Do they still play nerf basketball?

We had high ceilings. High ceilings can make a house cold, but they can also provide for excellent nerf basketball. My first experience with nerf basketball came when we lived at my grandfathers. My parents had a big room and we set it up in there. It was the kind of hoop with the suction cups to hold it up and light foam ball. There was glass above my parents bedroom door so we had a nice glass backboard.

My uncle bought it for my older brother. We also had a program on our Apple II that would count down time. My older bro probably programmed that shit. So we played with a clock a few times. It made a primitive noise when it was done. It didn't count down like a real scoreboard. This was a BASIC program that counted down, probably from 10,000 or something. That was fun and gave a sense of urgency to the game.

Our family moved up the street and the new house provided for even more excellent nerf hoops on the first floor. My dream was to start a league with all of my friends. While they were committed to this, they weren't as obsessed as I was. My team was the Running Rebels, named after UNLV (they were later put on probation for violations). Their coach was a nut.

I remember buying CooperBlack font for my mom to iron on my uniform. I had good taste back then, but mother had to execute the design.

The area in our new house had wooden panels (which are no longer there). The panelling allowed for the suction cups to stick the hoop up. We had a wall you had to take it back to. My friends and I decided we wanted more fast breaks and dunks so we made a rule that the defense had to take it back too. Sports among kids is great as it allows them (us back then) to work out problems and come up with our own regulations without any outside authoritarian prescence. We knew what was best for our games and while fighting occaisionally existed we managed to work it all out on our own. All we wanted was a good game and good competition.

<<<I would even play on one foot hopping around on a cast but they never called me for "up and down.">>>

Games often got heated. We took out our anger on each by dunking on heads. Yes, we even had slam dunk contests. I stole my dunk from Spud Webb. The old toss it up against the backboard, catch it in the air, then dunk. To give the foam ball a little weight we wrapped duck tape over it.

It was nice a space with a wide enough opening under the hoop that we didn't get hurt or run into the wall after a lay-up. Most of the time it was only one-on-one, but occasionally we'd get two on two.

Me and my gradeschool buddy organized a tournament for my younger brother and his friends. We had brackets and everything. Everyone competed and no one got upset. It was a good time. My brother won. I was rooting against him but I remained a fair referee. I think.

I guess those hoops are still around. Later we evolved to the Jordan Jammer, which had it's own backboard which was velcro-ed to the wall and thicker break-a-way rim (which would break off it you dunked too hard, but you could just snap it back on). When my parents were away, we nailed velcro to the big livingroom wall and played a couple nice two on two games. The ceilings were even higher in the living room and we moved the furniture out of the way for ample space. We could almost run a pick'n'roll. This might have even been around 8th or 9th grade.

I think I want to purchase one again. Am I de-evolving?

Pain Management/The pharmaceutical history of dainty bones

About third grade, well the summer afterwards, I'd begin getting severe pains on the top of my left foot. These would keep me up at night. The pain seemed to then move to my back and my head briefly, we're talking big time migraines. Eventually whatever it was settled in my left tibia. It was slightly swollen. But the pain has since been in my shine. Imagine being kicked there, and the feeling afterwards. This is how it would be if weren't meds and much hated big pharmacy (I take a neutral stance on that whole thing, but my quality of life seems to be better with it...until my internal organs fail).

The doctor's called it osteomylitus or just a metabolic bone disease. After my first surgery my tibia/bone got bigger than usual on the side. After the second one it stayed just about the same. It's why I wear pants.

Along the way I've been treated with numerous drugs.

The first one was Tylenol 2 (codeine) in about 4th grade. I felt relaxed watching Jay Leno fill in for Carson with my mom. Some "specialists" in the Pittsburgh community wanted to treat me with Gamma interferon. I think there is radiation involved in that. Fortunately my parents were wise enough to refuse. I assume they wanted to experiment on all of me. The doctors will do that.

My orthopedic doctor, I think around 6th grade put me on Indocine. This was used mainly at night. I'd eat lots of Tylenol during the day. I'm quite surprised nothing has showed up in the blood test yet about liver function. Indocin is rough on the gut but luckily I could take it.

After this, I saw an specialist that was in the Allergy Dept if Children's Hospital. He had the bright idea to put me on Prednisone (initially 40mg/day). On this dose, my appetite increased, I felt strong and energetic, and all of the pain was completely wiped out. This steriod also has serious side effects (bone density, etc).

We eventually had to ween me off. And we had to do this ever so slowly. We did this with the aid of a drug called Imuran. The more I went off, the more the pain came back. But this was necessary as Prednisone is a horrible long-term (even short-term) solution. This as well, messed with my head. I was approaching high-school with a fat face. We (me) eventually got off of this.

Around this time, 8th grade, we also tried electronic stimulation. This was really inconvenient, but worked, sort of. It would send waves to this sticky things I'd put near the shin.

