Apparently so, but are they as good as the golden state warriors?  Over the past 20 years only three number one draft picks have won championships and they all play for the warriors or the cavaliers.


That's crazy that number 1 picks aren't winning more championships on teams besides the Warriors or cavs


It is very surprising but true.  There's just something about those two teams I guess.  I know Steph Curry plays for the Warriors. He's not a number one draft pick but he is very good.


So does Kevin Durant who won a couple with the Warriors, I'm surprised he wasn't drafted number one


I am too.  Basketball is still lucrative though.  Teams get paid for losing.  The warriors got paid 12 million dollars after losing game 4 of the finals last year.


Good morning!  Have you read any William Shakespeare?


I read a few of his plays when I was in school. How about you?


Same.  Did you know that he invented names?  He invented miranda, jessica, and olivia.


I know he's also credited with inventing a lot of phrases and words we use today as well.


I know. It's so odd when you think that he was doing all of this back in the 1500s.


Do you have any favorite plays from the one's you read?


I guess I've always liked Romeo and Juliet.  What is your favorite or favorites?


I was a fan of Macbeth and of Taming of the Shrew. A lot of these plays have inspired modern movies.


I forgot about Taming of the Shrew.  That one is good. I think it inspired a musical movie years ago.


The movie 10 Things I Hate About You is a modern retelling of it. I also really enjoyed the Leonardo DiCaprio version of Romeo and Juliet.


I just remembered the name of the one I was thinking of. It is Kiss Me Kate.  Did you know that Shakespeare's works take on different meanings when performed with an era appropriate accent instead of a modern one?


I did not know thought all though it makes sense since he probably used some era specific puns and wordplay.


He probably did.  There are some other author's that are good too.  Have you read any CS Lewis or Tolkien?


I have read some CS Lewis but I have never read any Tolkien. I have not seen any of the movies adapted from his works either.


Well apparently they were friends.  They used to hold "you laugh you lose" competitions when reading terrible poetry.


That sounds fun, I wonder if any of those poems still exist.


I don't know but I'd read them too.  I'd also like to read Ender's Game.  It's suggested reading for many military organizations.


I know the military also recommends Starship Troopers as well. Interestingly both of those books were made into movies.


I've seen Ender's Game. It is a fantastic movie and has a fantastic cast as well.


I did catch a little bit of that movie but did not watch all of it. Starship Troopers was a fun movie.


I've never seen that one.  From what I understand though they are about aliens but very different takes on the subject.


Hello, good how about you?  Did you watch any NBA today?


I'm good, thanks for asking.  No, I haven't watched any basketball, today.  Have you?


Yes, I am near Oakland and watched the Warriors lose real bad!


Oh, sorry to hear that!  I love the warriors.


Really, I feel guilty often because we have Curry, Thompson, Durant, Green and now Cousins!


Hey, everybody has an off night, it just happened for them, all on the same night.


Oh I am not worried about them losing last night, I mean I feel guilty to keep hogging NBA titles haha.


Lol, well they got $ 12 million just by losing game 4 of the finals last season, so they're good win or lose!


I wonder why they are called Golden State?


Because Cali is known as the "Golden State"?


Yes but Sacramento Kings are here and also LA Clippers all from Cali.  I was born in Oakland so I always wonder why not Oakland Warriors?


True, but Golden State has a better ring to it than Oakland, sorry.


Doesnt matter to me anymore, they are moving back to SF next year anyway!  Again, like they did in 1962


It'll be ok! I didn't know that Stephen Curry was involved with a foundation that supplies mosquito nets to families in Africa.  How nice of him to do.


Yeah, he does a lot with kids and hospitals out here too.  He makes a lot of 3s so he must donate a lot of nets.


Have you ever seen him shoot "granny style"?


No but I have haha.  I guess NBA players think it looks dumb but it is effective


I read physicists have proved it's the absolute best way to score points, looks like they would use it!


Nah they like to dunk.  Kareem was banned in college because he kept dunking.


I'm old enough to remember that! Well, it's been nice chatting with you this morning.  You seem like you like basketball, alot.  Hope your Warriors do well, wherever they end up playing! Enjoy the rest of your day.


Hey there. Do you like basketball? I love how the NBA is the premier basketball league in the world.


I do like the NBA, but there is only one team to root for in my country... I wish they were more.


Oh interesting. You must live in Canada!


Indeed, if they were more team they could be rivalries. I live far from Toronto, I don't really relate to them. What is your favorite team ?


My team is the New Orleans pelicans. However one of my favorite players was Allen Iverson. He made a lot of money with Reebok. He gets a lump sum of 32 million at age 55.


the NBA generates al lot of revenues for the companies like Nike and Reebok, enough to pay a fine each game if a player wears banned shoes.


Yeah that's true. You must be referring to the air Jordans that the NBA banned. Kind of funny.


I wonder if they had any effects at all, because they were unbanned after.


Yeah I bet they got a lot of media for doing that. It's all about money. Although Tim Duncan sacrifice money to stay in college for four years.


But even in college, basketball is about money, college basketball coaches are among the best paid state employees.


Yeah that's true. 39 out of 50 states pay coaches the highest of any state employee. But the players don't get paid. Should they?


If it generates more money than they are paid for, the State is winning. So I think it is okay, it is not a waste of money.


Yes that's true. Well the US Supreme court even has a basketball court on the top floor! It is popular everywhere.


Do you think they had to build one there ? They could have gone  to a gym, I am sure the is one near the Supreme Court.


True I bet there is. But they must have wanted to call it the highest court in the land!


I wonder if they ruled on the legality of the dunk, it was banned for 10 years in college.


Haha that would be so fitting. Yeah Kareem's dunk must have been very influential to get banned.


He must have done it a lot to have it banned, I don't think they introduce that rule after his first dunk.


Yeah I think you're right. Also surprising that the inventor of basketball wasn't a good coach at Kansas. In fact he was the worst! Well it was fun talking with you today!


It must have been hard for him, you invent a sport then everyone is better than you. I wonder if he regretted inventing it. Thanks for the conversation, have a good day.


Hey there are you a fan of plays? I think Shakespeare was a genius!


I do love plays and also musicals. I have not seen a doll's house. Have you?


Nope I never have! It's interesting that Shakespeare popularized many of the phrases we use today like good riddance!


I had no idea that " break the ice came from Shakespeare also!


Very cool to learn! Surprisingly Pocahontas and Shakespeare were alive at the same time and died only a year apart!


That is interesting. They seem like worlds apart time wise. Shakespeare wrote 39 plays but think how many movies are based on his plays such as West Side Story and 10 Things I Hat About You.


He is truly a visionary. Romeo and Juliet was definitely a classic!


That and Hamlet is a theme that has run through so many movies and books!


Yes you are very right. Shakespeare's private life is quite unknown because there are a few records of it.


I have also heard rumors that he may actually be several people all writing under the same name but that has never been accepted.


Oh wow I never knew that. Apparently Shakespeare invented the name is Miranda, Jessica, and Olivia.


I was not aware of that fact either! I have been to England but not to Statford. I would love to see where his theater company was. I do enjoy once in awhile seeing productions of a Midsummer's Night Dream as comedies are easy to follow.


Yes I agree. Do you like dramas? The term comes from a Greek word meaning action.


I do enjoy dramas. I am surprised that Hugh Laurie is the highest paid actor in a drama series at 700,000 an episode!


Yeah he is so good in House MD though. Jim Carrey quit drama movies because they weren't positive enough!


They definitely can get a bit depressing. Lately, they don't have happy endings. I do find it amusing that Michael Caine went into acting because the pretty girls were in those classes.


Smart Man! I wonder why John Hamm went into acting? He taught drama at his old high school.


I am sure it is because he made quite a bit more in Mad Men than teaching!


I would imagine so. But it seems like he did a lot of good because one of his students became an actress in the office! I had fun talking with you today.


Thank you so much. Have a great weekend!


Do you enjoy reading? I am enjoying a nice relaxing night reading at home.


I do like reading. What do you like to read?


Oh, I mostly enjoy novels. Did you know in the 18th century there was a "moral panic" because of the spread of people reading novels? What do you like to read?


I like lots of things. William Shakespeare, science fiction, to name a few.


Good ol' Shakespeare! He lived so long ago, yet popularized many phrases we still use today, like "Good riddance"!


I use that on the regular! He's also behind "breaking the ice" and things coming "full circle".


Pretty good ones! He also invented the names Miranda, Jessica, and Olivia. I didn't realize any of those names were so old!


Did you know Shakespeare and Pocahontas were actually alive at the same time?


I recently heard that! And I heard they died only a year apart! I never mentally put the two in the same time period at all.


I never think about it that way, either. Did you know he got married when he was only 18 years old?


I did not realize it was so young. Didn't he have a child named Hamnet?


Yes, and he was a twin. His sister was named Judith. He also owned a play company.


Yes. His plays have been translated into every major living language! Pretty impressive!


That is impressive. Have you heard of Tchaikowsky?


The Polish composer?  Isn't he the one that donated his skull to the Royal Shakespeare Company?!


Yes, he had hoped it would be used as a prop for the Skull of Yorick.


I believe it was used as recently as 2008 in a series of performances of Hamlet. Wouldn't that be a sight?!


That's crazy they used the real skull of a Polish composer as a prop. But to each their own!


I mean, his plays are performed more often than those of any other playwright, so I guess they want to keep things more interesting than the competition!


I guess so. Well, it's been nice chatting with you!


It sure has! Think I'll go read some Shakespeare sonnets for awhile now!  Good bye!


Did you hear about the Deal Allen Iverson did with Reebok?


I didn't hear about that.  What kind of deal did he make with Reebok?


800K per year and then 32M when he turns 55. That was smart to me.


Nice!  That's a lot of cash.  Physicists proved that shooting my favorite shot...the granny shot...is the absolute best technique to consistently score points from the free throw line.


Too funny! Can you imagine if that was the rule and the only shot that could be taken, lol.


I wonder if anyone in the NBA has ever done it?  I don't think I've ever seen it in a game.  It would be funny!


Yeah I think the only team to successfully pull it off was the Harlem Globetrotters.


Nice!  I remember them from when I was a kid.  I think they were more popular in the 70s and 80s.  Do you remember Kareem Abdul-Jabbar from back then?


