Monday

 Yes it is the Monday morning let down after a great week of basketball for both the 7th and 8th grade girls it's back to school and homework. But alas there is a game tonight yes Lamesa is on the hit list their number came up and there are going down if our girls can rebound from Tatum's party. That is right the girls had a sleep over at Tatum's Saturday night and it was a little taxing They were feed great food and were entertained by Josh Abbott who was in town playing at the wild west. Summer didn't know that my sister is his aunt. And we were at a wedding a few months ago and she sat and talked to Josh's Mom and Dad the whole time. Its a small world. Anyway they were sleeping in the barn because you don't want 13 teen age girls running around your house all night. After they just won the biggest Basketball tournament of the year for them.  The only problem was the heater in the barn quit working and it got cold real cold yes this is the middle of the winter. Tatum would not let them go in the house and the girls didn't want to go home because that would hurt Tatum's feelings and ruin the party. So like the troopers they are they stuck it out and survived. So after an hour of sleep at the party Summer came home and sleep all day. Then had a hard time sleeping Sunday night. Woke up Monday dragging ass didn't want to go to school did not want to drive all the way to Lamesa and play ball.  It is so much fun to go to a party. It does give them something to talk about. Maybe bond for a few days before going back to Prima Dona land. Ha Ha !!!!!!!

                               Remember never whip a horse that wants to run
                                          With a stick or with your tongue

International

 I am so happy to see a lot more people from around the world reading my blog Russia, India, France all over it is nice to know humans from different walks of life can read each others stuff and be more in tune to the way of life in other parts of the world. I know I wright a lot about Basketball because that is what my youngest daughter is involved in right now and it does provide a vehicle for understanding the American lifestyle. America is a very competitive place where you either win lose or settle. And sports is a way to just continue that competitive spirit even after you can't compete anymore. But what the international reader should know is America is the land of Greed  or in other words ((America the Greedy)) the all mighty dollar is what runs this country and always has. And the system is set up to make the rich richer and the poor poorer with the exception of the ruthless cold hearted person willing to do what ever it takes in the black market and does not get caught. Because if you get caught we have the largest Prison system in the world and are more than happy to have you work for the rest of your life for the state. That is the down side to crime all those years of slavery There is no personal slaves anymore but the state that is a different thing. And then there is economic slavery. If you don't work you don't eat and will be put in prison for any number of crimes like vagrancy trespassing not paying your bills or fines they have ways of getting rid of people. So if you are a person living in another country and are thinking of moving to America come on over just be prepared to work your ass off for the dream or the nightmare which ever it turns out to be. If you don't mind living around a bunch of greedy selfish spoiled people all walking around with poker faces trying to out do each other. When I was a kid America was not like this it has only happened in the last 25 years. Now your greed and your possessions define who you are. So get over here...........

Basketball and a Rock Band

I was talking to one of the parents of a player on our Mob basketball team. And he was telling me about how his daughter is starting to become more involved with music and is losing interest in playing ball. And I myself being a musician I can see this because that is what happened to me I lost interest in sports and put all my time and energy in to music when I was young. But looking back if it wasn't for all the teams I played on I would have never been able to understand the personal dynamics a band or a team. Because they are the same there is a pecking order in everything. So lets go through it. The point guard is the drummer they set the tempo of the game or the song fast or slow. Now you have the rest of the rhythm section the rhythm guitar and the bass guitar these are your other guards or wing players. They are holding the bottom down and creating the base for your talent players to play. Now who is the talent well its your lead guitar player and your lead singer. The lead singer is your tall post player because both have God given talent. No matter how hard you try you can not make your self tall.And no matter how many singing lessons you take if you can't sing you can't sing. This is talent you do not have to work for God given. And your lead guitar player or your power forward is the same it is God given talent. Now both group have to get on stage and perform. That is right anytime you take your self out of the stands and put yourself out in front of people you have to put on a show perform. Sports is a performing art just like music.And should be treated the same. So it is just like I told my player who wanted to quit basketball and just do music. Basketball is preparing you do be a better performer and a better musician by putting you on that stage and learning to control your nerves. Most people when they get through with their High school athletic career if they were stars they miss the stage and the adulation the attention they become musicians and actors and yes teachers they find a stage even if there audience is children. Adrenaline is a drug..And performing in public is addictive. So have fun with your local Rock Band and your local basketball team...


 



         

Leveland

Well it was a real busy week for basketball here on the plains of west Texas. The Shallowater 7th and 8th
girls teams won the Tournament over in Leveland but it was not easy. The 8th graders they had it pretty easy
After a good game against Frenship on Thursday they play Cooper on Friday not much of a game there an easy win then the Championship on Saturday with Leveland another easy win. But the 7th graders they were in a dog fight against Frenship but pulled it out. Then the next day they were down by 15 in the 4th quarter and their best player was out of the game sick. But some how miraculously they started making shots and getting steals and be for you know it they hit a shot at the buzzer to win by one point. It was the best game I have seen in a long time. But they are use to doing that I don't think they have lost a game in two years And they have been in some close ones. Somehow they always come out on top its uncanny.
 Then on Saturday our mob team got back on there winning ways and played one of the best game of the season for them. It was a team effort not just a one girl show. After that game where our star didn't show up the rest of the team is starting to step up and play better take more responsibility. 

