Random Rants - Basketball Weekend Warrior's experience

I play basketball every Sunday over the past 22 years and I started to miss some of the weekend as I am either down with injury, personal home commitment or some other issues. I certainly love the sport and enjoy the game with a group of guys who (like me) frequent the same court every weekend. Over the years some people come and some go, but the main core of the group is still around, and when the group become really small, we combine with some other groups and continue with the sport.

As I am not tall, and not really gifted in any way, my only weapon, so to say, is being fast and try to be faster. That is the key to my games. I remembered on one occasion probably like when I was in my late 20s, being full of energy, I hassled one of the boys that played until he was so frustrated that he called me 'monkey boy'. He was really upset, but again, I wasn't aiming at him, I was aiming to snatch the ball. I did that on and off and it happened to me as well, when someone tried to snatch the ball from me. Give and take I do it on others, others do it on me. And that was one incident that got a bit out of hand until recently...

I was playing last weekend, and I was marking a guy I don't think I am familiar with. And so it happened he turned on his back to me and I hassled him for the ball. He made a mistake and the ball went out of play. So I won the ball back. I didn't give much thought on it. And when I start the game, he said to me that his hand was injured and don't play so rough. I don't know how I looked at that time, well to me I thought I would have responded with a 'well, sure' expression.

That next start of the ball, he got a bit heated and he told me more, he said he got injured, he just got back and he wanted to have a good fun game. I can't see my face in the mirror, but I thought to myself, ok sure, no problem. But as the game got on, he seems to get more and more pissed. Honestly, I do not know what seems to piss him off, really. To me, what is done is done. Don't like it, call a foul. So the next shot, he tried to block, and I call a foul. And he was arguing with me that isn't a foul. Which is fine, I think it is not, but I have called it and no one else was disputing that except him.

His friend ask him to cool down, and the game went on, he got pretty pissed by now he started speaking loudly and then jump around me and check me with his chest to my chest. As the attention starts to make people gather around, I told another team mate to shift marking opponent with me. That still piss him off until the game ends I think.

He talked some stuff, but later when his friend was talking to him, I went over and apologize and share my view, so he says I am arguing with him and he doesn't like argument. He just asked me to sod off and he said he needed to be quiet. Sure, no problem. And then he got cooled down and starting talking to me again, and he said that why I am doing this to him, and not doing it on others, and he's just trying to have a good game etc... and I told him he was elbowing me and stepped on my foot. So I just responded with being a bit more physicality (not even thinking of fouling him actually). So he just said I am wrong, and I told him you can think what you want to think and call a foul if you think it is a foul. So that ends our conversation.

My take of things, this guy is so emotionally unstable and lashes out, and feed on his own anger. Does he even have a family, and what would he be like with family? It is a basketball game and it is a game with rule. Call for a foul if you think a foul has been committed. What's the story of don't be so rough. Seriously I don't think I touched him, but I managed to make him lost the ball in his hand. He was pissed with that I think. His thinking is of another level, not sure what, but surely full of himself. I think in a court, there is only court rules and nothing else. If you can't take basketball rules, don't play.

In the final moment of the final game he played, he showed me his middle finger and probably he wanted to tell me that he hurt his finger. Funny, I don't know I hurt his finger or someone else did. He is emotional, and after the initial challenge on him, he seems to feed on anger and it all keeps adding up. He even blame another guy for hurting him last time and he has to spend RM300 on his fractured hand which he was wearing a protective gear. Well you wanted to play basketball, I'm not sure if anyone really pushed him down or something, I don't remember that or maybe I wasn't there.