The doctor that prescribed Prednisone, then Imuran, put me on another anti-inflammatory called Tolectin. This was mid to late 90's and took me up to 2001. Tolectin was an anti-inflammatory. A big white pill. I could take tylenol with this too.

I was now off of Prednison and Imuran. I was taking 6 Tolectin/day with minimal Tylenol.

Around 2001 I got my first job in this area and my boss recommended a local doctor that she went to. He recommended a drug called Feldene (Pyroxicam), which is what I'm on now. You take it for week, it gets in your system, and does a pretty damn good job. It's rough on the stomach, but so far so good. When I was recovering from my hip, I had to go off - because they had me on Cumadin and were worried about bleeding, and the shin pain came back pretty intensely. In fact it hurt way worse than the snapped hip. Really it did. So I was taking tons of acetametophin and drinking lots of water, along with the Darvocet which only seemed to last two hours.

Eventually I got back on the Feldene and off the blood thinners and Feldene has continued to work pretty well with minor dosages of Tylenol.

Feldene has given me pretty much a normal life and I'm not feeling any side effects yet. As with anything, you measure out the benefits and consequences. Without it, I wouldn't sleep and would be in really extreme bone pain. I hate the dependence though.

Yes, I do drink a little too.

A crazy age.

This is messed up.

Japan is like done. I had plans of going there but I guess not in this lifetime. Good peeps/culture. Not that I'm an expert on that stuff.

We may have more similar situations down the line. I live nicely in between a couple nuclear power plants that I know of.

Plan ahead. Eat seaweed, but not from the west coast anymore. Get your iodine capsules. Look to the heavens.

Bless Japan. Rise above Japan.

Drama at the Buffet

A few months ago I wrote a fine blog on the fat dude in Atari shorts and compressions stockings. This all took place in a Chinese food buffet. Today I went to a different buffet.

After work I had a few hours to kill and my first desire was Vietnamese. Reading, PA has a very excellent restaurant in town. One of the few things that are redeeming about that place. The Vietnamese place was closed. I headed down the street to get my special hot sauce, while listening to some fat corporate popular radio show host make light of the Japan situation and say it wasn't a big deal (truthfully it makes 9/11 look like a walk in the park). It's amazing how these guys claim to be moral authorities. It's even more silly how they STILL have a strong following. I guess half truths and deceit never gets old. I blame our pathetic political system partly on these hacks. It's funny, you never see them debate anyone unless they are a carefully screened called all set-up, nice like.

Moving forward, then coming back, I was hungry and desperate so I went into this run down Chinese buffet that for some silly reason, I kind of like. I go there for the green beans and chicken (not together, separate options).

There's a dark hallway with bad lighting and booths. From the end I could hear yelling in Chinese. A guy was on the phone, but I could also hear a woman's voice. It's safe to assume that all of these folks were employees of the place. I'm not sure who the manager was.

The girl then revealed herself from the back. It was a man yelling at a girl, who was then yelling back, and then an older lady mediating and scolding. I was trying to enjoy my wilted green beans and chicken on a stick (four of them) but I couldn't help watching and wondering. I also had a tap water.

I was afraid it was going to get physical. It almost did. The man attempted some weak physical move toward the woman, like a half hearted dainty strangle. It was brief and he made light contact, but then stopped at the older woman's (mediator's) rebuke. Then another employee got involved. The main woman involved in the argument was in tears a little bit and walked towards the front of the store. I assume she left cause I didn't see her again.

(((All of this was in some dialect of Chinese-needless to say)))

Thoughts ran through my nosey skull.

What was this over?

My first guess was that someone was cheating. That this was a lover's quarrel, Asian style. That the two arguing were dating and it all went wrong. This is one of the few things in this world that will cause people to do the embarrassing in public (and private).

<<<In my opinion this isn't worth the trouble, and that there are other options that are less emotional and more liberating (to both men and women - but that's another discussion, and not one for a judgemental crowd, so I'll leave it behind)>>>

After the girl had left in a little mess, they seemed to all go into the kitchen. I heard shouting in the kitchen, but not as bad. I was left to this empty depressed room with bad food (that I chose to eat). There was another table that included a scruffy dude and his chubby wife and kid. They looked like rednecks but I'm sure they had good souls. At least better than mine, which is very much wilted like those green beans I ate. A coyote has a better soul than I do (according to some!).

In conclusion, I cashed out. The man arguing took my bankcard and ran it through for payment purposes. He seemed to calm down. I wanted to ask if everything was okay but it really wasn't any of my f###ing business. My intuition could be completely wrong. It could've been over work or money or something else. I guess if I had to place a bet on this though, it would have to be love.

Love always f###s people up. Right?

((As I publish this post, another poor soul is walking down the hall of this building, arguing with a lover over the phone. This is sad and a waste of energy-Who am I to judge?))

5:00 am Walk About.

Didn't sleep extremely well last night.

Made tacos the night before.

