In 12 years, Antoine Walker made more than $110 million playing professional basketball moderately well. Take away taxes, throw in some adidas endorsement money and , a "NBA '99 Live" cover and he's left with, what, $60-to-65 million?
Whatever the details, it was a big chunk of change, which, amazingly, it wasn't enough. That's right, during the last several months, the once multi-millionaire athlete has been pursued by multiple financial institutions for unpaid debts.
In fact, according to The Boston Globe, "Employee No. 8" owes more than $4 million to his creditors and is facing felony check fraud charges in Las Vegas. All of this at the age of 33. Wild.
Now I know what you're thinking: How in the world does somebody not named Montgomery Brewster even begin to blow through that amount of money?
The answer: fairly easy.
"[Walker] liked to move in an outsized entourage; his mother estimates that, during his playing days, he was supporting 70 friends and family members in one way or another. And speaking of his mother, he built her a mansion in the Chicago suburbs, complete with an indoor pool, 10 bathrooms, and a full-size basketball court. [...]
Living at the Bishops Forest condominium complex in Waltham during the Celtics season, Walker turned the pavement surrounding his home into a virtual luxury car lot — two Bentleys, two Mercedes, a Range Rover, a Cadillac Escalade, a bright red Hummer. Often, the vehicles were tricked out with custom paint jobs, rims, and sound systems at considerable added expense. He also collected top-line watches — Rolexes and diamond-encrusted Cartiers."
Condos, luxury cars, watches ... I guess that'll eventually force you into bankruptcy. Especially when you're not investing any money or collecting $200 with every fifth or sixth roll of the die.
But Walker's lavish lifestyle wasn't all "me-me-me." He was also a generous friend and teammate who had custom suits made for coaches, routinely picked up giant team dinner tabs and, when there were funds to spare, gave to underprivileged youngsters. He was basically spending money like it was going out of style.
And it did.
I guess Biggie was right after all: mo' money, mo' problems.

Orginal article here.
So yeah I feel bad for this dude because he spent his money taking care of his family a few friends and a bunch of leechs. People who are nowhere to be found now that the good times are over... Now I know some of you are going "Good those altheles make too much damn money anyway". To which I say to you what about the CEO's that make insane amounts of money, even if they do a bad job? Even if they outsource a lot of jobs, further eroding our ( american) economy? Nobody talks about them. And if sports stars are making so much money what about the people behind them? Why is no one mad at the team owners? Because trust me those dudes are really raking it in. But no you people are too short sighted and go for the easy target.

Everytime I go on facebook I feel like my IQ drops. Seriously facebook is really dumb in my opinion. Its like Livejournal lite. But I use it to share stuff with family so I do get on it every once in awhile. I feel like no one really says anything at all of any sort of consequence. Its all quizs and stupid status updates. I really don't know how people are feeling, what they are thinking or who they really are. At least with LJ you tend to get a feel for people for better or worse. You get to hear their thoughts and opinions. Facebook is like Idiocracy come to life.

Don't get me started on Twitter...

So I saw job offer :

Looking for a manga style variation of the following photos name photoArguing1, photoDating1 and photoToast1.

The style of manga I am looking for are named MangaExample1, MangaExample2, MangaExample3. I need 3 drawings.

I only expect to pay $50 for this.

You must have a portfolio so I can see your previous work.
If assignment is done well, future assignments will be considered.

Thanks!


Fuck you buddy. YOU only expect to pay $50. For three drawings? Are you sick in the head? I guess you will be working with artists who live outside of North America and The European union then. It always drives me crazy how arrogant these fucks are. How the hell can you expect skilled artists to work for nothing? Why am I going to work for less than minimum wage? Try that on a plumber. Good art is a luxury and should be treated as such.

On another note, friday while I was working I came across someone who was an art director. The person in question had just filled a graphic design position, so I asked the person how they chose the one person for the job out of the sixty that applied.

The answer..." The person that had a degree from the same program that I did." Not the best or most talented...not even someone with a degree. Someone with a degree from the same place that they had a degree from, how messed up is that? This person in my opinion shouldn't have their job. Lucky for them the design work thye do isn't of a competitive nature. Because then they would be in trouble. See the thing is that no one looks are art and then holds their opinion of said art until they find out what kind of degree the artist holds. They like the art or they don't. I've see art from people that have gone to an art school that sucks. And their are plenty of artists without art degrees that are amazing. Of course their are a lot of amazing art school grads as well. But its the art that you see first, not a degree.

