Lakers-2008 NBA Finals

Finally after three years of not being able to reach the NBA finals after the Shaq-Kobe championship era, the Los Angeles Lakers are four games away from holding the 2008 Championship trophy.

I'm not a rabid fan. I'm not one of those fans who fight with others in defense of my favorite team. Sure I watch a game now and then, only if I'm not busy and yes, only if the Lakers are playing. Since I live in the Philippines, the object of my basketball interest is relative too. Depending on the featured personality/ties in that given season. There was Larry Bird toward the end of his career. The 1993 Charles Barkley-led Phoenix Suns The Chicago Bulls of Michael Jordan. And the Shaq-Kobe three-peat team early this century. And now the Kobe-led team of post Kwame Brown, post-trade me, trade-me-not.

The story of Kobe Bryant fascinates me. He is generally acknowledged as the best basketball player in NBA today. Yet, as a result of media scrutiny, internet blogs, and to some observers, “his downfall is generally of his own doing”, he is that one sports icon that generates polarizing opinion like no other.

On the other hand,he makes up for it during his fourth quarter heroics. He is beautiful to watch on the basketball court. He seems to be dancing when he makes those traffic-busting moves, those fadeaways, those turn around jumpers, when he make those impossible shots way beyond the three-point line.

But, basketball truly is a team sport. Although it doesn't hurt to have a superstar or two, for this 2008 Lakers team, by resolving their “chemical imbalance” they are able to achieve the impossible, getting to the NBA finals in the toughest conference in NBA history.

There were instances these past playoff games that i want to shout at them through the TV for falling behind 17-20 points, those were frustrating, heart-attack inducing times. But, somehow, at the back of my mind and those of the millions of Lakers fans all over, we believe they can hurdle a 20 point deficit and win a game.

If they lose against Boston, I'm not gonna be sad because I have seen how this Lakers team slowly mature into Championship contenders.

Now, on to the Championships.

Tact

Normally I don't have a problem with people speaking their minds about issues they're passionate about. But a day ago I read something in the Internet that bothered me, Sharon Stone callled what happened to China (earthquake and thousands of people dead) “karma”, presumably over China's dealing with Tibet.




For an international celebrity, it is common sense to think before you speak. What about the thousands of people who died from the catastrophe? The children who suffocated and died beneath the rubble and debris? Are they part of the “karma” too? Are the Chinese citizens deserving to be lumped together with the misguided policies to which their government espouses?

China is dealing with so much right now. With aftershocks threatening to create more havoc, and the race to evacuate more people living near dams and waterways.

It was tactless and hurtful thing to say. The Chinese people are grieving and the loss can't be repaired by a trip to Cannes and getting photographed disembarking from a yacht sans underwear.

Autocad - Customize & Modify

When learning Autocad, it i important to be familiar with the basic toolbars and learning them can be tedious given the numerous icons and tools that you see when you open a window.

We were taught to click and drag toolbars into the main main layout just to see and familiarize ourselves with them. Also, you can disable toolbars that you don't need to unclutter your work space. This is helpful for beginners like me, who is easily confused by the icons in an Autocad layout area.

This can be done by clicking the Customize Menu and checking the toolbars you would want to use and you're more comfortable with. They do have keyboard options or shorcut keys, but based on experience this is way easier.


Modify Toolbar

This is one toolbar that is always present when i'm tinkering with Autocad. it contains the following:

Erase command: Keyboard – Erase , Short-cut – E

Copy command: Keyboard – Copy , Short-cut – CP

Mirror command: Keyboard – Mirror , Short-cut – MI

Offset command: Keyboard – Offset , Short-cut – O

Array command: Keyboard – Array , Short-cut – AR

Move command: Keyboard – Move , Short-cut – M

Rotate command: Keyboard – Rotate , Short-cut – RO

Scale command: Keyboard – Scale , Short-cut – SC

Stretch command: Keyboard – Stretch , Short-cut – S

Lengthen command: Keyboard – Lengthen , Short-cut – LEN

Trim command: Keyboard – Trim , Short-cut – TR

Extend command: Keyboard – Extend , Short-cut- EX

Break command: Keyboard – Break , Short-cut – BR


Chamfer command: Keyboard – Chamfer, Short-cut – CHA

Fillet command: Keyboard – Fillet , Short-cut – F

Explode command: Keyboard – Explode

I refuse to turn and walk away

As an ode to the continuing Human Rights violations the world over, I’m offering my little contribution to the cause. It may not have a huge impact, but as a person living in a less privileged existence, I am in a way, a victim too.

As we browse the internet, we read heart-wrenching stories: Tibet, illegal detentions, Darfur (this is beyond belief, one of the most unimaginable, but it is continually happening right now) and a host of other issues that warrant attention.

We have displacement, illegal detention, disappearances, murder, and corruption in my country too. My earlier post talked about being a kid during Martial Law years in the Philippines. Although we were not directly affected, the repercussions of those years are still being felt up to now.

