Groupon Hates Your Stuffed Animals.

Over 140 bought. Limited quantity available.

Hurry, your chance to have all your children's stuffed animals together in one big orgy just minutes before they are hung to death is running out! Groupon Goods has a Stuffed Animal Organizer on sale for $29.99. For less than $30, you can string up to 42 stuffed animals, action figures, and dolls. So now they are off the floor and tied up...what does little Christopher do when he wants to play with his Batman, but his Batman is involved in a tangled war with 3 of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3/4 of the way up the pole and out of poor Christopher's reach? You tell your son Batman has been released from the evil elastic bands but now must be the action figure for the week because removing more than one toy from the organizer would be the beginning of a mess and defeat the purpose of the organizer. And if he doesn't understand and asks why, you say, "Because I said so."

Do kids these days still have stuffed animals? Aren't most pets and toys virtual these days? Whatever happened to Tamagotchis? Forty-two...that's like averaging 5 stuffed toys annually the first 8 years of your life. Seems a bit excessive. But then again, any number less than 5 on this contraption almost appears unpleasant or painful. What did that poor doll do to deserve to be strapped atop the 56" pole? Is there a big red A stitched on her dress? Is it really just a clever way of organizing or the beginning of the end for these stuffed animals?

-bObD.

1-N-Done...down, but not out!

I was playing a strategic game. I seem to have had a good grasp on it - the stars were, for the most part, aligned and my selected players were doing their part. Then came round 2 where points were doubled. A 3-pointer counted as 6, a rebound was scored as a 2-pointer. Nothing was going my way...the Mega Ball was always a digit off. Whether it was Belinelli, Jarrett Jack, or Klay Thompson, I seem to have picked the underperforming, ugly duckling of the night. I picked the right guys, just on the wrong day. But that's how this game goes.

Round 2 was tough. I haven't had to make decisions like that since high school when I coordinated my kicks with my tees...Nike Shox, Air Max 90s, Jordans, Nike Uptempos...Doc Martins. Each morning I spent a good 10-20 minutes deciding which pair to put on. Decades later, I am still making those morning decisions, along with others. Having to run the Bulls' roster dry, knowing it was not likely they would advance. Second guessing the experience of the Spurs and possibly giving into the fight of the Warriors. Enduring a painful Knicks/Pacers series. And losing sleep over the unpredictable Thunder/Grizzlies games. I am somewhat relieved the 2nd round is over - I lost a lot of ground in points.

Who am I kidding - it is not getting any easier. Points are now tripled. How long do you hold out on the big names? With the matchups presented, are the big names guaranteed to put up big numbers? Two-fifths of my Pacers line-up have already been played - how confident am I that the Heat will win? And in how many? There is no room for error. Kicks have been chosen and laced. Game on.


-bObD.

Tasty Run.

How often do you get to be a part of a "First Annual" anything? This year I got to run AND eat in the first annual Tasty Run. I am, by no means, an avid runner. To be honest, I am no runner at all. I partake in the Race for the Cure annually because it's Susan G. Komen...and it's for a good cause. And you get a crap load of freebies at the end of the race. But mainly because it's for a good cause.

When I heard about the Tasty Run, a 5K with tasting stations along the course, I was sold. I did not care what the cause was. For all I was concerned, the cause was my hyperactive thyroid and insatiable desire to eat. The fact that I could get a workout while eating, it was a total win-win situation for me. I have never been so excited to run before.

Shortly after the start of the race was the first station. No one was ready for it, including myself. La Madeline had a spread of chocolate croissants and their strawberry romanoffs, which I swear are laced with crack. By the time I realized I had approached the first of five food stations, my momentum only allowed me to grab one croissant and the largest strawberry I could see. I was so excited, I didn't know what to do - eat the strawberry? Eat the croissant? Keep running? Turn around and grab another strawberry?

Before I could establish a plan of action, I began to smell the next station. Genghis Grill had Teriyaki Chicken and Rice. Oooh-wee it smelled good! They had the food in a jello-shot cup so the only appropriate way to eat the food sample was to shoot it. You know, just like when you're downtown and it's your friend's 21st birthday.  It was no unlimited bowl, but it hit the spot. And if not careful, it hit the wrong spot. One of the keys to running, and exercising in general, is rhythmic and controlled breathing. Inhaling a mouthful of chicken and rice can throw that breathing off. Just a tad.

Raising Canes blessed the runners with some fresh-squeezed lemonade. While I could have done without the ice chunks in my lemonade, it was quite refreshing. Just before the 2-mile marker, Tiff's Treats had a table full of cookies, whole cookies. They were amazing. I ate the entire cookie. I didn't really have choice seeing as how there were no trash cans in site after passing the table. It's okay though - by this time, I had already decided this event was no longer a running event, but rather an eating event.

