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Subject: +*+*+*+ Stephen's Secure Blog #269 "Wizards Balls" +*+*+*+
Date: Wed, 25 Dec 2013 18:23:28 -0500
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Stephen's Secure Blog #269
These stories about Stephen began was when he was 10 years old, and
moving to a new part of the country to attend a special school for
gifted students, in the 1950's. This was from a time before computers
would fit on a desk, and when people communicated with friends in other
countries by actual letters sent through the postal service. He wrote
225 of them to a friend. He stopped writing to his penpal, but found he
still wanted to record his life, in case he lost his memory again, and
wrote 30 entries in his first logbook. Then he wrote to an artificial
intelligence called Geenee, in the master computer in his school for
gifted students, which he started attending in 2016. Now it's after
2018, and he's continuing to save his memories in a secure blog.
All characters are fictitious, even if some of them might have names
that belong to some actual people, or act like people we know.
The stories may not be posted in chronological order.
Stephen is 17 in this story, in Spring of year 7 of his special school.
Stephen's Secure Blog #269 "Wizards Balls"
START Page
I said "BASKETBALL?" He said "Yes." I said "Isn't that a team sport?"
He said, "For them, yes." I said, "You want me, all by myself and I, to
play a whole five man team?" He said "Yes, and with just athletics." I
said "I get the ball, it goes in the basket. Getting the ball is the
problem. I don't want to hurt them. And I thought I was too old to
dribble." He poked me. I said "What kind of team? I could coach foul
shots, if they want." He said "Any and all comers." I said "Going to
need to wipe down the court." He laughed. I said "How do I throw the
ball in from a goal, when I have no teammate to catch it?" He said "You
walk it in." I said, "So, when do I do this?" He said "Oh, in about an
Before the televised game, there were interviews. I was first. The
announcers said, "You're taking on a whole pro team all by yourself.
Who ever came up with that idea?" I said, "It sure wasn't me! Blame my
manager." He said, "Have you been practicing a lot for this event?" I
said "I couldn't. I just found out about this a little more than an
hour ago." He said "Wow!" I said "That's not what I said!" He laughed.
He said "So, you must be a very good player." I said "I'll have to be,
but if you mean I am good at the game now, I would have to say I don't
know. I haven't played it before in this life. But I did for about
eleven hours, total, in my last incarnation, so I do know what it's
about." He said "So you don't have much experience in the game, at all.
How can you ever do anything against an NBA team?" I said "Well, I
hope. I'm pretty sure I can throw it in the basket. Actually getting
the ball might be a little tricky. I really don't want to hurt
anybody." He said "What makes you think that could be a problem?" I
said "I'm strong and fast, and I can jump very well. If somebody gets
under me, well, they might end up a little shorter. I would feel very
badly about that." He said "Under you? Do you really jump that high?"
I said "Sure. Jumping is easy. It's the landing I'm concerned about."
He said "I see." I grinned, and he said, "Almost." I nodded. He said
"Are you going to use any unusual abilities?" I said "That depends on
how you define unusual. I will just be using my body and its training.
Some of that could be considered unusual. For instance, I can take a
punch or a kick which would kill the average person, without any
damage. I'm VERY fast, and very strong. My hearing is so acute, I can
echolocate with it." He said "Wow!" I said "I hear that a lot." He
laughed and said, "I suppose you do. Do you expect to win?" I said "The
charity wins. That's all I care about, along with giving people some
good entertainment." He said "Do you know the special rules for
tonight?" I said, "Yes. I don't throw the ball in, I walk it in. They
must be ten feet from me when I do that. I get free throws for all
fouls." He said "Right. Good luck in the game." I said "Thanks."
On the court at the Verizon Center, I shook the hands of the
Washington Wizards coach, and the team captain. They had already put a
radio mike on me. I said "I'll try to give you a good came." The
players said, "We're going to beat the pants off you." I looked down,
and said, "They won't fit you. Sorry." He said "Where's your uniform?"
I said "I'm wearing it. If you beat me, well, things might change." He
said "We ARE going to beat you." I grinned and said, "I think the ball
will decide that." His coach nodded, and puled him back.
