TheTastyGreek

Systems come out in fall... Will our Big Soon News happen first?

I didn't expect it to be for discs... But if I had spent a lot of money on Xbox live games and now faced the prospect of buying them all over again... I can see why people are upset about that.

I'm very old school. I still have an original generation machine (no direct HDMI outputs, no wi-fi adapter) that's plugging along. When I want to be online with it, I connect a network cable in the back. And when I don't, I don't have to be. I think the complaining about mandatory online connection is less about inconvenience (though it is a major deal for some people in places with spotty connections or limited broadband access) and more about the fact it feels like a trojan horse to screw people out of ownership over the games they buy. PC games are basically just licenses, and that's what's going to happen with consoles, too. And I hate it.

Very few people hold Benford in lower esteem than I do, and I'm still on board with recruiting this guy. I think that, given the right circumstances and appropriate coaching, he could be a Latrell Sprewell type contributor for us.

A lot of pizza places and Italian restaurants in America are run by Albanians. One of my (sadly, former) favorites, Vinny's in Lewisville, was a great example of a delicious one. Nick's Pizza and Pasta is another one. Just like a lot of Greek restaurants here are run by Lebanese people. I guess if you want to start a family restaurant, you make it a point to start one that American people recognize and already like (that happens to be at least reasonably close to your own home country). Anyway... During the war in Kosovo, supposedly a lot of the money funding the KLA came from repatriated earnings Albanians sent home from wherever they happened to be living and working. So, if you ate a pizza or a plate of spaghetti from a family restaurant in the 90's... You may have been financing the war in the former Yugoslav republics. Don't let Vlade Divac know.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_of_Lek A lot of Albanian law and tradition derives from the Laws of Lek. Which, from my understanding, features entire sections of codified rules governing the ins and outs of vendetta killing and murder for crimes against honor. I hope this guy ends up coming here. Because if he does, and we ever try to pull his scholarship? Someone in his extended family with a strong traditional code might solve our coaching problem for us.

Albania is fascinating. Very insular, very unique. The most isolated linguistic culture of any nation (Albanian is the last of the Phygo-Thracian languages... There is practically nothing else like it left on earth). And they make the stereotypical Sicilians look like Tibetan monks. About 10 years ago, my parents took a trip back over to Greece. They landed, went home to the apartment, dropped off their things, and went out to buy some groceries. Digression: I know that some people here love to pretend they know something about Greece because they saw 20 seconds of video and 5 hours of yammering on their cable news network of choice a year or two ago. But, whatever your messed up conception of the Greek economy... It was and is like the golden road of Oz to all the neighboring countries. Romanians, Bulgarians, and especially (after the pyramid schemes destroyed their economy and threw the country into anarchy) Albanians. While they were gone, a group of guys broke in and robbed the apartment. Stole some electronics, money, and passports. Mom called the police, who (apparently unlike the United States) still actively investigate thefts and property crimes. They came out, took some photos and an inventory of what was missing, and asked a few questions. When Mom and Dad explained that they had literally just arrived... The police immediately ruled out Albanians as the potential thieves. How could the police know it wasn't Albanians? Well, they explained, whoever broke in obviously saw them dragging luggage up to the apartment, then watched and waited for them to leave before breaking in. So, obviously it was Romanians. Because if it had been Albanian thieves, they wouldn't have waited for them to leave the apartment. And they probably would have killed them. Sure enough, when they caught the guys, they were Romanian. And while they were handcuffed at the police station, my mother absolutely slapped the shit out of one of them, much to the amusement of the police. Dad took her out of the station before she could get after the second guy, trying to make sure she didn't end up locked up for assault. Anyway... Albanians can be total badasses. Multiple technical fouls? Multiple ejections? This guy sounds like a pretty intimidating interior presence. Probably not a cuddly fan favorite like Roger... But he could definitely play a role for us.

The second major turning into a second degree plan only works if they actually file your paperwork correctly. If the undergrad advisor quits during the semester you graduate, and the fill-in is a grad student who doesn't know what the hell they're doing, you might find out 8 years later that you have one degree with two majors, and not credit for two full degrees. This Green Light to Greatness brought to you by TheTastyGreek

He could be a Tirana-saurus for our team.

http://www.hoopville.com/2010/11/23/2010-national-prep-showcase-final-notes/ Used to play with Mo Harkless in AAU. (also mentioned in that recap: Keith Coleman) http://www.maxpreps.com/news/BVQA1IsUDk2FAEFXeNcMcQ/massachusetts--sophomore-phenom-leads-malden.htm http://www.wickedlocal.com/malden/sports/x1091751850#axzz2UEcX9mgD He's an Albanian guy

Prep school. Tristan and Alzee did it, too. Gets you an extra year of seasoning and/or time to get grades and eligibility in order without enrolling you in a JUCO or 4 year and starting your NCAA eligibility clock.

http://www.wickedlocal.com/malden/news/x1959828649/Parents-defend-players-as-officials-investigate-boys-basketball-incident#axzz2UEcX9mgD

He comes down for a game or two a year. Did the 2008 tourney in Mobile, the 07 NCAA game in New Orleans, and would have been in Hot Springs last year if the bottom hadn't fallen out on the program.

