Category: Soul Notes

Here is a potential idea and plan for how to finish the 2019-2020 NBA season and playoffs.

What

Teams - 20 Teams

• 20 teams return to play
• The top 8 teams in the East
• The top 12 teams in the West

Exhibition - 15 Playoff Teams and Memphis

• 4 Games - Top 1-4 teams in East play bottom 5-8 teams in West
• 4 Games - Top 1-4 teams in West play bottom 5-8 teams in East
• Play-In - 15 teams advance to playoffs, Memphis to Play-In

Tournament - 4 West Teams from 9-12

• 3 Games - Teams 9-12 in the West play a round robin
• 1 Game - Top 2 teams from round robin play single final game
• Winner - The winner still only has a chance to make the playoffs

Play-In - Memphis and Tournament Winner

• Best of 3 - Memphis plays tournament winner in best of 3 game series
• 8th Spot - Play-In winner receives 8th seed in the West
• Break - 15 playoff teams rest during 3 game play-in series

Playoffs - 16 Teams Best of 7

• Best of 7 - Play a regular and full best of 7 game series playoffs

Why

Teams

• Effort to come back may not be worth it for all teams
• 9-12 teams in West are very close in standings, and to 8th place
• 9-12 Teams in East are well behind the 8th placed team

Exhibition

• Teams play teams they are unlikely to meet in playoffs
• Fans will just be happy that their teams are playing games
• Wins and player stats do not count toward 2019-2020 season

Tournament

• 9-12 teams in West all likely desired and had chance to make playoffs
• 9-16 teams in East had much lower likelihood and desire to make playoffs
• A single game playoff is exciting, and teams weren't actually in playoff seed

Play-In

• Memphis could have been caught by one of the tournament teams
• A 3 Game series is adequate yet exciting, as 9-12 were close to 8th place
• Play-In player stats would likely count toward 2019-2020 playoff stats

Playoffs

• The playoff revenue may take priority over regular season games
• Playing best of 7 gives a true winner and a regular playoff schedule
• Full playoffs given priority even if 2020-2021 season needs shortened

May 17, 2020

What And Why For Us - Raptors

• Trade poor ball handlers - Miles, Anunoby, Ibaka, Valanciunas
• Keep good ball handlers - VanVleet, Siakam, Wright
• Trade future money to clear contracts - Lowry, Ibaka, Valanciunas, Miles
• Keep core for chemistry, fans, future - Wright, Powell, Siakam, VanVleet
• Gain young star player to combine with Siakam for future - Holiday
• Gain stretch four and three point shooting for playoffs this year - Mirotic
• Possible great team for both this year and next year with shot at title
• Possible young stars lineup for future - Holiday, Leonard, Siakam, Davis

Trade

• Pelicans - Raptors
• Lowry - Davis
• Ibaka - Holiday
• Valanciunas - Mirotic
• Anunoby - Hill
• Miles - Johnson
• 2021 1st Rd Pick - X
• 2020 2nd Rd Pick - X

This Year

• Holiday - VanVleet - Loyd
• Green - Wright - McCaw
• Leonard - Powell - Johnson
• Siakam - Mirotic - Hill
• Davis - Monroe - Boucher

Next Year

• VanVleet - Loyd
• Holiday - Wright
• Leonard - Powell - Hill
• Siakam - Boucher
• Davis

What And Why For Them - Pelicans

• Combine some current players along with some future players - Raptors advantage over other teams
• Take poor contracts and players that Pelicans don't want in order to sweeten the deal - Hill, Johnson
• Current players to transition with good team next year - Lowry, Moore, Anunoby, Randle, Ibaka
• Future players to combine with Lowry or Ibaka going forward - Anunoby, Valanciunas, Picks
• Pelicans get rid of all future contracts beyond next year, other than small Anunoby contract
• Pelicans get potential young two way star with Anunoby and offensive threat with Valanciunas
• Could sit Lowry and Valanciunas because of injuries to increase odds of high pick in draft
• Could trade Ibaka and/or Lowry next year - Jackson, Payton, Anunoby, Randle, Valanciunas

1. Tennis - Provincial Champion
2. Hockey - Provincial Champion
3. Golf - Provincial Champion
4. Baseball - Provincial Champion
5. Badminton - Regional Champion
6. Volleyball - Provincial Bronze

What is the Oilers roster and who should play on lines together? I play armchair coach and try to make the best Oiler lines and depth chart from their current players.

After watching the majority of the Oilers games this season, I couldn't help but evaluate the players and start thinking of line combinations. So I thought I'd have a shot at what I think the Oilers and McLellan could do with their lines and roster. These lines are based on getting the most out of their current players, both for right now and looking forward to the future.

Warning - I'm Not A Scout Or Expert

OK, first of all, I do at least know Slepyshev is a left winger. And I realize moving Yakupov to play center is absolutely insane. Maybe one way to put it is that I'm not smart enough to know just how insane it is. But with that said, I'm not a purely casual watcher, or completely uninformed. Even though I'm no scout and I have never played any high level hockey, I love watching what is actually going on in the game. I've watched fairly closely at times as I've enjoyed the games this season. And I've done a bit of reading about these players in coming up with this set of lines too.

But if you think one of these ideas is stupid, you are most likely right. I'm really just another guy with an opinion. I don't know the Oilers in and out like some people who have been avid fans for the last 5 years. And I certainly don't know as much as coaches, scouts, or ex-NHLers who actually evaluate players better than I ever could. Please write your own article about all the reasons Yakupov can't play center for instance, and contact me with the link. I'd be interested in reading it. Or even better, try to write down your own full set of lines and roster. It would be neat to see how other people think the lines and depth chart of the current Oilers should be drawn up and why.

Forwards

• Line 1 - Hall - Nugent-Hopkins - Purcell
• Line 2 - Draisaitl - McDavid - Eberle
• Line 3 - Pouliot - Yakupov - Letestu
• Line 4 - Korpikoski - Lander - Slepyshev

Defense

• Pair 1 - Klefbom - Schultz
• Pair 2 - Nurse - Reinhart
• Pair 3 - Davidson - Sekera

Reserves

• Forwards - Klinkhammer - Gazdic - Hendricks
• Defense - Fayne - Ference

Preface - I Like What McLellan Is Doing

And what is he doing? As far as I can tell, he is trying out different line combinations and making players know that there can and will be changes. Just because they play with someone doesn't mean they are in a linemate marriage which will never be broken up. Basically, you need to be able to play with different people. And he is going to try to find what combinations work best. However, he is doing that while also providing some consistency at the same time. For instance, Yakupov and Pouliot have played together a lot, even after McDavid got injured. Nugent-Hopkins and Hall have been together for quite a while.

But McLellan sure showed that he would make changes if needed. Boom. McDavid and Hall split up after the first regular season game. That was a surprise. Again, I'm not super informed, but I think he really believed in McDavid and Hall being a duo. While Nugent-Hopkins and Eberle would be another duo. He gave them the pre-season and one game together, but decisively tried something else when he felt it wasn't working well.

I won't go into a history of what all McLellan has done with line combinations this season. But I really like so many of the different changes and little adjustments he is making. Like the move to separate Hall and McDavid, putting Draisatl with Hall and Nugent-Hopkins, and Eberle coming back on the third line. The injuries aren't great. But they have allowed the team to evaluate players lower down in the depth chart early on in this Chiarelli-McLellan rebuild, or really "build" I would say. The possible lines I've layed out take into account some of the changes McLellan has already made, as well as players Chiarelli has brought into the team.

Lines 1 And 2 - Smart, Smart, Smart

OK, now the fun part. I've been thinking about different lineups since the first game. My overall idea for the team is to make the top 2 lines only have players on it that have good skill, but also really good hockey sense and passing ability. I think Hall, McDavid, Eberle, Nugent-Hopkins, and Draisatl all fit into that category.

