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.


Good morning!  Do you ever watch the world series?


I do watch it but rarely. How about you, do you watch the World Series?


I watch every now and then, depends on who's playing I guess.  Did you know that prior to 1969, the teams with the best records were automatically in the series? There were no playoff games.


Wow!!! I didn't know this at all, very interesting. I was wondering which teams are allowed to participate in the World Series?


I think it's the champion of the two divisions- the alcs and the nlcs.


Oh! Thanks. Do you happen to know the year in which those two teams first faced off against each other?


Hmm, I think it was back in 1903 but i'm not sure on that.


I think you're right. Do yo know by any chance how the winner is determined of the World Series Championship?


Isn't it by having to win the most out of seven games?  I'm not sure.


I believe that you're correct. What is the award for winning the World Series Championship?


Well I think the team gets a trophy. i don't know if they get anything more.


Do you happen to know what the trophy is called?


I honestly don't know that. I guess my memory for the series is bad.


Its okay but thanks anyways. What is the team that you like in baseball?


I like the Rangers.  Do you have a team that you like?


I like the Red Sox and they won the World Series this past year by beating the Dodgers.


I think I watched some of that.  Have you ever noticed that the managers wear uniforms?


I have and can they also participate in the game?


Yeah, but I've never seen one do it.  Have you?


No in all honesty I haven't either. I mentioned the Dodgers earlier and I found out recently that they have lost more world series championships than any other team.


Really?  That's bad and a little sad.  I like to pull for underdogs so after hearing that I guess i'd like to see them win one.  Anyways, it's time for me to go now.  It's been great chatting with you!  Have a great day!


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


Do you enjoy Stephen King books? I have since I was a child.


Did you know that he considers the first horror film he saw to be Bambi?


Yeah, I had read that somewhere that Bambi had terrified him as a child.


I can see that. Old Disney movies were dark. Did you know that he is in a band?


Yes, he's in a band with Matt Groening, of the Simpsons.  How cool is that?


Very cool. I knew there were other famous people in it but I couldn't remember who. Did you also know that all of his books are connected? He's built a whole world.


It's pretty cool, how he's did that.  I wouldn't have been able to pull that off.  He's got talent.


He definitely does. I've always noticed it reading his books. There will be a small reference. He never even makes a big deal of it. It's almost like they are little hidden gems for readers.


I read that his father went out to buy a pack of cigarettes and never came back, when Stephen was four years old.


That's horrible. I feel really bad for anyone that that's happened to. Can you guess which clown was the inspiration for designing Pennywise in IT?


You are correct. Off topic but do you use the telephone much anymore?


I have one, I don't use it as much as I used to, though.


Me either. I mostly text on the cell. Did you know that the cables that carry our internet and phone data across the ocean are only 2.7 inches around?!


That's just wild and I hear they just lay them on the ocean floor.


Yes they are not suspended. I would think they would be thicker just because the salt has to corrode them.


I know, I wouldn't want to risk them disintegrating in all that salt, either.


It is amazing to look at how far we have come. There is more computing power in an iPhone than in the entire US nuclear ICBM deterrent!


That's kind of impressive and sad at the same time.  But, I love my iphone. Lol


I love mine too but it seems like maybe we should upgrade our nuclear systems in this case.


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 love concerts, my favorite of all time was linkin park, you?


I have never seen and don't care to. I heard they were sued because their concert was so bad!


For sure, I wonder who won the lawsuit lol. I am sure creed did because so many people would sue


I'm not sure to be honest. Did you play nintendo?


I love nintendo. i used to think the graphics were so good, but only had 54 colors


Yeah, I remember that. I played a lot of Punch Out.


heck yes! I could never beat mike tyson lol. I bet now I could. I should get a nintendo they only stopped making them in 2003


I beat Tyson, I remember they took his name off the game too.


I did not know that, I always remember it as mike tyson punch out? whyd they do that


When he went to jail, they took his name off of it, if I remember correctly.


wow, that makes sense. I figured he was asking too much money for it. Do you ever go to chuck e cheese?


I've been when I was younger, but it has been a long time.


Entertainment. His name is charles entertainment cheese. That is not catchy at all, lol!


Hilarious. What about Bill Nye, are you a fan of him?


I love bill nye, I wonder how he got his start


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.


Good.  How are you?  What do you think about the 100 year old twins releasing an album?


that is crazy, I am a twin and maybe I will do that when I am 100!


Sounds good!  I also like that vinyl lps are still being produced.


that is interesting, kids these days have no clue what they are


I know and that's sad.  Music sounds good on vinyl.


did you know linkin park has the best selling album in the 21st century


I did not know that and it's surprising when you think about Taylor Swift and others.


When I was in my high school years that is all I listened to, it was my rebel phase.


Did you watch a lot of netflix and youtube?  Experts say they make up half of the internet traffic.


love me some netflix, not much youtube. Crazy to see that one third of internet being using from 9-12 is netflix


There's a lot of people staying up late watching tv I  guess.  I bet Blockbuster hates that they let netflix get away.


for sure, bye bye blockbuster, they dug their own grave it sounds like.


Yep.  i wonder if Reed Hastings also owned Hastings.


It was a store that sold cds, albums, dvds, and then tshirts and other knick knacks of movies and music


interesting, never heard of them, but sounds like he may have had a hand in it


They went bankrupt or just closed a year or so ago I think.


so probably not, lol, good chatting with you


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.


Hello. Have you ever gone to any concerts?