I think that all of the Twilight fans are hipocrites. I mean c'mon what is so damn romantic about a 300 year old vampire lusting after a teenager. If the dude looked like he saw even 45 yrs. old there would be protest nationwide. But no since he looks young its all good. Just keep this in mind the next time you think that an older guy is disgusting for looking at a younger woman...

Roman Polanski is a douchebag. Let the French keep him I say... How all of these hollywood people can even come to his defense is outragous. The only one that I can see is Woody Allen, another creepy director.

The fact that a blog called Men who look like old lesbians is a testament to the fact that people have way too much free time. Who the fuck thinks of this shit?

I came arcoss this story about a German pop star having unprotected sex with three men while she knew she was HIV positive. That is just scary. But its good that the story is out there because people are forgetting AIDS is alive and well.

Why do Republicans always seem like dumbasses? I wasn't aware of ths but apparently the Republicans are trying to make Obama out to be a Nazi. What the hell? Yet these are the same people that wanted John " victory with honor" McCain as president? What is wrong with these people?

You can read about it here at bradhicks journal.

No really I hate it. I wish that getting a day job were more like getting an art job. Just letting the work speak for itself. But no....you have to do and say things that are so full of shit. I saw this article on phrases that will hurt your resume. And it just made me want to vomit. So now I have to pretend that I'm an actually human being, not a willing slave or a robot? All so that you can hire me to ...act like a robot? You can read the article here.

I was reading this thread on Deviant Art where the artist in question was asking if Obama was the " Change and Hope" that we who voted for him wanted. For me while I'm pretty upset about the whole bailout thing and the deficit, I also understand that it takes money to make money. If Obama doesn't spend money to try and fix the economic infrastructure of the country then it won't be fixed. So while I'm not thrilled at least I feel like he is trying to do something. I doubt McCain would have done this much if he had won the election. Also the economy is a huge problem that one president isn't going to fix by himself. Just not gonna happen. McCain again wouldn't have done a better job. I promise you.

Now one area that I feel Obama has gotten right? Foreign policy. I think Obama understands that the cowboy shit is over. That day is done. Sadly G.W. Bush has really drained us militarily. That is just a fact. Also this fool borrowed a bunch of money to basically get revenge for his daddy. Punk ass bitch. Now maybe I'd have some respect for him if he HAD actually done some real cowboy shit and took Saddam out at high noon.

Now McCain on the other hand? That fool would have been looking for more money to "win" in Iraq. And Iran? I shudder to think about what he would have done. Obama played that they way that he needed to. McCain would have been looking to start another war. Or he would have been talking some real cowboy shit and have set back Mid east/American relations. We need to create allies, not enemies. Some people are gonna hate us regardless, but let that be because of what is in their hearts and not a reaction to our conduct. Obama seems to understand this.

Obama has also been busy cleaning up Bushes messes. Again I believe that McCain would have just fucked things up even more.

So yeah I think that I'd give Obama a solid B+. I mean I don't really know of any other politician that would have done a better job overall. Or at least someone who could have won the election. LOL.

Honestly if I really had to pick some one I would have voted for Sid Haig. Seriously, this man actually told you what he would have done. You can watch here.

I feel no need to listen to Michael Jackson. I just don't, I didn't listen to his shit while he was alive, you know?

So I'm reading this forum and these idiots are bashing classic metal albums. Fuckin' sub genre creating classics. Fear Factory's Demanufacture and Seputura's Roots. And it just makes me think how the "underground" people are just sheep along with the kids watching MTV. Execpt for them something starts to suck when more than 10 people know it exist.

And what strikes me as really funny is that I come off that way to some people. I remember rolling around with my then new buddy L. at the 2008 New York comic con. You can see some pictures here. I was telling him about all of the comics that I was into that he had no idea about, then I brought him over to the Oni table to show him Scott Pilgrim ( soon to be made into a movie) and he said " I feel like a sellout, hanging around you." And then back in the late 90's my buddy Phil, would say that I'd buy all of the comics that no one else would buy when I went into the shop he worked at.

But really I just like what I like, I personally are happy when artists that I like are able to gain a larger audience. I just don't like the mass produced bullshit, so sue me.

