twas awesome.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Orcas Island!!!!!!!!!

2011-03-20T11:01:00.000-07:00

Over the last week, I took a break off from law school to indulge myself in one of the greatest things ever created: Alternative Spring Break. This time I worked with USC's Alternative Spring Break program as opposed to Illinois's (I took 2 trips with them in 2007 and 2008, as chronicled in the archives). This time, we went to Orcas Island, Seattle, to discover wildlife, nature, and deal with environmental issues. The group primarily worked on paving a new trail deep in the woods on Orcas Island that would later become a campsite, but the trip itself was so much more. Here's why March 12-19, 2011 was one of the best weeks I've ever experienced in my life.

1. Working on the trail: I'm not good with tools. I've never learned how to change a flat tire, to fix a bike wheel, or build a birdhouse. So when the park ranger at Orcas started passing out long outdoor equipment with fancy names like McCloud, pickaxe, and Maddux, I knew I was in for a hard time. And it was no joke. I constantly was being advised, almost impatiently, by my fellow volunteers (some much younger than me) about how to work a tool,

2. living in a cabin: Spending time in 10-bed, summer-camp style log cabins gave me the outdoor camp experience that I've never really had. Sure, there were bugs, it was cold, the beds were creeky, there was no internet service (more on this later), but that's exactly what I needed to get in the feel of the outdoor experience. Imagine if we were living in a Best Western hotel or something, then going into the woods and doing outdoor work

3. NO INTERNET SERVICE.......at first, this was the thing I most dreaded about the trip: No ability to check my emails, no facebook, no fantasy sports (fantasy baseball draft coming up, yikes), no March Madness updates, no youtube.....Ahhhh!!!! But I didn't know that an Internet vacation was probably exactly what I needed, and I think I'm going to implement "Blackberry-free Fridays" or something from now on. Without the distractions of the internet, I was forced to focus on the work at hand, and actually talk to real people (gasp). Personal interactions were better, quality of work was better, ability to formulate thoughts were better, the lifestyle was better...it made me think back to maybe 20 years ago, how adults lived without blackberries, Internet, and wireless service. O the good ol' days.

4. Air quality, air quality, air quality.....without the polluted atmosphere and vehicle emission-fueled toxic smog surrounding the LA, I felt so much better, but there's something about the air in the Pacific Northwest........the cold, brisk feel on your skin is really refreshing, the sea breeze blowing in from the Pacific Ocean makes you wonder what it was like on the Oregon Trail...nothing like the hot, always-present dry air that's Southern California. GREAT to take a break from it.....my lungs were happy for it, my body was happy for it.

5. The people........every time I do a trip like Alternative Spring Break, I am amazed and humbled by the people that I meet. Always very accomplished, always very smart, but most importantly, all very high-quality human beings. And it figures...Alternative Spring Break attracts people of a certain demographic: young, college students who are service-oriented and want to do something to better others and better themselves...to want to meet new people and expand their horizons, and when you get 10-20 people like that all together on a single trip, great things can happen. One of the smartest things I've ever heard goes something like this: "You can go to the most exotic places on earth with people you dislike and it won't be enjoyable, but if you have people around you who you enjoy, it doesn't matter where you go." So true about this trip. The group of 21 people could had fun in the bottom of a basement somewhere just talking about life. They were funny, compassionate, loving, supportive, thoughtful, friendly, intelligent, and creative. It was just a wonderful mix of people, with majors in accounting, English, creative writing, engineering, bio, music, Japanese, you name it. So diverse as well.

6. The nicknames.....for some reason this trip had some AWESOME nicknames, and I didn't even have one!!! (I just got the generic "Robbie" or "Yiqing," which pale in comparison to past nicknames I've had like "The Sauce" or "Eggroll." Scotty 2 Hotty, Smellsa, Perishable, Cheese, Riles, Jackie Channing, Jo-Jo, Jo-Ro ( 2 different people), ConGao, Doris (not her real name), Petey, just to name a few. There were even alliance names (a la WWE Wrestling) with the Hydra and Scerry/Pott. I always love when nicknames are used.....it shows comfort with each other, shows people are willing to step outside their comfort zone, and almost (dare I say it) become more of a family.

PLUS, the vehicles we rode up in had names (3 giant SUV's that were different colors) named Munificent, Silver Fox, and Black Panther. Awesome. Inside joke reference: Whatever happens in the Black Panther stays in the Black Panther!!!!

7. No more school for a week. This was, after all, USC's spring break. Whatever the opposite of school is, Orcas Island was close to the opposite of it, a sort of Hogwarts school for all of us: an island for young people with magical qualities to it. Deer roamed the island freely, there were lakes, swamps, mountains, snow, beaches, all of the best geographic places for a vacation.

8. The Music.......so much good music, so many great artists, even for a self-professed ambivalent music fan like myself.

The whole experience was so good that I just have one thing to say after the Orcas awesomeness......
TAKE ME BACK!!!!!!!!!

Fantasize on,

Robert yan

NCAA March Madness

2011-03-20T10:44:00.000-07:00

List of reasons why I love March Madness (so many reasons)

1. Single-game elimination style: Win or go home. That's it. (Contrast 7-game series in the NBA, NHL)

2. It's Basketball (lots of action, lots of movement, lots of strategy, lots of athleticism)

3. Weird College names (Winthrop, Morehead State, Iona, etc., etc., etc.)

4. Barack Obama does a bracket........awesome

5. I usually have a stake in it (long-time Illinois fan, now a USC fan as well)

6. Hype: Yes, I get caught up in the Selection Show and all that. Just call it the sports fan's soap opera: you know you don't need to watch it cuz you'll find out what happened later, but it's so good anyway.

7. Games are just 2 hours: Not the 3+ hours NFL games take, could be half of what a baseball game is.

8. You know players are trying (HARD).......as opposed to some NBA regular season games. Nobody's' mailing it in.

9. Filling out a bracket could be one of the most addictive things I do.

10. Thursday- Sunday weekend in mid-March becomes one of the best weekends of the year.

11. Upsets.......Checking the Vegas odds before games this year has given me an appreciation of how big upsets are. 6-point underdogs, 7.5-point underdogs are NOT supposed to win that often.......but over the course of a 64-team ( I guess, now, 68-team) tournament, there are plenty of upsets.

Watching the Washington - UNC game right now on a random Sunday morning and it's just scintillating basketball......perfect example of what's great about the tournament. Lead changes, compelling stories, great coaches (Romar + Williams), future NBA players (Harrison Barnes, Isiah Thomas), GREAT competition. And that's probably my NUMBER 1, NUMBER 1 reason.....competition. I live on it. I thrive on it. And sometimes I really enjoy watching other people do it.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

This too shall pass

2011-03-06T21:19:00.000-08:00

“This too shall pass.” -- Persian poet
One of those phrases I always thought was kind of annoying, like “I could care less” or “We’ll just have to wait and see.” However, the more I live life, the more I find this “This too will pass” is an important life lesson that can make life more enjoyable (TREMENDOUS healing effects).

You ever wake up one day and you just don’t feel right, don’t feel yourself? You go about your day, but you feel a little sad? You might be suffering a case of what is commonly known by me as… “being in the doldrums.”

Being in the doldrums stinks. It hits out of nowhere, it stays with you for hours if not days, and really puts a damper on the way you live life, etc. The worst part is, you usually don’t even know what causes the doldrums: did you have too many sweets the day before and now you’re crashing? Something traumatic in your life happened? (those cases usually aren’t being in doldrums, that’s major depression, you should see a doctor). Feeling lonely with no friends? What is it?

A lot of times being in the doldrums is triggered by sense of mortality, death……I’ve had sporadic moments when I channel the same thought pattern in my head: the sense of vulnerability of impending death: We all know it’s coming, it’s inevitable: one day we will all pass away, and we aren’t coming back (at least not in our bodily form…..I don’t want to get into religious debates, so for the sake of argument just go with me, whatever religion you follow….). And forever is a long, long time….it’s almost unfathomable……..How did we survive before we were born? What was happening? Whatever occurred? And what will I do when I pass away? I can’t do anything about it; so little is under my control; I will become insignificant and forgotten………ugh, just writing this gets me a little down…..but I record this for the benefit of readers and my future self, that it could be a possible reason…The natural prophylactic for this is to NOT THINK ABOUT IT! Brush it aside, live your life, and remind yourself you’re still very fully alive…..because of you keep thinking about your death, it’ll come faster than you think (Wow, I almost sound like a philosopher right there).

