Oh goldenfiddle, you found that perfect note today. Here's a taste...

"...Then this little guy got up on the turntables and put on some weird ragga dancehall shit that sounded like Kid 606 meets M.I.A. Everyone was like, “Wait, a fucking cat is on the decks? What?” and then they were all, “Um, I’m about to lose control and I think I like it.”

"...These poor bastards work so hard they only have one or two nights a week to let go and it all comes gushing out in a no-pussy-for-miles “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” drunken ejaculation of missed opportunities. Wooooh!"

"What is it about these “make up your own religion” guys where fucking a lot of young girls is always a crucial part of the “awakening.”

"We saw this girl at a normal bar wandering around like she just moved here and was worried that she was too advanced for her new scene and was going to have to dumb it down a bit but then she thought, “Fuck this, I am going to elevate this scene to my level,” exactly like Kevin Bacon did in Footloose where he taught the whole town how to rock."

"Let’s face it. Homeless people are gross. Their shit-encrusted underpants have grown around the sores on their ass, and their feet reek so bad it’s interesting."

[via => via]

geek-a-riffic - I'll post some highlights later

"Brace yourself for a mind-bog of sheer cynicism. The discombobulation begins..."

[via]

"...the most foolish war since Emperor Augustus in 9 BC sent his legions into Germany and lost them."

[via]

History will be the judge of Bush's actions, but the verdict isn't going to be what he planned on.

I hadn't heard of Dick Cheney being "X'd"....maybe I should watch more CNN?

fire is cool

[via]

A not so fairy tale

Bitter much? And this coming from a franchise how old? ('92-93 was their first season)? And how many trips to the playoffs? (3) And how many playoff series wins? (1, apart from their cup run last time out)

In the same span, the Leafs have made it to the conference finals 4 times (stopped by the clutch-n-grab Canes, the Dominator, Bure and Gretzky), made the conference semis 3 times, and missed the playoffs just twice.

Talk about a lack of respect for your elder statesmen.

Update - I saw this early, but was still fuming. But it is a great photo journal of what the Cup did on its summer vacation. Trapper John M.D. with the set-up play.

[via]

Fischer intends to return to the Red Wings blue line.

And just a tad of advice for this hack columnist in light of his below rant

If I ever hear another athlete say, in times of personal strife, "this really puts things in perspective," I think I'll go mad. You know what I mean: The whole "it's only a game" mentality is kind of insulting.

Of course they don't see it as just a game. Do you consider what you are the best at as only sort of important? This heaping of importance/immediateness helps sharpen the edge that makes them elite athletes.

Duh!!!

[via]

"Blue Boy vs Ol' Dirty Bastard::Shimmember Me (DJ Not I Remix)"

this track is mad tight

[via] [contact]

The SmartDecks are coming! The SmartDecks are coming!

Dear Griffin SmartDeck Customer:

We are now shipping the SmartDeck. We realize that your order was placed several months ago so we wanted to check in to make sure you were still interested in receiving the product.

If you would still like the SmartDeck product, please respond back to this email by Friday, December 2nd. Otherwise the order will be automatically cancelled. If for any reason you are unable to contact us in time and would still like to receive the product you can place a new order via our website at http://www.griffintechnology.com/.

If you have questions about your order and need to contact a Griffin representative, please email us at customerservice@griffintechnology.com. If you reply to this email with questions about your order you will not receive a response. Only reply directly to this email if you are interested in keeping your order.

We apologize for any inconvenience. We look forward to your continued support.

Thank you,
The Customer Service Team
Griffin Technology

Do goalies count?

Can someone please direct me to the clause that allows the exception to the new rule forbidding player changes after an icing in the case of a pulled goal tender? This situational exception was never discussed from what I read during the owner's lock-out. I never thought about it. I thought about how it would be great to take advantage of tired teams who couldn't flip the puck over the glass and get a whistle or ice the puck and get a change. For what it is worth, I don't think there is such a clause, not that the CBA has made its way into the public domain.

However, I have witnessed the exception allowed on two separate occasions, both of which were questioned by the play-by-play team. I'm not sure I'm in favor of requiring the goalie to remain on the bench after his team accidentally ices the puck with an extra attacker, but this needs to be clarified. If for some reason a team loses a game because a referee decides to enforce the no-change on an icing, it'll be much worse than allowing Gretzky to avoid the last five minute fighting fine.