In doing this, I think you are going with the Oilers strength. To continue with the move to put Draisatl, a great passer and quick thinker, on a wing on the top 2 lines instead of having him center the third line. To move Yakupov to the third line, because he can't keep up with the passing of those other players. To put another player who can think nearly as quickly as those other players with them. To not put a big checking winger as a third piece to the top line duos, but keep those big wingers for the third and fourth lines.

So, I'd try to pack those top 2 lines with great passers, maybe even more so than great skilled players. I also understand the idea of putting some of these scoring duos with a fast, capable, forechecking big man. My thinking is that the Hall/Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid/Draisatl duos are big enough and strong enough on the puck in the offensive zone that you don't have to put them with a big guy like Pouliot, Korpikoski, or Slepyshev. They are also capable defensively, with Nugent-Hopkins, as well as McDavid and Draisatl, a former center.

So I wonder if you can pack those top 2 lines with another good passer and scorer, and not have to worry about their forechecking ability or defensive ability. Someone who is more likely to make the smart pass to them, than shoot the puck every time. Or to find the open ice for a pass from them, since they are all good passers too. Someone like Purcell.

Lines 3 And 4 - Defense, Defense, Defense By Offense

This leaves the lower 2 lines to be focused more on defense. One thing about going with this strategy could be that you let your players know this fact. It gives the 3rd and 4th lines a role to live up to. They know that while they are all good players that can score, that they want to focus on defense just as much or more than offense.

So these bottom 2 lines eventually get packed with 4 big wingers who are good forecheckers. It just so happens the Oilers already have quite a few of these. Pouliot and Slepyshev, who also have speed and some scoring ability. Korpikoski, who Chiarelli traded for. Gazdic and Klinkhammer. These lines are also packed with players who have speed if possible. So they can hang with top skaters on other teams. Yakupov's speed in the middle could help with defense, and it moves a smaller player to the middle of the ice. The bigger wingers can get the puck wrung around the boards out, and hopefully be the first into the corners more often in the offensive zone. Letestu is a veteran center put with Yakupov so he can help him with the defensive side of being a center. Letestu can take the draws for now.

These lower lines should still have the ability to score though. And without having to "balance" the lines on purpose by moving great players like Eberle or Draisatl to the third line. Offense is the best defense. Having good offensive players like Yakupov and Pouliot on that third line gives you a chance to score still. All of Letestu, Yakupov, and Pouliot can put the puck in the net, without having to worry about making a lot of great passes like the gifted awareness and passing plays of the players on the top 2 lines. Dump or get the puck in the offensive end, and try to get the puck to Yakupov playing center, to beat a guy and score.

Oh, and if Yakupov playing center is just horrible, just switch him and Letestu. I still like this set of lines. If that big change doesn't work out, I'd still go with these same lines, but with Letestu centering the third line.

Balance On Lines

So I made the top 2 lines be "smart" players with great hockey sense only, and the bottom 2 lines be focused more on defense, but still with enough offense to score. However, I also ended up making these lines balanced in certain ways. There is at least one older player on each of the lines. Purcell on line 1, Eberle on line 2, Pouliot and Letestu on line 3, and Korpikoski on line 4. There is one very fast goal scorer on each line. Hall, McDavid, Yakupov, and Slepyshev. There is a great passer on each of the top 2 lines, with Nugent-Hopkins and Draisaitl. Of course the other 4 players on those lines are also good passers, being "smart" players who can make quick decisions. While not great passers, Letestu and Pouliot both play an overall game, and can set up Yakupov on the third line too.

There is depth at center, so any injuries can be handled easier. Draisatl and Letestu can be moved over to center. But if this works, I would strongly consider always leaving Yakupov at center, and rarely ever the wing except for special teams. I only changed the positions of Yakupov, Letestu, and Slepyshev, two of which are quite low on the depth chart right now. I guess Draisatl too who had been moved to right-wing first. But with these changes all players would now play on their correct sides. With right-handed players on RW and left-handed players on LW. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the defense. Reinhart is forced to play the off side with the decision to put Nurse and Reinhart together.

Putting so much scoring on the top two lines means that an injury to one player doesn't make the line poor offensively. You can move any big winger like Pouliot, Slepyshev, or Korpikoski up with any 2 of the top 6 players. The worst injury would be Hall, with Slepyshev or Pouliot probably moving up to play with Nugent-Hopkins and Purcell. But that is still a pretty good line, and you might play the Yakupov line a bit more if Hall goes down. Remember I'm looking towards the future too. The hope is that Yakupov and Slepyshev are only going to get better.

A Few Notes About These Lines And Roster

1. Lines For Right Now AND The Future

These line ideas have been made looking towards the future. Is Fayne better to have playing right now than Davidson? Probably. Is Hendricks a better guy to have on a 4th line than Slepyshev, and leave Slepyshev in the AHL? Yep. But I've made up this possible line list really thinking about who I would keep on the roster going forward. I was thinking about how I might pair players together even in late 2017 as much as right now. Who I think I would really want to play together a year or more from now. But this roster is also for right now. Basically these are lines that I would also go with right now.

2. Lines Assuming No Injuries Or Contracts

A luxury I have in writing an article like this is not dealing with all of the headaches of a real roster. Putting a lineup together every night is what is really tough. Especially with all of the injuries the Oilers have been dealt with this year. Mixing and matching has been done very well by McLellan. I'm looking at a bigger picture really. This set of lines and roster is made in a perfect world where there are no injuries, and no big contracts for players who you might want to leave off the roster. It's more of a depth chart of the players I think should be a part of the team. But also with an assessment of who I think would work best together based on just the games I've seen this year, and what has been tried so far by McLellan.

3. Missing Players Didn't Make The Cut

It's possible I missed someone. But for the most part, if I haven't included someone, I am not that high on them being in the roster going forward. Again, I understand that some players I have left off should really be in the lineup now, over someone like Davidson for instance. I thought about listing these players in a "Trade" or "Gone" section, but figured that would just be mean. But who I've left off of this roster says as much about my assessment of the players as who I have in the lineup. Also of note is the guys I marked as "Veteran". Those are players I would keep on the roster for now more for their experience. But I expect that younger and more talented players will replace them going forward.

Conclusion

Lines, Roster, And Depth Chart - Part 2

I was going to go into more detail, writing about each forward line and defensive pair. Explaining more of why I might put them together. For instance, why I might move Yakupov to center, put McDavid with Draisatl, or Nurse and Reinhart together. However this is quite long already, and it explains the main idea of the lines. I might write a second article some time about the ideas behind each line, including more of a scouting report for each player so far this season.

Jumping On The McBandwagon

I mentioned earlier that I'm not an expert, but just a guy with an opinion after watching many of the Oilers games so far this season. Unfortunately, I'm also not a true Oilers fan. I haven't been watching or keeping up with this team for the last few years. So I don't want to punch someone every time Yakupov gives away the puck in the neutral zone trying to stick handle around 3 people. And my Facebook status every other week for the last few years hasn't been "Hey do you think the Oilers could trade Nugent-Hopkins away for X?".  I haven't had my hopes and dreams crushed over the last decade, seeing the Oilers at the bottom of the standings again. I actually like watching all these young players. And it's been so much fun watching some NHL hockey games again, and having a team to cheer for.

But flat-out I am jumping on the bandwagon to be an Oilers fan again. I haven't watched too much hockey the last seven years or so, other than World Juniors and Olympics. I played hockey in the 80s and 90s when I was younger. I was a huge Oilers fan the whole time, growing up in the prairies. And of course Gretzky was my favorite player, along with Fleury later.

I just really wanted to watch McDavid and my old favorite team after not watching NHL hockey too much. You can kind of think of me as an informed fan, not a real true Oilers fan. Kind of like McLellan and Chiarelli deciding to go to Edmonton because they know the Oilers have a good core of young players. I've decided to check out the Oilers and join the McDavid and Oilers bandwagon. Even though they are last in the division, it's sure been fun watching them so far, even with McDavid out. Time has flown by watching them and so far I have stayed on and enjoyed the ride on the bandwagon.