The last tasting station was hosted by On The Border. What better way to represent a mexican food station than with mini burritos and sopapillas! I knew it was the last stop before the finish line, so I made the most of it by taking pictures with the sopapilla girls, while enjoying a mouthful of fried pastry.

I finished the race in a record, slow time of 47:43 and continued onto the Dos Equis afterparty where we were greeted with whole cans of Dos Equis. While some may not think chugging a beer is the best way to hydrate after a run, I was surrounded by runners that would disagree.

The Warriors Uncut.

During a time when people of all ages are hyped about the summer movie releases, there seems to be another form of entertainment stealing the show. While you have your fair share of Marvel fans lining up to see Iron Man, the same number of fans are glued to the TV watching super human athletes battle on the basketball court. The Great Gatsby explores resistance to change, while the Chicago Bulls exhibit the fight to stay alive.

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are no Vin Diesel and Paul Walker, but some say they are trying to pull off a high-octane heist against the San Antonio Spurs. A team many people counted out when David Lee went down, Golden State is still in it. They're going for the Oscar...the Best Series...the Larry O'Brien, they want to win it all.

I find it more fitting now, than before, to deliver this movie poster showcasing the three talents carrying the Warriors. How can you deny these young men another series win? Especially after a career performance from Harrison Barnes. When Curry and Thompson struggled offensively, and Bogut got into early foul trouble, Barnes took over. The team remained composed and continued to play their game. Their game is what continues to bring them back from deficits. Their game is what held the Spurs in overtime. Their game has evened the series to 2 a piece.

With the exception of Rose, no other player has been trending more during the playoffs than Curry. And while Rose is showing no signs of returning to the court this year, Curry is showing no signs of stopping or slowing down, despite his ailing ankle. The sportscasters like to bring attention to the noise the fans bring to the "Roaracle." How about the social media noise? Where did all these Golden State fans come from? One hundred plus decibels is followed by hundreds of thousands of live tweets. When did everyone become Curry's number one fan? The last time I remember so many fans coming out of nowhere was when the Phoenix Suns ran with KJ and Majerle in the early 90's. All-Star and fan favorites stacked, they fell short of the championship. Are the Warriors poised for a different outcome? Will these fans continue to line-up for this starring backcourt?

This series is nothing short of thrilling and spectacular, and I cannot wait for Game 5!


-bObD.

The D Rose Debacle

I need to start this post off by saying that I am a huge Derrick Rose fan. Ever since I saw him on the AAU circuit as a 16 year old, I knew he was special. He is obviously special.....if you know basketball that's not even a question. I admired him at Memphis, and since he was drafted by his hometown team, The Chicago Bulls. The kid clearly has his head on straight. He has handled every situation with class, honesty, and real emotion. Derrick Rose seems to be a genuine person, on and off the court. All that being said, I have a problem with the situation that is going on right now in the playoffs. When my homie bObD and I decided to start this blog, I said to myself that I wasn't going to jump to conclusions on people and judge people that I don't know personally, off of iffy facts and ignorance. I still hold true that premise. But this situation that has evolved in Chicago is very, very interesting. Derrick Rose was medically cleared to play basketball 3 months ago. He has been practicing with his team in 5 on 5 scrimmages for 2 months....2 months!! By all accounts there hasn't been a setback since he has been practicing and sources say that he looks good. Then comes the quotes from family, the Bulls, and Derrick himself.  His brother and his mother have been talking to the press way too much in my humble opinion. Reggie Rose (Derrick's brother), has come out and said that it is all mental and Derrick doesn't trust the knee. Derrick's mom has basically said the same thing. The Bulls will not come out and shut the kid down for the rest of the playoffs. Derrick himself, who doesn't say a lot, said that "anything's possible". Hmmm. What does all this crap mean? To add to all this stuff.....The Bulls players themselves (the only ones that really matter) are battling. These guys won a series that, as shorthanded as they were, they shouldn't have won. They won off of defense, grit, bravery, teamwork, grit, toughness, trust, grit, and mettle. This team is a TEAM. Something you rarely see on the landscape in the NBA. A unique team that has won my heart. I love watching them. I love how they compete. I love lil Robinson. I LOVE Noah....he's the guy I will show my son, when I show him how to compete on every play. The bottom line is that the TEAM deserves more than the Bulls brass is giving them. They deserve to know whether or not they are going to get help from the cornerstone of the organization, who seems to be healthy. After last night's dismantling by the Heat, will DRose decide to play Friday night? Have they already shut him down within the organization??? Do the players know? If he is healthy now, why hasn't he played before this? I cannot remember anything like this before. I have never been the kind of guy that believes that a player needs to listen to the court of public opinion or play for the fans in particular. I do believe that a star has an obligation to his team. Especially a team that's as special as this one......I can't wait till Friday.