Yes he was the jam master, he's a legend of the sport.


yes!  I remember him for his hook shots.  Did you know that in 39 out of 50 states the highest paid state employee is either a college football or basketball coach?


Wow but i guess that makes since the sports produces a lot of money. didn't the dunk get banned because of Kareem?


Yes.  He used it so much in college that they banned it for over a decade.


Wow, talk about changing the game. Do you know who invented basketball?


Wasn't that a guy who was the only losing coach in the history of Kansas?  James Naismith?


Right, lol. At least he gave us basketball. The New Zealand Basketball team are nicknamed the tall blacks, wow!


Wow is right.  They would catch so much slack for that here in the states.  I like how Tim Duncan decided to pass up going directly to the NBA and stayed in college for 4 years.  He lost a lot of money by doing that.  But, from what I know it was a promise that he made to his grandmother that he would go to college before trying to go pro.


Wow hey do you know where the highest court in the land is.


Ironically enough it on top of the highest court in the land, the Supreme court building.


Awesome!  I would love to have that at the top of where I work.  did you know that the golden state warriors earned about $12 million by losing game 4 of the NBA finals?


Is that because of the extra games that were played or something? Are you a Reggie Miller fan?


Just wondering apparently he's in the hall of fame. Nice chatting with you.


Yeah I love basketball. I haven't got to watch much this year though.


Same here.  I always try to watch around tournament times though.  March Madness is coming up.


Yeah my team never does too well in the tourney. I'm a mountaineer fan. You know press virginia. Lol. They aren't bad just can't get anywhere in the tournament.


The school I went to never even makes it near the tourney.  I heard they are making a second space jam.  It was the highest grossing basketball movie of all time


Yeah I heard that. they got lebron in the lead role.


I wonder how he will do compared to MJ.   He better be banking all that money, 5 years after retirement 60% of stars go bankrupt.


I dont think lebron will ever go broke. He will probably make enough off of shoe deals after he retires to live pretty comfortably.


True, he even denied Reebok to hold out for Nike


I heard that. I also heard Allen Iverson did pretty good on his shoe deal.


I want shoes named after me, that'd be cool.  Did you know Shaq only ever recorded  1  3 pointer in his entire career?


I can believe it. The dude couldnt even hit a free throw. Let alone a three


Maybe if he shot granny style he would have fared better.


Yeah I heard it is the most effective way to shoot them. It just dont look very cool.


But supposedly it is cool to get a Vasectomy, more men get them during March than any other month so that they can stay home and watch the tournament,.


Well thats going a little far just to watch some more basketball games LOL


I agree.  It would likely be cheaper to take vacation and travel to the tournament.  Lol


Probably. Did you know that cheryl miller scored 105 points in a game. Thats crazy.


I know, thats more than some teams even score in one game.  Reggie was always in her shadow in HS.


I guess even hall of famers are still in the shadow of their older siblings. Lol. Good chat.


Not a fan-fan, I watch it if someone else is.


I'm not myself though I have been to some professional basketball games.  I've never been to a game the Golden State Warriors played in though!


I've never been to a game, too expensive.


Yeah, I know they always have been I had a boyfriend who scored free tickets!  So Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors seems like a good buy providing mosquito nets to people in Africa.


Really? That's awesome he does that. I liked his letter to the little girl.


Oh, I haven't heard about that, what did he say?


She wanted to know why his shoes didn't come in girls, and he said he would fix that.


That was sweet.  I hope he did it!  Did you know although the 'granny style' of shooting from the line is the best to score NBL players refuse to do it because 'it looks stupid'!  LOL


I did not, I also didn't know that Nike paid Michael Jordan's fines for wearing his own shoes.


I heard that and I heard since Nike paid the fines he kept wearing them!  I didn't know until recently that there is one Canadian basketball team in the NBA!


Yes, Toronto. The Cav's played them last week.


The other Canadian teams, what league do they belong to?


I don't follow basketball very closely, only LeBron and the Cav's


I admire Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs getting his college degree before he started playing professionally.


That's awesome. I was surprised to learn the Supreme Court has a basketball court on their top floor.


Yes, it was portrayed in a movie once too.  I forget the title.  Basketball has universal appeal.  It's easy to form a team when you only need 5 people.


It's funny, as the court on the SCOTUS building is truly the highest court in the land.


Haha!  That's right it is!  I wonder if they have a weight room, etc.?   Who's the Ref?  The Supreme Court Supreme Justice?


I know they do have a gym, and RGB works out in it with a trainer.


Really. Well, they need it I'm certain, reduces stress and all and keeps them in shape for basketball!  Great chatting with you!


The Wizard's coach was not happy with the team's effort and loss against the Hawks.


Yes. Scott Brooks. He said, "Nobody wanted to share the basketball tonight."


Exactly So true! Otto Porter had very few answers for the low percentage points.


Yeah, and now the Wizards are at the bottom - the lowest of all play-off-bound teams in both conferences.


Yep, its a bummer. Coach Brooks told the press that his team is selfish with the ball and simply not passing enough.


And there are only two regular season games remaining. It's not looking good for them, but who knows.


So true, I look forward to every remaining game. Over the past 19 games, Washington average 26.8 assists per game, that is the second most in the league this year.


That's good. What do you think of Brooks calling the team selfish? He's being very critical of them in interviews. That can't be good for morale. Do you think they deserve it or do you think he's being unreasonable and not taking enough responsibility himself?


Good point. Coaches have a rep for not taking enough blame sometimes. Porter said recently that we all need to look at ourselves in the mirror so that can be the start of accountability.


Right. He's insulting the players' character instead of looking at all the factors involved.


I totally agree. The coach said he wants to go back to the drawing board and I couldn't agree with him more.


I think he should reevaluate everything, look at how he's coaching and what he can do to help the team. Or they should consider getting a new coach.


Yes, although they have decent defense and take pride in their defense the team as a whole is failing.


He says they're not passing enough. He should coach them on that, or figure out why they're playing that way and address those issues.


Right! The coach seems to be in tune with the problems but its too little too late. Watching the film after a game is the best way to improve sometimes.


Exactly. If he knows what's up, he needs to do something about it. And don't just criticize the team. Talk about the big picture, what your own involvement was, and what you plan to do to help them play better.


Yep, and did you know that the Hawks are one of the worst shooting teams a  percent! Wow.


Wow. I didn't know that. I know they've also been doing worse lately.


Yeah, the Hawks are at 44.6 percent and they outperformed Washington by 4 percentage points.


They've also placed seven players on the inactive list.


That makes sense now. Too many on inactive and at this time of year.


Right. Well, it's been good talking to you! Have a great day!


Hi there!  Are you a fan of Shakespeare?


I love Shakespeare, I wish I was more into his work and knew more than a few plays, how about you?


I know a little... He is regarded as the greatest writer in the English language!


I bet, he is probably the most famous writer that everyone knows! He even evented names like Maranda, Jessica, and Olivia


I didn't know that!  He coined many phrases we still use today like "good riddance" and "wild goose chase".


lol, those are great ones! Did you know he was alive the same time as Pocahontas?


I see that.  They both only died a year apart too.


that is so crazy to think that. I figured it was hundreds of years apart. Are you into dramas?


Hugh Laurie made 700,000 an episode for that show!


Wow!  Big bucks!  Did you ever watch Mad Men with Joh Hamm?  He taught drama at his old high school.


I used to love that show, he definitely could teach some skills to people. I was a Michael Caine fan also


I love his story of how he got into drama...because all the pretty girls in his school were in drama.  lol


That is a great way to start lol, it paid off for him. I am sure he got all pretty girls after he became an actor lol


lol So true!  Jim Carrey doesn't make dramas any more because his belief system prevents him from playing in movies that don't project positivity.  I kind of like that system.


That is a great system he has. Positive is the best!


I agree!  Did you know that there is a website where you can listen to 1000's of classic radio drama episodes for free?  That's kind of neat.


I need to check that station out. I am curious how that is. It was so nice chatting with you!


I had a great time!  Hope you have a good night!


Are you a fan of the Golden State Warriors? They are from Oakland, California. Steven Curry is a pretty famous player for them.


I've heard of them, but I don't keep up on basketball. I didn't realize Oakland is so close to San Fran, but it makes sense that the team would be named that


Yes, although I've never been to an NBA game. Have you?


No, I haven't. I do hear about Steph Curry a lot though. He's part of a foundation that donates three mosquito nets for every 3 pointer he makes. Those nets go to help families in Afirca


That's really nice of that millionaire to donate some nets for the poor. I didn't know Kevin Durant and John wall were so close, but I hear they were hugging after an NBA game.


Did they win or lose that game? Because by losing game 4 of the NBA finals last season, the Golden State Warriors earned nearly $12 million. For LOSING


Wow that is a lucrative team! I used to play basketball in high school. I was the second tallest girl in school, and the tallest has same name.


Wow, that must have been confusing! I guess it might also get confusing though with how many brothers there are who play basketball. The brothers of Steph Curry and Klayb Thompson played together at the same time they did


Was this in the NBA? I heard Reggi Miller had an older sister that played basketball in high school. He's a hall of famer!


It was on a team called the Santa Cruz Warriors, so I don't think so. Part of it might also be coming from tall families


Santa Cruz in California? It's beautiful there. Did you know John wall was number one pick of the 2010 NBA Draft? I thought it was someone else...


John Wall went though a lot as a kid. His dad died of liver cancer when he was only eight. He's overcome a lot to get to where he is today


What a good success story! I did hear he lived up to his nickname of "Crazy J" but I don't know what type of crazy things he did.


Whatever it was, he got to where he is because of his stepdad. He was the first in his family to go to college, and then his younger sister follow his lead.


Does the National Basketball Association have any college requirements? Or even high school? I never thought about that.


I'm not sure. I would think most of the players were in college, even if they didn't finish. Tim Duncan chose to stay and finish college before joining the NBA though


I heard physicists tested things out and discovered by shooting "granny style" you can score optimally. NBA players don't use it because it's not cool, though.


It's much more cool to dunk. The shoes are much cooler now than they used to be too. Nike used to pay a fine each game for Michael Jordan to wear Air Jordans because they were originally banned


I wonder if Nike and the NBA are somehow in business together making money. Seems like it's what most of the players wear.