After the game

 Yes after the game is when you see who wants to win. That is right some people cry some get mad some don't care some players show no emotions at all. You can tell a lot about what kind of players you have by the way they lose. Winning show nothing its only through adversity through loosing do you get a glimpse at the heart of your players and how bad they won't to win or if they are just going through the motions. If you are winning you don't work as hard you don't do the extras that will make you better at the next level It is easy to become complacent and set in your routine. Only by lousing and having a real desire to win will a player work harder and sacrifice to get better and it is always conditioning you have to tune the instrument to play your best. That is the only thing a player can control in sports conditioning. All most all other aspects of the game is controlled by other people The coach the referee the other teams players your teams players. The only thing you can control is how hard you work and how bad you want it. And as a Coach you can't see that until you lose some close games that you won't to win.
 Here is another thing after the game. There is two rules in Coaching Educate and Motivate show your players what you want them to do then tell them how good they are doing it that is it no negative comments don't be a fault finder and remember players want to win more than you do. Everybody makes mistakes even you.so don't be a critic be a coach a helper a friend a confidante a cheerleader a teacher not a tyrant a dictator I am the coach I am larger and in charge. And after the game find all the good points of the game and tell your players how good they did win or lose. Be real don't make up stuff players can see through false praise and you lose face credibility and if they don't believe you they want listen to you. Then you can't coach them. So have fun win or lose. After the game!!!!!!!!!!




 

Gun Control

I was recently reading some post on my face book Page about gun control and the number of killings in the U.S. compared to some other European countries and other places in the world like Australia. There were the same old arguments guns done kill people... people do. Yes you can kill people with a shovel or a piece of rope the gun is a tool and that is all it is. Then there is the other side it is to easy to get guns in the U. S. so we need to band gun but that goes against the constitution the rite to bare arms. So here we are and the funny thing is the people who are for gun control are the liberal left the ones who realize if you band something then the only people who have it are criminals and you make them rich by regulating it just like marijuana and just like alcohol during prohibition. That is what made the mafia possible here in the U.S. they made so much money with illegal alcohol it became a successful organization and is still today with drug money. Now on the other hand is the right the old people who say you want my gun you will have to pry it out of my cold dead hand after I have unloaded it in your ass.Personal protection and protection of property is at the heart of there argument and is a valid point.
  Now what the problem is there is a big difference in the psychology of countries  that is right you can't compare the wide openness of the U.S. and the almost feudal system in Europe. If your father is a Plumber in Europe you are going to be a plumber most likely and you are fine with that. Here in the U.S. if your father is a plumber everyone tells you you can be anything you can be a famous actor, singer, doctor,president yes they tell you that you can be anything with hard work. But the fact is you can't if you are not born into a industry you can't  break in to it. It is almost impossible but everyone lies to there little kids and tells them if they work hard it will happen.Then the realization sets in and the frustration that they have been whipping a dead horse. And they go to work for there father as a plumber if they have that option if they don't they go out to get the American Dream money and they don't care what they have to do to get it. This is our national personality and it is very competitive and all people care about is money your wife will divorce you if you don't have enough money if you don't live in the right house or drive the right car or wear the right clothes
you are nobody and so are your children. There is great pressure on people and you wonder why we have so many killing. This is real easy to understand and it has nothing to do with guns. Its about money. And the stress it puts on people to scurry around and get it and if you cheat someone out of there power there money  they will kill you. And if you take away the guns they will kill each other with sticks and rocks. Unfortunately
that is the problem... Our economic system it's so great???????????






   

Just a thought

Life in small town Texas. Yes I went to Summers Basketball game yesterday at Sundown what a bleak little place it is about 15 miles southwest of Leveland in the desert nothing out there but cows and oil wells and every pump jack I seen was moving yes they are sucking that stuff out as fast as they can because the price is up I can remember when all those pump jacks were still not working it looked like a scrap yard out there all the rusty steel just sitting there the cows and the whistle of the wind through the tumble weeds the prairie dogs trying to take back there land. But not now no now it's time to work get out there and paint that old rusty steel fix the roads pump stuff in the ground to force the last drop of oil from the ground. There are trucks and men driving around everywhere working to keep that field producing. I don't know much about the oil industry I worked on a rig back in the 1980 for about a year so I am no expert but back then oil was less than $20 a barrel and every well we drilled they caped and then they finally laid us off because they said the price had to be over $20 a barrel before they could make a profit. Now the price is up and they are making hay wile the sun shines. Go and get that almighty dollar as fast as you can it's the American way. So if your job is slow because of the price of energy just remember one side slows down the other side speeds up yes
people down here in Texas in the oil business are doing fine right now cutting a fat hog in the ass plenty of ham and bacon on the table. Driving around in our great big pickup trucks that get about 10 miles per gallon but we don't care the more we use the longer the price stays up and the more money we make it feeds off it self and we know it. So when gas goes to 5 6 7 10 dollars a gallon don't worry about us we will be down here getting Rich Rich Rich Thank you George Bush. By the way where is all the money going from the Iraq oil. That is the reason we went in there to steal there oil where is all the money going. You know Bush wouldn't tell But neither will Barack Obomber what a joke of a president they showed him the book and he pissed his pants. Bush couldn't read the book so it didn't scare him. He just stumbled around and did exactly what he was told. Good job.. Obomber that's what happens when you send a black man to do a white mans job this is not a basketball game or how to pimp your girlfriend or a movie about how smart black people are written by black people this is the real shit real life This is the real gang wars with big boy toys like Jet Airplanes and Aircraft Carriers and Tanks. Not guns and knifes that is what the little boy gangs on the corner selling dope to their friend use not nuclear weapons. So next time America votes we need to remember Black people are good at physical games but when it comes to making big decisions about the state of the world go with the guy who is good at abstract thinking the Oriental. I vote for Wong Lee   the owner of Walmart.......