MBB: Midwest Conference

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Way to stand up, JeffP.  And April, I know my comments came off wrong, so no hard feelings there either.


By the way, the after-school program I volunteer with just got a donation that allowed them to buy enough 7th grade textbooks so each kid in the program can have one for every class, which is a huge deal because the closest middle school doesn't have any textbooks for students at all, just one for each teacher to teach from.  Anyway, that's probably neither here nor there, but I'm pretty excited about it.

[diehardfan]

lets not forget inner cities, rural poverty, and all the other problem areas right here in the good ol' US of A.

Oh trust me, I don't. First off, my grandfather is from rural, dirt poor West Vrginia, and goes on a crazy tirade every time he hears about a church group going overseas rather than to Appalachia. The reason I moved to California was to work with Native American tribes. I have developed a "let's fix some of the problems we have here first" mentality to the work I do in development issues. The conditions on some reservations are nearly as bad as third world countries, in terms of health care access, and access to clean drinking water. Overall the problem is not as big (though it's still huge), but I totally understand where Hoops Fan is coming from on that one about being angry at the disparity. It is absolutely freeking ridiculous that people living in the United States don't have access to safe drinking water.

I also did some volunteer work for World Vision in Chicago at their warehouse full of office supplies which they have because the teachers regularly have to pay for any copies they want to make for their kids. And I did some environmental education in DC schools during a summer internship in college.... so I've gotten a teensy taste on the city perspective too.

Some folks just have to protect themselves by joking about such horrible truths. I have had contact with both of these characters and know there isn't any lack of concern or caring from either of them.

Yeah, I can understand that. I can do that about racism issues, sometimes... but I have a hard time doing it over poverty isses. For me, the quiet, pervasive hope in God that the Ghanaian people had was much more comforting than humor. I'm extremely passionate about social justice issues, and I get so upset that I can't respond rationally sometimes... I know it's detrimental to the causes I believe in, but it's still hard nevertheless. I wish there was some modern day equivalent of throwing down tables in the temple. I'm sorry for snapping at people here, since I love you guys. 

Um, actually I was being serious.  I work for an international aid and development non-profit. 

k, let me get this straight... you post on this site way too much, and you work for an international aid and development non-profit? are you my evil twin? 

[JUSTINTYEM]

When did this Basketball forum turninto A PeaceCorp Board.I admire all the work you do in your personal life,But this a MWC Basketball Board.Try and stay on topic please.

[diehardfan]

During the offseason? Psshhh...

Wait, yeah... like kimchi, scones, and haikus were on topic?

There is no topic... on any of the basketball boards... this is as dead as I've EVER seen posting up during the offseason.

[hjmphelp]

DHF-
you ARE "throwing down tables in the temple" by doing the work you do. That temple is represented by the Mammon called the "self absorbed American environment" by some

So is Hoops Fan with his work, and Mr "the Roop" when he calls out some pinhead for saying something blatantly racist - even if the perp doesn't know what the hell he has done. It all takes courage in the face of power, greed, gluttony, stupidity...

We all have our flash points - the line we won't cross - and I certainly understand that as well. I'll certainly try to respect yours but i'm sure - with my propensity to laugh at the worst of times - that I'll slip up sometime.

I think I woulda liked your Grandpa, BTW

JUSTINTYEM- we will all remember your post when you go on some raving tyrade about tickets next playoff season. Give us an off-season break, PLEASE! Few sites mix it up like the MWC site so be easy and enjoy. You might as well because short of an intervention from Pat it probably isn't gonna change.

[diehardfan]

I like to think of it that way too, Jeff. I'm doing fine emotionally now that I'm a part of solving, rather than ignoring the problem (or I guess more like not doing anything about it) they way I had to while I finished up my classes.

I think I woulda liked your Grandpa, BTW

I don't know. He's actually still alive. But I don't talk to him anymore. In addition to all the problems I always had with him being physically and emotionally absuive to my aunts and mom, he cheated on my beloved grandmother with a much younger woman while my grandmother was dying of lung cancer. Talk about completely ignoring the phrase "in sickness and in health."

And people wonder why men scare me. 

[hjmphelp]

Well, what can I say to that? Talk about something being a flash point - glad I DON'T know him...for his sake.

[The Roop]

For what it's worth I was merely commenting to Hoops post, not slighting people of other countries for their plight. I've been to impoverished nations myself and while I am very thankful to be born in the USA, I don't think it's a crime either. A phoney government is usually the cause of a country being 3rd world.

As for my day................... I was nearly attacked by a bear while moving a  vehicle struck deer off the road. I doubt anyone in Ghana would have cared had the attack occurred.

I can agree with some of DHFs comments. We "Yanks" can be jackasses at times, but I don't think that's an American exclusive. For example, the gentleman that hit the deer seemed more concerned about the damage to his vehicle than he did about the deer being killed. I won't go into detail but the deer wasn't quite dead when I came upon it. So while I was trying to comfort the deer in it's final minutes he was cussing it. Had his wife not been with him I might have belted him a good one.

[diehardfan]

So while I was trying to comfort the deer in it's final minutes

Awwwwww

I doubt anyone in Ghana would have cared had the attack occurred.

You know, I went to Ghana in May 2002. There were very few people I met who didn't, at some point, comment about how greived they were at the tragety of September 11th. At that point I was still too upset about the earthquakes that had killed tens of thousands of peple in India to really care they way I should have about what at the time seemed like a relatively minor tragety. So I'm pretty sure that at the time, they felt more sympathetic about september 11th than I did. The average person here may not pay attention to the world, but they are paying attention to us. Maybe that's cause we're more important in terms of clout on the global stage, but it still 100% indicates our arrogance.

I'm glad you didn't get eaten by the bear... it would have runined all the lore Hoops Fan has made about you. 

[gobucs]

Interesting conversation as of late.  A teacher/friend of mine just tackled Mt. Fugi in Japan.  He said that the ascent was great and something he'll always remember.  BUT, the people of Japan, the school systems, poverty were just astonishing. 180 kids crammed into a tentlike school, and they wanted to be there!  A quote that sticks with me....."The people of the United States are very worldly, but they don't know much about the world."  Glad DHF and Hoopsfan are making a difference.

Oh, and Roop....glad you didn't get eaten by "Da Bear"  too, he must've heard you were a Packer fan......LOL

[JUSTINTYEM]

Let me have it for that last post.I was in a Pissy mood yesturday.I Deserve it.

[The Roop]

I was wearing my Galveston Island t-shirt at the time (seriously) so I believe what happened was that the bear chose not to mess with Texas.

[diehardfan]

Let me have it for that last post. I was in a Pissy mood yesterday. I Deserve it.

No big! I didn't even bother to smite you at the time, and had already forgotten about it. Incidentally, I fixed your spelling and spacing in your quote.

I was wearing my Galveston Island t-shirt at the time (seriously) so I believe what happened was that the bear chose not to mess with Texas.

Actually, the bear didn't see you because you have amazing powers of invisibility! Either that or you have this glowing aura that surrounds you so the bear was blinded by your brilliance. LMAO!!!!!!!!! 

[The Roop]

Ok Justin................. You're a mean evil wicked person. And to top it off your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries.

[John Gleich]

Now go away, or I shall taunt you a second time!