Archive: January 9, 2010

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my dinner with Mr. Intensity

Saturday,  01/09/10  10:09 AM

Last night we went out to dinner; Shirley, Jordan, Meg, and me, at a little place down the street called Leila's.  We like Leila's, it's cool; a hidden gem in a shopping mall, good food and great wine, plus they have a cheese plate to die for...  but I digress, because I was telling you about my dinner with Jerry West.  So we're seated at a table, and at the next table is another party of four which includes Mr. West. 

I'm going to call him Mister, because he's been my hero for forty years; when I was a young teen and a huge Lakers fan, he was their leader, the little white guy who took over games with his sharpshooting, laser passing, and defensive intensity.  He was the best; John Stockton before John Stockton, Steve Nash before Steve Nash.  Chick Hearn nicknamed him "Mr. Clutch".  Later on he became the Lakers' coach, leading them to championships with Kareen Abdul-Jabbar, and then general manager, making the deals which brought Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant to the Lakers.  And Phil Jackson!  But I digress, because I was telling you about our dinner.

So Mr. West is at the next table, and it so happens that he and I were facing each other.  He seemed to be having a great time, calm, smiling, drinking wine, engaged in conversation.  But every time we locked eyes I got this incredible sense of intensity.  It was amazing; he wasn't staring at me and probably wasn't thinking about me at all, and yet wham! this laser like intensity was beamed at me.  It was really quite cool.  I found myself staring without staring, if you know what I mean, just so I could pick up the signal.  I'd love it if I could transmit that kind of intensity.  I'll have to work on that :)

PS reading his NBA bio, I found this phrase: "Despite a level of intensity so high it could melt lead, West was one of the most admired and well-liked figures in professional basketball."  I'm staring at my computer screen right now, practicing.  Can you feel it?

 

Saturday,  01/09/10  06:54 PM

Watching football while blogging...  The Jets and the Bengals are freezing in Cincinnati, it is 22o with a wind chill of 7o.  Whew.  Actually it seems to be snowing just about everywhere.  Meanwhile I just got back from a bike ride, it was a little cold, had to wear a long-sleeved jersey.  I love Southern California :)

So what color are you?  I can't believe people are actually upset about this.  It's harmless fun, first and foremost, and if it calls attention to breast cancer all the better.  Personally I prefer Pink :) 

Coolest gadget this year: the Asus Wave smartphone/ bracelet.  Is this really real?  'Cause if it is, how excellent; it has an OLED display, and you control it by gesturing with your fingers.  And if it isn't real, it should be; what a great idea... 

This I love: Apple looms over CES from afar.  "A device that doesn't yet exist from a company that doesn't even exhibit at CES was the most buzzed-about thing at the biggest gadgetfest in the world."  I have a friend who works for Microsoft, and who is [understandably] miffed that Ballmer's keynote was treated as a me-too announcement, when Microsoft has been shipping tablets for ten years.  Remember the original tablet?  Yeah, me neither, but I looked it up; that's it at right... 

In re: the Android platform discussion; Om Malik wonders What should Motorola do now?  (after "partner" Google has announced a competing product.)  His answer: buy Palm!  Huh. 

I got a call today from a Tesla salesperson.  Invited me to Santa Monica for a test drive.  Wow.  I think I might go tomorrow, if nothing else it would make a nice bike ride :) about 75 miles round trip...

 

 
 

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