During those times a lot of political activists disappeared, their families up to now, hoping to find closure and justice. The economy went bankrupt, controlled by the ruling class; we are still paying for the huge debts. As of this writing, you cannot walk in an ordinary street without seeing families sleeping on sidewalks, they don’t just stay there for a brief respite, they live there. One instance, last week one head of the family was interviewed on TV. The government was giving out access cards to locals for the purchase of government subsidized rice. These cards were aimed to be distributed to registered voters in every local government unit. The sad part was, the family interviewed on TV was living on a sidewalk. With discarded milk cartons for walls and roof. They do not belong in any local government unit. This inability to have access to the basic government services, such as subsidized rice is a colossal human rights violation.

* One of our national heroes Benigno Aquino Jr., was murdered as he was going down a plane.
* His alleged gunman was also shot seconds after Aquino was shot.
* Political activists disappear without trace.

The list goes on and on, watch an ordinary newscast and you’ll see the extent of desecration on the rights of our Filipino brethren.

All these would have made sense if all of us were immortals. Living forever we can disregard other people’s basic rights, because we are not answerable to anything.

But, we are not. So, it is only right to respect and value every single human being. Some people should try it for once, it's liberating.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for game 5

Okay so, Kobe Bryant and the Lakers lost the last two games in Utah (series tied 2-2). It's not a cause for alarm this stage (i think). But considering the next game will be played still in Utah which has the toughest home crowd in the league as opposed to the "latte-sipping laid back crowd at Staples", they could be in trouble of losing the next game which is scheduled on May 14.

They should just relax and not let the crowd get involved. Plus do the things they have been doing for the first two games (which they won), settle down and move the ball.

C'mon Lakers win this!

Happy Mother's Day

Ma, we don't say this often, but we love you and we are forever grateful to you for being the rock that we lean on and the cushion that we land on during our many falls.

Thank you Ma.


from your kids who refuse to grow.

Bean for Supper

So, after 12 seasons in the NBA, Kobe Bryant has been awarded the MVP. Many people say it’s long overdue. He should have won it when he was singlehandedly carrying the entire Lakers team when Shaquille O’Neal left.

Regardless. He won it this season and that’s all that matters.

Go Lakers!

Draw Polylines In AutoCAD

A polyline is a connected sequence of line segments created as a single object. You can create straight line segments, arc segments, or a combination of the two.

Multisegmented lines provide editing capabilities unavailable for single lines. For example, you can adjust their width and curvature. After you've created a polyline, you can edit it with PEDIT or use EXPLODE to convert it to individual line and arc segments. You can

• Convert a spline-fit polyline into a true spline with SPLINE
• Use closed polylines to create a polygon
• Create a polyline from the boundaries of overlapping objects

Create Arc Polylines

When you draw arc segments in a polyline, the first point of the arc is the endpoint of the previous segment. You can specify the angle, center point, direction, or radius of the arc. You can also complete the arc by specifying a second point and an endpoint.

Create Closed Polylines

You can draw a closed polyline to create a polygon. To close a polyline, specify the starting point of the last side of the object, enter c (Close), and press ENTER.

Create Wide Polylines

You can draw polylines of various widths by using the Width and Halfwidth options. You can set the width of individual segments and make them taper gradually from one width to another. These options become available after you specify a starting point for the polyline.

The Width and Halfwidth options set the width of the next polyline segments you draw. Zero (0) width produces a thin line. Widths greater than zero produce wide lines, which are filled if Fill mode is on and outlined if Fill mode is off. The Halfwidth option sets width by specifying the distance from the center of the wide polyline to an outside edge.

Taper

When you use the Width option, you are prompted for both a starting and an ending width. By entering different values, you can taper the polyline. The starting and ending points of wide polyline segments are in the center of the line. Intersections of adjacent wide segments are usually beveled. However, nontangent arc segments, acute angles, or segments that use a dash-dot linetype are not beveled.

Create Polylines from the Boundaries of Objects

You can create a polyline from the boundaries of overlapping objects that form a closed area. A polyline created using the boundary method is a separate object, distinct from the objects used to create it. You can edit it using the same methods used to edit other polylines.

To expedite the boundary selection process in large or complex drawings, you can specify a group of boundary candidates, called a boundary set. You create this set by selecting the objects you want to use define the boundary.

Source: AutoCAD 2008's User's Guide.

Drawing Lines In AutoCAD

In Autocad, you draw lines, whether, simple or spline curves to circles, by specifying points with the pointing device or by entering coordinate values at the command prompt.

To draw lines

1. Click Draw menu > Line.

2. At the Command prompt, enter line.

3. Specify the start point.
You can use the pointing device or enter coordinate values at the command prompt.

4. Complete the first line segment by specifying the endpoint.

5. To undo the previous line segment during the LINE command, enter u or click Undo on the toolbar.

6. Specify the endpoints of any additional line segments.

7. Press ENTER to end or c to close a series of line segments.

8. To start a new line at the endpoint of the last line drawn, start the LINE command again and press ENTER at the Specify Start Point prompt.



*Source: AutoCAD 2008's User Guide.

Autocad 2008 New Features Workshop

The good thing about the 2008 version for Autocad is, they have included a New features box. this is the first item you see when you open the program. You can choose to open it or reserve it for later on your free time.