Moodiness is natural, I think; It’s like gravity: what goes up must come down. For every feeling of elation, joy, and happiness, there has to be at least a bit of a letdown, somewhere were there’s a valley, a doldrums if you will, where the body takes a break, the happiness hormones go to recess, and the mild depressive hormones have a party. The good news is, though, that once you get out of the doldrums, you become a lot happier. The trick is to get out of the doldrums faster and not let the doldrums get you down. Here are some tidbits I’ve gathered:

1. sometimes you can be aware that you’re in a rut: for no reason at all, you’re not happy. Identifying it is half the battle. Once you know it, select some of these methods:
2. do something that always makes you happy. (playing video games, watching soap operas, picking up after your dog- not my idea of fun but to each their own, mini-golf, bubble bath, whatever)
3. take a nap……just zonking out for 20 minutes, I’ve found, does wonders for changing the way you think and how your body operates.
4. Do something with someone you like/love. This may not be the time to hang out with your buddies, where you’re at risk of getting razzed and being the victim of zingers (i.e., witty insults that touch on a personality trait, flaw)……you probably should be socially interactive, preferably with someone you respect and that respects you.
5. Stringent exercise: taking your mind off of it. Playing tennis, playing basketball….sometimes the moodiness just gets sweated off….either that or adrenaline’s a natural cure for depression.

Anyway, hope that works. It has for me….sometimes.

And…….remember, when you’re in the dumpiest of dumps, the lowliest of lows, the doldrumest of the doldrums, that THIS TOO SHALL PASS!!!!! ( o geez, I’ve gonna become one of those catchphrase people that everyone hates. Yikes).

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

The Ragin' Rosenbluths

2011-03-06T21:14:00.001-08:00

For those of you who don't know, I play in an intramural basketball team every spring with some of my law school friends. We were eliminated today in possibly the last organized basketball game I will ever play. As team captain, I spoke for the team when I posted this last email to our team:

To the members of the Ragin’ Rosenbluths:

I write to you mere hours after one of the most devastating sports finishes I have ever been a part of. Ranking alongside equally devastating moments like when Renee was killed in front of Jack Bauer in 24, when Steve Bartman reached over the fence and grabbed a foul ball in front of Moises Alou’s ready arms, and when B.J. Raji picked off Caleb Hennie this year to lead the Packers to victory in the NFC Championship Game, this had to be one of the most brutal defeats any of us have ever been a part of.

But amidst the devastation we have to look at what we did as a team: each one of us contributed to the team in our own way, and the team wouldn’t be the same without any of us. Whether it be Alex’s scoring and leadership, Dan’s inside presence, Joe’s defensive tenacity and high energy, Ramon’s ball-handling and timely jumpers, Scotty’s 3-pointers and ability to take flagrant fouls, Derek’s toughness and overall ability to tick other teams off, Bobby’s ability to call desperation timeouts for no reason, and even Liz’s moral support at all our games, we all contributed in one way or another. We played together, we sweated together, we argued with refs together, we won together, we died together.

Here’s how I look at it: It took a last-1.3-second, turnaround, fade-away, off-the-bank (shouldn’t be allowed on Sunday), no angle, Ramon-got-a-finger-on-the-ball, “were his eyes open?” shot at the buzzer to beat us. If that’s what it takes to beat us, then so be it. But they did not beat our soul, our class, our professionalism in the way we handled ourselves. We represented ourselves in the best way possible, and I would take nothing back from the way we played this game. Again, if I haven’t stressed it enough, it has been an honor playing with you gentlemen, and I look forward to future exploits with any and all of you, whether it be business deals, professional contacts, or just grabbing a beer.

Ten years from now, we’re gonna look back at that shot and laugh. “O, some dude made a shot at the buzzer that knocked us out of the USC Intramural Intermediate Basketball Playoffs. But it was a helluva game, and it was a helluva team with a helluva bunch of guys.” That’s what I’ll remember. Cheers.

(insert inside joke probably inappropriate joke here about a teammate that would probably cast a negative light on me for non-team members and possible future employers)

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

300th Post of Fantasy Sport Guru

2011-03-05T23:02:00.000-08:00

Happy Anniversary to me! And Happy Birthday to my mother, who turns 54 today, who has always loved me and been kind to me despite being (close to) overbearing sometimes.......but she's an Asian parent, so I can understand.

NUMBERS:

I was born on May 9, 1987.

I have a tiny 4-game winning streak currently on streak for cash. (After having my 6-gamer busted earlier no Day 3).

I am taking the bar exam on July 27-29, 201.

There were a total of 121 episodes of LOST that aired.

Al Horford is averaging 16.2 points and 10.0 rebounds this season, a career high.

The current U.S. unemployment rate is 9.8% (but hopefully decreasing?)

The Chicago Cubs won 75 games last year, brutally low. Season starts April 1st!!!

I recently applied for a $1,000 scholarship with SCCLA, I would appreciate it if I got it this year!!!

There are 17 subjects on the California bar. I am right now comfortable with 2 of them.

The Amazing Race is in its 18th season: I've now gotten my sister to watch the newest one. How many more awesome season to come?

Our dodgeball team is now 0-4. Can we salvage a win this season? I'll do my best.

I sleep an average of 8.25 hours a night. Yes, I need my beauty sleep.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee is just 88 short days away. June 1-2, 2011......early favorite? Anna Newcombe, Canada (should she get there).

The Chicago Bulls (42-18) and Miami Heat (43-19) are tied in the Eastern Conference standings, both 3 games back of the Boston Celtics, as the Bulls take their talents to the South Beach tommorrow on National TV. Bring it.

Only 12 NBA Franchise have won the NBA Finals.....ever. Seems like an unreasonably low number.

The Dow is at 12,169. Despite low employment levels, high gasoline costs, etc., I predict a 45% chance that it'll be at 13,000 by the end of the year.

U.S. national gas price average is at $3.40 a gallon, a $0.68 increase from a year ago. That's about $10 extra per fill-up. This sucks.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Justified

2011-03-04T20:11:00.000-08:00

Justified (dictionary definition): to have shown to have a legally sufficient reason or cause.

A friend of a friend (and coincidentally the only OFFICIAL follower of this blog) recommended that I watch Justified, the FX television show in its second season following Raylan Givens, a blast out of the 1900 cowboy films living in modern-day Kentucky. Yee-ha! So far so good, and my friend was very "justified" in recommending the show......lots of build-up to the action, and then fast, ferocious shooting ensues. O and awkward romantic relationship with an ex-wife: Yikes, Raylan. Give it a shot; although I suspect the 1st season was a little better. The timeline for all multiple-season TV shows goes something like this: Put EVERYTHING into the pilot to attract the most viewers, have great programming and writing in the first season to get it renewed for next season, relax a little bit in 2nd season once the network (hopefully) orders 2 more seasons, have steady but non-original writing for the 2nd season that follows the same tried-and-true formula from season 1, then have acomplete, put-it-together season in season 3.

Da Man wonders if other events and things are justified:

Was Stafon Johnson justified for suing USC because the barbell dropped on his neck, almost fatally injuring him? As a lawyer, I'd say probably not: assumption of the risk and all, and what could the trainers do? NOT have him work out?

Was I justified to spend $120 last year for a yearly subscription of the Wall Street Journal? Absolutely. I gain lots of knowledge and get updated on the news every day. And plenty of good articles on there, like "Hymn of the Tiger Mother."

Does 3 years of law school + passing the bar justify me getting a job within a year? I sure hope so.

Was I justified in cutting off the guy going really slow in the other lane today? Probably not, but anything goes in the jungle that is the L.A. freeway system.

Was Obama justified to pass financial reform in light of the unscrupulous practices by the large private equity firms and investment firms in 2009? Most likely. Been reading "The Promise: President Obama, Year One," and the fat cats on Wall Street had far overreached their bounds, the ordinary citizens of the country were in an outrage over large executive bonuses, and Obama had to show he was tough on business.......it was correct politically and business-wise: give a little, get a little. The financial firms had to have some accountability.