I'd never hate on something just because people started to like it. Although it drives me crazy when people have these weird fetishes, like with people who love all things japanese. I don't get that shit. I too dabble in some manga like Berzerk or Gunsmith Cats, but soem of these fools take that shit too far. Way too far.

I was reading this article about dumping someone based on their taste in books. Honestly I sort of felt like it was elitist bullshit. For me reading is good enough. Honestly I find that a lot of people read "classics" so that they can seem intelligent to their peers. Its like when you go to an art museum and you see people look for the name of the artist on the plaque before they even look at the painting. Yes I fucking hate those people. I would see them at the MET all of the time and I just wanted to take a machine gun and mow them down. Or at least ban them from ever stepping foot into a museum.

Yes, you fanboy or fangirl. How fucking old are you? Oh you are over 21? Then, great this is for you. I'm fucking sick and tired of hearing you bitch and moan about how your favorite fandom is being ruined. Yeah George Lucas fucked Stars Wars up. You know it and I know it. But you know what? There are much bigger problems in the world. Much bigger. The New Star Trek not doing it for you? Why? Because Kirk is still a macho jerk? Because the story is stupid? Because its sexist? Its fucking Star Trek...Kirk punches people in the face and fucks green skinned chicks. Actually he fucks hot chicks of all colors. But guess what? You don't have to submit yourself to the torture!

You can stop watching it.

I read an article where the writer was asking Pixar to make a movie with a female lead. And to not have her be a Princess. Well I do understand that. Its really not possible for someone to put a Pixar like studio together just so they can make an empowering movie for girls. Normally my thing is , if you don't like something then change it. If you don't like the fact that the only time you see a Hispanic woman in some movies is when she is the maid, then write your own movie. If it pisses you off that slobs like Seth Rogan* get to have the skinny hotchick, but you never see a woman about a size 8 in a positive light, if it drives you crazy that male actors get to have careers past the age of 40, THEN FUCKING DO SOMETHING. Create something that isn't offensive to you. You could make a movie that is what Kevin Smith did. And you could probably do it for less...

Real life is some much worse than a stupid movie. The next time you get upset by something fucked up in a movie think about this. Now how fucked it that? I don't know how that poor woman didn't come back with a machine gun and kill everyone in that office. Who would take being demoted lightly? Especially when you helped start the company in the first place.

I think I've said enough.

When people throw negative energy my way. I guess theferrett deleted his journal because of the P.C. bullshit that I spoke of earlier. I love the hate personally. But I guess not everyone is built the same way. Which is fine, I just find it sad that people can be bullied into silence over what I see as stupidity. But that is me. I'm sure that theferrett will get a bunch of emails throwing support his way though. I don't really know where I'm going with this...I guess I'm just venting.

One of my more popular LJ friends made a post where he basically said that because he had watched a ton of porno he could spot a male to female transexual. No, he didn't even say that, I believe that he said that he could tell if a porno was going to be a tranny/she male porn.


And people were offended by this. What the fuck! I think that I tend to be some what sensitive, but this is way too fucking far. What do people have to pretend they are fucking blind now? People are fucking assholes. He wasn't making fun, saying anything bad about real transexuals, he was talking about porno for god sake. I could sort of understand how someone would be all offended and hurt if he were saying that he can spot trangendered people on the streets.

But its shit like this that hurts real efforts towards different types of people being comfortable, because its uncomfortable to have to watch everything that comes out of your mouth. And then it gives people who really don't care what they say and who they hurt license to "be honest". What I'm saying is that we need a balance here, if people are always watching everything they say and do its not going to change anything. Its just going to make self rightous people feel better about themselves. See, that is the dark side of the P.C movement. Its just another way that a group of people can say " See, we are better than those people." I see this a lot whenever people get into their P.C. bullshit.

So fuck you, you snotty fucks! Fuck you for thinking that you are smarter than everyone else.

"They want him to say that he's going to come down hard on the Israelis, that he's going to confront the settlement policy and that he's going to push the Israelis to withdraw from the West Bank.

"Of course that is what every Arab would like to hear."

Which I think is bullshit. Honestly if the "Arab" world cared so much about the Palestinians, then why won't they let them settle in their own countries, rather than stay in a place where they are persecuted? Honestly I think that the poor Palestinians are an excuse to hate the Israelis.