I think it's more that the NBA finally gave up on banning them and all the players wanted them. They might actually be better for playing basketball anyway. I wonder if Reebok's deal with Allen Iverson was worth it. $800,000 a year until he's 55 and then a final payment of $32,000,000 is a lot of money


Oh I remember now. Reebok was so popular at that time from it all! Well, now I feel like playing basketball like a regular NBA player!


Hey there how often do you go to the library? I know that I have to renew my card this week actually LOL


Go to the library? Never, I always go to the library online.  I learned how to do that way back in my college days in the 90s. Since a library is a collection of sources of information and similar resources made accessible to a defined community for reference or borrowing, online is the way to go!


Yes online is definitely more convenient! I think it's interesting you can sell a book in Norway and you're guaranteed to have the government by at least 1,000 copies, maybe do that for some fast money lol


Hey, that's an excellent rule! Did you know that there are more McDonalds in the US than libraries? And only over half of adults have library cards?]


No I didn't know that! I also wish that my library had a"library of things"like in Sacramento, they can actually borrow things like sewing machines and other short-term use items


Yes, that would be so awesome! I could use a sewing machine now and then just not all the time. Very good for that Sacramento Public Library.


Yes I agree. Also good for William Gladstone. He wheelbarrowed an entire wheelbarrow full of old books when he was 85 all the way to his Public Library to donate them


Wow, yes he collected 32,000 books and wheeled them 3/4 mile between his home and the library. What a guy, his daughter said he did that to 'bring together books who had no readers with readers who had no books'. What a family!


Guess what a great guy! Do you ever buy books from Amazon? I know that their CEO actually built a clock into a mountain, I wonder if you put some books in there too


Yes, I always buy used books from Amazon. I have for the last ten years. Did you hear that the very first Amazon.com customer got a building named after him?


Yes I did, he spent about $28 and that is a bargain for getting your name put on a building LOL. I ordered from Amazon a lot and I'm so happy that they deliver on Sundays now


Me too. I heard that the US Postal Service has a contract with Amazon to deliver packages on Sunday too. That is awesome.  Also, did you know that Amazon.com owned the IMDB since 1998 as well?


No I didn't know that. Even though I use that website everyday. I should get a job with Amazon though, a typical worker will walk between 7 and 15 miles a day! That's a lot of calories burned


Yes,not to mention the health benefits of all that walking. Me too, I agree but no Amazon warehouse is near my home. I'll have to settle for ordering online from them.  After all, I can order Kindle e-readers, Fire tablets, Fire TV sticks, and Echo devices to give voice commands.


Yes maybe they will invent an Amazon car that the employees can drive around so they don't have to walk so much LOL do you drive a car at all


Yes, I have an old Dodge Neon that still looks like a new car. I'm so glad we don't have to still drive animal drawn carriages and carts in our country.


Yes I agree with you there. I'm also glad that you can't put flamethrowers on your car in the United States, unlike South Africa LOL


Yes, imagine that. Speaking of cars, did you know that McDonalds added drive-thrus in 1975?


I heard about that. They were trying to accommodate soldiers who couldn't leave their cars because they were in uniform, I think they changed the rules for soldiers now though


Just think about how much that increased their bottom line throughout all these years! That was a stroke of genius.  Did you know the reason why we call the back of our cars, trunks?


Yes I think because old cars used to have wooden trunks on the back? Again it's just good that the United States doesn't allow flamethrowers on cars because that would be a fire hazard LOL


Have you ever heard of banned books week?


I havent heard about it but seems like its an annual thing, what about yourself?


I'm a little familiar with it.  I don't think it's right to call it that though.  Books aren't banned in this country anymore.


It seems like an exaggerated problem to me, I mean with the internet there are few things we cant access today.


I agree with that.  Some say that the young or people in rural areas can't have access to books but I disagree. The internet is practically everywhere, especially with phones now.


Exactly, information is available in your pocket, but I do wonder what those banned books are all about.


I think they are trying to fight those that challenge some books. But even those sell hundreds of thousands of copies a year.


Yeah, like books aren't really banned any more and most tittles are just because parents are concerned about age appropriateness, I agree they must be age sensitive but not banned.


It does seem too that this week thing just sells more copies to those books that are already selling well.  One of the authors is Bill Cosby.  He is challenged by some due to his criminal activity but even still, his books sell.


Yeah I did hear about his problems with the law, the content is good but because of the allegations it shouldnt be banned


I agree.  Did you know that there are more libraries than McDonalds in the United States?


I didnt know that, there is a McDonalds in every corner so thats hard to imagine.


You are right about that.  Libraries can rage in size though from a few shelves to large buildings.


Did you hear about the guy that was falsy improsened, he studied law at the library for about 10 years and then proved his own innocence, that should be made a movie


It definitely should!  Just think libraries only came into existence in 1895. Imagine people before then without access to books.


Thats why people believed everything they were told back then, I glad we have acess to books now, its as easy as clicking the checkout button on Amazon.


Oh Amazon!  The largest online retailer in the world!


It is! I love shopping at amazon, to think the first purchase ever made was of $27.95


I wonder if that was for a book.  Amazon started as an online book seller.


It might have been, it would be interesting to google it out, I think its great how workers must walk 7 to 15 miles a day, that definetely helps with their health.


I agree with that.  They can get exercise and get paid!  Did you know that Amazon has a publishing company?


I'm great! How are you doing? Do you like cars?


Sure, I don't have one at the moment, but they are quite useful. I'm surprised by the history of the drive thru.


You don't have a car? I too was surprised about the drive thru. McDonalds and I thought they were older than that.


Yes, right now, I am borrowing a friend's car, so technically not mine. I figured with the US car culture drive thrus would have been around before.


The trunk is called that because they actually had a trunk on the back of cars.


I wonder how many cars were like that. In the UK, it's called the boot. I wonder where they got that name.


In south africa, they have flame throwers to cut down on car jacking. How bad is your car jacking problem that flame throwers are the solution.


I wonder whether that's true. I know that SA has a problem with car jacking. I think that flame throwers could hurt someone else though.


That would be an effective way to stop car jacking. I guess that SA must be pretty dangerous in general. I don't know if I would want to visit.


Me either. Not exactly the marking their visitors bureau wants... Do you like comedy?


I do like comedy. Probably more than drama. Comedy is quite hard to do well.


Me too! Maybe that's why comedy central has canceled over 100 shows since 1989.


CC should be called Comedy Graveyard. They have not cancelled South Park yet though. LOL


No, I think that is their bread and butter!


CC keeps looking for the new South Park. Then they can cancel South Park. LOL. What do you think of BIll Murray?


He thinks kung fu hustle is "the supreme achievement of the modern age in terms of comedy". Can't say that I agree with him.


Hello - did you know a man was falsely imprisoned for 10 years studied law at a library to prove his innocence?


Yep, pretty awesome he did that. I read that if you publish a book in Norway the government will buy 1000 copies to donate to libraries throughout the country


I agree, that is awesome.  There are more libraries than McDonalds.  Never would have guessed that


You can check out a sewing machine in the Sacramento Library


That's pretty cool. That would come in handy to be able to check out a sewing machine. I need one every once in awhile.


I agree, it'd be a cool thing to have available for things you only need on occasion


The UK prime minister founded a library at 85 and wheelbarrowed his personal collection of 32,000 books to the library.


That's really cool. The first amazon customer got a building named after him.  He only spent 27 bucks


agreed.  amazon makes life easier for sure


I read that Jeff Bezos built a clock into a mountain that can run for 10,000 years.


I read that, too.  I wonder how big the clock is


I'm not too sure on how big it is. I love how the USPS has a contract with Amazon to deliver packages on Sunday.


Amazon workers walk between 7 to 15 miles a day.  Sounds like good exercise!


McDonald's added the drive thru to accommodate soldiers.  Interesting


I do! I have a sedan with rear cameras and a navigation system. How about you?


I just bought one. Do you have a flame thrower on it as well?


That sounds pretty cool! But, no, I don't. I heard they are legal in South Africa for carjacking.


Yeah, they are legal there. I wonder if they have a big problem with it?


I assume they do. Sounds scary. Hopefully they have McDonald's there to console them afterwards. McDoanld's put in drive thru windows in 1975.


That is pretty interesting. Why do they call a trunk a trunk?


I have never looked into that. Do you know?


Old cars used to have a wooden trunk on the back of them. LOL


Back then there weren't nearly as many cars as we have today. Cars are increasing exponentially. We are at 1.25 billion, up from 500 million in 1986.


Nice, I wonder if that is because they last longer?


They sure do! My car is 10 years old. It is costly to own a car with the financing, repairs, gas, and insurance.


It's honestly like a humorous, dramatic greek comedy with how expensive cars are.


Yeah, the wear and tear can be tough. I don't drive a lot so, I don't see the expenses as much.


Do you watch TV much? I love so many of the 100 cancelled comedy central shows and miss them.


Now that is hilarious. I don't watch a lot of tv, I don't have the free time to be honest. What about you?


I'm embarrassed to admit I watch a lot of TV. Friends and Seinfeld are some of my favorites. I was angry when 3rd rock from the sun beat them for the golden globe in 1997.


I liked Seinfeld. Not sure how 3rd Rock won, that show sucked. Well, nice chatting.


Do you ever read poetry? I guess it was started by the ancient Greeks


I like poetry. I think it's the rhythmic qualities of language typically in poems that interests me. It does have a very long history, dating all the way back to prehistoric time.


Yep that makes sense, it's interesting that the term poetry was taken from the Greek word for poesis though, that means making


Is that right? Interesting. Africa has a rich poetry history, as well. There was hunting poetry, and then panegyric and elegiac court poetry throughout empires of the Nile, Niger and Volta river valleys.


Why what seems like poetry goes back a long time. Do you know about the Javanese alphabet? When you speak it in order it actually forms a poem


Is that so? I never knew that. There's a poem that when read normally is depressing, but when read backwards is inspiring. There's so much depth in poetry.


Yes I need to check out that poem. Did you watch the Academy Awards this year by the way?


I didn't watch the Academy Awards this year. I did watch for their 90th Anniversary show, which was held on March 4, 2018. Do you like the Academy Awards?