I watched the movie The Double last week. After watching it, I went to read about it and came across a question from someone on Stack Exchange Movies.

So I started out writing my thoughts about whether or not James was real, as well as an idea I had about what was going on in the movie. I ended up re-watching it and writing an explanation for what I think was happening in the movie. I definitely recommend the movie so go check it out sometime if you haven't. The movie is kind of about self-improvement, as I think the main character is struggling and trying to improve his life. He runs into some serious personal problems trying to make his life better. However, I really just wrote this because I wanted to. Enjoy.

Who is James in “The Double (2013)”?

I saw the movie The Double this morning, a very strange movie. I didn't understand the exact plot of the movie. I've read the plot in IMDB and Wikipedia too, but I don't get it. Can somebody explain this movie in simple English? My main question is "Who is James and does he really exist?"

Outline

• What Do I Think?
• What Do I Know For Sure?
• Is James Real?
• Are The Scenes Real?
• What Might Not Be Real?
• What Is The Opening Plot?
• What Is Just In Simon's Head?
• What Is Really Going On In Real Life?
• When And Why Does Simon Become James?
• Why Do We See Both Simon And James?
• How Does Simon Become James?
• What Would James Do?
• Does He Choose Simon or James?

What Do I Think?

I think it's possible that James isn't a real physical person separate from the original character Simon, but that much of what James does in the film does actually happen. This is because Simon and James are two personalities of one main character. Sometimes he's actually doing things as Simon, and sometimes he actually does things as James. And sometimes we're also getting a second physical representation of him but it is only his thoughts as Simon, or sometimes his thoughts as James.

On top of that, I'll add the idea that much of the movie is not literally real but simply Simon's thoughts about things that have happened to him. And sometimes even things that haven't even happened to him. Sometimes parts of scenes are simply internal dialogue in his head about what he thinks, what he thinks other people think, and what his other personality thinks. I'll explain a bit more of what I think is really going on and give examples.

What Do I Know For Sure?

I know nothing for sure. As people have said it's probably ambiguous on purpose and left for people to decide for themselves. I just watched the movie but haven't read the book, so I don't know as much as someone who has read the book, and I haven't over-analyzed the movie by watching too many times. I watched the first half or so over again to write this. This is just one idea I had that is maybe a little different than just the two options I've read. That either James is a real person or that James is not real at all and none of it really happens because it's all just in his head.

Is James Real?

So here is a possible interpretation. It's about a guy that develops two personalities. James is Simon. Simon is becoming James. Sometimes in the movie he's Simon, and sometimes he's James. There aren't really two of him at all. He's not actually seeing a doppelganger who looks just like him or who he thinks is similar but more more successful than him. But we are really just getting a look into Simon's thoughts and a portrayal of his life as he struggles between two personalities. The reason we see two people is because Simon separates into two people in his own mind, and we get his thoughts or viewpoint from the other personality.

When Simon decides to become the more confident and cocky James, he never quite feels like he's himself. He always feels like he is pushing his old self and personality aside. So we continue to see Simon and get his real thoughts about what he is doing as this new personality, James. He feels like he is outside of himself watching himself when there are scenes with both of them. He is acting as James often, but we hear his thoughts and see his feelings about how he is acting from his real and original personality, Simon. And sometimes he's doing things as Simon, and James is in his head telling him what to do or what James thinks. I'll explain when exactly and why Simon develops this new personality James.

Are The Scenes Real?

So in my interpretation, I'm suggesting that many scenes are just a picture or portrayal of how Simon sees these different events that have happened to him, things he has done, and the situation he finds himself in. Different things do happen that we can pick from here and there, but many scenes are used just to tell the story overall and see things that Simon has done or things that have happened to him. I'm basically saying that much of the movie doesn't really happen as we see it, so it's not literally real. If you can make that leap, then it could become a bit more clear about what might have been real and what might just be Simon's thoughts and internal dialogue about things that have happened.

And that is exactly what many scenes are. Not only are scenes from Simon's perspective, but they are simply his thoughts about what happened or how he remembers them. So sometimes people don't really say what they say, or do exactly what they do, or look exactly like they look in the film. It's only an interpretation of how Simon sees them, or how he felt like in the situation. And some scenes didn't even happen at all but are simply made up possibilities in his head, and his own thoughts about things. What other characters are saying in a scene may sometimes just be a chance to tell us "what he thinks they think". Or even just what he thinks about something that happened even though it's coming from someone else's mouth. I'll give examples.

Picking what little bits might have happened exactly and what is simply Simon's thoughts can almost become a bit of a game. It might not be important knowing exactly what scenes, parts of scenes, or dialogue are actually real and what is Simon's thoughts about it. But just know that the movie may not at all be like a fly on the wall camera viewing an actual scene. That's why some things look so odd, like the whole atmosphere and the way people look and talk. We may only be getting what Simon saw when he experienced the event, not the actual scene. You can decide for yourself what might have actually happened, and what might be just Simon's thoughts. But getting it all correct is almost impossible. I'll give a few thoughts throughout this overview on what parts of the film might be Simon's thoughts versus things that actually happened, but by no means am I saying I'm correct for sure.

What Might Not Be Real?

I'll sprinkle in examples in this article, but here are a few ideas in one place to get your mind going. Just in case you watch the movie again and think this interpretation might be correct, or at least possible.

It starts in the first scene where he is kicked off the bus. Is it possible that a guy did ask him to move, but that the subway was actually full of people, including the girl? Watch how Simon looks around throughout the scene. All he really sees is the jerk that asked him to move, but doesn't he look as if he he feels embarrased and looks around and acts like other people are on the subway? Later on the guy that stops him from entering at work, which he sees throughout the movie is not the same person, no? Another example that we are just seeing what he sees or remembers about events, not exactly what happened.

Does his boss really talk like a walking metaphor of work life? Maybe it's just in his head that way? Could scenes like the one with his boss capture his thoughts about a number of different events at work? Is everyone at work really old except him, or is he just imagining growing old working there? Do you really think 2 guys handle only suicides from just one neighbourhood? That whole scene, including him talking to the girl seem very odd. Could it be only his thoughts and not real? Maybe the scenes in the cafe are not real, but only his thoughts. Maybe Simon's scenes with the girl are only what he thinks she thinks of him.

Don't the scenes at the ball seem particularly odd? The way the girl at the entrance talks, the music playing, how he bends down to look through a hole, and everyone is old but him and the girl. Could much of this just be grandiose thoughts made up in Simon's head to explain some other reason why he wasn't allowed into an employee event? Maybe the guy with the moustache is not real at all, and only Simon's thoughts. Maybe his boss in later scenes is more like his brain talking to the Simon personality. Why are there only one set of footsteps when both Simon and James are in a scene? Is it possible that Simon or James aren't both there, but that one of them are his thoughts about what he is doing?

What Is The Opening Plot?

Simon hates his life. He is sick of his monotonous job. He is sick of his overbearing Mom. He is sick of his idiotic boss. He lets people push him around. One day a guy actually tells him to move out of the seat he is sitting in on the subway and he moves, but he resents it. He has good ideas to improve efficiency at work, but his boss won't listen to him. Most people don't even recognize him at work even though he has worked there for 7 years. He pays whatever the people taking care of his Mom tell him to pay even though they are robbing him and he is spending much of his money to take care of his Mom.

But Simon likes a girl at work who he has never really talked to. In fact, she doesn't even know who he is, even though he has been watching her at work. He becomes even more infatuated with her because he lives across the street from her. He looks into the window of her apartment after work and gets to see even more about her life than he would know at work. He tries to keep himself from watching her by watching TV, but he can't help himself.

