Turning Point

Game of Thrones- Turning Point

Tonight is a big episode of the Game of Thrones. More accurately for me, it better be. For 4 episodes this season, I have felt a variety of emotions about Game of Thrones, including distracted, misled, repetitive, but most importantly of all those, disinterested. This is probably blasphemy for some ardent Game of Thrones novel and TV series supporters, but it’s like I’m watching a TV show that has ADHD, having a hard time concentrating. It’s almost like the writers/producers are writing about Robb Stark and suddenly they come up with this great thought about Tyrion Lannister and flip to a scene about him, then another one about Sansa, then another about Aria, then suddenly to Bran, and then we finally, finally get to the episode I really care about, which is……..Danerys. Unfortuantely I have to say, if this show was all about Danerysus’s rise to power and march to her rightful spot atop the Iron Throne, and then sometimes threw us a bone with Robb Stark and comedic relief from Tyrion, it’d be a much better show. Now there’s just way too much characters to keep track of and that I don’t really care about.

And also the nude scenes are a little lacking.

I do have to admit that the music is still right on. Just epic. Feels like the balance of the world as a whole is in the balance.

So in conclusion, I have decided that tonight, the new episode of Game of Thrones will either be my last episode or the first episode in a long line of great episodes to come….I have to make “The Decision” either way by the end of the episode. Otherwise I’m taking my viewing talents to another show.

My reluctance to show loyalty to Game of Thrones is multifaceted. Ironically, Game of Thrones itself usually puts on display reasons why we shouldn’t trust anyone: See “Eduard Stark.” More pertinently, I’ve been fooled by TV shows before and been disappointed. 7 seasons of LOST left me feeling empty inside when the last episode of the last season, promised to be the one where “answers will be given,” gave a copout ending that left me feeling like I had been the tail end of a pyramid scheme, that the payoff was about 1/1000 of what the hook was. “Heroes” comes to mind where I had to physically stop watching the show about halfway through Season 3 because it was just going nowhere. (The consensus is that Heroes had about 80% of a very good season 1, then flunked its season finale and never recovered from there). Other shows come to mind but certainly Heroes and LOST are the prime examples of my generation. The flip side (not including comedies, of course, which are usually steadily pretty good except for the painfully stretched “The Office,”) are Breaking Bad, which arguably maybe having its best season as its last, The Wire (always good), among others. However, those shows never had any signs of letting up, unlike LOST or Heroes where there was definitely a let-up but my mind just was hoping (against hope) that it would get hope. My experience has been that once enough warning signs pop up like 1.) themes are repeated, 2.) characters starting acting out of character, 3.) whole plot lines become unbearable, and 4.) other people are experiencing the same symptoms, that it’s probably a sign to stop watching the show (stop taking Viagara immediately if effects last longer than 4 hours).

Here’s a show worth watching: The Chicago Bulls. The Baby Bulls (ok, not so Baby anymore) are the team with the most heart in the league and make up for talent with determination and hard-nosed play. In a game they had no business being in, with their star player out for the season, their second-best player hobbling around with plantar facilitis, and coming off a win just 36 hours ago (a stunningly quick turnaround to have to recover from), they defeated the Nets in triple OT in what has easily been “the game” of the NBA playoffs so far. (Much better than the embarrassing loss my friends and I witnessed at the Staples Center in Lakers v. Spurs Game 3). The Bulls just never gave up, even after being down 17 or so in various stretches of the 4^th quarter and 14 with about 3 minutes left to go. The Bulls (and in this case Nate Robinson) just found a way to win. They’re not just a good team, they’re a great team to watch. They play the right way, they don’t blame their teammates if something goes wrong, they’re well coached, they play great defense, they help out, and they’re not the most talented team. It’s exactly the kind of teams I LOVE to play on and can relate to: players that haven’t been given the most God-given gifts but don’t complain about it, instead playing even harder to taken down those who are more talented.  

Now up 3-1 (big turning point was the aforementioned Game 4), I suspect the Bulls will lose Game 5 just from general fatigue (although I wouldn’t bet against them) but get geared up at home in a series-clinching Game 6, at which point they’ll have quite a challenge in the defending champion, well-rested Miami Heat. I know, however, that they won’t quit, but neither will I: They’re one show that I won’t be giving up on, regardless of the result. 

Fantasize on, 

Robert Yan 

Overreaction or Underreaction

I’ve been wrestling all week about the Boston bombings (to recap, this week has been very tumultuous as not only was there a Texas fertilizer plant that blew up killing 14 people, the running of the Boston Marathon was interrupted on Monday, Patriots’ Day, by bombings along the route that were perpetrate by unknown terrorists until Thursday night, when a massive all-day manhunt throughout Boston started and concluded with one of the suspects shot dead and another taken into custody). If I was look at the death count, it’s not such a tremendous impact: several dead, lots injured, many lost limbs, arms, etc. A younger, more callous version of myself would have just stopped there with that counter-sentiment: “It wasn’t really that big a deal, the American public is overreacting, the media has blown it way out of proportion (not intended to be a pun) due to the urban setting and sensationalist manhunt that occurred.” There’s something to be said for that: terrorist attacks happen all the time in other countries, bombings in public areas and mass hysteria, certainly exerting a death and injury toll higher than that witnessed in Boston. In fact, in China this week many hundreds died due to an earthquake. Are those lives that are lost in the earthquake less important than the ones lost in the Boston bombings? I would think not. All deaths and injuries are not to be taken lightly. And as an American I wouldn’t want to confirm the stereotypical view that Americans feel invincible, like they are superior to others and can’t be hurt, or that their lives are more precious than citizens of other countries. So that would be one side to the argument, that I and most of America is are overreacting to this event.