We wouldn't jump for the ball, because I had no teammate to catch it
if I hit it. I would walk it in from the line. I said "Which basket is
mine?" The announcer said, "On the other side of the court." I peered
at it, and said, "That's so far away. Can't I have this one? It's a lot
closer. He said "No, sorry. You have to use that one." I said "Well,
alright. Here goes." I stepped over the line, and threw the ball across
the court and into the basket. Then I ran to that side, and took the
ball away from the player who had caught it from being thrown in, and
did a layup to put it in the basket again. They all stopped, and stared
at me. I touched my face, and said, "What, did my girlfriend leave some
lipstick on me?" The crowd laughed. The coach called for a timeout, and
conferred with his team. Then he called me over, and said, "Are you
sure you don't have a lot of experience with this game?" I said "Are
you sure you haven't had a picnic on the moon? No? Well, I'm sure about
what I've done and not done, and I never lie. I've had intense physical
training for other activities, such as martial arts and gymnastics. I'm
putting some of that to use here. Er, if you don't mind." He said,
"Well, we're going to give you quite a workout, then." I said "Good.
But can we work in here? It's warmer." The fans laughed, and he looked
irritated.
We went back to the court. The player threw the ball in. That player
ran like crazy to the other basket. I ran faster, and stopped in front
of him, and he bounced off of me, looking very surprised. It was called
a foul, and I was awarded one shot. I said "When am I supposed to
shoot?" The ref said, "Right now, if you want." While I was still
looking at him, I tossed the ball up, one handed, and it went in the
basket. There was applause. The ball was thrown in, and I took it away
from the player who caught it, but the other players were waiting for
me, and blocked the basket. I dribbled the ball around them so fast,
they didn't have time to change positions before I put the ball in with
a layup. The next time, they had a man to block me there, so I jumped
up higher than he could reach, and stuffed the ball in. I landed
without any problem, but the player turned very fast to watch the ball,
and his elbow caught me on the side of my head. It bounced off, but the
ref saw it, and gave me another foul shot. I tossed it up really high,
underhanded, and it eventually came down and into the basket. Applause.
The team got better and better at protecting the ball, and blocking
me. I helped them foul me a lot, but they were getting better in
avoiding that. At halftime, the players, even with substitutions, were
all worn out, and I was just fine. I had some water. An interviewer
came over to me, and said, "Well, how is it going for you?" I said,
matter-of-factly, "Back and forth." He tried not to laugh like the fans
did, and said, "I mean, how do you feel about the game?" I said "Er,
I'm having a ball?" He had to laugh. I said "They play the game very
well. I know I'm posing problems they haven't encountered before, but
they are learning how to deal with them fast. We both have to think of
new ways to do it, and I like that." He said "You don't look tired." I
said "Well, there is a secret to not looking tired. Want to know what
it is?" He said "Yes." I said "Don't be tired. Then you won't look it.
Ha! You thought it would be something special, didn't you." He laughed,
and said, "I have to admit it, yes. But how do you keep from being
tired, with all that exercise?" I said "That's almost as simple. You
work out a lot, and very hard. My usual routine makes this almost look
like a nap. I could do this all day and not get tired. That doesn't
take away from the team. They are fine athletes. My training is just
different, that's all. Would you like me to show you some of it?" He
said "Let me check." He did, and "Please, show us."
I did some handstand pushups, rapidly. Then one legged deep jump knee
bends. Then some flips to full splits. Then some fancy gymnastic runs,
which included some triple summersaults, and a lot of other odd
difficult exercises. When it was almost time for play to resume, I
stopped and went back to the interview. There was a LOT of applause. He
said in amazement, "You still don't look tired!" I said "I would, a
little, after about two hours of that." He said "Wow! Why do you train
so hard?" I said "A healthy and disciplined body helps create and
maintain a healthy and disciplined mind. To achieve your full human
potential, you need to train the whole person, not just a few of the
parts you are most interested in. There are exercises for the mind,
too. I have a full picture of the court in my mind, including the
players. I know where everything and everybody is. That's how I can
shoot a basket without looking. It doesn't move, so I always know where
it is in relation to me, because I know where my body moves, exactly.
Visualization exercises are very helpful. So is studying anatomy and
kinetics, so you know how bodies move, and can anticipate how the other
players can move. From physics, I can judge the flight of the ball, so
I know just how much force to use in the throw, and how to aim. I can
use the exact amount of force in the throw I need, because with all
that exercise, I know exactly what my body is capable of, and so can
move with control and efficiency. If you would like, I'll try to use
some of those exercises, in the game, and demonstrate some other
techniques." He said "Wow!" I said "Careful, or that word will get
tired." Laughter.