What Is Just In Simon's Head?

Simon starts to see things or remember things a little oddly and quite negatively. He sees all people who carry out negative actions towards him as being the same guy, even though it's not. Through his Mom's friend which may or may not be a real person, he finds out that even his Mom thinks he's weird or different, and he takes this to heart. He remembers certain events that embarrassed him or made him feel stupid and replays them in his head. These different events which he sees in a very negative way start adding up to an even more miserable life for him.

But he likes that girl. The next scenes near the beginning where he talks to the girl at length may not be real at all if you ask me. This includes the first suicide scene, the scene where he talks to the police and the girl, and the scene after that in the cafe talking to her. These scenes are simply Simon's thoughts. He is imagining what would happen if he were to kill himself and what the girl might think of him at this point.

The scene when he talks to the girl on the street after the suicide portrays one negative side where she simply doesn't know him at all. The scene after that when they talk in the cafe portrays another option where she thought he was stalking her. This scene also includes foreshadowing of his thoughts to move into her apartment building. The cafe scene also shows a more positive possibility and how he might hope she would be around him if things were to go well with her if he ever talked to her. She says "Thanks for this.", smiles at him, and acts like they are on a regular date. Much of what she says in the film to "Simon" here and in later scenes is simply Simon's thoughts about what he either thinks or wishes that she thinks of the real Simon personality.

What Is Really Going On In Real Life?

But up to this point he never really talks to the girl in real life at work, even though he has gone to her to make copies for him a couple times. She probably doesn't know who he is. But she might see him every once in awhile. He hides and watches her sometimes when she leaves work. He looks at her on the subway ride home. In his mind, time almost stops when he sees her, and all he sees is her. He sees her get off the subway when she goes to work. He isn't quite sure if she ever catches or sees him watching her or if she knows who he is. Of course, he watches her in the evenings in her apartment too, which is why he becomes a little obsessed with her.

Simon makes excuses in his head for why he hasn't tried to talk to the girl. One day maybe someone was moving some stuff onto the subway in front of him when he saw her get off so he couldn't. He exaggerates in his mind how many boxes they moved onto the subway, as this is his thoughts about what happened, not exactly as it happened. Then it's that he gets stuck too long checking into work. If it's not one thing then it's another, like the elevator door closing too quickly before he could get in with her. But even when he gets up the courage to go see her at work where she makes copies, he doesn't say anything to her except "Copy".

When And Why Does Simon Become James?

Simon decides to change and becomes what we see as James after he has a particularly horrible and embarrassing night. Remember he already hates his life and is beginning to see some things oddly. However, he is looking forward to going to the ball, even though it is required that all employees go. He wants to see the girl there, and maybe make his first move to talk to her or get to know her. But they don't let him in for some reason. He sees her inside but he gets escorted out of the ball and it's one of the worst nights of his life.

At the end of this scene he says "This is not me. This is not me." It's after this event that he goes a little more crazy and decides he's not going to live this crappy life anymore. That this is not who he really is, "A frumpy looking guy named Simon", as the waitress in his own head with his own thoughts, had put it. It's from here on out that he works to change his personality and become James. But he always feels like he's kind of watching James from his old self and his old personality. He acts more confidently and kind of like a jerk, but he knows he's not really himself. Later in the film he has a struggle between being this new personality James, or being himself, Simon.

Why Do We See Both Simon And James?

Many scenes after this we are seeing Simon's view of himself after becoming this new man. But there is not really 2 of him in the scenes since he is now really James. And sometimes he is really Simon, but getting thoughts from James. But we are seeing his struggle as he does the things in life to get ahead as the cool James, even though he's really not happy being this way. And Simon from this point is just his own thoughts about what he thinks about how he is now acting. And often people he talks to as Simon are probably also his own thoughts about what he thinks about James, and what he thinks other people would think about James.

How Does Simon Become James?

So he decides to make his life better. The scene after he gets escorted out of the ball has him seeing a guy go into the girl's building and then he goes to his telescope and sees the guy looks just like him. But scenes in the movie are not real, just a portrayal of what happened. In real life what happens is he rents another apartment above the girl's. This gets him even closer to the girl, and gives him a new place physically to separate himself and help him become this new more confident personality. He had already envisioned himself possibly committing suicide from this apartment even though it hadn't yet happened.

So the next morning he is trying to become James, and push his old personality Simon to the side. But in real life it's all just one guy. He hasn't quite made the transformation yet when the elevator door closes again, but opens back up this time, with the girl inside. But she does smile flirtingly at him, and he does get the nerve to really talk to her for the first time saying "I bought you a present, but I decided it wasn't appropriate."

But then his employee card, which metaphorically represents his Simon personality, is cut up and James is introduced at work. Again, it didn't literally happen exactly like that. It's a portrayal of his change from being Simon to being James. Or just creating that second personality. And he didn't literally faint in the office or talk to the guy with the moustache where he said "Don't you notice something about the new employee? Does he remind you of anyone?". That's his own thoughts in his mind, as are a lot of the future scenes with Simon in them. I don't want to get into what all exactly is real and not real. But the guy with the moustache could not be real at all and represent his own thoughts.

What Would James Do?

Remember how his life sucked and nobody knew who he was when he was Simon? Well that all changes. Now he's cool and confident. Now he acts in ways which get him noticed in every situation in his life he used to hate and get no respect. He tells the waitress at the cafe she better darned well get what he wants. He schmoozes with the boss and the boss not only remembers him but thinks he's the best employee ever. He hits on the boss's daughter. He gets a promotion at his job from the work his old personality Simon did. He kicks the Simon personality to the side, even though he still has the thoughts of Simon in his head. He feels like he is watching himself from the outside, and often doesn't like what he is doing as James.

Most importantly he starts to talk to and hit on the girl he likes. He has this new personality which the girl likes. Even though he's turning into James and acting in these new ways he doesn't always like it. He's still really Simon on the inside and he still has the Simon personality. He wants to be himself as Simon especially around the girl but whenever he does things don't go well. Simon isn't comfortable enough to talk with the girl so she leaves him at a restaurant. So James has to take over, going so far as to doing things that are mean and cruel to the girl. Simon doesn't like what James is doing, but being James is the only way he can get ahead in life and get the things he wished for when he was only Simon and wanted to kill himself.

Does He Choose Simon or James?

The rest of the movie is a struggle between his two personalities. I won't go through the rest of the movie to explain things that are happening, but I'll add one last thought. Maybe he is struggling to decide which personality he is going to kill. He has quite the decision. If he kills this new fake and arrogant James personality which he doesn't like, he might be back where he was with a miserable life as Simon. Or he can kill the Simon personality, which might mean he has decided to give up and end his own life as he had previously thought about near the beginning of the film.

The best case would be that he can stop being like Pinocchio, controlled using strings by James. To be himself as Simon and be a real person. But killing just James will not be easy, because he's now a part of him. He's going a little crazy and thinks these two personalities are two completely different people. James is trying to take over and it seems like he needs James' help to get the good things he wants from life, like a promotion at work and the girl. Is he even able to kill James without killing Simon too? What will he choose to do?

What Would You Choose?

I guess one reason that I was really interested in The Double was that I feel like it involved a guy who was struggling to improve his life. He was overwhelmed and in a depression, thinking about ending his life. He may have started trying to improve his personality and what he was doing in order to make his life better. In doing so, he may have created a separate personality which he felt wasn't himself, and started doing things which he normally wouldn't do. It's an interesting balance we need to achieve in life, trying to be our true selves while at the same time trying to improve our personality and our actions to get the things in life which make us happier or more successful. What will you choose to do?