This has left me a lot to ponder, but in case you are that guy whom I pissed off, no I wasn't troubled by you. I was just having time to think of the kind of reaction a person can give and the kind of emotional stability which is so important. If we don't have that, they'll be much trouble for people around you because others now have to behave in a way to make sure you are not offended. And a last note, when I was resting and he is playing, he made 2 shots (I think). And on the first shot he made, I think he looked at me, but I wasn't trying to look back at him. He wanted to tell me 'I'm good'. I was looking elsewhere and although I felt that, I didn't want to look back at him. Still thinking, why he need to prove anything? He just got to look at himself. He might have made 2 shots, but, don't think anyone there is going to want him to be there again.

~~~ Life is an adventure where we search for the meaning of the outcome.

How Old is your Brain?

This is a good article that I have to duplicate in case they decide to take it down... enjoy your brain!?!

Your brain may be younger or older than your actual age. Are you ready to take the test?

Dr Vincent Fortanasce, professor of neurology at USC, has developed The Real Brain Age Test. He says that people can outlive their brains! Alzheimer’s and other types of brain diseases leave clues. These clues can be used to determine your real brain age.

If you want to take the test keep two things in mind:

This is not a “real” test, but rather a broad assessment of your general risk at any point in time.

There is a lot you can do, at any time, to improve the quality of your brain.

Take a sheet of paper and number from 1 to 25 and answer true or false to the following statements:

1.        I get seven to eight hours (or more) of sleep each night.

2.        I eat at least five or more servings of fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants daily.

3.        I eat at least one serving of blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries daily.

4.        I eat baked or broiled fish high in omega-3 fatty acids at least three times a week.

5.        I take fish oil supplements high in omega-3 fatty acids or flaxseed supplements at least five times per week.

6.        I take folic acid supplementation with my daily multivitamin.

7.        I take a low dose of aspirin daily.

8.        I drink red wine or grape juice at least five times per week.

9.        I exercise most days of the week for at least 30 minutes each time.

10.        I read challenging books, do crossword puzzles or sudoku, or I engage in activities that require active learning, memorisation, computation, analysis, and problem solving at least five times a week.

11.        My total cholesterol is less than 200.

12.        My LDL (“bad”) cholesterol is less than 110.

13.        I have “longevity genes” in my family, with members who lived to 80 and older without memory loss.

14.        I am not obese (less than 20 pounds overweight for a woman, less than 30 pounds overweight for a man).

15.        I eat a Mediterranean style diet (high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and olive oil as the source of fat; little red meat).

16.        I use olive oil and spreads with no trans fat instead of butter or margarine.

17.        I have never smoked cigarettes.

18.        I have normal blood pressure.

19.        I do not have diabetes.

20.        I do not have metabolic syndrome (high triglycerides, central obesity, and hypertension), also called insulin resistance syndrome.

21.        I do not have a sleep disorder such as snoring or obstructive sleep apnea, or untreated insomnia.

22.        Daily uncontrolled stress is not a problem for me.

23.        I have a strong support group and enjoy many activities with friends, colleagues, and family members.

24.        I have no problems with short or long term memory.

25.        I am ready to prevent Alzheimer’s and am willing to do whatever it takes.

Now please go back and count how many of the 25 true or false statements you marked “True”. Write your score on a sheet of paper and then use the following key to determine your Real Brain Age and risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Keep in mind that your score points out a general direction. It will give you useful information that will be easy to understand and apply to your diet and lifestyle habits.

23-25

Congratulations! You are aging well. Subtract 15 years from your chronological age for your Real Brain Age.

You are presently healthy with a youthful, productive mind. Keep working to become even healthier. Unless things change in your life, your risk of Alzheimer’s disease is extremely low.

20-22

Not Bad! Subtract 10 years from your chronological age for your Real Brain Age.

You are doing a lot to take care of your physical and mental health. Check the specific questions you marked “false” and be sure to pay attention to changes you need to make.

15-19

OK. Your Real Brain Age is the same as your chronological age.

That said, you have a mild risk of Alzheimer’s disease, so pay attention. Carefully review your results to see what changes you need to make on your diet, exercise, mental stimulation, or rest and relaxation.

12-14

You have a moderate risk of Alzheimer’s Disease. Add five years to your chronological age for your Real Brain Age.

While there’s not a lot of disparity between your chronological age and your Real Brain, it’s important that you review the quiz and circle any of the statements that indicate some work is needed. Talk to your doctor about your Alzheimer’s risk factors you have to see if treatment is indicated.

0-11

You have a high risk of Alzheimer’s Disease. Add 10 years to your chronological age for your Real Brain Age.

You may want to call your doctor and talk openly about health problems you may have. Ask if you’re doing all you can to manage these problems. Flag responses that may help to decrease your risk of Alzheimer’s Disease.

How did you do?

I scored 21 out of 25. Considering what I do for a living, I wasn’t really pleased.

But, I feel good about now having four things to work on. I plan on bringing them up with my doctor because I believe any changes should be discussed with a physician.

Dr Fortanasce’s recently published book is called The Anti-Alzheimer’s Prescription - The Science-Proven Plan to Start at Any Age. I highly recommend it! I have no financial interest - zero - in recommending it. I do believe that if you are serious about taking care of your brain this is a book you should read.

We used to believe that Alzheimer’s just occured randomly. Neuroscientists now know that damage associated with this disease begins long before any symptoms show up – even while you are “at the top of your game”. You can choose to have a healthier brain!

In the next Brain Bulletin you will learn about the surprising power of a smile.

And always remember: “You are a genius!”

Enjoy your brain.

Terry Small is a brain expert who resides in Canada and believes that anyone can learn how to learn easier, better, faster, and that learning to learn is the most important skill a person can acquire. To interact with Small, email mystarjob@leaderonomics.comhttp://mystarjob.com/articles/story.aspx?file=/2013/6/1/mystarjob_careerguide/13136557&sec=mystarjob_careerguide