I think they're ok, I think they're so political now though, it's amazing that they give out a set of 24 Awards though that does take a long time


Yes. A total of 3,072 Oscars were given out through the 90th. That's a lot! Did you know it's the oldest worldwide entertainment awards ceremony?


No I didn't know that. I think they started back in 1929 right? That's a long time


Indeed. They started in 1929 at a private dinner hosted by Douglas Fairbanks. Back then they were at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, but more recently they have been at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Do you enjoy other awards shows?


No I don't really watch award shows, for instance I don't watch the Grammys or Golden Globes or anything like that, but I do like movies a lot, I really love Daniel Day-Lewis I'm glad that he has three academy awards for best actor


He does. That is impressive. Did you know the Oscars have been nominated for Emmys before? In 2013, the Oscars were nominated for 9 Emmys. I like the Emmys because I like watching television.


That is interesting how the Oscars were nominated for an emmy LOL. Have you ever seen the movie Blazing Saddles by the way


I haven't seen Blazing Saddles. I more often watch television. Especially the Simpsons! I love Bart Simpson, and there is only one episode of the Simpsons where Bart does not appear, and is not mentioned!


Yeah Blazing Saddles is great. They would never make another movie like that again because it would be too expensive, but it did get nominated for 3 Oscars


Wow. Three oscars is pretty good, but nowhere near Walt Disney's 22 Oscars. He still holds the records for most Oscars won by a man!


That is super impressive! I don't think it will ever be topped, what is crazy though is that Eminem has more Awards than Bill Murray Leonardo Dicaprio and Johnny Depp LOL how is that possible


I never would have picked Eminem to have the most out of that group! I should probably get going though. I have to catch up on my favorite show: Pokemon! There are over 750 episodes of it!


I love Pokemon! I also love South Park, I'm so happy they were making fun of Family Guy that's amazing


Doing alright, are you into Poetry? It derives from the greek term poiesis which means "making"


I love poetry! There are many different types. Demetri martin wrote a 224 word palindrome poem which is insane!


Yes, I never knew poetry existed in prehistoric times, I wonder how they know it was poetry


They probably didn't at the time but as they researched the writings I bet they ended up putting a label on it.


I guess they are referencing pyramid texts from the 25th century bc


true! some poems originated from folk songs.


Interesting, There is a poem when read normally is depressing, but when read backwards is inspiring. I wonder which poem is that.


I have not heard of that but I think I will have to look it up! The alphabet in javanese when said in order forms a poem! How cool is that!


That's pretty awesome, I'll have to look more into the javanese alphabet


Right? Sounds amazing. So are you a fan of The Academy Awards at all?


I keep up with them, I never knew it was 24 awards they gave out though, seems like more with how long the show is


I like the show but don't always watch, it is interesting that it was 1st broadcast on the radio in 1930!


Lol that's kinda ironic that they had to broadcast the oscars on radio and they didn't have tv back then.


HAHA! Very true but they probably went to the cinema. It wasn't on tv until 1953 and currently it is seen live in over 200 countries, very broad range of viewers!


Yep. Apparently Eminem has more oscars than Leonardo DiCaprio, Johnny Depp, Will Smith, George Lucas, and Bill Murray combined. I would have never guessed


Oh wow that's wild! Walt Disney still holds the record for most Oscars won...22 Oscars wow!


Nice. The oscars were nominated for 9 emmys, that's kinda meta.


cool! I did not know that, I love fun facts! I like to watch Television sometimes and watch reruns of that 70s show. Do you watch tv?


Yea, I like that 70s show but have never seen the uk version days like these


I haven't seen that either....it was cancelled after 10 episodes though so it must not have been too good.


No, especially if remade verbatim. Well I gtg, nice talking with you


i am not really a fan of poetry. well, maybe some limericks. You?


Yeah, me either. I think it sort of sucks to be honest. LOL


poetry is one of those things you have to study in school for your own good. then you recover from the education and never read poetry again.


Yeah, I studied some ee cummings in school. Wasn't a fan.


Yes, the man with the typewriter with the broken shift key.


Hilarious, so you've seen it before as well. Awful.


yeah, i think that it is literature and that it can be appreciated, but it is not my idiom so i dont want to waste my life studying it.


Yeah, I hear you. What about the academy awards, do you watch it?


i dont usually watch the show. its a bit slow. i just want to know who won.


Yeah, I don't watch it either. What about Pokemon?


i never watched it. it seems like a noisy show meant for kids. i dont have the patience.


Well apparently they have 750 episodes. LOL


Yes, i guess the demand was there. I wonder who has watched all of them. have they kept their sanity?


I'm not sure, more importantly who wrote them all? LOL


i guess they had an active imagination. i cant imagine having to write all those episodes. i would dread the job.


Yeah, what about the simpsons, do you watch it?


i watched the first eight seasons. those were the best, in my opinion.


Yeah, I think that is when Conan was writing for them, right?


Yeah, Conan was a producer. he had a great touch. i think that it is hard to be consistently funny.


Yeah, he was hilarious. Well, it was nice chatting with you.


It was a great chatting! Have a good evening!


Yes.  I think the movie green lantern was hilarious.


i never saw the green lantern. who was in it?


Jack Black originally was supposed to be in it.  Did you know that Evan almighty had a budget of 200 million dollars?


that is crazy. why so much? for the actors? special effects? too much money for a comedy. usually action films do well in the international markets.


Comedy is something everybody can value.  Who doesn't want to laugh?


yes, but it does not translate to other languages and cultures well. the japanese like some comedies but not others. they like mr bean but not the cohen brothers. i dont know about bruce almighty.


It's not surprising that most deals on shark tank are not enacted..  Negotiations of business deals are complex and are not always final


yes, a quick deal on camera for a ton of money after a brief presentation? not likely.


Comedy central had to cancel so many of its own shows.  I wonder why exactly.


I think they want only the best shows and probably test shows and get rid of them if there is no fan support.


Yeah.  I think some things that were funny before later become offensive to most people and are politically charged in some way.


yes, there is a concern about political correctness. i think that south park is a great show because it doesnt care about that stuff.


The show "weekend update" is the longest running skit on SNL.


i havent watched SNL in a long time. SNL = still not laughable. i guess sometimes they are good. i figure that they need new writers.


The show "weekend update" I think naturally is able to last so long because there is so much room for innovation in it.  Also, news is a part of daily life.


yes, that is true. making comment on current events can keep the humor current. i dont know who does it now. it used to be dan akroyd long ago.


I never realized that Homer SImpson had so many jobs on the Simpsons.  Numerical information can be interesting if you can devise it.


putting him in a new job sets up a good gag. Numerical information? yes, i guess so.


The Simpsons, in my opinion, is a very successful comedy cartoon.


yes, i have not watched it recently. i usually stick to south park. i liked the first 8 seasons of the simpsons. conan obrien was there then. Anyway, great chat!


Yes, thank you for the chat.  Have a good day!


Hi how are you? Did you read about the man in Wisconsin that died?


I did. I read it was an accident that happened while he was trying to make bombs.


Yes thats scary It could be any neighbor . Geez


They said that evidence has emerged suggesting Morrow was a white supremacist whose apartment doubled as a "homemade explosives laboratory,". Very scary!


Yes and it only seems to be gettin worse everyday.


I try to focus on happier things like my dogs. Do you have any pets?


Yes I have a small dog. Its amazing the roles they play in our lives.


he dog was the first species to be domesticated. Their nfluence on human society has given them the sobriquet "man's best friend".


I think its interesting that There are 12 different blood types that a dog may have, and dogs can donate blood at dog blood drives


That's very cool! Dogs can learn over a thousand words and can reason better than chimps.


Lol I love it  I wonder why it seems google prefers dogs?


I guess just like there are dog people and cat people, there are dog companies and cat friendly companies. I did't know that Dogs drink with the underside of their tongue.


Hmm no I did not either. I think its neat they can understand to point so well too. So cool.


That is very cool! Some dogs in moscow have learned to use the subway!


Wow can you imagine sending your pooch out for some bread LMAO


Haha. That would be awesome! ogs perform many roles for humans, such as hunting, herding, pulling loads, protection, assisting police and military, companionship and, more recently, aiding disabled people and therapeutic roles.


Yes thats also I see why they call them mans best friend . So sweet.


Dogs are so loved. Russia has a tomb of the unknown dog as a memorial for canine research subjects.


Yes and  Istanbul has a vending machine that releases food and water for the city's stray dogs in exchange for recycled plastic bottles. I enjoyed talking to you.


Wow, that's so neat! Thanks for the chat!


I do like comedies. probably more than dramas. You?


Sometimes I do. Are you a Bill Murray fan? I liked him in Groundhog Day.


I loved him in that film. perfect casting. he really could deliver in that role.


That he could. I also liked him in Stripes.


He really has a long and illustrious career. Ghostbusters. Is he going to be in the new space jam?


I'm not sure. I think LeBron is going to be in it.


that is what I heard. I figure that he can do a better job acting than MJ.


Eh, I'm not so sure of that. I'm not a LeBron fan. He sold his team out.


Yeah, he probably wanted to get the ring. he wanted to be in the record books. without a ring, nobody takes you seriously.


Yeah, although I think he would be different. Also, there is no saying he wouldn't get one staying put.


true. i think other players have stayed with teams and been frustrated. did karl malone get a ring? and patrick ewing?


I'm not actually sure, LeBron is better than those two, but everyone knows who they are.


Yeah, true.  I dont think he will ever return to cleveland at this point. he is already 34.


That doesn't seem that old, but in sports years that may be fairly old.


Yeah, he will slow down and become more injury prone. He probalby should do things like Space Jam. Do you watch television much these days?


Not that much, but I did hear that there are 750 episodes of Pokemon. LOL


Who could possibly watch all those episodes? i would probably lose my mind.


Yeah, I know I would. That show is horrible. Well, nice chatting with you!


Not sure the only thing i know about him is that he's a comedian i think.


Yes, he is an odd, obsessive person with a unique perspective on things. Smart guy too. He left his class at Harvard Law school out of boredom to pursue comedy.


Bold move. Does it appear to be working well for him?


He has achieved a certain level of notoriety and fame. His story reminds me of Ryan Stiles, a comedian who also dropped out of school to pursue comedy. Do you know Ryan Stiles?


Yeah but he dropped out of high school. Kinda the same but when you leave Harvard you are throwing everything on the line. Which guy do you think is funnier?