And after that decision hits the books, it'll be downright mutiny by any team that gave up a tying goal after a goalie was allowed to return to his net after an icing. It'll be chaos in the streets. It'll be really crappy for any team, its fans, etc negatively impacted by such a decision.

good old hockey game - found via the canadian blog awards

I'm still waiting for the next bloggies

Hockey for Dummies - Fall 2005 edition

Hockey Industry 210 - A modern history of the NHL is the backdrop to player evaluations in the new reality of a hard salary cap.

"Handbook of Hatches" by Dave Hughes

"Casting guru Mel Krieger explains in simple terms how to get the most effective, basic cast by pulling the rod through the stroke rather than pushing it."

You can't get much more metaphysical than that.

Best Sub$200 5wt travel rods

Haiku contest

Daily Stream Flow Conditions

Finally, someone takes the praise-gun off overload when pointed at McCabe. If not for his defensive partner, his +/- would look much worse.

Get excited for some rare interconference play in the coming weeks.

And I'm excited to see what Carlo can do during this stretch, who has 5G 6A in 14 GP

What I learned during the Survivorman Marathon yesterday:

- Prison Match - one piece of tissue, rolled tightly, with one end open in a funnel/cup shape. Dime-size amount of cotton sock lint. One BIC lighter with functional flint. Insert lint in open end of tissue. Add spark.

- Check your supplies at your first opportunity, not on day two or three of an alpine descent when you have no tent or sleeping bag. It is possible to get tinder for a fire during a week of heavy rain.

- You can kill a 6' rattler with a stick, and it gives you a freak-out buzz after you eat it. Jiggers exist. Frog really does taste like chicken, and turtle tastes like fish.

- Polar bears won't necessarily kill you when they wander 30' past you sleeping defenselessly in the open.

check out colbert report's "T.O." edition of "The Word,"

it's still up on up on the main page at Comedy Central.

My man Neil

in response to this...

Ninja,

I haven't checked your site in a while, bub. Today I read the article you posted about Intelligent Design, and while I'm not willing to say that Intelligent Design itself is crap, I will say that the article is a bit goofy.

Here's the thing: "An imaginative person would find it difficult to believe the world begins and ends in the things that can be tested scientifically." That's the crux of the whole article, and it's here that I have to call bullshit. Bullshit! There, it's been called.

Let me start by saying that I know that you and I have talked about this before, and you know my stance. I don't really disbelieve in God, per se, but I don't really care if there is one or not. If he's out there, he's not doing a very good job. If there isn't one, that's just fine. I don't think there's any sort of force shaping our universe, but I can't really convince anyone of this fact. I read what I can about physics, and the origins of everything, but basically, popular science still says that it all began with a "bubbling chaos" and that still doesn't tell us why there was any energy out there in the first place. Neither position makes any sense to me. Maybe that makes me an agnostic, or maybe it just a really lazy atheist. Either way, I got nothing.

But to say that somehow believing in God or Intelligent Design is a sign of intelligence and imagination is garbage. Kurt Vonnegut, Ambrose Bierce, H.P. Lovecraft, Spaulding Grey, Ernest Hemingway, and Aldous Huxley - disbelievers all. Read their stuff and try to tell me it's not imaginative. Want some scientists who are "lamed" by their lack of belief in a higher power? Noam Chomsky, Richard Feynman, Bertrand Russel, Carl Sagan - hell, even Darwin had some problems with this. And don't even get me started with your philosphers - Neitzche (I can never spell that), Hume, Sartre, etc... but you know more about that than I do. I can understand if just creating a list of some dudes that don't believe in Intelligent Design seems specious to you, because the point is that using a few naked examples of authors and scientists to set forth a point (like the author of that editorial did), is garbage.

I agree with the author that "Intelligent Design is a worthy subject of personal introspection," and that it's currently getting bad press because of some nutbags that live in the Bible Belt. That still doesn't change the fact that it's irresponsible to pull a few quotes from famous people to support your position.

You can't be "too rational" in the scientific sense. Science depends on imagination and rationality, and the two aren't mutually exclusive. And hey, neither one depends on faith.

Here's a quote for you:"The most serious parody I have ever heard was this: In the beginning was nonsense, and the nonsense was with God, and the nonsense was God."