I was set to do the throw in, but I decided to make it fancy. I had
the ball between my feet. When the whistle blew, I did a front flip,
and when my feet were almost vertical, I let the ball go. I had used my
body as a whip, releasing the ball at just the right moment, to make it
fly up and over, and into the basket, nothing but net. I said "Well,
that worked." There was a lot of applause. I ran to the throw in, and I
was fouled. A player deliberately tripped me. I let it happen. I had
one throw. I did a handstand on one hand, facing the basket. I had the
ball in the other hand. I threw it up, and caught it with my feet,
resting it on the soles of my shoes. I bent my arms, and with an
explosive pushup, and bent knee thrust, I launched the ball from my
feet, so that it went up and into the basket. Then I snapped my body to
land on my feet. I said "The hard part is thinking up these tricks.
Please don't foul me again. I don't know what I'll do." Some laughter
and applause. They threw the ball in, and I took it away from the
receiver, and my layup was blocked illegally. I went to the guilty one
and said, "Did you do that just to make me do more foul shots?"
He said "Who, ME? Whatever gave you that idea?" I turned away, and he
was giving the thumb's up to his teammates. I whirled around, and said,
"I saw that!" He hid his hand behind him, and tried to look innocent.
The fans laughed. I could see the players get the idea to play it for
laughs, then. For the first shot, I had my back to the basket, and then
bent over and threw it up from between my legs. Then I rolled forward,
and twisted and stood up, to see it go in the basket. For the next one,
I said "Any ideas?" One player said, "Hit it with your head." I said
"I'd rather hit it with yours." He had to laugh with the audience. One
said, "Throw it with your tongue." I said "No! I know where that ball's
been." More laughter. I backed off down the court. I held the ball
against my body with one hand, and did a series of one handed
cartwheels, and launched the ball from that before I crossed the foul
line, and it went in the basket. Applause. At the throw in, the ball
receiver stopped, expecting me to do something. I just stood there,
inspecting my fingernails. He looked very indecisive. The fans thought
the whole thing was very funny.
They decided on a passing game, traveling down the court. I didn't
move, even when my back was to them. I timed it just right, so when I
ran backwards very fast, I was between the players, and took the ball
out of the air. Then I jumped high, and threw it at my basket. Before
the player threw it in, he asked me, "How come you didn't run into one
of us, going backward blind?" I said "The picture of the court in my
mind. I could hear your shoes on the court, your clothing flapping,
your breathing, the wind of the ball moving, the sound of the catch in
your hands, so all that allowed me to place all of you in my mental
picture of the court. I knew where to be, and when, to intercept the
ball, without looking." He nodded, and then threw the ball at a player
who wasn't right in front of him, without looking. The problem with
that, was while his aim was good, the other player wasn't looking,
either. It bounced off of his arm, startling him almost out of his
shorts. I had to laugh. I said "Good try, but you might want to warn
the other guy, next time." He said, "Right."
The next time, he called out to a player, and said it was going to
throw to him secretly. The he threw it to somebody else, but I was
there to catch it, and dunked the ball. He said "How did you know where
I was going to throw it, when I didn't even know until I did it?" I
said "It's like they know in boxing, called the telegraph. When your
body starts to move from the decision, it tells people who study body
movement, just what it's going to do. I could tell just where you would
throw it to by the change in the set of your shoulders, and the balance
on your feet, and that it was going to be a throw, and when, because
you pulled your arms in a little, before you pushed them out with the
ball. Watch." I moved my arms with the telegraph, and without it. then
I did it slower, so he could see it better. I said "Psychology told me
you would probably try that, so I set in my mind to react to that,
which made my response like a reflex, so I could move that fast,
without having to decide to." He said "Wow! There's a lot of science to
this." I said "Actually, it's ALL science, if you think about it.
Brains count. You are all Pro Basketball players. Elite athletes. You
DO have brains. Good ones, or you couldn't do this. Work your brains,
like you do your bodies, and you will play the game better. And be
better at life, too. Now let's get back to work, so I can beat you." He
grinned, and said, "Sure, shorty!" I looked behind me, for Shorty, and
they laughed.
The rest of the game was a lot of fun, and we all hammed it up, and I
demonstrated some more fancy techniques. Near the end, I was fouled
again. I said "Anybody have any ideas for what I should do this time?"