Demitri is more intellectually funny, while I really admire Ryan Stiles for his wit an improvisational skills. Bill Murray is another comedian I admire. He thinks Kung Fu Hustle is "the supreme achievement of the modern age in terms of comedy"  Do you agree?


I wouldn't say Supreme, but i thought it was pretty funny. I mean Third rock from the sun won the golden globe in 1997 over fraiser, seinfeld and friends


Yeah, that has gotta account for something. Critics loved that show. Can't say the same thing about most of those "bromantic" comedies..


That is to funny! I saw all of them to. The hangover and pineapple express. not Harold and kumar though.


Sometimes a good costume can make all the difference in a film.  Like, hard to imagine Captain Jack Sparrow without his costume!  You know, Johnny Depp travels with that costume just so he can make surprise visits to children hospital rooms? Costume makes all the difference!


That's pretty decent of him. Yeah i guess if you don't want to get beat by a panda bear while your researching you should have on a Panda costume.


What do lobster researchers wear?  You know, the Hoggle costume from Labyrinth was lost in shipping and now resides in the unclaimed baggage museum in Alabama?  Who goes to this museum anyway?


Wow! Do you like or have ever watch the Simpsons?


I have. Hard to believe they have been on the air for so many yeas and yet only one episode did not include Bart in appearance or reference! Reliable character!


I wonder why they did that. Apparently Thomas the Tank has been narrated by a few noteworthy people.


I love George Carlin in that role! I was not as impressed with Ringo Starr, and I never saw Alec Baldwin, but they all reliably narrated over 50 episodes.


Apparently they tried to redo that 70's show in the UK and it was cancelled after 10 episodes.


Contrast that with Pokemon, that over 15 years put out over 750 episodes!  What does Pokemon have that 70s Show lacks?


They just don't have the numbers that the kids do. lol! Sean Bean is afraid to fly so much that he hiked into the location in full costume filming Lord of the Rings.


Well, I'm  off to hike to my  den and watch some telly. Cheerio!


I am well. I was just playing with my dog out in the snow. Do you have a dog?


I don't have a dog. There are 12 different blood types that dogs can have


Really? That many? I wonder what my dog has... She's a St Bernard.....


Yup. That's what Factual Section 2 says, anyway. If your dog were a stray in Istanbul it could "earn" food and water at a vending machine designed to accept plastic bottles as payment


Nice! There is a doggie water fountain at the park I go to. It is so cute but my dog is not smart enough to work it. I have to bring a dish for her.


Well, your dog might not be able to make it on the mean streets of Istanbul I guess. Dogs can't see as many colors as humans


Google prefers dogs to cats. I think AOL is a cat company and that is why they failed.


AOL and Excite... Winston Churchill had a bunch of hunting dogs.


I never got over the demise of Prodigy. Dogs aren't descended from wolves


So says good ol' Factual Section 2. Have you ever had a conversation with your dog over the phone?


Never. If she lived in NYC, I could call her with a 212 area code though!


Nice. I think you should be kinder to yourself if you do ever talk to your dog on the phone. Fastest number to dial on a rotary phone.


There's a beer in chicago named 312, after their area code.


Yeah people love their area codes. Humans are strange. Hey that line at the bottom about kissing not being mentioned in ancient Greek literature is pulled from the "Kiss" Wikipedia page


The olympics had events in Architecture, literature, music, painting and sculpture from 1912 to 1952. I had no clue!


I like to read in my free time, what about yo?


I do enjoy it, do you like to read? did you hear about how the FDA burned 6 tons of books!!


They burned the literature in an act of censorship, that makes me really angry


I hope the same thing, another insteresting fact is that literature was an olympic event before 1952


It was an event with music, painting, architecture and others from 1912 to 1952, then they decisded it wasnt an olympic sport I guess


Chess is an olympic sport and I dont see that game as much of sport so who knows, I think sculpture might qualify


I think chess should qualify given its history and complexity


Could be, but its not much of a sport either, do you know who Winsont Churchill is?


Well depends how you define sport I guess. Anyway, yes I do. Why?


He won a Nobel price for literature back in 1953,


You would think he would win a nobel price for something else


Yeah for something like peace, I guess he is a talented writter


I mean he is better known for his other achievements, but overall he is a talented man i guess


Furry little animals that win the heart of even the coldest human being out there! just love them, its been great chatting with you  as well, have a nice day bye


just learned that baseball managers wear uniforms because they can play if needed to


That is quite interesting, I wonder if that ever happened ?


not to my knowledge, what have actually happened though is the u.s. marine corps color guard carried the canada flag into the stadium upside down.


yes baseball. I am not a fan but some facts are interesting. like a man finding three milllion dollars worth of basebal cars in his grandfathers attic since 1940


It is quite a peculiar sport, I know that japanese fans are surprised by the fact that Baseball is the National sport of the U.S.


funny though, the Ottoman empire was still in existence since the last time chicago cubs won the world series. that is a long time


I have heard that the World Series started 1903, I don't know any tournament older than that .


well canadians kickball is called soccer-baseball canada.


I am hearing about it for the first time too. but sounds like a baseball where you kick the ball instead of throwing


Is it popular ? Popularity is strange, the womans' world cup  has better TV rating than the World Series, yet I have never heard of it.


haha yeah you have a great point there. on another note its crazy how the phone works by converting our voice to electronic signals then back to voice


And all that data is transmitted through wires, I wonder how thick is the wire that goes to Europe ?


well they say The cables carrying phone and internet data across oceans are only 2.7 inches in diameter and just lay on the ocean floor.


Oh interesting. It is crazy that is is not the sound that travels, but information about the sound, what your heard is a reproduction of the voice of the person that you called.


I don't think human sound is capable of travelling that long in tubes


Yeah, 1s and 0s are better suited for wires than sound.


for sure, iphone computing powers alone are very interesting


It is a little computer, computers have evolved so much since the 60s, where they were housed in entire rooms like the ICBM system.


It was patented by Benz in 20th century,


It was soliders that prompted mdonalds to add drive thru windows becayse they were not allowed to get out of their cars with fatigues on.


Yes, i learnt that too in addition to other facts. For instance i use to wonder why cars have trunk when they were not elephants but i figured out that old cars have wooden trunks


well thats intresting but I found that in south africa you can put flame throwers on your car to detour car jacking


Hmm that is an interesting one too. there is a lot to learn about cars, it has been inevitable part of out travel. That is why it it so expensive to travel in japan. It actually cost 300$ to be paid in tolls across the country


Ford motor company is a American CCar Manufacturer


Who is Ford. Is he a prominent person like the king kalakaua of hawaii. He was the first king to travel the world


A bus is being created that can drive 160 mph  for commuters


I guess you are talking about travel. However, i cannot figure out why such type of vehicle was banned in Mackinac island for over hundred years.


King Kalakaua was the first to travel around the world he was from Hawaii


Oh, i see but i guess he travel in rubber boots like the ones Nokia made.


No travel is done by Foot Bicycle Train but in hia case probably Boat


I understand that, I just meant what he was wearing. I found it funny when i learnt turkeys use to wear boot somewhere around Norfolk and London. Their farmers make them wear it.


Well it wasn't boots he was wearing but Ugg Boots are for surfers and were also invented by them.


You cannot be so sure in a era where turkey wear boots and the biggest company produce boots.


Turkeys were  once walked by farmers to london for christmas markets


I see. I guess that is where the word bootstraps was invented which mean pulling oneself up by their bootstraps or it could mean "doing something that is pretty much impossible".


Doing something impossible was was once meant to be Pulling oneself up by thier bootstraps I didn't know that


Do you own a boot, I mean the shoe that covers the foot and ankle. I have one made of leather which is mainly what it is made of


No AndI dont surf so no ugg boots either.


not really to be completely honest with you.


lol Hmm...I'll throw some facts at you and then we'll go on to talk about phones.  Sound good?


Sure. sounds good. I heard about a guy who found  3 million dollars worth of old baseball cards in his grandpas attic. wouldnt that be awesome?


That would be like hitting the lottery!  Would you keep them or sell them?  I would have to sell them.


I would sell them for sure. I need the money. Lol.


Same here.  lol  Up until 2005 a married couple, for 24 years, scheduled all 2430 major league baseball games played each year.  Sounds like that would be a pain, but at the same time sure beats working in a factory.


Yeah I would say they were paid pretty well for it. Did you know that the cubs were the first team to win back to back world series and they havnt won one since.


I never knew that!  Baseball managers wear uniforms because they are technically able to play for their teams if needed.


I have never heard of that happening. Have you?


Actually I do remember.  I remember Pete Rose was a manager for the Reds in the late 80's and he was also a full time player.


Thats cool. Like I said I dont follow baseball really. The ottoman empire was still in existance the last time the cubs won a world series. Lol.


lol  That's a long time.  Kickball is also called soccer-baseball in Canada.


I have played my share of soccer baseball for sure. Did you know babe ruth was caught stealing to end the 1926 world series?


I used to love playing kickball in elementary school.  I do know who he is.  The womens world cup had higher tv ratings than the world series in the US.


Thats just crazy. Another crazy fact is that the us marines color guard carried the canada flag into the stadium upside down in 1992.


Wow unbelievable. lol  Did you ever use a rotary phone?  I did when I was a kid.


I did a couple times at my great grandmas house before she died. I heard new yorks area code is 212 because it is the fastest number to dial on a rotary phone.


That's interesting!  It's impossible to separate 2 phonebooks that simply have their pages overlapped together. I'll have to try it.  It's been fun chatting!


I would like to try that to actually. Maybe Ill put the video on youtube. Lol. Have a wonderful day though.


hey did you hear about the baseball player who died in WWI?