No not any live ones. I've seen them streamed online or on tv before but nothing in person. Who did you see?


I took my father to see Merle Haggard.  The last time he played in our city.  He's dad's all time favorite singer and that was the first and last time we saw him, he passed away within the year.


Oh wow that would have been a great one to go to. I love Merle Haggard.  I grew up listening to his albums.


We enjoyed it and I'm glad I was able to provide dad that opportunity, that's usually the first thing he tells strangers when he meets them!


That is really neat. For sure a memory that will be cherished for a lifetime.


Most definitely.  I read somewhere that a Creed concert was so bad that some concert attendees filed a lawsuit.  That must have been one bad concert?


I know! How bad does the experience have to be for you to sue the band? Maybe Pink Floyd had it right with his Pompeii concert with no audience.


Yes, that must have been very strange for them to perform with no audience to give them any feedback or to clap when they finished.  These rockers are strange people!


They really can be. I hope they recorded it though. It would be kind of nice to stream a concert without all the crowd noise in the background.


Yeah, I believe they recorded it, so you should be able to find it somewhere.  Maybe on vinyl?  Are you old enough to remember those?


Yes they are great! There is something about the sound of a vinyl album that just can't be mimicked by a cd. There is a tone that makes it unique.


A lot of people say that, more authentic feel.  Speaking of Pink Floyd, their Dark Side Of The Moon Album was still one of the best selling albums of 2014.  Despite it being over 40 years old.  That's wild!


That is really surprising! I guess there is just something about their music that speaks to multiple generations which is kind of neat when you think about it.


It is.  My dad actually liked Country music, but collected all genres of music on those vinyl albums.  I used to love as a kid just looking at all the different album covers, they were so neat!


I think it is cool how people still collect them even though we live in the age of streaming. CDs never made that impact even though they were super popular for a time. More of a fad I guess.


I know that's strange how that happened, even with the 8 track tapes and cassettes.  I read that Linkin Park's Hybrid Theory is the best selling album of the 21st century, but to tell you the truth, I've never heard of them.  Lol


Oh I loved their music in college. I'm pretty sure that I owned that album. It was all angsty and loud. I remember all my friends having that one and the NWA straight out of Compton CDs in their cars.


I must be old, because I haven't heard of them, either! Lol


It was all the rage back in the late 90's early 00's. I don't think I could listen to it now though. It would be like an instant headache.


Most likely it would cause a massive headache!  Well, it's been nice chatting with you, I need to go walk my dog, now.  Hope you have a good day.


You as well. It has been very nice talking with you.


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.


I guess he must be worth that much to the brand. Kids buy the kicks and Reebok gets rich. With that money, he could buy part of a team.


I bet he could.  It's great advertising to be a part of basketball.  Just look at nike.  The NBA banned air jordan shoes but Michael Jordan wore them anyway and Nike payed a fine per game.  Now those shoes are super expensive and super popular.


Fines create controversy, which generates interest and revenue. Smart business by Nike.


It totally agree.  Nike probably loved the banning of their shoes.  They've made a ton of money since.  You know though, it shouldn't all be about money and I respect people that understand that.  Take Tim Duncan for example, he held off joining the nba in order to get his degree.


I would not have done with Duncan did. I would have played right away. Too much money at stake. College can wait.


Yeah but sometimes people never go back. You hear about players going bankrupt after retiring and it just seems like a good idea to have that degree to fall back on.  Even with Allen Iverson's money and contract a player could still mismanage money.


I don't know if a degree is going to help a former NBA player if all they know is ball. They should get a degree in managing money though.


Lol, that would probably be a good idea!  NBA players are the world's best paid athletes so knowing how to handle all of that money would be highly important.


They get used to the money flowing in. They can't imagine a day when it doesn't. Not everyone gets a shoe deal.


Speaking of shoes, did you know that ballet dancers go through up to four pair a week?


Ballet is tough on the feet. I figure that I would probably break my ankles before I went through a pair.


It is pretty tough for sure.  Maybe they should use old shoes.  I've heard that shoes from back like 5000 years ago are better able to perform than today's shoes.


I'm not surprised. Things had to last back then. I wonder what they did about the smell though.


You know I hadn't thought about that!  i guess there would be a smell considering what they were probably made of.  It's funny too because today's shoes  are supposed to be made with better materials, especially high end shoes, and yet they aren't as good.


As did i. oh and for that smell, put some tea bags in those shoes!


Yes, I like basketball, and you, do you have a favorite basketball team ?


I like the Warriors, do you ever play with friends? the shooting objective is really tall


Yes, I like shooting hoops with friends, we challenge each other to score from the farthest part of the court. Shaq would not be good at this game, he only scored 1 3 pointer in his career.


That sounds like a nice thing you have going on there and they used to tease Shaq a lot because of that


Yeah, he good at what he was doing, why try to do something that he is not good at ?


I know right, just stick to your strengths, well that didn't work out so well for Kareem Abdul Jabbar.


He was really good at using the dunk shot, so much he got it banned from college basketball for more than a decade


But did he had a good career even with his move banned ?


Im guessing he did, do you know who James Naismith is?


He was the inventor of the game, he is also the only losing coach in the history of Kansas University so he was a terrible coach it seems


I would feel bad for him, he invents something, then everybody is better than him. I wonder if he regrets inventing it.


Well he could always bend the rules for his own benefit, he is the inventor of the game.


Maybe the Washington Generals should have bent the rules when they played the Harlem Globe Trotters, they have lost a lot.