November 29, 2014

I thought the NBA slam dunk competition was excellent again this year, as long as you turned off the volume. The announcers were easily the worst part of it for me, but other than them I enjoyed it. There was a lot of great dunks even in the early rounds. And the best part was that it finished really strong which sometimes doesn't happen. The two finalists had great dunks ready to go in the final round and pretty much nailed each of them. Was a lot of fun to watch. I thought Jeremy Evans jumping over the picture was great. And Terrence Ross's final two dunks were both great, including the one off the backboard with the Vince Carter jersey. Excellent night of slam dunking again this year if you ask me.

Quick story from Bill Russell, the great NBA player who won 11 championships. He was asked by a reporter about what it would be like to play in the NBA with the current generation of players. The game has changed a lot and there are a lot of great players with great abilities. The reporter asked "If you were playing today how many points a game would you get now?" Russell replied "Probably about 10 points per game". The reporter said "Wow, just 10 points a game, because the game has changed so much and there are so many talented players now?" Russell said "Well I am 75 years old now".

Curtis Granderson has hit more than 40 homers in both of the last 2 years and is hitting 8th for the Yankees today in the playoffs. He finished 2nd this year in the MLB in homers and only 6 guys had more than 40 homers this year. Doesn’t seem right to have him so low in the lineup but that’s the luxury that the Yankees always seem to have with their huge payroll. You can bet he would hit cleanup or there abouts every night on pretty much any other team.

My award for best iTunes Festival concert that I watched goes to Mumford & Sons. I have watched them 3 times so far. Sorry Jack White, you were brilliantly awesome and I especially liked the all female band but you have to settle for runner up. P!nk gets 3rd for her honest performance where she talked after every song and didn’t care if she messed up lyrics. Loved how she acknowledges everyone in her band and all of her fans. And I wouldn’t be surprised if some women would buy an Apple TV just to watch the Usher concert.

Matchbox Twenty was one of my favorite bands and I love their first 3 albums. I thought Exile on Mainstream was pretty good too even though it had more of a pop feel. I was hoping that this new album might go back to the roots of Matchbox Twenty's alternative rock albums that I liked so much. I haven't listened to any of the songs on this album before this including any singles. Here are some of my thoughts on each song without looking anywhere else or knowing what songs other people like.

Outline

• 1 Parade 8/10
• 2 She's So Mean 3/10
• 3 Overjoyed 5/10
• 4 Put Your Hands Up 4/10
• 5 Our Song 6/10
• 6 I Will 5/10
• 7 English Town 8/10
• 8 How Long 4/10
• 9 Radio 5/10
• 10 The Way 3/10
• 11 Like Sugar 5/10
• 12 Sleeping At The Wheel 5/10
• Conclusion

1. Parade 8/10

Great start. Feels a bit like old Matchbox Twenty songs that really make you think about something in your life even if the lyrics are slightly different. And it hits you hard emotionally like those old songs. Good to hear something more like the old Matchbox Twenty than the more pop songs on their Exile on Mainstream "short" album.

2. She's So Mean 3/10

Too much pop for me. Not my favorite song. Good lyrics though if it was sang with more alternative music. Even more pop than Exile on Mainstream. Actually made me laugh and reminded me of boy bands from 90s. Honestly they never would have gotten as popular if they started playing songs like this in the late 90s. But the chorus and the last part of the song does get a bit better with at least a little oomph. It could grow on me even if it's overproduced pop, but initial impression is it's too much pop and I don't really like it. And I still have to laugh a little that this is Matchbox Twenty after songs like on their first album.

3. Overjoyed 5/10

Shows off Rob Thomas' voice like he used to sing. I like his singing in it, but the song is just ok. It's a simple song with a nice lyrical sentiment but doesn't really hit you emotionally like the old Matchbox Twenty. But still gives you a good feeling listening to it. In general, women will probably like this song more than men, and it could be a favorite on the radio or with women.

4. Put Your Hands Up 4/10

Whoa is this dance music? I don't really like it, only because I was hoping for the old Matchbox Twenty. For a new sound I guess it's a decent song but not really my thing. Maybe this will be an eclectic album showing off lots of different styles because the first 4 songs all seem to have a different feel. Might not be a good sign. It's after listening to this I'm thinking this will be more of a pop album than going back to the old sound of their first 3 albums, even though the first song sounded good.

5. Our Song 6/10

Yeah this looks to be a pop album. Out of the tracks 2-5 pop songs I think this would be my favorite after the first few listens, as it isn't as crazy as the others. But none of these songs hit you emotionally like the old Matchbox Twenty even if the lyrics are still pretty good like the old Matchbox Twenty. Yeah this song is pretty decent for a pop song. Reminds me a bit of the songs on Exile on Mainstream, because even though it is a pop song, it at least has a bit of a rock feel and sounds ok.

6. I Will 5/10

Similar to Overjoyed. It's an ok song, with the best part being Rob Thomas' voice and the way he sings. If you wanted some pop ballads this and Overjoyed would make you happy. But I'm pretty sure at this point that I'm not going to love this album, even if I try to accept and embrace a new sound. Even their last album which was at least ok, Exile on Mainstream, had a harder pop feel to it that made you feel good. It's kind of a sweet song though. But the difference between a feel good pop song like this, and a more emotional ballad like 3 am or Last Beautiful Girl is large. And those are the songs I love, not simple pop tunes like this.

7. English Town 8/10

OK here we go. This is ok. A second song, like the opener, that has more of a heavier rock feel to it like the old Matchbox Twenty. I kind of like this song. The chorus hits you hard and you can actually hear guitars like a rock band instead of synthesizers or whatever you hear on the pop songs on the earlier tracks. The lyrics are vague so they don't tell a story as good as the songs from the old albums, or even some of the pop songs on this album. But this is definitely another song that I like, along with Parade.

8. How Long 4/10

I just can't like pop as much as rock. If I liked pop I bet I would like this song a lot. Still the synthesizers or whatever are a bit much. I just want to hear the melody and the singing, not a special effect. Once again good lyrics though. Considering their age, they are coming up with some good stories to tell. It's just too bad that the people that will like these songs will be 12 year old girls that wear dresses and go to church instead of 16 year old boys and girls that hate their parents and the world; that drink and try to figure out how to have fun; like any normal adolescent or young adult growing up in the 90s and listening to alternative music did. Yeah I don't like this song much and I'm just waiting to see if there are any more real songs on this album like Parade and English Town.

9. Radio 5/10

Maybe listening to this much pop starts to make you accept and like it, but I actually like this song more than most on this album. I guess there are a few different styles of pop on this album too which is interesting. The verses on this song feel like it has a bit of a 50s or 60s vibe to me. It's an ok song with a bit of a swing feel to it. Still can't endorse this as a great Matchbox Twenty song though. They definitely have a different style now, and for me it's for the worse, even if I had a feeling they may lighten up this much as they matured. Exile on Mainstream was ok, but this is too much pop for me to be a great album.

10. The Way 3/10

On this song, not only is the song soft without much soul, but Rob Thomas' voice is also countryized. If they continue down this path, I could see their next album being pop country with Thomas voice sounding like this on most songs. But yeah I don't like this song much. At least on some of the other songs you hear Rob Thomas' cool voice, but this just sounds like any generic pop or country song by anyone on the radio.

11. Like Sugar 5/10

OK at least we have the real Rob Thomas back here. This one may grow on me as it has a bit of soul to it, but it just doesn't seem to come together. It starts out ok, but the chorus just isn't good enough, and the whoa-oh-oh-oh and the effects that come in after the chorus ruin it a bit. At least it has a bit of soul to it, unlike most of the pop songs on the album.

12. Sleeping At The Wheel 5/10

Nice song to finish. Good build-up to the later part of the song. More good lyrics with a good message. Regardless of the rating I gave this, it could end up my third favorite songs after a few more listens, but like most songs on this album, I sadly don't love it and probably won't even after a few more listens.