Good Evening - I have not heard about the ball player who died in WWI.  I'm a huge baseball fan and would like to learn more!


ya his name was Eddie Grant and he was actually in hte World Series back in 1913


Baseball history is fascinating and there's always stories like this out there waiting to be told.  I know they canceled seasons so the players could go fight, but beyond Ted Williams, don't know much about those players


ya I haven't followed it that deeply, but its crazy that the Cubs were teh first team to win World Series' back to back! thats impressive


They had a pretty long drought after that back2back too!  I'm pretty excited to get this season started - been to a few Spring Training games and going to another one on Saturday


This season should definitely be interesting. what's shocking to me though is that the Women's World Cup has higher ratings than the World Series, I don't know who watches soccer personally


We watch it because my daughter plays and Alex Morgan is grrrreat!  But we also watch the men's WC and of course the World Series, and go to a ton more baseball games than soccer, but we don't have an MLS team either


well to each their own haha! I don't watch baseball personally, but it is crazy that the baseball managers can actually play for the team if they needed to! That's why they wear uniforms


Yep and I've seen the umpire check a manager for proper uniform under his jacket to be sure everything was copacetic - ump show!  Pete Rose was the last true player/manager I can remember, would never actually happen today


Haha that's cool! what do you think about Canadians calling kickball soccer-baseball? that name seems really dumb haha


Seems clunky - kickball makes sense and describes the sport pretty accurately I think.  Why don't they call hockey soccer-ice skating with sticks?


Haha I like that idea! What do you think about husband and wife combo they used to schedule all of the MLB games? They would schedule about 2500 games a year, I bet they were busy all the time!


I thought a computer set the schedule - there's so much to keep track of and the travel time and geographical logistics.  It hurts my brain to think about setting up the schedule for 30 teams, 162 games...


Yeah that would be a ton to keep track of! Do you use a telephone by the way? I bet they definitely had to to schedule those games haha


I have an iPhone glued to my right hand at all times.  It's amazing how much computing power we have in smartphones compared to the mega computers of 3 decades ago....


Yeah I mostly just use my cell phone. I don't have a landline anymore, but it's crazy that there is a phone cable that goes from the United States to Europe, it stretches across the ocean and is about 3 inches thick


I would have thought, with wireless technology and satellites that they wouldn't need to run cables anywhere in the world today?


Yeah that is strange. I'd be scared that something would happen to the cable personally. Also, did you know that your iPhone actually has more computing power than the entire nuclear deterrent system in the United States? That is scary haha


I bet the iPhone has more computing power than a desktop that was running Windows XP!


LOL that's a good point! Well it was great talking to you and make sure to donate your unused cell phone minutes to UNICEF, they will give free clean water to a child for every minute you don't use your phone


I do like cars I think they are very cool and efficient. Do you own any?


Yes I own a crossover. Do you know how the drive thru was invented?


It was because of the rise in fast-food which is pretty interesting. Do you like to use your car to travel?


Very much so, hitting the mountains for hikes is the best


That is sweet. Going off-railing in a crossover must be great


Yeah it is pretty good. Now the dutch are working on creating a bus that goes at 160 mph


woah that is going to be crazy. The engines on cars have changed so much. Do you like electric cars?


I like them because they are better for the environment. do you know why the trunk of the car is called that?


I think it's because old cars used to have actual wooden trunks on the back. Pretty cool if you ask me.


Yeah for sure. in south africa you cannot equip your car with flame throwers to protect it


That is wild. Do you ever think we'll have flying cars in the world?


These days you never know everything seems possible.


yeah i'm sure. technology is changing so much. What do you think about Tesla?


I like them, they seems to be making some really awesome cars. Do you know how Cadillac got its name?


Yeah from some french explorer. Have you ever been to Mackinac island in Michigan? They banned all cars there


I have not been but I can imagine it is super peaceful there


It is beautiful you're surrounded by water everywhere. Did you know all of Japan's highways have tolls?


Yeah and apparently it takes $300 to travel the country


Right, that would be a cool adventure to go on though. I want to visit Tokyo seems very cool.


It is such a cool city. Nice chatting with you.


I like the freedom of being able to get to places whenever I want. I like cars for their practicality. The benefits definitely outweigh the cost


yeah that is true. do you know how cadillac was named?


Wasn't the explorer who founded Detroit named Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac?


Yes. do you know why the trunk of the car is called that?


Didn't old cars have wooden trunks on the back? That would make logical sense


yeah that is exactly how they got the name


I also like the convenience of drive-thrus. Apparently they originated in the 1970s because solders wearing their fatigues weren't allowed to leave their cars


That is nice that McDonald's did that to accommodate them.


I'm sure it helped their profits. In South Africa, flame throwers are a legal way to protect your car from carjacking


Good for them for allowing that. Do you know who Jann Mardenborough is?


yeah do you know how he became one? is very different


Was it from beating other people in a racing video game?


yeah he beat like 90 000 people in gran turismo


That's impressive! As much as I enjoy the convenience of cars though, I can't say it's my favorite way to travel. After being in a car more than a few hours, I'm ready to be at my destination. In Iceland, those without cars just take domestic flights to get to other towns


Do you know which king travelled the world as the first one?


Was it King Kalakaua of Hawaii? I wonder what means he used to get around


Yeah , I am thinking ships because I think that was all there was available at that time


True. That's a long time to be on a boat. And not nearly as fast as the bus the Dutch are creating. It's designed to travel at 160mph


I sure do, Have you ever seen the Shining?


I have actually, pretty scary movie. Did you watch it?


I sure did and there is a sequel to it called doctor sleep and was sold to fans for $500


Wow impressive. Did you know he was terrified when he saw Bambi?


Bambi? Is that not a kids movie, animated?


Yeah it is and he considers it the most horror movie ever


Wow, interesting. He lets aspiring filmmakers do adapt his short stories for $1


I guess the challenge is how well can they do it, he is pretty twisted with his stories


True. He got rejected 60 times before his novel was published


Wow. McDonald was the inspiration for the IT move


I guess that makes sense since it is all about clowns


Yeah exactly. ALmost all his books are connected too


Nice. He has a dog, a corgi that he calls the thing of evil


Haha that guy. DO you use your phone much?


All the time actually, Do you know who invented the dial phone?


Hmm I am not sure. Did you ever use a rotary phone?


It was an undertaker. I jave actually never used one and you?


Me either but the area code for NY was because of them, easy to dial 212


That is neat. Dolphins can communicate by phone with each other too


Good afternoon.  Are you a fan of Stephen King?


I dont dislike him, I am just not a horror fan.  But I hear he played in a band with matt groening.


I wonder what music they play.  Maybe the band is called "Terrified of Bambi" because it really scared him and the master of horror thought it was the first horror movie he watched!


I found that so odd.  The king of horror films, the man who wrote IT was scared of a kids movie.


I know, right?  Speaking of "It" Ronald McDonald was actually one of the inspirations King had when coming up with that character.


Clowns are definitely creepy, so I can see it, no pun intended.


Lol.  I don't read a lot of his works, but it's interesting to know that most of his books, despite seeming so different, are actually connected in some way.


I thought that was cool too, sometimes it is characters that appear in others or are referenced.  But that just plays more toward his genius.


He might just be a genius.  He has written like 58 novels or more by now!


I think he has sold over 350 million copies too, he is almost a household name.


Do you have much of an opportunity to read?


I do every chance I can get.  I delve mostly into non-fiction though.


I am the same way. I wish I was Anne Jones, though, and could read 4,700 words per minute!  Imagine the books you'd get through, though you might miss out on the fun of just reading.


Very true, I do wonder how much she retains though.


My guess is something in order to have the record, but who knows?  Have you read either Starship Troopers or Ender's Game?


I have read Enders Game.  I thought it was a pretty good book, not sure if it needs to be on a military list though.


I guess Starship troopers is actually on the list for most of the military branches.


I havent read it, but I think I remember seeing the movie.  Not sure what makes it worthy about being on the list.


That's a good question, though I'm not sure.  At least there hasn't been any recent "moral panics" due to reading novels in the last few centuries.


Thank goodness.  It just sounds like people were trying to suppress knowledge.


To be a fly on the wall when CS Lewis and Tolkien read bad poetry to one another in the hopes of trying to make the other laugh up, right?


That would have been epic.  I love seeing bad dad joke battles.  Stuff like that always gets me.


LOL!  Thanks for the chat!  I hope you have a great evening.


How are you doing? Are you a Stephen King fan? He released a new book 'The Outsider' to mixed reviews


Yea he has some good movies, he's published 58 novels so I'm sure they will make a lot more soon


When was the Outsider made?  Did you watch that movie?


I'm not quite sure when King wrote it, it recently was published. I don't think they've made a movie yet


His books and movies were often scary.  I do not like scary and horror movies/books.


I like them sometimes. King said the first horror movie he saw was Bambi


I do not understand.  Why Bambi?  I saw "the shining" - it was good but scary.


I don't know, I guess he get's scared from unusual thing. Ronald McDonald was one of the inspirations for It


He sold more than 350 million copies of his books.   That was amazing.


Yea, he also wrote six non-fiction books, I never knew that


I did not know either.  His work was rejected numerous times before he became famous.


He also played in a band with Matt Groening, the creator of the Simpsons


I did not know that.  He was so talented. Did you see his movie "the shining"?


Yea I saw it a few years back, I know it was mentioned in other movies too, most of his books are connected


I did not know that most of books are connected.  His books were adapted into movies. Did he direct the movies?


I don't believe so, I just thinks he sticks to writing, he wrote around 200 short stories


Thanks for the info.  Why did he use a different name for some of his books (i.e., richard bachman)?


I don't know, maybe he uses a different name base on the genre, his books range from horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, science fiction and fantasy


He is really talented.  You said that other than writing books, he also played in a band?  What instrument did he play?


I have no idea, I will have to google it to find out what he played in his band


Afternoon there. Do you enjoy going to concerts? I love going to intimate concerts but big arena concerts are largest and harder to appreciate I think.


I agree with that.  It's too impersonal and chaotic. I did see the Ramones once and it was chaotic.


Oh that's cool! It's amazing that they have played a total of 2263 concerts.


I wonder if Linkin Park has beat that record having played 324 concerts in 2001 alone?


Yeah I would like to learn more about that! I wonder what happened when those concert goers sued the band creed?


I don't know but for 4 of them to do it, it must have really sucked.


Yeah I bet they went to the concert together. In 1972 Pink Floyd recorded a live concert at an ancient Roman amphitheater but there was no audience!


Well, Pink Floyd is weird and wonderful.  I miss Robin Williams... He was the first actor to do voices in cartoon films. I guess it was Aladdin...


I miss him too! He started a lot of trends. Like Carol Burnett who is the first celebrity to appear on Sesame Street.


Yes!  I bet they didn't get $123,000 per episode either like Judge Judy does...