They have? how many games do you know the stats? the Globe Trotters are a great team


The Washington Generals won 6 games and the Globe Trotters have won over than 13 000 times. Maybe there is something fishy going on...


Or maybe the Globe Trotters are aliens lol do you like ballet?


Never saw a ballet performance in my entire life, Bill Nye seems interested in ballet, he has a patent for ballet shoes.


He has? he must be a big ballet fun then, anyway its been cool chatting with you today


Alright. Do you watch basketball? De'Andre Hunter borke his wrist and won't play with the Virgina team


That sucks for him. Big loss for Virginia too!


I like Uconn, unfortunalty the coach is the highest paid state employee like in 39 other states


That seems to be the trend now. Kareem got the dunk banned a while back.


Yea it's unfortunate, I bet basketball inventor James Naidmith wasn't the highest paid when he coached


No and he was the worst coach in Kansas history!


It's messed up New Zeland has a team nicknamed "tall blacks"


I think that is the national team name. Their rugby team is black 7s.


I see. The US supreme court has a basketball court on the top floor


Not saying it might not be racist, but there might be a story behind it. Weird place for a court...


Apparently the best technique for free throws is shooting granny style according to physicists


I would like to see lebron shoot that way. It would be more entertaining!


Yea that would be funny, change the air jordan logo to mj shooting granny style, maybe it wouldn't of been banned when they first came out


HAHAHA. That would be a funny logo though. I might be able to buy some of that...


Too bad Cheryl Miller never got a shoe, she did break 8 national records in one game


Yea and her brother Reggie Miller only scored 40 points that same day


He's such a disappointment... Nice chatting with you!


Hello. Do you know much about basketball?


I do its a team sport which commonly has 5 players per team. Shoot a basketball into a defenders hoop


I've always been fascinated by the showmanship of the game. Like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's dunking. Of course that was banned for years before coming back.


He was very dominate with dunking but glad they changed their mind. Think about shaq trying to shoot all the time


Very true. I wonder if the showmanship affects the pay for them. I'm sure the winning records of the team affects the coaches pay.


I am sure they can be more marketable. Did you know vasectomy rates will be increasing this month due to march madness?


What?! How in the world is there a connection between basketball and vasectomies?


Men use the time to recover to watch basketball. Talk about madness!


Ah well I guess that makes sense in a way. I'm surprised no one has figured out a way to market that through some sort of commercial during the lead up to the games.


Athletes should really get financial advisors. 5 years after retirement 60% of players are broke


That's really sad. Honestly though the players that don't get the huge endorsements like Allen Iverson or Micheal Jordan don't make a ton of money.


There was a guy named Spencer Haywood who made the mistake of choosing 100k over a 10% stake in Nike. It would be worth 8.62 billion today


I would be kicking myself for years if that happened. Nike knows what they are doing though. I mean look how they paid Jordan's fines so he could wear them every game.


Really good marketing. Speaking of shoes there are 17 different ways to tie them


Hmm I wonder if that includes how you lace them too. I don't wear many shoes with laces. It is more cowboy boots and much boots here which can be quite spendy because of functionality.


Some boots are even designed for specific purposes like mountaineering or skiing


Ski boots that are fitted properly can run you hundreds of dollars. Seems a bit silly to spend that much on a boot you can only do one thing in.


How do you feel about designer shoes? They can sell for hundreds if not thousands


Honestly I think they are really silly. The fact that a shoe can sell for hundreds more because of a different leather and a red bottom makes me sad for society and its consumerism.


There is a wizard of oz themed shoe that actually guides you home when you click the heels together using GPS. I wonder how pricey those are


I'm guessing in the thousands at least. Can you imagine trying to walk in something like that?


It would be fun exploring using them. Nice chatting with you have a nice day!


Sure! You know, sometimes I wonder if dating apps are doing more harm than good


I think like most things it has it's bad and good points. I think it's good for some people to meet, but you just have to be really careful.


One girl attacked her boyfriend with a sword when she found the Tinder app on his phone


That's getting pretty radical, but some people get really jealous.


She had the samurai sword taped to the side of the bed and waited until he was asleep. That's definitely premeditated


Lucky for him that she didn't actually kill him, and actually lucky for her.


It's a good thing he was able to talk her into calling the police. She pleaded not guilty


Yep. The guy was actually excited about the whole thing. He said it was a lot more exciting than playing games. I think perhaps he needs some help.


I think they both need help in that case. Neither of them were likely in the mental state to be in a healthy relationship\


I agree. To change subjects a little. Did you know that you can't separate two phone books that have had their pages overlapped?


I guess I've never tried to separate one. I've also never had to call NY's area code on a rotary phone, but I guess 212 is the fastest area code, so NY got dibs


I have actually heard about the telephone books before, and tried it. You really can't pull them apart.


That's funny. Did you know that the entire US nuclear ICBM deterrent has less computing power than the iPhone?


What? Now that's really scary. I wonder if they have considered upgrading their system?


It might no be necessary. Nowadays, we're all addicted to our phones due to that computing power to the point that UNICEF will donate clean water for every minute you don't use your phone


I don't find myself that addicted to my phone. Sometimes I wish they didn't have cell phones. I remember a time when you could actually be left alone.


Back in the days before Facebook. I have a love/hate relationship with social media


I think I know how you feel. I got really bad with facebook for quite a while. I was afraid that I would miss a comment so it was really taking up a lot of time.