And this is why I don't feel that bad for the Palestinians:

The hostilities of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War erupted in mid-May 1948, involving the newly established State of Israel, the four neighbouring Arab states and the Jewish and Arab populations of Palestine. The fighting took place throughout the territory of the British Mandate. The fighting resulted in the flight of peoples (both Jews and Arabs) from their homes, and creating the first Palestinian refugee crisis.

Before the fighting, between December 1947 and March 1948, around 100,000 Palestinians are believed to have left their homes. Among them were many from the higher and middle classes from the cities, who left voluntarily, expecting to return when the Arab states took control of Palestine.
Read more here.

See, they left expecting that the countries surrounding Israel were going to kick them out and take over. Well it didn't happen. They took a gamble and lost.

And then again their is this view which sounds pluasible as well:
This wholesale exodus was due partly to the belief of the Arabs, encouraged by the boastings of an unrealistic Arabic press and the irresponsible utterances of some of the Arab leaders that it could be only a matter of weeks before the Jews were defeated by the armies of the Arab States and the Palestinian Arabs enabled to re­enter and retake possession of their country. But it was also, and in many parts of the country, largely due to a policy of deliberate terrorism and eviction followed by the Jewish commanders in the areas they occupied, and reaching its peak of brutality in the massacre of Deir Yassin.
There were two good reasons why the Jews should follow such a policy. First, the problem of harbouring within the Jewish State a large and disaffected Arab population had always troubled them. They wanted an exclusively Jewish state, and the presence of such a population that could never be assimilated, that would always resent its inferior position under Jewish rule and stretch a hand across so many frontiers to its Arab cousins in the surrounding countries, would not only detract from the Jewishness of Israel, but also constitute a danger to its existence. Secondly, the Israelis wanted to open the doors of Palestine to unrestricted Jewish immigration. Obviously, the fewer Arabs there were in the country the more room there would be for Jewish immigrants. If the Arabs could be driven out of the land in the course of the fighting, the Jews would have their homes, their lands, whole villages and towns, without even having to purchase them

Read more here.

So I really can't make heads or tails of the situation....what I do know is that the Palestinian "refugees" many of whom were not even born in "Palestine" will always be refugees unless their Arab brothers and sisters take them in. Or Israel is destroyed. I say let that shit go already and move on with your life. If it weren't polically advantagous for the rest of the Arab world, these people would be living in other countries as citizens and no refugees. But no one wants to take about that. Gee I wonder why.

I'm not saying that everything that Israel does is right, but I AM saying that the Arab world needs to take some of the blame for the Palestinian plight as well.

They are building a Ronald Reagan statue in the capitol. Why??? I think that he was actually pretty bad for this country and Just terrible for Nicaragua. Hell they filed a lawsuit against the US and won! It wasn't enforced of course... All I'm saying is that this man doesn't deserve any sort of honors. I think Reagan supporters will find this interesting...A guide to psychological warfare given to the contras by the C.I.A.

Yeah great man that Ronald Reagan.

Although you have done some wack music at times and maybe seemed really stupid sometimes, I must commend you for telling those fools who needs to be inducted in the Rock & Roll hall of fame. You could have just given a speach and kept your mouth shut. Thank you for saying what really needed to be said.

Having said all that its just the Rock& Roll hall of fame...

Why the fuck do people think that Ozzy Osbourne so special? Basically he can't sing that well, doesn't write many lyrics as far as I know. Most of the cool Black Sabbath lyrics were written by Geezer Butler, the two solo albums? Again he didn't write lyrics ... Bob Daisley wrote most of those on the first two solo Ozzy albums. And you don't think Ozzy wrote any music either, because he didn't. So when Bob Daisley sued for royalties Ozzy simply reissued the albums with another bass player and drummer. I already expressed my outrage about that so I won't go into it.

So now this fool is suing Tony Iommi for 50% percent of the Black Sabbath name. Isn't it bad enough that he doesn't allow Black Sabbath to use the name while they tour with Dio? Personally I think that is bullshit. Those albums actually had the Black Sabbath name on them, I think its a travisty that they have to tour under the name Heaven & Hell. People know its Black Sabbath. Just like they know that Dio actually contributed music and lyrics to the band.

You can read about that here if you are interested. But my question is when is enough, enough? How much money do he and Sharon need? Does she have that many dogs to take care of? Shame on you Ozzy. Although people blame Sharon, Ozzy could speak up and tell her no. So Ozzy is as much to blame.