Was Denver justified in trading Carmelo Anthony? I think the real question is, "Was Carmelo Anthony justified in forcing a trade to New York?" My answer: he could ask to get out of Denver, but he shouldn't have pigeonholed the team to get him to New York. You can ask for a release from your employer, you can't force them to recommend you to the next job, much less have them hire you.

Are law schools justified in charging the $40,000+ per year tuition they do of law student? They used to be, when expected salaries and employment-out-of-graduation rates were sky-high, but not in these times, and maybe not ever. Unfortunately, law schools have no incentive to decrease their rates......unless a fundamental shift in demand happens, they've got the sole advantage in these matters.

Was the Survivior tribe in the new season justified in throwing a challenge just to get rid of Russell? Probably not, kind of stupid if you ask me....seems like something where a "karma's a bitch and it came back to bite us" can happen very easily.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Trading Places

2011-02-26T23:19:00.000-08:00

You ever wanted to trade places with someone? (I have) Usually, though, you want to trade places with someone because they have something you want: the looks, the lifestyle, the money, the fame, etc. However, today I met someone who would benefit from my lifestyle, and I would benefit from hers. She was a financial analyst at a large, prestigious financial firm in Los Angeles; but she wanted to go to law school and obtain a law degree. I am a 3rd-year law student, about to get his law degree from a top-2o law school, who wants that job. O what a deal we could make; if only there was a way we could engineer that. (Privately, I think I'd be getting the better end of the deal, but who am I to nix a perfectly valid transaction between mutually assenting parties?)

It's funny, though, thinking about it, how different any of our lives could be. At various points in our lives, we have "traded" one possible life path for another; our decisions as to where to work, where to go to school, who to hang out with determine the shape that our lives took. There's some minor decisions, but I'd say every 2 or 3 years there's a BIG decision that really presents two sides of a "tradeoff"......you can only choose one path, so in essence you trade one possible path for another. For me, a few key decisions shaped my path: 1. in 2002, I decided to stay in public high school instead of go to a more prestigious math and science academy.... 2. in 2005, I decided to attend University of Illinois rather than go to some other out-of-state school.....in 2007, I made the decision to take the LSAT and begin the process of going to law school (HUGE decision, looking back on it).... in 2008, decided to go to USC Law School specifically......in 2009, decided to stay in law school after 1L year........and here I am now. Am I happy with my decision? Well, honestly, there's some regrets, and things that I wish I could take back, but looking at it objectively, with the information I had when I made those decisions, I actually did the best possible thing for myself given the circumstances; a lot of what played out afterwards is determined by luck (there's also ability, effort, and such, but I don't think I've shortchanged myself in those departments). I think that's how most people are: Yea sure, some lament about how they "made some poor choices" or "went the wrong way," but in general people make the right decisions for themselves; you try to treat yourself right. Just keep trying to make good decisions, I guess, and eventually a few in a row will work out.

Anyway, I met the aforementioned person at an Elder Law clinic.....actually pretty interesting, I got the chance to put my Chinese translating skills to good use, as well as learn what a power of attorney can be good for (in case of health care decisions when an individual doesn't have the capacity to make decisions would be one situation).

SUPER busy the last week, but that's how I like it, I think......I need to keep myself busy in order to enjoy the downtimes, makes the relaxing times sweeter, knowing I accomplished stuff and HAVE THE ABILITY to accomplish stuff.

"We see any alcohol on the field, the tournament will be OVER. We catch a USC student consuming alcohol on the field, you will be asked to leave, and the tournament will be OVER. If you are not a USC student and you are caught with alcohol on the field, you will be sighted for misuse of public property, asked to leave, and the tournament will be OVER."

-- Heard from a USC campus security officer before the USC Law softball tourney yesterday, as a result of alcoholic drinks being brought onto the softball field without prior-approved permission. At the time it was distressing because we thought the softball game might be cancelled, but still the quote above was pretty funny. I kept wanting to blurt out, "so does the tournament still go on if there's alcohol?"

I was proud of our 3L team as we taught the 1L's a lesson in the opening round, playing all-around baseball to limit them to 2 runs in a 5-2 seven-inning victory, but some costly mistakes in the second game against the defending champ 2L's led to an 8-5 loss (we yielded 8 runs in just 4 innings the 2nd game, tough) (Also, like how I went with the John McCain political answer, "mistakes were made?"). So wanted to go out of law school with a bang and a championship belt (woulda made an epic Aaron Rodgers championship-belt gesture, o well). Speaking of which, Aaron Rodgers, if you ever want to get a law degree, lemme know and maybe we can trade places?

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Dodgeball!

2011-02-25T23:49:00.000-08:00

The 5 rules of dodgeball are: Dodge, dip, dive, duck, and......dodge. I LOVE Dodgeball. Don't know how I lived 23 years of my life without it.

Dodgeball is perfectly exhilarating: it's a healthy mix of throwing, catching, team play, and all-out madness. With 7 balls flying around and in motion almost at all times, there's a lot of havoc, and a lot of people trying to hit each other with balls thrown at high velocities. In the games I've been playing, no one ever dogs it, people are playing hard, and they're aiming to HIT YOU. Hard. I think what draws me to the sport, though, is the perfect blend of high physical activity, necessity of throwing accuracy, need to react quickly, split-second decisions, and surprising amount of teamplay, and COMPETITION. Have I mentioned that I am an extremely competitive person? Law school has beaten a lot of the competition out of me because it's a game that I've found I can't really win, but put a ball or paddle or some sports-related activity in my hand, and I'm ready to give it my all, all the time. Same thing with games. Chess, cards, any kind of game that involves strategy, I strive to figure out the key to the game and work it to my advantage. (Kind of why I like Big Brother, the Mole, etc.)

Dodgeball, though, is a it of a different animal. Dodgeball requires timing, skill, natural ability, and patience. So many moving parts: the other team comes forward, you retreat; you have all the balls, you go up and hit somebody. The best time to throw at someone is when they're throwing themselves; catching is much more important in the beginning of the game than at the end of the game.

Gotta say, when I go on a rampage and catch multiple balls + hit multiple people in the same game, that's one of the most natural highs I've had in my life. I hope to replicate that feeling many times over the course of this regular season.

The topic of dodgeball leads me to a topic that I remind myself of all the time: being thankful for what I have. Two relatively mundane situations I encountered today made me think aout how lucky I really am:

First, I met a young lady today who seemed normal......she has a bright future ahead of her, talks very articulately, is in a great leadership position, and seems very much like your highly successful young American, which she is. And then I noticed that her right hand only had two fingers. (If you are the young lady I'm referring to, if you have an issue with this post, please contact me directly). I think most people, because we're human, just take for granted what we have, especially body parts: sight, sound, smell, touch. I don't wake up everyday and pat my nose on the back for lasting it through another day of detecting smells. But meeting the young lady today really gave me new appreciation for how lucky I am to have all ten of my fingers, to have full function of my hands, to be able to play basketball, to play dodgeball, to take out the garbage easily, to clutch a baseball. And I'm not saying that the young lady can't do those things; it's just, I imagine, a lot harder to do that without the extra fingers that most other people possess. Sure, she can still a lot of the same things I can, and in many ways I think she's probably smarter than I am, more diligent, and better in many respects, but she won't have the ability to use ten fingers. It makes me painfully aware that we are all human and we can lose things, and usually we don't appreciate something until we lose it. Here's to many more dodgeball games for me, and more awareness for those who have lost something in their lives, whether physically or emotionally. I hope the young lady thrives in her future endeavors despite her loss.