I wonder if living in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein would help with notifications since the "like" button is illegal there


It might. Burger KIng had a promotion where you would get a free whopper for unfriending 10 people. I wonder if you could do that more than once. I could unfriend enough people to eat for about a year.


I'm still trying to figure out how they verified that. I might go look that up right now. Have a good night!


Hey, did you know the reason NYC has a 212 area code is, is because it's the fastest number you can dial on an old rotary phone?


Hi, no I did not think of that, but excellent thought.  Speaking of phones, it is amazing that an iphone has more computing power than the entire us nuclear missile deterrent system!


Yes phones have really progressed, nowadays there are people who haven't even used land lines never mind rotary phones. Iphones are all they know.


Yes.  Everyone has become so reliant on mobile phones.  It is nice to see Unicef offering to donate a day of clean water to children for every minute your cell phone is not used.


I wonder how they keep track of that? Nowadays no one using their phones for calling. I almost never do. Facebook for me is the preferred way of keeping in touch.


Yes, use Facebook a lot too.  Great way to keep in touch.  I can never get over the fact that Myspace turned down an offer to buy it for $75 million!!


Now the company is worth billions. It's really interesting that the reason facebook is blue is because Mark Zuckerburg is partially color blind. The blue is so iconic now.


The blue is totally iconic.  People are so reliant on Facebook that Iceland is using Facebook to rewrite their constitution!  I can't even being to imagine that comment section.


Wow, but reading the comments is half the fun. Unless you see stupid comments your friends make and then you have to unfriend them. Remember when burger king gave out free whoopers if you unfriend 10 people?


I do not remember that, but it's hilarious.  My wife plays so many games on Facebook.  It is pretty awesome that she can play multiplayer games over the internet with her friends or strangers.


Yes the multiplayer games are fun. It really is such a good invention and it's free. I actually wish there was a pay version with less ads. I understand on screen ads is how they make money but at times they get annoying.


They are very annoying.  Amazing how far they have come!  A music protocol was used for networking the first multiplayer first person shooting game.


Interesting. You know it's been almost 7 years since facebook went public and I still haven't got around to buying stock. I really should.


I can't believe it has been that long.  From almost selling for $75 million to being worth over $100 billion, wow!


I wish they'd add old games to their multiplayer games. sega genesis games like streets of rage, or snes games too.


I remember playing both Sega and SNES.  I also remember the fateful Halo 2 server shutdown from 2010.  Wish I knew that if I left the console on, I could have played for another three and half weeks!


Good times. Golden Eye was the first multiplayer game I played but it was in person not online. Apparently they added this feature last minute. We probably wouldn't remember the game today if not for it.


I loved Golden Eye and Mario Kart.  I could play those for hours.  Rare and Nintendo were not even aware that multiplayer mode was being added!


I bet they are happy it was added! Who knows how much longer it would have taken for nintendo multiplayer to catch on. In fact I think I'm going to go hook my n64 up now.


I saw a kiosk selling old Nintendo systems and games in our mall the other day.  That would be a fun way to spend the afternoon.


I still have lots of old games. I'm going to go play them now. Nice talking to you, bye!


Nice talking to you!  I am going play some NBA 2k19 against the AI-controlled computer opponent that does not have the advantage and flexibility of human thought!


I love to watch movies. I like action, drama, and comedy, but not horror films. What about you?


I love comedy, drama, and dramedy.  I read that Stephen King called Bambi the first horror movie he saw, that explains alot.   I like things like Love Actually but if I have to watch a scary movie, I want to see something like Bram Stokers, Dracula or World War Z, not the slasher ones.


Yes, I agree about the Slasher films. Did you know that those creepy noises in horror films are made by something called a waterphone?  Wonder what that looks like?


I don't know what a waterphone looks like, don't think I want one though,   Did you know Hugh Laurie is the highest paid drama actor, making 700000 an episode for House, I think I am in the wrong field.


House was one of my favorite shows, ever!  Actors get paid alot, but I would hate to never have any privacy.


That's the trade off for fame I guess,  I read that Michael Caine only became an actor because he thought the pretty girls were all in drama, I can see his face but can't think of anything he played in.


He has been in 60 movies. He was Alfred in The Dark Knight, and the other Christian Bale Batman movies. Do you like Marvel and DC comics movies?..


I do like them,  they say horror movies can burn 180 calories when watched but I think I burn more when watching all the Mavel and DC movies, I love the action in them.


Me too. I love the new Aquamam movie, speaking of.  Those movies are a combination of all three genres. A little horror, lots of action, some drama and comedy too.


That's what makes them so good, I haven't seen the new movie yet, looking forward to it,  Did you know Green Lantern was going to be a comedy with Jack Black and they changed it, I think for the better, how about you?


Yes, I agree. I don't see Jack Black in that.  Proper casting is important in all movies, but especially the superheroes.


I can't get over Michael Keaton and "I'm Batman", that voice will always be Batman to me, but Christian Bale did  a decent job as well.


Yes. liked them both. Keaton the best. Did you see where Jim Carrey won't make any movies that don't reflect positivity? He always makes me laugh!.


That is cool, I like most of his movies though, I can't get into Dumb and Dumber, I prefer things like the Truman show.


Again, I agree with you. I liked The Mask too. I have seen Hugh Laurie be really funny too, outside of the House role.  He is also a great musician.


I didn't know he played an instrument, what does he play?


He is a great pianist and he has a couple of CD's out. Jazzy, soulful...he sings as well.