~~~ Life is an adventure where we search for the meaning of the outcome.

Maintaining Motivation to stay in Healthy Good Shape

Exercise is always a do-it-yourself (DIY) venture. No other person and no machine can do it for you. Hence, it is important to have those motivating factors so that a person who is into exercise in order to lose weight will hang about. This is what people who are overweight should learn to understand. However, even if it so easy to set for instructions and easy to follow, this is not the same case for almost 35% of Americans who are unable to prevent being overweight. And elsewhere all over the world, the number is increasing because of the type of food and lifestyle that we are in. Of course, once we are overweight, we usually want to trim down for a whole lot of reasons, some related to physical condition and fitness, while others would want to enhance their physique and appearance. And it is never too late to be fit.

In the past 50 to 75 years, physical activity has become the exception rather than the rule, both at home and on the job. People tend to drive where others once walked. People tend to flick a switch and machines do the hauling, lifting, pushing, and pulling for them. However, people who try to lose weight tend to believe that weight gain is likely to happen if they will not take forward-looking steps to stop it. The point here is that health experts believe that people lose their way, especially when it comes to dieting. They tend to go back to their old eating habits even after they learn to enjoy low-fat eating. They tend to return to sedentary ways even though they enjoy exercising.

Despite the momentum toward weight gain, you can stop it from happening, experts say. And there are plenty of good reasons to avoid excess pounds, reasons that go beyond vanity or social appearance. There are many reasons in order to keep you motivated to exercise and stay healthy for the rest of your life.

Ways to Lose Weight and Maintaining Motivation to Exercise

1. Have an explicit goal

A simple statement like, “I want to lose some weight,” is an ambiguous and an indefinite statement. It will not the least motivate you to start doing exercises right away. What is important is to be precise on your goals. It would be better if you will set some detailed amount of pounds that you really want to lose. Envisage yourself what you will look like after reaching your desired weight. Doing this will inspire you to lose weight. In fact, maybe even more than what you have planned in mind. The idea is to use that figure to assist you to remain resilient and dedicated.

2. Develop a strategy

Strength of will does not work alone! To lose weight and stay with it, your strategy must comprise of both exercise and diet, and not either of the two. Try to start motivating yourself by throwing away your clothes that have bigger sizes. This will put you in a situation where you only have your sexy clothes and that you have to make a choice by staying motivated to exercise or not wear any clothes at all. Which do you prefer?

3. Make out little, calculable measures

Put into practice actions that will suit your lifestyle. This means you have to implement moves that you and you alone will benefit from it and not somebody else. The idea here is to opt for a more positive and attainable goal and not just to shun away from being plump and chubby.

4. Produce monitoring that has an important effect

It would be better to have somebody willing to take note of your progress or development. This will inspire you to keep on doing what you have started. Having somebody to listen to your achievements is definitely a better prize than just achieving your goal alone. Besides, having an extra hand to support you and cheer for you when things start to fall short. It is that simple way of hearing somebody believing on what you do is one of the greatest motivations to keep you exercising for more.

5. Construct a vigorous, sensible time-line

What do you plan to achieve in a year? Try to suit your objectives to your calendar, and do not look forward to see the results in just a snap. The bottom line is that in order to stay motivated to exercise entails a lot of hard work, which is contrary to what most people tend to think. The main idea is to let people change their lifestyle because it is only through this way that they will absolutely change their weight for the better.


~~~ Life is an adventure where we search for the meaning of the outcome.