Betcha know who that is. In the end this quote is useless, because it doesn't answer anything. It's just a guy saying "no," which is not how things should be done. The guy who wrote the article is also saying "no", only in more words. In any case, quotes and anecdotes can be used any way you want, and that's how I got through college with a B average. The search for answers - scientifically - should be conducted with the belief that science can answer anything. That's what the scientific method is all about.

In conclusion, Peter Scowen can suck my balls for trying to sneak a point past us all.

Sincerely,
Samsonov14

link to above original post

that's my non-existent album cover

Poop today?

Britain has warned media organizations they are breaking the law if they publish details of a leaked document said to show U.S. President George W. Bush wanted to bomb Arabic television station Al Jazeera...

"If the report is correct then this would be both shocking and worrisome not only to Al Jazeera but to media organizations across the world," the Qatar-based station said in a statement.

...the memo came from Blair's Downing Street office and turned up in May last year at the local office of Tony Clarke, then a member of parliament for the town of Northampton. Clarke handed the document back to the government.

Leo O'Connor, who used to work for Clarke, and civil servant David Keogh were charged last Thursday under Britain's Official Secrets Act with making a "damaging disclosure of a document relating to international relations"

In 2001, the station's Kabul office was hit by U.S. bombs and in 2003 Al Jazeera reporter Tareq Ayyoub was killed in a U.S. strike on its Baghdad office. The United States has denied deliberately targeting the station.

What's that about smoke and fire? Seriously, how much evidence is needed before this guy gets in real trouble?

the idea of a personal God is an anthropological concept which I cannot take seriously. I also cannot imagine some will or goal outside the human sphere

Is it too rational to dismiss intelligent design?

science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind

I think someone just died on the Red Wings bench.

Update - Jiri Fischer is breathing on his own. I still don't know exactly what happened. There was speculation that he took a puck to the throat.

Update - Fischer suffered a seizure on the bench, most likely cardiovascular in origin according to Dr.Google.

Nymphing

To see the take in smooth-flowing water, use the Greased Leader Tactic. Coat the leader with a paste-type fly floatant to within six inches of the fly

Neat little trick.

When fishing downstream, the nymphing caster would employ the Parachute Mend to provide controllable slack that is fed into the currents to run the fly downstream without drag. Fishing across, the caster could choose a Reach Mend, a Curve Mend, a Curve Cast, a Hump Mend, or various on-the-water mends to defeat drag. Fishing up, or up and across, the angler would choose a Reach Mend, a Puddle Cast, or a Pile Cast to eliminate the onus of drag. Dry fly tactics one and all.

Uh, yeah. More instruction is needed.

Early anglers saw "spotted" fish (certainly brown trout) jumping for insects that darted back and forth over the surface (certainly adult caddis flies), and dressed patterns of red wool that even today, nearly 2,000 years later, would fool fish.

FLYDEALFLIES - order now, because they get back-ordered soon, and you won't get all the flies or the sizes you want. Get a dozen for about $6.00 to $7.50.

Antroponikarovsky

When not playing with eachother, either is more than capable of looking listless, Nik moreso than Alexei. But when paired on the same line, Quinn can insert anybody between these two agressive large ex-blocers, and you have a line capable of a very efficient fore-check.

The Pony express has been told to look for his shot primarily because his hands are lead when it comes to passing or anything less simple than putting the puck on the net. In the last 6 games, Alex has looked impressive, 2 short handed points, 5 goals, chasing pucks, pinning defenders on the boards and moving the puck to a team mate, and generally harassing the opposition into commiting turnovers.

Antropov has returned from a tough first month of the season in which he endured injury and the loss of his father and has regained his form alongside his good bud. And not a moment too soon, considering the atrocious five-on-five play of the Leafs. But now that these two are playing like the days of old, and the rest of the team isn't taking stupid penalities, Pat has his options open. Who will maximize the potential of their forecheck?

Allison is currently the beneficiary of having these two excellent forechecking line mates to camouflage his lack of speed. Though I do have to admit Allison looked great agains the Bruins in the first period, generating the first goal of the game. He took enough sticks to the face that night to have possibly earned the right to keep his wingers. Preliminary line name : PAA Line. Yeah, I know. That doesn't mean anything. Scratch the acronym direction for these three.