Hmm, I'll have to check it out, I like Jazz music, old Kenny G fan.  It's funny, Bill Murray, thinks Kung Fu, Hustle is the best comedy ever,  I disagree, but I did like Caddyshack and Stripes.


Loved Caddyshack! He is funny, but he can also do very poignant drama as well.


I loved the Zombie movie where he goes golfing during the apocolypse, cracked me up.  When you talk about comedies, I think I've seen every Friends and Seinfeld episode multiple times.


Me too! Thanks for chatting with me. Have a great day...


You too, maybe I'll have time later to look up some new Jazz by Hugh Laurie.


Hi! Do you have any favorite Hollywood actors?


Yes! I have many. Brad Pitt and George Clooney are a couple.


A favorite of mine is Tom Hanks. Familiar with any of his movies?


Wasn't he in the Toy Story films? He played Woody the Cowboy.


Yes, he was. In fact, he's currently the highest all-time box office star; with over $8.5 billion worldwide film earnings.


Goodness! He certainly deserves his success. Did you know that his brother does voice over work?


No, I do not. What's his name and some of his movies?


I disremember his names, but I know he did the voice over for some gamees based on movies that T Hanks was in.


Sounds interesting. Speaking about voice overs, Robin Williams was the first actor to start the trend of celebrities performing voice overs. It was for Aladdin.


Yes, he was great! He totally abandoned the script and the screenwriters and animators had to change a bunch of stuff. Plus Diseny underpaid him.


That I did not know! I was really sad though about his passing.


Yes, he had a terrible disease. I heard that Silence of the Lambs came out on Valentine's Day. Strange timing.


Really? Indeed strange timing. That's the one with Anthony Hopkins, right?


Yes, he would practice each line 250 times until he found something good, like the sucking sound he made when desecribing eating his friend.


Wow. Such dedication. I also heard that the movie had a box office hit of over $270 million!


Definitely the opposite of a flop. Did you know that "Treasure Planet" was a hugh flop? I thought Disney would know better.


I loved that movie. Surprised it was a flop though. But it wasn't a flop like Sleeping Beauty though. Disney was considering shutting down their animation studio since it was a failure.


Disney avoided a disaster there. Do you own a car? I don't. I am like a vegan, but for car ownership.


I do, but I don't drive often. I prefer walking -- helps with exercise and the environment.


That's good! We should all do our part. A car is not a necessity. We should be able to travel around without owning a car.


Agreed. Public transportation is widely available. However, driving has its perks. Like drive-thrus for example. Mcdonald's added drive-thrus in 1975 for soldiers that couldn't get out of their cars.


Smart of McD's. "Thank you for your service! You can pick up your order at window #2"


I do.  I am a big fan.  Much better than a horse a buggy


Haha yes, much better. Did you know cars were born in 1886 in Germany?


Good old Mr Benz started a great company.  I bet his family is doing pretty well financially


Yes he did. Did you know Cadillac is named after a French explorer?


I did not know that.  They have been around for years and are great cars


They are. That explorer also founded Detroit.


And Detroit would not be around at all without cars.  They built their entire city around that market


Most definitely. It's legal in South Africa to equip your car with a flamethrower.


Remind me never to cut anyone off in traffic in South Africa.  I though my streets were hectic.


Haha. It is apparently because they have high case of carjackings.


Well, ever since cars started being used globally, there will always be people wanting to steal them


That's sad, but true. Do you follow any celebrities?


Mostly athletes.  I tend to stay away from the reality stars.


I do too. Did you know Pixar has a secret room that is visited by Celebrities?


I wonder what is in there.  Pixar is pretty wealthy, I bet they have a lot of cool secrets.


I love Pixar. They make the best animations. Did you know Robin Williams was the voice of the Genie in Aladdin?


Oh yes, it was one of my favorite roles of his.  Now every celebrity seems to be doing animation.


I think so too. Judge Judy makes $123,000 per episode.


Not bad.  I am glad her TV law degree came in handy for her.  She has been on the air for years


Me too. Well, it was good talking to you. Have a good one.


I know! She was recently in the movie Tully. Have you seen it?


Not yet but i am planning to see it soon. I loved her in Mad Max


Who is Ron Livingston? He was in Tully with her


Thats the guy from office Space, I love that movie.


Oh, that guy! Yeah, I know him. He's done a lot of films with pretty women. He's good at comedy and drama.


Oh yeah he goes hand in hand with comedy. He is starring in an upcoming comedy called Holly Slept Over.


I'll need to see that. Have you ever seen the show House?


Yeah I love House, Hugh Laurie is amazing.


He gets $700k per episode. Insanity! I wonder how much he is worth now.


Yeah that's crazy money per episode of t.v. but nothing beats the 1 million per episode all the actors from friends got.


That was a good comedy. I heard that the actors had a pact: if one of them got fired, they would all quit the show.


Yep I have watched through that show 3 or 4 times. It one of my favorite older show, along with full house.


Full House? I've heard of it, haven't seen it. Was that the show with the Olsen twins?


Yep and they have all the episode on netflix along with their continuation called Fuller house, which has all the same actors just much older now.


It's set in SF, right? Did it win any awards?


They won a People's Choice Award and have been nominated for Emmys a bunch of times.


Ok, I'll have to start watching it then. Do you watch horror filsm?


I watch some horror. I really like the first two Paranormal activity movies, after that they just got stupid though.


I've heard that if you watch a horror flick before you look at abstract art, you enjoy the art more.


Well This was a fun chat, I am off to watch Aquaman so cheers mate.


