There will be no video of the mentally detached Donald Trump on this post. Also nothing from the Pope because I’m not a Catholic or a member of any specific church.
I would though like to thank the dogs and cats from Ohio though for their positive, supportive messages they’ve sent me on my private message mail box of late as I grapple with all of this.
So…I guess it’s just MJ, and the dogs and cats in Ohio moving forward on this. The rest of you in America are completely okay with Donald Trump as long as the markets go up and gas prices stay lower. The human moral compass of any degree in America is bullshit, right?
But allow me to be clear here on the underground blog….I get it.
I’m not a Biblical scholar, I’m not any sort of ordained minister, in fact, I don’t even belong to any specific denominational church other than the fact I believe there is some sort of interconnected universal presence of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit which leads us in the path of being kind to one another…and looking for the best in one another as humans on this plane of spiritual existence.
You could even say according to the writings of C.S. Lewis that Mike J is some sort of pantheist who thinks its okay for all of us to figure out our own spiritual paths under the belief of the teachings of Jesus through God through the Holy Spirit.
So I’m not going to proselytize any further because how foolish and misdirected would that be for someone who was banned for life from the Daily Thunder messageboard to preach to others?
But I would say this in closing…which ever path or belief you pursue I would hope it includes some genuine Golden Rule kindness and empathy for others which goes beyond the markets and the price of gas.
Pray for America is all I can say in closing. We’re broken. Seriously broken.
First off, our family’s thanks for the safe return of the two downed U.S. airmen in Iran. My wife’s late father was a U.S Air Force Bird Colonel second in command of the 55th at Offitt Air Force Base in Omaha at Strategic Air Command (SAC) during the Cold War.
When you marry into the Air Force as I did…you assimilate to the brotherhood and you in a sense become a part of the Air Force family.
We’re just so grateful these two airmen are safe and their families do not have to any longer agonize over their safety and well-being.
I’m in a beautiful place this morning and will spend the day with my wife here on the mini-ranch doing landscape work as the recent rains have made the place brilliant green in the space of literally two days.
My grandmother Maureen’s iris are blooming and her transplanted peonies are about to bust open as well and should inject a shade of pink which would make the golf course crew at Augusta National proud.
Mindy’s goal was to make this place look like a Southern estate, my goal unknown to her was to make the large back area look like a fairway at Augusta. But it doesn’t really matter, because it turned out well and it is a beautiful place to watch the birds and wildlife come together with us as one. We never put a single fence on the place.
When Bob was still practicing law after a particularly tough day of dealing with a case in court where it turned out his client hadn’t somewhat told him the entire story…he’d just sit their for hours transfixed with an unlit cigar watching the birds… and say something like, “I wish I’d done something like you did and not have become a lawyer.”
And I would reply something like…”Yeah, the law by itself is a fascinating creature, but there is that part where you ultimately have to deal with all these human problems EVERY SINGLE DAY unless you just want to become an automobile accident chaser and pretty much chase ambulances.”
But back to Augusta National, Deer Creek.
I have enough room in the back of our property to hit up to a seven iron smack down the middle until the ball reaches the edge of the forest. Plus, I have at least three hundred balls in three buckets and on those days when Donald Trump really pisses me off I can tee up the ball and hit the driver deep into the forest and not in any way fret losing five golf balls.
Our two female black labs were awesome in this regard in that when I’d turn them loose in the forest they find the balls and bring them them back just like a tennis ball. I created a memorial back there for both Dakota and Pauli.
I call this golf exercise my Donald Trump stress relief procedure. You should try it…it’s wonderful…much like going full force on a punching bag for sixty seconds.
My OU Sooners beat Baylor yesterday to advacne to today’s Crown Invitational final in Vegas where their opponent will be West Virginia. So there’s that I’m thrilled about. I’m so happy for both Porter and the players in that their hard work and stick to it mantra is being rewarded in this manner.
And in closing…there was that amazing game yesterday in Denver on Prime where the Nuggets battled all game long uphill versus the Spurs and then finally somehow beat the Spurs 136-134 in overtime. I’ll cover this amazing game tomorrow morning and hopefully write about OU’s turnaround basketball happy season ending.
I thought I’d flip this video from last season’s Thunder championship playoff run. Last night’s ‘game’ versus the LA very overhyped Lakers was basically like the OU womens’ game versus South Carolina. What I mean by that is the game was literally over after six minutes because the Lakers are a fraud of a team on the defensive side of the ball.
Plus, as I’ve stated many, many times…when you as an opponent of this Thunder team commit multiple live ball turnovers….you’re done–as in finished. I quit watching this game with around seven minutes left in the first half. Welcome back…Forty Minutes of Hell.
As if it mattered in this one….Shai went for 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists. My MVP race still has Shai in a comfortable gap position over both Wemby and Jokic. But I will add…the Spurs are at Denver on Saturday on the 2:00pm Prime Network game which will preceed our national Final Four.
I will write if Jokic shines in this game as he should and the Nuggets end the Spurs’ 11-game winning streak…I very well might be inclined to move Jokic ahead of Wemby into second place on my MVP card.