Conclusion

I like the opener, Parade, and the other track that sounds like the old Matchbox Twenty, English Town. If I could embrace the new pop sound of the band maybe I could open my musical tastes and enjoy the album as it is a decent album of pop songs probably. But I can't recommend this album, and certainly not to an old Matchbox Twenty fan like myself. I like the alternative Matchbox Twenty that sang songs with emotion, soul, and a lyrical story that hit you like a ton of bricks. This is pop. And even though this album is listenable and I could learn to like it, I have to admit that I just like rock songs a whole lot more.

Thank You Company Anonymous

Hey all you people from Company Anonymous. And to everyone else who might read this, hi Mom. I'll probably remove this post in a couple weeks so get it while it's still here. It has sure been a crazy, overwhelming, fun, exciting, monotonous, difficult, challenging, and rewarding experience moving to Town Anonymous and working here this past year. I really have learned a lot and I certainly didn't know what I was getting into. It was a great challenge to work here and I had a lot of great days and learned a lot of different things about people, consultant businesses, sales, GIS, and most importantly about software development. I think I probably listen and pick things up a lot more than people realize.

The most important thing I want to say to everyone is that when I was given something to do and really work on something with you or for you, I enjoyed it way more than you'd realize. I know I can seem like quite a curmudgeon sometimes, but I really am a person who likes doing things, and working together on things. I really like to try and focus on work and enjoy getting into it, whether it's working with someone or by myself. And I did have some difficulty trying to do that here sometimes with some different distractions. But honestly, the only thing I didn't like doing was when I was doing data entry and finding reports all by myself. Even making maps for a little bit was kind of fun as it felt like I was helping out, especially the one weekend to try and meet a deadline.

One thing that I enjoyed here that I haven't always had at jobs is that it was really fun working with such a good group of intelligent and thoughtful people. It was neat to work on things together where you know the other people are pretty capable and are able to work together to get things done. And whenever I was working on any project with people, especially anything to do with software development, I really enjoyed working on it and trying to do a great job. I certainly struggled when I was asked to do data entry and find reports all by myself because that is not what I wanted to do or felt I had been hired to do. I tried to make the best of it when I was asked to do that and still do a great job.

There were certainly a few reasons why I felt I needed to move on at this time, which I just couldn't ignore. I took a couple of unpaid weeks off on my own to think about them and then decided to resign after returning from that break. But even considering them, the most important reason I decided to leave is because I really want to work in software development and I want to make that happen even though it might not be easy. For different reasons that wasn't really happening here. Everything that happened there, good and bad, is just a part of working towards that and a part of things I have to overcome to make that happen. I would like to get a job with a specific and focused role as a software developer or quality assurance analyst. I have to continue to work towards that goal and to keep my energy positive. And ultimately to stay happy while working towards that, because I know I'm a great employee and will work hard to learn anything if given the opportunity.

I want to thank everyone involved in hiring and managing me here. I really appreciate the opportunity I was given, and I realize the lengths you go to at times to try and keep everyone happy, working, and use the abilities of different people to run a business and get different projects done. There are a lot of great people here, and I for one realize what a great job Bart, Tanya, Karl, and Jeff do and how difficult their position can be.

And to everyone, I hope you all continue to find people and things in your life that bring you happiness and not stress, because as far as I've been able to tell that's all that really matters in the end.

Thank You People

Now here's the part where it really gets even more boring and if I was giving an Oscar speech I'd be cut off long ago. But this is my blog so I can do whatever I wanna do. So, roughly in the order that I remember working with people or getting to know you a bit personally.

Amber - Wow you're awesome. I was lucky to get to sit by you and work with you a bit when I first got there. Your bubbly personality was definitely missed when you had to leave. I didn't get to hear you and James talk about all kinds of crazy things anymore and James started talking to himself sometimes 😉 jk. I really liked helping you out with some of the web development stuff and I can tell you now that I even actually enjoyed working on TVic stuff or anything else you had me do. Plus, it's also fun for a guy anytime they hear a girl say boobies, and I still remember the first day you making an important note while I was reading the harassment policy that I make sure that I don't touch anyone's. I was like, OK this place is going to be an interesting experience 🙂

Neil - You wanted to be buddies right away. I didn't get to know you too well, but I could tell right away that you have a kind soul. I was often like this I know, but definitely at that time I was way too busy working and focusing on what I had to do than to talk to you much.

Matt - I think you're probably a lot smarter and better at everything you do than you think. I'm sure you know this, but you should realize that a lot of other people don't really work like you or get as much work done as you do. It was neat to be working upstairs with someone like you for a bit and I don't know what you're doing but I hope you kick yourself in the butt enough at some point in your life to do crappy things like going to interviews or whatever else to get what you deserve.

Alex - Honestly, the biggest thing I remember about you when I started trying to do some work for you was probably how burned out you were at that time. I was really trying hard to do some work on my own and help with as much as I could as I learned Unity really quickly. I didn't expect to start off doing game development, but what a great challenge for me and that was so much fun. I still remember the day I got the sliders for the sun and shadows working and showed you. Felt good to show you I could actually figure things out and I might be able to help with some things you didn't know how to do. It was fun for me trying to work together with you though, and seemed a little odd to me to just stop cold turkey after I had started to learn that. As I've told you before, it's amazing how you have figured out how to get some things done and into the projects you are doing. You probably feel bored sometimes, but don't forget to take a look back and realize everything you've learned and how great a job you've done to figure all of this stuff out.

Rohit - This is going to sound a little weird, but I'm just being honest, and you honestly have a smile that lights up a room. Man, if everyone could smile and laugh half as much or half as big as you do, we'd all be happier people. I know that's one thing I should work on for sure. Thanks for inviting me to things even though I pretty much always said no. It was nice getting to know you a bit more just after we moved to the new office and you stopped in a bit more to see me and to chat about MapSocial or other things.

Rob - Thanks for being a person that didn't work around me but still realized I might not be a jerk or stupid just because I can be quiet around everyone. I really appreciated you coming to say hi all the time and check in on what I was working on. Thanks for bringing up with a couple different people at times some of the things I was doing, like making it possible to position and move the buildings in the 3D model app, when nobody else but Alex had a clue what I was working on or had done. You're a grade A guy.

Aaron - You were a really cool guy to chat with once in awhile. Kudos to you in a similar way as Amber. You did a great job with the move to the new office. But I know it's old hat to you, and that's the kind of stuff you deal with all the time. I remember being the first one in and coming in the first day that we had the new office. You hadn't slept and were like "Watch out I might not show any tact on this little sleep." My reply "That's why it's great to work at a place like this where you don't have to worry about that." Anyways, yay new office. It was a fun time and you got us all hooked up and ready to go with some prodding and a few stressful days. And I enjoyed a few chats we had at both the old place and the new place.

Cole - I really try to take my time to get to know people generally, but you were another person I met like Neil where I knew after talking just a few sentences what a great guy you are. Glad we had a few more chats at the new place and thanks for making a point to come and talk with me after you heard I was leaving.

James - You have that ability that I sadly don't have, to be friendly and talkative with anyone. Someone like you is so important to a team and so great to be around. Sitting here not sure what to say to you or about you. I guess more than anyone, I wish I'd gotten a chance to get to know you a bit more at times and made the effort to talk to you a bit more. To continue talking to you about tech and software. I guess looking back, that as soon as I was put on data entry I didn't feel I could fit in with you guys, especially since it was a little crazy and hard enough to begin with. It was fun trying to work on the software development side with you, Devon, and Amber while it lasted. But for many reasons it just didn't work out, which was certainly disappointing to me. Thanks for working with me as I was learning some different things like unit testing, Silverlight, and automated testing. All the work I did with you guys was fun and I appreciate your effort especially of trying to have a quiet guy like me fit in with you guys. You guys should really be proud of the work you've done to create Insight on Silverlight and it came together in the end better than I thought it was going to honestly. Not easy to make a piece of software like that with just two guys like you guys did. I truly was happy to be a part of that.