Second , one of my esteemed colleagues in law school informed me today that a student at Cornell University was found dead in his fraternity library this morning, with autopsy reports pending. The student was part of the class of 2013 (a sophomore) from Brooklyn, New York and doing fine at Cornell University. Obviously, a tragic story, very tough loss for his family for such a promising young kid, but it made me really think: this kid was what, probably 19 years old, with his whole world in front of him, going to an Ivy League University, living the American dream, fully healthy, pretty much invincible, full of life.........he definitely didn't wake up yesterday morning thinking that that was the last day he would be alive on this earth. And we don't really know the cause of death, but just assuming he was not to blame or was very little to blame.......why is he dead now while I'm alive........it's almost scary to think about. So much of our lives is not controlled by ourselves, it's controlled by mitigating factors.... who happens to be next to us, how fast cars are driving on the highway near you, the weather, how chain of events occur.........any of these things can have a direct effect on your life, and whether or not you live.......It makes you really cherish the life that you have, whoever you are.......and ESPECIALLY if you're like me, who's a healthy man in his 20-somethings living in AMERICA in one of the best cities in the world with some of the best weather in the world (although it's very bad today) with 2 parents with a steady household.........gotta count your blessings, man. Seriously.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Compilation of Sports Predictions --> Book it

2011-02-20T21:03:00.000-08:00

Mid-February: NFL is done, basketball All-star break, hockey is in its playoff push, catchers and pitchers report in baseball, college basketball March Madness right around the corner, Golf Grand Slam to be played, Tennis French Open/Wimbledon blitz close at hand. There's a blur of sports activity coming up, and the guru's gonna get you prepared.

NBA:

2-time defending champ Lakers "in trouble," but lemme ask all Lakers fans this: would you rather they be in trouble at this time of the year, or during playoff time? NBA playoffs such a different animal.

The East is gaining momentum and may prove to be the better conference by year's end. I see 4 big-time teams in the running at the top: Boston, Miami, Chicago, Orlando. Call me a homer, but BIG statement game by the Bulls over the Spurs right before the Break. Predicting HUGE showdown between Bulls-Heat or Bulls-Celtics in 2nd round of playoffs, easily could go seven.

The West: It'll be Spurs-Lakers again ( how many times have they faced off

College Basketball:

Don't be folled by the Mist, the smokescreen: Kansas, Duke, and now Ohio State are the best teams in the country. Big East is almost too good for its own good: They'll send a zillion teams to the tourney, but only one will probably make it to the tourney. I'll still pick two of them in my Final Four, probably. Texas? Not so much. BYU and San Diego State? I wouldn't bet the farm on them.

Bubble teams: Who cares? Bubble teams almost NEVER make it to Elite Eight, much less Final Four. It's always the #3 or #5 seeds that lurk beneath the surface, away from all discussion.

Feel like this is more of an all-chalk year......put 1 and 2 seeds down on the lines and hope for the best. Can't predict cinderellas; don't bother.

Tennis:

Nadal's in danger, man....feeling the hinges coming off with this injury business. His biggest enemy becoming his body (like Spiderman when he's genetically mutating).

Djokvic might be better than Federer NOW......he'll certainly be better in a year or two. Roddick.....is a big server who doesn't win the big one.

Women's bracket: a wasteland of talent without Serena Williams......Bet on Clijsters in any tourney until they come back. At some point, Venus is gonna retire......

Hockey: I know nothing about hockey other than hot goalies can carry playoff teams. And that unlike NBA, more upsets happen.

The Ten Commandments of ESPN Streak for Cash:

1. Thou shalt never pick a road team in college basketball (neutral courts don't apply).

2. Thou shalt stay away from NBA picks (too random, takes too long)

3. Thou shalt never pick props you don't know anything about (NASCAR, "whether Puxsatawney Phil will see his shadow") actual prop.

4. Thou shalt never pick a game just to "add to your streak."
5. Thou shalt never flip a coin to determine whether to pick a game or not (hasn't worked out for me).
6. Thou shalt not pick soccer goal differentials (Ex: Chelsea wins by 2+ goals) or LARGE point spreak basketball games (Kansas wins by 20+ points).
7. Thou shalt not pick a game "cuz my friend told me to pick it."
8. Thou shalt consult the Vegas lines (smart people) to determine who is the most likely winner if a line exists.
9. Thou shatl NEVER, EVER pick Memphis Grizzlies to win (never again, the Grizz have busted way too many of my streaks.

And, most importantly,
10. Thou shalt play to have FUN, not for the highly unattainable goal of achieving great wealth (highly unlikely, like hitting the lottery).

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Quotable

2011-02-14T22:40:00.000-08:00

Assembly of random quotes I've heard in my life the last week or so.

"Dodge, Dip, Duck, Dive, and Dodge." ---> all our teammates in dodgeball, before playing our first game of dodgeball and getting thoroughly trounced.

"Hey you looked good on the tennis court." --> friend who was also playing tennis on a neighboring court, clearly seeing only a few select points and not my true self.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" --> classmate who apparently likes celebrating one of the worst holidays ever invented.

"You can always win at chess if you hit your opponent over the head with a hammer." --> corporate tax professor, trying to describe different approaches to solving corporate tax conundrums.

"Trrrooojaannnnn Basketball!" --> Spiros Papadegas, announcer of USC Basketball.... Trojans lost Saturday at home v. Oregon, pretty much ending their hopes for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. NIT hopes in jeopardy.

"In five years we'll have Skynet." --> classmate, commenting on the advent of Watson on Jeopardy, predicting the takeover of computers sooner rather than later.

"Woooooooo!!!!!" --> classmate greeting me, mocking one of my not-so-epic moments of 1L year, when I paused to take a breath and instead evincing the previous noise.

"Human Centipede tells the story of a German doctor who kidnaps three tourists and joins them surgically, anus to mouth, forming a 'human centipede.'" --> heard in the journal office, someone describing the plot synopsis of The Human Centipede, which sounds like a horrific movie that I never want to watch.

"I'll always do favors for Leslie Knope because she asks for favors to help other people." --> why I love Parks and Recreation.

"Why do I have to be Mr. Pink? Why can't I be Mr. White?" --> Mr. Pink in Reservoir Dogs, one of the best movies I've ever seen (saw it first in 2005, still like it)

"I hate Valentine's Day." --> Robert Yan.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

The End of a Dynasty

2011-02-13T10:58:00.000-08:00

How bout that Chipotle Mexican Grill stock, huh? Guess I was right about telling people to buy it 3 months ago. It's gone up like 15% the last week and a half. Unfortunately, before that it was dwindling and had lost value, and I'm afraid many people (like myself) got frustrated with the stock and let it go. Sigh. Stocks, like comedy, is all about timing. And this time the joke was on me. I believe CMG is going to 280, 290 soon (reports earnings this week) and I'll be guilty of missing out and not listening to my own advice.

Wanna know what I think about the stock market, after we had a 10-day winning streak (in the green) the past 2 weeks? I think this year's gonna be a good year......there may be a bit of a correction coming after this huge upswing, so wait for the market to go down a couple ticks (possibly Monday-Tuesday of this week), and then go in and buy premium stocks, (AAPL, AMZN, GOOG come to mind) or even just buy the Dow itself. This stock market's in recovery and it's making up for lost time (from Aug. 2008- 2009). The only worry is a bubble, but that's a bit premature: as long as we're still in "recovery" mode it'll gain steadily, and then in 2012 or 2013 we may want to be careful of the next "bubble burst."

Last night I sadly bade farewell to one of my favorite shows and IMO one of the best shows to ever be aired on TV, that of Friday Night Lights.

I first started watching Friday Night Lights in sophomore year of college; I don't even remember what prompted me to watch. It was one of those late-night, got-nothing-better-to-do, saw a subliminal television ad for the-show, I might-as-well sort of things. And I loved it. The pilot episodes of Friday Night Lights is one of the best hours of television you've ever seen; I don't want to give it away but it gives viewers a preview of the drama, the awesome characters, the storyline, the passion that Friday Night Lights would become.

Friday Night Lights is advertised as a story about high school football, but it's really about people. It's about Coach Taylor dealing with the trials and tribulations of people on his football team, about middle-to-lower class people trying to make it in small-town America, it's about high school kids (sometimes a little unrealistically played by twenty-somethings, I'll admit that) trying to come of age while dealing with bad parents, money problems, relationship struggles, reconciling their dreams with their current situation, crime, and all kinds of other situations. So basically, people living their lives. It's fascinating, and the creators of the show hit it right on the head. Unlike the Greek tragedy of The Wire (which has its own appeal), you feel yourself rooting for each and every character on Friday Night Lights; each character tugs at your heartstrings and you become emotionally invested, watching helplessly as certain characters become devastated and rooting for them.