Yeah she makes a lot of money only second to LeBron James!


I wonder if James can keep it up, he didn't do well in LA. He seems arrogant to me. I think he could gain humility if he were a chef in Ethiopia to help feed people.


I would love to see that! Maybe encouraging people to eat more diverse foods will actually help.


I should do that - I'm in a dietary rut.  Did you know the Pixar Studio has a "secret room" that is often visited by celebrities?


I wonder if Robin Williams has been in there?


It was probably his idea. Remember the ol' NES?  I guess it could only display 54 colors but who's countin'?


Yeah it was finally discontinued in 2003 in Japan!


Sad... Did you know Bill Nye got his break by winning a Steve Martin lookalike contest?  I don't see the resemblance...


I don't see the resemblance one bit. Ronald Reagan was once rejected for a movie role because he didn't look presidential LOL! Well nice talking with you today.


Reagan had the last word on that.  Yes, thanks for the excellent chat!


I do like a lot, I played the NES as a kid apparently it could only produce 54 colors


That's not a lot. I wonder how many today's consoles produce?


oh millions I think, the NES was finally discontinued in 2003, I think it came out back in 85 that is a long time!


I do like music a lot, I love pink floyd what about you


Love Floyd!!! Do you like music for dogs?


haha what kind of music is that? But I do like the album Animals by Pink Floyd, their song Dogs is great!


What a great reference! Nicely done. Lou reed and his wife held a high frequency concert for dogs!


oh wow that is crazy, I wonder if they enjoyed it or not, I do know that dogs have 12 different blood types though and they have dog blood drives, that I think is something you don't hear about


I love dogs so much. I almost cry when I see a helper dog. I love their altruism so much...


ya dogs are awesome, I don't understand cat people. dogs actually love you while cats just tolerate you haha


My wife is a cat person. I have two cats and one pees all over the place. I wanna get rid of it but it's my sons cat and he will loose it if we get rid of it!


ya that is a tough spot! does your son like disney movies?


its intereting that PIxar has a secret room only for celebrities, but yes I really like Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin I'd say those are my favorite, what about you?


What are they hiding? Why can't us commoners look in there?


i know right! I don't like that idea of secret rooms haha, and apparently Robin Williams was the start  of the celebrity voice acting craze in animated movies


He was! I remember how well he did as the genie in Aladin. So good!


he did do a great job! I remember that after him doing that there was a rush of celebrity voice acting, so him doing such a good job definitely started that trend!


Are you a basketball fan? I love to watch and play the game.


No worries! Do you like hockey? There are many types of hockey but in countries like Canada and the United States it usually refers to the ice hockey version.


Yeah I occasionally watch a hockey game. Canada only has 2 national sports lacrosse and hockey.


Interesting. In 1924 the first Olympic Winter games, Canada scored 132 goals and let and three in the entire ice hockey competition!


an ice hockey ring remains under a basketball court when switching stadium sports. I think I could watch basketball if they left the ice on the court, could be entertaining then.


Ha ha yeah that would definitely makes things up a bit. An average ice hockey player will lose up to 8 pounds in one game... that's a lot of sweat.


Ha ha it very well may be. In 1993 a hockey player was traded for one dollar. He must've been bad.


actually he (Kris Draper) was really good


Oh yeah you are right he went on to win for Stanley cups! Wow


Funny that New Zealand has a basketball team named the "Tall Blacks" Imagine trying that in the US with the PC culture and thought police?


Yeah people would freak out in a second. They would probably try to take it to the supreme court!


Yeah, for sure. Back to b-ball, James Naismith was the inventor of the game


Surprising as seeing he is the most losing coach in Kansas history!


yeah the only one at U of Kansas...speaking of which, it's getting close to bracket time.


March Madness is upon us yes. I am still waiting for players to use the Granny shot. It is extremely effective according to physicists.


yeah, that would be funny to see that. Who's gonna take it all the way this year?


I don't know at the beginning of the season I thought it was gonna be Duke! Now I don't know! But it was great talking with you today.


Good afternoon. Do you like hockey at all? There are many types of hockey but in the USA and Canada ice hockey is the more traditional version.


I have followed some ice hockey games and teams. I did play field hockey as a kid, but not ice.


Oh nice that's cool. Apparently bandy is a variation of hockey but I have never heard of it.


I haven't either.  I know more about ice hockey as it is the type of hockey that most people think of in most counties, including mine.


Yes me as well. In the first winter olympics, Canada scored 132 goals and let in 3 the entire competition!


They are really good, but that is to be expected as it is one of their national sports.


Yes they live and breathe it! Lacrosse is their other national sport.


I do know more about basketball than hockey though.  The NBA has 30 teams between the US and Canada.


Yes 29 teams in the USA and 1 team in Toronto! Do you think they will ever add more teams in Canada?


It is an Olympic sport, and it is played in lots of leagues all over the world. so maybe they will.


Yes maybe! I liked Allen Iverson and his crazy cross over! His sponsorship with Reebok was very valuable and profitable for him.


Some of those players make a ton of money from endorsements, he will be making almost a million a year till he is 55.


Must be nice! Jordan was one of the best of all time. His shoes got banned from the NBA once but he still wore them because Nike covered the fines!


Shoes and money are very intertwined in the NBA. Do you have a favorite team or player.


Michael Jordan! I still watch old videos of him. Tim Duncan was also smart because he stayed in college. Unlike Lebron-but he is a man among children.


I am not sure how long a career players have, so it was wise that Duncan stayed in school. If you managed to land a good endorsement like Jordan or Allen it wouldn't matter as much.


Yes I agree. Definitely longer than the NFL I would think. College sports are hugely popular. In 39 out of 50 states, the highest paid employee is a college football or basketball coach.


There are many teams and leagues all over the world, so maybe there are coaching or business opportunities.


Yeah no doubt. The highest court in the land is atop the US Supreme Court! Well it was nice having this convo with you!


Hey there how's it going? What's your favorite album?


My favorite album would be Kind Of Blue, do you know it ?


I actually don't know it! I will look it up. Even though LINKIN PARK's album was the best selling of the 21st-century I wasn't a big fan.


I am quite old, but if I heard it, I would remember. But I did not buy it, nor any of my friends.


Same with me. Do you remember the Dark side of the moon? It's still one of the best selling albums despite being released over 40 years ago.


I have that album, on vinyl. I listen to from time to time, it is till good. Do you have it ?


Epic, yes I have it too. But on a CD. Straight Outta Compton was the first album to reach platinum status without the support of a major tour or airplay.


I don't listen to rap music, never took the time to appreciate it. Now, with internet, that kind of success is common.


Yeah it's a lot easier now days. Two identical twins once released a rap album when they turned 100 lol.


I wonder how it sounds, maybe they thought that rapping is easier than singing. Do you think they are still alive ?


Chances are no because this was back in 1992. If they are I need to know what they are eating.


Or maybe rapping keeps you young. Do you still have albums on cassettes tapes ?


Nope I think I got rid of them all they kind of seem to disappear into the first decade of the 2000s. You?


I think I have kept a few of them for sentimental reasons. And I still have a tape deck on my stereo.


It's cool you're holding it down for the rest of us. Have you converted to Netflix? Together with YouTube it makes up half of peak Internet traffic in North America.


I like Netflix, what is favorite show on it ? Blockbuster is still regretting not buying them.


Yeah I bet blockbuster wish I could have that opportunity back to buy it for 50 million.. My favorite show at Stranger Things.


That was a good show, I liked the 80s vibe. It is a really innovative company,  the idea started because of  the late fees of rented film. There were way too high.


Yeah that's a good point especially since the guy who is inspired to start Netflix based his decision off racking up a big late fee!


And then they want from using the postal service to streaming. Most companies would have stopped innovating once they had success.


True. They never stop. What's next for them? Well it was great talking with you have a nice one.


I sure do. Have you ever listened to Hybrid Theory by Linkin Park?


Yes it is the best selling album of this century after all


Yeah. Do you know who Reel Big Fish are?


Yes they lost the rights to their music and rerecorded their hits


Yeah. Have you listened to the album the dark side of the moon?


I have it was the best selling album of 2014


Yes but it was in fact released 40 years prior to that


Yeah. DO you know the album Strait outta campton?


Yes it is by NWA and it reached platinum without much advertising


Yeah, talk about letting quality speak for itself


Exactly. Did you hear of those 100 years old twin musicians in Japan?


Yeah they have already released a rap album


I sure do. Did you know Bruce Lee was a dancer too?


Yes he even won a cha cha championship in 1958


Yes and he was in the production of the nutcracker and mouse king


Yeah. Babies are good at dancing when they hear music


Yes and they smile more when they hit the beat


Yes they are smarter than what we give them credit for


I have and its a city with a lot, for instance, the Washington Monument, a place with a lot of history


I bet there is! And they have the white house of course! Do you like to travel?


I do like to travel, one of my favorite things in the world, what about you?


Same here. If you ever go to Japan, make sure you bring 300 dollars just for the tolls!


$300 on toll alone, that's outrageous, a lot of money only on tolls


It really is, I wonder if they have a commuter bus as fast as the Dutch do?


160 mph sounds like a really fast commuter bus. I don't think other countries have a transportation means like that one sounds a bit dangerous.


Hopefully it is as safe as it is fast! It's better than horse drawn carriages like in Mackinac Island!


I heard of that place, its located in the US and cars have been banned there for more than a hundred years, sounds like a nice destination


Very peaceful I'm sure! Did you know the first king to travel around the world was king kalakaua of hawaii?


I did not know that, what a lucky guy one my goals is to travel around the world one day, I need to save a lot of money to do that.


You and me both! Do you like to listen to music?


Yeah I do, have you been to any good concerts lately?


I've been to Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, hbu? I can't believe how many concerts the Ramones played.


Yeah 2,263 concerts that has to be a record


That is almost a nonstop tour for 20 years straight huh?


Yeah I guess so, 120 concerts per year thats a lot another band that had a lot of concerts in one year is Linkin Park


I'm sure they did, especially having the best selling album of the 21st century? Anyways, I had a great time chatting, have a good night!


Yeah 324 concerts in only one year, that's impressive and also kind of excessive, its been great chatting with you as well bye.


Hello there, have you ever been to Washington DC?