Devon - I envy your ability to have fun and enjoy your work. Just so you know, most people aren't having as much fun at work as you do. You are in like the .01 percent of people in the world who have a good job and can get into their work and enjoy it that much. That was the thing that struck me most about you and James and why I wanted to try to get in and work as a wingman in some way. I figured if I put my head down and actually worked I can learn anything and I might be able to help out but it didn't work out. I really enjoyed working for a few months with you and James, especially doing QA for you guys. You can bet I'll never forget working with you back and forth on bugs, because it was so much fun for me. And I appreciated the positive comments every once in awhile about the good work I was doing. Also, your attitude and the way you handled your wife's health problems really was inspiring to me at that time and made me think about some things in my own life a bit at the time. I like how you just continually dealt with it in a positive way as much as you could, and I know that your attitude towards something like that has made it much easier for her. My mom has MS and I have seen firsthand my father's support and how much he has helped her accept that even though it's not easy.

Bart - I can't explain how great it was to work for you. I got so much enjoyment out of trying to do a good job for you, even if I was a bit run down near the end. I felt good when I felt like I started showing you enough of what I was doing with Devon and James, where you felt you could just say hey Munro have a look at this. Thank you for everything, some of which I'm not even smart enough to understand or know, because I don't know what all you did for me. Like if you had to convince people it might be worth me doing some QA or whatever. But I appreciate a great deal your effort to try and work me into things. I'll never have the people skills or be quite smart enough to do what you do, but I learned a bit from the management side of things watching how you did things. We think a lot alike and I really know how difficult it's been in your position. I wish I could explain a bit better this note to you, but that will have to do. I often wished I was more capable for you as well where I could have found a way to do more. Obviously, you're just a great guy too. I was too busy either working hard when doing software development, or feeling like I didn't fit in doing data entry, to get to know you better. Good luck with everything.

Laura - It was really fun learning from you when I had to tackle that one project on my own, and also when everyone was makin' maps. I mean Devon, James, and Amber are great, but getting to work with someone else for a bit was a good change at that time since other people rarely came upstairs to the crazy world up there. You're just a great person all around. Glad I got to know you, and when I heard your laugh around the office I couldn't help but smile for some reason. Again, I really liked when I worked with you and had fun helping you hard working GIS crew out a little bit.

Amber - You are superwoman. You honestly deserved a trophy for everything you did to move the office downtown while you were pregnant. I saw a lot of people do a lot of good things there, but from my perspective nothing was amazing as that. You'll always be underappreciated and that's just the way it goes. People, including me, just don't realize how difficult your job is and all of the things you have to do to make the office run smoothly, and being asked to do so many different things. I'm just remembering things, and it sure was funny the day you told us about getting into the wrong side of your car to drive or something like that, while you had pregnant brain or whatever. I liked how you had the honesty to come in and tell that to everyone at the meeting. If you handle being a mom like everything else, you're a great one already. I hope it's all been going well for you guys.

Jeff - If more people like you were running businesses there would be a lot more happier people at their jobs. I often wondered if you creating a work atmosphere like that just happens naturally, or if you really were always working at or learning how to treat people. One thing I learned from listening to you is how you aren't afraid to not be the expert, and let other people sound like they are smart while you learn from them. Friendly, talkative, and still very humble; a pretty great combo. If I was a client, I know I couldn't resist that easy going charm of yours. It's really amazing to someone like me to see someone like you and how you treat everyone that comes into the office. That was something I got to see more at the new office that was really neat.

Tanya - You and I are nothing alike. You are awesome and fun. Oh crap, that makes me not awesome and boring. I can admit it. I remember thinking a couple times that you must be some mythical creature and I wasn't quite sure if you were real. I also remember in one of my first morning meetings where I said "I'm writing some scripts" and you said "What you're eating chicken strips?" I laughed every time I heard you do a similar thing in the meeting, sometimes just on the inside. The last one I heard, and definitely one of the funniest: "Panda application?!? We're getting a panda?" Thanks for kindly putting up with my boring update emails about what I was doing and how many reports I'd entered, where I tried to sound like I was doing something important. Also I'm obviously not a natural in meetings with clients and it was nice sitting in a few with you running the show and knowing you'd bring it all back to normalcy if I did something stupid or didn't know what the heck I was talking about.

Sarah - The funny thing about people who are quiet sometimes is that they sometimes never get to know other people who are quiet, for obvious reasons. I'm glad I finally got to know you a bit more. Thanks to the new office where I wasn't stuck upstairs working by myself, and a troll doll. Even though we crossed paths a bit at the old place too. I guess this is something I should say to everyone else and not you, but I think you're probably way smarter than people would realize. I think we are kind of similar in some ways and I envied you sometimes thinking about what different situations we were put in and how we were treated very differently simply because of our job titles and working in different parts of the office. We had two completely different experiences all in the same office and at times it would have been neat to swap places with you, or work with you guys maybe. Hope you enjoyed your vacation.

Brandon - I'm not really able to evaluate someone in your position like some other people there just because I don't know everything about what you do. But from everything I know, you are someone I'd recommend right now to any company. I don't really know what you've done before this, but you actually surprised me quite a bit and it was fun working with you. I like how you get focused and prepared for things. I like your attitude towards everyone. Keep your eye on whatever prize you want. You have good ideas, treat everyone well, and also follow through. I could not do your job and I don't know how you stay motivated like you do. For someone who's stuck to it and continued to work hard through some adversity, I have to give you big props. I liked the one day you sent an article about companies being more truthful or open about things. If I was to give you any advice it might be to focus in on what really matters and find people and situations that allow you to focus on those things. Find what works and really brings value and not just on appearances. Not just because that is what could really work best in the end, but maybe more so because that may be what will bring you more joy in your work. That's way too vague to be helpful, but anyway keep plugging along. You're a really cool dude in my books.

Brij - Just like working with Alex, Amber, Devon and James, I really had fun when I finally got a chance to work with you while I was testing and doing QA for MapSocial. Kudos to you for taking seriously every single suggestion or feedback I had. Man that was fun for a month or so. I guess I felt I found my role a bit there when I was working on QA yet again and really felt I was helping out more because of what I had learned doing for Devon, James, and then Alex a bit with testing. I have Bart to thank for that I know. There is a reason everyone likes you. You are flat out just a great guy. I wish I was a more well rounded and friendly person like you at times, and you were a really cool guy to get to know, mostly from afar as I was busy working.

Chris - Man you're a great guy. Maybe in some alternate universe I had a little more experience when I came to Company Anonymous and we somehow got together and were work pals. I don't think I ever became comfortable enough there where I could have been myself more and get to know you. But it was sure fun doing some testing and other suggestions for MapSocial while you were half way around the world. Just like Devon and James, I was surprised with how much of the suggestions I made that you respected and worked on. Especially when it was tough enough for you to be working on a project pretty much by yourself. It was fun to see MapSocial come together with you and Brij for that month or two. Sadly, I was too overwhelmed with different things at times and also just the way things worked out didn't get to know you a bit better. Here's another weird one to admit but right from early on I always looked forward to what you had to say you were working on in the morning meeting. I'd wish you luck in life if I thought you needed it, but I think you'll do ok.

Jeff - If you are anything like me you might wonder sometimes why people feel the need to talk about everything, and announce everything they do. Just do it! But we can both admit I'm sure that the office might be a little boring with just people like you and me. It's probably a tough call, but I'd have to say you are the hardest working person in the office if I had to guess. Not that I got to know you much, but I could also tell that you're a great listener, which probably makes you bring some peace and contentment to other people in the office and in your life at times more than you'd realize.