And BTW…have any of you Trump dimwits noticed the top three players on most everyone else’s MVP card is a non-American playing in the NBA. Just wanted to share that thought aloud. Hopefully…Trump and his No.1 racist Nazi Steven Miller are okay with all of this in the NBA.
As far as Luka…you’ll notice–I never mentioned him once this season as being on my MVP card. You might ask why? Because he’s not an honest two way basketball player and as Stan van Gundy presciently noted last night, ” He loafs from time to time when he should be leading by example as a defender.” I don’t even have Luka Fakic in my top six…just saying.
As far as the race for first after the Spurs routed the Clipper as well… I will write if Coach Mark is inclined to turn the Dobermans loose as he did last night in the first half…then the Thunder should indeed end up as the No. 1 seed in the West.
What a great Saturday awaits us as hoops fans as we get the Spurs vs. the Nuggets…then our national mens’ Final Four.
This is fabulous. Like two great baseball teams coming down the stretch headed for Game No. 162 with something very tangible on the line. That being, homecourt if these two teams are to meet in the Western Conference Finals.
This somewhat makes up for the tanking and the over the top load management. I’m fully aware on back to back nights some pragmatic sense needs to be used by teams…but what took place this season is absurd.
Adam Silver is a weak commisioner and if he cannot figure out a way for the NBA to present legitimate regular season games, then he needs to be replaced. Adam Silver….do better, dude. The Emirates NBA Cup is not enough. Not even remotely close. Do better, Mr. Silver.
The OKC Thunder are 60-16 coming into tonight. The red-hot Spurs are 58-18 riding the surf of a current ten game winning streak. Six games left. If the teams tie it’s the Spurs’ tiebreaker with their 4-1 series dominance over the Thunder.
Jim Traber claims the Thunder are scared of Wembyanma. I don’t think so. I think Chet just doesn’t have the lower body strength to take Wemby out of his comfort spots on the floor. I do think however JDub and Lu Dort do have the lower body leverage to bully Wemby. Hartenstein as well.
To me…if I’m Coach Mark…I’m beating the living shit out of Wemby every time he touches the ball. Like a fighter going to the body. Let’s see how tough this guy is. Let’s play some Detroit Piston Bad Bad Boys ball if necessary.
But first…OKC has to get to the San Antonio Spurs and hopefully with homecourt.
I’m not going to do all the math tonight because I think both teams are playing critical games tonight, and the Spurs are on the second night of a road back to back to play the Clippers in LA.
I think we’ll have more clarity after tonight’s games. But I will say this…if the Spurs clear this hurdle tonight—I think they have have the easier path the final five games.
THIS IS THE FLAVOR OF NBA REGULAR SEASON GAMES WE CRAVE AS FANS OF THE GAME.
So…between Trump’s idiocy and some of my Easter introspection as far as my own journey–I’m pretty much lazor focused to cover these two games tonight on the best underground blog covering the Thunder.
Let’s just do it this way because we’re heading into Easter week-end and I in no way way want to create any innner emotional turmoil for myself. given how far I’ve come spiritually these past three years.
In fact…now that I know Trump’s ‘heavyweight’ No. 1 lawyer Pam Bondi is going to be fired before we get to the week-end news cycle…I might consider filing a civil lawsuit against Donald Trump for destroying my immune system which in turn caused my Stage 4 cancer in the first place.
Don’t laugh and call that a frivolous thought. These are the times in which we live.
As far as Donald Trump’s pathetic performance last night…until next week when I feel it’s appropriate–I’ll only today say West Texas Crude had spiked to $111.00 a barrel and the Dow is down around 500 points.
Sometime next week…when I’m sure Pam Bondi has indeed been fired…I’ll dismantle Donald Trump’s address just like Bob Jackson taught me at the dinner table to dismantle a perjourous witness on cross examination.
Instead of wasting my time on counting Donald Trump’s lies tonight…I think it would be of a better use to consider the life of Henry David Thoreau.
This was a beautiful film from Ken Burns. But of course, what else would we expect from Mr. Burns but excellence.
So much one could touch on in examining HDT’s life as a writer and a naturalist. So much we as contemporary Americans can embrace to bring ourselves back off the ledge that the sole purpose in life is to acquire and accumulate big bouses, fancy cars and net worth.
My high school English and Lit teacher Mrs. Elijah had me reading both HDT and Ralph Waldo Emerson back in my high school days as a John Marhsall Bear.
In fact, I would say in a sense they both shaped me ever so slightly as to what’s really important in life and what’s just the outside static of human materialistic chatter that everyone of us has to deal with on a daily basis on this plane of spiritual existence.
Money and security are nice for certain…..
But why did God put us here?
Did he put us here to merely acquire assets of wealth of which we’re not taking with us to the next spiritual plane?
At what point do we in America have enough?
Anyway…I loved the film. I know me writing this will further convince the people who voted for Donald Trump I’m a socialist pinko and at the least a foolish RINO who’s conspiring to overthrow the free enterprise system.