Hi, yes I have but not for a while. I would love to back to visit the national museum.


Yeah I am the same, I went there two times as a kid and would love to go back and really appreciate all it has to offer.


There is a new American Indian exhibit I'd like to see that is supposed to be very good. Fortunately it's only display long term so I have until 2027 to go check it out.


That does sound super interesting, I would love to go and see that one as well.


It's far away, and since it will be there a while I probably won't go for some time. Maybe in the mean time I'll see what documentaries netflix has. Remember when netflix used to mail out dvds before streaming became so popular?


Yeah I do for sure, it's crazy how much they would be spending on postage!


Blockbuster had the chance to buy netflix on more then one occasion. I think they wanted 50 million to get out and now they are worth 2 billion!


Isn't that crazy looking back at those deals that didn't happen turn out?  Like who would have thought it would be so big!


It's funny because I think now it's pretty obvious, but you're right back then people had no idea. Reed Hastings one of the netflix founders got the idea to start the company because he had a $40 late fee. I wish I could be inspired by something so simple.


Yeah that is a super funny story, that turned into billions of dollars!  I guess we just have to pay more attention when stuff gets us angry.


For sure! Netflix just continues to grow and grow, at night about 33% of all bandwidth traffic is watching netflix - that's just crazy to think about.


That is crazy to think about, I wonder what all those people would do with their time if it ever went down!


I guess switch over to youtube which also gets a lot of traffic. There certainly are other options but netflix seems to be the best choice for streaming entertainment.


Yeah I think it is, they have such a crazy amount of content.  I also use YouTube but mostly for music.  How about you?


I watch some reviews and such, but I mostly stick to netflix. Their own content just keeps getting better and better and they've only been making their own shows and movies since 2012.


It really has I would have to agree, they spend a ton of money and invest a lot in their own content, which I think is very smart.


I'm surprised they don't get into streaming music, which is also getting really popular. For me though while I gave up DVD's pretty easy I still prefer to buy my music as vinyl LP's.


Good call, I never even thought of that.  And I am the same, vinyl is the only way to buy music now if it isn't digital.


CD's just sound like crap. MP3 is fine for the car but at home vinyl is just warmer. I recent found a box of my grantparents 78s but I have no way to play them since that format was long ago abandoned.


That is still awesome to have all those old 78's though, and I totally agree with that as well.  I just need to transfer like 200 cds worth onto a computer some day. It was nice talking with you as well, hope you have a good day.


Have you gone to many concerts? I've never been to one.


I've been to a lot. Have you ever seen linkin park?


No I've listened to a ton of their music over the years but never seen them in person. They seem like they would put on a good concert.


Interesting. I saw them once, but it wasn't in 2001.


I wonder how they rank in lifetime concerts. I think the ramones hold that record currently with 20 years of continuous touring.


I'm not sure. Have you ever seen the Ramones?


No I'm not even sure of their songs. I'm more of a rock/country fan. What about you?


Yeah, I'm not a fan either to be honest. Did you know in Croatia there is an ancient amphitheater that is used as a concert venue?


Makes sense though because the acoustics were originally designed for a time when there were no speakers. I wonder if they get any big name artists there.


I'm not sure to be honest. Seems pretty interesting.


I would love to see the concert that Pink Floyd did in the pompeii amphitheater. I wonder if it is online or only as an album.


I'm not sure, but apparently they recorded one. Did you know the dutch may have a bus that goes 160 mph?


That seems crazy fast. How do you control that big of a vehicle going that fast?


I'm not sure, it can't be real to be honest.


Hopefully not. I've driven things that big and they are super tippy.


Yeah, pretty hilarious. I wonder what the Dutch intend to use it for?


Who knows? Sometimes I think people invent things just because they can.


Did you know Iceland has no public rail service?


I wonder why not? It seems like a very eco friendly way to travel.


I'm not sure. Did you know all of Japan's highways are tolls?


That seems like an excellent way for the government to raise money to maintain the roads.


Hi there I do like the NBA actually. I am a Pistons fan. What about you?


Oh nice. I do not have a favorite team per se. Do you know who Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is?


I do. He was a big basketball player right? I think he was so good at the dunk they had to ban the dunk for like 10 years isnt that true?


Yeah go figure. I like Reggie Miler too, and as good as he was his sister was always better I guess


Yep his sister sounds like she was amazing haha. Did you know that the inventor of basketball was a losing coach? The only losing coach and his whole University's history LOL like how is that possible


Yeah I guess the only legacy that James Naismith had to his name was for inventing it only


Haha you're right about that. Do you ever watch New Zealand basketball? Do you know what their team is nicknamed?


Yeah I heard their nickname is the tall blacks , kind of strange


It is a very strange nickname. Definitely one that would not fly in the United States LOL. Do you know that the Supreme Court has a basketball court on the top floor?


Oh yeah is that the one that they refer to as, the highest court in the land?


Haha it is. You think the justices ever play though? I'd be concerned about them getting injured.


I am not sure but I hope someone utilizes that court. Do you like Tim DUncan?


Yeah he seems like a good guy. He finished his degree instead of going right to the NBA. I guess that was a smart move


I think so too. How about ALlen Iverson? The guy signed a killer contract with Reebok


Yep he's the man. I can't believe he's going to make 32 million dollars when he turns 55. He'll never have to worry about money again


I know and until then he gets $800 000 a year from them


Yep that guy has it made haha. Have you ever shot a ball granny style?


I have and I am not sure why more players do not do that. I know it might look funny but who cares


Yep I agree. If I was getting paid millions of dollars I wouldn't care if I looked stupid, as long as I was winning games. It's funny that Reggie Miller's sister is also good at basketball. Maybe it runs in their family


Yeah the woman broke 8 national records, wow. Nice chat


Good Morning!  Basketball is my 3rd favorite sport, but at least March Madness and the NBA playoffs are coming up!


Good morning!  March madness should be good this year.  Did you know that the dunk shot was banned from college basketball for over ten years?


I think the dunk being banned had more to do with the dunker - Kareem, than the shot/technique.  He was so dominate and innovative that it created an unfair advantage/balance


You could be right about that.  Still, to ban it for ten years?  Why not just ban it until he graduates?


Like the NCAA admits it was wrong with anything in a timely manner?!?!?!  Kinda like why the federal government thinks pot is as dangerous as heroin...


good point.  thinking of government, did you know that the supreme court has a basketball court at the top of their building?


The Highest Court in the Land!  (No pot pun intended)  Although, I don't see RBG crossing Clarence Thomas over and dunking on him!


I find it hard to picture them playing at all to be honest!


For sure!  I also find it hard to fathom that Jim Naismith, the inventor of Basketball had a losing record KU - he invented the game!


Oh, I know what you mean there! I can't see how you can invent a game and then not be any good at it!


Our local NBA team here in Phoenix is a dumpster fire - do you have a favorite team and how are they doing this season?


I like the San Antonio Spurs.  Did you know that Tim Duncan sacrificed money to stay in school instead of going straight to the NBA?


I remember that - it was a promise to him mom/family to finish college right?  Amazing how the Spurs got The Admiral and then Duncan in succession


True.There are some good people that are athletes out there.  In the NFL there is a wide receiver that leaves his cleats on the field after every game to make people away of homeless people with no shoes.


Pretty sure that was Steve Smith - great guy, fierce competitor, and didn't really want any attention for himself, just for his cause.


Yes it was.  With as many ballet shoes as dancers go through in a week, seems like they could do something like that too.


I knew some dancers in school and those ballet shoes, pointers, really messed their feet up!  Painful to see


I never thought about that.  I guess that's why they go through like 4 pair in a week.


That does not surprise me at all - not very durable, maybe there's a correlation there?  Pretty sure construction boots will last years and of course tennis shoes last a while


If shoes were made like they were 5000 years ago they'd all last.  Apparently 5000 year old shoes perform better than modern shoes.


Oh man, I'd hate to get a whiff of a 5,000 y/o pair of sneakers!


They'd definitely need some dry tea bags!


Good evening. Do you like shoes? I think it's cool how much variety there is from sandals to hire and fashion shoes.


I do like them, footwear intended to protect us and to look in style in the process


Exactly. The design of the shoe has varied greatly through time and from culture to culture.


They have changed a lot I agree, I feel sorry for ballet dancers, they spend a fortune in shoes


Yes up to 4 pairs in a week? Seems like they could make them a bit more durable...


I know right, maybe its not in the shoe company interest, one strange fact is that 5000 year old shoes perform better than new ones


Very odd indeed usually things improve with time. Also putting dry teabags in shoes may soak up the odor!


Thats a great strategy sounds great, I will keep that in mind next time my shoes have a particular odor.


Yes let me know how it works! You heard of the NFL player Steve Smith? He helped raise awareness for homeless people not having shoes.


I will, and I did hear about that player, I think thats a noble cause, hopefully it works and creates awareness in people. Do you know who Stephon Marbury is?


Yeah he was an NBA player! He once promoted a line of shoes that sold for $15. Very cool since now they are easily over $100.


He wasnt paid to promote them, so I guess the company owes him a big debt. Basketball is a fun game with lots of cool facts


Yeah it is I love the NBA. It was founded in New York on 1946.


30 teams, 29 American and the other one Canadian, great sport, 5 vs 5 one court two sides


Yup exactly. I would like to see more players use the granny shot because physicists say it is the best technique.


Players think its stupid but if got paid as much as they I would mind at all.


Yeah some players get paid so much they don't even care like Alan Iverson got paid $800,000 a year starting in 2001 by Reebok.


No doubt. Tim Duncan sacrificed money though to finish out college. It was great talking with you tonight!


I think that was a great choice, sacrificing money and staying in school a tough call. Its beet great chatting with you also, have a great night bye.


Yes because 4 years of college and education is priceless! Have a good one!


Hi, I am doing well. How are you doing?  Do you watch any basketball?  Did you know it was invented by a man named James Naismith?


Yes, a Canadian named Naismith. He was a losing coach at Kansas.


I've heard that before! It is so shocking to think that the man who invented the game could not win at it!


He started a game that has evolved tremendously. I doubt he made any money like people do today.


He probably didn't.  I imagine no one has had a contract like player allen iverson.  He got a contract with reebok to make $800,000 per year until he turns 55 and then a final payment of $32,000,000.