Every season of Friday Night Lights was comparable to the other; there was no "rebound" season or "hiatus" -- the quality was legitimate every time and few mistakes were made (other than the introduction of some faulty characters who got wiped away prematurely or belatedly.....like the Epic storyline this season? What was that?) There were main characters who came in and out of the action, fan favorites, old flames, alumni who came back to visit from high school, and new faes, but the rock of the show was good ol' Eric Taylor, the epitome of class, the epitome of leadership, the epitome of good hair, and his wife Tammy.

Long live Friday Nights. May your DVD's be watched by a generation of excited viewers who missed it the first time.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

To Be a US Citizen

2011-02-10T19:04:00.000-08:00

Reading the aforementioned book, "Just Like Us" by Helen Thorpe, has inspired me to do a little more evaluation of what it means to be a US citizen.

Background about myself: I was not a US Citizen at birth. Born in an obscure city block of Shanghai, China, I was far from it. However, when my parents came to the US on a student visa, I came along a couple years later. A few green card applications and naturalization processes that my parents went through (I did nothing) later and before I knew it, I had gained US citizenship. I've always taken my US citizenship for granted. It's one of those things you don't think about unless it gets taken away from you, like a driver's license, I suppose, or a family member (very severe knock of wood). Hopefully (and I don't see how) I'll never have my US citizenship taken away, for I have seen what it's like NOT to be a US citizen.

Now, a few of my fellow law students and other acquaintance are not US citizens; some are permanent residents and some have green card status; the LLM's at my school are here on a student visa. These people have it more difficult than me, for sure, especially applying for jobs, filing taxes, applying for FAFSA loans, etc. But it's really nothing comapred to the difficulties faced by ILLEGAL immigrants, the ones profiled in the book Just Like Us, that I mentioned. In it, Helen Thorpe profiles 4 Hispanic American teenagers living in America (Denver), 2 of whom are legal aliens, and 2 of whom are illegal aliens. And boy life is hard for the illegal aliens, through no fault of their own. They were brought into the country by their parents, much like I was, at a young age, with no say as to what their status was and whether they were legal or not, and later on in life they suffer for it, whether it's not being able to get a driver's license, applying for jobs, even such things so mundane as getting a library card. It's a tough life. But the most depressing and heartbreaking part is not being able to apply for college loans + scholarship (they can apply for college itself by applying as an international student, which is still more difficult but not impossible like college loans). These "illegals" are already usually from disadvantaged households that are lower working class or even impoverished, and now they're being asked to finance their own higher education in a world that increasingly asks for advanced degrees without help from the government, all the while trying to help their families in whatever way they can with rent.

It makes me wonder, how would I feel if I had to do all those things? And what have I done to deserve to be a US citizen? Sure, I pledged allegiance to the flag all throughout early schooling years, I stand up to honor the national anthem during live sports events, I pay taxes on my income (so far, that's been a VERY negligible amount given my salary), but other than that I make no real demonstrable net positive effect on US society as a whole. I guess I'm nice to people....does that count? I haven't even voted in any elections and not served on a jury....... haven't done my civic duty. So what, really, have I done? I could easily be an illegal alien as well, still be nice to people, still stand up for the national anthem, but not be able to enjoy the benefits of US citizenship: social security, driver's license, applying for jobs, etc.

Being a US citizen, for me, means honoring the values of the country: abiding by the laws, supporting other US citizens, continuing the traditions of the country that I live in. I shouldn't curse aspects of the country that I live in just because I disagree them; I should do as much as I can to educate myself on what policies the nation is implementing to try to better itself.

I also really want to look into this issue of illegal immigration; I understand there are strong arguments on either side as to how to treat illegal immigrants, ranging depending on ideological viewpoints from deporting all illegal immigrants and sealing up our borders to allowing all illegal immigrants total amnesty and a "let-it-ride approach." The problem is somewhere in between. But one point that does stay with me is how difficult it is as a young person growing up as an illegal immigrant, not understanding why other students are allowed the privilege of going to college with scholarships while you are not when you haven't done anything wrong. I used to complain all the time about affirmative action and how I didn't get into the college I wanted because other lesser-qualified candidates were selected over me; my concerns seem trivial now compared to prospective students who simply CANNOT go because of something their parents did, being punished for something they didnt' do. How unjustified is that? I feel it is my duty as a US citizen to be more aware of this issue and research ways to help the country get better.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Real or Not Real?

2011-02-07T16:35:00.000-08:00

Coming to you straight from Contract Drafting and Strategy, this is the show that asks the same question to all of its contestants: Real or Not Real? The 20 contestants are all member sof the top 20-ranked in Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball lists. There's some rock-solid participants in there who deserve to be on the show and will be on the show for a long time, but then there's some humbugs, some frauds, some phantoms of the night who will disappear or eviscerate soon. Let's meet our contestants!

1. Chris Paul: The most coveted asset in Fantasy Basketball today. Shoulda been ranked #1 at the beginning of the year.

2. Kevin Durant: The Tarantula took some time to spin his web but now is tangled in stats. Great news: Even more treys this year!

3. Kevin Love: Legit, legit, legit. But maybe not #3 fantasy legit. May be more valuable in head-to-head than roto because he'll win rebounds single-handedly for you.

4. Pau Gasol: Will recede, not evaporate. He's always been a #9 or #10 guy in fantasy when healthy...that should be where he ends up.

5. Amare: Absolutely motivated, and 2.2 blks are for real. Won't go away. FREAK.

6. Manu Ginobili. HUGE dip coming. He was on my league's waiver wire as recently as last year, midseason, not really his fault; it's cuz Spurs will rest him once they clinch.

7. Al Horford: He's rock solid and VERY underestimated because of his solid stats but might get surpassed because other guys with sexier stats may get hot. Still, top-10 pick next year.

8. LeBron James: one of this guys with "sexier stats" that could surpass Horford. He's just "heating up" with the heat and should end up around 3 or 4 in Yahoo! leagues.

9. Paul Pierce: I probably had the same reaction as you: WTF???? Can't finish in top-10 (don't think he's EVER finished in top 10.....that 50% FG shooting and 0.6 blks will not last.

10. Rudy Gay: Not real. Already fading.

11. Deron Williams. Welcome to the Big Boy table. You're for real.

12. Russell Westbrook. Also, welcome to the Big Boy table. Feel free to stay for the next..13 years or so.

13. Kevin Martin. Can he avoid injury? Nah.

14. Dirk Nowitzki. Question: When has Dirk ever NOT finished in the top 5 or 6 in fantasy? Just wait.

15. Josh Smith. O there are you, Mr. Smith. Nice to see you again!

16. Dorell Wright. Who? An athletic freak who's benefited from being in Golden State, it's one of those magical years that might just stretch for the whole season.

17. Paul Millsap. My how he's grown. For real.

18. Monta Ellis: Real good, real talented, real likely to get hurt.

19. Stephen Curry: See #18.

20. Kobe Bryant. Never heard of this guy. Actually, I honestly would stay away......a myriad of injuries + Father Time may slow hiim down.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Chinese New Year

2011-02-06T22:26:00.000-08:00

Belated Chinese New Year, everyone!!!! And it's the Year of the Rabbit, MY YEAR!!!! I love it!!!!! May luck shine on me this lunar year, cuz I need it.

Should I create a whole new set of resolutions this year? Nah.... but DO need to wake up at 8:00AM every day, latest 8:30AM: have already cost myself some dinero this calendar year for doing that. That's the end of that chapter.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Positive Reinforcement

2011-02-06T21:53:00.000-08:00

Just finished watching the Super Bowl (Packers win..ahhhh!!!!!) and running a 10k race today (6.2 miles, for anyone using the U.S. system). 55 mins. Eh. Nothing special.......gotta remember to not wear a sweatshirt and sweatpants.

I'm a little upset about the Packers winning, not least of which because they beat the Bears (twice!) to get there, it's the PACKERS!!! and I wouldn't have picked them to win the game. But the main reason, I think is the lack of success in my own life, coupled with the lack of success in the sports teams I am most passionate about. Ever since 1998, the last time one of my Fab Five teams won a championship (Bulls, Bears, Cubs, Illini, Chargers) nary a one of those teams has won, the closest being in 2005 the Illini got o so close to a national championship (coincidentally, also the last time I felt like I was truly successful among my peers, in high school). Sports is obviously just sports, and I don't take it too seriously, but at some point I want to win something, I want to be the best at something, whether it's vicariously through a sports team or preferably, through something that I do on my own. So far it hasn't happened.