But really…when is enough money and things enough? Because you know…some of the most rich people I know or observe are the unhappiest people of all because they don’t love themselves. And if you don’t love yourself…then that’s a very serious issue.
So that’s me today being HDT on the blog this Easter week and allow me to finish with this before signing off:
Blessed are the weak in spirit.
Blessed are the mournful.
Blessed are the meek.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for rightousness.
Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are those kind of heart for they shall see the light of God.
Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall become the children of God.
Blessed are those who were persecuted for their rightousness for their’s shall be the Kingdom of Heaven forever.
And blessed are you in Oklahoma who have the courage and wisdom to live the Golden Rule every day. Have a beautiful Easter.
I need to get back on page with March Madness. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to pick Arizona, Michigan, and Illinois. But I have to tell you I teetered back on forth on my seeding of UConn over Duke in their Elite 8 game.
I agonized over this pick. But it fell my way with some luck….and in the end luck doesn’t suck.
Faith, hope, and luck are really wonderful things in fact.
It looked like a pick ’em game and my goodness we got one for the ages right there with the iconic Christian Laettner finish vs. Kentucky back in the days when I was younger.
There’s just something about Danny Hurley. He’s just one of those guys who never stops grinding. Never stops making his players believe they can, and in reality is two wins away from his third national championship in four years.
This guy is remarkable and I’m so glad he didn’t take the Lakers job. Danny Hurley with LeBron doesn’t even seem fathomable to me.
Michigan versus Arizona and U Conn vs. Illinois. On first blush I like Arizona and U Conn to advance, but I’ll come back to my Final Four thoughts on Friday night.
As far as this Jaden Ivey nonsense goes. I’ve decided for the most part to not waste too much time on this. But I will say this…in his contract there are certain things you cannot do as a player/employee to hurt or damage your employer, in this case the Chicago Bulls.
Yes…there is First Amendment. But if you’re stupid enough to go on some incoherent Mel Gibson-like rant about Christianity and the NBA’s Gay Pride Month while a restricted free agent having a sub-par season….then what I would say the Chicago Bulls should have and did fire Jaden Ivy’s stupid ass.
Mr. Traber, please stand. You have read the case, correct Mr. Traber? Please refresh us on the overview of this case.
And as far as the nonsense Jim Traber tried to peddle on the Sports Animal to some of his more dimwitted listeners today…that was nothing more than stirring the pot to elicit callers and diffuse attention from his war boy Trump whose about to walk away from the Middle East after basically setting the entire region on fire and pissing off all of our allies.
The only winner in this bullshit manuever by Trump and Pistol Pete is Russia. Russia is the only winner. If Joe Biden is senile and incoherent what two adjectives would accurately describe Potus 47? Again…any dog in Ohio could handle Trump in his present state.
I may or may not Op-Ed on what will be perhaps the most perjourous address to date to the nation Trump has ever made tomorrow night.
173…that’s MJ’s official over/under on how many blatant lies Trump lays on the country tomorrow night. CNN better have those fact checkers checking is all I can say in summary mode.
Pray for the Middle East, and pray for the world as well.
Holy shit. I love Shai and I still have him as my leader in the MVP race over both Jokic and Wemby. But I mean…seriously, 21 of 25 free throws on the night in a game the Thunder eventually won 114-110 in overtime at PayCom.
Let’s put this in perspective…as a cocky starting shooting guard on my freshman basketball team — I don’t think I even made it to the line 12 times that entire season…and MJ was a chucker for certain.
The Pistons as a team shot 17-23 from the line last night AS A TEAM.
The Thunder as a team shot 32 free throws which means the rest of the Thunder team shot… 7 FREE THROWS THE ENTIRE GAME.
In last night’s Thunder win Shai went for 47 points in all on a night when not one other single player is even worthy of me mentioning their name in this very half-hearted and late recap.
I’m late because when I saw who all wasn’t playing for the Pistons I decided to watch the Henry David Thoreau docu movie on PBS of which I’m a proud donor. Ralph Waldo Emerson was also a key figure in this movie narrated by George Clooney and produced by Ken Burns.
When you get older…it’s pickleball instead of racquetball tournaments, snow skiing, mens league ice hockey, PBS, fishing, gardening and landscaping with the wife. Also reading, and of course serious spiritual contemplation here on the blog pertaining to the Stage 4 journey. And when I can find the time…blogging on the world of sports and geopolitics.
I don’t know else to what to write other than to wrap this up and award my Three Stars of the Game in this order…1 Shai, 2 NBA official Scott Foster, and 3 Jaden Ivey… formerly of the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls, who will be the centerpiece of my blog entry tomorrow here on the underground blog for being the NBA’s Knucklehead of the Month for his hot takes on the NBA’s Pride Month. I didn’t even know such a thing existed until Jaden Ivey went crazy ranting shit while sitting injured in Chicago last night and then somehow got his ass released from the Bulls sometime today due to the terms of his contract.
So…that’s it for MJ today.
Be kind to one another out there. Hold the rants and the hating to a minimum.