I like more comedy, but horror is a close second.


Comedy is a nice genre for sure, one of my favorite actors is Bill Murray


I read an interview he did and he said kung fu hustle is "a supreme achievement of the modern age in terms of comedy". I thought that was interesting.


Really? I havet read that article although it seems interesting, I might look it up later, did you ever watch the channel Comedy Central?


I did when I was a child, I thought there were some good cartoons. Not really kid friendly though. What about you?


I like the channel its a bad things that 100 shows have been cancelled over the years,


I did see that somewhere, that's crazy. I know you like horror movies, have you seen The Shining? If not, you need to it's a classic. Anyway, the boy in the movie didn't even know he was in a horror movie until he got older.


He didnt? I wonder how they tricked him, I havent seen the movie but Ive heard its really scary,


Well whenever you get a chance to watch it, keep in mind you can lose 180 calories, apparently! ha ha


I will keep that in mind next time I  have to pick a movie lol, I can go all out on the snacks then, I wonder how they make all those creepy metallic noises in movies


Oh! I believe they use an instrument called a waterphone.


Oh I see, so its called a waterphone thanks for that fact, what other genres do you like?


I like dramas as well one of my favorite actors is Michael Cane, I think his really good


That's funny you mention him, I heard the only reason he began acting in dramas were because of pretty girls in his high school drama class.


Thats the reason he began acting? thats really funny lol, have you watched the tv series House?


I watched a few episodes here and there. Is it any good?


Its a great show I like it a lot, you know the leading actor earns about $700000 per episode!!


Wow! That is a crazy amount of money just for one episode.


It is right, I think his the highest paid actor in history for a tv drama show,


Do you like Jon Hamm? He plays in the Transporter movies and recently in the Fast and Furious movies.


Yeah me too, I try to do as many visits to galleries as I can, especially when I am travelling, you know, exploring local art


i live in new york so there's so many good art galleries around me.


Oh nice, you are lucky in that sense. I loved checking out the National Art Gallery in Washington. So convenient that it is free


art should always be made readily available to people for very low or free cost. like music and books too.


Yeah, they are so educational and offer a different point of view. How about space and solar system, do you have any interest there?


i do like space. i was enjoying the facts about the sun.


So cool, especially the fact that it is white but just appears yellow because of the atmospheric scattering


i was actually about to look up the radio station that broadcasts the solar sounds into music.


So cool. The sun is so amazing. The fact alone that it produces enough energy in one second to meet the need of the planet for 500 000 years is mind blowing


i never knew the sunset on mars was blue. that's pretty cool


Space is so amazing. And to think that the sun is only 1 billionth the size of the biggest star discovered, yes to fundamental for life on earth.


yea. there is so much that is undiscovered in space its incredible.


i am. i love the bird facts as well. i love birds.


I read an interesting story the other day about dodo, the already extinct bird in the family of pigeons. They looked really cool.


i remember seeing somewhere that if they were going to clone something that was one of the things they were going to bring back. the dodo.


That would be interesting. I mean all birds especially the ones that migrate long distance like form Canada to mexico without sleeping, just amaze me


yea they do all of that just from instinct.


I found it interesting that hummingbirds steal spiderwebs to repair their nests


i like that birds have regional accents apparently. like the birds in brooklyn sound like they're from brooklyn.


And how their bones weigh less than their feathers. I guess that is why they can fly so high and fast.


Hey yes but they are kind of outdated. On am radios you can sometimes hear radio jupiter storms!


I wonder what a radio storm from Jupiter even sounds like? Static I guess?


Yes great guess! Maybe it sounds like a bird chirping lol? Speaking of birds, hummingbirds steal spiderwebs to build their nests.


That is very innovative! Did you know the dodo bird is extinct?


That is sad to hear. I was shocked to see that it is a sub-family of the pigeon!


Yes, it makes sense that they are in that family though. They look very similar.


True. I need to lookup what a dodo bird looks like. Birds have hollow bones which explains how they can fly so well.


I cannot believe that their entire skeleton weights less than the feathers.


Yes amazing fact. Some birds can even fly from Alaska to Mexico without sleeping thanks to those light bones.


I cannot believe they can make that whole journey.


Yes it is truly amazing. I am sad to learn that human activity threatens 1200 bird species.


That is crazy! I wonder if there is a way to fix it.


I hope there is. I wonder if the birds ever get too hot from the sun? The sun is actually white not yellow!


Yes, because of atmospheric scattering it looks yellow.


Very cool. It produces enough energy in 1 second to meet the needs of our planet for 500,000 years!


That is crazy! Have you heard about neptunes full orbit?


Yes it just completed one in 2011 for the first time since being discovered in 1846! Very cool.


That took awhile! Do you know how hot a lightening bolt is?


Seriously! Not exactly but apparently it is 5x hotter than the sun so that sounds incredibly hot! I really enjoyed chatting with you!


Me too! I am going to do more research on the lightening.


hey there did you know the sun is actually white and not yellow


I did not know that actually. That's crazy as it does look yellow. I know one thing - a lightning bolt is actually five times hotter than the surface of the sun, which is crazy!


that is crazy, its about 5x hotter actually, roasting!


So true. Crazy how it's hotter when the sun actually produces enough energy in a single second to meet our planet's needs for 500,000 years!


that is crazy, also crazy is the sun is 100x the diameter of the earth, and somehow the mass is 300,000x greater! Its Massive!