Lindros may be the next to benefit from the play of these two, and despite the obvious size advantage such a combo would enjoy, the playing styles may not mesh. Lindros just isn't as effective as a puck controller. He is more of a puck taker. But who knows, maybe a LAP line would besot themselves in points. Or is it the PAL line?

Personally I liked Wellwood between these two, but Quinn wants to test the youngster to see if he can produce on the fourth line, as well as keep the playmaker in reserve for a quick strike when special teams dominate ice time. How does the WAP line sound to you? Shitty? Yeah, me too. But this isn't about Kyle "Spezza who?" Wellwood, but rather the hydra-beast that is Antroponikarovsky.

Dirty Defensemen

Tim: There he is!
King Arthur: Where?
Tim: There!
King Arthur: What? Behind the rabbit?
Tim: It *is* the rabbit!
King Arthur: You silly sod!
Tim: What?
King Arthur: You got us all worked up!
Tim: Well, that's no ordinary rabbit.
King Arthur: Ohh.
Tim: That's the most foul, cruel, and bad-tempered rodent you ever set eyes on!
Sir Robin: You tit! I soiled my armor I was so scared!
Tim: Look, that rabbit's got a vicious streak a mile wide! It's a killer!
Sir Galahad: Get stuffed!
Tim: He'll do you up a treat, mate.
Sir Galahad: Oh, yeah?
Sir Robin: You mangy Scots git!
Tim: I'm warning you!
Sir Robin: What's he do? Nibble your bum?
Tim: He's got huge, sharp... er... He can leap about. Look at the bones!
King Arthur: Go on, Bors. Chop his head off!
Sir Bors: Right! Silly little bleeder. One rabbit stew comin' right up!

[via]

Lost musings

Ok, I've been doing a little reading over at Lostforums, and since I don't want to join, I'll throw up my own thoughts here.

There are more than one group of others. Others are the scientists who ran or are still running experiments (i.e. in the boat who took Walt). Some scientists may have put themselves into their experiments(Goodwin), thus existing as two types of others. This may or may not be a permanent shift in identity.

Others are also experiments themselves (Ethan, the ghostly feet, the shark - possibly psychicly controlled/connected by certain others), guinea pigs, if you will. Some of the experiments have been a success, while others have been a failure. Hence "quarantine." However I have no idea what is considered a success or a botched test on the island.

Each Dharma project has yielded a set of others with certain characteristics indicative of each particular project. They seem to possess powers, either physical or psychic abilities. However, these abilities are not omnipresent, or distributed to all of the others. The voices the stranded hear seem to be a result of utilizing some sort of projection that influences the mind. The physical strength of Ethan was not present in Goodwin. Who knows what other skills the various projects have bestowed on the test subjects.

There might be some cross over between projects, so some others may have attributes from more than one of the projects.

I watched this movie, supposedly highlighting the different projects, but some of the forum posters believe it to be a hoax. I do not know either way, and really don't care. The film blurs the line between project 4 and 5, by using the same logo, hence the above cross-over comment.

However, all the projects are part of an overall "initiative," so the others may be more integrated than this. Obviously, there are lot of possibilities. Some of the projects may not have gone wrong, so there may only be very few botched others. The successful experiments may be arranged as different units, all part of a larger organized "team", if you will, all with their certain specialties designed to achieve the initiative's goal, whatever the fuck that is.

I also learned last night that Canada is evil, or is a convenient cover story for the others. This general ignorance of Canada and its 18 citizens is a real drag on tourism.

There were some new leaks today, a press release about a 105 year old orang, dated 09/21/05, and Global Health Organization "cease and desist" (password: Copenhagen - entered when you click the link at the bottom of the text of the press release) order, dated 09/19/05, to Hanso Foundation for operations on Zanzibar. So the Hanso Foundation continues to operate, publicly, in Zanzibar.

That's all I've got for now.

It's McCabe who more often steps into the top of the circle while Kaberle hangs back on the point. Defending teams are starting to figure this out and will protect against the one-two punch accordingly. "What you don't want to do is get predictable as The Passer," says Quinn.

I wonder what prompted this observation and subsequent line of questioning? A little credit would've been nice.

Memes of the hockey season thus far.

