Liz_Habib's Blog

I hate Scrabble two-letter words. Hate, hate, hate. (I know that's strong to say, but, oy, do I dislike them.)

There are real two-letter words such as me, to, is, do...and, okay, oy. But mm, hm, ae, qi and za? Who's makin' this stuff up?

I can't play this game. I hate losing to people who use these typographical terrors that don't exist in our everyday language. When was the last time you used "ae" in a sentence? (According to the Scrabble dictionary, ae  means "one.")

Have you ever heard anyone say...

"Wow, you're the ae for me."

Or, "We're number ae!"

I want to ban them all! Who says "za" instead of pizza? Who knew that "qi" was a Chinese vital force? We say "hm" and "mm" when we're talking, but should they really win a Scrabble game?

Sigh.

It's a battle I'm not winning. Scrabble dictionaries are everywhere. I guess I better start studying the list of 101 Scrabble-approved two-letter words. Hm.

Anyway, may the best ae win.

Lots swirling out here in San Antonio as the clock ticks down to game 4.    The players preparing so they don't take another 19 point beating from San Antonio.  Lamar Odom took a whole lot of blame after game 3 for the Lakers loss,  I saw him at practice yesterday  at the free throw line just like he said he would be.  Pau Gasol seemed pretty down as well.  It'll be interesting to see how he comes out tonight.  So far in these playoffs he had his best game in game 1, first round versus Denver.  The team could use a little of that now.

Most of the sports writers I talk to say this season is a gift.....   last summer at training camp in Hawaii they thought this would be a horrible year.  Now everyone thinks this could be the start of a new Lakers dynasty.  They say the players are a lot happier and closer to each other now than they were in the Kobe/Shaq years.  And the guys who have been around for years....they are really enjoying this.

Which team do you like better?  Kobe/Shaq  or the Kobe/Pau/Odom team?

 

I'm sitting with veteran sports  writer Mike Bresnahan from the LA Times.  He doesn't want me to admit this but....   he thinks the Lakers are going to struggle with the Spurs.  (Read between the lines)  Bres is a pro, a journalist, award winning, knows all the insiders, has Kobe's home number,  knows what the team ate for dinner last night, where, what time and who was there and how much Kobe paid for the watches he gave all his teammates.   (the answers are ....   McCormick and Schmick's, seafood, 5:30 pm, all the players and $9800 each).   Now Bres would NEVER EVER NEVER  show favoritism or bias toward the Lakers.  (Although the Lakers might not agree)  In a professional sense that's exactly how the world is supposed  to go around.  Reporters do not show bias, support, do favors for, or CHEER on any team.   But the lines blur all the time especially with local reporters who tend to support lots of things in their community.  So Bres would never throw down a fist pump when Kobe makes one of his supernatural through three defenders layups.  Bres is a better man than I.  Because in spite of all that's proper in reporting...sometimes I just can't help it.   Now I'm not standing up and giving Beto Duran from 710 ESPN radio high 5's but sometimes you gotta just appreciate the game.  I shouldn't admit it...Bres is begging me not to.  In fact,  I think he'll stop talking to me at the games from now on.  Why associate with a known cheerer?

I found a dog on Friday night roaming the streets of Carson.  Actually my photographer Steve spotted her first running around in the middle of the 6 land road...about to get hit by a car.  We pulled over to get her and she was petrified of us and everything around us.  I have never seen a dog in such bad shape.  I have cried over this dog.  She is a little beagle.  She has not been spayed.  She has tumors and might have cancer.  Her nails are worn down way too low like she's been running in the streets for days ..or who knows how long...  She has a scrape on her nose... Her tail is between her legs all the time.  She doesn't bark.  Her teeth are black and a mess.    I can't tell if she has any idea about being housebroken.  I took her for a walk for an hour on Saturday and she didn't go the bathroom at all.  nothing.  She doesn't know where to go the bathroom.  She's afraid to eat when I'm in the room.... 

SO WHAT DO I DO NOW?

I took her to the vet.  He gave her all her shots.  He drew blood and determined she is anemic.  I have to go to Utah for the weekend for the Laker's game so they're keeping her for a few days to spay her, xray her lungs for cancer and clean her teeth.  I called down to a shelter in the Carson area.  They told me they don't take reports over the phone.  I have to drive down there and post a sign.  She doesn't have a collar or a chip.  After some prodding the woman who answered the phone at the shelter agreed to go look at the message board and returned to the phone to tell me there were no reports of a missing beagle.  Thanks for your help. 
I meet a woman on Saturday who runs an animal rescue...she said,  "why would you want to find that dogs owner?"  Is she right? 