One thing that would qualify as a success is if I won Streak For Cash one of these months (Yes, I'm back playing again). I think January was a trial month; now I'm in tune and ready to go, with a 17-4 record in February so far, basically only 3 streakbreakers or else I'd have a 17-game streak (sigh, why did I pick the Puxstawney Phil Groundhog Day prop? or the Lakers over the Spurs, STOP picking NBA games!).

Anyway, on to the title theme of this article: Positive Reinforcement. I believe that Positive Reinforcement is one of the most powerful forces, if not THE most powerful, force in motivating people. We all need it from time to time, whether we realize it or no. I see it everywhere, from my peers to casino dealers to the kids at my summer camp. My peers are motivated to do better if they get good grades: they are rewarded, so they want to keep getting rewarded. Casino dealers become much more friendly if you tip them. Kids try harder and want to keep trying if you tell them you're doing a good job. I wash the dishes for my family more if my mom tells me I'm really helping out the family. The key is someone RECOGNIZING it, perceiving that what you're doing is actually making a difference, or is having some effect, and not just some insignificant event. We need positive reinforcement to remind us that we are alive; to realize our full potential in our lives. It's so important: When I grow up, I want to be a positive reinforcer for others. O if only that job paid.

Chicago Bulls, please provide some positive reinforcement this spring in the playoffs. Please.

Finally, I want to leave people who are in a bit of turmoil or are lacking success in their lives (like myself) and need a bit of inspiration, from an excellent non-fiction (for once!) book I'm reading called "Just Like Us: The True Story of Four Mexican Girls Coming of Age in America," by Helen Thorpe, told to a young Latina American student who had difficulties affording college due to her illegal immigrant status:

"You are going to succeed, and it is going to feel so much better for you than it does for other people, because you are goin to have to struggle more." VERY, VERY inspiring, even though I haven't had to struggle as much, relatively......but struggle I have. And yes, if I do succeed, it will be VERY VERY sweet.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Applying for Jobs

2011-02-02T15:55:00.000-08:00

Jobs, jobs, jobs......that's all the rage nowadays. You see job news everywhere: front page of the Wall Street Journal, radio news, corporate luncheons, friendly social gatherings. Heck, Steve Jobs is on front page news everywhere too. It's an unescapable topic. And it's for good reason: the unemployment rate is probably the most powerful indicator of the economy. People need jobs to have purchasing power, and purchasing power fuels the consumer economy.

My take on jobs:

Applying for jobs is hard. REALLY hard. it takes a certain amount of motivation to know that every time you apply for a job, there is a good chance (I'd say my rate is at about 1 in 10) that you will be rejected. In fact, most jobs I apply for , I never even hear BACK from the company.... no courtesy email, no thin envelope in the mail, nothing to indicate that the process has passed me by. Once in a while you get a nice email saying "We'll keep your resume on file." Less often, you get a call (gasp!) from the employer scheduling an interview. After you go to that interview (your chances suddenly have gone up tremendously), sometimes you get a call saying, "Congratulations, when can you start?"

So every dog has his day. But the problem is getting started to get to that day. On any given job-seeking venture, there are HUNDREDS.

There are hundreds of workshops out there on how to brand yourself

I go back to another simple fact that I hammer home all the time: Luck. Sometimes, you just gotta be lucky. It's probably one of the top 2 factors of all job-seeking: Being at the right place at the right time, or knowing the right person, or seeing something inadvertently on a job site, or having the exact skill set that someone looks for, or having someone like the sound of your name.

When I was a little kid in preschool or kindergarten, I remember being extremely frustrated if the class did a cutting project and I couldn't figure it out. Meanwhile, all the other kids in class were finishing up and could go to recess since they finished.... I REALLY wanted to go to recess. As more and more kids finished up, up their projects, I became more and more frustrated because I knew all the fun bouncy balls on the playground had already been taken up, and the nice swingsets and monkey bars were fully occupied. I desperately tried to figure out a way to finish the project, if only to avoid being the last one in the classroom. I scanned the room to see how other people were doing their projects, checking to see if there was some method I had missed. I cursed myself for being dim-witted and bad with my hands, as clearly any idiot could complete this project easily. Each time I started back up, it seemed like I was just going through another futile attempt, doomed to failure.

I remember back then at age 6 or 7, that I would do everything I could to avoid that feeling again, that nothing was worse than the feeling of being left behind, of not being able to accomplish my goals. And I tried to avoid that by doing everything I could in school and choosing job-oriented majors.

I recently attended a job-searching seminar in which one speaker made the following great point: The job-search process essentially consists of 3 parts: 1. you need the employer, 2. the employer needs you and 3. you and the employer need to find each other. Sounds simple. And all 3 coming together seems to require some of what I hammer home all the time: Good old fashioned luck.
May the New Year bring good luck. Happy Chinese New Year, everyone!

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Why I want to live in San Francisco + The Awesomeness of LetterBoxing

2011-01-27T22:22:00.000-08:00

How bout that article, "Why Chinese Mothers are Superior," huh? Ask anyone on the street if they read it and they've had, to the point where I'm thinking Amy Chau deliberately wrote that piece in the Wall St. Journal to draw attention to her book. I saw 2 people in front of me during class today on their laptops checking out "Tiger Mother," Chau's most recent book. Gets me thinking, what if I wrote a piece on "Why Chinese kids are superior?" Cuz for every Chinese parent who's imposing her parenting prowess, there's gotta be a willing Chinese kid who gets the parenting imposed on him/her, right? I got plenty of material. Actually, stay tuned for that: that will be a title of my next post, coming soon to a blog near you.

Anyways, a few weekends ago, I visited my friends in The City By the Bay, "Frisco," "Fog City," "The Golden Gate City," (nicknames lifted straight out of Wikipedia), a.k.a. San Francisco, CA.
I gotta say, I've been to Frisco like 3 times in my life, and each time I'm even more impressed.

The Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, but it's not just the tourist scene. San Francisco's the city where I've always pictured myself growing up, the perfect dichotomy to the flat, mundane surbaban community that I grew up in. Don't get me wrong, I loved where I grew up in friendly Darien, IL: A good place to live. San Francisco, though, offers just the opposite of my homely little neighborhood: large urban atmosphere, mountains in the background, city by the ocean, large Asian community, fine arts, professional sports teams within reaching distance.

The view of San Francisco is just absolutely beautiful, especially in the early summer: from scenic spots like Angel Island, you can see sprawling views of virtually the whole city, most of the bridges, and the bay leading out to the vast expanse that is the Pacific Ocean. I LOVE that about San Francisco, the fact that you can wake up in your neighborhood and take a trek to the Golden Gate Bridge and just be literally on top of the ocean; or that you can go to a quite beach and just take in the day; or you can go to the markets and street stores in downtown and shop for awhile without worry of the time. Basically, many of the qualities of Los Angeles, except more of a city feel. (L.A. has a city line of about 3 buildings standing next to each other). O and AT&T Park is a GREAT place to watch a baseball game, ESPECIALLY with the World Series champ SF Giants. The fans there are proud of their teams and are avid fans.......something I can't say really about L.A. fans, except maybe Lakers fans......during the playoffs. They really know when to show up.

Also, allow me to introduce to my viewership the concept of letterboxing. For those who have witnessed me espousing the virtues of The Amazing Race, it's basically The Amazing Race for the average citizen, or anyone who has the time for it ( without the $1 million cash prize at the end of it, just the satisfaction of finding the letterboxes, which some may argue is worth more than the mone).