The offseason is definitely a MFer.

I love a good pun, but there's a cage for this sort of thing.

New Xbox thread?

And make sure they pee before they leave the bar.

I have a nominee: (DON'T LISTEN AT WORK)

Persistent rumors that piss me off if true: - Always-on internet requirement - Aggressive, obtrusive DRM that basically kills used games - Mandatory bundled Kinect, with forced integration into console use and gameplay Any of those alone is enough to push me into buying my first Sony game system ever instead of the new Xbox. And almost all of them have been roundabout confirmed or no-commented to the point where they seem inevitable. My opinion only, your mileage may vary.

The new Xbox reveal, much like basketball signing period, seems obviously (and has seemed that way for months leading up to it) destined to just piss me off and leave me pessimistic and wondering whether I should spend my time and money on something else.

Great post... But what I REALLY love is the out-of-context Harry quote in your signature. Excellent work.

There's a cage for this sort of stuff.

O'er the laaaaaaand of the FREEEEEEE... And the home... of the... MOTHERF---IN! braaaaaaaaaaaave!

FOOTBALL Mac had a heart attack, just like Dickey once did. But, unlike Dickey, we didn't fire him 3 weeks later. Mac is back at work. Not sure what you have on your Dan McCarney medical bingo card... But if Eye, Stroke, and Heart Attack line up with the free space, you might be one more calamity away from a swell prize! Richard Abbe got busted for drunk driving. It's either no big deal or a really big deal... I can't remember which, just that it's a very clear black or white issue. Anyway, he also apparently peed in the street once upon a time, so he's suspended. Brock didn't do much in spring practice because he was hurt. He's 3rd on the quarterback depth chart right now. One of three things is going to happen: 1) Brock will win the starting job in the fall, and we'll make it to a bowl, because he's practically Johnny Manziel according to one ranking 2 or 3 years ago. 2) Derek Thompson will keep the starting job, and we'll make it to a bowl, because he's a lot better than anyone wants to give him credit for. Grit, grindstone, etc. 3) We're going to suck no matter who plays QB, because we always suck and everyone sucks and suckity suck suck suck terrible doomed everyone cry and hang yourselves. BASKETBALL I hope you didn't have a strong emotional attachment to anyone in the 2012 men's recruiting class, because the only one left is Keith Coleman. Overlander, gone to Arkansas Tech. P.J. Hardwick, gone to Arkansas State. And, considering Spring semester just finished a week ago... It's not inconceivable that Coleman ends up at a lesser Arkansas school to be named later. On the lady side, we had a great freshman player who decided to leave. She went to Butler. Don't worry, though, because Coach Petersen got a totally awesome recruit to replace her. Super great. But no, you can't meet her. She lives in Canada, or something. Yes, she TOTALLY signed a letter of intent! No, you can't know what her name is. Okay, fine! He'll tell you. But not yet. Soon. Not now, though. We may have almost gotten a guy who Kansas thought was going to be pretty great, back when he was an 8th grader. We may not have really been very close to getting him, though. The only thing we know for sure is that he decided to move closer to his DFW home by transferring to a school 1000 miles away in Arizona. It's okay, though, because we got a white guy who will mix the JUCO all american awesomeness of Eric Tramiel with the lunch pail coach-on-the-floor gumption of (insert your favorite former white player's name here). We also got a guy with a swell nickname. "Flash". Try saying it: "FLASH!" Don't you feel better already? Good. Then you're emotionally prepared to hear that we lost out on desperately needed JUCO help to the likes of Texas State and Troy. And we've still got an open scholarship to give, even though signing period is over. If that makes you sad, try saying "Flash!" a few times to shake some endorphins loose. UNT90 hates everything about everything. KRAM hates everyone who hates anything. And he's ABSOLUTELY DONE arguing or discussing it with anyone. He lets everyone know at least once or twice a week. A couple of new forum members with daytime IP addresses that trace back to the UNT campus think we're being way too hard on Benford, and we ought to shut up and quit criticizing him so much. Also, give more money to the program. We finished that basketball practice facility. Despite the mass exodus of transfers in and out in the past year, we put in a standard hinged entrance, and not a revolving door. We also have a fancy new hanging scoreboard in the Super Pit. So now, when you're at a basketball game, looking up to the heavens and cursing whatever deity you worship, asking how the hell this could possibly happen to us... You'll still be able to see whatever's happening in full, high definition color. It's pretty nifty. Seriously. BASEBALL Remember last year when there was rampant speculation and insider rumoring about a big announcement coming soon? Basically, same deal. Happy 2013! OTHER SPORTS Soccer did really good but then the NCAA tournament happened and we didn't do so good and then the season was over. Tennis did really good but then the NCAA tournament happened and we didn't do so good and then the season was over. Golf did really good but then the NCAA tournament happened and we didn't do so good and then the season was over.