Bruins vs. Leafs Preview

"The Weak Link, The Fatal Flaws, The Achilles Heals all come to mind."

Ouch!

"(Coach)Sullivan has spent the past couple of days venting his spleen..."

Double Ouch! But all is not as it seems in Leafland where a 2 game win streak (if you can call that a streak), by virtue of a decent game plus a little fortune with the law of the ice, is a sign things are moving in the right direction. All this false optimism just sets up another set back for the buds. We'll see just what type of an on-ice 5-man unit shows up. Game time 7:00 EST.

leaves

tackletour - my wading boots actually scored a respectable 8.41

Thule Castaway Roof Rod Rack

embrace your inner-geek with a geek utility belt, covert harness bag, whatever. [via]

Forbes tells us which organization is raking in the most money and which is hemorrhaging, and the organizations tell us Forbes is making up its numbers and doesn't use their books. But let's not get into the conversation again of whose numbers are the real numbers. We just ended that conversation.

Amen to that. And I think I know why Devils games are so poorly attended.

Most expensive game to attend (Based on team marketing report's estimated cost of tickets, concessions, merchandise and parking for a family of four.): New Jersey Devils, $310

NYR 1 - TOR 2

Well, last night's game was pretty entertaining, from Stajan's opening minutes flub on an open net off a beauty Wellwood pass, to Moore's line impressing big time, to Jagr blowing by Berg, Straka ringing the post on a break away, Khavanov's hail mary lob to Kilger, Lindros almost beheading Tucker, McCabe pinching horribly on the PP to allow an odd man rush, and a couple of calls that I didn't understand.

I think the Ortmeyer call for touching Belfour was a make up call for a missed interference call when someone ran into Eddie in the first. Or at least that was the only reason I could come up with.

Larry Brooks was all complaining about the refs, but the Rangers main problem was getting through the neutral zone. Dellapina includes a good explanation of the Hossa no-goal. Newsday has the best NY-area recap. Rangers Game Log does a fine job as well.

GTA coverage is all ga-ga for McCabe, who really needs to take a defensive responsibility refresher course at...somewhere. Next up, the boys from Beantown.

Tongue in Skin

I don't seem to be able to carry on a conversation over at my favorite haunt without getting, or at least seeming, confrontational. I don't like it. It reminds me of the first time I was told I like to argue too much by someone I deeply respected. The funny thing is, we shared the same first and last names and I was in a foreign country arguing with his fine lady friend. Actually that's not funny at all. The really funny thing is, this observation came as a complete shock to me at the time. Which is more sad than funny I suppose.

I'm pretty bummed because hockey is finally back, and I love to talk puck, but I seem to chase away the dialogue with heavy handed verbage. Even my college buddy was taken back yesterday with my characterization of an opposing opinion as nonsense. And given my sensitivity to other's characterizations of my own opinions, I really need to be more considerate. Not a good combo; an acid tongue and thin skin.

4sprung

"There's a lot of equality in terms of how men and women drink in the highlands of Andes," deFrance said. "Women will get as rip-roaring drunk, if not more so, than men."

"The Leafs put together an all on-the-block line at practice yesterday when they sent out Allison with Alexei Ponikarovsky and Nik Antropov.

As a hard worker with some speed, Ponikarovsky has some value. But the other two are perfect examples of the type of player whose attractiveness has diminished in the new NHL."

First time the paper has agreed with me on Poni's value.

"The National Hockey League, which feels obliged to award three points in some of its games, should go all the way and award three points in each and every match"

What, is the Star reading this blog now? Finally, this concept gets some play in the MSHM.

Neutral, my ass!

"Attention Walmart Shoppers..."

It is an industry secret that all fishing vests are made by a single anti-fishing misanthrope in Hong Kong

William Joseph vest - Winner of Best New Product Award

Orvis Pocket Tech - I especially like the magnet inserts, akin to this fine fly box
Simms G3 Guide Vest

Simms Vertical

bargain Simms

Greys of Alnwick GRX

Top Albums, LPs, EPs, mp3s of 2005 or 2004, in no particular order

Engineers - Engineers
Aqueduct - I Sold Gold
Hockey Night - Keep Guessin' [buy]
Kinski - Alpine Static
Russian Futurist - Our Thickness
Mugison - Murr Murr
DeeJay JRA - The Journey
go soshi - Signal Degradation
Green Day - American Idiot
GreyBoy - Soul Mosaic
Rob Sonic - Telicatessen
Tsujeari Fujji - Megalodon
Hot Karl - The Great Escape
The Dix - The Art of Picking Up Women
DJ DNA - When Day Breaks, Night Falls
DJ Sujinho - I Love Baile Funk
Diplo vs Shadow - Megatroid Mix

Not that I make a point of supporting the major record labels, but I have purchased my last Sony Artist CD.

How 'bout dem apples?

One day when he was talking to his agent, Wellwood mentioned that he would win the league's scoring title the next season. His agent reminded him that he'd be going head-to-head against some guy named Jason Spezza, but Wellwood didn't seem very concerned about that.

The next season, he was the OHL's top scorer with 118 points, two more than Spezza.

The kid's got game. If you saw his goal on Saturday, you know what I'm talking about. All Wellwood. Straight up the ice. Beauty, eh! Play him with anyone, and he'll produce. Play him with talent, and look out.

Allison on the other hand, "can't play centre ahead of Mats Sundin, Eric Lindros and Kyle Wellwood, can't play when he doesn't have the puck, and can contribute offence in power-play situations only."

I could do that.

"To date, the Leaf rookies, Alex Steen and Wellwood are out-scoring the highly touted Philadelphia rookies, Mike Richards and Jeff Carter."

"Hockey players commit the fewest violent crimes" according to the thinking man's comic [via]

And the number reason one to read this blog: "A recent roast of boxing promoter Don King got a little too real: "How come there are so few boxers here? Because Don King screwed so many of them they wouldn't come," said Donald Trump. "Let's face it. Don King is a good damn thief. He screws everyone he touches. He screwed me for years and I didn't like it."

I got a request to submit my Top 10 Albums of the Year from indiesfordummies, a fantastic music blog. Due by 12/20/05.

I gotta get on that, especially to repay the generous opinion that this place is a music blog. Damn good taste, Alessio and Francesco, if I do say so myself.

Pot, kettle. Kettle, pot.

What did he once say? "History will judge my actions" or somesuch.

In private, he said...

‘History,’ and then he took his hands out of his pocket and kind of shrugged and extended his hands as if this is a way off. And then he said, ‘History, we don’t know. We’ll all be dead.

The epitome of responsible governance.

The Crosby Show

Free TiVo

iLoad [via]

Broad-casting, and a great article on ESPN shark jumping.

Got Fire? [via]

Got Sun? [via]

Got Light? [via]

Got Warming? [via]

$89 R/T - Newark to Toronto/Montreal

Not a list I want the Leafs to be atop of, but I guess I do benefit...during the games.

BULLSHIT, Mr. Raymond. You can't defend record profits while claiming production strains by saying profits go up and down. Don't insult the world's intelligence. What? You can't blame OPEC, so you play me for a fool?

"Democrats had wanted the executives to testify under oath, but Republicans rejected the idea"

Why, Republicans? What possible reason could you have to not ensure that testimony is accurate and truthful, with legal ramifications if not? Oh, they paid for your campaign? My bad.

Shit, even the White House has a clue, for the moment.

"Energy prices have been too high and energy companies have realized significant increases in profits," said spokesman Scott McClellan."

But the industry has a bullet-proof argument

"...the run-up of gasoline prices, which began earlier in the year, stems from high global crude oil costs and growing demand for gasoline this past summer, followed by a disruption of gasoline supplies when the hurricanes shut down more than a dozen refineries on the Gulf Coast."

Oh, why didn't you say so? I figured it had something to do with opportunity, campaign debts, collusion, and "investing aggressively in the development of new energy supplies".

Ovechkin = Jordan?

King Fasel of the IIHF wants Turin turned into the NHL. I want the NHL to answer to FIFA, or at least give referees discretion when it comes to determining advantage, footie style.

But onto the main course for today - Is Ovechkin hockey's Michael Jordan?

If you caught the Leafs' game last night, during the pregame they ran tape of AO on the ice in flip flops, mp3 player jamming, engaged in a ballet with the puck on the end of his stick. The highlight reel from Sunday's game for him alone was broadcast at least three times I can remember. The coming down the right wing to inward spin on the backhand to a shot was my personal favorite. And watching the game, the kid gets a shot off everytime down the ice with the puck, if he wants. Its unreal. Involved in almost 50% of all of the Capitols scoring, and nearly leads the team in hits. That's right. HITS. (according to the broadcast team) Maybe I heard that wrong. Pretty sure I heard that wrong. But the approx. 50% thing is accurate.

Apparently his tremendous athletic ability and mental acuity is genetic. Or environmental. Or whatever. His father is a former professional soccer player, while moms has two Olympic gold medals at home.

If you saw the stick handling segment, LeafsTV ended it on a move that looked like he lost the puck, sliding off his blade behind him as he moves on his forehand. But if you thought he misplayed the puck, that is exactly what he wanted you to think. During a power play near the end of the first, or beginning of the second, Ovechkin performed this pre-rehearsed "mistake". Dangling to the right of Belfour near the face-off dot, he once again appeared to lose the puck off his blade. This is the set up. It makes the D pounce. And as the D is pouncing, he is already quickly spinning to take a shot/pass to the near post where a teammate was waiting for a deflection or rebound. It was a set play/move that looks like a quick turn-over opportunity to the D. Nasty. Dirty. Filthy. Brilliant.

The NHL has the next one coming, it just got the name and nationality wrong. And where is the Alexander Ovechkin blog? I may have to start one, though it would be better serviced by a D.C. local.

Oh Fox News, you knowing shill

[via]

I was up late, again, last night watching Fahrenheit 911 (Showtime, good job) and that movie stirs the social activist/moralist/ethics freak inside me. The most important lesson I think America needs to take from the film is the fundamental and necessary distinction to be made between a war and the soldiers that fight it. You may not agree with the policies and politics, but unless you are willing to make the life-changing sacrifice of joining the military, you better damn well thank them for their efforts.

Personally, the fear campaign to sell the Iraq war to the public is what interests me, primarily because I was fortunate to see it happening, knowing what it was at the time. Friends and relatives would ask "Do you think we are going to war with Iraq?" and I'd say the decision has already been made. I held out hope Powell would do his fellow citizens proud, but he too faltered under the weight of a predetermined policy decision. I feel for him. On an administration filled with crooks and liars, he stood out as the voice of reason. He just wasn't strong enough to fight them all.

However, to stay on course, and in keeping with my Canadian roots, I post this virtual poppy in honour of Remembrance Day. For all the talk of patriotism and whatnot, I wish Americans would display a similar symbol for more than the calendar day of November 11. I think the nation would embrace such a practice. I'm so cynical, I think it won't happen because such depressing, somber thoughts depress the economy, and we can't have that, now can we? I hope I'm wrong.

Ew-ew....Ew-ew-ew-ew

Centro-matic's "To Unleash the Horses Now"

the band has several mp3s up on the discography page

p.s. - needs a dash, perhaps a pinch, maybe even a healthy dollop more cowbell.

Cherry Opera

"You can leave and you can take the rest of these lily-livered motherfuckers with you."

Aberdeen St. Party - 5,000 people, 1 overturned car, $84,000 in policing costs.

I lived in a barn set back behind the houses, in the center of the northwest quadrant of Aberdeen, right next to the Johnson St. designated party venue house.

Police are requesting $450,000 from city to purchase helmets and Tasers for Aberdeen next year

Ha Ha

/nelson

it's so freaking....huge

The greatest intellectual ? [via]

the best scientists aren't the ones who know the most data; they're the ones who know what they're looking for

but I have to disagree with this, at least I hope it isn't true.

There's a kind of an assumption that if somebody wrote it on the internet, it's true

I kinda think so...he's the sharpest blade ever to cut through alot of ingrained bullshit. I'm liking Friedman's "The World is Flat" as a counterbalance in perspective.

Is the West Wing worth watching again? I might check it out Sunday.

2005 Miss Playboy TV Latin America and Iberia contest

We've only just begun. I got all sorts of new dark shit for you my man. You ever dance with the devil in the moon light?

I don't know what my attitude is. I'm working on it all the time. I'm drinking water tonight. That's pretty amazing. Water. It's really weird how your life changes. Four years ago, opium. Night and day. Night and fucking day. Some of y'all might remember me, I was a drinker. I was a weekend drinker. Start on Saturday, end on Friday. Thought I was controlling it there. I don't drink anymore. I don't do drugs anymore either, than I'd say the average touring funk band. If I had to add it up.

But I'll tell you something about drugs. I used to do drugs. But I'll tell you something, honestly, about drugs, honestly, and I know its not a very popular idea, you don't hear it very often anymore, but, it is the truth. I had a great time doing drugs. Sorry.

Never murdered anyone. Never robbed anyone. Never raped anyone. Never beat anyone. Never lost a job,a car, a house, a wife or kids. Laughed my ass off and went about my day. Sorry.

Now where's my commercial? Why don't I get a commercial? Why is it always the other guy that gets the commerical? "I lost my job, then my house, then my wife, then my car, then my kids. Don't do drugs"

"Well I'm definitely not doing them with you! Fuck! Man, you're bumming me out. Get him out of here. Who invited Mr.Doom over? The guy by the dip. He's bumming everyone out. He hasn't stopped talking. I wish he'd lose his fucking voice."

I've lost my car before. Ok. Found it the next day. No biggie. I don't think that warranted a commercial. "I lost my car, and, uh...nope, there it is by that dumpster. Forget it. See you tomorrow." (beep beep)

I knew we were in trouble when that damn egg commercial, if that was the government's take on drugs, we're fucked..."This is your brain..." I've seen alot of weird shit on drugs, I've never ever ever ever ever looked at an egg and thought it was a fucking brain. Not once. I have seen UFOs split the sky like a sheet, but I have never ever ever ever looked at an egg and thought it was a fucking brain. Not once. I have had seven balls of light come off of a UFO, lead me onto their ship, explain to me telepathetically that we are all one and there is no such thing as death, but I have never ever ever ever looked at an egg and thought it was a fucking brain. Now, maybe I wasn't getting good shit.


-Bill Hicks, excerpt from 'Good Times on Drugs'

Gum-alicious

White Stripes "Walking With A Ghost" [via]

Moog Break Beats [via]

This is getting ridiculous. Ryan Miller goes down with a broken finger. Manny Legace tweaks a knee. Brodeur does the same. Raycroft, hamstring. Nabokov, out with an upper body injury. Toskala, groin. Burke, groin. Cloutier, concussion. DiPietro, bruised knee. Boucher, groin. Huet, ACL. Nurminen, career over. Lehtonen, groin. Most of these goalies didn't play last year, due to the lock out. Miller did. Maybe his injury is due to rule changes regarding goalie equipment?

UPDATE: Miller broke his thumb on a harmless dump in that tried to direct to the corner, but it missed the blocker, smacking his thumb. Tough luck.

Clutch Rankings

UPDATE: SI article on the dangers of the crease

one of my favorite arguments over at spofi

Snoop D.O.Double-G's "Gin & Juice" masterfully remastered by The Gourds. First heard on UNCUT-Feb 2002

Apparently I have to be a member of gourdsmusic over at Yahoo to link the mp3. Like that's gonna happen.

• me rikey rikey
• Earthrace
• Jimi
• iPod freeware - "ultimate"
• Swiss Army Knife/MP3 Player
• iLounge iPod Buyer's Guide 2005-06
• Amsterdam R/T - $267

Turducken How-To

No newscycle-Friday to bury this news under, which is exactly what they tried to do with SCOOTER

UPDATE: 'Hey America, bird flu & pandemic.' "That'll keep them preoccupied for a while. Maybe I won't have to apologize for outing a CIA agent intentionally so that my house-of-cards case for war wouldn't face credible opposition."

I give Bush too much credit, don't I?

Break a leg, buddy. And don't mind ratting on your pals who are throwing you to the dogs.

'Jesus of Suburbia' video & smuggler boat chase ended by sniper fire from pursuing chopper

[via]

Are the Maple Leafs the new anti-black, i.e. the Rangers of recent past? Management-wise, I have to agree. I didn't think it possible to squander so many prospects on so few, if any, substantial returns. Performance-wise, not so much. 103 points in 03-04, second to a 104 point Bruin team. The year before 97 points, good enough for second in the Northeast only to the President's Trophy winning Ottawa Senators. Not to mention the play-off runs, total Senator domination, and residing in the toughest division in the NHL.

Zorak and fangirl and OffwingEric on Eklund