Basically, people around the country hide "letterboxes" in locations around the country, usually hidden in little crevices or crannies not usually accessible by most people. The letterbox consists of a "mark" or "stamp" that represents the location that it's hidden in. the objective is to find this letterbox using a set of clues that are presented online by the originator of the letterbox. It's fun stuff, and the search for these guys have taken me to some awesome locations throughout the world. It's basically "The Amazing Race" without all the emotion and stress-related drama prompted by the producers, and I'm getting hooked. There's little treasures hidden all around the country that most peoel don't know about, including parks, bridges, recreation centers, truck stops, mountain passes, and some of the best-looking places in the world. I did some letterboxing in San Francisco, and found some of the finer parts of San Francisco. Give it a shot.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

State of the Robert Address

2011-01-23T22:00:00.000-08:00

In anticipation of President Obama's State of the Union address on Tuesday (which I'm looking forward to, by the way, as 2011 may be THE biggest year the US has seen in decades, as well as being ALL-IMPORTANT for the Guru himself), would like to update readers on state of the Robert (I know, readers, somewhat selfish of me, but maybe you'll pick up some tidbits that you like along the way)

DaMan promised in 2009 that 2010 would be HIS year, and.......it really wasn't. He didn't achieve many of his goals, he didn't "break through" in the way he wanted to, and in many ways it was disappointing, but I like to count my blessings.... on most of the important things, I actually did have a successful 2010. Lost 15 pounds, spent a lot of time with my family, held two different PAID jobs (yay!), improved my basketball game, finished whole TV seasons of the Wire, Arrested Development, Parks and Recreation, Friday Night Lights, Pushing Daisies, Firefly......good shows one and all. Didn't win a fantasy championship or an NCAA tournament bracket, but placed 3rd in the bracket and continued my run of making the playoffs in all my leagues. Stayed healthy, stayed fit, stayed tragedy-free (cross my fingers this year too), and even helped my sister with her interpersonal and physical skills.

In this year, the Year of the Rabbit, I hope to do the following:

1. Maintain a healthy interpersonal relationship with a certain someone;
2. win a fantasy trophy (get some hardware somewhere, almost don't care what type of sport it is)
3. graduate law school
4. pass the bar
5. obtain a full-time job (a job, any job!!!!!) sometime by the end of this calendar year
6. continue in my healthy, disciplined way
7. make some sort of signficiant breakthrough in my life.........something, anything!!

It's funny, President Obama took the Presidential office on a platform of change (a CHANGE in America!), and that's exactly what American society is doing, just maybe not in the way President Obama wanted voters to think (he meant a change in decisionmakers and the way things are done politically, what's really happening is a fundamental change in the way we live our lives, how the economy operates, and what drives businesses, people, and all decisionamekers). That's how a capitalist society works; it's built on change; the market is constantly changing based on what consumers desire and what the market demands and what is the most efficient; And we as individuals also need to adapt to change to what society demands. Smartphones, social networking, wireless devices, solar panels, alternative energy, fuel-efficient cars, stealth planes, these are the things that will define the rest of this decade and beyond; we need to be aware of these changes and adapt.

When you think about it, that's life: Life is constantly happening, things are always changing, there is no status quo; which just means we all need to adapt, and whoever adapts best will most likely succeed. Fantasy basketball: the seasons' always progressing; you gotta pick up guys from the waiver wire to compensate. Tennis: the ball is always moving, you gotta move your body to get in position Life: you gotta roll with the punches. Your car breaks down, gotta get it fixed. One career didn't work out; gotta find something else you're good at and start a new one.

So in 2011, the main thing I gotta do, if nothing else is: adapt to what's happening otu there. Be well positioned for when my opportunity comes. Because it's gonna come: There's a change coming in America, and we all gotta be ready for it.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Hey Ho, Whaddya Know, Bears are going to the ........

2011-01-22T22:12:00.001-08:00

Finally, it's here: Tomorrow is the Day of Reckoning. Ever since the NFC Conference Game participants were decided last weekend, when the Packers beat the Falcons and the Bears took care of the Seahawks, it's been the same message: the Packers are going to use Chicago as a stepping stone to reach the Super Bowl, fulfilling the prophecy that is Aaron Rodgers's career and adding to their storied tradition of winning. All week I've heard it, from ESPN analysts, football diehards, radio personalities, supposed "sports experts," and even (unfortunately) some Bears apologists. Las Vegas oddsmakers seem to agree, as most betting lines have the Packers as a 3.5-point favorite on the road against the Bears (basically saying that the Packers are a touchdown better than the Bears).

NOT SO FAST!!!

Listen, I have a reputation on sports analysis and on this site and people who listen to me or read me probably would agree, I am NOT a sports homer. I root for Chicago teams, I root for certain SoCal teams, I root for my alma mater (Illinois) whole-heartedly, but I am ALWAYS objective in my analysis. If I think my team's gonna get beat, I say so.... I hope they win regardless, but I know in my heart (and I express it through words) that I feel like it'll be an uphill struggle. Like today: Illinois basketball hosting #1 Ohio State: Illinois had high expectations coming into the season and haven't played well because their lack of size underneath and sometimes-stagnant offense, and I predicted a loss. I really hoped it wouldn't happen, but it did. So is life.

NOT SO about the Bears. It's amazing how much the beloved Bears have been this season. Early in the season they were one of the last undefeated teams in the league @ 3-0, got no credit because they didn't deserve it, and got thumped by the Giants and subsequent home losses to Washington and Seattle, and the league wrote them off. That was the first half of the season. After their bye (and going into the 2nd half), this has been a COMPLETELY different team. Except for one snowy day at Soldier Field in November (trouncing by the Patriots), the Bears have showed up to play every game. They always seem motivated, they play solid football, and they wear out their opponents. The Defense is living up to its Monsters of the Midway nickname: It is once against having another Glory Year, much like it did in 2006 or 1985: Super Bowl runs.

People say the Bears didn't beat anybody......they beat the Packers @home, the exact same game they'll play tommorrow. They beat the Jets.... seems like the Jets are a pretty good team now, doesn't it? They played the Packers tough @ Lambeau in a game the Packers needed infinitely more than the Bears. They DEMOLISHED the Seahawks in a game that wasn't close to as close as the game indicated.

Concerns? Everyone's favorite whipping boy, Jay Cutler. Yes, go ahead and show the errant throws Jay Cutler makes. Go ahead and show the Redskins game. Go ahead and doubt his tenacity. Underestimate him. Cuz when you look deeper at the stats and at past games, it tells a different story: Jay Cutler threw 23 Touchdowns to 16 interceptions this season, an above-average percentage for the NFL this season. He did it with minimal talent at WR positions (Knox, Bennett, Aromashedou, WHOOOO???) and a Tight End who doesn't run all that fast despite being a big target. Rushing game not exactly the best to set up the pass. For all the love Aaron Rodgers gets for pulling it down and scrambling with the football, Cutler is no tortoise. He can run too.

Colin Cowherd says if he had $10,000 to bet on the game tomorrow he'd put it all on Green Bay to cover. OK, Colin, I say if I had $10,000 to bet on the game tomorrow I'd put it all on Chicago. Something's gotta give. I feel SO convicted about this; I have never felt so strongly about sports ever in my life: So much so I've set up a personal stake in the game: if the Packers win tommorrow, I am wearing all-Packers gear and colors for a whole day and saying "I love Aaron Rodgers" all day in response to any questions. This would be terrible; I would truly be devastated if I have to do this, which is why I made the bet: I am confident the Bears can help me avoid that fate.

Obviously, it's not a sure thing. Something could go awfully wrong (as it does many times in sports) and Green Bay could come out with a blowout victory. Sure. But is it likely? No. And that's where I think my lesson is here: Before you count your chickens before they hatch, Green Bay, before ESPN starts setting up Aaron Rodgers personality story angles for the Super Bowl, before Colin Cowherd puts his life savings down on the Packers -3.5, I want to just remind everyone:

NOT SO FAST.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Reflections of the Mole

2011-01-08T21:16:00.000-08:00

Plenty of stuff going on in the world today, including a HUGE upset in the NFL playoffs with the defending champs getting upset by a 7-9 Seahawks team (well, now a 8-9 Seahawks team) AND the colts getting leveled at home, thus assuring that neither of the Super Bowl participants will be there again this year. Such is the NFL.