Wow! That doesn't surprise me though considering  it's 1 billionth the size of the largest discovered star in the galaxy but it is still fascinating!


yes very! do you like the planet Neptune? I still miss Pluto myself haha


My favorite planet is actually Jupiter. In fact, if you have an AM radio, you can pick up Jupiter's radio storms.


wow I'll have to try that out! and ya I guess Neptune just completed a full orbit around the sun, it takes over 100 years for a full year on Neptune


Is that so? That's amazing! Had to have been the first full orbit since it was discovered in 1846, right? Truly amazing!


I agree, do you like birds? I ate a chicken today haha


Ha! I do love birds (and chickens as well). My favorite bird is probably the hummingbird. I like to observe them a lot. Sometimes you can see them stealing spiderwebs as they like to use webs to repair and construct their own nests.


haha sounds like the spiders need spider police to prevent web stealing! I always wanted to eat a dodo bird except they're extinct haha


I wonder what they would taste like? Did you know the Dodo birds were actually a subfamily of pigeons?


ya so I was thinking, they would taste like a pigeon maybe? so Maybe I should try pigeon haha


Ha! Maybe so! Most birds' bones are so hollow, the feathers weigh more than the skeleton so you wouldn't have to worry too much about the bones! Ha!


haha good point! I wish I could fly from alaska to mexico and not sleep, like some birds can


No kidding! It must be nice, right? I guess when you rank as the most successful class of tettapoda, you don't need much sleep. Ha!


haha true that, I'd be scared to live in Australia, can you imagine a car alarm going off and then you discover its only a bird haha


That's almost unbelievable, isn't it?  Plus chainsaws and camera sounds! It's like how on earth do they do that?


haha I know I wish I had that talent! Or the talent to make the sound of a camera, that could be used for evil haha


I just found out that the sun is actually white.  I always thought it was yellow.


The sun is a star just like the white stars at night. It is nearly a perfect sphere, and accounts for almost all of the mass in the solar system!


I understand that its mass is approximately 330000 times that of earth.


And it's only 1 billionth of the size of the larget star in our galaxy! Cosmic sizes make no sense to the human mind! We are so insignificant.


Knowing that the earth is much smaller than the sun, I'm rather fearful.


We wouldn't have to worry about the price of real estate on the sun because it's huge, but we'd need a lot of sunblock and a lot of air conditioning. Did you know that Nepture completes an orbit only every 155 years or so? Not so many Christmases on Neptune then.


Neptune's last full orbit was on July 11, 2011. By the way, I would prefer less Christmases since I cannot afford it.


And your birthday? That would only be every century and a half too. The


It is okay.  Perhaps I would not get old too fast


Did you know that Jupiter has massive radio storms that can be heard on AM radios on earth? Probably not as catchy as Top 40 radio though.


I would love to hear the storms.  Do they sound like the earth's storms?


Probably just a roar of white noise. In contrast, Canadian radio plays at least 40% Canadian music. Do you know the band Rush? Everyone in Canada knows Rush.


No, I do not know.  Is there really such a law?  What is the reason for the law?


To ensure that Canadian media are not dominated by foreign (e.g., US) content. To give Canadian artists an audience. Not sure how they define "Canadian content". Did you know that you make a radio out of simple household items?


I did not know that.  Please tell me about it?


In World War II, soldiers made radios with razorblades and pencils to form a diode. These were called "foxhole radios."


Now I remember hearing about it.  It was very interesting to know.


You can also listen to classic radio shows on the internet now! If you want to know about radio, there are plenty of resources!


I will do that.  By the way, A finish radio has been broadcasting news programs in classical latin.  I wonder who will listen to the program regular?


Latin is hard.  Are there many people in Finland who understand Latin since they have radio news in Latin?


I don't know. It could be for students of the language. Perhaps someone in the government has a fetish for the language. The Finns live in a cold climate with a long winter. Maybe Latin is interesting when you're sitting in a sauna.


Hello, did you know that Kareem abdul-jabbar's dominant use of the dunk got the shot banned from college basketball for over a decade?


I didn't that is very interesting.   James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, is the only losing coach in the university of kansas's history.


Haha, that's interesting as well.  The us supreme court building has a basketball court on the top floor known as "the highest court in the land"


The new zealand basketball team are nicknamed the "tall blacks"


I'm not sure I know basketball is very important to people. In fact in 39 out of 50 states it's actually the highest paid state employee is a college football or basketball coach.  People like there sports.


Air jordan's were banned upon introduction by the nba. however, jordan wore them anyways, as nike was willing to pay the fine each game.


That is interesting that Nike would pay the fine.  I know Tim Duncan of the san antonio spurs sacrificed money and stayed in college for four years instead of going directly to the NBA.


Yeah, I believe he was smart for that....Kinda???


I think so because basketball careers can end a college degree stays with you forever.


With millions of dollars, you can go to college too


This is true.  NBA player allen iverson signed a lifetime endorsement contract with reebok in 2001 that would pay him $800,000 a year until the age of 55.


Then once he reached 55 years of age he would then get a final lump sum of 32,000,000.


That's crazy.  NBA players are the world's best paid athletes by average annual salary per player.


Did you know that physicists proved that shooting granny style is the absolute best technique to consistently score points.


Shooting Granny?  What on earth?  The game?


Granny still is where you throw the ball from between your legs.  But NBA players typically refuse to do it because it looks stupid.


The NBA adopted the league's name on August 3, 1949.


Thanks for the information.  Merry Christmas!


The teams offices are located in the Olympic Tower.