SO WHAT DO I DO NOW?

How hard should I look?  Should I keep her and find a good home for her?  What would you do?

I'm sitting here in Denver having a Starbucks soy sugar free mocha latte.  (it's my latest drink since going vegan).  And I'm thinking about the Lakers first round against the No No Nuggets..  how pathetic,  not the Lakers,  the Nuggets.  A team full of current all stars, past all stars, defensive player of the year, the league's active player who has scored the most points in playoff action,  and on and on and on and on and........

AND WHAT?  they turned out to be a bunch of whiny, sorry, no show wanna be, overpaid losers at the elite level.   Carmelo Anthony complained that his team quit..and his coach quit...poor baby.   JR Smith called Sasha Vujacic a flopper .....  btw did anyone see JR throw an elbow or two out there????   ....  everyone on that team complains constantly that they don't get the calls from the refs....AND THE REPORTERS IN THIS TOWN FUEL THE FIRE BY AGREEING WITH THAT BUNCH OF WHINERS.  well, not all of the reporters but I heard the guys on the radio calling the game yapping about the calls.  Do you suppose the refs get sick of having Melo and the gang in their faces for the entire game? 

I could go on forever,   but that said,  up against the most tatted out bunch of boys on one team,  the Lakers looked like a class act.  I couldn't get Kobe to even comment on Carmelo's comments.  Which I think is unfortunate because I think all the players play it way too safe in the post game locker room comments.  I'm not asking for trash talk... but when I asked Kobe if he heard Melo's comments that the Nuggests quit...Kobe said "Yeah I saw it"  and when I said "What's your reaction?'  He shrugged his shoulders and said he had none.  REALLY??????   One of the best players in the league has a melt down in the locker room after game 3 and you don't think a thing!??  OK.  So we settle for the same old boring comments that we always get. 

On to round 2,  maybe the Jazz (if that's who it turns out to be and it looks that way)  will give us more excitement on the court...

Heading home from Denver today, can't wait to touch down at LAX.

now that we've gotten through the first two rounds...  here are some thoughts after watching UCLA...

First Round:

it was just wrong. 

vs. Texas A & M:

I'll admit I was surprised at how the Aggies dominated most of the second half....  leading by 10.  But in the last 5 minutes of the game the Bruins whittled away at the lead and the basket got smaller and smaller for the Aggies.  The thing about UCLA is...they never quit.  And it always seems to me that no other team keeps up that intensity so the Bruins pull off the team no matter how close it seems.  There is no question that Kevin Love brings it on...getting the big blocks again and again.  He also seems to hit the big 3 pointer right when the Bruins need the change of momentum..this boy makes this team win.  Props also go to Darren Collison.   Collison has stepped up his game and when the ball is put in his hands in the final stretch he is making the play happen.  Kevin Love and Darren Collison are putting the wins in the win column.  UCLA has matched a school record 33 wins and it's because of these two players. 

Josh Shipp didn't kit a basket against Texas A&M but he never waivered.  He never looked frustrated.  He never stopped playing defense.  He stayed in the game in every way until the final shot block.  And Shipp gets the credit for some MAJOR D that saved that game. 

OK so lets talk about "The Picture".  Saw it on the cover of the sports section....clearly Shipp fouled  Sloan.  I didn't see the final 9 seconds of play.....aaaahahahahahahaaahahahahahahahahahhaha!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Sometimes when I have to shoot crowd reaction I have to leave the game to get ready to get the best shots....   So I didn't see the scrum but I know there was some confusion over who got the block in the first place....   and another thing...nobody....NOBODY...said a word about Shipp fouling Sloan...not Sloan ...not the coaches...and as I understand it...NOT CBS either.

And another thing...where was the CBS replay?????????   Everyone who watched tv told me....Dick Enberg didn't mention a word.....  CBS come on!!!!!!!  Let's see some high tech replay.... ...  if you want your broadcast of March Madness to matter...let's see some good camera angles.  I didn't see the broadcast....I'm just saying...  this is what the sports folk are talking about. 

Oh and I know...Pitt lost.  I had UCLA playing PItt in the finals.  What can I say?   I went to PItt....and I cover UCLA.  I go with my heart.