But I HAVE to, HAVE to pay patronage to one of the most cherished parts of my life: The Mole. Specifically The Mole 2: The Next Betrayal. While the initial season of "The Mole" was important in initiating the series and bringing the show to life (as well as still being a pretty good season of reality TV), it pales in comparison to the masterpiece that is The Mole 2 (IMO, of course). I will flat out declare right now that I declare it to be the best television show of all-time. Better than the Wire. Better than Seinfeld. Better than MASH. Better than the 3 stooges. Anything. The Mole 2 is the perfect combination of realistic people + precise casting (bringing enough diversity from all walks of life that the players complimented each other) + INTRIGUING host (Andersen Cooper = much love) + Mind-numbing challenges (episode 9, the ball-rotation game, is the biggest mindf*ck challenges ever created) + Excellent music (very underrated portion of this show) + built-in conflict (the Mole v. the other players) + viewer interactivity (viewers at home could guess who the Mole is).

Even if you don't believe me that it's the greatest show ever created, you should at least try it (it's free): To get started, go on youtube and type in exactly, "the mole 2-1-1." We're also waiting for The Mole 2 on DVD......Get it when it comes out. You'll be begging to know who the mole is by episode 3, I guarantee you. It'll probably turn out to be those all-nighters where you watch the whole series all the way through and wonder why it's morning already when you're going to bed.

The Mole 2 is SO good that I've watched it several times (not just the initial TV airing, when it came on in the summer of '02- I've been hooked ever since), and each time it actually gets BETTER. It's like a baseball mitt: it actually gets better with use. You see little nuances that you hadn't seen before; you focus on different things. I'm so hooked on this show that I recently ordered "Reflections of the Mole" by (the actual Mole of the Mole II, whom I won't reveal for people who haven't watched it but will). The Mole gives a brief biography of his/her life but pairs it nicely with what Mole fans are actually interested in, inside secrets about the show.

For avid fans, did you know that the Mole was actually in danger of being replaced DURING the filming of the first episode? Did you know the Mole's family situation was so dire that the Mole almost didn't make the trip? Stuff like that is SO valuable for me, a fan of the Mole but also of reality TV and the whole casting process.

Sigh, I am so loving life right now. I think in everyone's life you need something (some THINGS) probably that make you happy, that you can draw on whenever you need it to give you some joy. And I'm not talking about drugs. The Mole makes me very happy.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Movies of 2010

2011-01-07T17:26:00.000-08:00

Da Guru saw a lot of movies in 2009 -2010: A quick recap of them all in one sentence each:

1. The Lovely Bones: flashy, but not very good when it comes down to it.

2. Avatar: Didn't see it on IMAX; plot non-existant

3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 1: instantly forgettable.

4. Get Him to the Greek: Really really funny......don't think it got the praise it deserved.

5. Hot Tub Time Machine: Less funny, but clever. Good for cheap laughs with friends.

6. Alice in Wonderland: Gave this movie 15 mins, didn't like it, moved on.

7. Toy Story 3: Genius.

8. Valentine's Day: Lovely mess of a movie -- good if you like really famous actors/actresses.

Realized very quickly that I actually didn't get around to seeing many movies in 2010, like Social Network, The King's Speech, The Kids are All Right, Inception, Black Swan......yeaaaahhhh.... Changed this to recap of favorite fantasy players:

1. Dustin Pedroia: A wasted year; He'll be back.

2. Kevin Love: was freed in 2010.

3. Arian Foster: Living proof that fantasy football is just a crapshoot.

4. Jamie Garcia: proof of life on the free agency list.

5. Chauncey Billups: is done.

6. Derrick Rose: Blossoming (cliche alert)

7. Jhoulys Chacin: Up and coming.

8. Adrian Peterson + Chris Johnson: Enjoy while it lasts.

9. Aaron Rodgers: Fantasy God. Dislike team he plays for.

10. Blake Griffin: perfect illustration of dichotomy between economic + fantasy value: I wouldn't draft him in top 50 for fantasy, yet would draft in top 5 as owner to attract revenue.

11. Trevor Hoffman. You had a good run. Enter Sandman.

12. Robinson Cano: Welcome to 2012 #1 draft pick (Trust me).

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Fantasy New Year's Resolutions

2011-01-06T17:24:00.000-08:00

Fantasy New Year's Resolutions only the Fantasy guru can deliver: Everything you need to know about fantasy teams this year (specific things YOU can do to improve yourself):

1. BE READY for all your fantasy drafts. This is what most owners do when they sign up for a fantasy league: 1. get the email from the commissioner, 2. look at what date and time the draft is. 3. show up to the draft. That's not enough. The draft dictates about 50% of how your fantasy season turns out. You gotta do some research. You gotta look at last year's stats. You gotta check out this website. DUE DILIGENCE. I've been guilty of it, but vow never to do it again.

2. Draft a Boston Red Sock in your fantasy baseball draft. Loaded lineup. Preferably one of the "old" Red Sox.... I'm not sure how Adrian Gonzalez adjusts to AL pitching, he and Carl Crawford both have incentive issues with the fat contracts they just signed. Prefer: (in this order): Pedroia, Youkilis, Ellsbury.

3. win your NCAA tournament bracket. No real way to do this.....early rounds are more luck of the draw; FOCUS on your Final 4 picks (though they can also be VERY random). Pick 4 teams you like and stick with them; usually the best teams get there, and if not, usually the people in your bracket also picked them.

4. STOP drafting parasite hoops players: one of the nuances about fantasy hoops I love: guys help you, but also HURT you in multiple categories. Anyone who hurts you in more than 2 categories, AVOID!!!! (FT borderline = 75-76%, FG borderline = 45-46%). Turnovers, anything more than 2.5 is getting hurtful.
Examples: (Baron Davis: FG, FT, TO). Degree of hurtfulness also must be in consideration: can knock it down to 2 categories: (Dwight Howard: FT% AND TO, STephen Jackson- I've NEVER owned that guy).

5. Covet young, up-and-coming skill players (RB and WR's, especially WR's).
5a. Don't draft WR's with BAD QB's (see Larry Fitzgerald). However, even servicable QB's (Shaun Hill) are OK.

6. Keep drafting pitchers late in fantasy baseball drafts........one thing I've never had to resolve, I've never been burnt by this rule and stick by it steadfastly. If 2010 was the Year of the Pitcher, just wait til 2011.

7. Get in shape.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Fantasy Sport Guru

The Wire Revisited

Fantasy Landscape 2011

The Last 10 Years--- Best Things

How I Know there's a Higher Power

Top News Stories of 2012

Rivalries

A Night to Remember.....or Forget? What are we talking about again?

Signs It's Your Fantasy Football playoff week

Tim Tebow

Red Zone Channel

Fantasy Basketball Headhunter Letter, Year 3

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

Reliving Seinfeld

Enjoying Milestones

Taking on Vegas

Black Friday

I am bad at tennis

What's on my IPod,

NFL Week 10

Inside Job

The Smartest Guy in the Industry

NFL Rewind

New York City Weekend

Yea, It's the Freakin' Weekend

Mr. Yan Enters The Working World

Halloween Happiness

Fantasy Football Euphoria

Why I don’t like keeper leagues (a.k.a. why I don’t like commitment)

Random Thoughts - 10 things

Almost Famous

What 9/11 means to me

Loyalty

The Handoff: From Baseball to Football

Who would you rather......??

No news is bad news

Different faces of the law

Inevitability

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

Veronica Mars

I love this job!

New beginnings begin in Alaska

Losing on Your Home Court

What would I do if were a millionaire

Greetings from Alaska!!

Buy Chipotle Stock Part 2

Graduation

National Spelling Bee Finals

Spelling Bee Semifinals Coverage

'Twas the Night Before the Spelling Bee...

Mario Kart Items

Dog Days of Summer - Questions

Learning from your mistakes

Pyramid Schemes

BarBri Days 1-2

The End of Law School

NBA Playoffs Preview--- Fantasy style.

One Man's View of College Rankings

Whale Watching

Save, Save, Save

Early Season Nicknames

Changing Priorities

The CardTurner

New Stuff

Fantasy Baseball Preview

Seattle, WA

Orcas Island!!!!!!!!!

NCAA March Madness

This too shall pass

The Ragin' Rosenbluths

300th Post of Fantasy Sport Guru

Justified

Trading Places

Dodgeball!

Compilation of Sports Predictions --> Book it

Quotable

The End of a Dynasty

To Be a US Citizen

Real or Not Real?

Chinese New Year