I did that quite well. It mainly consisted of cheap beef, fried with onions, garlic and peppers. When they were cooked enough, I took them out of the cast iron and workshopped (I'm stiehlling terms now, maybe I always have) a little lime juice and cilantro with it. Quite simple but super deeelish. I put a little of my habanero sauce (see http://daintybones.blogspot.com/2011/02/products-endorsed-by-daintybones.html for the exact hot sauce).

Before the tacos, we - we as in me - ran into a good friend at the supermarket who told me of a morning walk about, in town. If I were to go, there would be three of us.

I got up later than planned, and didn't expect to go, but upon receiving a text message my motivation changed. I pulled it together and left.

It was dark and peaceful, with a slight chill in the air. A little reminder of high school days if I chose to do the two mile walk to school through the shopping district of Shadyside - [ an area where the trendy f#cks hang out and spend their money. ]

We headed up towards campus and encountered a team of runners, probably on one of the university's sports team.

My friends walked at a faster pace than what I'm used to but I was able to keep up. All the storefronts closed. The calm before the storm; not that a storm really occurs in this quaint little warm place. A new donut shop has opened up. It was now 6:00am, and they were open! We decided we might take this up in the future. If the future involves me. I mean, if I can keep this up. I'm hoping this isn't just a one time thing like so many other good intentioned endeavors I have/had.

I need to do more things like this. Despite the eventual disintegration of my hip, this activity is really beneficial to everything. You see, I was blessed with a comfortable big bed and 1000's of radio stations. This causes me to lay down quite often. Resting also works well with my Iron deficiency.

I know I'm now coming across as a victim. I only mean to tell the truth. I have great compared to many people. I'm afraid this will end soon as the dollar continues to crash.

This blog is going places it didn't need to. Irregardless (yeah, I know that's uneducated and a double negative - so is DaintyBones though), get out and a take a morning walk. Especially now, in light of everything warming up.

To conclude everything here, we ended the walk at a friend's house and had homemade yogurt-cicles which were really quite tastey. We washed those down with black coffee. I headed back up the street, about 5 blocks away and napped for another two hours before starting the day.

I suspect I'll sleep much better tonight.

I'm  hoping to end this night with a Boddingtons.

Regards,
Db!

Circumcision.

A friend of mine last week posted a violent and honest depiction of circumcision. This was followed by comments that you would expect. If we are honest about it, yes, technically it is mutilation. Plain and simple. Right?

If we claim to be honest about trying to find out the truth in such things than those in the pro-circumcision camp must not run away or whine about such videos. Videos, graphics, of such things are quite moving and mind changing. It would be beneficial to bombard television sets with what Iraqi civilians looked like after we invaded, or even what an abortion procedure looks like. I am not against any it, please let it out there, especially if it's in the case of highly debated subject where abstract ideas get in the way of the reality of the situation. Show videos of my broken hip (if they did exist) to get to the truth of what drunken basketball and poor bone density do when combined. We shouldn't work to supress such evidence. Leave the suppression to government and corporate forces.

So, me, being the divisive bastard that I am took the opposing view. The pro-circumcision  stance. The one that is quickly becoming out of style in favor of more smegma and sensitivity. Truthfully, it's not a pro-circumcision view, it's a pro-choice view. The choice of the parent. I did this partially to see what kind of responses I'd get, and also because I feel absolutely no victimization about the process I underwent about 34 years ago. I don't think I even knew I was circumcized until I was in high school.
It is a non-issue.

((my Facebook statement got 88 posts on the tread))

I guess what intrigued me the most was that a large amount of the hysteria came from females who have absolutely no idea what it is like to have a penis or to be circumcized. They seemed ever so passionate about it. I took offense because I felt, rightly or wrongly, that they were implying (non of this was stated) that my parents were cruel and ignorant mutilaters. They were implying that they knew better. (that attitude always sets me off)

It also came across as a total disregard and disrespect for certain cultural and familial traditions. They felt quite okay to shit on all of it. And this bigotry is apparently acceptable because it's backed by a faux enlightment of how the penis works, cut or uncut.

My personal belief is that those complaining just had a preference for the intact approach (in them), which is completely fine and okay. Just don't dump your shit on my posts, and don't disguise it as if you care for the well being of the child. That argument is a complete false flag and if you chat with any sane gentleman that's been cut they will tell you they don't remember any of it and there is absolutely no pain left behind.

<<<<Another assault on this practice was that it was religious and cultural. I don't see that as a bad thing. I don't view different cultures or belief systems as a negative thing unless these belief systems wish to harm their non-believers through violent force. We'd live in a boring world if these things evaporated. I was accused as being supersticious (which may be quite true) but this is not the reason I'm in favor of this age old act.>>>>

Scientifically, there is a debate on this whole issue. One thing that is true is more maintenance is required for those intact. I'm quite happy that I don't have to worry about this. I'll be ready for battle at a moments notice. Some are tying this to the contraction of AIDS. Again, this is debatable. All that I really wanted to point out was there are valid positions on each side of this personal issue, and it's clearly best to get both sides of the situation before taking a hysterical one-sided opinion.