One said, "Some kind of dance?" I said "That's an idea. Oh, I thought
of something, but I don't think I can do it. Would you want me to risk
failure?" he said "Darn right!" A lot of laughter. I said "Aww." More
laughter. He said to the fans, "Tell him to do it!" He gestured with
his arms, and they began the chant. After a while, I held up my hand,
and said "Alright! I'll try." They stopped. Behind the free throw line,
I extended one leg to be parallel to the floor. Then I balanced the
ball on the ankle. Then I started to turn my whole body, moving faster
and faster, adjusting the placement on the ball to allow centrifugal
force to keep it in place. I was spinning in place, ballet style, and
then with a knee bend and snap at just the right movement, I thrust the
ball up and to the basket. It went in. I stopped, and said, "Wow!" So
did a lot of other people. There was a lot of applause, and cheering. I
bowed to the fans. The players came and clapped me on my shoulders. I
acted like they were trying to knock me down, and they laughed. We
finished the game. I had a lot of points, and they didn't.
I said "There is one more trick I might be able to do." The coach
said, "And what is that?" I said "How about a slam dunk from the free
throw line, and with a summersault?" He said "Two summersaults." I
squeaked, "Two!? Then with a lower, more manly voice, "Er, two?" Even
the coach laughed. I said to the fans, "Do I really have to do two?"
They chanted that number. I said "Oh, alright. But I want absolute
silence. I don't even want to hear you chewing your neighbors
fingernails." Laughter. I said "Nice silence." More laughter. I walked
to the other free throw line. I said "I'll have to do a run up, for
this. I'm going to run with the ball on my outstretched arms, so when I
snap them in, that will help the summersaults get going. Ready?" The
coach held up his arms for silence, and then he nodded to me. I jumped
into the run, and at the line, I leapt into the air, and then snapped
my arms close and folded into a ball, still rising. I did two
revolutions, before extending my arms on the way down, just in time to
stuff the ball into the hoop. I landed on both feet, and a good plant,
under the net. They all stood and applauded and cheered very loudly. I
bowed to them. The players all congratulated me. Then we did
interviews. The commentator wanted more from me about what I did, and
said, "I really can't tell you more than what I said on the court. If
you want to learn more, check out the library, and college courses in
the subjects I mentioned. Learning is fun!"
In the locker room with the players and the Wizards' staff, they
congratulated me on my ability. He said "I think we've learned a lot. I
could see their skills improve right before my eyes. Amazing!" Chad
said "That's why he's called The Master Teacher. He teaches even when
he's playing." I said "I wasn't really playing. It actually was
teaching. I can't not do that. Team, you were annoyed with me at the
start. Then you got into the spirit of the event, and had fun, and you
were terrific! Great actors. Thanks a lot." The captain said, "We saw
you weren't trying to bullshit us, but were playing to the fans for a
good time, then your explanations really made sense. Then we did
everything we could to make you do more things we could learn from. I
don't know how to thank you enough." I said "I'll tell you how. Be good
people. Improve yourselves, and those around you. Give. That's how
anybody can thank me." I started glowing, and I raised my arms, and
said to them, wrapping them in my love, "May all you believe is holy,
bless you with their love and care. Thank you for allowing me to give
you some moments of pleasure, and my love. Farewell, my friends, till
we meet again." I bowed, and when I straightened up, I made my silvery
disappearance act.
With a 4th viewpoint, I could see their surprise, and hear Chad's
explanation. Then he walked away, and when he wasn't observed, he
ported in to join Rose, Hawk, and me, in my living room. I said to him,
"Did that go as you planed?" He grinned and said, "No. I didn't plan. I
just put you in the situation, so you can be you, and you were." I said
"Well, who else could I be, Moses?" They laughed. Rose said, "I think
he did well." Hawk said "Want to bet other teams will be after him
now?" I said "I don't want to do that again. I did my best then. Other
teams can watch the recording." Hawk asked Chad, "Is there any other
sport?" I said "No." Chad said "But there is something else you can do,
and on stage, too. Ballet." I said "I did that with you in summer
camp." I said to the others, "He liked the feel of the tights so much,
he had a boner." Chad laughed with them. I said "Yes, I could do that.
If you want me to, set it up. Costume might be a problem. I want to be
seen like usual. But if I have to, I suppose we can think of
something." Rose said "I would love to see you in tights." Hawk said
"Me, too." Chad said "Me, three." I just groaned.
END Page
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Grant
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