I didn't realize that.  It's a team sport.


It is but that's where they put the offices at 645 Fifth Avenue in New York NY.


NBA entertainment and NBA TV studios are directed out of offices located in Secaucus, New Jersey.


I used to work as a professional t-shirt slinger. I know a lot about t-shirts.


ok, I worked for Diesel USA, tell me something interesting about T-Shirts ;)


When they are made in the USA, they are never truly made in the USA. The thread and fabric is usually made in Honduras and then shipped to an American territory for cheap assembly and to be able to say Made in America.


yes that's a common concept. There are multiple locations with cheap labor - maybe not Europe but Chile, Honduras, Peru - I've seen it before !


You really can't knock it. T-shirts are synonymous  with affordable attire. On the subject of shirts, I almost can't believe they were an exclusively male garment originally.


Yeah! But it's hard for me to not picture a t-shirt and jeans lifestyle. Most women used to wear dresses made out of rice sacks


ok I have to ask - when the heck was that ?


Well in the early 19th century I think. I'm not 100% on that knowledge, but I know from movies and books that it was a really common practice.


I know that polo shirts were originally invented for tennis


I would have guessed they started for polo, haha, but I guess that came later.


I can't believe the Chinese cultural phenomenon of layering as many shirts as possible. That seems really uncomfortable.


They got this from making swords I guess as many layers as possible


One thing I could definitely get behind is Hawaiian business attire.


I have no idea what that is.  why is that ?


Hawaiian business attire is officially an aloha shirt instead of a suit and tie.


Well I suppose some jobs you could wear, or not wear, that too.


I just don't see that attire as a good idea :)


Same here. I haven't watched an NBA game since the Chicago was on top.


ahhh... those were good times...  was MJ still playing?


Yep. I remember the height of Jordan. Nike, Wheaties, Space Jam.


Space Jam. I loved Space Jam. I remember it earned a lot of money !


It really hit a lot of pop culture on the nose with Looney Tunes and all the NBA stars


Oh, that's right, there was more famous players in that movie, not only MJ


Larry Byrd was a good one. He kind of looks like Tweety Bird.


lol :) I've never heard that. Charles Barkley was one of the players if I remember correctly


Yeah. Did you know that physicists proved that shooting "Granny Style" was the most effective method in basketball?


lol... really ? It looks like it's so easy to block it ?


Most NBA players refuse to do it because it looks silly.


Did you know that MJ wasn't allowed to wear Air Jordans?


yes, I think I've heard that one before, so funny. Hey, thanks for chatting !  It was great


Yeah, Nike paid his fine so he could do it anyways.


lol good old Nike :) have a great day my friend :)


How's it going, do you follow basketball? The wizards lost a tough game to the Hawks recently


Yeah i do.  I don't think either the Wizards or Hawks are very good this year.


Yea me neither, the loss to the Hawks was the Wizards fourth starlight, it's gonna be hard for them to make the playoffs


I agree.  It looks the same for the Lakers.  It is hard to believe a LeBron team won't make the playoffs


Yea, the Lakers are a train wreck plus Boston hasn't been the same since Irving returned from his injury from last season


Yeah, its weird but i think the Celtics play better without Irving ..His teammates get more involved with the offense when he is out.


Yea, I wonder which one of the 30 NBA teams Irving will sign to when he's a free agent


Some people think the Knicks and maybe his close friend Durant will join him.  It is going to be a really interesting off season.  I want to see if Davis finally gets traded


As a Knicks fan I'd love to have Durant on the team but I don't think the odds are as good as the media says.


I know, why leave the warriors when they are still on top.  As a Celtics fan who does think we play better without Kyrie, you can have him, lol


Lol well I'd take any good player at this point, even Cheryl Miller who broke 8 national records by scoring 105 points in a game


Yeah, poor Reggie scored 40 in his own game and thought he had a good night.


Yea that's a shame, I think Reggie took out his frustrations of living in his sister's shadow on the Knicks


Lol, did you know that physicists have proven that shooting foul shoots granny style is the best technique?


No but I'm not surprised, when I was a kid I always made more shots in shooting granny style


Yeah, me too.  I am guessing it is a simpler technique where less things can go wrong.  Shaq should have tried it.


Something tells me Shaq would still miss, they would probably call it hack-a-granny


Did you know about Allen Iverson's shoe deal?  800,000 a year and a final lump sum payment of 32 million when he reaches 55.  Sounds like a smart deal.


Yea it's a good deal, plus he didn't get fined for wearing them like MJ did when he wore air Jordans


Do you know why they fined Jordan?  Did the league have a deal with Reebok or something?


Probably had to do with the uniform restrictions like they have today with certain colors. Well I have to go, nice chatting with you


Hey there do you have a phone? I only have a cell phone I don't have a house phone anymore


Hello, Yes, I have an iphone too!! I use it all day long!!


It's crazy that an iPhone has more computing power than the United States missile defense system haha. I have an Android but I think is about the same


I know its hard to believe what they can do! I am switching my next phone will be an Android.


That's good I like Androids a lot more! Speaking of phones though, did you know that there is a cable connection between the United States and Europe? Apparently it runs through the ocean and is about 2.7 inches thick


Wow, I never thought about that, very cool! I love the idea of Unicef donates a day of clean water to a child in need for every minute you don't use your cell phone! Who knew...


Yeah I should do that because I certainly don't use my phone 24 hours a day, what do you watch for entainment by the way? Do you watch anything on your phone, I know I watch a lot of YouTube on mine