                The argument for why I might be UNDERreacting to this news, though, is that this is not a normal bombing. This is a trend to something bigger, that random people throughout America, for whatever reason, whether they’re disgruntled at someone specific or angry at the world or whatever, can cause mass killings and create great chaos and put many, many people in harm’s way. Perhaps this is just a piece of a bigger picture, of a society that’s increasingly harboring citizens that become so delusional and ill-witted but with such tremendous means to create great destruction that it’s becoming too big of a problem. I don’t know if other decades, time periods, and eras had this much random violence, but certainly the last few years or so has seen a flurry of these kinds of random mass terrorist-like acts, whether in Aurora, Colorado, Gabby Giffords in Arizona, last December’s Newtown, Connecticut shootings, and now this. It’s really a disturbing sign that although very random, and having a minimal chance of happening to you yourself, that we’ve lost control of the ability to keep these maniacs, lunatics, or illdoers away from themselves or their distorted ideals, that we have to accept these ground rules (that you might be subject to mass violence in a very public place) at any time. It is very tragic and very disturbing, and I fear that I might be UNDERREACTING to this news. I’m really worried that these random attacks will surpass earthquakes and others in the sphere of consciousness as the most feared killers. Also, think about this specific Boston bombing: Done at the end of a sporting event for charity, where most of the participants are running for some cause, have been drawn by the publicity of the event to contribute to society and do good, basically the best members of society being singled out by these bombers and targeted to their detriment. It’s really a shame and sends a very bad message to the public as a whole. Let’s stop this.

Since this is a fantasy blog though and there have been 3 weeks of baseball in the books, let’s do a theme of overreaction/underreaction to some of the slow starts and hot streaks at the beginning of the season and evaluate early season trends.

1.)    Some marginal pitchers that people might be underreacting to are Paul Maholm (man just look at that strikeout rate), Hisashi Iwakuma (great environment), Carlos Villanueva (no pressure in the right league). Many are touting them as “regressing to the mean” candidates, but sometimes pitchers just breakout, and we may be seeing the beginning of great years.

2.)    LOT of overreaction on Mike Trout. Remember at this time last year he hadn’t even taken a major league at-bat yet. Still 35 HR, 40 SB at least, I’d say.

3.)    Generally, don’t overreact to any proven hitters who have put up similar numbers for 4 or more years. These are guys who, whatever they’re going through, have “gone through it” before, and have figured it out.  Don’t worry about Matt Kemp’s “recovery from injury,” Joey Votto’s lack of power, Ryan Braun’s slow start (geez, if you’re worried about Ryan Braun other than possible suspension you don’t know fantasy baseball)

4.)    Do worry about those hitters if they’re getting too old. A buddy of mine recently told me Albert Pujols has regressed to the point he has to “cheat on a fastball,” which indicates loss of bat speed, rapid regression, etc. Bad news for Angels, bad news for fantasy owners.

5.)    John Buck- we might all be underreacting here. Every once in a while a 30+ guy has a year that he’s never done before and no one ever saw coming (see Esteban Loaiza, Edwin Encarnacion). For some owners, he might be so obvious of a pickup (more than 10 RBI’s more than the closest competitor on waiver wire) that people don’t want to pick him up. If he’s on some waiver wires,  Grab him.

6.)    Coco Crisp: Ok, now here’s a guy who will never hit for much power, his 5 HR’s will probably be half of his season total. Don’t overreact.

7.)    Dexter Fowler: Seems like a legitimate breakout to me. Good park, good lineup protection, good pedigree. Overreact. Go wild.

8.)    Jed Lowrie/Michael Morse All Oakland and Seattle hitters. Those parks will gobble their stats alive.

9.)    Not that many closer changes in the MLB yet (unlike last year, when a lot). Don’t overreact and pay a high price in a trade for a closer. New closers are coming, trust me. Managers are impatient to win and will have itchy trigger fingers.

10.) Don’t underreact to the “passing of the torch” at the top of the hitter rankings, names like Bryce Harper, Justin Upton, Carlos Gonzalez, and Adam Jones. These are the new hitting hierarchy, and we just need to get used to them.

FFantasize on, 

Robert Yan  

Fantasy Life and Fantasy Dodgeball.

