Addictions
Part of The Belated Collection of Bob Howitt Essays, brought together because of overwhelming demand from myself and hereby distributed through technological devices not even conceivable at my birth.
Astute readers of his various posts will conclude the following, assuming that excessive consumption of distilled spirits has not destroyed their literary brain cells:
- The guy has little talent for positive, upbeat prose, which is intriguing because his lifetime actions have been skewed to productive decisions in the field of educational assistance.
- Given item (a), it better follow that his attacks against a wide variety of targets are written somewhat more effectively (see Matt Taibbi if you want real skill in this area).
- Uncomfortable truths are not infrequently wrapped in what some may accurately discern as a language of respect, admiration, and even love—and those emotions are legitimate.
Whatever!
In this world, if you cannot laugh or cry, you must be addicted to something:
Drugs … money … football … the belief that America is God’s gift to the universe … alcohol … political correctness … sex … writing in place of direct human interaction … smartphones … futbol (especially if Hispanic) … dressing like a convict (urban African-American teenagers) … studying 24 hours a day (Asian) … Justin Bieber … Law & Order … Oprah Winfrey … guns …pornography … the idea that futurists really know how the next generation America will work: single-parent “families” as the norm, unaddressed income/wealth inquality, a completely overhauled education system (hopefully), and, most important, a nation of multiple minorities … McDonald’s French fries … Buddhism … dancing … shopping … cappuchino … astrology … yard sales … rap music … beauty … religion … the lottery … television … the Pope … laptops … coffee … global warming … eating large quantities of food … making lists (!)
An Explanation of Chasing
Person A in this case is myself, functioning as a funder, a quasi-counselor, and a consistent communicator. Person B is a student aspiring to higher education (in other situations, it could be an adult seeking assistance or the representative of an organization wanting help).
From an extensive conversation between Person A and Person B, the latter settles on a course of action for himself/herself. Person A thereafter is only to be involved to the extent desired by Person B. Person B unilaterally declines to proceed on the course of action he had committed to.
It has not proven fruitful for Person A to reach out continuously to push, prod, and provoke Person B into doing what the latter said he intended to do and what he was individually capable of doing (the scaffolding principle is not applicable here—there is no question about Person B’s ability (either individually or through collaboration with others readily available to him) to follow through on his previously defined course of action.
While Person A’s ultimate scorecard as a funder of aspiring students is driven by how many Persons B have accomplished their goals, because this is the basis of the initial interface between Person A and Person B, if Person B does not have the motivation to proceed on his end of the bargain, it is not productive for Person A to “chase.”
Camp Nou
Having been in attendance in 2014-15 at five FCB Barcelona matches at the famed facility of Camp Nou in Barcelona, it is time to pen a few observations, information already known to aficionados around the world and the two billion youngsters who right now are playing the world’s game:
The field is huge, which cannot be gleaned from television.
The specific skills are unreal—players do incredible things with the ball that you could not do with your hands. The different ways their bodies, excluding hands/arms, interact with the ball are endless in number and creativity.
Headers are not only concussion-inducing stops of free kicks coming straight to the noggin or attempts to redirect corner kicks into the net, but just as frequently are clever strategic passes in the run of play. [Watching one game played in a downpour, I remember from my high school soccer days, how heavy a soccer ball can become and how it jars the head even harder.]
Goalies are more involved than might be thought if one believed they are there simply to stop shots. They direct their defenders where to pass, and they either throw in a strategic fashion or kick the ball well past the midfield line or pass it short to one of his defenders.
The speed of players from end to end is impressive.
One of the many beauties of the game is the constant shifting from defense to offense. At the same time, the ability of a team to control possession time is usually associated with victory.
Often it appears the ball is on a string, such is the precision of open field passes.
The triangle offense is totally apparent, and originated before Phil Jackson hit the NBA.
Finishers are rare and their ability to put the ball in the net is disproportionately important because of the low number of goals which are scored.
Lesser players are conflicted. At times, it appears they are ignoring “good” scoring opportunities in order to get the ball to the finishers, who by definition are better at this objective. Other times, it appears the former are lusting for glory, to be garnered when their low probability shot somehow eludes the opposition’s keeper.
Top finishers are targets for physical abuse for sure, but Messi does not seem to hit the turf that much. Ronaldo, in contrast, is on his back more than Madonna., crying for a penalty like Madonna cries out for love.
The head of UEFA is recommending a 10-minute white card. While no details have been disclosed as to its usage (which the traditionalists will fight), these come to mind:
Excessive delays on corner kicks or throw-ins or not getting back 10 yards from a direct kick, extended arguing, celebrations which are political (orgiastic tackling of the goal-scorer is okay as is pointing heavenward even when it was an earthbound teammate who set things up with a nice pass). .
The Barcelona team is akin to the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs, but with bigger egos.
All of the fans at Camp Nou are some combination of coaches/critics.
I have read the offside rules, I have seen—many times—the rules enforced by the side linesmen who assist the referee. But I still do not thoroughly understand them. I do know one thing, however: if offside rules were abolished in the penalty box, there would be more scoring and Americans would be more likely to attend, which would mean more money, which would mean more likelihood of young people adopting the game as a possible career. None of this is going to happen of course.
P.S. A bar sign in Sitges, a coastal resort town a half-hour from Barcelona:
ON DAYS OF FUTBOL MATCHES, FIND OUT WHAT HOURS THE BAR IS OPEN BY CHECKING FACEBOOK OR CALLING THE BAR OR SEEING IT POSTED HERE.
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