Nicole - I was glad I got a chance to work with you early on and maybe make you feel a little more comfortable in your first couple of weeks when you might have been a little nervous like anyone. Glad Bart had me help you out with that too. That week we worked on that Insight sales guide together a bit happened to be a very difficult week for me personally as well and you actually cheered me up quite a bit. I enjoyed it and it made that time easier working with you a bit since you appreciated me helping you out and I got to work on something with someone again. You're a pretty smart cookie though. I was really happy when I saw you get a little more comfortable and weren't as nervous. No more 4:00 breaks for you to look forward to and know that you are on the home stretch of the work day.

Hailey - Well you sure had a crazy first week. You are really a trooper. I enjoyed working with you for sure. Seemed almost easy for me to just work with you right off the bat and I liked how you weren't afraid to really get going and get something done. I'm sorry that project isn't as well together as it should be. I certainly struggled with it at times and didn't leave it in the best of shape for you in the end. I really wish you the best with all of the big changes in your life, like this new job.

Conclusion

I don't really expect people to read this post and I know that it's way overkill and a little weird. But it's more my way of saying thanks to everyone and looking back on the last year at work and remembering some of the good times and the positive qualities of different people I met there. You work towards things but you never know exactly what life is going to throw your way next, and working at Company Anonymous the last year was a journey I did my best to enjoy and it was a pretty good one a lot of the time.

Thanks everyone.

Listening to the new Metric album this weekend I started thinking about some of my favorite female singers of the last twenty years. The women who’s voices are so original and unmistakeable and that I liked immediately the first time I heard them in one of their great songs. Here are ten of my favorites. For rock singers and women that are mostly in bands, five of my favorites would be Emily Haines (Metric), Florence Welch (Florence and the Machine), Tegan and Sara, Doloris O’Riordan (The Cranberries), and Left Eye Lopes (TLC). And for singer songwriter and vocalist types, five of my favorites are Joss Stone, Frazey Ford, Norah Jones, Jewel, and Natalie Merchant. Those ten cover quite a few different genres and styles of music too. Any time I hear one of these voices it generally puts me in a pretty good mood.

It’s really too bad that Josh Hamilton doesn’t know how to hit a baseball. And it’s scary how good he might have been if he didn’t have all the personal problems he has had and miss like 6 years of playing baseball because of drugs basically. He’s who I now think of when I think of a real ballplayer that I’ve watched that might be like the guy in The Natural. Him and Ken Griffey Jr.

Josh Hamilton rips 4 two-run HRs vs Orioles

After winning yesterday here is the Blue Jays record so far in spring training. They've just won 8 in a row and have 7 games left.

• 20-4 - .833 - TOR - 2012

Here are the 4 best records in spring since 2003. These are the only records above a .700 winning percentage. Also, the least amount of games lost by a team in spring in those years is 8.

• 26-9 - .765 - LAA - 2009
• 20-8 - .714 - TB - 2010
• 24-10 - .706 - NYY - 2009
• 19-8 - .704 - KC - 2003

Also this article says that spring can mean something, at least when you look at all the records combined. It doesn't mean the Blue Jays will have a great year but according to this article if they have the best record in spring they probably have a good chance of at least having a good season and finishing over a .500 winning percentage.

Spring training records really matter

Well, a 10-year look (it didn’t take me 10 years to do it, I just looked at numbers over a 10-year period!) at MLB’s spring training records reveals some interesting trends. You might have heard that “the numbers never lie;” the numbers I discovered should give baseball fans a little more reason to pay attention to spring training standings.

Here are some of the tidbits that I unearthed while looking at spring training records over the past 10 years:

• Out of the past 20 World Series participants since 2002, only six had a spring training record worse than one game under .500.
• Seven of the 10 teams that had the worst overall spring training record went on to finish last or next-to-last in their division that season.
• Only two of the 11 teams (two teams tied one year) with the best overall spring training record had a losing record that season.

Little Black Submarines by The Black Keys really deserves to be an epic song of about nine minutes long. That’s why they aren’t Guns n' Roses or Queen. It’s typical Black Keys. At just over four minutes it’s long for a Black Keys song and hits hard and fast once it gets going. By the end of it you think you’ve heard about four different songs and all the guitar riffs leave your head spinning with more pleasure than a kid playing with a toy top. - 9/10

And here is a look at the Jays logo changes over the years. I wonder if the 90s and 2000s will be known as years where designers and everyone else tried to be extra cool, but we go back to designing classic, simple looks over the next 20 years. I guess we’ll always need a bit of both; new and old. But in this case, I sure like the simple classic looks the best.

Toronto Blue Jays logos through the years

I couldn’t be happier with the Blue Jays new logo and uniforms. Best decision they could have made. I never liked any of their designs in between the classic uniforms and this new update to it. Good chance I’ll be buying some new Blue Jays apparel come next year. Goodbye Ricciardi era, hello Anthopoulos era.

New Toronto Blue Jays uniforms are a blast from the past

Realized one interesting difference between sports stars from 20 years ago and today. They used to be known or referred to by their last names instead of first names or hyphenated names. Gretzky, Jordan, Bird, Bonds, Griffey vs Sid, Lebron, A-Rod, Pedro, Tiger. Miss the old days when the coolest name for someone was just using their last name.

Just heard that the Cubs have hired GM Theo Epstein away from the Red Sox. My first thought is that he will do what it takes to sign Albert Pujols and make him a Cub. They probably weren’t really in the hunt for Pujols but my hunch says he wants him and could get him since the Yankees have Teixeira, the Red Sox have Gonzalez, and Fielder is also a free agent for another big market team to get.

I expect that I am going to be writing posts to this blog more often. It's not that I have a whole bunch of more ideas that I want to post. I do have a pretty big list of ideas to write about which I have kept for a couple years even though I haven't written many posts yet. It's just that I've been thinking about writing on my blog a bit more and realized that the biggest reason I don't write on it is because it takes me too long to make a post. So I've decided if I actually want to use my blog a bit more, which I do, that I will have to make it simpler to make posts.

Ways I Will Make It Simpler To Post To My Blog

1. I Removed All The Pictures And Won't Be Using Pictures

Having pictures really makes a blog better for people who are reading it. But this blog is more for me to write down my ideas and thoughts anyway. Not having to deal with making pictures for all the posts will save me a bunch of time and will allow me to quickly make posts. When I removed the pictures I also went through my blog posts and formatted them all similarly and decided on how I would format my new posts. I won't have to think about adding pictures or formatting my posts anymore, but can just focus on what I want to write.

2. I Will Keep My Blog Online Only And Use The Built In Editor

I used to write blog posts offline in text files or word files and keep them on my computer. Then I would just copy what I had written and add a picture online. Editing offline has advantages but it's not nearly as simple as just posting online, and keeping it online only has other advantages too. I can also edit from any computer now obviously which is a plus. I deleted all the offline copies of my posts and will edit and keep my blog online only. This is the main change that will make it easier and quicker to make posts. I've given in to just keep my blog entries online only, just like when I switched to GMail for my mail a †few years†ago. I don't really know why I thought I needed a copy in text files offline. Writing this blog post was a lot easier to get done than my old system of editing offline and then posting after. To make this easier I also made a couple changes to the online editor such as adding more lines to it. Now it feels a bit more like editing offline.

3. I Installed The Wordpress App On My iPad

Just in case I want to edit on my iPad 2, which I got a couple months ago when it came out. I always thought the iPad would be good for journalling or blogging as long as you are writing smaller posts. I've made writing posts simpler by not having pictures and keeping my files online only, which allows me to make shorter posts using my iPad if I want.

Why I Made These Changes

Simply, doing all of the steps above will make it way easier for me to post to my blog. I'm excited and think I will do more writing on my blog now. Making this post took way less time than I used to take writing a post, so I'm sure that by storing my blog online only and not using pictures will make we want to post more. Like I've found with many things in life, simplifying down to what matters most makes it easier to get things done and makes you enjoy things more in the end. In this case, simplifying the process to post to my blog will make me want to write in it more often and enjoy doing it.