Quick notes:

1.) Zero Dark Thirty is a very factual, very well-done movie. Better than Argo.
2.) One-Eyed Gypsy is a very....interesting bar in Los Angeles. A little loud.
3.) The Angels are probably going to be under-.500 this season and for the foreseeable future. Depressing, I know.
4.) Switching from Blackberry to I-phone is like a kid opening gifts on Christmas.
5.) Whoever invented National Sibling Awareness Day, well done. I guess I just appreciated my sister writing "here's to the best big brother in the world" on facebook.
6.) SHOCKER NOTE:
As I am busier and busier and have to focus on other things, I realize that fantasy baseball is a BIG commitment. I don't know whether I can do one more season of it (I mean I want to, but I don't know it it's responsible for me to spend 180 days of a year dedicated to something that requires like an hour of my time every day). It might just not be worth it, as much as I hate to say it.

The World Dodgeball Society is a very well-run dodgeball "society" based in LA (it's since spread to various cities) that has leagues around the area and some of the best dodgeball players in the world. Some might scoff at being the "best dodgeball player" in the world because it's not a very publicized or recognized  (and really, that's a product of ESPN and audience appetites that have developed over time, not the inherent entertainment value of dodgeball or amount of athleticism and skill that is on display) sport, but trust me, the people that I name here deserve to be at the top of the sport. As a relative newcomer to the sport, I'm still learning the game and learning everything every day, but I know enough to know the people who are really good at this game, what they do well, and why they do the things that they do.

Anyway, here's a little fun "If dodgeball had a fantasy league edition:"
Fantasy dodgeball

1.) Hit target: +10.
2.) Catches: +20.
3.) Thrown catch (someone else catches you): -20.
4.) Half-catch: You deflect ball, someone else catches: +15 for deflecter, +5 for catcher.
5.) Hustle ball-get: gain a ball for your team that the official scorer (kind of like baseball scorekeeper determining an error) deems to be one you normally wouldn't have gotten).
6.) Game-changer: get out the other team's top player. = +6
7.) Last one standing on team
8.) Successful shagging of team
9.) Awesome costume: +3.
10.) Excellent pre-game huddle routine: +5.
11.) Pinching: -7. Frowned up.
12.) Hit someone in the head: -2. Sometimes inevitable, but can be avoided.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, try out World Dodgeball Society.

Extending the metaphor to life (some of these things I do):

1.) Brush your teeth: +2.
2.) Floss: +1.
3.) Exercise for 30 minutes: +5.
4.) Fill up on chips: -3.
5.) Get to work on time: +4.
6.) Be cheerful to co-workers: +1 for each co-worker.
7.) Cursing: -1 for each curse.
8.) Take out the garbage: +2.
9.) help your neighbor/someone else take out the garbage: +3.
10.) Cure cancer: +100,000.
11.) Donate blood: +20.
12.) Spend a weekend volunteering: +50.
13.) 24-hour marathon of Honey BooBoo: -20, plus imagine all the opportunities to gain points you would have wasted!
You get the idea.

Wild, never-will happen but imagine-if-it-did scenario: I think things would be accomplished better that way if there was a fantasy league of life,  and people were playing to win. You think some competitive people would be improving their lives just so they could win: I think so.

The Mid-Twenties Crisis

I'm about to 26. Can't believe it. When I was 19 and a sophomore in college, I couldn't wait to turn 20. 20 was closer to 21; 20 was the entrance to a decade of opportunity and freedom; 20 was a great age, almost as good as the best age, 21. I was big into Heroes back then (the NBC hit TV show, not firefighters or Batman or modern everyday heroes who help those in need, the real heroes) and thought that when I turned 20, there might (mystically) be some sort of transformation in myself that I would inhert a superpower, like x-ray vision, telepathy, or even the ability to fly. Yes, I know. I am not proud of my 19-year old self.

My 21st birthday passed and went (I do remember the standard heavy amounts of alcohol before passing out before midnight that night and it being rather uneventful), as did my 22nd, 23rd, and 24th birthdays, all happening during finals week of law school (the curse of the early-May birthdays) and thus passed over without much thought. My 25th birthday was actually kind of cool, the lawyers and employees of Meyer Law Organization threw a surprise party for me with a cake and everything. Not bad. I passed out before midnight.

This year, I'm being more reflective about my birthday as it's the first of a few in my (can't believe I'm saying this) LATE-twenties. Suddenly I've vaunted from the carefree days of college early-twenties era to the responsbilities-laden, work-necessary, supposedly income-generating and spouse-finding years in the late twenties. Appropriately enough, I'm at a crossroads in my life: Since I last posted I left my old job (a significant lifestyle change that changes how I spend at least half of my waking hours), spent a month at home polishing up my Japanese, then moved into downtown Los Angeles and started on a contract attorney position. Eventually that will pass, and I will be pressed to find my next opportunity, my next living space, my next girlfriend, my next way of living. And the later I am in life and in my (dreaded) late-twenties, the more I should find a permanent opportunity, a permanent living space, a permanent girlfriend, a permanent way of living. I have to establish that soon.

But enough about that, for I'm still 25; I'm still in my mid-twenties, and who knows, maybe when I turn 26, I'll turn into a superhero.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan